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DignityUSA
PO Box 376
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02155
tel: 800.877.8797
202.861.0017
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email:
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RETURN TO > 1998 > DATELINE
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DignityUSA DATELINE
MAY 1998 VOL. 7 NO. 5
Board Highlights
The cherry blossoms were in bloom and the weather was spectacular as the National Board of Directors gathered on March 27, 1998 in Washington DC to conduct their semi-annual board meeting. The weekend was filled with many discussions and decisions; highlights of the meeting are presented here by the National Secretary Jerry Deas to keep you up-to- date on DignityUSA's action and events.
The Board . . .
- reviewed the budget and on recommendation from National Treasurer, Joe Sinico, made revisions to the projections;
- received reports from the officers and directors as well as from the various standing committees and task forces;
- heard a report from Charles Cox, the Executive Director, concerning the staff positions at the office and fund raising efforts;
- increased our donation to Catholic Organizations for Renewal (CORE) in an effort to increase our visibility and presence with other religious and civil rights groups;
- took under advisement the work of the Personnel, Policy and Evaluation Committee and after discussion approved a new personnel manual for the staff of D/USA.
- took action to advertise Solidarity Sunday 1998 in the National Catholic Reporter;
- approved the annual audit; and
- finalized and unanimously approved the Eileen DeLong Scholarship Fund for biennial conventions.
The Denver 1999 and Chicago 2001 Convention Committees also presented reports. Denver's planners confirmed that the Executive Towers will serve as convention hotel during the week of August 5-8, 1999. The 1999 Convention budget was also presented. Chicago presented July 26-29, 2001 as the dates for that convention.
Throughout the weekend, Board members also spent time discerning DignityUSA's relationships with national and religious groups. Those present affirmed that we will continue to work in cooperation with civil rights and religious groups in meeting the needs of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
Solidarity Sunday
This year's Solidarity Sunday celebration will be observed on October 4, 1998. During March, Marianne Duddy and Bruce Jarfster met in Boston to review last year's efforts and to preview plans for this October. The goal for 1998 is to increase our outreach to 150,000 people, doubling the 1996 figure. To do this, DignityUSA will advertise in the National Catholic Reporter and in Second Stone.
A special thanks to those who have reported on 1997's program. According to statistics compiled by Bruce, approximately 100,000 people participated last year, up from 75,000 in 1996. Bruce and Marianne encourage more chapters to report back on their efforts, since only about 25% of chapters have returned the 1997 surveys.
One very successful model implementing a Solidarity Sunday program has been created by Dignity/Chicago's members. Bruce says the model is well worth emulating: review and critique last year, appoint a committee for the new year , assign each member specific tasks, and set definite goals. Using this method, Chicago increased their distribution by 1000%!
The address list has also increased dramatically in the past two years. Over 2,000 churches, organizations and individuals are now on the mailing list. An international list has also begun to emerge. Those who know of people or organizations, nationally or internationally, to whom we can extend the message of Solidarity Sunday, should contact Bruce. Lourdes Rodriguez of Dignity/Boston, has also translated the Solidarity Card into Spanish. Offers to translate the materials into Polish have been received and offers from other multilingual Dignity members or friends are welcome. These translations will also be added to our web site with many thanks to M. A. Ladd, also of Dignity/Boston. Let us make Solidarity Sunday 1998 the best ever!
Taking a closer look: Visibility Task Force
Developing a slogan for DignityUSA and creating a communication kit are the two major tasks of the Visibility Task Force . Gabino Cabianilla, Coordinator from the Pacific Region, submitted a report to the Board of Directors in March outlining the progress that has been made.
- Slogan: So far, the Task Force members have determined that the slogan should be in direct concert with the Vision Statement Task Force and reflect the Statement of Position and Purpose. Task Force members are now developing three to five possible slogans, soliciting feedback, and preparing presentations of final slogans to the Board of Directors for approval during May.
- Communication Kit: In late February, a sample kit mock-up was sent to all members of the group. The kit, enclosed in a two pocket folder and designed to be user-friendly, incorporated seven inserts into a stair-stepped design. Task Force members of have offered suggestions for this first round of revisions, including a more contemporary cover appearance, creating additional inserts, and making the intent and purpose of the kit clearer. After the second draft has been reviewed, a final color mock-up of the communication kit will be distributed to all Task Force members and the Board of Directors for approval and comment. Then the kits will be printed and distributed. Gabino recommends that a three to six month evaluation of the kits' effectiveness at the chapter level be completed.
The seven original inserts provide easy to use information for chapter leaders as well as regional and national leaders. So far, the inserts include a Dignity Fact Sheet, Media Contacts, Ten Common Questions and Answers, DignityUSA Chapter List, Who to Contact for Assistance, When to Send a Press Release, and Creating a Press Release. Suggestions for additional inserts cover Creating Display Ads, Local Websites, and "Why Dignity" are under consideration.
Annual Report
DignityUSA recently released advance copies of the 1997 Annual Report to its major donors and President's Club members. The report highlights the significant work and accomplishments of DignityUSA in 1997 and accounts for the financial health of the organization. The full text of the 1997 Annual Report will be published be in the next issue of the Journal. If you would like additional copies of the report, please feel free to contact Charles Cox at the National Office.
Office Hours
DignityUSA's office in Washington, DC is staffed from 9:00 am to 5:00 PM, Tuesday through Friday. For your convenience, the office is also open 9:00 am to 9:00 PM on Mondays to better serve members on the West Coast and in Hawaii. At all other times, please leave a detailed message so Charles or Sean can help you in a timely manner!
Happy Anniversary
Chicago 26; Cleveland 25; Philadelphia 25; Detroit 24; Dayton 23; Madison 21; Northern VA 6
