Dallas Peace Center Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Feb 17, 2005
Members present: Nadine Bell, Sidney Burkins, Delia Castillo, Len Ellis, Farrukh Hamid, Mary Ellen Irving, Hai Ly, Bill McElvaney, Iyas Maleh, Bill Matthews, Mike Millican, Bobbie Nehman, Danna Pyke, Nelda Reid, Kimberly Truitt, Ron Wilhelm, Liz Wolff
Members absent: Stephen Brown, Holsey Hickman (ex officio), Charles Hunter, Sam Nance (ex officio)
Staff present: Lon Burnam, Trish Majors, Valley Reed
Visitor present: Henry Irving
I. Centering: Bill Matthews opened the meeting at 7:10 p.m. Bill offered centering comments based on Nagler’s book, Search for a Non-violent Future, and reminded us of the hidden seeds of peace within us. Members of the board introduced themselves.
II. Minutes of the January meeting were presented. Iyas moved acceptance of minutes. Mary Ellen seconded the motion. Motion passed on voice vote.
III. Treasurer’s Report: Nelda presented an oral and written report.
Total January expenses = $9,662.56.
Total January revenue = $4,722.80.
Overall cash flow for January = ($4,939.76).
The revised total profit for the Peacemaker Awards Dinner was $21, 252.00. Nadine moved acceptance of report. Liz seconded the motion. Motion passed by voice vote.
IV. Bill Matthews presented a proposed revision of the DPC brochure and asked board members to consider options for including information about current teams and committees. Bill asked members to send him suggestions for quotes via e-mail. The board discussed whether to include only religious quotes or only secular quotes or a combination. No board decision was reached.
V. Name badges: Bill Matthews distributed a draft resolution regarding name badges for all board members to be worn at DPC public events. Delia moved that the resolution be accepted. Hadi seconded the motion. Motion passed on voice vote. Each board member will contribute $10.00 to cover the cost of production.
VI. Team Reports:
A. Children and Youth: Valley presented an oral and written report that included a proposal for an Earth Day event, "One World Festival and Market" Sunday, April 24th from 12:00-10:00 p.m. at Lakewood Theater and Shopping Center. Attendance goal is 300 and fund-raising goal is $20,000. Bill McElvaney moved the proposal be approved with encouragement. Len seconded the motion. Motion passed by voice vote.
TAFFY Project will coordinate a violent toy trade-in campaign in private schools participating in the "Disarming Violent Toys with Recycling Art Contest." Board members asked Valley to prepare a corporate donor packet so they could contact businesses who products focus on children.
B. Communications: Mary Ellen and Michael presented an oral and written report. Highlights: List of questions to ask ourselves regarding our communications with others on difficult issues. The team still needs a leader for the web-site committee.
Trish reported that subscriptions to DPC are down. She has begun to send subscription queries to 300 people a month on the DPC mailing list. Volunteers are needed to make follow-up phone calls to letter recipients. Trish asked board members to let her know of new venues for paper distribution so that Mac Hall can build paper racks. She is considering switching printers and has met with Greater Dallas Press who has bid to print the paper for $800 for 5,000 copies for a savings of about $400 over the current printer cost.
Trish is working with Dallas Video Festival. The peace videos that DPC is sponsoring will be on Aug. 6th. We will award the first DPC Documentary Award as seed money for a video project on nuclear proliferation.
C. Dismantling racism: Kimberly presented a written and oral report. Highlights: MCC Dismantling Racism Workshop dates are tentatively Aug. 19th-21st at the Catholic Retreat Center in Dallas.
Delia discussed possible team involvement in the debate proposal for a strong mayor. She proposed that the DPC board approve the team taking an active role in the current debate about the strong mayor proposal on changing the city of Dallas governance structure, which will be voted upon in May, by studying the systemic and institutional racism and injustice issues, developing a resolution statement, and identifying public opportunities or events for further education and awareness. Motion passed by voice vote. Nadine requested that in the future all board members who present resolutions for board decisions, put them in writing to facilitate adequate deliberation.
D. Fund-raising: Sidney provided a written report. Lon presented an oral report. The Charlie King fundraiser was not as successful as was hoped. About 100 people were in attendance.
E. Infrastructure: Henry Irving presented a written and oral report from the Coalition Development Committee. Highlights: New board member orientation was held Feb. 17th. He raised his concerns about potential political activity of the DPC staff and board that might jeopardize our 501(c)3 status. Henry reported the Coalition Development Committee’s recommendation that the board advise the staff to refrain from endorsing or promoting specific legislation until appropriate limits to such activity can be established. Iyas moved to accept the report as an advisory. Danna seconded the motion. Motion passed by voice vote.
Henry requested that the board find someone to help upgrade and maintain the current DPC computers and printers.
Nelda asked whether the committees of DPC teams could submit reports or whether committee reports and requests had to be submitted to board through the team. Bill Matthews made a presidential decision that both committees and teams could submit reports and requests to the board.
F. Swords into Plowshares
1) Ending the occupation of Iraq: Lon presented Laray’s written report.
2) Fair trade: DICEJ will send a delegation to the Texas Fair Trade Coalition’s March 12th conference in Austin to educate people about the Central American Free Trade Agreement. DICEJ is working with Voces Unidas para Inmigrantes to plan a celebration of the ministry of Mons. Oscar Romero of El Salvador in March. Liz moved that the DPC co-sponsor the celebration of Mons. Romero. DPC co-sponsorship would consist of publicizing and attending the event. The motion was seconded by Bill McElvaney. Motion passed by voice vote.
3) Landmine removal: Bill Matthews reported that the United Nations Association/DPC ranked second place in amount of funds raised in the Central Region of the U. S. with $44,715.00 for 22.98% of the state total.
4) Middle East: Bill McElvaney presented an oral and written report. Highlights: a) Friday, March 4th, 12:00 noon "Brown Bag" at DPC with Gail Smith, recently returned from Israel and Palestine. b) Ron Young, Executive Director, U. S. Interreligious Committee for Peace in the Middle East, March 31st, place and time TBA, April 1st ,12:00 noon at Grace UMC; c) Iyas reported the June 23rd summer evening lecture will feature Partners for Peace/Jerusalem Women Speak; d) Mary Ellen reported on the recent Austin conference on "American Churches and the Middle East;"e) Bill reported on a meeting with editors of the Dallas Morning News.
5) Military service resistance: Lon reported on a workshop by the team at the Every Church a Peace Church conference.
6) SOA Watch: No report.
7) Sudan Peace & Justice: No report.
VII. Announcements and Adjourn:
1) Amy Goodman, 7:30 p.m., Friday, February 18th Haveli Banquet Hall
2) Eyes Wide Open: Beyond Fear–Towards Hope, An Exhibition of the Iraq War, February 28-March 1st, at City Hall Plaza, Volunteers are needed and can contact (214) 929-3701 or eyes@faircoffee.com.
3) Duane Ediger sends greetings via Danna.
4) Len volunteered to draft a letter for the DPC board to send to politicians and media on March 18th to end the war.
Bill adjourned the meeting 9:55 p.m.
submitted by Ron Wilhelm, Secretary
