7401 Ocean Gateway, POB 1162
Easton, MD 21601

410-822-8103

www.uufeaston.org

Two Sunday Services With Child Care,
9 & 11 a.m.

Sunday School, 11:00 a.m.

Summer Service Schedule Begins May 30

One Service With Child Care, 10 a.m.

Sunday School, 10 a.m.

UUFE Contacts

Minister	Rev. James M. Bank, 301-633-4274 or 410-822-8103
Co-Presidents	Gail Woodall, 410-820-8541 Janet Pfeffer, 410-770-9540
Acting DRE	Nicole Meehan, 410-901-1488
Music Director	Patty Rubin, 410-745-2000
Minister Emeritus	Daniel G. Higgins, Jr., DMin, 410-745-3462
Newsletter Editor	Amy Eutsey, 410-820-7971; beansnbear@hotmail.com

Inside this issue…

Ministerial Musings

From the Co-Presidents

Gatherings

Children’s RE

Music Notes

Adult RE

Social Action

Joys & Concerns

Board Minutes

UUFE Annual Meeting Agenda & Election Slate

Calendar

May Sermons

May 2, “Humanism: A World Religions Sermon.” This Sunday is our last World Religions sermon; we will consider religious humanism, which is so central to our own traditions. Don’t forget Jim’s installation at 4 p.m. Bring along hors d'oeuvres to share, but if you don’t have the time to make them, come anyway. Your presence is the most important thing you can bring!

May 9, “A Sunday for Children and Youth.” In the first service this morning, we will dedicate any children who wish to be a part of this ceremony or whose parents would like them to be a part of it. In the second service, we will honor our Religious Education program for the past year.

May 16, “Avoiding Fundamentalisms of the Left.” Nancy Orr mentioned this topic in a sermon last summer. Now Jim wishes to expand on it!

May 23, “Word Thoughts.” Last month, Jim shared some of his poetry with the members of the Chestertown Fellowship. Now he brings his roadshow back home. We will hear of Adam and Eve’s escape from the garden, what Satan used to justify an eternity of sins, the fears of an actor who never learned his lines, and more. Be sure to come.

May 30, “Community Circle: Over the Rainbow.” Come tell and listen to stories of the tales (heard, read, viewed, imagined) that transported us as youngsters. Leader: Janet Pfeffer

Ministerial Musings

Jim Bank is in the church office Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to at least 3:00 p.m., but often running into the evening hours. His e-mail address is jmbatmd@aol.com. His personal phone number is 301-633-4274. His home phone is 301-622-6431. Messages also can be left on the office line. Because of meetings and conferences, it is best to call ahead and make an appointment. Jim will be in town a third weekday as well for community events and to visit with members.

For a Drowning Person

A few weeks ago, I finally was able to get to water when I was in the area. I’ve been trying to go there to talk with its founding directors, Drs. Mary Hunt and Diann Neu, for a number of months now. Before that, I had found myself too occupied with the immediate to start looking up old friends—even those who only live down the block and around the corner (so to speak). But every few months, I would recommend water to one friend or another and wanted to talk with Mary about it.

water is the acronym for the Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual. Mary delivered the sermon at one of my past installations. And though another woman will speak at my installation on May 2, I look back fondly on Mary’s participation when she spoke truths that were needed at the time.

Over coffee and cookies, Mary and I talked about my upcoming installation; the sign in front of our church that came down twice; the little girl who Diann and Mary have adopted from China; the continuing need for a strong feminist voice in the fields of theology, ethics, and ritual; the position that greater Unitarian Universalism has taken in gay, lesbian, and transgendered issues; the importance of April’s March for Women’s Lives, the 20th anniversary of water, and more. Diann and Mary also gave me two copies of water’s quarterly newsletter, WATERwheel.

When I got home, I poured over their newsletter right away. I looked at the “Ceremony of Hearts” that Diann had written. I pondered several articles by Mary. In one titled, “The Passionless,” Mary said of Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ,”

The movie is a sign of the times—a literal, if selective, overblown, Hollywood read of an often-told story. It is geared to an audience that has not benefited from any modern tools of biblical criticism, has not thought about the consequences of stereotypes, and does not want to. Those who like blood and guts with their popcorn will enjoy it. The rest of us can safely skip it. I preferred the book, though that has problems, too.

I looked at the page of feminist resources, pondering which ones I own and which ones I should. And, I realized how much I’ve missed since I let my subscription lapse. I do plan to subscribe to WATERwheel again and to take Mary and Diann up on their invitation to stop by more often. I hope we’ll be able to get both of them to come to Easton to speak some Sunday. Being with them and then reading their comments was like finding water for a drowning person. Water from water. I felt fortunate that they are so near, with so much to offer.

See you at the Fellowship Sunday!

Jim Bank

If you’re interested in learning more about water, look them up on the Web at www.hers.com/water.

From the Co-Presidents

To Bark or Not To Bark

Our Newsletter editor likes it when there is a theme for the month. Surely, CHOICE is the theme for May 2004, as we install our chosen minister; vote on our budget, officers, and Board members for the coming fiscal year; search for our new Director of Religious Education; and cheer on the Building Expansion committee as it makes, and prepares to make, streams of decisions.

I am choosing to become friends with dogs. Lucky is a large, tan hybrid dog who lives down the block from me on a large corner lot with an electric fence. During our first year as neighbors, Lucky raced at me and barked aggressively on both sides of her property. I learned to cross the street to avoid her, to change the path of my daily walks, to warn my walking companions. Making eye contact and talking to Lucky didn’t change her behavior; having run-ins with other smaller and larger dogs didn’t boost my self-esteem.

One day several years later the Dad of the family said to Lucky, “Be quiet, you know Janet,” and I thought I heard him say to me, “Don’t be bothered by Lucky, she’s old and blind.”

I think of myself as old and blind, just like lumbering old Lucky. On my next walk, I called to her; she came over and crouched down. I learned to look for her on my walks so that I could give her a good scratch and a pep talk. It’s pet therapy for me, and there’s no more barking. Several months after Lucky and I bonded, I asked the Mom of the family about Lucky’s age. She said that Lucky is 4. Lucky’s not blind, either.

Janet Pfeffer

Gatherings

Men’s Lunch Bunch, May 5 & 19

Men from the Fellowship gather promptly at 11:30 a.m. at the Easton Airport Cafe.

Dinner and a Movie Night, May 7

This month’s movie is “The Rabbit Proof Fence,” a true story of a young Australian Aboriginal girl’s long journey to get back home after being taken away from her family. Australian cuisine will be the food theme. Showtime is 6:30 p.m.

Women’s Luncheon, May 13, Noon

Our hope is to find a restaurant where we can become regulars on second Thursdays. Easton is most central to all of us, so next we will try Portofino’s Restaurante Italiano at 4 Dover Street, just across from the Court House. Anne Lemp will make arrangements for a table, so please contact her if you can make it (410-822-9370). A few of us have thought it might be nice to meet an additional day each month, so please speak to Edie Swallow if this interests you. We might pick a different weekday and maybe do a bit of traveling: The Narrows, St. Michaels, Oxford, or even a picnic on someone’s porch? Ideas welcome!

Knitting, Etc., Apr. 17

Join fellow knitters and needle crafters the third Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. We knit; talk; share a cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa; and enjoy the camaraderie of those who share our passion. Beginners are welcome. Questions can be directed to Janet Pfeffer or Gail Woodall. Over time, perhaps we hope this will be a good place to share ideas, patterns, tools, and extra yarns.

Returning in September

The Vegetarian Potlucks

With Mary Lou and Dana Keller moving away this summer, the Vegetarian Potluck needs a willing organizer/leader to take charge. Please contact Nicole Meehan if you are interested in volunteering.

Post-Church Lunches

In good weather, plan to bring a “parknic” to the gazebo at Idlewilde park around 12:30 p.m. Alternatively, a group meets at the Bagel Factory. Check the day’s plan with Edie Swallow or George McManus.

Book Discussion Group, Apr. 22

This will be our last meeting ‘til fall. We’ll meet as usual at 11:30 a.m. with a brown bag and talk about recent reads and our best shots for summer reading. The kettle will be on!

Youth Group, Thursdays

Every Thursday at 5:30 p.m., the teens meet on the RE porch for conversation, a light dinner, and planning. Youth groups often ebb and flow according to age and interests, so encourage your youth to join us and help make the group their own. We also will try to get to a UU district CON this spring. We need another advisor to round out our team; see Nicole if you have the energy to join us and get to know these remarkable youth.

Children’s Religious Education

Big RE Attendance Expected: Summer Teaching Help Needed

As I write this, today happens to be one of those wonderful spring days we all have been waiting, and waiting, and oh yes, waiting for through the drizzly, frigid months past. At this time of the year, the warmth beckons to the kids, and the RE classes sometimes move outside where we can appreciate and explore our beautiful grounds.

The warm weather and the month of May also bring the end of the formal RE program and a transition to, historically, a relaxed and less-attended summer program. No longer! Our dedicated RE families are growing and multiplying, and many find the Fellowship to be an important part of their weekly lives, winter or summer. I know my own children wouldn’t let me take them away from UUFE all summer! They count “how many days to church” each week.

Therefore, we hope to offer a more structured summer program, with children grouped by age as is done during the year. Our regular teachers have a break, however, and we need volunteers. If you would like to explore working with our program and children without a long-term commitment, please join us. You will be given as much or as little support as you want. You can create your entire lesson based on your own interests and special skills, or you can just show up on your given Sunday, and I will have a lesson plan and supplies all ready to go. And, of course, anyone who would like to teach next year is very welcome to let me know!

Take care, Nicole Meehan

Read To Feed: Book Sale and Giveaway

As a culmination for the Read to Feed project, please donate new or gently used children’s books for sale and giveaway at the Multicultural Festival in Idlewilde Park on May 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come help us sell, bring last-minute donations, or just enjoy the day. Children and adults have been reading lots of books and keeping track; hopefully, we can reward their extra efforts and support this Heifer Project program.

Parent Meeting: Taking a Break

What a busy spring! Our Fellowship is bustling with an event, meeting, or activity after almost every service this month. Our formal parent groups will take a break, but the fresh air and warm sun will surely encourage more informal, impromptu outings. And our All-Fellowship Retreat will be a wonderful opportunity to get together in both family and adult groups.

Send-Off for Mary Lou & Dana

We will be planning a going-away luncheon for Mary Lou and Dana Keller to wish them well in their new life down south and around the globe! Look for the date and further info during service announcements and through the e-mail list.

Child Dedication & RE Sunday, May 9

Come join us in this celebration of our kids and the entire RE program. A child dedication will be part of our 9 a.m. service. Parents who want their children to participate, please contact Nicole to be added to the service. The 11 a.m. service will be a recognition of our RE classes, students, and teachers for all of their hard work and, yes, fun throughout the year!

Homeschool Season a Wrap

Our homeschooling program has wrapped up for the year, and what a year it was! The children traveled the world, learning about world cultures, geography, and food from may countries. When our homeschool outreach resumes in the fall, look for exciting new educational programs. We may continue our world cultures studies or take off in a new direction (environmental science or nature, perhaps) according to our homeschoolers’ needs. Volunteers and ideas always welcome!