If the officers approach the meeting in a spirit of faith and union with Mary and conscious of Brother Duff's words, quoted above, they will be giving scope for the Holy Spill, to work through them. The plans formulated at this meeting can then be brought to the praesidium or council for consideration and approved, can then he put into effect through the weekly praesidium meeting or the monthly council meeting. For councils, of course, the pre-council meeting provides opportunities for follow-up and on-going planning.
Planning for the Praesidium: There are many items might be considered at an annual planning meeting: Recruiting new members, active and auxiliary; promoting Praetorian Adjutorian membership and True Devotion to Mary: Improving reports and study of the handbook; Exploratio Dominicalis, Auxiliary Rally; Retreats; Praesidium function in September, etc. The development of the members and of the work is a priority. The handbook speaks of an enterprising spirit being kept alive the members by the regular breaking of new ground. Is the praesidium tackling the most urgent needs? What more should the praesidium be doing?
Planning for the Council: In addition to such items as: Frequency of reports; visitation of praesidia and affiliated councils; Legion Functions: Acies, Annual Retreat, etc.; Elections; Appointment of officers of praesidia, Annual audit, etc, there is the great need to plan Extension and the development of the apostolate in the council area, it can be a great help to sit down with a map of the area and note the strengths and weaknesses both as regards places with or without the Legion and also in regard to the extent of the Legion apostolate. Do higher councils consider delegating responsibility for Extension.
In certain areas to affiliated councils? Is the Legion apostolate directed to the most urgent needs in the council area? Do the officers think that they have to do everything- themselves? The handbook says: "the denial of some responsibility to those who are fit to assume it does injustice both to those individuals and to the whole Legion."(P 166) The handbook also says that the consideration of new works forms an important part of the work of a Curia. If planning is to be effective, it will be necessary to assign specific tasks to individual officers or members, who should be asked to account for them. Otherwise, plans may remain just that, plans.
(Take from Some Handbook Reflections)