Gwen Gutierrez and David Downing

The GLAD PSWR display booth

A well set table is an important thing!

We had a large GLAD booth during the assembly and held the biennial meeting of GLAD-PSWR in a large tent on the church lawn, with about 60 persons in attendance. We elected new officers (Larry Hixon, Gwen Gutierrez, Bruce Indermill, and Ralph Estrada) and added a new representative from the United Church of Christ (Sarah Halverson) and added one new member (Lizzy Beach) to replace a member of the Council who had to resign due to her work schedule. Continuing members of the GLAD-PSWR Council include: David Downing, Moderator; Joy Brittain; and Gayle Schoepf. Vance Martin and Linda Gardner are ex-officio members with voice and vote as members who reside in the PSW Region and serve as members of the GLAD Alliance Council.

The entertainment for the biennial meeting was Luis Soraire, a guitarist from Argentina, who played dinner music, followed by several special numbers in which he sang and played during the program. The Rev. Dr. Jill Kirchner was the Keynote speaker, who spoke on the meeting theme: "Celebrate Community - Honor Diversity."

The first presentation of the "Gwen Gutierrez Award for Affirmation and Inclusivity" was presented, which will be given to individuals "for demonstrating openness, acceptance and affirmation of GLBTQ persons in the life of the church and community and for contributing significantly to the visible presence of GLAD-PSWR within the congregational and regional manifestations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) within the Pacific Southwest Region." The award was presented for the first time to the person for which the award is named, Gwen Gutierrez.