The Future Forum serves as a nexus for Austin's leaders. Our members are actively engaged in many organizations. We encourage you to find out more about these Doers and Builders Organizations on our Website.

The Arc of the Capital Area is a non-profit organization that is committed to promoting independence and choice by providing individualized services to children and adults with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities, and their families, in Austin, Texas and surrounding communities since 1949.

To learn more about the ARC of The Capitol Area, and about how you can get involved, check out their website.

Come find out more about our Four Future Forum Clusters: The Cultural Cluster, The Film Cluster, The Book Club, and the Public Policy Cluster.

The Film Cluster met on April 3rd to watch "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room." http://www.enronmovie.com
The Film Cluster met at a private home for a film, wine, and candy - and a discussion of the film. How can anyone resist that combination? Due to poor planning (by the NCAA, of course; not by us:) ), it was the same night as the National Championship game, so for all of you basketball fans that missed the film because you were watching the game, we apologize.
If you would like to be added to the Film Cluster email list, or have a suggestion for a film, please email Taline Manassian at taline@austin.rr.com.
The Film Cluster meets on the first Monday of the month to watch and discuss a film. Next Meeting: May 1st.

The Book Club will be picking its next book soon, so get ready to start reading. If you would like to be added to the Book Club list, please email Rob Crosnoe at crosnoe@mail.la.utexas.edu.
The Book Club will soon start picking its next book. If you have any suggestions, email Rob.

We are planning a Spring event, so be on the lookout for an email about our next event.
We also plan to do another energy event - either in the spring or in the fall; we'll keep you posted.

The Film Cluster will meet next on May 1st. The film and time and location will be announced at a later date.

The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum will host the premiere screening of Austin filmmaker Patrick Fries? documentary ?An Ocean Away? on Tuesday, April 11, 2006, at 7:00 p.m., in the LBJ Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
The screening of ?An Ocean Away? comes just a week after the 38th anniversary of that day on Hill 166 when Donald Matocha, of Smithville, Texas, lost his life, and the lives of the Marines in his reconnaissance patrol were changed forever.
Donald Matocha, leader of the Marine recon patrol known as ?Team Dallas Girl,? was killed in action on Dong Ma Mountain on April 5, 1968. Although his fellow Marines valiantly tried to retrieve his body, they were repelled by enemy forces and forced to leave their comrade behind, a desperate act that haunted members of ?Team Dallas Girl? for years. The circumstances surrounding Matocha?s death also left his family in Smithville, Texas, with an emotional chasm; they didn?t have his body to bury or a way to finalize their grief.

The LBJ School Alumni Group is planning an event on May 2nd, 7:00 p.m. in the Bass Lecture Hall - LBJ School. The event will be entitled "Beyond the headlines... How Texas Education Reform Affects Me." The Future Forum is a Supporter of this event and Future Forum Members are invited to attend. To learn more, go to www.LBJalumni.org

More about the Future Forum: The purpose of the Future Forum is to expand the involvement of young Texans with the LBJ Library and its programs by initiating dialogue about current issues and by providing educational and cultural information to its members. It is the ultimate goal of the Future Forum to foster greater civic involvement within our community. Future Forum Seeks to Inspire!

On March 30, 2005, we held an event on alternate/renewable/clean energy.
Mayor Will Wynn introduced the topic and gave us an overview of what the City of Austin has been doing in the way of alternate/renewable energy and why it has been a leader in this area. Mayor Wynn then moderated a panel discussion on the topic with Roger Duncan and Mark Kapner from Austin Energy, Smitty Smith from Public Citizen, and Lara Valentine from the Clean Energy Sector of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. As usual, we had a wonderful question and answer session following the panel discussion. We taped the event, so if you missed this event and would like to check out the DVD, let us know.

And, don't forget, you can still check out a copy of our recent past events. If you enjoyed the Hip Hop event, consider going to the KLRU Spark event on April 25th with Chuck D and Leonard Pitts (see below). And, see the pciture from that event in the cluster section. Or check out panelists KJAE's website and go see a show.
In other news, Gilbert Tuhabonye, who gave us an inspiring talk on Genocide and healing last Spring has a book coming out in May entitled "This Voice in My Heart : A Genocide Survivor's Story of Escape, Faith, And Forgiveness"

Don't forget: You can always give the gift of a Future Forum Membership.

If you have any ideas about how we can improve the Future Forum, events you'd like to see, or other thoughts, please let us know.

Other LBJ Family sites - LBJ Library: www.lbjlib.utexas.edu, LBJ Now: www.lbjnow.org, LBJ School: www.utexas.edu/lbj/

Come check out the Permanent Exhibits at the LBJ Library and Museum.

The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum will host the premiere screening of Austin filmmaker Patrick Fries? documentary ?An Ocean Away? on Tuesday, April 11, 2006, at 7:00 p.m., in the LBJ Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

TEXAS FORUMS ANNOUNCES: DEMOCRACY'S CHALLENGE FORUMS
? April 29, 2006 @ 9 a.m. to 12 noon: Austin Community College - Highland Business Center Highland Business Center 5930 Middle Fiskville
ABOUT DEMOCRACY'S CHALLENGE FORUMS: Fed up with politics and a widening partisan divide, many Americans are turning away from public life, becoming spectators rather than participants. In a democracy citizens must play an active role. Yet many people have retreated from the activities that make democracy work. Participants in this non-partisan town hall forum sponsored by Texas Forums will deliberate three approaches to help more people become involved in public life: ? Democratic Values: Rebuilding democracy?s moral foundation ? Web of Connections: Reinventing citizenship ? By the People: Bringing the public back into politics

Also, don't forget, the LBJ Library and Museum is open from 9-5 every day of the year except Christmas day. And, admission is free (we are the only Presidential Library that is free). By the way, another bonus of the LBJ Library and Museum - the view! The great picture of Texas Tower and the Fountain looking out from the LBJ Library and Museum is courtesy of Charles Bogel, who always takes the great pictures at our events.

There are lots of great events happening around Austin. Next on the KLRU Spark Series: April 25th at 7:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Avenue; Culture and Society.
In this moderated panel discussion, rap artist Chuck D and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Leonard Pitts will discuss culture, social issues and race. University of Texas professor and author of Hip Hop Matters, S. Craig Watkins will lead the conversation.
For more information email spark@klru.org or call 512-475-9021.

The Shoes For Austin 5K Run and Walk is May 6th. Shoes For Austin is an incentive- based non-profit that rewards hard-working underprivileged kids and adults with a brand new pair of athletic shoes for achieving educational and other self- improvement goals. This program uses the motivation of the individual to demonstrate to him or her that progress is possible, and that with the right effort, he or she can be on the road to success.
Each entry fee buys a new pair of athletic shoes for a hard-working adult or child in need. To learn more about Shoes For Austin, or to sign up on-line, visit www.shoesforaustin.org.