Wednesday, November 28, 2007

WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US TO HEAR
Ardeth G. Kapp on December 5th, 2007 at
Lauralee Christensen's at 10:00 a.m.,
"Christ, the author of Liberty ",
1781 South Lorien Drive , Bountiful , Utah




Ardeth G. Kapp- December 5, 2007
Ardeth G. Kapp, Well known LDS author and lecturer, is a native of Glenwood Alberta Canada. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah and aMaster’s degree in Curriculum Development from Brigham Young University. For eight years, she served as President of the LDS Church’s Young Women organization ( 1984-92). Ardeth was a member of the LDS Church Curriculum Planning Committee, the Board of the LDS Church Education System, the Board of Directors of the Deseret News Publishing Company, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Utah Youth Village, the Deseret Book Company, and Southern Virginia University.Sister Kapp has had a long career in the field of education. She was anInstructor for the Mountain States Telephone Company, a teacher in theDavis County School District, and a writer and producer for a UtahNetwork for Instructional Television series. At BYU she was anInstructor in the College of Education and coordinator of a studentLeadership program. She chaired the Advisory Committee on Women’sConcerns for two terms, received the Honored Alumni Award from BYU College of Education, and taught at the LDS Institute of Religion adjacent to the University of Utah.Ardeth served with her husband Heber B. Kapp as he presided over the Canada Vancouver Mission from 1992-1995. From 2000-2003, during the time her husband served as President of the Cardston Alberta Temple, she served as matron. She and Brother Kapp currently reside in Bountiful, Utah

Monday, November 19, 2007

United Women’s Forum Minutes Nov. 14, 2007


Leslie Swartwood welcomed the women to the home of Lauralee Christensen for our monthly meeting.

Opening prayer was offered by Barbara Spuhler followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Leslie invited Debra Poulsen to speak to the group about business items of concern. Debra began by introducing Jill Burton from the Lighted Candle Society. Jill has had a rich background working in the area of communications in Washington DC and in public policy for the Hinckley Institute at the University of Utah. She holds degrees in communications and Business Management from the University of Utah. Jill is looking for stories of how pornography has affected people’s lives through broken marriages, disrupted families or troubled teens. She asked for anyone to call her or email stories for various purposes and use with the Lighted Candle Society. Jill can be reached at: jill@lightedcandle.org or 801-580-4235. Callers may remain anonymous if desired.

Debra introduced Laura Bunker who has worked diligently fighting against the Hate Crimes Bill. Laura spoke briefly about new proposed legislation EDNA – (Employee Non-Discrimination Act) which is attempting to legitimize gay rights thru justification and celebration thereby forcing cultural approval and redefining the institution of marriage. She suggested that we each take the time to read the Bill and visit United Families International website: www.ufi.org to get further analysis and information.

Linda Reeves next spoke briefly about four recent bills signed in California by Governor Schwarzenegger. These bills are as follows:

SB 777: Bans in school textbooks and publications and activity any "discriminatory bias against homosexuals, bisexuals or transsexuals. The law prohibits any "instruction" or "activity" that is perceived to "promote discriminatory bias" against "gender", including "cross-dressing, sex changes and bisexuality". It will require that all public school instruction and activities positively portray transexuality, bisexuality and homosexuality to children in classes as young as kindergarten. Those in opposition to the bill say it will prohibit anything that suggests that the natural family--a man and a woman, married with children, is normal or typical. The term, "mother and father", "husband and wife" will be banned because they suggest that heterosexuality is the norm, even though that is manifestly the case, even in California.

AB 394: Requires school training programs to teachers and students against "harassment" through training, publications, postings, and curriculum. It fails to define the word "harassment".

AB 102: Awards married names to unmarried couples. Allows couples to choose surnames upon registration as domestic partners, creating the public image of homosexual marriage in California. (Examples include: "Mr. and Mr. Jones and "Mrs. and Mrs. Smith").

AB 14: Prohibits state funding for any organization that does not support Tran sexuality, bisexuality and homosexuality. (This includes religious-based day care, hospitals, pre-schools, after-school programs, food and housing programs, senior centers, job programs and more.)

Debra gave us our “Call to Action” ideas of what we can do to stand up in our time – this month - to preserve what our Founding Fathers envisioned for our country. She asked each of us to give a timeless Christmas gift to all of our families which would strengthen homes, communities and our nation. She asked that we 1) Write a letter to Governor Schwarzenegger to express our disapproval of his actions regarding his signing of these bills and; 2) Send this request to at least 10 other women (particularly those who live in California) who would also write him a letter and who would then invite 10 others to repeat this. 3) Respond back to United Women’s Forum about how many were contacted so we could tally the count. We would like to see how far we can extend this effort to express ourselves to California’s governor.

Our guest speaker, Stephen Studdert was introduced by Marge Clayton. Steve is a former Special Assistant to three U.S. Presidents: Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George Bush, Sr. He has represented U.S. Presidents in diplomatic assignments to over 100 nations and has had broad and varied experiences throughout the world. He began by telling us that the White House has no front door and asked if we knew why that is so. He told us that it is for protocol because some visitors are very offended if they are received at the wrong door so all the doors are given names so that one door is not more important than another.

Steve remarked about the business items previously mentioned – that they are worthy of our attention and moral issues such as pornography and diverse sexual orientation are destroying our country. There are now about as many women as men involved in pornography. He recommended a very excellent book to read titled “Boys Adrift” by Sax which discusses the influence that pornography is having on teenage boys.

Mr. Studdert spoke of experiences he has had in and out of our country with the American flag. He was pleased that we said the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the meeting and told of a story of the U.S. Chief of Protocol bowing to the Queen of England. “He almost got fired,” he said, “because in the United States, we bow to no man (woman) but to the flag only.” He commented that there is a declining respect for our flag and what it stands for. In Poland there was an event where many old and homemade American flags were displayed. The Polish people were risking arrest by displaying these flags but it was their expression of respect for America.

There are countless forces destroying the family which are very vocal and we are the only nation in the world who claims the right to ‘“life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”’ just because we are American citizens.” Steve spoke about the experience of President Reagan establishing the Vatican as a country so that he could appoint an ambassador to carry correspondence to the Polish Pope John Paul II. President Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and the Pope conspired to bring down the Soviet Union and communism as we knew it. In that part of the world it was the rise of a new freedom.

The world now is in a very precarious condition and is unstable. In the Cold War, we knew our enemy. Today the enemy is camouflaged. He talked about many of our enemies and things that we should be concerned about like nuclear weaponry, consumer spending and indebtedness, rogue terror, epidemics such as Bird Flu virus, another depression He stated that the sole duty of the Federal Government is to provide for public defense not to provide for every need of every person. He mentioned that he just sent a book to press for printing titled: “Ten Dangers Facing America.

Steve suggested that we…

• Learn to take care of our own and stop depending on the government to support us in everything
• Stop being a culture of complacency – take action
• Begin at home to get out of debt – “worry about what really matters, not what our homes look like”
• Demand accountability from public officials
• Be anxiously engaged in correct principles with issues relating to family and values
• Know who we are and what we stand for
• Be “always faithful”… Semper Fi - Marine motto

Friday, November 9, 2007

NOVEMBERS MEETING

PLEASE JOIN US for November's United Women's Forum

Stephen Studdert, former Senior Advisor to Presidents Reagan, Ford & Bush, Sr.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14th at 10:00 a.m. at Lauralee Christensen's home.
1781 South Lorien Drive, Bountiful

Thursday, November 8, 2007

UPCOMING MEETINGS- MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Ardeth G. Kapp- December 5, 2007

Ardeth G. Kapp, Well known LDS author and lecturer, is a native of Glenwood Alberta Canada. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah and a
Master’s degree in Curriculum Development from Brigham Young University. For eight years, she served as President of the LDS Church’s Young Women organization ( 1984-92). Ardeth was a member of the LDS Church Curriculum Planning Committee, the Board of the LDS Church Education System, the Board of Directors of the Deseret News Publishing Company, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Utah Youth Village, the Deseret Book Company, and Southern Virginia University.

Sister Kapp has had a long career in the field of education. She was an
Instructor for the Mountain States Telephone Company, a teacher in the
Davis County School District, and a writer and producer for a Utah
Network for Instructional Television series. At BYU she was an
Instructor in the College of Education and coordinator of a student
Leadership program. She chaired the Advisory Committee on Women’s
Concerns for two terms, received the Honored Alumni Award from BYU College of Education, and taught at the LDS Institute of Religion adjacent to the University of Utah.

Ardeth served with her husband Heber B. Kapp as he presided over the Canada Vancouver Mission from 1992-1995. From 2000-2003, during the time her husband served as President of the Cardston Alberta Temple, she served as matron. She and Brother Kapp currently reside in Bountiful, Utah.

Stephen M. Studdert- November 14, 2007

Stephen M. Studdert is a corporate executive and former senior White House Advisor to three U.S. Presidents: George Bush, Ronald Reagan, and Gerald Ford. He represented U.S. Presidents in diplomatic assignments to over one hundred nations. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, he has been involved in helping developing democracies and in humanitarian efforts in Africa. He was appointed a Federal Home Loan Bank Director in the Clinton Administration and serves as an advisor to the Under Secretary General of the United Nations.
His many civic responsibilities have included service as chair of the Utah Statehood Centennial Commission and Chair of This is the Place Foundation. He chaired the Mormon Pioneer Trail National Historic Advisory Commission, and is actively engaged nationally in parkland preservation and conservation. He presently serves as Chairman of The George Washington Center for Freedom and Understanding.
His church service includes being a Stake President and also a Mission President in the California Carlsbad Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Mr. Studdert is a graduate of Brigham Young University, a former elected City Council member, and a past Jaycee President. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts of America, the National Guard Minuteman Award, the People of Vision award, the Utah Farm Bureau’s Friend of Agriculture Award, and the Distinguished Service Medal from the United States Army. He served on the Board of Trustees of Southern Virginia University, from which he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate.
He and his wife Bonnie are the parents of six married children and ….. grandchildren.