Representative Council Notes

Next Representative Council meeting: April 16, 10 am - 2 pm at Holy Family Parish Hall, Concord Center, MA with panel discussion: Joe O'Callaghan and Leonard Swidler on the Bridgeport Proposals

February 2005 COUNCIL UPDATE from National Representative Council Steering Committee member Ron DuBois:

The resolution to re-constitute the Representative Council as a truly National Council received an overwhelmingly favorable vote of 61 in favor and 5 opposed. This vote indicates that there is excellent support for the view that the future of VOTF is dependent upon a truly national, and eventually international, presence.

We have agreed to create a Council with representatives from each of the 14 USCCB regions, with the number of representatives from each region based on the number of affiliates and members in each region. As with the current Council, this new Council will be charged with formulating policy for the National VOTF.

PROCESS: We will have nominations and elections in each region. An implementation team, called for by the resolution, has been created, with one member from each of the 14 regions. We have provided these 14 people with contact names in their respective regions who will ensure a nomination process open to all VOTF members in each region. Members will vote for representative(s) from their own region. Members are free to self-nominate or to nominate other members. Nominees are asked to submit a 50-word statement of their credentials and why they want to serve. These nominations will be submitted to the regional members of the implementation team.

Four volunteers from the Boston area have volunteered to facilitate the overall nomination process: Elia Marnik at eliamarnik@comcast.net, Fran O'Leary at fol02482@earthlink.net, Alice Campanella at acampanella@votf.org and Ron DuBois at debber@beld.net.

We ask for your patience and prayers as we take this critical step toward modeling a Church for all voices.

 

Central	Nomination Contact
Region 6 OH, MI/Nan Fischer	nafischer33@earthlink.net
Region 7 IL, IN, WI/Janet Hauter	jmwhauter@aol.com
Region 8 MN, ND, SD/Shari Steffen	sharisteffen@sihope.com
Region 9 IA, KS, MO, NB/Jim Hone	jimhone@earthlink.net
West
Region 11 CA, HI, NV/DeeDee Smith	votfsola@yahoo.com
Region 12 AK, ID, MT, OR, WA/Paul Post	Paul730@isp.com
Region 13 AZ, CO, WY, NM, Ut/Sandy Simonson	sandysimonson@msn.com
South
Region 5 AL, KY, LA, MS, TN/Gerry Stark	gerrystark@aol.com
Region 10 AR, OK, TX/Jean Frie	jeanfrie@friefinancial.com
Region 14 FL, GA, NC, SC/Peg Clark	VOTFofSWFL@aol.com
East
Region 1 ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT/Mike Sweatt	msweatt@maine.rr.com
Region 2 NY/Tom Dowling	tpd@ix.netcom.com
Region 3 NJ, PA/Bud Bretschneider	bud.bretschneider@comcast.net
Region 4 DC, DE, MD, VA/Judy Miller	chuck-judy@starpower.net

VOTF ON THE ROAD

• March 12: Gaile Pohlhaus to address Pax Christi New Jersey State Assembly Conference. Gaile's talk will be "VOTF Today - A Time for Renewal"
• March 19: Kris Ward to speak at a program following a Healing Prayer Service for victims/survivors in Palm Beach, FL, sponsored by Palm Beach County Affiliate
• March 29: Jim Post to speak at VOTF Naples, Florida, St. John the Evangelist. Jim's talk will be "Promises To Keep: Renewing the Catholic Church"
• April 9: Kris Ward to speak at Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY sponsored by our affiliate there.

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