Tools/Tools/Tools - 7/13/08

Sun Jul 13 15:10:44 EDT 2008

- HOW YOU CAN HELP
- TOOLS OF THE TRADE/GRASSROOTS TUTORIAL
- TOOLS OF THE TRADE RESOURCE LINK
- FUTURE AND TOOLS DIALOGUE
- BEYOND AFFAIRS NETWORK

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- HOW YOU CAN HELP
People are emailing and asking how they can help me.  You can best help by
going online and evaluating the San Francisco Conference at your EARLIEST
possible convenience. I can't see any of the evaluations AND I can't send
evaluations to the presenters until we run an expensive report. The report
processing is a one-time event so we wait until we think we have the bulk of
evaluations entered.  Once the count is high enough, I give the order to run
the report - and then, that's it. All she wrote. We don't run it again.
Which means the presenters only get to see the evaluations that are entered
by a certain date. If you want your evaluation to be read by the presenters
and by me, you need to make it in under that wire.  I depend on your
feedback so this is a HUGE favor to me - even if you don't need CE credits.
It's your Coalition and your conference - please continue to help improve
things with your constructive, creative criticism. - diane
Online evaluation here:
http://gotomylist.com/cme/smc05/eval08.cfm

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- THE OTHER HELP I NEED
With printing and postage costs zooming out of sight, I need to learn how to
do email blasts to help advertise the Orlando conference.  I'm on a MAC.  I
use Entourage.  Suggestions/advice?
- diane 

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- TOOLS OF THE TRADE/GRASSROOTS TUTORIAL

I've received dozens like the email below that was sent to Julie and copied
to me by people who plan to use Julie Baumgardner's Tools of the Trade
plenary DVD and the Grassroots workshop CD to educate people in their
community about the vast resources now available in the field. I agree this
combo makes the perfect tutorial.

Get the keynote on DVD so you can SHOW them the fantastic programs, PSAs,
ads, billboards, etc: Session #758-006 and the Grassroots Rally Workshop -
session #758-818 - 

Plus there are lots more where these come from.
Marketing Track: http://www.smartmarriages.com/marketing.html
Tools Track: http://www.smartmarriages.com/instructor.skills.html
CHMI Track: Community Healthy Marriage Initiatives (CHMI)
Mentor Training: http://www.smartmarriages.com/mentors.html
 - diane  

> Good morning Julie,
>     We enjoyed seeing you again at the Smartmarriages Conference.

>     Our church just hired a new pastor for the position of FamilyLife
> Ministry Director (which includes our MARRIAGE mentoring ministry).

>     We have an introduction meeting with him later this week.

> We plan to use the DVD of your plenary session "Tools" and the CD of your
> Grassroots Rally workshop to give him an idea of what is available and what
> other folks have done in promoting marriages.

>     We also hope to get involved in the first showing of the movie
> "Fireproof" in September.
>  
> Dick & Carol Cronk, Lay Directors
> Christian Life Center Marriage Builders Ministry, Dayton, OH

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- TOOLS OF THE TRADE RESOURCE LINK
Julie Baumgardner has created a page that features live links to all the
tools featured in her Tools of the Trade keynote!
http://firstthings.org/page/resource-center/tools-of-the-trade-2008

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- FUTURE AND TOOLS DIALOGUE

Many of us leave the conference - our annual gathering - wishing we had time
to sit around and brainstorm about the future - talk about directions,
what's needed, what's missing.  I've had many email exchanges along these
lines.  Will share clips from a few. - diane

> I am pondering our discussion in SF as we were wondering where the new energy
> can come in the field. Maybe it will come from fantastic results from the ACF
> funded projects. I fondly hope so, but I am doubtful. My nominations: the
> schools, divorce courts, and the web.

I just keep in mind the huge need - the hunger in every person I talk to. On
my flight home we circled near DC, then had to double back to Ohio to
refuel. While stuck at the Columbus airport I ran a mini-focus group with
19/20 year old female college students.  I was doing myth-busting and they
were eating it up...asking for more, more, more. I find this true no matter
the age, class, gender, race, occupation.  People WANT marriage information.
Which is my way of saying that that's where the energy will come from.
Nature abhors a vacuum......the need is like a heat sink - pulling us
forward and creating the energy to fuel us.

> Diane, I just got my loaded iPod and want to thank you. You've advised me to
> do this for two years, now I see what you mean - it's great to listen to all
> the sessions I missed.  I've already come up with a new program idea and have
> only listened to two workshops.
. . . I get so many ideas listening to the entire conference - amazing to
have it all laid out before you - and am amazed at the cross-pollination
examples and innovations that pop up from prior conferences. And, as I said
above, there are so many innovations still NEEDED....and so many young
people like you - gives me great hope for what's to come. Paste this
together with that, add web-delivery savvy, and we might actually find a way
to feed the vast "low information" marriage gap.
------
> has anyone created a free online premarital course
> that would meet the state requirements for marriage license applications? I
> I don't think so.

In part because I believe ALL the courses work for ALL couples anywhere
along the couple cycle, there is the highly-rated, well-received Marriage
Garden which is free online and could be used as a premarital course.  But I
also believe completely in "the more the marrier"....and, if we stopped
because there was one program we'd all still be driving Fords. There's a
huge need out there - a vast marketplace.  See the FREE STUFF page and look
at FOOBs section at: http://www.smartmarriages.com/free.stuff.html

(If anyone has FREE STUFF to add to this page, send it.) - diane

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- BEYOND AFFAIRS NETWORK

Here's an email sent by Anne Bretch, BAN Director, to her BAN Coordinators.
If you don't have a BAN chapter in your area I hope you'll consider starting
one. It's a tremendous marriage-saving, divorce prevention tool.   - diane

> Hi All! 
> Last weekend I attended the Smart Marriages conference in San Francisco, where
> I received the Smart Marriages Impact Award on YOUR behalf.
> 
> It belongs to all of you because you are the unsung heroes who are doing the
> hands-on work 'in the field.' You may never know just how big of a difference
> you are making, just by being there, sometimes even just because your city is
> among those listed. Thank you from all those you are helping by being a part
> of BAN worldwide - some you know, some you've helped you'll never know.
> 
> The words on the plaque are so beautiful that I have posted
> them on our website. Here's the link:
> http://beyondaffairs.com/BAN_support_groups.
> Anne Bercht 

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- THAT SONG
Diane,
I went on Itunes and can't find the version of If I Should Fall Behind by
Springsteen that you played before the keynotes. The versions for sale are
so different and not nearly as satisfying.  I need to find it. I'm haunted.
Where did you get it?
Lisa

I feared people got sick of it, but I think it's an amazing Marriage
Education lyric - almost like an ad for learning communication skills so we
can make our steps clear to the other, step together and stay together:

> We swore we'd travel darlin side by side
> We'd help each other stay in stride
> But each lover's steps fall so differently
> But I'll wait for you
> And if I should fall behind
> Wait for me
> 
> Now everyone dreams of a love lasting and true
> But you and I know what this world can do
> So lets make our steps clear, that the other may see
> And I'll wait for you
> If I should fall behind
> Wait for me

I found this rendition on YouTube - I think it's from a live concert in
Dublin and it may not be for sale anywhere. I don't know how to download
from YouTube to my iTunes so I just have it bookmarked and play it off the
internet.   Anyone know how to download off YouTube?
It's here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OCnm6cdZvQ

Also, I have the full lyrics on the smartmarriages Marriage Quotes page:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/marriage.quotes.html#lyrics

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13th Annual Smart Marriages® Conference, Shingle Creek Resort,
Orlando, Florida, July 6-12, 2009 (General Conference July 8-11)
Pre-Conference Training Institutes July 6-8
Post-Conference Training Institutes July 12

Shingle Creek Resort: http://www.rosenshinglecreek.com/

Conference schedule, registration, & exhibit information will be posted as
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