A couple of our Board members will be providing information and literature about what teachers need to know about separation of church and state at the upcoming Fall Representative Assembly and Luncheon of the Missouri National Education Association to be held on Saturday, November 7 at the Sheraton Westport Chalet. If you are an NMEA member, be sure to look for them there.
We were very pleased to have had as our guest and speaker at the 2015 annual picnic, Rob Boston, from the national headquarters of Americans United. He provided an up-to-the-minute precis of church/state issues from the national perspective. The event was held at the Windegger Shelter in Tilles Park, Litzsinger and McKnight. The weather was as predicted – perfect – 75 degrees with a pleasant breeze. We made the scientific discovery that flies do not land on sauerkraut.
State Senator Jill Schupp, Missouri District 24, was unable to meet with us as we had planned on April 16, to update us on issues and happenings in Jefferson City, especially those that impinge on church/state separation. A capable replacement, State Representative Tracy McCreery (Missouri 88th District) took Jill’s place and provided an informative and lively discussion of happenings in the capital. We met at 7:00p at “The Heights”, the Richmond Heights Community Center, on April 16, 2015. The membership voted to adopt the revised Constitution and Bylaws, that were on the Web a month before the meeting.
We viewed and discussed Vic Losick’s Award-winning documentary film, “In God We Teach” on Thursday evening, February 5 at 7:00p. Our host was again the Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Road.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist and Donnybrook founding member Bill McClellan spoke at our annual picnic on September 21 in Shaw Park, Clayton. Bill also wrote an amusing commentary about our organization on July 4 (fittingly). The title was “Finally – A Group That Won’t Break My Heart” -that’s us! Click on the link to read the whole column.
We have photographs of some of the glamorous people in attendance. They will be posted in this space very soon.
On March 20, 2014, we enjoyed a dinner talk by Rev. Barry Lynn, the national Executive Director of Americans United. He was our special guest at our approximately annual dinner meeting at the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, 3415 Olive Street. Food was catered by the Triumph Grill, that is right downstairs. It was a great evening. If you missed it, you shouldn’t have!
You may have heard AU Executive Director Barry Lynn On Wednesday morning, March 12, when he was a guest on Charlie Brennan’s morning program on KMOX. He was our special guest at our dinner on March 20.
We had a good crowd for our showing of “God Loves Uganda”, an award-winning documentary by director Roger Ross Williams. It was premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and has been nominated for an Academy Award. The story is about the influence that American Evangelicals have had on the Ugandan government, encouraging them to adopt severe penalties (including the death penalty) on gay people. We screened it at the Ethical Society.
This issue remains in the news:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26320102