Why Support National AOTS Financially?

Why support National AOTS financially ?

Consider what a club or individual can do to help support these needs, not so much what do we get.

The United Church of Canada AOTS Men's Clubs National Council provides the following services: 

1) Help maintain National AOTS projects 

We  have made an initiative for 2013-2016, that 100% of the cub members dues ($15/member) goes to support the Camp Improvement Project. All of the other things below are funded by volonteers or through donations to the Second Mile Fund.

• "Observer on Tape" to visually impaired persons run by the Eastminster United Church in Belleville Ontarrio.

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• Music Bursary - encourage youth with bursaries
   
• Harry Colnett Award - Bursary to Agriculture students 
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Some of the very successful past National AOTS projects are:

Hospital project - assist with education or other for medical staff in needy and remote areas Eastern, Central, and Western regions receive separate funds annually 

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2) "The Handshake" magazine, postage and copying costs 

3) National Club's Member recognition

• DR Poole Award
• David Sherwood Award
• Don Williams Award
• Presidents Award
• Life Member Award

4) Support the National Office provides:

Spiritual Life Handbook (Devotionals) copying & distribution Club support materials, pins, decals, cards, etc Handbooks, Pamphlets, Forms, Bylaws Club and Individual member mailing lists Publicity of events such as Biennial Conventions, Awards Assistance in maintaining web site: www.aots.ca Staff support to all Council members, National, Conference, & Committee

5) Support travel costs:

Support travel costs of volunteer Council members to meetings, Conferences Roundups, & Clubs National representation to the United Church of Canada

Why be Affiliated With AOTS?

While any organized men’s group can be an effective instrument of the church, the AOTS club expands this definition. Just as a church would be incomplete in its ministry if it functioned solely for itself and by itself, an individual men’s group may not be rising to it’s true potential either. Through AOTS, clubs can join forces with other like-minded groups at the community, regional, and national level.

The National Association helps amplify the voice of the laity in the total life and work of the Church. It provides a regular exchange of information and ideas through it’s newsletter (The Handshake), website (www.aots.ca), and various other literature and resource materials. It encourages interaction between clubs through the “Travelling Gavel/Cross” programmes and through involvement in regional rallies and retreats. 

How Does a Club Get Started?

It begins with one man of faith recognizing the need, and then discussing his interests with others in his church. A group of like-minded individuals can gather in an informal way for dinner or breakfast, for spiritual fellowship, to work together on an outreach project, or conduct a lay ministry within the church. This is the foundation of an AOTS club.

Consider the benefits of becoming part of the National Association of AOTS Men’s Clubs. Talk to your minister about it. Invite an AOTS representative to come and describe his involvement in the national association and discuss the operation and activities of his local club.

Individuals can also join the National Association without having to belong to a club. This category of membership allows men who live far away from the nearest active club to become involved in many regional and national activities of the AOTS. 

Please think about being a part, or have your Churches Men's Club be affiliated to the National Association of AOTS Men's Clubs. For more information please contact us at info@aots.ca or go to the AOTS Membership page.

Central Region AOTS ROUND-UP 2014

Central Region AOTS ROUND-UP 2014 

(NEW DATES) May 2, 3 and 4 

Please mark your Calendar and Plan to attend 

we have a speaker and some entertainment and some workshops 

More in the new year............................. 

Manitou Conference Planning Committee 

Keeling Little kb.little@cogeco.ca (705) 476-1126 

The Salvation Army Jackson's Point Conference Centre, 

1890 Metro Road North, 

Jackson 's Point, Ontario L0E 1L0 

905-722-3501 

jpcc@sallynet.org 

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.