DADS and MOMS of Michigan eNewsletter
August 2007
We thank you for your support this year. We are having a wonderful 2007 so far, expanding programs and our outreach. The Bike trek with Robb MacKenzie and Robert Pederson created a lot of buzz and the DC Rally in Washington, DC on August 18-19 is declared a success. Several people visited Congress on Friday, thanks to Ed Bartlett of RADAR. The Dream Cruise booth on August 18 on Woodward with 10,000 classic cars and 1.5 million people was a bust. The tent blew away with heavy winds and despite heroic efforts by several people, it blew away a second time and was destroyed. Oh well. We will be there next year..
Dads and Moms of Michigan has strengthened its focus on education to expand education programs around the state. For information and to help, call 248-559-DADS (3237).
Sign up for our eNewsletter at www.dadsofmichigan.org
Dads and Moms University Presents
DADS OF MICHIGAN FAMILY FORUM
BIRMINGHAM COMMUNITY HOUSE,
380 S BATES, BIRMINGHAM,MI 48009
| 7:00 - 7:30: |
Dads Presentation |
| 7:30 - 8:30: |
Guest Speaker |
| 8:30 - 9:30: |
LEGAL ROUNDTABLE |
| For information, call 248-559 DADS (3237) |
SEPTEMBER: Tues Sept 11th, 7pm - Psychologists' Night
OCTOBER: Tues Oct 2, 7pm - Oakland County Referee L. Savin
Sep 26, '07 - Equal Parents Week (EPW), September 23 – 29, 2007
Equal Parents Week brings attention to the need for both parents to share their parental rights and responsibilities equally, the right of children to be raised and nurtured by both parents, and the right of families to exist and function as a family. These are civil and human rights inherent and inalienable to all families. Recent national tragedies further highlight the importance of parents and family. Public and home candlelight vigils observing EPW will also take place on September 26 across the nation and world.
We have reserved the east steps of the Michigan Capitol for a rally on Wednesday, September 26 between the hours of 9:00 am and 11:00 am. Below is a link to a video produced from the 2006 Equal Parents Week rally: http://www.tellusnews.com/dads/
Bike Marathon to Washington, DC, August 11 and 18
http://daddy.typepad.com/daddyblog/2007/04/robert_and_rob_.html
Robb MacKenzie and Robert Pederson trekked from Lansing, MI to Washington, DC and arrived to celebrate the DC Rally 2007 on August 18-19. This story picked up a lot of steam and generated a great deal of excitement around the Country and World. The purpose of the Equal Parenting Bike Trek is to focus on the parenting attitude in U.S. Courts and family services, Department of Health and Human Services, government intervention into family, and government run family. Robb and Robert (and we understand more friends) are planning for a repeat in 2008.
See the bike trek at our message board under Bike Marathon to DC.
http://dadsofmichigan.org/phpbb2/viewforum.php?f=43&sid=16d5c29ac902689589ee83573787c4f4
Comprehensive pictures and videos are here: http://www.cycling4children.com/
See Robs 2005 trek at http://www.dadsofmichigan.org/marathon.html
See Robs 2006 trek at http://www.dadsofmichigan.org/marathon06.html
DCRally AUGUST 18-19, 2007 http://www.dcrally2007.com/
What was cool is that you could hear the message almost to the Vietnam War Memorial and the Korean War Memorial, reaching almost 30,000 people.
We met in Washington DC, to peacefully exercise our first amendment right to assemble and to respectfully petition our government for a redress of grievances. Our grievances relate to governmental interference with and the destruction of our nation's family structure. DCRally 2007 took place at the historic site of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.
http://www.dcrally2007.com/transportation/buses/index.php?cat=Michigan-and-Ohio
From: Minister Ron Smith
The tentative dates for DC RALLY 2008 is August 15-16-17
We are writing proposals for sponsorship for DC Rally 2008. We need a letter of intent outlining a collaboration from every organization that will participate in next years Family Preservation Festival to include in this proposal. The letters should include the involvement of your organization to educate your constituency on, Family Preservation, the repair and reunification of children under state care, ongoing assistance to disabled parents, gender equity and the importance of the relationships of children from divorce and separation, at DC Rally 2008. Each organization should outline its willingness to bring at least one bus load to DC next year. The letters of intent are done so that we can request the money for the buses and rooming to go to the organizations who are collaborating. We need all organizations included but those with a 501(c)(3) will be stronger because this will allow us to include the organizations in the work statement for the proposal. Those without a 501(c)(3) will be included and the dollars allotted will be paid directly to vendors from Three Sides to Every Story, Inc and Children Need Both Parents, Inc. but we need your letters of intent so that we can judge how much money to request.
Please contact me so that all organizations nationwide will be included and we can ask corporate America for the funds to provide transportation. This will be presented as an educational event.
Deadline for collaborating.
Minister Ronald E. Smith, CEO
Children Need Both Parents, Inc.
www.cnbpinc.org
Combined Federal Campaign - DADS of Michigan CFC #62174 
Again in 2008, Dads of Michigan is an approved chartist through the Combined Federal Campaign. CFC is the world's largest and most successful annual workplace giving campaign. Pledges made by Federal civilian, postal and military donors during the campaign season (September 1st to December 15th) support eligible non-profit organizations that provide health and human service benefits. To learn more about giving through CFC, enter http://www.opm.gov/cfc/. On your application, indicate CFC #62174.
The mission of the CFC is to promote and support philanthropy through a program that is employee focused, cost-efficient, and effective in providing all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all.
As the world's largest and most successful annual workplace giving campaign, each year, more than 300 CFC campaigns throughout the country and internationally help to raise millions of dollars. Pledges made by Federal civilian, postal and military donors during the campaign season (September 1st to December 15th) support eligible non-profit organizations that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world.
This website will be of interest to anyone interested in workplace giving. It is tailored to meet the particular needs of the Federal donor, CFC Campaigns, and Charities participating in or considering participation in the CFC. Campaigns, donors and charities can enter through a portal above or navigate by topic with the sidebar links on your left. If you have comments or questions, please contact CFC Operations at cfc@opm.gov or info@dadsofmichigan.org.
Boys Girls Crisis
DOM Note: This is not just a boys crisis, but a girls crisis. Boys and girls need good Dads role models, which we do not allow.
A recent Time Magazine article has challenged what many authors and researchers have identified as a growing "boy crisis" in our country since the early 1990s. Those who identified the crisis point to statistics showing that, when compared to girls, boys have much higher tendencies to struggle with issues such as learning disorders, failure to finish high school, obesity, violence, stuttering, gambling and video game fixations, hyperactivity, and poor school performance - especially their reading and writing skills. Fewer boys than girls take the SAT test, apply to college, and express a passion for learning once they are in college.
In the Time article, David Von Drehle interviewed other experts who believe the "crisis" is a myth. They argue that, while boys are certainly lagging behind girls in many areas, they are achieving more and scoring higher than in previous generations. They ask, haven’t boys always been more restless in school and more likely to wind up in jail? And if more boys today are in special education classes, isn’t it good sign that they are getting the help they need from qualified teachers? Instead of focusing on the gender gap, they say, our focus should be on disadvantaged boys, where the statistics are the most discouraging.
The experts have the wrong answer. Load the boys up on ridalan or give them a Dad. Dad will take care of the problem. So will the military. You must set expectations.
Parental Alienation
Parental Alienation Awareness Organization (PAAO) is working on an international level to provide the public and professionals with awareness of behaviors that can damage or destroy the bond between a child and loving parent. These Parental Alienation and Hostile Aggressive Parenting Behaviors are generally in the context of divorce or custody situations and may include: speaking negatively about a parent to a child, interfering with communication and parenting time between a child and parent in ways such as excessive or inappropriate phone calling, scheduling of events that impinge upon parenting time, discussing inappropriate information with the child, as details of the marriage, divorce, or court proceedings, and moving and leaving no contact information.
Such behaviors by a third party prey on a child's dependency and suggestibility. The child may respond with unwarranted fear, anger, or hatred of a parent (and often extended family), with refusal to see or communicate with a parent.
PAAO has sponsored a number of workshops with nationally recognized experts on the topics of Parental Alienation, Hostile Aggressive Parenting, and custody and divorce issues.
We are the sponsors of International Parental Alienation Awareness Day-April 25th and the governor's campaign, whereby 9 state governors have recognized or proclaimed April 25th as Parental Alienation Awareness Day.
We invite you to our website for further information, and to sign up for our newsletter at the link below.
Regards,
Robin Denison-co-founder
robin@parental-alienation-awareness.com
Parental Alienation Awareness Organization
www.parental-alienation-awareness.com
DADS Merchandise
Consider ordering some DADS merchandise for your favorite DAD this holiday season. Soon we will be adding MOMS merchandise. Sorry Moms, Stepparents and Grandparents, you are as important.
http://www.dadsofmichigan.org/merchandise.html
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Please consider making a monthly contribution via credit card.
I authorize DADS and MOMS of Michigan and The Village Secretary to keep my signature on file and to charge my Visa, MasterCard or American Express account for recurring monthly charges for a period of (example 1 year) __________ beginning (date) ___________ in the amount of $________.
I will give Dads and Moms of Michigan through The Village Secretary 30 days written notice to cancel the use of my credit card for this purpose.
Customer Name: __________________________________________________
Cardholder Name: _________________________________________________
Cardholder Billing Address: __________________________________________
City/State/Zip: ____________________________________________________
Credit Card Number Expiration Date: __________________________________
Cardholder Signature Date: __________________________________________
Fax to 248-559-5427 or call 248-559-3237
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Dads and Moms of Michigan (www.dadsofmichigan.org) includes Dads of Michigan, Moms of Michigan, and Dads of Michigan PAC. These are volunteer responsible parenthood education organizations for fathers and mothers. They instruct on the importance of involved biological parents to the successful development of their children. Dads of Michigan PAC is an independent volunteer political advocacy group dedicated to legislation keeping both biological parents actively engaged in the lives of their children despite divorce and custody, in most instances. They believe men and women should be viewed equally under the law and their credo is: "fathers are responsible parents too...because the best parent is both parents." Dads of Michigan, the Michigan affiliate of the American Coalition for Fathers and Children, is also the developer of the Dads and Moms University of responsible education for teenage, divorced, and unmarried parents. This educational program employs several features to either directly or indirectly benefit nearly 2 million men, women, and grandparents and just under one-half million children each year in Michigan. For more information, please contact us at (248) 559-DADS (3237) or email info@dadsofmichigan.org.
DADS and MOMS of Michigan Code of Ethics and Business Conduct.
"Fathers are responsible parents too...because the best parent is both parents"
