Marriage WEEK - STARTS TODAY/Looking for Couple - 2/06

[Smartmarriages]

- MARRIAGE WEEK STARTS TODAY! FEB 7 - 14
- AND, SPEAKING OF MARRIAGE WEEK
- LOOKING FOR PREMARITAL PREPARATION COUPLES
- MARRIAGE TAKES NATION'S FOCUS THIS WEEK

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- MARRIAGE WEEK STARTS TODAY! FEB 7 - 14

To kick off Marriage Week, John Van Epp was on Fox News, Sunday, Feb 5th.
The link to the clip is available on John's website -- easy link from the
home page at:  http://nojerks.com

That's also where you can find information on his No Jerks program which
about ten of you have asked me about this week.  He'll teach it as a MINI
training at Smart Marriages at Atlanta, or you can order the teach out of
the box program on his website: http://nojerks.com

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- AND, SPEAKING OF MARRIAGE WEEK

It's been busy here - lots of reporters calling.  I'm sure many of you are
also doing interviews.  Send me any articles, interview links, features
about your marriage week celebrations, etc to share with the list. - diane

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- LOOKING FOR PREMARITAL PREPARATION COUPLES

Speaking of which, we have a great opportunity to feature your marriage
education program and promote the idea of premarital preparation.  If you
have a couple that took a premarital education class in the past three years
and is willing to be interviewed, please email me with a brief description
and contact info.  Reporter for big deal article would also like to
interview a couple that took premarital preparation and then decided NOT to
marry.  - diane 

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- MARRIAGE TAKES NATION'S FOCUS THIS WEEK
By JILL HUNT

ST. GEORGE - For seven days, the entire nation will celebrate and recognize
couples bonded in matrimony during Marriage Week USA. According to a press
release, the purpose of Marriage Week is to celebrate the importance of
marriage in our communities.

Although organizers are focusing more on marriage, some are also keeping
focus of the growing problem of divorces.

The divorce rate in Washington County for 2002 was 55 percent, which was the
highest in Utah.

Organizers for Marriage Week suggest several ideas for the community during
the week-long focus, such as celebrating with your spouse for the time that
you have been together, honoring a family member whose marriage has had a
significant impact on your life and honoring couples that have been married
for 50 years or more.

One Ivins City couple has received such an honor for their 63 years of
marriage.

Roosevelt and Cleo Gubler were nominated by their mayor to receive the Gold
Medal Marriage Award from the Utah Commission on Marriage. The Gublers, who
married in 1942, said they will be newlyweds again this June.

"It's been a great life," Cleo said. "We have always had fun together and
never went any place without each other. People always see us together."

The two times they recall being apart were when Roosevelt left for service
during World War II and when Cleo went on a week-long trip with church
friends.

The couple said their greatest hardship had been losing two of their eight
children, both daughters, one at the age of about 7 months and one that died
at birth.

Despite those hard times, they said their secret to such a long and
successful marriage was the good Lord being with them and for allowing them
to be here this long.

Sharing a great sense of humor can also be seen as one of their marital
secrets.

"We're so much alike in our raisings - we just liked everything together,"
Cleo said. "We don't have that many differences - as long as he minds."

To help in strengthening marriage and family relationships, numerous
resources are available to the public, most of them with no charge.

"If couples will have six hours of relationship enrichment a year, they'll
have a successful marriage," said Carolyn Washburn of the Utah State
University Washington County Extension Office.

Washburn said that to obtain a license to be a cosmetologist you need 1,000
hours of hair cutting experience and 500 hours minimum of education to be a
massage therapist. However, zero hours in education are needed to obtain a
marriage license.

"In Florida they increase the cost of a marriage license for those who do
not receive pre-marital counseling," Washburn said. "It's $300 with no
counseling and $50 with it."

Washburn is hoping that Utah, like many other states, will pass legislation
to mandate pre-marriage counseling.

"The state currently says you have to take a class if you're getting a
divorce, but not if you're getting married," Washburn said.

The USU Extension in St. George and the Utah Family Center have an abundance
of workshops and materials such as videos and books to help enhance
relationships and teach couple the basics in marriage finance, communication
and problem solving.


NOTE:  THE FLORIDA MARRIAGE EDUCATION LICENSE INCENTIVE.  In Florida, you
receive a $32.50 reduction on the marriage license fee if you take a minimum
4-hour marriage education skills class.  The regular fee is, on average,
about $88 (it varies by county.)  You can also marry immediately if you have
taken a marriage education class. Without the skills class, a couple must
wait three days to marry.  - diane

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Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education, LLC (CMFCE)
Diane Sollee, Director
5310 Belt Rd NW,   Washington, DC 20015-1961
http://www.smartmarriages.com
202-362-3332
cmfce at smartmarriages.com

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