“Legionary duty requires from each legionary: First, the punctual and regular attendance at the weekly meetings of the praesidium, and the furnishing there of an adequate and audible report on the work done." (Handbook 18:7)
It may be worthwhile reflecting on the following extracts from the handbook which deal with points contained in the first part of the Standing Instruction quoted above:
PUNCTUAL ATTENDANCE:
"Punctually at the appointed time, the members shall be in their places, and the meeting shall begin. But a punctual start (so necessary for the efficiency of the praesidium) will not be possible unless the officers are in attendance some time in advance in order to make the requisite preparations." (18:2)
"Legionaries arriving late for the opening prayers shall kneel down and recite privately the prayers (of the Tessera) which precede the rosary and the invocations which follow it. But the loss of the praesidium rosary cannot be repaired. In no circumstances can the persistent late-coming or early departure of a member be permitted. It is true that the work may be done and reported upon, but indifference to the missing of the opening or concluding prayers may well be believed to denote a cast of mind alien to or even hostile to the real spirit of the Legion, which is a spirit of prayer. Harm, not good, would be the fruit of such a membership."(19:10)
Legion experience shows that a Legion of Mary group is wise to adjust the timing of its meetings, if needed, to allow officers to arrive well before the meeting. The set-up time also functions as a time for important social interaction and communication. Some suggest that the president arrives 30 minutes before the meeting, and other officers arrive 15 minutes early.
REGULAR ATTENDANCE:
"Foremost in its system, the Primary obligation of each member, the Legion sets the duty of attendance at its meetings." (11:4)
"The legionaries shall therefore regard attendance at their weekly praesidium meeting as their first and most sacred duty to the Legion. Nothing else can supply for this; without it their work will be like a body without a soul." (11:5)
"It is easier to see the value of doing a work than the value of attendance at the meeting to report on that work, yet the meeting is the prime duty. The meeting is to the work as the root is to the flower; the latter will not live without the former." (33:1)
Unlike some organizations, the Legion of Mary is not simply the sum of its works; rather the Legion of Mary is a way to living. It is an exact system. The system works best when followed, and a group that does not follow the system can hardly be considered as acting optimally. Thus, attendance at the meetings and the giving of an adequate and audible work remain the first duty of a legionary.
ADEQUATE REPORT:
"In its own way the report is as important to the meeting; as the prayers. They supplement each other ... The report connects the work the praesidium and therefore it must be a clear presentation of the doings of the member - in a sense as vivid as the picture on a cinema screen - such as will enable the other members mentally to engage in that work, to judge it, to comment on it, to learn from it.
Accordingly, the report must show what has been attempted and achieved, and in what spirit; the time spent; the methods used; what has not been gained and the persons who have not been touched ... the reports should be such as will interest as well as inform the meeting ... The report must not be too long nor too brief; above all, it must not be a routine phrase. Failure in these directions not only shows that the member is neglecting his duty but also that the other members are assisting him in this neglect. This strikes at the whole legionary idea of the supervision of the work. The praesidium cannot supervise a work unless it is fully informed about it." (18: 19)
"Every member should have a notebook: without its aid a suitable report will not be made."(33: 5)
All members do well to give comments and questions regularly on work reports given. Presidents are wise to wait, before commenting themselves, for others to comment on a report-- remembering their personal duty to speak the least necessary during a meeting. Please, wait until after the work report is given to share comment or ask a question. It is wise to not interrupt a member giving his work report; with the possible exception of the president who may need to interrupt for some extraordinary reason, such as if the report is not audible.
AUDIBLE REPORT:
"The report, and all discussion upon it, must be delivered in a tone of voice which will reach every part of the room. A report, however full and faithful, which is inaudible to many of those present is - having regard to its depressing effect on the meeting - worse than no report. Whispering is no sign of modesty or gentleness, as some apparently imagine. Who so modest. who so gentle as Mary? Yet could anyone imagine her mumbling her words, or talking in such a fashion that those close to her could not hear what she was saying? O legionaries! Imitate your Queen in this, as in all other ways." (18: 9)
Perhaps there is no flaw more fatal to a work report than it being too quiet. For if no one can hear the report, how can anyone know about the work done?
If there are any concerns about anyone at the praesidium not speaking loudly enough, the first solution must always be for the president to speak much louder. Experience shows that when he corrects his error, others will quickly follow suit.