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VOTF National Update
You can help us
to help each other
Frank Douglas (AZ) with Judy and Chuck Miller (MD)
have set up a new Yahoogroup website/listserv - PCTL—Protect
Children Through Legislation. Frank Douglas reports the
following:
I thank Chuck and Judy Miller of VOTF’s Montgomery
County, Maryland affiliate for identifying the need for
the website and encouraging its formation.
The site will act as an information clearinghouse about
current and recent initiatives aimed at reforming state
laws dealing with sexual crimes against children. Typical
reform efforts are mandatory reporting requirements for
clergy and changes to statutes of limitations, including
the application of “look-back windows" for cases
where the statute of limitation has already run.
The website/listserv is open to the public. This
transparency means anyone can access the e-mail messages,
databases, and files posted there. The website/listserv
will allow people who are involved in working toward legislative
reform in one state to access the experience, expertise,
and lessons learned by others in a different state. One
way to accomplish this knowledge transfer is to post e-mail
messages about what is working and what is not working
in a particular state. Another way to do this is to build
a database of contacts. A third way is to provide files
of actual proposed legislation. A fourth way is to provide
links to organizations (e.g., SNAP, VOTF) active in reforming
child protection laws. To subscribe to the group, write
an e-mail message to PCTL-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
If you feel comfortable in doing so, in your subscription
message please provide a brief introductory statement about
yourself, your reason for joining, and any experience you
may have in legislative efforts to protect children. Please
sign your message with your name, city, state, and organizational
affiliation, if any, so that we can begin to build a database
of contacts.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about
the basic goal or approach to the Website, please send
them to me at frankdouglas62@yahoo.com or PCTL-owner@yahoogroups.com.
To post a message, write an e-mail message to CTL@yahoogroups.com.
An excellent definition of terms (SOL, civil and criminal
implications, etc.) is available
here.
CAMPAIGN 2006 Update
The Accountability NOW Action Campaigns are all
set to kick off in March. The first installment of the
Action Handbook has been sent to affiliate leaders introducing
the campaigns and providing affiliate leaders with information
on how to conduct the first few steps, which include prayerful
preparation, research and education. In the research phase
affiliates need to find out what the current situation
is in their state and diocese and report back to National
so that we can establish a national repository of critical
data for all to share. Training has been scheduled for
the weekend of March 25-26 in Dayton, Ohio for those affiliate
members who wish to play an active role in leading the
campaigns. To sign up to participate in the training please
contact Susanna Gregory at ahope@votf.org or
call 617-558-5252.
We will be supporting our Action Campaigns with ads in
the National Catholic Reporter beginning March
3rd and running for six weeks. In addition the direct mail
appeal being mailed out in March to our full membership
list will also emphasize the Campaigns.
There is something for everyone to do. We encourage you
to check out the National website in March and click on
the www.votf.org/2006 for more information about this effort.
We are focused and committed; together we will come closer
to realizing our mission statement and our goals through
these campaigns.
[Note: Catholic
News Service reports a FADICA (Foundations and Donors
Interested in Catholic Activities) survey finding: the
more generous Catholics are to the Church, the more they
expect financial accountability. "The findings from
the 2005 survey confirm our conclusions from the 2004
survey: The financial implications of the clergy sexual
abuse scandal have continued to linger," Zech said
in his analysis. Charles E. Zech is director of the Center
for the Study of Church Management at Villanova University's
College of Commerce and Finance. ]
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