AVP-USA ANNUAL NATIONAL GATHERING
Memorial Day Weekend, May  2006

AVP/USA      Trustees Meeting

Stonehill College, Easton, MA 
May 27, 2006

Present:  Minga Claggett-Borne (recorder), Pat Hardy (process observer), Darrell Hefte (part- time), Terry Kayser, Donn Kesselheim (clerk), Marian Klostermann, Lolya Lipchitz, Grace McGrath, Joann Perry, Ray Rios, Hank Rivera, John Shuford, Ann Ward

Absent:  Diana Couch

Nomination of Officers:

The national officers to be nominated at the Annual Meeting include: Donn Kesselheim- President, Pat Hardy-Vice President, Jo Ann Perry -Treasurer, Rubye Braye-Recording Secretary

AVP Logo Trademark

Joann Perry has applied for the AVP trademark. We will be trademarked as “Alternatives to Violence Project.” She expects to hear back from them regarding approval in September.

Financial Report

Financial data for Fiscal year was presented by Jo Ann Perry.

Committees are asked to provide the Finance Committee a close estimate of next year’s expenses.

Conference Committee.

A contract with the Florida site for 2007 conference was signed and is contingent on the Trustees approval. The contract as of now has some housing especially for the Help Increase the Peace Project (HIPP) community.(HIPP is a non-violent workshop offered through AFSC and adapted for teen participants.) Finance Committee members expressed concern over the investment in accommodating teen participants causing an overrun on the costs for this conference

Members expressed grave doubts about the mingling of teenagers and ex-offenders in an intimate conference. Daryl also had concerns about the legality of this and has not been able to talk to the conference site about that risk. The liability of having ex-sex offenders and youth together is serious, plus the joining of HIPP and AVP at an annual conference is setting a new precedent.

Structurally, we want to keep local autonomy to plan the conference with some national conference committee oversight.. The conference committee was instructed to come back with a statement concerning next year’s conference and its relationship to youth.

AVP/USA Trustees Meeting

Stonehill College, Easton, MA[1]

May 28, 2006

Present:  Pat Hardy (co-clerk), Terry Kayser, Donn Kesselheim (clerk), Lolya Lipchitz, Ray Rios, John Shuford, Ann Ward, Peg Erlanger, Grace McGrath, Marian Klostermann, Joann Perry, Hank Rivera, Diana Couch, Minga Claggett-Borne (recorder), Darrell Hefte

Follow up to Conference Committee

We decided to clarify our purpose so as not to exclude any AVP facilitators from joining us at Meetings. This statement will be included in our documents saying all adult AVP facilitators can participate fully without identifying their sexual orientation or their offense. We especially are concerned to include AVP facilitators without regard to any past offense.

ACTION: A Sub-committee was appointed to write this new statement. Ray, Lolya, Donn, Ann, and John. Donn will convene.

The two tasks are to word a new statement and to decide whether it belongs in the bylaws or the policies.

ACTION: In addition the Committee of Committees asks the Restorative Justice Committee to encourage dialogue within AVP between offenders with violent crimes and victims. How do we restore any trust between outsiders and ex-prisoners?

3. Recommendation by the Conference and Youth Committee.

DECISION: Minute of the 2007 AVPUSA Conference;  Submitted May 28^th, 2006

Due to numerous variables involved in the consideration of a conference venue, the Trustees direct the Conference Committee, working in concert with the local AVP conference committee, to secure a site in Florida for all adult AVP and adult HIPP facilitators, some of whom may be ex-offenders for the 2007 annual gathering.

Also, the conference committee will negotiate with the site management to assure the absence of any minor children during the extent of the conference.

Finally, the Trustees direct the Youth Committee to explore the possibility of including youth within the AVP/USA organization.

AVP/USA Annual Membership Meeting

Stonehill College, Easton, Massachusetts[1]

May 28, 2006

Donn Kesselheim and Pat Hardy shared responsibility for facilitating the meeting.

Welcome and Just What is an AVP Annual Meeting: Ann Ward explained the purpose of the Annual Membership Meeting. This meeting fulfills the requirements of the AVP/USA By-Laws.  It provides an opportunity for the national membership to select officers, to give direction to these individuals and to clarify committee goals for the coming year.

Candidates for AVP/USA national offices were proposed by the Annual Trustees’ Meeting, to serve during 2006-07.  The slate was as follows:

Donn Kesselheim, President      nominated by Committee of Local and Regional Groups

Pat Hardy, Vice-President                    nominated by the Committee of Committees

Rubye Braye, Secretary                        nominated by the Communications Committee

Joann Perry, Treasurer              nominated by the Finance Committee

The slate proposed by the Trustees was accepted

Committee Reports

Finance Committee – Ann Ward and Joann Perry reporting

Accomplishments this year includes a draft budget, filing taxes, applying for a trademark, and implementing the 501©3 process for 12 local AVP councils. Five seed grants were given to regions this year.

A statement of income and expenses was presented. Current assets are approximately $90,000.

Committee of Local and Regional Groups – CLARG- Ann Ward and Marian Klostermann reported

Seed grants were released to various local groups in a few regions. Organizing kit is being revised. Total of 396 workshops reported this past year.

Education Committee- Grace McGrath

Goals for the new Advanced Manual were accomplished such as it is user-friendly for all levels of educational and facilitating experience. It is structured to facilitate choosing and locating exercises. Much appreciation goes to the Education Committee for an excellent Advanced Manual.

ACTION: Next project is to revise the Training for Facilitators Manual, as well as creating a Focus Advanced Workshop manual. All were invited to join this workgroup.

Query for the Committee: Should the role of Education Committee be more than just revising manuals?

International Committee- John Shuford

This committee role is to act as a liaison between the International gathering and AVP-USA. Under this it has been involved in setting policies around AVP/USA and the AVP International biennial Gathering including:

Facilitated the donation of $7500 from AVP/USA to the International Gathering (IG) for non-South African Africans to attend, with the intention of creating the highest diversity at the Gathering. 

Developed a procedure for AVP/USA selecting a delegate and an alternate delegate to the International Gathering, and the tasks that would be asked of them and for distributing financial assistance to those attending the IG from the US. Currently 8-10 people will attend from the US. Ann Ward is the official representative and Nancy Shippen is the alternate. $15,000 was willed to AVP-USA by Zell Draz. Of these funds, the USA gave $10,000 to International for them to make scholarships for facilitators.

This committee also will function as an information resource for those going overseas to do AVP, agreeing to be a “holder of knowledge” about what AVPers in the US are doing internationally. Committee assists people going overseas with training acting as a  network among trainers going to different countries.

Copies of International directory are now available.

Action: The Committee, in the coming months, will develop a Mission Statement and submit an article to the Transformer.

Communications Committee- Diana Couch

Alan Taplow who “is” the AVP/USA Distribution Center wants to be replaced as publications mailer by May 2007.

Communications suggests that the Conference Committee work to advertise the 2007 conference in the Transformer in a separate issue. The Transformer goes to all inmates and the committee feels they don’t need to see lots of information promoting an event they cannot attend.

Action: The Conference Committee needs to budget to send the promotion material in one issue to go to facilitators on the outside.

Hakim is no longer at Minneapolis FNVW serving as the AVP/USA office. In this role he answered PR questions, forwarded mail and email to regional reps, responded to letters and phone calls about AVP/USA for which AVP reimburses the FNVW. AVP/USA will fund someone two hours a week and the phone expenses for the year. ($1,000 per year for expenses and about 100 hours a year) Finance will offer reimbursement to pay a person.

The success of the plan for bringing Transformer newsletters’ mailed and subscriptions into line is now reflected in more subscriptions being paid and the dropping of subscriptions that are not   with the idea that the newsletter pay for itself. Free subscription is given to all new facilitators for their first year.

Restorative Justice Committee- Lolya Lipchitz

This new committee is still in formation.

An Advanced Workshop has been started on Restorative Justice. Chris Solyntjes has offered

day long RJ workshops, and the RJ committee will use her agenda as a starting point to create an agenda for an advanced on RJ.  That product will be what the committee ultimately passes on to the education committee for inclusion in a future collection of special topics workshops.

Query: How to incorporate the perspective of those who have been harmed by crime and the perspectives of communities affected by criminal actions into workshops.

Conference Committee. Terry Kayser reports for the three co-clerks.

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During this Gathering, the Conference Committee held a joint meeting with Youth Committee. 28 attended to resolve how the youth participate in our 2007 conference and without affecting the welcome we intend for AVP facilitators who are labeled “sex offenders”. The following Minute was approved by the Trustees

DECISION: Minute of the 2007 AVPUSA Conference;  Submitted May 28^th, 2006

Due to numerous variables involved in the consideration of a conference venue, the Trustees direct the Conference Committee, working in concert with the local AVP conference committee, to secure a site in Florida for all adult AVP and adult HIPP facilitators, some of whom may be ex-offenders for the 2007 annual gathering.

Also, the conference committee will negotiate with the site management to assure the absence of any minor children during the extent of the conference.

Finally, the Trustees direct the Youth Committee to explore the possibility of including youth within the AVP/USA organization.

If any have leftover feelings as we continue to discern about youth participation in AVP work, the Conference Committee invites you to please contact them. We’re still in progress of working out how the two groups might work together.

The committee is looking for a site for 2008. Would a group from the Midwest host a conference for 2008? The committee is open to having it in other places: why not WY or CO? The Committee requests anyone with suggestions contact them

Youth Committee- Darrell Hefte

This has been an ad hoc Committee for 4 years. HIPP and AVP have a long history. Do we need to find a way to work youth into AVP.  HIPP does address the needs of teens.. AFSC is scaling back its relationship with HIPP. The HIPP national coordinator is now asked to focus locally. Should AVP and AFSC HIPP continue in separate paths?

More facilitators are invited to be on this committee. 

Each committee posted a queries and will during the next year post them on the AVP and in the Transformer.

Meeting adjourned.