Pittsburg High School Class of 1964

Scott and I are taking a day off from working on the preparation for Cooperative School of Christian Mission to travel "back home" to our High School Reunion.
Our class is very close and many of the original 193 graduates of that year will be there with us.
No one really famous graduated from PHS in 1964 (unlesss you count the Queen of MO UMW and her husband, the Grammy winner). But, in 1966, there was Bill Russell, of the L.A. Dodgers, and in 1959 or maybe it was 1960, Gary Zukav frequent guest on the Oprah Show walked down the aisle at the Pittsburg Municipal Auditorium.
But, we "64ers have been and continue to be a class of interesting citizens. Take Shurleen, for example. After an unfortunate marriage and lousy career choices in California, she reinvented herself and became a rural Kansan, with a new career as a travel guide and a new name. She is very happy as Jean Marie.
Then, there's Billy. He was a roadie for Rock Bands in the late sixties and experimented with lots of stuff we don't want to know about. Now, he is a highly respected High School Administrator with lots of awards and expertise in dealing with troubled youth.
And John, who started out working for the water department...digging ditches, no less, and he's now the City Manager.
We've got teachers, preachers, sports agents, and doctors. Lots of good solid average folk. I can't wait to see them. They won't have changed one bit since we saw them last. In my eyes, they will be forever young.

Ready for Cooperative School of Christian Mission?

It's July, once again, and almost time to hit the road to Fayette. I have been attending schools of Mission for a long time. Schools of Mission are an annual event in all of the UMW Conferences throughout the United States, but there are still many United Methodists who don't know a thing about them.
Our school is a cooperative one, which means that it is jointly sponsored by UMW and the UMC through it's Creative Ministries Team. So, why don't we have a ton more attendees? Beats me. But,I guess we aren't telling enough people the story of Cooperative School of Christian Mission.
Several hundred women, children, men and youth attend our Missouri Cooperative School each summer. We have a fantastic time. There are study groups, fellowship, great food, and exciting worship. This year we have a young new music leader and plenty of new songs to inspire and thrill our attendees.
Sometimes, "The Queen" even joins us. She last visited us in 2007. Perhaps she'll come again this year. Shari Habban is dropping by on Saturday. Several years ago a District Super dropped in. Oh, we ask a lot of other important people to come but so far they have declined. July is a really busy time of the year, I guess.
We are planning to host a missionary visitor this year and since one of our studies is on Sudan, we will visit with some Sudanese refugees, also.
Okay, so far as I can tell, CSOCM is the one of the largest gatherings of UM's on the yearly calendar. I'd like to make it the largest. Y'all come!

Assembly 2010

It has been suggested by the UMW Webmistress that I blog about the upcoming UMW Assembly in St. Louis. (BTW, my picture,on this site, is one taken at the opening worship event at Assembly in 2006.)
Assembly occurs every 4 years in different cities across the U.S. Kansas City hosted an Assembly 20 years ago. Assembly will be the largest gathering of UMs this state has ever seen. It's a big deal. As Women's Division makes plans for this event, I will keep you readers informed. Right now lots of volunteers are needed. Let me know if you plan to attend and can spare some time to meet and greet, usher, give directions, etc.
For now, my theme song is "Meet me in St. Louie, Louise. Meet me at Assembly."

Been There, Done That

Scott and I just returned home from UMW Regional School in New Orleans, LA. I think this was my 13th or maybe 15th Regional School. Regional School is sponsored by Women's Division for the purpose of training Conference Study Leaders and updating UMW Conference officers on their jobs. These Regional Schools are held on UMC College Campus'(Dillard this year). Men and women from each conference in our Jurisdiction were there.
Listen Up.....Don't go to New Orleans in the summer time. However, if you must, take lots of deodorant and plenty of extra underwear. OMGolly it was HOT and MUGGY.
But, weather aside, it was a great event. Our Cooperative School Leaders were trained in fine fashion. I gained a few pounds, in spite of the dorm food. Lordy, if I don't have to cook it, anything tastes good!

Annual Conference 2009

Well, I don't think it could have been better. WOO HOO...United Methodist Women in the Missouri Conference are alive and doin' splendid. Our third annual Walk for Mission Giving, at Conference, was an outstanding success. We sold all of the RED HOT Shirts and many individuals and Units contributed. About 200 actually walked!
We started off with a prayer from Bishop Schnase (who by the way was extremely gracious and interested in the event) and the women of Pitts Chapel, Mt. Carmel and the Springfield Districts out did themselves with tasty treats. We have such great members!
We were able to have a little time on the stage to announce Assembly 2009. Start saving your money now for the event of a lifetime in April in St. Louis. More details on our Website!
My heartfelt thanks to all who supported this event. A special thank you goes out to those of you who worked the Booth. The whole weekend was a textbook example of working together in Mission.

And we do Local Mission......

Today, I received a call from Clara Black. In my mind, Clara is a shining example of what we as United Methodist Women are all about. Clara supports United Methodist women by attending Coperative School of Christian Mission and other events like our annual Spring Retreat. But, woo hoo,she also does local mission! Clara volunteers at the Clothes Closet for the Veterans' Administration Medical Center in Kansas City.(Most of us think of it as the VA Hospital.) Last month, she told me that there was a real need for men's items of all kinds, especially clean used jeans and soft duffle bags. Of course there are women Vets, too, and she needs shorts and tops for them.
Sometimes veterans come to the Hospital with absolutely nothing. They need the essentials. Our Vets are in need, people, and we who have so much to thank them for, could really help them out!
Clara is a member of New Hope UMC in Kansas City. And she is surely an angel of mercy.
If you can donate some items to this cause, (She is willing to receive donations at Cooperative School in Fayette, next month.)contact me and I will pass on her number.

ABORTION

My best UMW Friend and I agree to diasgree on the issue of Abortion Rights. Both of us feel very passionately about what we believe to be the "right" thing. While both of us know that abortion is legal, one of us feels that it is a fundamental right of a woman to choose what happens to her own body. That no government should force a woman to carry and birth a child that she does not want. The other friend believes that abortion is fundamentally wrong. She feels that no "person" should be aborted, for whatever reason.
We know that we are never going to agree on this issue. We discuss the issue. We argue, but, we remain friends.
Recently, I had to deal with a woman who had told her Unit that she had read that United Methodist Women funded abortions. I don't know what group is spreading this kind of misinformation, but I can make an intelligent guess.
United Methodist Women DO NOT fund abortions. United Methodist Women follow the Discipline in all matters pertaining to the Social Issues of the UMC. UMW, however, does belong, through the Women's Division of the United Methodist Church, to the Coalition for Reproduction Choice. This is not a group that funds abortions. This is an education group, dealing with information ONLY. This group has never told a United Methodisst Woman to have an abortion.
Neither my good friend nor I have any intention of leaving United Methodist Women over this issue. We feel fortunate to belong to an thinking woman's organization and to a thinking person's denomination. We have room to disagree.