Teachers Saving Children® Inc. - National
Newsletter
Volume 13, Number 6
August 2003
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“I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.”
Once again, the Lord proved His faithfulness through “The Wonder of Life” exhibit that was displayed during the NEA Expo 2003 in New Orleans LA. The amount of monies received this past year specifically designated for this exhibit was beyond expectations. There was enough money in the exhibit account to pay the entire exhibit fee for the space requested at the time the application was processed.
In addition, the Lord provided the funds needed to cover both the miscellaneous fees and the replenishing of items needed for the 300 bags of free educational materials for distribution. He also provided the funds to purchase 150 copies of the book Before You Were Born by Jennifer Davis. This book was our special distribution feature at the exhibit this year.
In addition, there were monies available to re-create the items shown on the display board. Last year on the way home from Texas all of the items normally shown on our display board were blown out of our luggage carrier and lost in the rice fields of Arkansas. But the Lord had a new plan for us and provided some new fresh more up-to-date items to be displayed – items that caught the eye of many health and science teachers.
I praise God for all of these provisions that were used to plant seeds of truth in the hearts and minds of many educators. It was absolutely amazing the way the Lord used “The Wonder of Life” exhibit throughout those 2½ days in early July.
In conclusion, I want to publicly accept the position of Executive Director of Teachers Saving Children® Inc – National and its state affiliate, Teachers Saving Children® Inc. of Ohio, for another year. I praise God for allowing me to be used through this ministry opportunity to save the lives of preborn children – His creation and masterpiece. It is only through His anointing upon my life that I am able to fulfill all the responsibilities as Executive Director.
I thank both Boards of Trustees for their continued confidence in me to administer and lead this organization. Each Board member as well as myself must find the time to volunteer for the day-to-day functions and all the activities of Teachers Saving Children® alongside our normal teaching and personal responsibilities. I appreciate each Board member’s support, wisdom, and time as decisions and strategies are made and carried out during the year.
Finally, we all appreciate the participation, suggestions, prayers, and support of each Teachers Saving Children® member. Let us not become weary in our efforts for our awesome God is faithful and will fulfill His purpose and plan in His perfect time. Praise His Holy & Majestic Name!
Since I first became aware of the appalling news that my teachers’ union supported abortion-on-demand, I have felt it extremely important to be part of a pro-life presence in that union and among those who know I am a teacher. Teachers Saving Children® provides a way for me to be connected with those of like mind, as well as a way for us to communicate and build up a base for action. It is urgent that Teachers Saving Children® continues to grow and impact a “pro-choice” union.
I have been a member of Teachers Saving Children®, Inc. – National for several years. Twenty-nine days ago, after thirty-four years of teaching and after thirteen years of being an NEA delegate, I retired.
My first year as a delegate seemingly happened by accident. After having completed two three-year terms as the Association President, I was surprised to learn that in my district one customary reward was a term as NEA delegate. I served that year and was then re-elected to four additional three-year terms.
That first NEA Representative Assembly (RA) was a real eye opener for me. As a Christian with a worldview based on the Bible, I was shocked at the pervasiveness of the pro-choice agenda and of the homosexual agenda. At the conclusion of that first RA I felt spiritually dirty. It took about three days to recover.
That first year, the only people of like mind I could find were the half dozen or so people in the Pro-life Caucus. That was the year the caucus tried to sell baby foot pins from their booth at the Exposition. Someone passing the booth complained that the pins were offensive to them. It was ordered that the pins be removed from the booth. The Exposition runs for two and one-half days prior to the RA. It is a time for the distribution of information related to education, for the sale of educational materials along with other commercial products, and for special interest caucus information and activities.
During the actual RA that first year, every business item the Pro-life Caucus presented was stopped cold by an “Object to Consideration,” meaning the topic was supposedly so repugnant to the RA delegates that it wasn’t worthy of being discussed. Frequently, pro-life speakers were treated with great disrespect by other delegates.
After five years, I was ready to quit. I didn’t see that I was having any positive impact. Then, miraculously, the Lord helped me start the Creation Science Educators’ Caucus – defending the Bible as the inerrant, authoritative Word of God from the very first verse. Looking back on my experiences as an NEA delegate, I now see that starting the Creation Science Caucus was God’s purpose for my being a delegate. That is, however, another much longer story.
Over the past thirteen years, I have observed a very slow yet very steady evolution in the attitudes of delegates toward the pro-life message. Every pro-life business item is still greeted with a resounding “Object to Consideration!” There are, however, an ever greater number of people presenting pro-life business items. In addition to the Pro-life Caucus, Teachers Saving Children® Inc. through their exhibit, and beginning last year, the Conservative Educators’ Caucus, have joined the battle. Before each “Object to Consideration,” the presenter of a New Business Item or an amendment has the opportunity to give a short speech packed with up-to-date information about which most of the delegates are ignorant. RA delegates are being educated. Thirteen years ago, so few delegates voted against the “Object to Consideration” that they could hardly be heard. This year, I would estimate that approximately ten percent of the delegates voted to consider the pro-life business items.
The contrast between the women presenting the pro-life business items and the women objecting to consideration is striking. I think it is right, by the way, that women present the pro-life message at the RA. The women presenting the pro-life side come across to the delegates as being sweet, gentle women who have a passion for the not yet born. On the other hand, the women who object to consideration exhibit the demeanor of being bitter, angry women who are attempting to suppress the truth.
Please know that there are avenues by which the truth may be presented at the NEA RA. People are hearing the truth and some are responding positively to the truth. I want to encourage younger teachers to join Teachers Saving Children®, Inc., and to become involved in the NEA as RA delegates. If it is your desire that our Nation be under the God of the Bible, if you are passionate about life, if you are thick skinned and enjoy a real challenge, and if you are willing to place yourself in a situation in which you must be totally dependent on God, then the NEA may be a mission field for you. Pray about it.
A tropical storm preceded the July 1-6 National Education Association Representative Assembly (RA) into New Orleans this year, but more thunder arose from inside the Ernest N Morial Convention Center the last two days of the RA than even Mother Nature could muster. Several pro-life delegates proposed amendments to the controversial Resolution I-12, the Family Planning item, hoping to change its wording. [Note: Actual Text of I-12 is at the conclusion of this article.] It is through Resolution I-12 that the National Education Association supports “reproductive freedom,” defined at the 1998 NEA RA as including unlimited support for the choice to abort up to birth. Every pro-life proposal at the pre-RA events and at the RA itself met with a thunderous “Object to Consideration.”
One amendment, proposed by Kerri Hurford of Michigan would have narrowed NEA’s support for “reproductive freedom” (abortion) to cases of sexual abuse/rape. Hurford based her amendment on a quote taken from a letter from an NEA “high official” to Chuck Rivetto, also from Michigan. In the letter, the NEA official misleadingly convinced the pro-life Rivetto not to drop out of the union by incorrectly describing the NEA’s position on abortion as follows: “The NEA neither supports nor opposes abortion, but believes that in cases where women have been sexually abused/raped they should be given the choice to have or not have the child.” Hurford proposed that this language coined by the NEA official—though incorrect according to the NEA’s 1998 interpretation—would be an acceptable replacement for the existing, “no limitations” language. Delegates disregarded Hurford’s testimony on behalf of her fellow Michigander with a deafening “Object to Consideration.”
A second amendment, proposed by Diane Lenning, chairperson of the Republican Educators Caucus, would have changed the words of Resolution I-12 to include abstinence, adoption, and contraception methods, rather than to infer unlimited abortion. She would have replaced the phrase “intensive counseling” with “comprehensive counseling” and would have eliminated the words “school-based clinics.” Lenning’s amendment went down, also, with a resounding “Object to Consideration.” Lenning remains hopeful, however, for dialog over the issue with other caucuses.
A third pro-life amendment would have completely eliminated the words “reproductive freedom” from I-12, attempted at numerous RAs over the years. This year’s proposal, made by Carol Marshall of New York, failed again, despite an impassioned rationale.
Another proposal from Christine Nowak of New York, challenged the political activity portion of the dues money (the “soft money” arm of the NEA). Her measure would have allowed dissenters to join the union but to withhold portions of their money from going to issues NEA supports, which they as individuals do not. Nowaks’ proposal met with “Object to Consideration.”
Judy Bruns of Ohio brought New Business Item #61 to the RA floor. She called for the formation of a task force for dialog. Her amended NBI#61 read, “I move that the president of the NEA form a task force for the purpose of examining the existing language in Resolution I-12 and its implications. The goal of this task force will be to develop language that would encourage NEA members who have left via ‘fair share’ and ‘religious accommodation’ to resume active membership in our association.” In her speech, Bruns pointed out that I-12 was last modified in 1986. She suggested that few teachers would be content with textbooks that were 17 years old. She said that teachers emphasize the importance of research, the use of up-to-date information and dialog to their students, and she asked the teacher delegates at the RA to model what they preach in their classrooms through a call for a task force and discussion on Resolution I-12. “Let’s demonstrate to the media who are present that we are willing to dialog,” said Bruns, “just like we tell our students to do.” The result: NEA delegates said “no” to change through an “Object to Consideration” and declined the invitation to discuss differences over Resolution I-12.
Next year’s NEA Representative Assembly is scheduled for Washington DC, where delegates plan to stage a massive rally and where they hope to “dialog” with politicians running for office. Some NEA members feel their union is sending mixed messages.
Ohio: The 2003-2004 officers for the OH TSC Affiliate State Chapter are as follows: Connie Bancroft, Executive Director; Gary Winney, Assistant Executive Director; Gloria Hoelle, Secretary; David Kaiser, Treasurer. The next OH TSC Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Saturday, October 11, 2003 in Western Ohio. (TSC Inc. of Ohio, PO Box 125, Damascus OH 44619-0125; tsc-life@juno.com).
Pennsylvania: The 2003-2004 officers for the PA TSC Affiliate State Chapter are as follows: Robin Ross, Executive Director; Jeff Remington, Assistant Executive Director; Michael Grella, Secretary; Linda Burroughs, Treasurer. The next PA TSC Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Saturday, October 4, 2003 in State College PA. (TSC of PA Inc., PO Box 214, Pen Argyl PA 18072; tscofpa@usa.net).
Other State Affiliates: Although the time for formal application may not occur until later, there is definite potential for an affiliate state chapter within other states. As we continue to work with state leadership, we ask for your prayers and your patience. If you are interested in getting a TSC Affiliate State Chapter started in your state, please contact TSC for further information.
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