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	August 2004				The eyes have it - William (Bill) Haas
		Bill Haas - Registrar by Stuart Blackler
			It is possible that there may be people around the Diocese who have received a letter signed ‘William Haas, Registrar’, only to comment, ‘Who’s he? We thought it was Bill!’ Bill (aka William, but not by many, obviously) is a man of form and reliability, evidenced by the fact that - as he says himself - if he arrived at work late he left early to make up for it. William Edward Haas accepted the invitation to be Acting Registrar in March 1998 - that was for a brief time. Generous to a fault, typical of a Carlton supporter, he agreed to extend that for a time. The Bishop and Diocesan Council , realising who they had doing the job then moved to appoint him as Registrar, a role he fulfilled with total dedication for six years. Difficult and delicate During that time Bill has become known and respected in every corner of the Diocese and in the professional life of the community for whom the Registrar is the contact point. The position of Registrar is more than Diocesan office manager! The Registrar is responsible for the efficient ordering of the church’s business and administrative side. He (or she) is Secretary to the Trustees of the Diocese, Christ College Trust, the Diocesan Council and responsible for Synod arrangements as well as the proper operation of the Ordinances of the Synod. During Bill’s time as Registrar the Church’s national insurance scheme came into operation, he was an important part of that process. There have also been difficult and delicate issues to be dealt with and especially the matter of sexual abuse by officers of the Church. No nonsense Bill has continued his close involvement with the Cathedral. He was the present Dean’s Warden and also Cathedral Treasurer. He accepted appointment as a Lay Canon last year and is chair of the Finance and Property Committee of Chapter. Of recent years Bill has also been a board member of Glenview Homes. Bill’s sensible, no nonsense advice to the Bishop, Diocesan Council, the life of the diocese generally (and his Rector) has always been highly valued and respected. Bill has a standard and typical piece of advice for those leaving: Take a bucket and fill it with water, put your hand in it up to your wrist, take it out, and the hole that remains, is the measure of how much you'll be missed. You haven’t got it quite right, Bill! Bill retired as Registrar on 11 August when he celebrated his sixty-fifth birthday.