Yearly reports
February 2012 Organizational Report
In 2011, the Roundtable received official status as an independent association listed in the Official Catholic Directory. Since summer 2009, the board has been moving toward this step; after finding a new home for the Roundtable's office, hiring a part-time staff person, and following up on association paperwork for many months, the process is complete!
We've continued to be financially sound and with our official status, we'll be able to seek foundation grant funding which would lower costs to attend Roundtable events and provide additional training opportunities.
In December, Coordinator Jennifer Svetlik completed two years at the Roundtable, working 20 hours per week.
Roundtabling: Members Helping Members
-Training Webinars: The Roundtable hosted its first webinars in 2011, including Servant Leadership with Dan Ebener; A New Framework for Respect Life with Tricia Hoyt; CST & the Constitution with Jude Huntz; and Building Capacity with Tony Stieritz. A new webinar series was launched in October 2011 which will provide nearly-monthly webinars until this summer.
-The Virtual Roundtable: Members continue to identify this email discussion group as the most useful tool the organization offers. 2011 discussions included antipoverty programs; human trafficking; health care screenings; sister parish relationships; disaster response; merging Catholic schools; coordinating legislative advocacy; CST & the Sacraments; immigrant rights; ROTC in Catholic schools; events policies; Lenten life & dignity formation; and environmental stewardship, among others.
-Switchboarding: Connecting members through phone, email, and personal contact remains an important service by Roundtable staff.
-Roundtable Report: Issues in 2011 included pieces on responding to the economic crisis; UD's Social Justice Certificate program in Trinidad; Integrating Faith, Service & Justice; Youth Social Justice Festival; Considering Rerum Novarum Today; Creation Care Resources; Payday Lending Campaigns; Clergy Training on Immigration; Tools for Forming Disciples; and Mobilizing Against the Death Penalty, among others.
-Website: In 2011 the website was visited over 9,300 times. The blog, information and resources, and online archive of Virtual Roundtable discussions and resources continue to be helpful to Roundtable members.
-Mentorship Program: Outreach to new diocesan social action directors offering experienced members as mentors.
Events: Social Action Summer Institute and the Roundtable Symposium
2011 Symposium: "Fear Not": Addressing a Culture of Fear with Prayerful Conversation and Harry A. Fagan & Servant of Justice Award Banquet
The Symposium on February 12-13, 2011 drew over 65 participants and featured Peggy Stienfels of the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture who spoke on Addressing Fear: Learning from the Historical Context. Sr. Deborah Lorentz, S.S.S. spoke on Addressing Fear: Tools for Dialogue and Reflection. Over 105 attendees were present at the banquet presentation of the Harry A. Fagan Award to the Education for Justice staff. Sr. Katherine Feely, SND and Dr. Jane Deren offered the banquet's address on a vision for transformative education, addressing the questions: Who helps us to see? How does education transform? What is transformative leadership? For the second year, the Servant of Justice Award was given to honor the work of members or former members. Tom Allio, former diocesan director in the Diocese of Cleveland received the award and offered remarks about what it means to be a servant of justice, lifting up the life of Bishop Pilla. He offered three challenges to the audience, including working in diverse coalitions committed to the common good, building a life and dignity movement, and promoting civility in the Church. At the annual membership meeting, members elected four new board members and discussed best practices for addressing statewide policy challenges. Evaluations appreciated the grounding of social action work in spirituality and historical context, but desired more energy in the presentations & discussions.
2011 Social Action Summer Institute (SASI) - Focus on the Worker: "New Things" in Labor 120 Years after Rerum Novarum:
The 2011 SASI was held July 10-13, 2011 in New Orleans with 120 participants from 25 different states. Bishop Gabino Zavala gave the opening keynote on the theological foundations of the dignity of work. Track II on Supporting Workers Today was led by Kathy Saile, Director of Domestic Social Development at the USCCB. Other great sessions were led by Fr. Fred Kammer, SJ; Tricia Hoyt; Abdulrahman Zeitoun; Fr. Manuel Williams, C.R.; and Joe Grant, among others. Highlights from the event included the outstanding group of diverse, energetic speakers, the theme-related strategic discussions and opportunities for roundtabling, the reception at the Rebuild Center and the CCHD tours MICAH Project and Louisiana Bucket Brigade. Evaluations desired that workshops be offered twice and that more time be devoted to exploring topics like racism & white privilege, strategies for social change, and nonviolence.
Finances and Membership
The Roundtable had 112 members in 2011 and 69 offices were able to pay their dues. This continuing decline represents continued economic difficulties and budget cuts in many social actions offices. Several offices encountered vacancies, restructuring, and many others reported cutbacks that forced them to pay less in dues memberships, or be unable to pay this year. However, many offices continued to faithfully pay their dues despite growing budgetary pressures and we are thankful for their support. Because of the commitment of many faithful members, the total dues collected in 2011 was $19,425.
