Executive Committee Continental Representatives

Every Continental Committee will select one GBC member from the continent to serve as "GBC Executive Committee Continental Representative" for the year, commencing from Gaura-purnima. For areas that do not have Continental Committees, the GBC Members from the area will meet at Mayapur and select a Continental Representative for the year.

These Representatives will be chosen for

1. North America

2. South America

3. Europe-CIS-North Africa-West Africa

4. India-Middle East-East Africa-South Africa, and

5. The Pacific Rim.

In addition, a sannyasi will be assigned to each area to assist.

1. To directly receive notifications of all problems referred to the Executive Committee from within his continent.

2. To send to the Chairman of the GBC a regular report every three months on all significant issues which were brought to his attention from within his area.

3. To ensure that the normal procedures for resolving a problem have been attempted (going through the Temple President, Zonal Secretary, etc.) or are not applicable.

4. To consult with the GBC Chairman and/or Executive Committee if any issue occurs that he feels he cannot or should not deal with by himself.

5. To serve as a voting member of the Executive Committee on any issues concerning only his area, and to be consulted before any decision affecting his area is taken.

6. To engage the assigned sannyasi and/or Candidates for GBC assigned to his continent for the year in assisting him in resolving emergencies as required.

Issues that can be passed on by the Executive Committee Continental Representative are:

a. Those that have global consequences or consequences reaching beyond his continent;

b. Is an emergencies on the level that he cannot comfortably deal with;

c. Issues that intimately deal with a GBC member or ISKCON Guru;

d. Issues that deal with the workings of the GBC Body.

GBC Chairman

The Chairman should himself not directly oversee any area of the world, other than his designated area of GBC responsibilities. He should work with his Executive Committee and the Executive Committee Continental Representative in the following ways:

1. Delegate appropriate issues arising from a continent to the concerned Continental Representative. Delegate issues related to a Ministry to the appropriate Minister to reply.

2. Receive, coordinate, and correspond about the regular reports sent to him by his Executive Officers and Continental Representatives, and other correspondence to the GBC Chairman.

3. Consult with a Continental Representative on any issue concerning the continent or as the Continental Representative feels necessary, and to take their vote and input on issues concerning their continent which are being considered by the Executive Committee.

4. Accept and deal with all issues passed up to him from the Continental Chairmen.

5. Follow up, after the initial notification by the past GBC Chairman, on all previously passed GBC resolutions.

6. Directly deal with issues of global consequence, or delegate to another member of the Executive Committee.

7. To discuss with other members of the Executive Committee on major issues of greater consequence, and get their help and input for resolving the problem.

8. Establish practical procedures to ensure that before matters are brought up to the Executive Committee the applicants have gone through the normal avenues for redressing the problems, to forward improperly submitted matters to appropriate persons, and to propose legislation in this regard as necessary.

9. To directly deal with emergencies requiring immediate attention due to their urgency. These shall be discussed with the Executive Committee as appropriate.

10. From time to time see that the other elected members of the Executive Committee are updated about the global issues which have surfaced and important continental issues.

11. To delegate an elected member of the Executive Committee (Vice-Chairman or Secretary) to deal with a problem which cannot be resolved by a Continental Chairman or sannyasi and cannot wait until the annual GBC meeting.

12. To coordinate sannyasis to resolve problems as required.(93)

GBC Standing Committees

Definition

A Standing Committee is a Sub-committee created by the GBC Body which continues to exist until absolved. A Standing Committee can function as part of the GBC meetings as well as outside of GBC meetings during the year. Some Standing Committees are called Ksetra Committees (see Ksetra Committee Section for details), while other Standing Committees have delegated authority in a specific assigned area.

Powers

Standing committees have specific powers and responsibilities assigned by the GBC. These include the power:

1. to make decisions and recommendations on matters referred to it in a prescribed manner or directly by the GBC.

2. to act on behalf of the GBC in some area(s).

Duties

1. To submit a written report to the GBC before the annual GBC meeting at Mayapur.(79)

2. To fulfill the Duties as prescribed for a Standing Committee under the GBC Rules of Order (See GBC Rules of Order for further information).