Racine Chapter

A national movement of people ‘50 and wiser,’ Just Elders, remains a fascinating possibility. It is not that we need more organizations to belong to or more meetings to attend. We have discovered we enjoy gathering together.

It is good to check-in with friends. It is good to hear what they are doing. It is important to know what they are thinking and feeling. It’s helpful to receive feed-back and to be able to invite others to join us in important actions for our community and country.

In the current environment it is good to know we are not alone. And we are not!

Just Elders are exploring how their voices can be focused for the common good in Erie, Chicago, Racine, Milwaukee, Mpls- St. Paul, and Oakland.

We are also creating virtual chapters using GoToMeeting. Besides the steering committee that meets by-monthly, we have IOI, a group who know each other through their work with Interfaith Funders and the Interfaith Organizing Initiative (judicatory leaders, seminary representatives, national staff and network executives), media (helping us focus our work in social media) and Town and Country, a gathering of people from all across the country exploring how issues are the same or different whether urban or rural.

We have been asking our subscribers at www.justelders.org to raise their voices for bipartisan solutions for health care and the Dreamers.  In this environment we need to be careful about what we ascribe to the American people. According to polling, over 50% want the ACA repaired and over 70% want Dreamers to be on a path to citizenship where they can work without fear.

The point is we are not alone. Others are joining us. These groups often blog their meeting reports at www.justelders.org.

The Racine chapter of Just Elders will meet Tuesday, September 26 at 3:30 p.m. in the activity room at 141 Main Street. Enter the building from the parking lot on the west side of the building. Enter the parking lot from State Street. Someone will greet you at the door.

I loved David Rhoads’ quip about the meeting time: “Just after the afternoon nap and before supper!”

I hope you will be able to come and bring one or two others with you. Julie and I will be working on our invitations this weekend. I hope you will be able to bring several others with you as well.

Thank you for your presence and for spreading the word.

Don Burton