CMP in Nebraska / Af Am Survey/ Free webinar / Ireland/ Boo Hiss! / Marketing - 2/ 13/09

Fri Feb 13 11:50:35 EST 2009

- COMMUNITY MARRIAGE POLICY IN ASHLAND NEBRASKA
- AFRICAN AMERICAN SURVEY PARTICIPANTS NEEDED
- FREE HEARTMATH WEBINAR: FEB 21ST
- BOOM TIME FOR MARRIAGE EDUCATION
- BOO HISS!  NOT WILD ABOUT WILD WINGS
- MARKETING AND CONFERENCE LOCATION QUESTIONS

#################################

- COMMUNITY MARRIAGE POLICY IN ASHLAND NEBRASKA

This is my favorite Marriage Week/Valentine's Day piece. That's because I
believe that if every community could do what they're doing in Ashland, we
could all say *Mission Accomplished*. I also like it that it's in Ashland –
with their 60% divorce rate the town seems aptly named (from a marriage
perspective) and gotta appreciate it that they seem so determined to rise
from the ashes.  Ooops.....forgive me, Ashland, I get carried away like this
around Marriage Week/Valentine's Day. But it's because it makes me crazy
that we have great tools, great models that are so needed and so few
communities are using them.....when I see a town that *gets it* can't help
but be moved. 

AND this TV broadcast (link below) is special.  It presents the Marriage
Savers /Community Marriage Policy concept and in just 2:45 minutes manages
to convey the logic of the approach and the hope and determination in the
organizers and mentor couples - their belief that they can turn things
around. Bravo to these reporters!  In fact I'm so impressed that I'm
permanently linking  it from the watch/listen smartmarriages.com page.

In Orlando, you can learn in-person how to turn things around in your
community at the MASTER SESSION presented by Marriage Savers/ Community
Marriage Policy (CMP) founders Mike and Harriet McManus.  Get more
inspiration and pointers by attending their Morning CMP Roundtables,
stopping at their exhibit and, between now and July, checking out their
website.  Begin organizing today.  It's all there - everything you need:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory/25
______________________________________________

Ashland Pastors Hope They Can Help Reduce Divorce
Lincoln Nebraska 

Watch this on TV broadcast or here's the verbatim transcript:
http://www.kolnkgin.com/home/headlines/39460367.html# (click the little
video camera icon just below the title)

One Nebraska community is trying to increase the odds for couples planning
to tie the knot. In Sanders County, officials say 60 percent of marriages
end in divorce, about 10 percent higher than the national average. That's
why the community of Ashland is taking steps to cut the divorce rate within
the city.

Religious leaders in Ashland have united and come up with way to help make
marriages in their town last a lifetime.

"These are simple tools that can be learned- so communication skills,
problem solving, and things that generally fall under marriage education,"
said Father Gary Counter of the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Ashland.

The clergy members have all signed a covenant which requires couples they
marry to have at least four months of marriage preparation.

"The couples invest so much time and effort in planning a ceremony," said
Counter. "We just want them to put some time and effort into planning their
lifelong marriage as well."

Married church members will guide young couples through their engagements to
better prepare them for matrimony.

"You're not there to tell them how to do it, but to help them understand
what they're going through. What you've gone through that maybe can help
them," said St. Mary's member Bridget Peas. She plans to tell couples what
worked to make her marriage span 3 decades and counting.

"Don't focus so much on the material things in the wedding," said Peas.
"Concentrate more on what you're really doing here. And what you can do to
prepare for the future of your marriage, not just the ceremony."

Some critics said the required classes just make it more difficult to get
married in Ashland, but Counter said a little time spent on preparation now
is worth it.

"We're trying to help," Counter said. "We're all on the same side here.
We're not trying to make it harder for couples to get married. We're just
trying to help them have better marriages."

And to help make the couple that trains together stay together.

The Marriage Savers conference will be in Ashland this Valentine's Day
weekend to train couples and clergy from all faiths and denominations on the
Marriage Savers program. Training is from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fri., Feb. 13
evening and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sat., Feb. 14. For more information or to
register, call the Rev. Gary Counter of the Ashland Ministerial Association
at (402) 944-3554 or e-mail ashlandministerial at windstream.net.

########################################
- AFRICAN AMERICAN SURVEY PARTICIPANTS NEEDED

I'm hearing from doctoral students across the country that the subscribers
to this list are being incredibly responsive to requests  – that even when
you don't fit survey requirements you've been forwarding the requests to
friends, colleagues and family members.  Bravo for taking the time - without
research, we'd have no foundation upon which to stand.

This one, from Cynthia Chestnut, a student of Rita DeMaria, is interesting.
Please complete the survey if you fit and/or forward to any lists that might
include African American subjects.    - diane

> Dear Diane, 
> I am working on my dissertation at Drexel University and need participants for
> my online survey. I hope you can send this request to your list. My survey
> "The Study of Internalized Stereotypes among African American Couples" will
> examine closeness, satisfaction, affection, and how couples agree.
> Participants must be individual heterosexual adult African Americans who are
> in a couple relationship.  The survey is for individuals, not couples.
> Individuals can invite their partners to also take the survey but partner
> participation is not required. However, even if only one of the partners takes
> the survey, it is required that both members of the couple must be at least
> second generation Americans (not recent immigrants). Take the 20 min survey
> here: https://www.psychdata.com/s.asp?SID=128020
> Cynthia Chestnut 
################################

- FREE HEARTMATH WEBINAR: FEB 21ST

Sat, Feb 21, 11am (PST)
The emWave Approach to Better Relationships
A free webinar for therapists and health professionals working with couples
and relationships.  An introduction and the necessary information to begin
using the emWave® Personal Stress Reliever® and emWave PC in your
relationship practice.
For information and instructions for registering:
http://images.heartmath.com/miscellaneous2/couples-web1.html

################################
- BOOM TIME FOR MARRIAGE EDUCATION

Boom time for marriage preparation courses
PAMELA NEWENHAM
Fri, Feb 13, 2009
The Irish Times 

> “in a time of recession and job loss, what are you left with other than
> love?” - a great quote from Stephen Cummins who you might have met, he has
attended three recent Smart Marriages conferences.

MORE COUPLES are now opting for marriage preparation courses, with an
average of 38 couples booking courses each day in January.

Some 9,880 couples attended preparation courses run by Accord, Ireland’s
largest provider of counselling and pre-marriage education courses, in 2008,
representing an increase of 4 per cent on the 2007 figure.

Stephen Cummins, director of marriage education at Accord, said the downturn
in the economy would not affect the numbers getting married, adding: “in a
time of recession and job loss, what are you left with other than love?”.

Mr Cummins stressed the importance of courses, saying: “there are certain
skills couples need to maintain a good relationship, and they can learn
these skills from the marriage preparation courses”. One couple said they
chose a marriage course for both the “practical element and the religious
aspect”. On Monday, Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin
announced €3.45 million for Accord.

© 2009 The Irish Times

#################################
- BOO HISS!  NOT WILD ABOUT WILD WINGS

> Diane, Have you seen the Buffalo Wild Wings billboard that says: Hot and
> Ready. If Only Marriage Were Like That -  in very large letters on the left
> side of the billboard with the company logo on the right.  - Karen
> 
Buffalo Wild Wings is a fast food chain - this billboard is in Kansas City.
I think Wild Wings needs to hear from us.

################################

- MARKETING AND CONFERENCE LOCATION QUESTIONS

If one asks, I suppose many wonder.....

> Good Day,  
> I am wondering if there will be any Smart Marriages Conference held in any
> other state besides Florida? The possibly of a conference in the NYC area
> would be great.

> Secondly, would marketing information also be provided once one have completed
> the course in becoming a marriage instructor?  - Bob

We move the conference around the country - have held it in Fla, DC, Calif ,
Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Georgia.  We always schedule in the summer which
happens to be high season for northern locations like Boston/Philly/Chicago
& NY. We book southern locations because they're *on sale* in the summer and
our folks prefer low hotel rates.  We did manage to schedule in San
Francisco in '08 but that was by turning ourselves into a pretzel to fit a
hole they had in their schedule over the July 4th holiday. So, not much
chance you'll see the conf in NY area unless some hotel has a July 4th fire
sale.  

As for marketing, you'll get tons of marketing ideas/info at the conference
- it's a huge swap meet where everyone generously shares what they have
found that works and doesn't work in their community.  As for marketing help
from the programs, it depends on WHICH program you select - which you train
in.  Each one is a separate entity - kind of like McDonalds and Burger King
- and each has a range of marketing help from none to tons.  Read the •click
for more info• pages link for each of the training institutes and then
follow the links back to their home sites for more info.
http://www.smartmarriages.com/institutes.html

Also, see the Marketing TRACK here -
http://www.smartmarriages.com/marketing.html

you don't have to wait for this year's conference, there is tons of info on
recordings of past sessions.  I especially recommend this one which you can
download at: http://www.iplaybacksmartmarriages.com/
Or order on CD at 800-241-7785

> 758-818
> Marriage Rally: Teach In
> Transforming Communities Grassroots Style
> Julie Baumgardner, MA, Nisa Muhammad, Jim Sheridan, JD, MBA
> Learn what communities across the country are doing
> to strengthen marriage and how you can get started. Brainstorm
> about opportunities – free media, the web, funding, volunteers,
> creating buy-in – and how to avoid the stumbling blocks.<>

####################
Do not hit "reply" to respond to this email. This mailbox is not monitored
and you will not receive a response.

Instead, create a new email and send submissions and comments to moderator,
Diane Sollee: diane at smartmarriages.com  (In other words, do NOT simply hit
"reply". If you hit reply your email will disappear into cyberspace.)

This is a moderated list. All submissions are read by Diane Sollee. Please
indicate if your comment is NOT to be shared with the list.  PLEASE include
your email address and/or url as part of your signature. With thousands of
subscribers, not all comments can be shared.

Also realize that opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by members
of the Coalition.

To SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, or Change your subscription address,
visit: http://www.smartmarriages.com/app/Newsletter.Subscribe

To read past posts to the listserv, visit the Archive at:
http://lists101.his.com/pipermail/smartmarriages/

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:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/conferencedetails.html

List your program and resources on the Directory of Classes at
http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory_browse.html

Order conference audio & video CD/DVD/MP3s: 800-241-7785 or
http://www.iPlaybackSmartMarriages.com

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

FAIR USE NOTICE: This e-newsletter/site contains copyrighted material the
use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. We make such material available in our efforts to advance
understanding of marriage, family, couples, divorce, legislation, family
breakdown, etc. We understand this constitutes a 'fair use' of such material
as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed
without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes. For more
information: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to
use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go
beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.