August 2014 Adult Activities
August 2014 Youth Activities
Dad’s Night Out – A New Group Coming To The Arc
A new family event for fathers will be coming to The Arc Fox Cities, Inc. from 6:00-8:00pm on August 28th in the Lower level of our building. Dads will now have the option to get out of the house on a weeknight and spend a couple of hours with dads in similar situations. Fathers of children of all ages are encouraged to attend, to make possible an opportunity for passing on knowledge, experience, and thoughts. An open, judgment free conversation will take place for the first hour, while cards will be played and music or the Brewers will be listened to in the second hour. This event will be staffed by Mitch Cornils, a Program Coordinator who is excited to meet the great fathers responsible for raising our outstanding members and participants. If interested, have suggestions on dates or times, or simply would like more information about the event, please contact Mitch Cornils at [email protected] or (920)731-9831×111.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING OUR NAME CHANGE
Dear Members and Participants of The Arc:
The Mission Statement of the Arc Fox Cities is to Utilize Advocacy, Respect, and Concern to empower all
people with disabilities to have the opportunity to choose and realize their goal of a full life and secure future.
This Mission Statement, along with the updated acronym for the Arc was adopted in 1992, at the same time
that the national ARC changed their name to the Arc of the United States. Prior to this the ARC stood for the
Association for Retarded Citizens of the United States.
We, like many others who work with and for individuals with disabilities, recognize the negative connotations
that words like ‘retarded’ and ‘retardation’ have when used to describe individuals with developmental or
intellectual disabilities and feel that it is important that we promote a more positive attitude, focusing on the
strengths and capabilities of all individuals. Additionally, the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign has
drawn additional attention to the dehumanizing and hurtful way that the “r-word” is used in society and
advocates the use of language that respects the dignity of individuals with intellectual and developmental
disabilities.
Although the “r-word” has not been associated with our name for many years, we recognize that in the minds
of many individuals, the acronym ‘Arc’ is still associated with the outdated name and the negative connotation
attached to the r-word. Because of this, the Executive Board of the Arc Fox Cities is considering potential new
names for the Arc Fox Cities. A subcommittee of the Executive Board, through a process involving board
members and Arc staff, presented three potential names at the last Executive Board meeting. Before we
make our final selection we wanted membership to have an opportunity to provide input and feedback
regarding the names under consideration. Please e-mail Sonia Barham at [email protected] with your
feedback.
Below are the proposed names:
SOAR Fox Cities: Empowering People of All Abilities – Support, Opportunities, Advocacy, and Respect
PACASO: Promoting Acceptance, Celebrating Abilities, Supporting Opportunities
CAPA: Celebrating Abilities & Promoting Acceptance
We would appreciate your feedback by May 23, 2014. A formal name change will not take effect until the
end of the year or beginning of 2015.
Sincerely,
The Executive Board
Update on Name Change
Dear Members and Participants of the Arc:
Thank you to everyone who provided input regarding our proposed name change. We received overwhelming
support for making a name change, with many individuals sharing their personal experiences and stories
related to what the name change means to them. We value your input and the Arc Executive Board will use all
of the ideas that you shared along with your votes as we move forward with our name change.
Over the next few months, the Executive Board will work closely with staff to plan for the roll out of the new name. The plan is to
have a final decision about the name made by the end of the summer with plans to roll out the new name by the end of the year,
including notifying membership, stakeholders, and the public, along with updating all materials, signage, and online information.
Again, thank you for all of your input. Based on the responses, it is clearly the right time to make this name change. We appreciate
your support as we move forward with this important project.
Sincerely,
The Executive Board
Our Supporters
