April 30 - Observing the Plenary

I found a place to sit in the stands on the side. To my left was the section where the press sat. Beyond them toward the front were where bishops’ spouses and other dignitaries sat. Toward the front on our side was where board and agency officials sat, easily accessible should someone on the dais call them up to answer questions.

Across the plenary from me were three stands extending from the front of the huge space to the back. At the back of the plenary were two more stands for visitors.

The plenary space included the round tables. Actually, they were oval in shape and the delegates sat only on one side facing the front. Unlike the tight space between the tables that cramped the Fort Worth plenary, people were able to move more easily between the rows. Pages could much more quickly distribute earphones for translation when the batteries failed or the earphones otherwise broke down.

But that added space meant that the presiding bishops had great distances to have to cover to see delegates who wanted the floor. While no one in the front had binoculars, as I suggest, bishops helping the presider were assigned to watch particular sections for those seeking the floor.

One innovation that helped was the use of three colored cards. Rules require at least two statements for and two against before a vote. If a delegate wanted to speak for a motion, the green card was held up. Against, the orange card was used. For parliamentary matters or special privileges, a white card was used. That facilitated the debate from the floor . . . but I think the presiding bishops still should have had binoculars!