SSJC-WR GENERAL MEETING
Minutes
January 23, 2016
St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral
2308 W. Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Present: Fr. George Morelli, Fr. James Babcock, Fr. James Bankston, Anne Petach, Diane Alves, Jim Trageser, Speaker Fr. Deacon Maxim Najim, and visitors Dorothea Malina, Gina and Marina George, Susan Provincio, and Anthony Porrello (new member).
Excused: Msgr. Dennis Mikulanis, Bob Greenwell, Victor Vallejo, Mark Hartmann
The meeting opened at approximately 12:45. Opening prayer was given by Fr. James Babcock.
Agenda Approval: Motion: Fr. James Babcock. Second: Fr. James Bankston. Agenda Approved.
President’s Report: Fr. George thanked the host parish.
Vice President’s Report: The outgoing Vice President wasn’t at the meeting, so the incoming Vice President, Fr. Bankston, mentioned that he wants to support the society in any way he can.
Executive Secretary’s report: Anne Petach, outgoing executive secretary, said that she has archives of all society minutes back to our beginnings in 2006. In her capacity as historian, she is keeping them because Diane Alves, the new secretary, asked her to. She also mentioned that among her jobs is writing thank you notes to parishes which host us. She will write the thank you note this time.
Recording Secretary’s report: Diane Alves, asked if the members had received the Minutes of the last meeting (November, 2015). Then a few printed copies were circulated. Motion to accept Minutes: Fr. James Bankston. Second: Fr. James Babcock. Motion carried.
Treasurer’s Report: The following treasurer’s report from Bob Greenwell, our treasurer, was read by Fr. George Morelli:
Previously reported cash balance as of November 2015: $1,455.20
Collected at meeting: 95.00
Speaker fee paid to Fr. Kyrillos Ibrahim: 75.00
Paid Fullerton Printing for latest newsletter: 439.80
Paid for postage to mail newsletters: 172.54
Paid to Orientale Lumen Foundation for capitation fee ($ 10.00/ member): 400.00
Paid to 2 speakers for January 23, 2016, meeting: 150.00,
Cash balance remaining as of January 23, 2016: $312.86
Bob then added that we don’t have enough to print the next issue of our newsletter, but he expects some donations.
Secretary’s Note: $123.00 was collected today for the hosting parish (and given to the pastor. Fr. Michel). Additionally, $125.00 in checks payable to SSJC was received today for which $100.00 was probably for two new memberships. There was also a new member today, Anthony Porrello, meaning $50 dues was received from him. Therefore $175.00 was taken in today to be added to the $312.86 giving $487.86 as our current balance.
Motion to accept treasurer’s report: Fr. James Babcock. Second: Anne Petach. Motion carried.
Sgt. at Arms / Parliamentarian: No report was given because Mark Hartmann wasn’t present due to recent injury. It was mentioned that Fr. James Bankston had borrowed Mark’s van to bring a group from San Diego to Los Angeles today.
Historian’s Report: Anne is continuing as Historian, but downsizing somewhat. She no longer keeps our lending library which is now at Holy Angels, San Diego, in the care of Bob Greenwell. She does keep old minutes and sample copies of old newsletters. Newsletters starting with 2010 are on our website, www.lightoftheeast.org Anne mentioned that one of our founding members, Patty Born recently passed away. As historian, she will send a sympathy card and note to Patty’s husband.
Light of the East Newsletter: Jim Trageser, newsletter editor, said that discussion of the newsletter would be under “old business.”
OLD BUSINESS:
Newsletter and other publicity: Jim Trageser, newsletter editor, moderated a discussion. It was decided that we need to get the next issue out immediately. It should be ready and on its way to the printer by February 20th which means Fr. George’s column should be ready by February 14th.
Jim suggested that Diane should subscribe to the same sources that he subscribes to in order to put up to date information on the website. Diane mentioned that Fr. George usually finds and approves the articles and sends them to her for posting on the website. Jim said that process will keep us from being up to date. It was suggested that before posting, each item should be shared with one other member, possibly Fr. George, Anne, or Fr. Bankston who just volunteered.
The discussion then moved to the role of the newsletter and the possibility of two different newsletters, one print and one cyber with the online edition being more extensive. Jim said that a print edition carries more weight. Others mentioned that a print edition is part of outreach since some of our new membership has resulted from someone picking up a newsletter from a table at a parish. This triggered discussion of putting membership brochures in church booklet racks (Roman Catholic parishes in particular usually have these racks).
Motion was made to defer this discussion to the upcoming executive board meeting (Around February 15th at St. Paul’s, Irvine): Anne. Second: Diane
NEW BUSINESS:
Facebook Page and other new outreach: There was discussion of a Facebook page which might reach more people than the website does and might contain a link to the website. Diane mentioned that Mark Hartmann had volunteered to be in charge of the Facebook page.
Email/mail contact list: We discussed that the contact list should be enlarged to include not just parishes but Religious High Schools and Colleges and other organizations which might be interested, for example the Joan Kroc Institute of Peace and Justice at USD. It was mentioned that Fr. Alexei Smith who was present during the speaker’s presentations today, is Ecumenical Officer for Los Angeles Catholics. He can “email blast” all the parishes in the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese. New member Marina George, a Biola College student, volunteered to help.
Meetings Live on the Internet: Fr. James Bankston mentioned software called Periscope (which Mark Hartmann knows about) which could live stream our meetings to the internet using a wireless hot spot.
Topics for Next Year: We will need four topics. Suggestions included:
— “Faith Formation of the Young” which included the comment that the Mormons do a lot better than we do while keeping their kids in public schools! This topic can include religious schools and religious education programs in parishes. Fr. Bankston mentioned an Eastern Catholic program for teaching religion to children.
–“Update on the state of the church in the Middle East”
–“Synaxis” pre-council meeting taking place now
–“Orthodox unity/disunity – Roman Catholics may think there is someone like the Pope in charge of Orthodoxy which is not true. In addition to different jurisdictions, there are the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox with the Assyrian Church of the East in a category all by itself.
–“The transition from Pope Benedict to Pope Francis” was another suggestion.
–“East/West Monasticism
It was also mentioned that we could look at our program chronology which is on the website and recycle some topics which are 4 or 5 years old.
2016 Light of the East Conference at St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church, Irvine: The dates will be May 20th and 21st. The subject will be “The Lord Jesus vs. the Roots of Violence: Catholic and Orthodox approaches.” Registration will be $25. There will be a Friday night session and all day Saturday the 21st. A tentative schedule was decided at the November meeting and is in the minutes.
Executive Board Meeting: Mid-February at St. Paul’s. (Exact date?)
Next Meeting: At the Light of the East Conference, May 21.
Motion to Adjourn: Fr. James Bankston Second: Fr. James Babcock
The meeting ended around 2 p.m., with a closing prayer led by .
Respectfully submitted by Secretary, Diane Alves