Citizenship & Membership

These thoughts came after attending the Guidance Counselors Circle 1st day of their 8th Annual Convention. And believe you me, at the end, you will be happy as I feel so happy about it and couldn't but share it with you readers of this blog.

When three of my siblings were working on their American citizenship (I bet you know someone close to you who has been granted this citizenship), including some of my nephews and nieces, they had to know certain data, and learn to sing the National Anthem. They could fail and not be granted that coveted citizenship card. What a joy to have one, I could just easily assume. They applied. They complied, were tested and found acceptable!

This citizenship model is one which is very good to emulate in the current discussions that focus on numbers. At the convention, it was announced that I was already a member of the group, and the fee for membership was already included in the fees that were paid. I spontaneously reacted in my table: "Ha? Member na ako? Di man lang ako tinanong kung gusto ko! (Of course, it's an honor to be one of them who are my friends and fellow Counselors!)" My neighbor also spontaneously reacted saying "Bakit Father, harrassed ka ba?" Sabi ko, "Hindi naman." But you know, the thought lingered in my mind, and I shared this first with Nette, one of the APSA persons there, and also told another colleague about it and also my neighbor, and now here to you, blog reader.

Membership in an organization has implications to the organization as well as to the person. How? Let me cite a Scriptural experience and then from the vantage point of the laws of the land.

At Mass this morning, I remembered Scriptures, when before the time of their 1st King - Saul - the Israelites were begging the Lord to give them a king because their neighbors had theirs. The Lord, before giving them one, sent them a prophet (I forgot his name, but I can look for it later - was it Samuel?) who told them that if they had a king, this king will demand tributes, ask for their gold, silver, cattle, obeisance, call their husbands and sons to war if the kingdom needs to do so. Of course the reaction was varied. Some said OK LANG; some said WAHH TAKOT AKO!

In short, the presence of the king will impact on the way they will live henceforth.

The same is true in organizations: once I become a member of it, I will have to take on myself certain obligations, including paying of membership dues as well as attendance at certain functions which will definitely have to be in my budget or else chances are I might lose this membership. Well, as it is, for many among us who attend these events for some ulterior motive, chances are attendance at such functions may have to be done more in the spirit of essential needs.

The other implication of my membership is on the organization. As I read the Corporate Code of the Philippines (you can download it from the SEC website for free) I realize that numbers do matter. Specially when we have to amend constitutions, vote certain Board Members out of the group or the corporation itself or other actions that will bear significant impact on the nature and quality of the corporation, we need to muster from 50% + 1 (simple majority) to 2/3 or 66% of the total numbers specified for these certain corporate actions. If these numbers are not reached, by no means may any corporate action have its legal basis.

After reading this code, I realize that I felt so relaxed. Living within the law, social order is guaranteed among the people. Certain parameters are set such that we need not resort to underhanded ways for interests that affect the majority's welfare. In short, the law has become a tool to free me from my sinful subjectivity.

As a religious, I then realized that the crucifixion sacrifice of Jesus Christ has kept me to be even more free! I am guaranteed forgiveness and I am given another chance. Would that I make good with the chances I have, or else the God of history may be unkind to me. All I am called then to do is to live within the freedom of the children of God.

As an afterthought, malikot man sa isip, pero tanggapin na natin, anyway there's no harm intended and I intend to affirm it in fact, I realized the state of our profession these days where we seem to really have no APO. Among the significant considerations invoked is NUMBERS! IS THERE A RACE TO BE APO HERE? I have told one colleague this: How I wish and pray that EVERY COUNSELING-RELATED ORGANIZATION READY ITSELF TO BE APO ANYTIME FOR THE SAKE OF THE PROFESSION! Would that we were all into organizations, specifically into those that will cater to our needs and help us resolve our problems when we encounter them.

At the IPCAP, one of the things we have done was to communicate the implications of R.A. No. 9258 to fellow Counselors. The fruit of this collegial action at IPCAP is the birth of the Family and Pastoral Counseling Association of the Philippines (FPCAP), Inc. which is mainly to become the group that will focus on the family, marital and pastoral counseling area. Other organizations of similar character may always ally themselves with it, or FPCAP may ally with them too. Hence, with this model, I wanted to share yesterday at the floor but lacked time: that maybe it's time to organize a School Counselors Association of the Philippines (SCAP) so that we can come up with certain standards for RGC's involved in the school setting. Or maybe ComCAP - Community Counseling Association of the Philippines. Or maybe still: Clinical Counseling Association of the Philippines CliCAP. IPCAP is not to kill organizations as seemingly opined in certain quarters. What IPCAP values and intends to promote is the development of the Guidance and Counseling profession, specifically in affording all possibilities so that each sector be given the chance to address in a more focused (Specialized) manner its own needs, and the needs specifically of each member. Mind you, after hearing Dr. Cruz's very animated talk, the legal accountabilities of Guidance Counselors have become a very strong concern among us. Maliit na nga ang sweldo natin, ang bigat pa ng trabahao natin, kakasuhan pa! Dios Kong mahabagin! Bonding together and helping each other will be a wise and appropriate step to take.

All the best! God bless