’08 convention and gathering will be separate, consecutive
The Seventh Triennial Convention and Gathering will be held the second week of July 2008 in Salt Lake City. Rather than run the convention and gathering concurrently, as has been the practice, the convention will now take place first, midweek, followed by the gathering, which will begin Thursday evening.

The two major factors influencing this decision were cost savings to the organization, and feedback from Sixth Triennial Gathering participants. Holding the convention over a more concentrated period of time will reduce delegate expenses for the organization and eliminate the need to staff and equip two large halls with staging, lighting, sound, and so on. Also, although 84% of recent attendees who filled out an evaluation form said they would likely attend another gathering, the data collected showed that the greatest obstacles to attending were cost, time away from home, and time off from work.

Carmen Richards, executive board president, said that given not only the cost savings but the fact that participants obviously need to take time away from their families and work to attend, "I think it’s a positive model to go after."

Linda Post Bushkofsky wants to emphasize that it’s not only about cost savings to the organization: "We’re hoping that we make it more affordable, both in time and cost, for more and more women to participate."

Welcome Marquette University Lutheran women
The board reviewed and approved the application of a group of young women at Marquette University in Milwaukee who wished to become a special unit of Women of the ELCA. The application came at the recommendation of the Greater Milwaukee Synodical Women’s Organization. "We’re very excited about the sign of new life that this brings with young women who are interested in the programming of our organization," said Linda Post Bushkofsky. "They participate in our monthly Bible study, they do service work with children in their neighborhoods, and they’re working as volunteers with a senior center."

Women of the ELCA units are overwhelmingly based in congregations. There are about a half dozen special units, which usually are based in college or retirement communities. Marquette is a Jesuit Catholic university.

Four more years
Linda Post Bushkofsky accepted an appointment to another 4-year term as executive director of Women of the ELCA, beginning August 1, 2006. (Her current 4-year term began August 1, 2002, and runs through July 31, 2006.)

Board president Carmen Richards said of Linda, "She’s a big positive for us, a Godsend to this organization. Linda is not just an employee of the organization but a real friend of the organization. She goes out and the women love her. … she’s a connection between the churchwide staff in Chicago and the women."

Other actions and news
Other activities and actions by the board included:

• recommending to the ELCA Church Council that they appoint an advisor to the Women of the ELCA churchwide executive board;
   
• a decision to continue financial support of Church Women United;
   
• hearing a report on the 2005 triennial convention and gathering that included attendance and participation statistics, an evaluation of the programming, and a report on the income and expenses for the gathering;
   
• hearing a report on strategic planning for the 2005–2008 triennium, which includes the women’s health initiative, "Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls";
   
• a decision to make a change to the delegates with disabilities designation for Triennial Convention delegations; more details on this action will be reported in the January 2006 issue of Interchange and in a separate mailing to synodical presidents;
   
• discussion of the completion of the audits of the churchwide budget for fiscal 2003 and 2004;
   
• reorganizing the board committee structure to include the following committees: communication and programs, constitution review, and budget and finance;
   
• defeating a referral from the triennial convention to the executive board that Women of the ELCA form its own foundation separate from the ELCA Foundation;
   
• referring to the executive director a referral from the triennial convention that suggested holding a future triennial gathering in the Caribbean.

The executive board’s next meeting is March 23–26, 2006, in Chicago.