Marriage Celebrants E-bulletin June 2004
Welcome to the June 2004 issue of the e-bulletin for marriage celebrants.
The contents of e-bulletins apply equally to civil and independent religious marriage celebrants authorised by the Attorney-General.
We encourage you to distribute this e-bulletin to your members and other people likely to have an interest. Permission to re-print any part of this e-bulletin is provided, subject to your agreement that its contents are not edited or changed. This e-bulletin will be made available on the Internet as soon as possible after its distribution, and can be accessed at the following address:
www.ag.gov.au/celebrants (select Latest News)
We intend to continue to distribute e-bulletins via email in the immediate future, but we encourage you to access the Internet version, as over time the current duplication of e-bulletins through email messages will be phased out. Currently e-bulletins are forwarded to all marriage celebrant associations ? if you are a member of an association, you should be receiving e-bulletins from that association.
The package that we sent you last August should be your reference point for all details of the new system of registration of marriage celebrants - if there is anything you don't understand, please use that package as your first reference point.
Contact details for the Marriage Celebrants Section are at the end of this e-bulletin.
Proposed Marriage Reforms
You may be aware from media reports that the Government has introduced into Parliament proposed amendments to the Marriage Act 1961. These are:
a) to insert a definition of marriage into the Marriage Act. This definition would read 'Marriage means the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life'. Yes! The words you all say in section 46 of the Act. This definition would confirm the existing legal definition of marriage
b) to confirm the same-sex marriages that take place under the law of the another country will not be recognised in Australia.
There is also a provision relating to adoption but that would not be relevant to marriage celebrants.
These amendments have not yet been passed by Parliament and hence are not yet law. Further information will be provided in subsequent e-bulletins.
Marriage Certificates not Accepted as Evidence of Change of Name
Marriage certificates provided to couples on the wedding day by their celebrant may not be accepted by some agencies as evidence of change of name. For example, the Passports Office will no longer accept the certificate presented to the couple by the celebrant they now require a marriage certificate issued by a Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. In such cases, couples will need to apply to their Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages for the official certificate.
Celebrants need to let couples know this, and encourage them to approach their Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages quickly for the official certificate if they will be needing a passport in a new name, or if they want to change their name on their drivers licence.
Bridal Party Arriving Late
Some marriage celebrants have questioned what would be regarded as an "acceptable" length of time for them to wait, if the agreed starting time of the ceremony has passed and the bridal party has not arrived. Some pointers here might help avoid this becoming a difficult issue to be dealt with on the day:
- the Code of Practice, which is a legislative requirement of all Commonwealth-authorised marriage celebrants, states that the celebrant must arrive at the ceremony venue no later than 20 minutes before the agreed ceremony starting time. As this is a legislative requirement, this must be complied with by all Commonwealth-authorised marriage celebrants
- from the very first contact with the couple, celebrants need to make very clear the latest time the bridal party can arrive, in order for the ceremony to be completed before the celebrant has to leave
- it should be made very clear, in writing if necessary, that the celebrant has legal obligations to meet, and must and will leave at the time stipulated. Otherwise your obligations to another couple whose ceremony follows may not be met
- celebrants should keep a written record of all the times they discuss this matter with the couple
- it would be wise for celebrants not to book weddings without a tolerance period, since the unexpected can and does happen, and late arrival is not uncommon. But the couple needs to clearly understand what the tolerance period is for the celebrant, well before the wedding day
- if a couple has been given a document to read and sign, explaining the necessity for the time which the celebrant will leave, and what that time is for their own ceremony, then they are likely to have understood and accepted the situation
- if this has been made very clear all along, and the celebrant then has to leave the wedding ceremony, that celebrant would be within their rights to do so. This is not likely to be an easy thing to do on the day, but by that stage the celebrant will have considered the rights of the other couple(s), their legal obligations under the Code of Practice and the written documentation they have of their dealings with the couple on this matter.
Ongoing Professional Development
Finishing Up Your Ongoing Professional Development for the Year!
As the end of the registration year (31 August 2004) approaches, the time available for you to fulfil your Ongoing Professional Development obligation is diminishing. By 31 August this year, you need to have completed your full five hours of Ongoing Professional Development for 2003-04, including the one-hour compulsory activity.
There are only two more Departmental presentations of the compulsory activity for the registration year, one on 21 June in Sydney, and one on 16 August in Canberra. If you are interested in booking in for the Sydney presentation, please contact the Marriage Celebrants Section urgently (contact details below). If you would like to attend the Canberra presentation, you will need to contact the Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants, as per page 5 of the Ongoing Professional Development listing you received last November. You can also see the information about this on our website at www.ag.gov.au/celebrants (select Professional Development Obligations, then select compulsory activity).
If you have not yet completed your compulsory activity, and you are unable to attend either of these face-to-face presentations, you should contact the Marriage Celebrants Section (contact details below) for a copy of the questionnaire to be sent to you. To do this, please leave your name, address and 'A' number on the Section's answering machine, together with your request for the compulsory activity questionnaire.
Those who have not yet completed the full four hours of their remaining Ongoing Professional Development requirement should be looking to book in soon for activities from our approved activity listings. There are new Ongoing Professional Development activities being approved all the time, and these are added to our website listing once they are approved, see www.ag.gov.au/celebrants (select Professional Development Obligations for the original listing, and Ongoing Professional Development for additions to the original listing). The activities approved since the original listing was sent to you are also listed below. Note that many provide activities by distance education, online or by video, this should enable marriage celebrants in regional/rural Australia to access a range of Ongoing Professional Development activities.
Remember that Ongoing Professional Development is one of the central parts of the Marriage Celebrant Program reforms introduced on 1 September last year. This is all part of raising the standard of celebrancy overall.
No More Ongoing Professional Development Group Activity Proposals for this Year
As Marriage Celebrants Section resources are now being put into preparing Ongoing Professional Development procedures for the next registration year, we have had to impose a deadline for new activity proposals for groups of celebrants to attend. This deadline (31 May 2004) has now passed. The approval process for Ongoing Professional Development activity proposals has been quite lengthy, and this means we were not able to guarantee that proposals received after our cut-off date would have been processed in time for delivery before the end of the registration year. We plan to impose a similar deadline next year (31 May 2005) for proposals for group activities to be conducted during the 2004-05 registration year, for the same reasons. Our current Ongoing Professional Development activity providers have been advised of this cut-off point.
Individual celebrants wanting to have an activity of their choice approved for their remaining four hours of Ongoing Professional Development for the current registration year should contact the Marriage Celebrants Section urgently (contact details below). Remember, approval for individual activities will only be considered in advance of the celebrant undertaking the activity, and the activity must be one which professionally develops the celebrant for their marriage celebrant role.
We have revised and hopefully improved our information for people/organisations wanting to propose an activity for next year's Ongoing Professional Development. There are now three information documents and an application form. If you or your organisation are interested in proposing an activity for approval, please leave your name, address, and a brief message about wanting to provide Ongoing Professional Development next year on our answering machine, the documents and application form will be sent to you.
Additional Activities
To see the listing of additional activities that have been approved for Ongoing Professional Development since the original listing was sent to you last year, please see the Marriage Celebrants Program website at www.ag.gov.au/celebrants (select Ongoing Professional Development, Additions to November 2003 List).
To see the original listing of activities approved for Ongoing Professional Development last year, please see the Marriage Celebrants Program website at www.ag.gov.au/celebrants (select Professional Development Obligations - Activity List Issued November 2003).
Below is a listing of all Ongoing Professional Development activities approved since the original listing was sent out to you last November. Some of these activities were proposed to be held once only, and the date of their presentation has passed, these are listed under the heading Additional Activities Approved - No Longer Available below, for your information. The additional activities that are still available are listed here under the heading Additional Activities Approved - Still Available:
Additional Activities Approved - Still Available
COMPULSORY ACTIVITY
Activity: Knowledge of the requirements of the Marriage Act 1961 and Marriage Regulations (in three specific areas)
Provider: Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW
Duration: 1 hour
Code number: 47
Contact details: Meg Boswell, Joint Co-ordinator
North Coast & Northern NSW PD Group
Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants
Tel: (02) 6569 5774
Fax: (02) 6569 5775
Email: megboswell@midcoast.com.au
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Activity: Computer Skills, Office Management and Record Keeping
Provider: Marriage Celebrants (Civil) Assoc of WA
Method of Delivery: Video & questionnaire
Location: N/A
Duration: 1 hour
Code Number: 09V
Contact Details: John Smith, Executive Officer
Marriage Celebrants (Civil) Assoc of WA
Tel: (08) 9454 6903
Email: jesmith@iprimus.com.au
Activity: Presentation of a Professional Marriage Ceremony
Provider: Marriage Celebrants (Civil) Assoc of WA
Method of Delivery: Video & questionnaire
Location: N/A
Duration: 1 hour
Code Number: 30V
Contact Details: John Smith, Executive Officer
Marriage Celebrants (Civil) Assoc of WA
Tel: (08) 9454 6903
Email: jesmith@iprimus.com.au
Activity: Plan, Conduct and Review a Marriage Ceremony
Provider: Marriage Celebrants (Civil) Assoc of WA
Method of Delivery: Video & questionnaire
Location: N/A
Duration: 1 hour
Code Number: 32V
Contact Details: John Smith, Executive Officer
Marriage Celebrants (Civil) Assoc of WA
Tel: (08) 9454 6903
Email: jesmith@iprimus.com.au
Activity: Communication Skills
Provider: Marriage Celebrants (Civil) Assoc of WA
Method of Delivery: Video & questionnaire
Location: N/A
Duration: 1 hour
Code Number: 33V
Contact Details: John Smith, Executive Officer
Marriage Celebrants (Civil) Assoc of WA
Tel: (08) 9454 6903
Email: jesmith@iprimus.com.au
Activity: Wedding ceremony for the hospitalised and the very elderly
Provider: Mrs Helen Scott
Method of Delivery: Video
Location: N/A
Duration: 3 hours
Code Number: 39
Contact Details: An Authorised Nationwide Celebrant Service, Helen Scott
Tel: (02) 4982 1978
Email: weddings@nelsonbay.com
Activity: Communication Skills and the Role of Emotional Intelligence
Provider: Monash University, Melbourne
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Melbourne
Duration: 1 hour
Code Number: 41
Contact Details: Monash University, Diana Wong
Tel: (03) 9905 2172
Email: diana.wong@arts.monash.edu.au
Activity: Designing a Professional Marriage Ceremony
Provider: Australian Fellowship of Faith Churches and Ministers International
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth (to be confirmed)
Duration: 4 hours
Code Number: 43
Contact Details: Australian Fellowship of Faith Churches and Ministers International
Head Office: 13 Wattland St, SPRINGWOOD QLD 4127
Tel: (07) 3804 3000; Lee Bacon 0401 - 204 012
Email: office@cffglobal.com
Activity: Dealing with Contingencies on the Day
Provider: Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants (Inc)
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Sydney, Canberra
Duration: 1 hour
Code Number: 44
Contact Details: Roger Thomson, Vice President
Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants (Inc)
Chair, AFCC Professional Development Committee
Tel: (02) 6288 1942; mob 0412 - 793 115
Email: rkthomson@austarmetro.com.au
Activity: Business Record Keeping for Compliance, Protection, Security and Continuous Improvement
Provider: Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Coffs Harbour a nd Sydney, NSW
Canberra, ACT
Duration: 2 hours
Code Number: 49
Contact Details: Meg Boswell, Joint Co-ordinator
North Coast & Northern NSW PD Group
Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants
Tel: (02) 6569 5774
Fax: (02) 6569 5775
Email: megboswell@midcoast.com.au
Activity: Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages - Processes of the NSW Department
Provider: Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW
Duration: 1.5 hours
Code Number: 51
Contact Details: Meg Boswell, Joint Co-ordinator
North Coast & Northern NSW PD Group
Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants
Tel: (02) 6569 5774
Fax: (02) 6569 5775
Email: megboswell@midcoast.com.au
Activity: Effective Communication Skills
Provider: Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW
Duration: 2 hours
Code Number: 52
Contact Details: Meg Boswell, Joint Co-ordinator
North Coast & Northern NSW PD Group
Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants
Tel: (02) 6569 5774
Fax: (02) 6569 5775
Email: megboswell@midcoast.com.au
Activity: The Use of Poetry, Prose and Music in Marriage Ceremonies
Provider: Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW
Canberra, ACT
Duration: 1 hour
Code Number: 53
Contact Details: Meg Boswell, Joint Co-ordinator
North Coast & Northern NSW PD Group
Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants
Tel: (02) 6569 5774
Fax: (02) 6569 5775
Email: megboswell@midcoast.com.au
Activity: Beyond the Wedding Ritual
Provider: Anglicare SA
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: TBA
Duration: 2 hours
Code Number: 58
Contact Details: Elizabeth Alvey / Cynthia Wynne
Anglicare SA
Tel: (08) 8305 9675 - Elizabeth Alvey
(08) 8305 9676 - Cynthia Wynne
Email: ealvey@anglicare-sa.org.au
cwynne@anglicare-sa.org.au
Activity: Designing a Ceremony, Incorporating Literature and Music
Provider: Cheryl Thomson O'Grady
Method of Delivery: Distance education and online
Location: N/A
Duration: 3 hours
Code Number: 64
Contact Details: Cheryl Thomson O'Grady
Tel: (02) 4262 7033
Email: cthomsonogrady@dodo.com.au
Activity: Celebrant Presence
Provider: Maestro Communication
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Sydney, NSW
Duration: 2 hours
Code Number: 65
Contact Details: Cathryn Woodward
Tel: (02) 9651 2850
Email: cate@mcspeaking.com.au
Activity: Celebrant Presence - Advanced Program
Provider: Maestro Communication
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: TBA
Duration: 4 hours
Code Number: 66
Contact Details: Cathryn Woodward
Tel: (02) 9651 2850
Email: cate@mcspeaking.com.au
Activity: Challenging Situations
Provider: Anglicare SA
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: TBA
Duration: 2 hours
Code Number: 71
Contact Details: Elizabeth Alvey / Cynthia Wynne
Anglicare SA
Tel: (08) 8305 9675 - Elizabeth Alvey
(08) 8305 9676 - Cynthia Wynne
Email: ealvey@anglicare-sa.org.au
cwynne@anglicare-sa.org.au
Activity: FOCCUS Pre-marriage Education
Provider: Assoc of Civil Marriage Celebrants Qld Inc
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Robertson, QLD
Duration: 1.5 hours
Code Number: 72
Contact Details: Delmar Broadbent, Secretary
Assoc of Civil Marriage Celebrants Qld Inc
15 Mungarie St, KEPERRA QLD 4054
Tel: (07) 3851 0445 (for message)
Mob: 0418 152 662
Email: delmarb@powerup.com.au
Activity: Spouse Visas and the Marriage Celebrant
Provider: Assoc of Civil Marriage Celebrants Qld Inc
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Robertson, QLD
Duration: 1 hour
Code Number: 73
Contact Details: Delmar Broadbent, Secretary
Assoc of Civil Marriage Celebrants Qld Inc
15 Mungarie St, KEPERRA QLD 4054
Tel: (07) 3851 0445 (for message)
Mob: 0418 152 662
Email: delmarb@powerup.com.au
Activity: Voice Production and Clearer and Improved Speech
Provider: Assoc of Civil Marriage Celebrants Qld Inc
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Robertson, QLD
Duration: 1.5 hours
Code Number: 74
Contact Details: Delmar Broadbent, Secretary
Assoc of Civil Marriage Celebrants Qld Inc
15 Mungarie St, KEPERRA QLD 4054
Tel: (07) 3851 0445 (for message)
Mob: 0418 152 662
Email: delmarb@powerup.com.au
Additional Activities Approved - No Longer Available
COMPULSORY ACTIVITY
Activity: Knowledge of the requirements of the Marriage Act 1961 and Marriage Regulations (in three specific areas)
Provider: Monash University, Melbourne
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Melbourne
Duration: 1 hour
Code number: 38
Contact details: Monash University, Diana Wong, Tel: (03) 9905 2172
Email: diana.wong@arts.monash.edu.au
Activity: Knowledge of the requirements of the Marriage Act 1961 and Marriage Regulations (in three specific areas)
Provider: Association of Civil Marriage Celebrants of NSW & ACT
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Bankstown, NSW
Duration: 1 hour
Code number: 57
Contact details: Barbara Bell, Secretary
Assoc of Civil Marriage Celebrants of NSW & ACT
Tel: (02) 9520 7180
Email: celebrnt@ozemail.com.au
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Activity: Implementation of Reforms to the Civil Marriage Celebrants Program
Provider: Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Canberra
Duration: 1 hour
Code Number: 37
Contact Details: Roger Thomson
Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants
Tel: (02) 6288 1942
Mob: 0412 793 115
Email: rkthomson@austarmetro.com.au
Activity: Beyond the Wedding Ritual
Provider: Association of Civil Marriage Celebrants of SA Inc
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Adelaide SA
Duration: 1 hour
Code Number: 39A
Contact Details: Sybil Sleight, Secretary
Association of Civil Marriage Celebrants of SA Inc
Tel: (08) 8255 8222
Email: cibersyb@chariot.net.au
Activity: Implementation of Reforms to the Civil Celebrants Program
Provider: Association of Combined Civil Marriage Celebrants ACT and NSW Inc
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Sydney
Duration: 1 hour
Code Number: 40
Contact Details: Keith Lammond, President
Assoc of Combined Civil Marriage Celebrants ACT and NSW Inc
Tel: (02) 9542 2708
Mob: 0409 399 956
Email: accmc@wewedu.com
Activity: The Migration Act 1958 - aspects of the legislation particularly relevant to marriage celebrants
Provider: Monash University, Melbourne
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Melbourne
Duration: 1 hour 30 mins
Code Number: 42
Contact Details: Monash University, Diana Wong
Tel: (03) 9905 2172
Email: Diana.wong@arts.monash.edu.au
Activity: The Key Elements of a Successful Marriage Ceremony
Provider: Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW
Duration: 1.5 hours
Code Number 48
Contact Details: Wendy Haynes, Joint Co-ordinator
North Coast & Northern NSW PD Group
Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants
Tel: (02) 6652 1427
Fax: (02) 6652 1427
Email: wendyhaynes1@hotmail.com
Activity: Working with Relationship Educators
Provider: Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW
Duration: 1 hour
Code Number: 50
Contact Details: Wendy Haynes, Joint Co-ordinator
North Coast & Northern NSW PD Group
Aust Federation of Civil Celebrants
Tel: (02) 6652 1427
Fax: (02) 6652 1427
Email: wendyhaynes1@hotmail.com
Activity: Voice Training Workshop
Provider: Assoc of Authorised Civil Marriage Celebrants of SA (Inc)
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Adelaide, SA
Duration: 2 hours
Code Number: 54
Contact Details: Sybil Sleight, Secretary
Assoc of Authorised Civil Marriage Celebrants of SA (Inc)
Tel/Fax: (08) 8255 8222
Email: cibersyb@chariot.net.au
Activity: Creative Writing
Provider: Assoc of Civil Marriage Celebrants of NSW & ACT
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Bankstown, NSW
Duration: 1 hour
Code Number: 55
Contact Details: Barbara Bell, Secretary
Assoc of Civil Marriage Celebrants of NSW & ACT
Tel: (02) 9520 7180
Email: celebrnt@ozemail.com.au
Activity: Pre Marriage Education Presentation
Provider: Assoc of Civil Marriage Celebrants of NSW & ACT
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Bankstown, NSW
Duration: 1.5 hours
Code Number: 56
Contact Details: Barbara Bell, Secretary
Assoc of Civil Marriage Celebrants of NSW & ACT
Tel: (02) 9520 7180
Email: celebrnt@ozemail.com.au
Activity: Environmental Scanning Associated with Preparing a Marriage Celebrant Service Plan
Provider: Monash University, Victoria
Method of Delivery: Face-to-face
Location: Melbourne
Duration: 1.5 hours
Code Number: 60
Contact Details: Diana Wong, Monash University
Tel: (03) 9905 2172
Email: diana.wong@arts.monash.edu.au
Contact Details for the Marriage Celebrants Section
Telephone: (02) 6250 6496
Email: marriagecelebrantssection@ag.gov.au
Deborah Nance
Registrar of Marriage Celebrants
Marriage Celebrants Section
Family Law Branch
Family Law and Legal Assistance Division