Alliance Leadership Meets in Houston - July 7-9, 2006

With a backdrop of typical Texas-style hospitality, the DA Leadership met in Houston July 7-9, 2006. The agenda was planned around the theme of orientation and each item was used to illustrate the role of the Mission, Goals 2004-2009, and the Policy Book as the organizing factors of the meetings.

The members welcomed the new leadership teams from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Great Bend, Kansas, and Sinsinawa, Wisconsin. Each new person was partnered with a more seasoned leadership person who helped to orient them to the Dominic Alliance.

The focus of the meeting was a dialog with the Preaching Promoters from the Alliance congregations. Ginger Peters , liaison to the Preaching Promoters invited each promoter to share her role in her congregation. Elyse Marie Ramirez, co-chair of the US Dominican Promoters of Preaching presented their goals for 2004-2008. The leadership and the promoters engaged in conversation and gave feedback to one another.

REPORTS

Study Days Committee

Study Days 2007 in observance of the Tenth Anniversary of the DA will be held at the St. Louis Airport Marriott, October 26-28, 2007. The committee of representatives from all Alliance Congregations is well into the planning process and you will hear more from this group. Please reserve the dates

CCAM

The Committee on Collaborative Apostolic Ministry received a good response to the questionnaire asking about willingness to participate in collaborative community living and ministry. A discernment weekend for those interested was held in Chicago, July 14-16, 2006.

Justice Resource Person

The search for a new Justice Resource Person is in process and the search committee hopes to have a new person in place by September 1, 2006.

Alliance Africa Connections Committee

The Alliance participants in the Zambian Immersion Experience, Harriet Agnew (Kentucky) and Rose Mary Stein (Great Bend, KS) have been in Zambia since June 6 and have immersed themselves in the life and mission of the Dominicans of Zambia.

NEWEST ALLIANCE MEMBERS

The Racine Dominicans after a two year discernment process formally asked to join the Alliance. The members voted by acclamation to accept, increasing the number of Alliance Congregations to thirteen.

OTHER BUSINESS

The Executive Director, Joan Scanlon, presented her three year accountability report as Executive Director and received feedback from the membership.

Jeanne Moore (EMD), Rose Marie Riley (Springfield) and Adrian Dover (Houston) gave a dramatic presentation spoofing Jeopardy to address the question: What are the differences among the Alliance, Federation and Cluster? The presentation will be repeated upon request.

On Saturday evening, a special missioning service and words of appreciation were offered to Judith Hilbing (Springfield) who has completed four years as the Alliance Justice Resource Person. Judith will be returning to La Oroya, Peru. Although this is a blessing for the people of Peru, it is a great loss to the Dominican Alliance

The meeting concluded with approving the budget, setting future meeting dates and receiving an update from the Cluster Coordinating Committee.