The third meeting of CSPA Council was scheduled in Melbourne for the weekend (3 & 4 September) prior to the National Catholic Education Conference to reduce travel costs for those attending both events.  Once again, it was pleasing to be able to meet in person.  Siobhan Allen gave special welcome to Mr Rossi Mangano, a new councilor representing Catholic School Parents Queensland, and observers Ms Sandra Hallsworth and Ms Charlotte Geeves (Tasmanian Catholic Schools Parents Council).

The whole of Saturday’s agenda was given over to the review of CSPA’s Strategic Plan, which resulted from a question as to whether the current plan was fit for purpose.  The review was facilitated by Brendan Spillane who introduced the day using a prayer from Richard Rohr.  Brendan was well received by participants, especially through his interweaving of rich experiential knowledge and wisdom throughout the day.

Brendan used research and homegrown ideas to prepare for our work on the strategic plan – some of these included: the need for all to be rowing in the same direction; the importance of establishing a vision (Brendan used his work with the NZ olympic cycling team and their vision of 3820 as an example); the need to be hard on issues but not hard on each other; the need for CSPA to be visible and available; that we are now in the Attention Age – in this Age of Disruption (Kaufer & Scharmer, 2013) we cannot assume connection; the need to lift our eyes and find space to dream; the fact that we do have goals but our phones give us other unsolicited goals (Williams, 2018); and how our focus has been stolen (Hari, 2022) and paying attention and thinking deeply are now challenges more than ever.

Brendan also shared some guiding thoughts such as: the need to deliver our strategic plan based on volunteers; the need to be careful of over setting goals and under delivering; noting that having more than three priorities might mean having none; the need to find our deep well within each focus area; the need for many voices in and one voice out; and the need to continue the hope of the original strategic plan.

After a general introduction Brendan led a process in relation to the strategic plan with participants working in small groups on the vision, mission, values, focus areas and then finally on the working plan.  Each component was workshopped in groups of four followed by the whole group coming together for feedback.  Using this feedback, CSPA Council is now working in small groups to bring a draft of the 2023 – 2025 CSPA Strategic Plan and 2023 Working Plan to the November meeting of CSPA council.

Siobhan Allen (CSPA Deputy Chair) led a vote of thanks to Brendan Spillane.

On the Saturday evening, Fr Michael Twigg OMI celebrated Mass, after which dinner was shared at the Oakwood Premier Hotel.  During the dinner, Siobhan Allen thanked Dr Pep Turner for her work with CSPA and presented her with a gift as the Melbourne meeting was likely to be her last with CSPA.

CSPA Council members assembled for a photo after Mass.

Additional items to the usual agenda included:

• Discussion of CSPA in relation to the National Boarding Association;
• Follow up regarding CSPA’s invitation to attend government roundtables;
• The meeting of the CSPA Sponsorship Committee;
• Financial planning for 2023;
• Adding a co-opted person statement to the CSPA Constitution; and
• CSPA’s relationship with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Commission.

The final meeting for 2022 will be virtual on 5 November.