The UNIGRAM
Monthly Newsletter of
the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento
Vol. 31 No. 10
June 2001
A SAMPLE OF JUNE EVENTS at UUSS
·
Sunday
Services 11 a.m. on 6/3 & 6/10
·
All-church
potluck picnic 6/10
·
Summer
Services 6/17-9/2 10 a.m.
·
Sunday
Adult Education 9:30 a.m. on 6/3 & 6/10
·
Sunday
Forums 9:30 a.m. on 6/3 & 6/10
·
Religious
Education 6/3 & 6/10 at 11 a.m.
·
Summer
Religious Education at 10 a.m.
·
Servetus
Club Potluck June 3
·
UU Young Adults
meet 4 times
·
Gap Group
2nd Saturday art walk 6/9
·
Women’s
Alliance meets June 14
Unitarian
Universalist Society of Sacramento
2425 Sierra Blvd., Sacramento CA 95825 (916) 483-9283
Activities/Information 483-9283 ext 208 Fax 483-4934
Minister: The Reverend Douglas Kraft
Director of Religious Education: Kate Throop
Business Manager: Val Hutton
Organist: Barbara Lazar
Music Director: Mary WillAllen
Bookkeeper: Carole Petracek
Office Coordinator: Bobby Stewart
Office Assistant: Cynthia Creter
Building/Grounds Maintenance Mgr: Robert Hosley
Custodian
Elaine Cooper
_____________________________________________________
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
My year as the president of our Board of Trustees is drawing to a close. I’ve sometimes thought of the experience as a “trial and tribulation,” to use a phrase often repeated by one of my teachers at parochial boarding school when chastising her class for less than Christian-like behavior.
The main problem for me is my innate distaste for and lack of interest in promptly handling administrative details that must be done if the business of our church is to be handled effectively. We have an extremely competent staff, but they can’t do everything. I’ve even approached the scribbling of this monthly epistle with dread until I stop procrastinating and get to it.
I recently realized there’s just too much stress for me in anticipating another year in the office. I am grateful to Bud Lembke and the Nominating Committee for graciously accepting and dealing with my tardy decision, and I apologize to any and all for the inconvenience I have caused by my late decision.
However, I’m not going away. I plan to direct my energy to other supportive activities and I hope to be a part of a concerted effort to improve the fiscal health of our church.
Thanks to Linda Clear for agreeing to replace me on the ballot. I’ll do anything I can to support you.
Ruth Van Unen
President
_________________________________________________
A SUMMER OF SUNDAYS
JUNE 2001
6/3
9:30 a.m. Auditorium
– Forum: "The Impact of the Global Economy on
Working People." Speaker David Bacon is a writer and photographer covering
labor, immigration and the global economy. He is a former factory worker and
union organizer, and worked for the United Farm Workers, the United Electrical
Workers, and other unions. His photo-documentary on the UFW will be shown at
the Oakland Museum starting on Cesar Chavez' birthday, March 31. He stated,
"I was thinking that the subject for my talk could be the impact of the
global economy on working people, and what people can do about it." --
Leon Lefson, Coordinator.
9:30
a.m. Library – Adult R.E. Series on love
coordinated by Jeff Watson continues.
11 a.m. Auditorium
– Service: “Building Community Inside and Out.” Helen Bishop.
6/10
9:30 a.m. Auditorium
– Forum: "The Birth of an International
Institution: the International Criminal Court." This court would hold
individuals, even at the highest level of government, accountable for their
actions - a major step towards world peace and security. Our speaker is Marc
Christiansen, member of World Federalist and United Nations Association. --
Evelyn Friend, Coordinator.
9:30 a.m. Library
– Adult R.E. Series on love coordinated by Jeff Watson continues.
11
a.m. Auditorium – Service: “Tapping Inward Springs.” Erika Hewitt,
speaker. At this final service of the church year, we will reflect on the
approaching summer. This season is more than just vacation -- it
can also be a time of renewal and finding strength. How do you find your
"inner springs"? What does it mean to tap into those resources and
bring renewed energy back into this church community? Come discover and
celebrate your Inward Springs! Erika Hewitt has completed her course work at
Starr King School for the Ministry and will serve as the Intern Minister of the
Community Church of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in the fall. --Kathleen Mead,
Worship Associate.
All-Society Potluck Picnic follows. Bring a dish to share or pay $5. Everyone is welcome!
SUMMER SERVICES BEGIN JUNE
17
10 a.m in the Auditorium
6/17 First Summer Service. Love and Fathers. Tom Bruce speaks.
6/24 Summer
Solstice service, Outdoors. Women’s Ritual Group. Discover the origins of the
Summer Solstice and pay tribute to the rhythms of the earth. Gordon Burnham
(Musical Director of the Boston Hindu Vedanta Center for 25 years) and Rita
Burnham will lead us in chants from different faiths around the world, and the
Congolese Dance Troupe will energize us.-- Laurie Jones, coordinator.
JULY 2001
(See July Unigram for
more information.)
7/1 “Man and Eichmann.” Rev. Ted Webb, Minister
Emeritus.
7/8 “A Teaching on Kindness.” Peter M. Gaffney, M.D.
What unites us all as human
beings is our shared desire for happiness, which in a deeper sense is a yearning
to overcome our feelings of separateness, of isolation from each other. When we
practice loving-kindness, we open to the essential truth of being alive in this
world, to a sense of love that is not tied to desire, and this truth overcomes
the illusion of separateness, bringing us more confidence, more feelings of
safety and a deeper sense of belonging.—Peter Gaffney. Dr. Gaffney is a
psychiatrist specializing in individual and group psychotherapy. Deeply
involved in Buddhist practice since the late 1980s, he has trained in both Zen
and Tibetan traditions and was ordained in Soto Zen in 1992. Recently he has
been writing, teaching, and working with groups exploring the relationships
between psychotherapy and the Buddhist path. He also leads Iron Bell Zen Group,
a recently formed Zen sitting group in Sacramento.
7/15 “Spirituality
and the Arts.” Rich Howard, coordinator.
7/22 “All
Creatures Great and Small.” Kate Throop.
7/29 General
Assembly Service.
AUGUST 2001
(See August Unigram for
more information.)
8/5 “Recognizing Our Love.” This service is
intended to explore a few aspects of Love, starting with self-love, and the
obvious elements of religious traditions that address self-love, the humility
in Taoism, the compassion of Buddha, the forgiveness in Christianity, the
presence in Islam—Jeff Watson, speaker.
8/12 (to be announced)
8/19 Rev.
Doug Kraft speaks.
8/26 Music
Service. Taylor Carey with Native Grass.
SEPTEMBER 2001
9/2 Last
Sunday on the Summer Service schedule, Labor Day Weekend. Service features a
production by Theater One.
OPENING SUNDAY – SEPTEMBER 9
9/9 At
the 11 a.m. Service we will hold our INGATHERING CEREMONY.
Please remember to bring a sample of water
from your summer sojourns.
_______________________________________________________
AT THE MOMENT…
Rev. Doug Kraft
As I write, it has been three weeks since Ned Doehne jumped off a bridge and killed himself. He was a deeply loved member of our church community. He will be dearly missed. We have lost a number of cherished members of our church this year. This is natural and a part of life’s cycle. But Ned’s death has seemed more tragic because of his relative youth, the family left behind and the fact that it was suicide. His final act was at such odds with the vibrant, optimistic person we knew. If he’d been hit by a car or suffered a sudden heart attack, his loss would be great and painful. But his participation in death makes it doubly disturbing.
Intellectually, it is easy to find an explanation. He suffered from a rapid, deep onset of an old depression. He was fighting it. He was getting help from family, friends and the medical profession. But none of us realized he was suicidal. He was …
Intellectually, it is easy in hindsight to figure out what happened and follow the explanation. But emotionally it remains disturbing and hard to fathom.
There is a tendency in our culture to rush to find fault. When we can’t find an external cause, we tend to turn on the person and blame them. Tuberculosis is a classic example of this tendency. “Consumption” or the “white plague” has killed people for thousands of years. But because no one understood the disease process, it was seen as a moral failure. It was viewed as the bi-product of character weakness. Now, of course, its bacterial origin is understood and the stigma associated with it has lifted. It is no longer shameful.
Suicide, of course, has more varied origins. In Ned’s case, there was most likely some kind of bio-chemical imbalance. The sudden shift in mood and affect indicate this. But we’ll never know for sure.
Suicide, like consumption of old, can have a stigma attached to it. It can be seen as shameful. And even if we don’t condemn it as openly as some religions, we can too easily slide into quietly faulting the person.
This stigma causes it to be talked about less openly. This shame and secrecy explains why it is far more prevalent than most people know. I have been grateful for how openly our community has been able to grieve our loss without getting stuck in shame or blame.
Eric, Ned’s younger brother, cautioned against the temptation to reinterpret Ned’s life by his means of death. This would be a mistake. I’m grateful for Eric’s words.
This leaves us with a deeper, haunting set of questions: “If Ned’s suicide was not the result of an unseen moral weakness, if his optimism and enthusiasm were genuine, if he truly was the person we knew all these years, if the depression truly was the equivalent of a heart attack of the spirit, then could this happen to me? Could some unforeseen force grab me and in the space of a month cause me to want to kill myself? How much control do I truly have of my mood, thought and feeling?”
I don’t have easy response to these questions. It can be tempting to grab a quick answer which offers more comfort than accuracy or depth. However, this is not our way. As Unitarian Universalists, our faith calls upon us to resist shallow, pat answers. Rather, we are called upon to sit with these questions and enter into deep conversations with each other around them.
I have been deeply grateful for the strength and heart in our community these last few weeks. I’ve seen so many small and large spontaneous acts of compassion. I’ve seen a willingness in people to share and grieve together.
Life does go on. We will remain a vibrant and strong community. Ned’s death will change us forever nonetheless. And if we truly lift the shame attached to suicide and if we can connect with one another around the haunting question, “Could this happen to me?” then we will be further enriched. This would be one of his last gifts to us. It’s a gift I wish we could return and get him back. But we can’t.
I will continue to
grieve him. I will continue to send love to his family. I will continue to feel
so much gratitude for all he gave us over the years. I will continue to ponder
and share the questions he raises for all of us. I will continue to be grateful
to all of you for your capacity to be compassionate and real.
Finding Doug . .
I will be out of circulation for June and July. I am taking my vacation during the month of June so I can go back East for both my sons’ graduations. Then I’ll be packing up the rest of the household and sending it out to Sacramento. (By the time you read this, I hope we have a buyer for our house!) I will use July for my month of study and preparation. By August I expect to be “back in the saddle.”
Meanwhile, Val, our Business Manager, will know how to reach me wherever I am.
RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION NEWS
A child should have mudpies, grasshoppers, waterbugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud turtles, elderberries, acorns, trees to climb, animals to pet, hayfields, pinecones, sand, snakes, huckleberries and hornets…any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of education”. Luther Burbank (1849-1926)
During his lifetime, Luther Burbank attended many Unitarian churches, although he was never a member of any particular one. I like to think that if he were to visit UUSS this summer, he would find our children and youth engaged in the “best part of education.”
Our summer activities will center on “Animals and the Arts.” Many of these summer Sundays will be spent out-of-doors – please dress for warm weather, wear sunscreen if you need it, and wear shoes and socks on the designated days (we’ll be tramping through some rough terrain!).
June’s activities are listed below: a flyer giving information for the entire summer will be mailed to families the last week in May.
June 3 – UUSS Family Camp at Lake Oroville. Childcare and activities in Room 11 for all ages. (Service at 11 a.m.)
June 10 – Children and youth in preschool through 8th grade join their families for the beginning of the service, then to Room 7/8 for a special gathering with Debbie Osborn of Wildlife Care. Debbie will share with us her knowledge about rescuing and caring for injured wildlife, and will bring four-footed, scaly, and feathered friends with her. Debbie is visiting us as a volunteer, but donations to Wildlife Care are appreciated—we will pass the basket. (Service at 11 a.m., Wildlife Care with Debbie from 11:20 – 12:15 p.m.)
June 17 Summer Schedule begins – children and youth meet at 10 a.m. on the patio outside Room 11.
June 17 – UUSS member Mary Stanton, a lover of “grasshoppers, hayfields, and huckleberries,” will lead us on a natural history excursion in our own back yard. Mary will help us record our observations using techniques that illustrators use for field notes. Interested adults are invited to join the group. (Service at 10 a.m.)
June 24 – R.E. Committee members Tina Chiginsky and Suzanne Hambleton will round-up some great outdoor games for the first Family Painting Day (see “Remembering Ned”).
July 1 – Introducing “Our Pets” (or favorite animal). We will learn by sharing favorite stories about our pets, and we’ll begin a mural of pet illustrations.
Family Painting Day continues.
Remembering Ned:
Family Painting Day
The first time I visited with Ned after he and Carol and Jessica and Matthew had come home from their trip to New Zealand, he told me he was determined to lead the way in getting our religious education buildings painted this spring. Ned’s energetic devotion to religious education, as well as his concern for our aging buildings, are reason enough for this project to be completed, with your help.
The Religious Education Committee, working with John McMillan and Mike Inamine of Property Management Committee, will coordinate three Family Painting Sundays. If you would like to help, please sign up at the R.E. Table to work on one (or all) of three Sundays: June 24, July 1, and July 8. If we do not complete the work in that time frame, we will keep working until the work is done.
Sherry Melchers is coordinator of our “friendship outreach” to Carol, Jessica, and Matt. Please call Sherry you would like to help. Home-made dinners (fresh or frozen) will be delivered by Sherry’s crew of volunteers over the summer months, along with other tokens of caring and love for these dear friends.
_____________________________________________
Kate’s Summer Calendar
June 7-17 I will be on vacation, attending my High School Reunion (OK, my 40th!) and a family reunion, both in New England.
June 17-25 I will be attending the UUA General Assembly in Cleveland.
During the summer months, my office hours will be irregular. If you have business at UUSS and want to meet with me, please call first to make sure I will be here. I will be taking a week or two of study leave during the summer (at a yet to be determined time) to read several curricula and support materials for this coming year.
Wherever your travels take you this summer – Yellowstone, Scotland, Folsom Lake, the wading pool in your own back yard, I commend to you these words from John Muir which were printed in the program at Ned’s Memorial Service:
“This grand show is eternal, it is always sunrise somewhere: the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is forever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.”
Indeed, it is always sunrise somewhere.
Love,
Kate Throop, Director of Religious Education
_____________________________________________________
UUSS NEWS & EVENTS
Ministry Circles Have Begun
New members welcome in July
The initial round of Ministry Circle sign-ups was completed with an average of eight participants per group. Ministry Circles are groups of six to 12 people who meet weekly or biweekly in homes to explore and share their spiritual or religious journeys. The groups are made up of UUSS members, friends, and others from the community who share a desire for a spiritual and ethical search in a small-group setting characterized by trust and intimacy.
The Circles will be open for new members every two months starting in July. In you are interested in joining a Ministry Circle, brochures and sign-up sheets will be available at the church office and at the greeters’ table at Sunday services.
________________________________________
FROM THE BUSINESS MANAGER
There’s a strong wind blowing as I write this article, an audacious invader and pillager of our early warm spell, a dislocater of branches, a disturber of leaves and petals. I’ve retrieved and stored a garbage can that was wrenched from its place and thrown into the air, and have just combed my hair for the third time since I arrived at work. I grew up on the northwest coast of England, so I ought to be used to wind, but this is different. It’s dry and dusty, not laden with salty water, and it’s enough to make me long for summer and gazing at calm seas; for barbecues and ball games; for sleeping late, taking it easy.
Apparently the UUSS staff has been thinking about that for some time! Vacations and conferences call, and we will be away as follows:
· Doug Kraft will be on vacation, at General Assembly, and on study leave June and July.
· Kate Throop will be on vacation June 6-17, at General Assembly June 17-26, and on vacation from July 30-August 5.
· Val Hillsdon-Hutton will be on vacation August 2-17.
· Bobby Stewart will be on vacation July 13-16 and August 20-24
· Carole Petracek will be on vacation during the second week of June and the second week of August (final dates to be decided upon).
· Cynthia Creter will be on vacation from December 21-27.
· Custodial staff will set vacation dates later this month.
We will make every effort to keep the office running during absences, but would appreciate a little longer lead-time when it comes to any extra tasks that you might have for us.
Following her six-month evaluation, the Personnel Committee and the Board of Trustees had no hesitation in making Office Assistant Cynthia Creter a permanent employee of UUSS. Good for Cynthia, and especially good for us!
Val
Hillsdon-Hutton, Business Manager
_________________________________________
Let’s Do Lunch!
UUSS members who work or live (or are just passing
through) downtown can meet for lunch on the first Friday of each month. Let’s
get to know each other better. June 1 we’ll meet at Brannan’s (1117 11th St
between K and L) at 11:30 a.m. No reservations required—just come in and go to
the back dining room. This is very informal!
Tina
Chiginsky
IN MEMORIAM
Ned
Doehne
(September 13, 1960-April 19, 2001)
On April 28
our congregation and many, many friends of Ned Doehne gathered to celebrate
Ned’s life and to mourn his tragic, untimely death. Ned was a thoughtful, kind,
and generous man of diverse interests. He was a devoted family man, a fine
musician, and he loved the outdoors—hiking, skiing, bicycling. Since joining
UUSS in 1991, Ned served the church enthusiastically in our Religious Education
program, Board of Trustees, Ministry Circles, and countless other projects. Our
deepest sympathies are extended to his family.
__________________________________________________________________
BOARD NOTES
The April 26 board meeting began on a sad and
somber note as we reflected on Ned Doehne’s death and shared memories of our
fellow board member. Ned was a strong and vital presence at board meetings and
his absence will be felt for a very long time.
The central theme of the board meeting was finances. Bud Lemke presented the final canvass report and it appears that we will start the next church year with $296,000 in pledge revenue.
Even after the Finance Committee has made significant reductions in expenses, the budget for next year will start with a $65,000 deficit. A motion was approved to present this deficit budget to the congregation at the May meeting and plan for a second canvass in the fall.
The board also discussed the ongoing cash flow problems we are encountering this year. The Treasurer’s report indicated we need an additional $20,000 in cash by the end of May to meet our financial obligations. Various board members and others at the April Board meeting agreed to make advance payments now on next year’s pledges and over $10,000 was committed that evening. The board directed the Finance Committee to explore ways of raising the additional cash.
The board approved the motion to conduct the May elections as a pilot on proportional voting. Pete Martineau and Sharon Alexander will coordinating and lead this year’s election committee.
We hoped for good attendance at the May 20 Congregational Meeting to hear your thoughts on the budget issue and vote for your new Board of Trustees.
Dennis Clear,
Secretary
____________________________________________________________
Tax Support: Faith Based Groups?
Ten concerned and enthusiastic UUs attended our first meeting on President Bush’s proposed tax support for faith-based groups. You are invited to join us for our follow-up meeting after church on June 3, 12:45 p.m. in Room 6. We will share new information and plan our next step. Please call me if you have questions.
Joan Osborn
__________________________________________
Learn the Language of Dreams
Join the Daydreamers Wednesdays 10 a.m.
Our dreams are constantly offering a different and more
enriched view of our calling in the world. If we are wise, we will learn the
language with which our dreams speak, and open to their purpose—the new, more
complete perspective they offer. Come join us on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to
noon in the church Library. Everyone is welcome. No experience is necessary. Call
me for more information. Fran Oyafuso
______________________________________________
Thank You, Women’s Alliance
One cannot help but notice how clean the Auditorium chairs are looking. Thanks to the Women’s Alliance, they have been professionally cleaned and, where necessary, rewoven. They look wonderful. Thank you Women’s Alliance for noticing and getting it done! And a special thanks goes to our custodial staff for carrying every chair outside and back inside!
Val Hillsdon-Hutton,
Business Manager
__________________________________________
Humanists Meet at UUSS
Ted Webb speaks June 1
The Rev. Ted Webb, Minister Emeritus of UUSS, will speak at the Humanist Association of the Greater Sacramento Area (HAGSA) meeting on Friday June 1, 7 p.m. in the Fahs Room. His topic: “American Foreign Policy, Past, Present, and
Future.” (This is the program originally planned for the
UUSS Forum April 14 that was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts with Easter
services.) UUSS members and friends are always welcome at HAGSA meetings. Anna Andrews
________________________________________________
Women’s Alliance Meets June 14
Show us your “Secret Self”!
June 14 will be our last meeting until September 13. We will not only have an installation ceremony for our new officers and our usual delightful Spring Salad Potluck Lunch, but an added bonus:
Member participation
“Secret Self” Fashion Show!
Sign up by June 7 and be ready to traipse down the aisle on the 14th as the crazy, wild, wonderful, fun YOU that you have kept hidden from the world. If you feel a little shy about being “on stage,” come dressed as an expression of yourself anyway and just sit and enjoy the fun from the audience. Spouses and guests are welcome.
Don’t forget your salad--it is your admission. There will be a $5 fee for guests and any member without a yummy salad in hand.
Fran Oyafuso
______________________________________________
Fund Raiser-Volunteer Needed
The Entertainment Books want you
Our last chance is approaching (or already passed, depending on your mail carrier’s schedule) to hold fund-raising sales of the Entertainment Books next fall. In the past, many of us have used the books to find great bargains in restaurants, travel, theater, gifts, and more. We’d hate to discontinue this project, but if no one volunteers by the end of May….
____________________________________________
Gap Group Meetings in June
Movies, Art Walk, Ball Game
anyone?
Gap Group is a loosely-organized group of
middle-aged people, single or not, who enjoy getting together for social
occasions. New people are always welcome to join us or to host activities.
Please call me with your suggestions.
Saturday 6/9 - Want to have the fun of visiting
galleries all over town on the Second Saturday Art Walk? And maybe
dinner or coffee after? Cathy George will be our leader. Call her.
Movie and
dessert . Judy Bell
is taking Time Off this month—she’s going to Spain! If someone else will
arrange the June movie and dessert, she’d appreciate it—let me know and I’ll
email the Gap Group.
Want to have
a great time at the old ball game?
_________________________________________________________________
Theater One: 3 Productions
Theater One had the pleasure of working on three productions this spring. On March 3 we entertained at the Canvass Celebration Dinner in the skit “Radio Days” written and directed by Helen Graham, with John Harvey Carter, Shirley Hewitt, Bud Lembke, Marlene Parkinson, Paula Squire, and Gayle Voeller. Invited to perform for the Women’s Alliance luncheon on Saturday April 14, the group did an original musical show, also written and directed by Helen Graham. Performers were Nancy Gilbert, Robert Hosley, Karen Norberg, Marlene Parkinson, Mike Reynolds, Paula Squire, Clair & Tiffany Urness, and Gayle Voeller. The Women’s Alliance event was sold out and those present had many compliments for the writer and cast.
Then we performed
Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible” April 20, 21, and 22 with a great cast of Barbara
Amberson, Hank Coffin, Henry Clark, Ankie Giese, Gina Heckeroth, David Hess,
Blythe Hewitt, Shirley Hewitt, Phil Jaynes, Lisa Karkoski, Lisa Langhorst, Dave
Lust, Dixie Owens, Howard Owens, Dennis Riechmann, Pat Skeels, Carl Sweet,
Hector Venegas, and Frank Winans. I directed it, assisted by A.D. Ruth
Davis Barr. Stage Manager Tami Buscho also handled lights, set, and
props. Her crew was some actors and Alex Killian. Bob Clifton, assisted
by Rosemary Muller and Ethne Smoot, prepared a terrific dinner for a
sellout crowd on Saturday evening. Carl Sweet made the windows and Bess
Hall made the “poppet.” Mary WillAllen designed the sound and
produced it Friday and Saturday; Pete Wallace was in the sound booth for
the Sunday performance. Costumes were by Gayle Voeller; hats by Misha
Parker. Francine Kozkodin designed the flyers and tickets. Those working on
ticket sales and refreshments were Joyce Chadd, Richard, Judith & Aaron Dewey,
Campbell Engles, Arnie Godmintz, Val Hutton, Annie Kempees, Annette Kregel,
Pete Larsen, Velma Larsen, Nancy Lust, Nancy Oprsal, Bob & Fran Oyafuso,
Carole Petracek, Jan Reed, Eric Ross, Carl Seratt, Paula Squire, and Jeff
Voeller. Publicity was by Laurie Jones and Arnie Godmintz. All of
these people (and many unnamed as well) contributed to the success of our play,
and made it possible for Theater One to earn about $4,000 for the church during
that weekend. Wow!
____________________________________________
OUTREACH
Social Action Marketplace
Welcome to the Social Action Marketplace. A survey conducted
earlier this year confirmed what we already knew—that we place a high value on
socially responsible activities. This is a list of opportunities for you to
make a difference. Please review the list and select activities that you can
support. If you want to add to this column, please call Joyce Miller. Socially
responsible activities are those that promote the health and welfare of the
world’s population and protect the environment.
TransNet Barbara Amberson. UUSS transportation network for members (riders & drivers).
American River Clean-up Jeff Voeller. Pick up trash along designated site one Saturday per
month.
Coalition for Sustainability Nancy Oprsal. Lifestyle choices that preserve the
environment.
Interfaith Hospitality Network Nancy Oprsal. Local churches providing shelter, meals and support to homeless families.
Interfaith Service Bureau Thelma White. Cooperative activities of interfaith organizations.
Loaves & Fishes Meals and support for homeless. Volunteers for meals: Jane Pivetti. Donations: Lois Panting.
Latino/a Unitarian Universalist Networking
Association (LUNNA)
Frank Winans. Latino/Latina outreach program.
Mustard Seed School Jan Reed. Structured educational program for homeless children 3-18 years old.
Sacramento Children’s Home Thelma White. Mentoring program for children in this group home and school.
St. John’s Shelter
Nancy Candee. Shelter for abused women and children. UUSS is officially
responsible for the meal on the 4th Wednesday of each month and has freezer
space designated for this shelter.
Samaritan Center Arnie Godmintz. Center for meals and other assistance.
State Actions
PCD UU Community Ministry Jody Shipley (Berkeley). Support/information on community
ministers, persons living with disabilities and AIDS.
Handgun Control, Inc. Thelma White. Supporting handgun control.
Million Mom March, Sacramento Valley Chapter Thelma White. Promotes common-sense gun
laws to protect children.
ChildReach. Financial support to community
development and education of children in other countries.
Children International Kate Throop.
A 15 year-old rural Guatemalan boy, Marvin Armando Sut Tucubal, is supported by a monthly donation coordinated through the Religious Education Committee.
Church Partnership Dixie Owens. Support for Unitarian Universalist churches in Hungary and Romania.
Last Wednesday Club
Nancy Gilbert. Award winning documentaries on international issues,
shown the last Wednesday of each month.
Sacramento Yolo Peace Action Ruth Hultgren. Group that conducts activities to reduce military spending and promote international peace.
UNA (United Nations Association) Fred Hansen. Local
chapter of group that supports the United Nations and meets monthly for a
lecture and lunch.
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) Paula Squire. Supports education, nutrition, clean water and sanitation, and healthcare for children internationally.
UU Service Committee
Jacqui Bell. Works on human rights, social justice, peace, & economic
opportunity in the United States and worldwide.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Last Wednesday Club Meets 6/27
7 p.m. in Room 7/8
The Last Wednesday Club is a monthly documentary film and
discussion group sponsored by the Social Responsibility Committee and Nancy
Gilbert. May 30 Betty Ch’maj’s film “To Dream a Nation: South Africa After
Apartheid,” will be shown. Don’t miss it! June 27 film to be selected
—collection on NAFTA, sweatshops, and the like.
Nancy Gilbert
_______________________________________________
UU Service Committee (UUSC)
New Local Representative is Jacqui Bell
Jacqui comes to us with incredible political and lobbying experience and has been a prior staffer for the UUSC. So it is with joy that I pass this worthy role on to this energetic and talented lady.
The UUSC has been
working for justice and human rights throughout the world for over 60 years. It
needs your support to put our principles in action globally. Minimum
membership, including their interesting Newsletter, is a mere $25/year, but a
$60 contribution will be matched, doubling your impact. Call Jacqui Bell or me
or send directly to UUSC Membership, 130 Prospect St, Cambridge MA 02139-1845.
Or call (617) 868-7102; or www.uusc.org. Our current congregational membership
rate has fallen dramatically—let’s revive it now! Nancy Gilbert
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UUSS NEWS
& EVENTS
Servetus
Potluck is 6/3
Servetus
Club is a social club for older singles. We have potluck suppers at UUSS the
first Sunday evening of each month and occasional other parties and trips. Come
to our potluck Sunday June 3 at 6 p.m. in the Fahs Room. We’ll plan a summer
activity (our regular monthly meetings resume September 9). Visitors are always
welcome! Please bring a dish to share. Cost for members: $2; $3 for
non-members. Dorothy
Engelstad
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Attention
All Bridge Players
Grand Finale is Wednesday June 6
All bridge players are invited to the Round
Robin Bridge Grand Finale on Wednesday, June 6, 7 p.m. in the church Lounge.
It’s an evening for getting acquainted and fun and laughter...sign up for next
fall’s new Round Robin schedule and enjoy the awarding of prizes to this year’s
winners. You don’t need a partner to attend, and you need not be participating
in this year’s Round Robin games.RSVP Jane Pivetti or me. Betty Faist
P.S. to
Round Robin players: Please turn in your final scores to me. Thank you.
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UU
Young Adults Meet 4 Times
Coffee,
Concerts, and Video
UU Young Adults are Unitarian Universalists in
their 20s and 30s. Some of us are single, some are married, and some are in
between. Newcomers are always welcome! For more information on the group call
me, or join our email collective.
Sunday 6/3, 7 p.m.: It's Coffee Time. Meet at the Java City at Fair Oaks and Fulton for an extended check-in discussion, with coffee, tea, or other treats from Sacramento's home-grown coffee house.
Special Time and Place. Tuesday 6/12, 5:45 p.m.: Concert at the Zoo. Come to the Sacramento Zoo in William Land Park to see the blues band Mick Martin & the Blue Rockers. Free with zoo admission ($6.25).
Sunday 6/17, 7 p.m.: Full Circle. Join us for the 3rd part in our 3-part video series on Women and Spirituality. (Parts 1 and 2 are not prerequisites for enjoying the video or participating in the discussion afterwards!)
Special Time and Place. Friday 6/22, 5:30 p.m.:
Concert in the Park. We'll go to Cesar Chavez Plaza to hear Mother Hips, Honey Spot, and Red Star Memorial. Meet at 5:30 in front of the main Sacramento Library (downtown on I Street, between 8th and 9th). From there it's just half a block to the beer garden and great free music! Carrie Cornwell
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Final Canvass Summing up
Some good, bad news
The recently-completed annual drive for pledges to meet 2001-2002 expenses resulted in promises of about $290,000, at last count by Terry Throop, who spent the last few weeks extracting tabulations like this from his computer.
Like all statistics, this can be interpreted in two or three ways.
For the forward-looking optimists out there, look at it this way: That $290,000 represents an increase of 16% among the same households who pledged last year. A lot more members and friends increased their pledges than stayed the same or decreased them.
Those are the uplifting thoughts. And now, students of how to be sanguine and buoyant all the time, avert your eyes.
The drive came nowhere near to achieving the 50% increase that was put forth as a target when the canvass began early in March. That may have been unrealistic, but it does not decrease the pain of slashing the tentative $413,000 budget.
We go on from there.
While the Finance Committee and the Board of
Trustees sharpened its paring knives at Unigram press time for the budget that was to be presented to the
congregation May 20, various avenues of boosting
revenue are under consideration.
Those have yet to be determined. What is established as an absolute solid fact is that the Canvass Committee, while drawing constructive criticism that will be forwarded to the board along with other ideas for an improved effort next year, had tremendous help from many.
Among those on the co-chairs’ honor roll are the
Canvass Committee members They handled frequent meetings and
assignments dating back to December with aplomb! So many thanks to Barbara
Amberson, Anna Andrews, Roger Barr, Richard Dewey, Ginny Johnson, the Rev.
Douglas Kraft, Annie Kempees, Milt Ritchie, Dave Thomas, Ruth Van Unen, and
Thelma White.
Many thanks also to Chris Webb-Curtis for personalizing all the thank-you letters, to Kathryn Young for designing brochures and to Helen Graham and Karl Scheff for directing the two groups that helped make the celebration dinner a success. In spiffy attire, Jim Skow and his crew from the Unitarian Universalist Community Church served at the dinner. Anna Andrews rounded up 50 canvassers and their captains. Ginny Johnson trained them. We all pulled together. Much thanks!
Pete Martineau
Bud Lembke
Canvass co-chairs
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DENOMINATIONAL
AFFAIRS
Welcoming Congregations
Leadership Conference
June 30 at UUSS, 9-5 in Room 7/8
An all-day Leadership Conference organized by people in the San
Mateo UU church will be offered at UUSS on Saturday, June 30, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. for
all UUs who are involved in—or would
like to be involved in—the Welcoming Congregations movement. “Welcoming
Congregations” is a UU effort to make gay, bisexual, lesbian, and transgender
people truly welcome in our UU family. UUA provides a curriculum for a
Welcoming Congregations class and allows congregations to vote for themselves
the title of a Welcoming Congregation (UUSS is one). We feel there is more that
can be done, and that this leadership conference will generate enthusiasm and
help us develop new ideas. The only
cost is to share evenly in the cost of the food and make a donation for copying
expenses.
Friday, June 29, everyone is welcome
to attend a pre-conference film and guided discussion in Room 7/8 (free).
Kim Cooper,
Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo
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Are
you a UU...& a Seminole too?
The University Unitarian Universalists of
Florida State University are attempting to identify as many alumni/nae from FSU
as possible. They are also collecting alumni/nae information for schools across
the nation, so they ask that you send them the following information whatever
your university: your name, address, email, telephone number,
colleges/universities attended and year graduated. Send it to Kim Frichter,
Campus Ministry Coordinator, at UU Church of Tallahassee, 2810 N. Meridian
Road, Tallahassee, FL 32312, or e-mail
kim@cennexus.com.
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The
4/20-22 District Assembly
Our Pacific Central District (PCD) District Assembly always brings together a wonderful conglomeration of people. The opening service in San Ramon this year was an inspiration of dance, art, and thought provoking talk on being Unitarian Universalist.
I couldn’t help thinking often about Ned Doehne. Last year at District Assembly in San Francisco, Ned ran around with his children Matt and Jessica trying to get whoever would go with them up the hill to see a spectacular church. I had the good sense to make the trek, and I was glad I did. I am still glad. The church was beautiful, and I have the wonderful memory of Ned enthusiastically sharing a beautiful experience with everyone he could get hold of. Thanks, Ned.
Be Patterson