Throughout the past several weeks the Chapter Members have been working diligently in seven different commissions. The General Assembly has now discussed reports and voted propositions from almost all of these commissions and the Chapter is entering a stage of reviewing the final reports and revised propositions returning from commission. Since much of the discussion has been about the precise wording and formulation of propositions, and the Chapter has yet to approve propositions in their final form, exact texts will not be published until after the Chapter finishes its work. What follows, then, is a only a summary of some of the commission work as well as an idea of some of the major decisions which will come from the 43rd General Chapter.

Following the two weeks of discussions with our Partners( May 8-20), the Chapter rearranged its working groups into seven different commissions. Three of these were commissions which continued under the same titles and four others moved into new areas of discussion. The continuing Commissions are Formation, Identity and Government/Finance. New commissions included Urgent Needs in Education, Communication, and Demographic Reality and Living the Association for the Educative Service to the Poor. A seventh commission assumed the dual task of Integration of the reports and propositions of Phase 2, and the Rule. The Formation and Identity Commission also jointly discussed the topic of the Pastoral for Vocations.

A number of propositions have called for significant actions and plans at the global level. The Chapter voted to establish a Permanent Council for the Lasallian Mission, one of whose tasks will be to organize an Internation Lasallian Assembly for the educational mission before the next General Chapter (Government Commission). The Chapter also voted for an international meeting of Brothers, Partners, and Associates on the topic of analysing and sharing experiences of Association, to take place in 2004 (Integration Commission). There are also propositions which call for a year dedicated to the renewal of community life (Identity Commission), an intercapitular commission to study and reflect on the distinct Brothers' identity in the Church (Identity Commission), the establishment of Regional commissions on Faith Education and an international communications network on urgent themes in our educational mission (Urgent Needs in Education); A year (2003) consecrated to the vow of association for the educational service of the poor, reflected thematically in a variety of programs at all levels of the Institute (Identity Commission);

Other important themes articulated in recommendations or propositions from commissions include 1) the continuing reorganization of regional and district structures (Government Commission); 2)formation and discernment of apostolic activity for aging Brothers (Demographic Reality Commission); 3) the promotion and upgrading of education in and use of modern technology (Urgent Educational Needs Commission and Communications Commission); 4) inter-religious dialogue (Urgent Educational Needs Commission); 5) immersion experiences, promotion of justice and peace and educational service to the poor) (several commissions); 6) interdependence and sharing of resources (several commissions).

This listing of topics is by no means exhaustive. The Chapter has already considered more than 60 recommendations and propositions in the last several weeks. Many of these are being revised in commission and will return to the General Assembly for approbation in the final days of the Chapter. Moreover, the Chapter has asked an ad-hoc commission to discuss the ways and means of communicating the experience and content of the Chapter to the Lasallian world. This commission will report to the General Assembly during the final week of the Chapter.

In all of their work, the commissions have kept in the forefront the central theme of the Chapter, "associated for the service of the poor through education as the lasallian response to the challenges of the 21st century". The Chapter's work has proceeded at a sometimes slow pace, due to the challenge of channeling thoughts and ideas from a multicultural group into clear and precise communication in three languages. But I am happy to report that the work has taken place in a remarkably joyful, optimistic, prayerful and fraternal spirit.