Contemplative Outreach Newsletter
Volume 17, No. 2, Fall 2003/Winter 2004

by Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler, President 

The Board of Trustees is composed of twelve persons who have made the commitment to serve Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. as a Trustee for a three-year term which is renewable once. Fr. Thomas Keating serves as Chairman, Madeline Soo is the Vice Chairperson, Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler is the President, who serves as an ex officio member of the Board, and Carol DiMarcello is Treasurer/Secretary. Fr. Carl Arico, an Advisory Board member, serves as the Vice President. According to our Bylaws it is not necessary to be a Trustee in order to be an officer of the Board. 

The Trustees serving at present are Barbara Cook of Austin, TX; Mary English of San Francisco, CA; Adalberto Henriquez of Cocao, FL; Pat Johnson of Carbondale, CO; Timothy Koock of Fredericksberg, TX; Therese Saulnier of Bayonne, NJ; Susan Rush of Santa Fe, NM; and Fr. Justin Langille of San Diego, CA. Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. was first incorporated in 1986. There were five Board members on the original Board. The duties of the Board include maintaining the integrity of the Centering Prayer Method, proposing and designing policy to foster the Vision and Foundations of Contemplative Outreach, and overseeing and directing the business of the corporation. The Board works in concert with the Faculty and the Coordinators: together they make up the voting membership. The Coordinator Communication Committee serves the coordinators by reporting the activities and concerns of Chapters to the Board through its Chairperson, Susan Komis. The Faculty does likewise through Mary Dwyer, Chairperson of the Faculty. At the 2002 annual meeting the voting membership voted to amend the Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. bylaws to include as voting members past and present Faculty, past and present Coordinators, and past and present Trustees. Past and present Advisory Board members were also added to the voting membership roster. 

The Trustees have four weekend meetings each year and work on various committees in between sessions. The meetings take place in different locations throughout the country. The meeting schedule includes time for Centering Prayer, agenda sessions and meals in community. Trustees carry on business in an atmosphere of retreat and accomplish the tasks on their lengthy agenda prayerfully. They follow the teachings of Jesus and exercise leadership as service by being alert and responsive to the growth and needs of the spiritual network (from Theological Principal #11). The Board is accountable to the members of the spiritual network it serves. The members, and the various service teams in turn, are accountable to the Board of Trustees for maintaining the basic teaching of Contemplative Outreach. Therefore, it is very important for the Trustees to keep connected to the activities of the network. This is facilitated by the reports they receive from all the various committees and service teams.

Peacemaking // The President's Letter // Invitation to Generosity
The Board of Trustees // Sought Through Prayer & Meditation
The Spanish Corner // International Outreach // Updates