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Ownbey Weekly Reader
Sunday, January 05, 2003. Hi Ownbey email and usmail members
cc: Barbara Barden

From Don Redding 1/8/03 Wednesday

Ownbey January 5, 2003 week:

Chick Thompson got the year started with a bang Sunday 1/5/03 as he discussed the Peter Gomes book the Good Life - Truths that Last in Times of Need. Chick said Gomes, an educator, felt higher education was not coming through in  teaching virtues,  morals and ethics. A good discussion followed with members relating experiences with schools addressing these subjects. We discussed the role of schools in the process and whether such values need  to be learned earlier than in  higher education. We discussed "moral freedom" as the freedom to set morals which could be bad. Some class members felt "morals" implied something good, something hopeful. Quoting Gomes who was quoting Aristotle, Chick related that the "soul is divided into two parts - the rational and irrational  ... rational is superior to irrational and is used for each of us to learn the good things we need to know whereas irrational has to do with temporary pleasures."  We had a lively discussion. An interesting observation  was that some class members felt  "if a war is declared, there was no terrorism.." (Of course all this is only a part of what Chick said.) Thanks Chick for a great start.

Below is an outline of some of the other discussion  Sunday. You will notice a planning session is scheduled for the class officers and committee chairs this Thursday. If you have comments or suggestions let us have them. Some of you  already have passed along feedback. Thanks.

We have a change in teaching schedule for 3/2 and 5/4 as Ace and Chick switch dates. The schedule is at  http://donredding.com/2003.html  and you can find notes for each class by clicking on the date for the class. If anyone wants to help do these notes, let me know. Some classes have a scribe.

Dottie Tobias told me long ago of her email address and I keep forgetting to get it on our list. Her email address is dtobias@earthlink.net. Also change Martha Bledsoe email address from mmmbled123@aol.com to mmmbled@aol.com. You may see the roster at  http://donredding.com/ownbeyroster.html for a while (You might beat me there as I have not  made the changes yet but will before long.). Let me know of any other changes.

Willard this week sent information about the Room in the Inn for March 14 / 15. A copy is at http://donredding.com/room.html if you have not seen it. Thanks Willard and others who have signed up.

Here is outline from class on 1/5:

Ownbey Class – January 5, 2003

1. Gold Star Awards
1. Perfect Attendance- no award this year
2. Attendance – Reatha Andrew for 45 of 50 
3. New member attendance - Bill and Marie Pearce – 35/36 of 50
4. Attendance – Runner up – Bob and Anne Lumadue – 42 of 50
5. Special Award – Outgoing President – Don Hammer for 2002
6. Special Award- Outgone President -Chick Thompson for 2001 
2. Announcements – Organization

Treasurer – Carol Douglas

Our committee assignments: 

Curriculum : WilliamWebb 

Health and Happiness: Reatha Andrew and Don Hammer 

Meal Organizing:Anne Copland and Ginny Soule

Membership – to be determined ifneeded

Music:Harriette Thompson and Harold Clark 

Organizing - to be determined ifneeded

Project - to be determined ifneeded

Social:Jim and Nancy Hatfield 

Telephone:Connie Owen 

2

Staff Liaison Person – Barbara Barden

3. We are planning a planning session Thursday,January 09.
1. A main objective is to understand each leader’s role and to consider appropriate items.
2. Let the appropriate officer or chair know if you have suggestions
3. If you have descriptions of duties or procedures from the past, let us have them. 
4. Focus / Principles – Don asked Chick to read
1. Our Class Description revised in late 2002 to:

Knowledgeable teachers.Ages 40 and up.”

2. First it goes without saying that our Sunday School is based on the beliefs of MPUMC

2.weave all together in love, 

3.motivate all to faith maturity, 

4.and mobilize all for Service ministry in a needful world 

iii.Core Values of MPUMCbehind our activities: 

1.Hospitality, 

2.Caring Community, 

3.Spiritual Gifts, 

4.Discipleship, 

5.and Servant Ministry. 

3. So these principles are no brainers and of course we do not want to change that. 
4. Barbara Barden asked us at the training session in August to keep these beliefs in mind as we run our class. 
4. Health and Happiness
1. Joyce Gossett lost her brother 12/20/02
2. Found several H and H policies. 
5. Birthdays in January: 5 Martha Bledsoe, 6 Dottie Tobias, 9 Jane Pixley,12 Fay Culbreth,24 Marilea Grogan, 28 Marie Pearce 
6. Announcements
1. Adults Plus Schedule – Dr Tabor -Archeologist – 01/15/03
2. Betty Edwards Retirement 01/17/03, reception Sunday afteron 1/19
3. Ribbon Cutting Ceremony – 01/26/03

iv.No Sunday School or Church in the Round

4. Wonderful Wednesdays 

5. Columbarium presentations

6. Others

8. Our teacher Chick Thompson 
1. got us off to a fine start with Peter Gomes book, the Good Life
2. An interesting comment from the class was that terrorism does not exist in a declared war, paraphrased somewhat.
3. Will finish later, I am tired.