March 31, 2026
TO: Provincial Presidents and Secretaries
CC: National Officers (for information)
National Life Member Liaison
FROM: Shari Guinta, National Past President
Please forward this message to past presidents.
“Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love, and the future to God’s providence.” (St. Augustine of Hippo)
The general responsibilities of the past president include:
- serving in a consultative capacity
- maintaining archives and history
- facilitating the study and implementation of the Constitution & Bylaws (C&B)
- performing other duties as assigned by the president
In my last communiqué, I shared this list to ensure that all past presidents review their duties. The past president should be actively involved in her council at whatever level she serves and should be asked to serve in various capacities. You can find the (#611) Handbook for Past Presidents under Resources after logging into the national website.
You may have received some questions—particularly at the parish and diocesan levels—regarding the proposed revisions to the C&B. The national Constitution & Bylaws amendments committee reviews all proposed amendments and presents them to the national executive/board. If approved for consideration, these amendments are sent to all levels of the League for an instructed vote. There are 10 proposed amendments this year.
All councils should have received a package in December 2025 containing the proposed revisions, voting sheets and an explanation of the process. If councils have not received this package, they should contact their diocesan/provincial president immediately. Please encourage your diocesan counterparts to remind councils that they must submit the instructed vote results to all levels, i.e., parish to diocesan (where applicable), provincial and national.
As noted in my previous communiqué, the revised (#615) National Manual of Policy and Procedure is available on the national website. Please ensure that members of your executive team are aware of the updated version and receive an orientation on how to use it online, thereby avoiding the need to print a copy. The Introduction and Guide pages explain how this version is designed for easy navigation. Consistent adherence to policy and procedure is required.
Past presidents are here to support, guide and instruct without interfering. We are the “living history” of our councils.
Your sister in the League,
Shari Guinta
National Past President