Attending: Norman Kurland, Dawn K. Brohawn, Michael D. Greaney, Kemp Harshman.

Materials Distributed: Agenda, Core Values; Code of Ethics; minutes of the 3/17/04 Excom Meeting; Second Quarter Treasurer’s Report, minutes of the 4/18/04 Board meeting, contents of the Ferree compendium.

Meeting was called to order at 11:00 AM by Dawn K. Brohawn, rotating chairman.

The Opening Prayer was offered by Norman G. Kurland. The Core Values and Code of Ethics were read.

Approval of Board and Executive Committee Minutes. A motion to approve the Excom Minutes from 3/17/04 and the Board minutes from 4/18/04 was made by Norman G. Kurland and seconded by Kemp Harshman. The motion passed unanimously.

Approval of Treasurer’s Report. The Second Quarter Treasurer’s Report for Fiscal Year 2003 was read by Michael D. Greaney on behalf of Treasurer Kemp Harshman. A motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report was made by Kemp Harshman and seconded by Norman G. Kurland. The motion passed unanimously.

Focus Topic: Review of CESJ 20^th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Meeting

A review of the Anniversary Celebration and Annual Meeting was carried out by sub-committee and reported in the May 2004 Executive Committee Meeting minutes.

Decision/Follow-Up Items

 

JBM Certification Registration — Article on Legal Issue (Kemp Harshman). For the last few months Kemp has been doing daily research on the history of certification marks and trademarks. Under common law. It is a form of intellectual property. Usually only affected internationally. Construed as a form of unfair competition. Copyright applies to artistic or literary expression. Trademark is symbolic. Certification mark, however, can be used by many people and organizations. We have a trademark under common law. We can also copyright. Maybe register. Possibly collective mark if all else fails. Norm thought that we should make contact with Corey Rosen to ask him how the NCEO handled the process. Also Beister and David Binns.

Ferree Social Virtues Collection — Ideas for Foreword (Michael D. Greaney). With the potential publication date two months away, we need a new title. All of the pieces are in place, with only minor editing in the form of some footnotes necessary in the discourse on social charity. The draft of the main foreword has been completed except for the closing paragraphs, and one of the short introductions is drafted. Each of the other pieces also needs a short introduction paragraph, but this should present no real difficulty once work can begin again on the collection.

Draft of Bishop’s Pastoral Letter on Economic Justice (Michael D. Greaney). The first draft is done. It is now ready for the editing committee. There are two other “bullets” in our current assault against the Ivory Tower: the subsidiarity chapter for the Christendom College initiative, and the sovereignty book. We will follow up on the chapter around the middle of June.

Marketing of Capital Homesteading for Every Citizen — Steve Roy CHWebsite, Amazon.com Search the Book listing. Steve Roy reported that the man to whom he sent the book hadn’t gotten back to it. He also sent a letter to the Kerry campaign. We need someone like Steve Roy to push the book on the conservative side. Following up with the website linked to CESJ to market the book. We should call amazon. We need a list of things to go on the book site: Table of Contents (condensed); Flyer (in present format); Reviews; Cover; Executive summary; Introduction; Chapter I (if possible).

Oglebay Norton Employee Buyout — Update. On 20 April Norman Kurland and Dawn K. Brohawn went to Cleveland to meet with the management and administration workers of Onco. They discussed the status of the project, and set up subsequent meetings at the NCB. Dave Gustavson, Rich Biernacki, Rob Woodman also attended the meeting. They learned that the company was seeking an amount in the neighborhood of $100 million to open the discussion. Dave Gustavson completed the work on the estimated value of the company. On 10 May he met with Glenn Pollack of Candlewood Partners, who expressed interest in participating in an equity or more risky part of the buyout package. On 11 May had a meeting with Meg Schrum and Andrew Kho of NCB. Dave Gustavson, Brad and Jonathan and Norman G. Kurland attended the meeting. The case was very well presented, and the reaction from the NCB was positive. On 18 May Norman Kurland spoke with Andrew Kho, and had sent stuff in, had called, was waiting for a response.

CIC Initiative/Carbondale, Illinois Legislation — Update. Nothing new to report on legislation. Bill Perk has received no feedback. Lou Zambronis indicated interest in incorporating JBM into their projects, in Carbondale building ownership into a farmers supplying bio feedstock through a coop, employees through an ESOP, residents through a CIC. They have approached the Co-Bank, which deals exclusively with agriculturally-related financing. Norman Kurland’s impression is very favorable on the comprehensive approach on development of biodiesel linked to hydroponic farming and aquaculture. Well designed and detailed plan. Equitech could add the fuel cell technology. Reduce foreign oil energy. Connection with Kansas projects.

Iraq Proposal/Fr. Cassian Yuhaus dinner meeting with Senator Santorum — Follow-Up. Fr. Cassian is on travel status. He made a call to Santorum’s office, no response yet. Norbert sent an e-mail to Brownback, no response.

Focus Topic for Next Meeting. Capital Homestead marketing. How can we be more effective, given our time and money contraints? [Get on small bookstore websites]. Norbert.

News/Information Items

Norman Kurland presentations to Islamic Conferences. During the day on the 28^th of May Norman Kurland asked to make a presentation before the 5^th annual conference of the Center for Islamic Studies, panel on economic justice. Headed by Dr. Radwan Masmoudi, who founded the organization after 9/11 attacks to rally moderate Muslims in support of the constitutional principles embedded in the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. In the evening Norman Kurland has been invited to be a participant as the Jewish representative to their interfaith presentation at the United Muslim Association of America – group of American Shiite Muslims, Bob Crane will make a presentation the next day to promote CESJ’s vision of economic justice as consistent with Islamic spiritual principles. Day paper on basic principles of economic and social justice, relate to war on terrorism. In particular, Iraq and Italy land, reflecting papers posted on the CESJ website.

Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. Contacted two weeks ago. Asked if we took interns. Sent applications. Asked for economic, business, pre-law, communications. Dawn K. Brohawn has been interviewing. One has expressed strong interest in the Just Third Way. From Hong Kong. Wants to get Capital Homesteading to legislatures and the University of Connecticut. Part of the Center’s bit is to put people on Capitol Hill. Sems to be outgoing. Big question is where he goes from here. The least he can do I form a “cell” of CESJ.

Kemp Harshman Outreach to David Gergen. Kemp sent an e-mail to Gergen at Harvard, got response, sent a book.

The next Executive Committee Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 23^rd June 2004 at 10:00 am. The next Board Meeting will be held Saturday, 17^th July 2004 at 9:30 am.

A motion to adjourn was made by Michael D. Greaney and seconded by Norman G. Kurland. The motion passed unanimously and the meeting adjourned at 3:45 pm.