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We were pleased to be able to provide on March 16 the expertise of our President, Cynthia Holmes and Board members Chris Guinther and Helene Sherman in a webinar, “Faith And Our Public Schools”, for the Missouri chapter of the National Education Association. The MNEA staff attorney, Vincenzo Iuppa, also participated. The session, including questions from participants, is archived online, but is available only to MNEA members.  The MNEA Website is http://www.mnea.org.

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After using a drastic procedural maneuver to end a 36-hour Democratic filibuster, Republicans in the Missouri Senate yesterday (3/9/2016) voted for SJR 39, that would allow discrimination against same-sex wedding ceremonies, in direct contravention to recent US Supreme Court rulings.  The action has drawn criticism and derision for Missouri across the country, including a scathing commentary from AU’s national headquarters.

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BrownInGodWeTrustWithTitleNewOn Thursday evening, February 11, we met at 7:00p to view the award-winning video, “In God We Trust?”, by Scott Burdick.  It is an account of what happened after a returning Afghanistan veteran sued his home town of King, North Carolina, for the removal of a Christian flag from the public Veteran’s Memorial.  The video presents a wide-ranging overview of church/state issues, but it was too long for us to view in its entirety (one can find it on YouTube).  We saw selected portions of it that focus on the issues that most directly the legal and social aspects of the suit, and we had a good discussion afterward.

By all accounts, it was a very successful evening, with 33 people in attendance

 

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Three of our Board members attended the recent (November, 2015) Annual Meeting of AU in Washington, DC.  Two of the highlights occurred on the last afternoon of the meeting, when Executive Director Rev. Barry Lynn introduced Bishop John Shelby Spong, who was recognized as AU’s Person of the Year for 2015. The remarks of both of these men are linked below.

Barry Lynn’s Introduction (4 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ3ks0UbYQU

Bishop Spong’s Remarks (28 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLKwBOjxpFQ

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We enjoyed the hospitality of one of our Board members at a private residence for a Holiday Get-Together on Friday evening, December 4. Wine and light hors d’oevres were provided. RSVP’s were handled through our Meetup Group at http://www.meetup.com which we encourage everyone interested to join, as it will be where other activities will be announced . Joining the Meetup is free and without obligation – you should already have joined us, anyway! If you are not familiar with the process, it could not be easier.  Just navigate to that URL, search for Americans United within 25 miles of St. Louis, go through the brief registration. You might even find another group in St. Louis with which you have affinity!

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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.

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Rob Boston
Rob Boston

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.

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TracyMcCreery
Tracy McCreery

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.