Polling/ Give Aways/ Van Epp / List on Hitched/ Divorce Moratorium - 1/ 16/07

Tue Jan 16 17:27:05 EST 2007

- IT'S OFTEN HOW YOU ASK....
- "GIVE AWAYS" TO INCREASE YOUR PROGRAM'S NAME RECOGNITION
- VAN EPP INSTITUTE
- FREE LISTINGS ON HITCHED.COM CALENDAR
- DIVORCE MORATORIUM FOR MARRIAGE WEEK

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- IT'S OFTEN HOW YOU ASK....
> January 15, 2007 
> A Satisfactory Marriage?
> -Michael Medved 
> 
> Two recent polls seem to report contradictory information about marriage. A
> survey by Woman's Day Magazine and AOL.com asked "Would you marry
> him--again?" and found 36 percent of women saying "definitely not," and
> another 20 percent "not sure." This poll may reflect the fact that
> disgruntled wives find more time to participate in Internet surveys than the
> happily married.
> 
> In fact, a more scientific new Gallup Poll shows more than 90 percent of
> married people describing themselves as either "very satisfied" or
> "satisfied" with their personal lives, and even the poorest married people
> reported higher levels of happiness than the richest single people.
> 
> How do these results square with the idea that a majority of women might
> consider another mate? Many females--and males--might dream about variety,
> wondering about a different life with different choices, but 100 percent
> realize that you don't get do-overs in building a family--and manage to find
> satisfaction in the choices that they've made.

It's also important to remember that WHAT YOU ASK and HOW YOU PHRASE THE
QUESTION is crucial.  The Redbook women could have been asked, "Would you
like to improve your marriage, learn how to make it more satisfying?"
instead of "Would you marry him again?"  We'd have had totally different and
more hopeful results which would also have given these women a different
mind set. Planted a different seed.
- diane 

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- "GIVE AWAYS" TO INCREASE YOUR PROGRAM'S NAME RECOGNITION

> "The Marriage Resource Center of Wayne County (Detroit area) is celebrating
> National Marriage Week this February.  We would like to share resources from
> members of the Smart Marriages Coalition as giveaways. This would allow
> couples to become familiar with your name and program.  You will become better
> known in the Detroit area, which will allow us to invite you as a speaker for
> future engagements. In thanks, we will place your name and/or logo in our
> program.  If you would like to "sow the seeds" with tapes, books, or program
> kits as "give aways" to our center, contact Pam at 313-278-4400 or by email at
> mrc-wc at sbcglobal.net."

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- VAN EPP INSTITUTE
> Sorry to hear that the Van Epp institute has been cancelled.
> Jeanette 

Please realize that John Van Epp will teach the "How to Avoid Marrying a
Jerk" out-of-the-box program as a MINI/TOOB training workshop during the
conference and he is presenting a post-conference Institute on his latest
program: Marriage Links.

> 914 One Day - Monday, July 2
> Marriage LINKS
> John Van Epp, PhD
> With the LINKS (Lasting Intimacy through Nurturance, Knowledge and Skills)
> learn to teach the Relationship Attachment Model (RAM) for marital maintenance
> of intimacy, trust, sexual satisfaction, forgiveness and mutuality. Techniques
> and tools for teaching groups in churches, schools & on bases.  $50 spouse
> discount. Click for more information: http://www.smartmarriages.com/Links.html
> 
See all the institutes at: http://www.smartmarriages.com/institutes.html
#################################
- FREE LISTINGS ON HITCHED.COM CALENDAR

Hitched.com has just launched a new calendar on their site to list
marriage-related events, seminars and resources and has invited all Smart
Marriage members to list events for FREE. The calendar is?accessible from
http://www.hitchedmag.com. To list, send an email to co-founder, Steve
Cooper: scooper at hitchedmag.com   (scooper "at" hitchedmag.com)

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- DIVORCE MORATORIUM FOR MARRIAGE WEEK

Diane,
Do you know of any communities who have been successful with a divorce
moratorium during Marriage Week?  Isn't there a judge in Missouri who has
done this?  Do you have contact information?
Amy Gilford
Marriage Resource Center
Carroll County, MD

If you can do it, it's certainly one of the best PR/media/awareness raising
concepts you can put in place.   And, it's fascinating that that new UK poll
found that for the first time, married couples said divorce should be made
more difficult. Tighten the escape hatches till we can come to our senses! A
"no divorce day" gives he media in your community something to write
about/debate. - diane

I just searched for "Divorce Moratorium" on the smartmarriages archive and
found this: 

>> Diane,
>> We just finished a news conference with Mayor Lloyd and his wife, the county
>> clerk and a host of interested people kicking off National Marriage Week
>> here in Evansville.  The mayor read the proclamation for Community Marriage
>> Day (Feb. 9th), the county clerk's office announced "No Divorce Day" for Feb.
>> 12th and the week culminates with a Sweetheart banquet on Fri. Feb. 14th.
>> We hung a 4ft by 20 ft banner on the outside of the city-county building.
>> All the television stations in the area were there and some radio.  We were
>> very pleased with the official start of National Marriage Week.  I am doing
>> interviews all week 10-12 scheduled so far.
>> Ann Gries PhD
>> Coordinator of Community Marriage Builders
>> Evansville, IN 47714
>> www.marryright.org
>> 812-477-2260 

And, this about the same place, article in local paper:

> - MARRIAGE WEEK IN INDIANA
> 
> Banquet to promote healthy marriages
> By Joanne Hammer
> jhammer at j...
> 
> A local group is raising awareness on the importance of marriage.
> 
> Marriage Builders of West Central Indiana is sponsoring a banquet for
> married couples in an effort to build healthy unions.
> 
> ³What we¹re trying to promote is ways for couples to have a happy, healthy
> marriage,² said Janet Halford, president of Marriage Builders of West
> Central Indiana. The organization uses mentor couples to counsel engaged or
> newly-wed couples in an attempt to bring down Montgomery County¹s divorce
> rate.
> 
> Banquet speaker Kathi Lange, who is founder and president of Families
> United, will present ³Getting Through the Tough Stuff.²
> 
> Lange received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Saint
> Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master¹s degree in social work from Indiana
> University. She is a graduate of The Family Therapy Institute of Cincinnati
> and is a practicing licensed clinical social worker and licensed marriage
> and family therapist.
> 
> She has developed family preservation and support programs for rural
> families, including a sexual abuse treatment program for victims and
> offenders and a recovery program for parolees who have a history of drug and
> alcohol abuse.
> 
> Local officials also are supporting the concept.
> 
> On Feb. 14 at the Montgomery County courthouse, Crawfordsville Mayor John
> Zumer will declare Feb. 12-18 marriage celebration week.
> 
> ³Although I am not married myself, I am aware of the importance of marriage
> to our community,² Zumer said. Elaine¹s on Main will offer a special
> Valentine¹s luncheon to couples who attend the proclamation ceremony.
> 
> County Circuit Court Judge Thomas K. Milligan and Montgomery Superior Court
> Judge David A. Ault have declared Feb. 15 as no divorce day and agreed not
> to conduct divorce hearings or issue divorce decrees on that day.
> 
> ³The attitude is we want to encourage people who are married to stay
> together and try to work it out,² Milligan said. ³It¹s an appropriate
> recognition of the notion that we would like more marriages to work.²
> 
> The Marriage Builders banquet will be 6 p.m. Feb. 12 in First Baptist
> Church, 1905 Lebanon Road. Cost is $20 per couple if registered by Saturday.
> Cost is $25 per couple if not registered by Saturday.
> 
> Tickets may be purchased at J.M. Thompson Insurance, 121 S. Washington St.
> For more information, call Marriage Builders of West Central Indiana at
> 366-6115.

And, here's a clip from the "MARRIAGE WEEK USA" ideas page:

> - Ask judges and divorce lawyers to declare a moratorium on divorce - NO
> Divorces filed or granted during Marriage Week USA.  Ask them to "schedule
> vacation" that week if that's what it takes.  Get this idea to the media!

I know Bob Ruthazer was going to try it in Virginia in '04.  Can't remember
if it worked. Anyone else?  Let us know.  - diane

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