May 2003
May 2003
The
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at
7401
Ocean Gateway,
Minister:
Rev. James M. Bank, 301-633-4274 or 410-822-8103
President:
Beth Jones, 410-745-2365
Dir.
of Religious Education, Mary Lou Keller, 410-763-6508
Choir
Director, Patty Rubin, 410-745-2000
Minister
Emeritus: Daniel G. Higgins, Jr. D. Min., 410-745-3462
Newsletter
Editor: Amy Eutsey, 410-820-7971
Two Sunday
Services With Child Care,
We’re Going Back to
One Service Starting June 1st @ 10 a.m.
May Sermons
May 4, “Building a
Wooden Boat.” As the summer comes on and Jim ponders
once more the value of boat building, he invites you into his thoughts.
May 11, “Feelings on Mother`s Day.” All of us
have feelings on this special day honoring Mothers. So we center our thoughts on
these feelings for past, for present, and for future.
May 18, “RE Sunday.” Come and honor our children and our teachers on this special Sunday.
Though there will be a nursery, kids will be in church for the entire second
service. During the first service, Jim will deliver an abbreviated edition of
one of the great sermons from our Unitarian Universalist
history: William Ellery Channing`s “Sunday School
Sermon.”
May 25, “A Paradigm.” The
Memorial Day Holiday, which honors the dead in all of
Ministerial Thoughts
Jim Bank is in the church office Tuesdays and Wednesdays
beginning at 11:00 a.m. and trying to stay till 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 301-445-0159. Messages also can be left on the office line.
Because of meetings and
conferences, it is best to call ahead and make an
appointment.
Ten
Rules for LIVING
Dr.
F. Everett Morris was minister of the UU Church in
1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around.
2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid.
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial-and-error experimentation. The “failed” experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately works.
4. A lesson is repeated until it is learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can then go on to the next lesson.
1. Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.
2. “There” is no better than “here” no matter how good “there” may look from “here.” When your “there” has become a “here,” you will simply obtain another “there” that will, again, look better than “here.”
3. Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.
4. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.
5. Your answers lie inside you. The answers to life’s questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
6.
You will forget
all of this.
See
you at the fellowship on Sundays—and during the weeks as well!
Jim Bank
From the President
Annual
Meeting
The UUFE Annual Meeting fast approaches on May
18. Although the agenda is still being finalized, we have included within the Newsletter the Officer and Board Member
nominations. In addition to electing our leadership, we will vote on the
continuation of two services and the Capital Campaign recommendations that will
be reported on May 11 after the second service. A draft budget also appears
inside; full copies of the proposed budget will be available on May 11.
I hope you'll join us for UUFE`s Annual
Meeting and potluck lunch on Sunday, May 18, following the second service. As usual, our tentative agenda continues
to grow. In addition to electing new officers and Board members and passing our
2003–04 budget, we will discuss and vote on continuing two services and on Kami O`Keefe`s recommendations
about our proposed capital campaign.
If you have items for the agenda, please let me know. If you can't
attend the Annual Meeting, please let me know as well, so I can get an absentee
ballot to you. Because Kami won`t
present her report until Sunday, May 11, we will finalize and distribute
absentee ballots the next day.
One point of information on the agenda (but not requiring a vote at this
time) promises to involve our entire congregation over the coming months: the
calling of our next “settled” minister. As you know, we have been fortunate to
engage Jim Bank as our “acting” minister for this year and next. Because the
position was temporary and the time short, the Board was empowered to act alone
and elated to attract Jim (and Cathy and Sasha!) to
us.
But calling a permanent minister remains a primary function of the
whole congregation, not the board. Jim, as acting (rather than interim)
minister, has expressed interest in the position. So, we propose to launch an
ad hoc calling committee to develop a process for calling our next minister.
The committee`s first task will be to work out the
details, using the Joseph Priestly District and the Unitarian Universalist Association as resources.
Very likely, the committee will conduct a general survey, probing what we
as a congregation want in a minister. With some additional steps to be worked
out along the way, this process will lead to a congregational vote on calling
Jim as our next settled minister (probably sometime late fall 2003). If we call
Jim, our work is easily done. If we don`t, the
calling committee will be disbanded and replaced with a search committee.
No matter what the outcome, I have tremendous faith in our democratic
process. We have grappled with tough issues; we have listened and learned from
every different point of view; and we have always emerged the stronger for it.
May this tradition long continue!
Beth Jones
What’s Going On
Drumming Circle, May 2
The first Friday of May (and most months) there is a drumming circle at
Multicultural Festival, May 3
I am
the Vice-President/Secretary of P.E.A.C.E., a local grassroots organization devoted
to peace education and community efforts. Many of you know us through the
Silent Peace Vigil held on Thursdays at
I am
coordinating the entertainment for the day, and we have a great lineup: Impulso, the Columbian drumming group k Kindred
Spirits, with Ali Quillen k bagpipes k belly dancing
k Chinese singing k a tai chi demonstration k line dancing k and more. Be sure
to join us for a lovely flag ceremony at
My
husband, Dana, cooks beans and rice for the county and serves them up delicious
and cheap. He also oversees the hotdogs, popcorn, snowcones,
snacks, and drinks. The Youth Group will help out with food, and this year we
are making and selling made-to-order buttons. Jim Richardson has made signs and
hauls extra tables and chairs as needed.
It is
quite a day and extra help is always appreciated, so please stop by. You`ll be sure to see plenty of people you know.
Mary Lou Keller
Spanish/English Potluck, May 6
Please join us the first Tuesday of each month at
The group is free and open to all. Please bring a main dish, bread, beverage,
or dessert. A Spanish–English dictionary, favorite latin
music, and musical instruments also are welcome. Call 410-763-6508 for more
information or just show up! Hasta la
vista!
Men's Lunch Bunch, May 7 & 11
Men from the Fellowship gather promptly at
Dinner and a Movie Night, May 9
This month's Dinner and a Movie will feature "Ice Age," a
cartoon/Disney-type movie rated PG. It starts at
Family Potluck, May 11,
All are welcome to join
us for a discussion on parenting in these troubled times. The children can
play, and the the parents can compare notes and
commiserate. Bring a child-friendly dish. We could use a few nonparent volunteers to monitor the children while parents
look for answers. See Mary Lou Keller if you can stay for an extra hour—we`ll feed you! Parents: See the Children's RE page for additional information about
this monthly event.
Women's Luncheon, May
15
With warm weather here,
join us at our favorite restaurant on the deck at
Vegetarian Potluck,
May 20
Join us at
Book Discussion Group,
May 22
Both men and women are
welcome so come by at
"ReMembering"
At the Service Auction this winter, a large group of friends agreed to
buy Nancy Orr`s lovely oil painting of a scene on our
nature trail and send it to Grace Marshall, who had
been a strong advocate and supporter for our development of the trail. The Marshalls, long-time members and full participants in the
life of the Fellowship, now live in
Dear
Fellow UU`s,
We
have been wondering how we could thank you enough for the wonderful work of art
you have given us. It`s
a superb reminder of the Nature Trail and we were quick to notice that Nancy
Orr is the artist. It`s hanging “front and center” in
our living room where we can place a spotlight to feature the scene and the
fond memories associated with it.
We keep up with all of you with the
Newsletter and we will always be members of the Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship at
Grace
and Nelson Marshall
Another long-time member
of the Fellowship was Bill
Selden. He died in
Music
Notes
How has music grown at UUFE this year? Let me count the
ways: weekly song circle; song leaders, instrumentalists, and new
accompanist, Whitney Ford, supporting music at the first service; the
beginnings
of a music committee; Musical Gala for annual canvass. Together
with drumming circle, choir, and coffee houses, they provide so many ways
to enjoy
and grow through music and each other`s
company.
I thank our choir members for their time, talents, and commitment this
year: Rene Bond, Frances Forster, Debra Hathaway, Jon Hayes, Sandra
Henry-Stocker, Laura Lathan, Cathy Miller, Dave
Moore, Eric Rubin, Julie Streigel, Steve Strobeck, Joe Thome, Mary Young,
Carolyn and Lee Wickline, and especially our
ever-patient accompanist, Anne Lemp.
Given the need to collect congregational feedback on a variety of
issues, the song survey mentioned here last month is being reworked. In the
meantime, I`d love to hear what you have to say about
your UUFE music experiences this year or what you hope to hear or do next year.
Patty Rubin
Member
Services
The next meeting of the
Member Services Committee will be on Wednesday, May 14, at
New Member Sunday
On Sunday, June 8, we will welcome new members during our morning
worship service. If you have been considering becoming a member of our Fellowship,
please call our minister Jim Bank and let him know so that we can include you
in this special service of welcome.
Gala New Member
Breakfast
Each spring, we honor all the new members who have joined our Fellowship
during the past year at a delicious breakfast prepared and served by our men`s lunch group. This year, the breakfast will be held on
Sunday, June 8, at
Joys and Concerns
Members and friends of our congregation experienced a number of joys as
well as sorrows during the past month.
Joys
Jane and John Terebey`s son Michael will graduate from St. John`s College in Annapolis on May 11. What a good Mother`s Day gift for Jane! This is the time of year when
many of our young people decide where they will be going to college. Len Janssen`s daughter has been accepted at her first two
college choices. Janet Pfeffer`s daughter Elizabeth is deciding between James Madison University and the
University of Connecticut. There may be others that we haven`t
heard from at this time, but we will post them here as they become known. Laura
Winne has shared her excitement about plans to
move to a new house and her joy that her father may be entering the job market
again after a lengthy time of unemployment. Joe Thome`s
son will receive an MBA on the 50th anniversary of the day Joe received the
same degree.
Sue Loweree expressed a mixed joy and concern. She is currently
working hard on illustrating a book that she hopes will be published (her joy),
but she often finds Sunday mornings are her only time to work on that project
(her concern), and that causes her to miss being with us as often as she would
like.
Concerns
Nancy Orr is anxiously awaiting news of the prognosis of her nephew who was
recently found to have a brain tumor. Tineke Tan`s sister has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Anne Lemp
shared her concern about her sister-in-law having open-heart surgery. Nancy Krueger`s
daughter-in-law had a malignant melanoma removed from her arm. Concern was
heightened because she is pregnant. But the prognosis is good, so we will
likely be hearing some joyous news from
Children’s RE
|
I |
t
has been a challenging month. I have been
deeply affected by the war both mentally and physically. I know that I am not
alone in this reaction to the violence and uncertainty. My loved ones are
unharmed, and it seems that the worst is over for now, but my trust is deeply
eroded in the system that led to this situation. Let the Fellowship be a place
of gentle healing in the months ahead. We are so very fortunate to have a
community of caring, committed people to draw strength from in trying times.
Life goes on regardless of outside circumstances, and it`s
nice to have friends to lean on.
Peace be with each of us,
Mary Lou
Summer Teaching Opportunities
Starting June 15, we
need volunteers to sign up in teams to teach each Sunday. Here is a simple, yet
great way to explore teaching and get to know our wonderful children. Lesson
plans that are based on nature (it`s hard to keep the
children away from the nature trail in nice weather, so let`s
go with the flow) are available, or you can plan your own activity. If you want
to share some neat craft, a great story, or just spend an hour with some young
energy, sign up and enjoy. Ask a friend to team up with you.
Monthly Parent Meeting & Family Potluck
We had a great time in
April and definitely want to continue to meet and exchange notes on parenting.
One Sunday a month at
Multicultural Homeschool
Outreach
We have just completed
our first Multicultural Homeschool Outreach program
on
Youth
Group
Every Thursday from
Adult
RE
Adult RE will meet this month on
Wednesday, May 7, from
Mark Twain has a
reputation as an embittered critic of religion. However, Twain was profoundly
influenced by the liberal religious thought of his day. Join our examination of
how 19th century religious liberalism helped Twain reshape and define our
culture. Leader: Dwayne Eutsey
Summary
of the April 2003 Board Meeting Minutes
Minister`s Report
Jim Bank has attended 10 meetings, including committees, TACL, and the
National Cancer Institute IRB. In his written report, he noted the
continuing vitality of the congregation and the good work done by the Canvass
Committee and the DRE.
Treasurer`s Report
At 75% of the year, 65% of the budget has been spent. Dave Manning
donated a new TV to the congregation, and the bill of sale and warranty will be
kept in the office in a TV file.
Unilead and General Assembly
Unilead is the leadership conference of the JPD and the Metropolitan New York
District and will be held on July 20–26. Mary Lou Keller has attended this
conference and strongly recommended the programs offered. Limited
scholarships are available. General Assembly will be held on June 26–30 in
DRE Report
Mary Lou Keller reported good attendance on Sundays and youth
nights. Monthly intergenerational events continue. Five social action
projects and a monthly potluck for parents will be held beginning in April.
Mary Lou has continued to hold homeschool/multicultural
outreach. After Easter, she will post a sign-up sheet for the
All-Fellowship Retreat at
Feasibility Study
Twenty interviews with Kami O`Keeffe have been scheduled
for Friday, April 11, through Sunday, April 13. Kami
will make her report to the congregation on May 11. Questionnaires will be
made available to members who were not interviewed but would like to e-mail Kami with their views.
Stewardship
Of 67 pledge units, 44 have pledged with a
total amount of $72,537, including pledges from five friends. Some of the
people not yet heard from are absentee members; approximately 17 more pledges
are still awaited. The targeted goal is $90,000.Proposed
Budget
Bob Woodall, who noted that this is an
overview and “wish list,” distributed copies of the proposed budget. After
discussion and some changes, the Board supported presenting this budget to the
congregation at the Annual Meeting.
Annual Meeting
On May 18 after the second service, the following agenda is proposed:
election of officers and new Board members; vote on whether to continue having
two services beginning in September; vote on whether to have a capital
campaign, appointing a committee for the process of calling a minister; and
approving a budget for the coming year.
Year-End Calendar
Feasibility Study on April 11-13, Kami Okeeffe`s report on May 11; annual congregational meeting on
May 18 (also the date of the finale of the Children`s
RE during services); All-Fellowship Retreat on May 30 to June 1, with Sunday
services held simultaneously at 10 a.m. at the retreat and at the Fellowship
(this begins the one Sunday service for the summer months).
New Business
Gene Goll reported on the Talbot County
Redistricting Forum in March, which was sponsored by the Social Action
Committee. The Publicity Committee has arranged for radio spots and news
releases for events. Edie Swallow reported that Amy Eutsey
has agreed to take on the responsibility for the Newsletter.
Unitarian
Universalism…
...is a faith for those who want the freedom to develop
their own religious values and beliefs without being bound by creed or dogma.
These
are the Principles and Purposes that we share:
·
The inherent worth and dignity of every
person.
·
Justice, equity, and compassion in human
relations.
·
Acceptance of one another and encouragement
to spiritual growth in our congregations.
·
A free and responsible search for truth and
meaning.
·
The right of conscience and the use of the
democratic process within our congregation and in society at large.
·
The goal of world community with peace,
liberty, and justice for all.
·
Respect for the interdependent web of all
existence, of which we are a part.