• Clergy and spouses/partners, postulants, and candidates will meet together with Bishop Mark and Martha Bourlakas on Friday at 10 am.
• New delegate orientation begins at 1:30 pm on Friday. 
• Business begins at 2 pm on Friday. 
• The Bishop will give his Pastoral Address at 9 am on Saturday.
• Clergy spouses and partners will have lunch with Martha Bourlakas at 12:30 on Saturday. The cost is included in full registration for Council, or a meal ticket may be purchased in advance. 
• Business closes on Sunday following the Eucharist (unless unfinished business remains). 
• Please be sure your parish is told that Council information is available on the diocesan website.  

Registration is available online now.

• Early Bird Online Discount Registration for Clergy and Lay Delegates, Alternates, and Visitors attending all of Council is $135 until midnight of January 15.
• Attention Members of the Standing Committee and the Executive Board!
• Lay members should register as Lay Delegates and indicate their parishes.
• Clergy members should register as Clergy Delegates and indicate their parishes.
• All Standing Committee and Executive Board members' name tags will reflect their membership in these groups. 
• All those who need to register after January 15 must do so at the Onsite Registration table when they come to Council. They will need to be prepared to pay $160 at that time (valid Visa or MasterCard, the exact amount of cash, or a check payable to the Diocese of SWVA for the exact amount).
• Those not attending all of Council but who want to participate in the Saturday@Council workshops should register online for these. There is no charge, but we need to be able to plan for space and materials needs. 
• The online registration form can also be used for those not attending all of Council but who would like to purchase one or two of the three Council meals (Friday night dinner, Saturday lunch, Saturday night banquet).
• Children@Council and Youth@Council participants also register online. See additional information about these programs, below. 
• Contact Jim Robertson (jrobertson@dioswva.org) if you have questions about registration.

Hotel Roanoke room reservations are available now.

• We have a block of rooms reserved until January 6 or until they are full. It is wise to reserve a room early!
• You can reserve your room online at the Hotel Roanoke website (hotelroanoke.com). Click the "Reservations" button at the top of the page and provide the requested information. Our group/convention code is EPD. Or you can call the Hotel at 540-985-5900 and mention the EPD code.

Children@Council is available for the children of clergy and lay delegates, as well as the children of alternates. Children of Visitors to all of Council and children of Saturday@Council workshop participants may also attend Children@Council on a space-available basis.

• Children@Council will be held at Christ Church in Roanoke.
• A nursery is offered for infants - age 3.
• Preschool through 5th grades' program is a Vacation Bible School format.
• Non-delegate volunteers are needed to staff Children@Council.
• There is no charge for Children@Council. However, donations of time and money are invited. You may send checks payable to the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia with "C@C donation" on the memo line. Mail checks to C@C, PO Box 2279, Roanoke, VA 24009.
• Register your children for Children@Council when you register yourself online.
• Contact Lori Heymann (Lhhome@verizon.net) if you have questions about Children@Council.  

Youth@Council is available for 6th - 12th graders.

• Youth@Council will be held at St. John's, Roanoke.
• Please register online. 
• Additional information about Youth@Council is available on the youth website (youth.dioswva.org)
• Contact Aimee Bostwick (abostwick@dioswva.org) if you have questions about Youth@Council.

To Submit Resolutions or Proposed Changes to the Constitution or to the Canons:

• Resolutions to be printed must be turned in by December 31, 2013, by snail mail (Resolutions, PO Box 2279, Roanoke, VA 24009). Or you can submit a resolution online.
• Changes to the Constitution or to the Canons to be presented to Council must be received by Alan Boyce (aboyce@dioswva.org) by December 15, 2013. 

Tell Your Parish 

About Saturday@Council:

• Register online for Workshops and for Meal Tickets.
• There is no charge for workshops!
• Tickets for one or two of the Council meals (Friday night dinner, Saturday lunch, Saturday night banquet) can be purchased.
• Saturday@Council workshop registrants may be able to register their children for Children@Council if space permits. (See the Children@Council information, above.)
• Our annual blood drive for the American Red Cross will be Saturday, January 25, from 8 am - 2 pm. Sign up online by going to www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation (the Red Cross donation appointment website) after January 1 and look for the drive listed under ZIP Code 24016.

Exhibitors MUST register online. Choose "Saturday@Council Workshops" and when the option presents itself, choose "I would like to set up a display/exhibit in the Exhibit Hall."

• Limited space is available, and priority will be given to diocesan parishes and ministries.
• If there is additional space available, next priority will be given to Episcopal ministries.
• Any other space may be available for groups not directly related to Episcopal ministries, subject to diocesan office approval. 
• Fees may apply for groups or individuals selling items or for exhibitors not directly related to Episcopal ministries.

Some events that have been part of Council for a number of years will not take place this year:   

Legacy Society Dinner

While some may notice the absence of a Legacy Society dinner at Council this year, please know that the Legacy Society is a highly valued group of Episcopalians, and there will be new opportunities to come together.

The fact is that we have had an opportunity to re-imagine how we might better recognize and share with Society members. We believe it would be more effective in terms of cost and focus to plan an event at Evans Diocesan House at another time of year, possibly in the spring. 

You will be hearing from us in the near future. In the meantime, if you or someone you know would like to know how to become a member of the Legacy Society, please contact Alan Boyce at (800) 346-7982 or aboyce@dioswva.org.

Small Church Luncheon

There are two reasons that there will not be an organized small church luncheon. First, as the majority of this diocese is composed of small churches, the general Saturday luncheon is a time to meet with our brother and sister churches of all sizes. Secondly, Bishop Mark wants to stress that we are all One in Mission regardless of our size. 

Companions for Mission Luncheon

Because our companion diocese of Bradford, England, is in the process of reorganizing and merging with two other diocese, there will not be any visitors from Bradford at Council this year. And for a variety of reasons, we will not have anyone from the Episcopal Church of Sudan attending Council. The Companions for Mission luncheon has served primarily as a way to get acquainted with our visitors from other parts of the Anglican Communion and will, no doubt, once again be part of Council in the future.