Evergreen International




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State of the Organization

Report from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Larry Richman
Given at the Evergreen Annual Conference, Saturday, September 15, 2001

Evergreen has been around for over 12 years now. Having begun as a grass-roots effort by 11 men in July 1989, and has grown into an international organization today providing referral, resources, and education to thousands of people in dozens of countries. The organization is led by a Board of Trustees, which consists of the following people: Larry Richman (chair); Rourk Baird (who was this year’s conference chairman); A. Dean Byrd, PhD; Shirley E. Cox, DSW; Vera E. Eccles; Elder Jack H. Goaslind (excused from the conference due to his current calling as President of the Manti Temple); Julie Haws, CPA; J. R. Johansen; Elder H. Burke Peterson; John R. Taylor; and the Honorable Richard G. Wilkins. Jerry Matheson is the Secretary to the Board of Trustees. I hope you all know our Executive Director, David Pruden, and our office manager Sharon Smith, who handle the day-to-day work. David also oversees the work of the many volunteers who so freely donate their time to help in good causes.

The Board of Trustees asked me to provide this State of the Organization address. I believe accountability is important, and I also feel it’s important that all of you know what the organization is doing. We are all in this together, and the more we know, the better position we’ll be in to support each other and accomplish the goals.

PRIORITIES

We have three main priorities to focus everything we do: (1) be a referral service, (2) provide resources, and (3) provide education.

1. REFERRAL SERVICE

  • We continue to build a network of therapists and affiliate support groups where we can refer people for help. Our computer database contains information on hundreds of therapists, LDS Family Services agencies, support groups, and other organizations that can help.
  • We now have 33 affiliate groups: 25 groups for men (2 of which are outside the US), 5 groups for parents, 1 group for spouses, and 2 Internet discussion groups for those who don’t live close to an existing group.
  • People can contact us by phone or e-mail. E-mail messages are answered either in English or Spanish.
  • Web site. I hope you’ve seen our web site at www.Evergreeninternational.org. We appreciate those who donated hundreds of hours to get it up and running. Many of you registered for this conference directly on the site. You can order books on the site. It also provides a place of contact for many people in other countries whose only contact with the organization is through the web site. The site gets over 6,000 hits a month. It has scores of pages of articles and other information in English and Spanish.

2. RESOURCES

  • We publish a newsletter The Journey six times a year. We invite you to submit articles and ideas for the newsletter. If you can help edit, format, print, or mail the newsletter, please let us know.
  • We continue to build an extensive library at the headquarters office and encourage people to use it for individual study or for research. If you have books or audiocassettes you no longer need, please consider donating them to the library.
  • We provide information packets and sell books by mail and over the Internet.
  • We encourage independent writing for magazines and books, and have assisted in getting several published in both English and Spanish.
  • We have some materials in 20 languages. Call the office if you need something in other languages. A friend recently went to Mexico City and took an arm full of Spanish material to give to people who are starting a group. If you have the skills to translate, review, or proofread other languages, please let us know.

3. EDUCATION

  • Evergreen presents annual conferences. This is the 11th and largest—we have about 350 in attendance. We also present various seminars and workshops throughout the year, and regular firesides. See the newsletter or the web site for information about them.
  • We also have a list of people who are available to speak at group meetings, workshops, or Church meetings.
  • We are establishing a list of Friends of Evergreen to expand our sphere of influence (for education and potential fundraising). If you have friends or know of key people in your community who ought to know more about Evergreen, please see David Pruden, who can get you a packet of information.
  • We continue to build relations with Church leaders. You need to know that the Church is solidly behind this work. Two General Authorities sit on our Board of Trustees. In our meetings with Area Presidencies, we receive their total encouragement and support, and as they request, we provide training to many hundreds of bishops and stake presidents each year.

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF GENDER-AFFIRMATIVE THERAPY

We are hereby announcing the establishment of a Center for the Study of Gender-Affirmative Therapy as a subsidiary of Evergreen International, Inc. This center will focus on research, study, information, and education supporting the statement from The Family: A Proclamation to the World: “Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.” The Center will have its own board of trustees and pursue its own fundraising efforts. It will focus on the following:

RESEARCH

We expect the Center will perform original research as well as categorize and analyze existing data in an effort to gain greater understanding of the issues involved and improve therapeutic techniques. Results would be published in its own publications and in professional journals, giving greater validity and credibility to gender-affirmative therapy.

EDUCATION

The Center will organize and promote continuing education for counselors and therapists on gender-affirmative therapy. This will take the place of the Therapist Development Committee we began to organize at this conference last year. Our goal is to provide Continuing Education Units and professional development opportunities to build more clinical capacity.

LIBRARY

To support both research and education previously mentioned, the Center will build a library of resources, beginning with the basic library we have already compiled of over 300 books, articles, and other materials.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

The Center will be able to speak out publicly on gender identity issues. We have long felt at odds between our need to maintain a low profile for the confidentially of participants and our desire to speak out in the media to correct bad information provided by others. The Center will carefully develop a public relations plan to help educate the community. Under the name of the Center for the Study of Gender-Affirmative Therapy, they will be able to speak out and provide scientific and research data in support of our mission. Please let us know if you would like to become involved in this effort or have connections with key people in your communities.

HOW TO HELP

Many people ask what they can do to help Evergreen accomplish its mission. May I suggest four major areas where everyone can help?

MORAL SUPPORT

Talk positively about the process of change. If you are in a support group, support your group leaders. Bear testimony to each other and share your successes. If you are a therapist, family, or friend, don’t be shy to talk about Evergreen or that you know people who are struggling with homosexual problems. I often tell people in my ward and stake that I am involved with Evergreen. I’m proud of the work being done. I’m also proud of my many friends who have overcome significant challenges in their lives.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Each year an independent CPA audits Evergreen's financial transactions and makes a report to the Board of Trustees. I assure you that procedures are in place to ensure that funds are handled appropriately and that expenses are approved and monitored by the Board of Trustees.

I want to publicly thank those who have contributed financially to support this work. Some have contributed in large amounts and others in smaller amounts but at great sacrifice. Pledge to make on-going contributions. This month many employers are conducting their annual campaign urging employees to contribute to the United Way. As you sign your pledge card, you will notice that you can designate an agency of your choice for your contributions. You can fill in Evergreen International and our address, and your contributions will be directed here.

VOLUNTEER

I've mentioned tonight some of the things Evergreen is involved in. All these things take time. It's a tremendous burden for a few people, but manageable service when many people are involved. You help yourself when you help others. Please search your heart and see if you don't have a few hours a month you could devote to this important work. Please see David Pruden or contact the office to volunteer.

There are also day-to-day things we can do.

  • Thank your local bookstore or library for carrying books about overcoming homosexuality. If they don’t carry them, ask them to.
  • Write to television stations and newspapers to thank them for relaying appropriate information. When incorrect information is presented, respond with the truth.
  • Organize grass-roots efforts to educate the community about homosexuality. Many stakes are planning priesthood leadership training meetings and Relief Society meetings on how to help those with homosexual problems. Such a meeting was held with great success in my stake because I took the initiative to suggest it to my stake president. The same could be done in your stake. It's up to you.

FAITH AND PRAYERS

Our faith and prayers have an amazing effect on how this work moves forward. Pray that we'll feel a sense of urgency where we need to move forward and that we'll have patience where we need to have patience.

Since we consider the fundraising effort pivotal to our ability to move forward in important ways, we ask for your faith and prayers. Over the next few weeks in particular, we invite you to pray with us that potential contributors might understand the issues surrounding homosexuality and be given a sense of compassion and urgency in the work we're about, and that the Lord will open doors that are just now beginning to creek open so we may move His work forward in a major way. Christ is the one that heals. We believe that God is guiding this work and is intimately concerned about each one of us. As an organization, we commit to follow the direction of His prophet without reservation or exception.

Confronting homosexuality is not easy. I hope that you'll soon learn─if you haven't already─that Evergreen has no magic cure. It can help you learn basic principles of healing, and put in touch with resources, but you have to make the effort and do the things that are appropriate for your situation. Use the resources and relationships available to you and make the experience what you need.

I love you, brothers and sisters. Many of you carry tremendous burdens. Many of you have overcome significant challenges and I respect you for it. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that everyone in this room has the ability to live the law of morality that Christ taught. He will never give us a commandment we can't live. We can’t control the conflicts we face in this life, but we can choose how to respond to them. God expects all his children to live his law of morality. He taught it plainly and His modern prophets reaffirm it.

I like to quote President James E. Faust from an address in general conference: "Each of us needs to reach down into the innermost recesses of our souls to find the divinity that is deep within us and to earnestly petition the Lord for an endowment of special wisdom and inspiration. Only when we so profoundly reach the depths of our beings can we discover our true identity, our self-worth, and our purpose in life. Only as we seek to be purged of selfishness and of concern for recognition and wealth can we find some sweet relief from the anxieties, hurts, pains, miseries, and concerns of this world." He went on to say, "God can not only help us find a sublime and everlasting joy and contentment, but He will change us so that we can become heirs of the kingdom of God. This is really the recovery of the sacred within us. We have the authority in our beings to respond to challenges of life any way we choose. Thus we gain mastery in any circumstance. As the Savior said to the diseased woman, `Thy faith hath made thee whole.'" (Ensign, May 1995, p. 63, italics added)

May we have the faith we need to overcome all challenges that come our way. And because of those challenges, may we become what our Father has created us to be. God lives! And He loves us. I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

 
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