AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION                                              

                                                              of Champaign County

                                                                Steering Committee

                                                                 December 4, 2008

Present: Bill Brown, Susan Cohen, David Gehrig, Elaine Gehrmann, Carol Inskeep,

Carol Leff, Hiram Paley, Esther Patt, Richard Schnuer, Shirley Stillinger,

Marsha Woodbury

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by the chair, Esther Patt.  The  minutes of the November meeting were approved as distributed. The treasurer’s report showed total assets of $4,835.97.  It was noted that the turn-out for the fall gathering this year was smaller than in recent years and that the donations received ($1,185) were the smallest in the past eight years.

Illinois Division Report

Hiram reported that the Division office will continue to have a defined benefits plan and that state fund-raising is far behind previous years.  Hiram has volunteered to help.  He reminded us that donations to the Roger Baldwin Foundation are tax-deductible.

Old Business

Esther reported that Jay Rosenstein’s film The Lord Is Not on Trial Here Today will not be ready for showing for our April meeting.

Safe Schools project: There will be a meeting at Carol Inskeep’s on December 11;  representatives from the Safe Schools Alliance and ACLU will attend.

New Business

Chapter conference call: Division wants to do education around the state about the renewal of the Patriot Act in 2009.  That would be a good subject for our annual meeting.

Annual meeting: Possible speakers were discussed; Richard will pursue some suggestions.  Susan will ask Milo’s to be the location;  Kennedy’s will be the back-up.  The date will be Sinday, April 5.  It was agreed to have a brunch.

The statewide ACLU meeting will be in Bloomington on Saturday, April 4.

The nominating committee for the annual meeting:  Hiram, David, and Carol Inskeep.  The awards committee: Richard, Bill, Hiram.

Stephen Kaufman has suggested that we bring David Gipp, President of United Tribes Technical College, to speak here.  The idea was discussed but the steering committee felt that MillerCom would be a more appropriate sponsor.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.

                                                        NO MEETING IN JANUARY