VOCAL Of NY
Victims Of Child Abuse Laws
Western NY VOCAL Meeting Announcements
(F.U.N.D.)
&
Victims of Child Abuse Laws
(VOCAL Western NY)
An Open Forum for Change
August 23, 2003
Langston Hughes Institute
25 High Street
Buffalo, NY 14203
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Candidates for Family
Court Judge will be
In attendance to address questions.
Free to the public
 |
Update: We had a small group of ten people who asked important questions of two candidates that showed up for the open forum. I would like to thank the two candidates for Erie County Family Court Judge who participated: |
Tim Pawarski,
Practicing attorney in Family Law,
Former Child Protection Attorney in the Erie County Department of Social Services,
Law Guardian (Supreme and Family Courts),
JD California Western School of Law, SUNY at Buffalo Law School,
BS Accounting and Finance, Canisius CollegeRose Bailey,
Judge of Erie County Family Court
Matrimonial Referee in Supreme Court
Developed Model Expedited Matrimonial Program
Lawyer of the Year - Women Lawyers of Western New York
Special Achievement Award from the Erie County Bar Association - Matrimonial Law CommitteeFeel free to call us to ask for personal opinions on the candidates.
(Victims of Child Abuse Laws)
Informational Meeting
Thursday August 28, 2003
Gloria Parks Community Center
3242 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14214
6:30 - 8:30pm
(Gloria Parks Community Center is on main street in Buffalo - It is very central (near UB), easy to reach and decent parking. Monthly meetings to be held the fourth Thursday of each month)
Contact: Eula Nailor at 716-893-7843, or Jessica Elgie e-mailto:jesselgie@yahoo.com for more information.
Know your rights and the rights of your children!
Hear ye Hear ye!!
Next Meeting VOCAL NY board meeting in Batavia
Link to directions:
http://rin.buffalo.edu/c_gene/comm/reli/agen-f/bata_fcc.html
Meeting Agenda
| 6:00 -7:00pm | Informal get-together with best wishes for Barbara Lyn and the Lapp family's relocation to Costa Rica. |
| 7:00pm | Meeting called to order. |
| Introductions | |
| Minutes of Previous Meeting of March 8, 2003 | |
| President's Report | |
| Vice-President's Report | |
| Treasurer's Report | |
| Secretary's Report | |
| Old Business 1. Status of treasury & membership 2. Status of web site 3. Regional contacts |
|
| New Business 1. Overview of the previous year's accomplishments 2. Direction of VOCAL-NY for 2002, short term-goals and long-term goals 3. Voting for open positions a) Vice-President (term expires 1/1/04 b) Treasurer (term expires 1/1/04) |
|
- at the Faith Community Church located at 4131 Rose Rd Batavia, directions- take route 98 south at Batavia thruway exit to Rose Rd on right.
All members or those interested in becoming members are welcome!
VOCAL NY Board Meeting Update!!!
The meeting was a wonderful success. VOCAL NY appointed a new secretary and treasurer! Welcome Jessica and Robert!
Cake and refreshments were provided to celebrate a key contributor to VOCAL NY over the past ten years, Barbara Lyn Lapp! In the words of our new secretary, "A heart felt fare well is given to Barbara Lyn Lapp. All of her dedication and energy will surely be missed. Her strides to focus attention on the reformation of child protective services have laid the foundation for our future work. Barbara Lyn will be missed by all. We wish her and her family the best in their new home. "
Thank you, to Barbara Lyn and all of the Lapp family for their dedication to families.
Minutes of Meeting:
(Victims of Child
Abuse Laws)
| Introductions and review of
past business
|
New Business
| The VOCAL logo will be
removed from the Yahoo group e-mail site.
| The midhudsonVocal website
will be a separate site – hosted by Sheryl Lane-McGrath
| Additional research into
grant writing and funding procedures is proposed
| The annual holiday collection
for children currently in foster care to be on going.
| New officers were appointed
to the following board positions
|
|
Special Note- A heart felt fare well is given to Barbara Lynn Lapp. All of her dedication and energy will surely be missed. Her strides to focus attention on the reformation of child protective services have laid the foundation for our future work. Barbara Lynne will be missed by all. We wish her and her family the best in their new home.
| Sixteen people attended the meeting. |
As agreed upon by all members present at a meeting of VOCAL on October 24, 2003, the membership calls for the President, Lynn Nayman to resolve the matters involving the former treasurer of the organization. It is the intention of the present membership that Lynn Nayman as President be given the authority over the existing funds (held in any bank accounts for VOCAL NY). She, along with the newly appointed treasurer, Pastor Robert Ritch, will be authorized to manage all funds allocated to VOCAL New York for their terms as President and Treasurer.
VOCAL New York, Inc goes to the Fair
After finishing up at the fair on Sunday, there is just one word I can say that sums up the experience, illuminating!
VOCAL's booth was erected on Tuesday and by Wednesday, opening day at 4pm, we were ready. The exhibit ran from Wednesday the July 13 through Sunday the 18th. Eighty brochures were printed and distributed and a poster board with the issues was displayed, including news headlines, quotes from the recent May 2004 Pew Commission Report on Foster Care, and many other quotes. An original Seattle Post Intelligencer paper was also displayed which unfolded the story of Wenatchee, WA. Current and well know literature and books were displayed and free book covers offered for the kids. Petitions were available to sign and a guest book.
The over all response from the public was very favorable. All but one person agreed with the data presented and all welcomed the service provided by VOCAL NY. We received a generous donation by mid week.
Those who visited the booth shared life experiences with the child welfare system that ranged from a parent whose child was brutally beaten and raped during a government placement at a group home facility to local home school parents being harassed.
We even had a potential congressman visit the booth, a republican candidate for the 29th district, Randy Kuhl.
The conclusion, was VOCAL NY has much work to do. My sincere thanks to all who visited and all who helped me hold down the fort. This was a worth while effort and we will do more of these. I invite all who visited to join us at our July board meeting.
Mary Jo Marceau-Hawthorne
