The 2013 Biennial is History

We met in Newfoundland this year with small attendance but a great program. I thought I would review some of the changes that National has initiated at the biennial and previously this year.

1. The most significant change has been the creation of a Camp Improvement                  

    Project. This provides grants to any  camp providing youth programs for capital  

   projects. The first year grants totaled $15000 and have been awarded to four  

   camps. The details of these awards are on the aots.ca website.

   

    The new project is funded from current donations and funds donated to the 

    second mile  project in past.

2. Membership fees have been suspended for the next three years. Clubs are 

    encouraged to send donations to the new Camp Improvement Fund in lieu of 

    dues. We are hoping Clubs will recognize the value of the new program and

    donate at least as much as the past dues amount with the knowledge that the 

    money is all going direct to a great cause..

3. Camping is the main interest of AOTS members so we are taking steps to 

     concentrate our efforts in this area. We have been administering two bequest 

     funds-- Youth to Camp and Harry Colnett Scholarship fund. These will be 

     cancelled and the funds in the bequest applied to the Camp Improvement Fund

     or in other appropriate areas.

4. Constitution changes have been made to allow limited participation by Ladies in

    Clubs.

5.  The Executive elected or appointed for the 2013-2015 period is:

President                   Jim Upright, Victoria BC

Past President            David Morris,  Tillsonburg Ontario

President Elect           Gary Ross, Lewisporte Newfoundland

Treasurer                    Marvin Bildfell, Sarnia, Ontario

Eastern Vice Pres       Derek White, Lewisport Noefoundland

Central Vice Pres.       John Cooke, Sarnia, Ontario

Western Vice Pres.      Bill Love, Calgary, Alberta

Members at large:

      Eastern                 Ernie Paddock, Newfoundland

      Central                  Not named yet

      Western                David Adams, Newfoundland

We are continuing to use the website aots.ca as our prime means of communicating with Clubs and members and encourage you to make this known to you fellow members. 

Donations to the Camp Improvement project have been received from a number of Clubs, and I hope those who have not yet donated will consider a generous gift before year end. The camps serving our youth are an important resource and deserve our support!

Biennial “Men in the Church” Workshop Examines a Number of Contemporary Issues

Several topical theological issues were examined in a stimulating workshop conducted by Jim McKibbin at the 28^th National AOTS Biennial Convention held in August in Gander, Newfoundland.

The 20 participants in the interactive workshop engaged in several lively discussions on a wide range of topics including: the concept of Father God, the history of patriarchy in the church, the importance of inclusive language, sex and gender, homophobia and the possibility of an Olympic boycott.

In his presentation for the workshop McKibbin contrasted two different theological perspectives to church work.  “The Reverend Pat Robertson head of the Christian Television Network speaks of a God that is active in the world.  Reverend Robertson once warned the city of Orlando that they risked hurricanes and possibly a meteor if Disney World went ahead with gay days. Reverend Robertson has made many statements about what God does or does not want.  But suffice it to say that the theology says that if you don’t follow God that God will interfere in the world.  The question then becomes how do we tell what God is doing and what God is not doing?  Where is God interfering in the world?  Why is God not interfering there?  And how do we know?  For the Christian Right seeking answers to these questions demonstrates a lack of faith.  Faith for them means wedding doctrine to literalism.”  

After reading a passage from the first chapter of Isaiah McKibbin continued, “Are Isaiah and Pat Robertson saying the same thing?  Are they on the same page?  Are they the same kind of prophet?  Or is Isaiah talking about something else?  Is Isaiah talking about the natural consequences of turning away from the path of God and following instead the path of kings and rulers?”

The central question he posed was “Is the United Church a church of belief or a church of faith in action” and which one is preferable? Workshop participants agreed that the United Church was more a church of faith in action than anything else. 

“And this makes us different from other faith groups – certainly different from the Christian Right” said McKibbin. 

“Like the prophets for us believing is not enough.  As a matter of fact some of our critics say we don’t believe in anything.  They usually cite a litany of complaints from father God to virgin birth.  And they’re right because we don’t require people to believe in either.  Our theology is discerned through faith in action.” 

Workshop participant, Reverend Wilson Gonese, a member of the church’s Comprehensive Review Task Group emphatically agreed.  “Yes, faith in action”, he said. 

On the question of Father God most participants agreed that the use of inclusive language was important.  At the same time as former AOTS president Ernie Paddock stated it was important to recognize the Lord’s Prayer as an exception to this rule.

Opinion was evenly divided about an Olympic boycott.  Marvin Bildfell of Grace United, Sarnia and AOTS treasurer wholeheartedly supported the boycott.  Former president George Bishop of Trinity United, Newmarket supported protest action but felt that boycotts do not work. 

All in all participants thoroughly enjoyed the practical theological discussions.  McKibbin closed the session by encouraging everyone to investigate and support an initiative developed by eminent theologian Karen Armstrong and the Charter of Compassion.  

AOTS National Spring News Update

Central Region just had a very successful Roundup at Jackson's Point. We had a dynamic and enthusiastic lady minister as speaker and discussion leader on the subject of "What's Next". I detected a mood of enthusiasm and optimism. Clubs are trying out new ideas.

 For example, Trinity North Bay purchased dark blue jackets with the AOTS crest printed on them and offer to arrange to supply jackets to any other club wanting to have them. Contact is Bill Brownlee, wbrownlee@sympatico.ca. They also are spearheading a campaign to label all liquor containers warning of the dangers of drinking while pregnant. This is in support of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder group. Other Clubs are having some success in working with other groups in the church and including youth in activities.

There was expression by some members that they were not getting information which I had sent out to each Club representative at year end. I hope you are passing the information here along to your members. This letter and the website are our only means of communication to Clubs so we need your help in this. Maybe you could copy this and give copies out at your meetings.

John Cooke is a Member at Large of National and he presented  the bylaw changes which have been approved. They involve inclusion of ladies in Clubs and suspension of dues for three years in lieu of donations to the Camp Improvement Fund. Info on these is on the website. 

There was enthusiastic response to the new Camp Improvement Project presented by myself. Nationally, it looks like some Clubs which have withdrawn support may return to the AOTS because of this initiative. Hopefully Clubs will  initiate discussion with informal men's groups in their area and encourage them to support the project and maybe become active in AOTS as a result. There has been a generous response from some clubs to date and I encourage those who have not contributed to date to do so. We are granting $15000 this year and I would like to see enough donations to let us donate $20000 next year.

There have been three Camp Improvement grants made to date. $3000 to Wellman Lake Camp near Flin Flon Manitoba and $5,000 to Five Oaks Education and Retreat Center in Brantford for snowblower/mower units. A third grant is to Loon Bay UC Camp near Gander, Newfoundland for 20 mattresses. This Camp is being revived  and they needed 20 new ones to replace those condemned by the Health Authority. A couple of pictures of the project purchases are attached. 

Wellman Lake snowblower

Five Oaks 

mower purchase

An individual club would not provide grants of this amount. We are making a difference by pooling money from many clubs! 

I hope you will remind your Club members of the Biennial in Newfoundland in August. All details are on the website aots.ca. A good old Newfoundland party is ensured!

Sent by Marvin Bildfell

AOTS National Camp Improvement Project

The National AOTS initiated the Camp Improvement Project in 2012 to support Canadian not-for-profit camps that offer youth camping programs as part of their mission. The project goal is to provide financial grants targeted to improving campfacilities and/or equipment. Support from The National AOTS, we hope, will assist camps in achieving their mission as it relates to youth camping.

The National AOTS is an association of Men’s Clubs in the United Church of Canada. The AOTS achieves its outreach through the projects and activities of both local clubs and the AOTS organization. One of the principle aims of the AOTS is:
To give encouragement and practical assistance to work among the youth of the church and community.

Please check back in the new year to see how we are going to make this National Project a reality.