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Alabama ECW Delegates blogging from 46th
Triennial Meeting in Anaheim, CA.
(Dee Buzby
- Alabama ECW President, Gethryn Giles - President Elect, Barbara
Carpenter - UTO,
and Fran
Lowe - Missions and Ministries)
July 16, 2009
After Triennial thoughts
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Hi to all,
I'm finally finding an opportunity to blog. While at triennial it was very difficult to get to use the computors that were provided. So Dee was our designated blogger while there. She did a fantastic job of informing you all as to our meetings and activities. It has been a great opportunity to get to know a lot of people, especially those that I have worked with in UTO, and others from dioceses all over the country and some foreign countries. It was also a great opportunity to get to know, much better, our Bishops and the House of Deputies delegates from Alabama. Dee told you all about our workshops and keynote speakers, and I concur that they were all informative and very interesting. A highlight for me was getting to hear the ArchBishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. It was great that he accepted the invitation to come and attend the General Convention, but also to take the time and come to our Triennial and speak. Of course, I was very honored and proud to represent Alabama at the UTO Ingathering eucharist. It was a very nice service.
As Dee told you I came home yesterday. It was a wonderful opportunity to attend the Triennial and to represent our ECW at the Triennial. Each day was filled with meetings and workshops, so we all were very busy from a.m. to p.m. so we all were very tired by the end of the day. I thank you all for the opportunity to attend and look forward to seeing you all at the next meeting.
Love and blessings,
Barb
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July 16, 2009
Thursday, July 16
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Hi,
The Triennial was over today. This morning we sent two resolutions to the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. The ECW asked that representatives from ECW be appointed to the Study of the UTO which is being done by the Executive Committee and secondly, that an ECW liason be appointed to the Committee on the status of women. After the Triennial adjourned about 3:00, we went to the House of Bishops and while we where there the two resolutions were read and the bishops were asked to give the work of ECW Triennial a standing ovation. So, as the ECW representatives sat in the back of the room, the Bishops stood, turned around, and clapped. So, we stood up and accepted their acknowledgement. What fun!!
For the last hour we have been sitting in the visitors section of the House of Deputies. They have been running behind, so they will be in session from 7 to 9 tonight, but we are going to a celebration where Bishop Andres will be preaching.
I have had a very difficult time trying to send messages on this blog, but maybe this one will go through. We'll be home late Saturday.
Gethryn
Ladies,
We are finished with our Triennial. After a business meeting this morning involving resolutions to the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies on including representation of the ECW, we had the installation of the new officers and celebrated the ones rotating off and the new. I am ready to go home, but it is sad to say goodby to the women we have gotten to know. Maybe several will be at Kanuga next summer. We will attend a U2Eucharist tonight that Bishop Andres is involved with. Don't really know what to expect except "new music". Fran and I attended the L A Event last night and I just didn't get it. There was poetry, music, photographs, and an artist creating his canvas as the show went on-guess I am not enough Californian or too old to grasp the meaning. It was interesting, but left me wondering.
Tomorrow is the convention closing and then we will try to see something of the area before we pack to go home. We are flying out very early Sat. morning so this will probably be our last blog. It has been fun and I hope you have had an inkling of what goes on at these things. Your diocesan deputies work very hard and I am so pleased with all of them.
Blessings,
Dee
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July 15, 2009
Wed., July 15
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Ladies,
How great it was to actually be with Bishop Katharine as she went down the escalators this morning. There are so many purple shirts that I hardly notice any more. Quite a place and it feels quite holy.
Fran, Barbara, and I attended the Duke U party last night before we went out to dinner because Jo Baily Wells and Lauren Winner were the speakers. We arrived early enough to have an opportunity to talk with both of them and they were wonderful. Jo did deliver the stoles to the 6 priest and was just excited over it all. Lauren will have a new book coming out in about a year and we told them to come back to AL anytime. They made us feel so special.
The Bishop's dinner was the best. The restaurant is local and located futher away than the 6 blocks we are familia with. There were 24 of us there and the priests and bishops wore bow ties, even Susan Sloan, and Bishop Sloan had one he had to tie himself, and he did a good job. We didn't talk to much about business but tonight will be very interesting and I hope you have been looking at the national church website and the diocesan website. I'll let you know tomorrow about the voting today.
Bishop Charleston preached today at the Eucharist on an environmental theme. He challenged us to "save the earth" and compared it to a ticking clock which now has the alarm going off. Quite inspiring and filled with emotion.
Gethryn, Fran, and I had lunch at the Hilton today-looking for another menu than that of the Marriott and food court- and invited Serita the new UTO Pres. to join us. She is lovely and I had met her at Face to Face. We discussed the "mess" created by 815 and she explained some of the problems and the lack of communication. Now, I have hope that it will be worked out and the UTO can go about their business.
I attended a workshop on praying with icons this afternoon and very much enjoyed that. The preist spoke of Robert Lenz whose icon I used for the Julian of Norwich calendar and we talked a little about him afterwards and she said he writes American icons that push the envelope, I agree. If you ever have a chance, google him.
Going to a Gathering meeting in our planery and then to a "L A Gala" tonight. Hope its fun, and then we will go to the Bishop's conversation and hear all about today. We really are so appreciative to him for including us.
There are photos on the diocesan website.
Hope all is well with y'all. My roommate, Barbara, went home today and now we are three. I miss her.
Blessings,
Dee
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July 14, 2009
Tues. July 14
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Ladies,
Another beautiful day in southern California.
Wish you could have heard Elisabeth von Trapp the other night, she has a beautiful voice and even sang songs from the Sound of Music. She is an Episcopalian and a Daughter of the King. A very entertaining event.
Yesterday we heard from the Social Justice Committee and had talks from Bishop Gray from MS and Bishop Jenkins from LA thanking the ECW for all the help they received after Katrina and the work that continues. The National ECW is working to build a Jericho House in New Orleans. We also heard from a representative from ERD and all the work they are doing. One of their projects is to wipe out malaria in the world using Nets for Life, sleeping nets. If you are interested in any of these projects and others, I will bring the info home. We also elected the next Triennial officers and I am sad to say our Province IV nominee did not win, Marcia Himes from Wyoming won. We went out on the town and had a delicious dinner, then on to the Bishop's Hospitality Room where we heard the deputies and bishops discuss their day.
This morning Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies, spoke to us and she really expressed her appreciation of the ECW and how it has supported her daughter who is in seminary. She was lovely and I was impressed. Our ladies are in the Eucharist but I saw a computer open and I will now go to service. It is sometimes hard to find an open computer, there are 5 for all of us to use. We have 2 workshops this afternoon and then tonight is the Bishop's Alabama Night and all of us from AL will be taken out to dinner. Can't wait.
Blessings,
Dee
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July 12, 2009
Sunday, July 12
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Ladies,
I feel that it has been weeks since I last blogged. Time goes so fast here and it is difficult at times to get a computer for a few minutes.
Yesterday was an interesting day, t-shirt day but we wore visers with the Diocese of Alabama on them, and Phyllis Tickel spoke to us on the theme of grace. She believes that grace is beauty, a gift from within and she told of Tamar in the Old Testiment. The UTO Dinner was well attended, over 400, and to our great surprise, Bishop Curry from NC was our speaker. If you have never heard him, he is powerful. He told us our mission is to "GO" and he told it with as much enthusiasm as I have ever seen. I took a workshop from our Fall Conference speaker, Katerina Whitley and I can't wait for y'all to hear her. She is a marvelous storyteller and brings the women of the Bible to life with an understanding of who they could have been and that we could have been a lot like them. I am really excited that she will be with us. We met the nominees for the national board and 2 are from our province, voting will be tomorrow.
Today was the UTO Eucharist and again I just wish you could have been here. We arrived very early and sat on the 7th row from the front right by the middle isle. Barbara was in the UTO procession and looked great walking across the stage giving her token check to Bishop Katharine. Bishop Andrus sat behind us and he looks good, California agreeing with him. It was as beautiful a service as you can imagine with all the splender and the music was the best. Not only did Bishop Katharine preach but Bishop Browning and Bishop Griswald were also participants. What a day!!! The four of us plus Lou T. attended the Province IV lunch and enjoyed a hearty Italian buffer, no supper tonight. It was fun to be with so many women we know from Kanuga. Kay Meyer, you remember from last fall, was honored and given angel gifts from the dioceses of our province. I took 2 workshops this afternoon, one on the gift of JOY and the other on Women Leading Women. Now we will have a light dinner before we attend the ECW Event with Elisabeth von Trapp singing for us. Long days!!!
Blessings,
Dee
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July 10, 2009
Friday, July 10 by Dee
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Ladies,
What a day yesterday!!! The Archbishop of Canterbury came to Triennial, sat about 15 feet just to our left, sat for a meditation and then spoke to us. He thanked the women for sharing their prayers, care and experience to strengthen the Anglican Communion. He was wonderful, despite the eyebrows, and the voice is magnificient. We also heard him give the meditation at the Eucharist. A young woman who is the Anglican Observer to the UN also spoke and she told about the women's movements. Both very good. We went to PF Changs for dinner, and what a night!!!-only in CA.
Today was also very special. As a host on the hospitality committee, I helped escort the representatives from the Youth who are at convention to the podium, they are so special and very active-LEMs, vestry, Sunday School teachers, etc. Then, I had the honor to help escort Bishop Charleston to the podium. He was as wonderful as I remembered from the fall conference he was our speaker. He spoke on the theme GRACE and of the special grace of Mary and his relationship with her. It was just amazing. I just wish you were all here.
Gotta get dressed for the UTO Dinner and then hopefully, conversation at the hospitality room with our bishops and deputies.
Thinking and praying for y'all.
Blessings,
Dee
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July 8, 2009
Wednesday, July 8
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Ladies,
We made it to CA, alleluia!
Today we began the morning with a joint Eucharist with the General Convention with Bishop Katharine preaching. It was amazing with so many Episcopalians in one room and the music was so uplifting. We were even able to sit close to the altar and could really see all those participating.
This afternoon, we had a festive Opening Session, wonderful music, a short address by Bishop Katharine who also blessed the crosses that she gave to each woman present. To me personally, she is such a presence and exudes spirituality. We are learning about Public Narrative which we hope to bring back to AL and share with you. Tonight is the Welcome Dinner and which we are looking forward to, and then rest. Last night we went to the diocese hospitality room for a short while at the bishops invitation and enjoyed hearing from some of the priests and deputies about the committees they are on, they really spend a great deal of time in committee.
Hope to have an opportunity to blog tomorrow.
Please remember to keep us in your prayers.
Blessings,
Dee
Editor note: Read about the Public Narrative Project Dee mentions above.
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June 28, 2009
New Blogger
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This is a test to see if I can blog. Sally, thank you for setting this up for us. This will be very helpful in getting news back to all from CA. I hope I'm doing this correctly. Barb Carpenter
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June 24, 2009
Gethryn - getting ready
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June 24, 2009
I'm getting ready to attend my first ECW Triennial. My plane reservations are made and I have received a lot of information from the national ECW. Thanks to the Diocesan office, my registration fee is paid and my hotel reservations are made. Now I have to decide what clothes to take and how to use this blog so we can keep everyone back home informed. Two weeks from yesterday I will be on my way. Pray for us.
Blessings,
Gethryn
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June 23, 2009
hello
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Sally,
This should be fun at Triennial. Thanks so very much for your help.
Blessings,
Dee
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