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DignityUSA
PO Box 376
Medford, MA
02155
tel: 800.877.8797
202.861.0017
fax: 781.397.0584
email:
info@dignityusa.org
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RETURN TO > DATELINES > HOME
DignityUSA
Volume 15, No. 3 |
Download
in PDF format…DATELINE Editor: Bill Welch, EditorDateline@dignityusa.org
DignityUSA works for respect and justice for all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons in the Catholic Church and the world through education, advocacy and support.
Final Call for Nominations for DignityUSA Board of Directors
Nominations are now open for three at-large positions on the DignityUSA Board of Directors. Detailed information on the skills needed, the commitment involved and the nomination form are all available online. These documents can also be obtained by calling the national office (1-800-877-8797). Send the completed form to: DignityUSA Nominating Committee, 1500 Massachusetts Ave NW, Suite 8, Washington, DC 20005-1894, or by Fax at 202-429-9808.
Members are invited to nominate those they believe have the skills to direct a national non-profit organization, or to nominate themselves.
In brief, the work of the Board of Directors is encapsulated in the DignityUSA vision statement: “DignityUSA envisions and works for a time when Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Catholics are affirmed and experience dignity through the integration of their spirituality with their sexuality, and as beloved persons of God participate fully in all aspects of life within the Church and Society”.
Nominations are open until April 1, 2006.
A Matching Gift Challenge from Sam Sinnett
If
you have been waiting to make your gift to DignityUSA, you now have a
special incentive.
Between March 1 and April 30, 2006, DignityUSA board president, Sam Sinnett, will match your $3 with his $2 for any new or increased gift to DignityUSA up to a total match of $5,000. This is a perfect opportunity to increase the power of your gift — Sam will match your gift with a gift of his own. If you give $60, Sam will give $40.
I hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity by going to our website and making a gift today. Just like magic — $15 becomes $25, $30 becomes $50, $75 becomes $125 and on from there.
If you've not made a gift before and can only give a little, then increase the power of your gift through this matching gift challenge. Help us meet Sam's Match to grow the Voice of DignityUSA.
Chapters Sought to Host Membership Meetings
DignityUSA is seeking Dignity Chapters to host a membership meeting during 2006 or early 2007, before the next biennial convention in Texas.
Purpose: According to the DignityUSA By-Laws, membership meetings shall be held at times, other than the biennial convention, at various locations throughout the country. These meetings shall provide the national leadership an opportunity to inform the membership of its work; provide members an opportunity to express themselves on any subject; provide for the educational and spiritual development of the membership, friends and supporters of Dignity, and provide opportunity for social gathering and community building among the membership, friends and supporters of Dignity.
In addition, the National Board hopes these meetings will attract individuals, not currently affiliated with DignityUSA, but who support our mission — so that we can grow the membership to “amplify the voice” and grow financial support to “empower the voice”.
Host Chapter Responsibilities: DignityUSA is responsible for managing the meeting itself. The Host Chapter would provide a liaison to DignityUSA for planning purposes; locate a facility which can host the membership meeting (for 50 to 75 people) and any associated events; locate low-cost housing for travelers and identify options for meals and provide hospitality. The Host Chapter would also promote the event to Chapters in the region by spreading the word in whatever way possible with assistance from DignityUSA.
Host Chapter Options: If so desired, the Host Chapter can plan a larger event around the membership meeting to include a special speaker, discussions, liturgy, and social events. The costs of these events can be built into a membership event ticket price. However, admission to the membership meeting itself is always free. Ideally, the revenues from the event will cover the costs for both the Host Chapter and DignityUSA.
Interested? Contact Mark Matson, National Board director, at matsonm@aol.com or 1-614-848-4378, to discuss further. Mark will review what is involved
in more detail and can link you to leaders in other chapters who have
hosted such an event. In 2004, Membership Meetings were incorporated
into larger regional gatherings hosted by Chapters in Washington, D.C.
and Northern Virginia, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio and Los
Angeles.
We all agree that the National Biennial Conventions are renewing and invigorating “reunions”. This event can serve the same outcome at your local level. It is a great opportunity to showcase your chapter and your local community.
Consider co-hosting it with another chapter as Washington/Northern Virginia and Dayton/Columbus did in 2004.
Defenders (Leather/Levi) National Run, August 4-6, 2006, Chicago
Defenders/Chicago is sponsoring a national run in Chicago the weekend
of August 4-6, 2006, in conjunction with its fifth anniversary celebration. All
interested members of Dignity are invited to participate.
The Defenders USA is an affiliate of DignityUSA.
The experience of the leather communities speaks to all those who seek to integrate a non-standard combination of sexuality and spirituality.
This is the first nationwide Defenders event since 9/11 2001, which
will bring together the six Defenders chapters, which are spread coast-to-coast. Other
gay leather clubs in
Chicago are not only participating, but are assisting in organizing the
run. (In the leather communities, a meeting or retreat is called
a run, harkening back to the days when most leather folk road motorcycles.)
The event hotel is the Best Western, in the northern Chicago suburb of Evanston. Many activities will take place at the Leather Archives & Museum and the city’s renowned leather bars. Buses will be provided. Along with Andrew M., Ed Luisi of Defenders/Chicago, is the principal organizer. The event combines bonding, learning, worship, and lots of fun. There will be workshops on connecting our leather life and spiritual life, two nights of bar crawls, and banquet. The entire event is a labor of love.
Every effort has been made to make the event financially accessible to as many people as possible. Airfares to Chicago are often inexpensive from most parts of the United States. Thanks to the generous support of many individuals, businesses and Chicago leather clubs, the event fee is only $110, including much of the weekend’s food, as well as amenities such as a run pin and t-shirt. The hotel rate is only $109 plus tax per night for up to four people in a room.
All interested Dignity members are invited to participate. For registration materials and details, please e-mail Luisibear@aol.com or RPAC@aol.com
Happy Anniversary & Congratulations to:
- Maui (HI) - 13 years
- Cincinnati (OH) - 33 years
Announcement
A
PEBBLE IN MY SHOE — THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BISHOP JOHN SHELBY
SPONG was recently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding
Los Angeles Theater.
The world premiere stage performance was performed by Will & Company at the Los Angeles Theater Center in October 2005 to standing ovations, with Episcopal Bishop Spong and his wife, Christine, in attendance.
The play is based on Bishop Spong’s autobiography, Here I Stand: My Struggle For a Christianity of Integrity, Love and Equality. His achievements include: ordaining the first openly-gay priest in the Episcopal Church in the U.S. and ordaining the first woman priest in England.
He has authored nineteen books, including titles such as: The Sins of Scripture, Living in Sin? A Bishop Rethinks Human Sexuality, Why Christianity Must Change or Die, Rescuing the Bible From Fundamentalism and Liberating the Gospels: Reading the Bible With Jewish Eyes.
The show is about to begin a National Tour and already scheduled to perform at Unity Churches in Austin and Dallas, Texas and at the Highlands Institute for American Religious and Philosophical Thought in North Carolina.
Dignity Chapters, alone or in combinations, or perhaps in conjunction with local community centers, may be interested in booking the show. Contact Rebecca Davis by phone at 213-239-8777 or email rebecca@willandcompany.com.
View the website www.willandcompany.com/pebble for the summary, reviews and further information.
Wishing You and Yours God’s Peace and Many Blessings this Lenten Season
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
DignityUSA Vision Statement
DignityUSA envisions and works for a time when Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Catholics are affirmed and experience dignity through the integration of their spirituality with their sexuality and, as beloved persons of God, participate fully in all aspects of life within the Church and Society.