Winter 2026
The Rule guides the St Vincent de Paul Society’s identity, mission and governance. In Australia, after almost four years of review, consultation and careful drafting, an updated Part III of The Rule takes effect from 1 July 2026, strengthening how the Society is structured and governed nationally.
Part I of The Rule sets out the spiritual, historical and ethical foundations of the Society, and remains unchanged. Part II contains the international confederation articles and recent amendments made by the Council General International at the June 2026 General Assembly will be incorporated into the 1 July 2026 edition.
Part III, “The Australian context”, sets out how the Society in Australia is structured and governed, including how Conferences and Councils operate, who may hold certain roles, and how complaints and serious matters are managed. The Permanent Section of Council General International approved the Australian amendments to Part III in December 2025, and the revised Part III comes into effect on 1 July 2026.
To help Members and leaders in preparing for these changes, presentations have been delivered to each State and Territory Council, outlining the key amendments and their practical implications.
In addition, three town hall sessions were held for interested Members, volunteers and staff, complementing the national briefing program and providing an opportunity for questions and discussions. 169 people registered for the sessions over the three days, and a recording will be made available for those who were unable to attend.
Each State and Territory has also nominated a Part III Ambassador to act as a first point of contact for questions about how specific Articles or Procedures should be interpreted in practice. These ambassadors play an important role in supporting members as the revised governance framework comes into operation.
The Society’s Part III Ambassadors are: Warwick Fulton (National Council Deputy President & Chair of The Rule Review Drafting Group); Kerry Muir (SVdP NSW & member of Rule Review Drafting Group); Ken Northwood (SVdP Vic & member of Rule Review Drafting Group); Corey McGrath (SVdP Tas Council President); Damian Legg (SVdP NT President); Belinda Becker (SVdP WA); John Feint (SVdP Canberra-Goulburn); Mark Jaksa (SVdP SA); Samantha Woodland (SVdP Qld).
The new Part III is supported by Procedures and Appendices. The Procedures provide additional guidance, approved by National Council, to assist with interpreting the Articles, while the Appendices contain National Council policies and documents relevant to particular Articles and will be made available online so links to related documents remain current. A printed copy of the revised Rule will be made available to States and Territories in mid-July, with local distribution to Members being managed through State and Territory Council administration offices.
Special thanks are due to those who were involved in the drafting and consultation throughout this review process. The Rule Review drafting group, which met almost weekly at certain stages over this project, over several years, consisted of: Warwick Fulton (Chair), Michael Fitzgerald (Qld), Kerry Muir (NSW), Ken Northwood (Vic), and Toby oConnor (NC CEO).
