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Circle of
Fellowship The First Universalist Church of Central Square A Unitarian Universalist Congregation Rev. Margaret Hart, Minister
625-4485
Rev. Libbie Stoddard, Assoc. Minister 343-4352 Janie Garlow, President 436-2238
Ronna Schindler, Religious Education Coordinator
623-7685 Rita Thornton, Organist & Choir Director
669-6961 Our Church Building Is Handicapped
Accessible P. O. Box 429 Routes 49 West & 11
Central Square, NY 13036 (315) 668-6821 May 2006 The mission of the
First Universalist Church of Central Square is to be a welcoming, diverse
congregation, which values spiritual growth and service to the local and
world communities. MINISTERIAL
MUSINGS Dear friends, It is spring, a
time of growth and renewal. Spring is often a time of major cleaning, and a
time
Margaret Hart ++IMPORTANT NOTICE++ The annual
meeting of the First Universalist Society of Central Square will be held
immediately following the Sunday Service on June 4. The Agenda
includes: * Receiving
annual reports from incumbent officers and committee chairs * Consideration
and adoption of the budget for the next fiscal year * Election of
officers The bylaws
provide that members of the church 18 years or older shall have the power to
vote. Any member of the church under 18 years shall have the right of voice.
All are welcome! Respectfully,
Janie Garlow,
President TREASURER’S
REPORT The income during
April was $3152.00 with $2136.00 from pledges and $309.00 from the Easter
special collection. Expenses were $4021.00. Donations of $411.00 were
received for the Building Improvement Fund. If you made a "Fair
Share" pledge it is needed as we will be making our end of the year
payment to the UUA in the next couple of weeks.
Chet Perkins, Treasurer VIDEO AND DISCUSSION GROUP The video
discussion group will meet at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 19th. One of the videos
to be shown and discussed is a segment from PBS' "Charlie Rose" in
which All are welcome
to attend.
Bob Haskell ST LAWRENCE DISTRICT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ANNUAL
ASSEMBLY On April 28 &
29 the Rev. Margaret Hart, Ellen LaPine and myself, Janie Garlow, attended
the St. Lawrence District's Annual Assembly on the beautiful shores of Seneca
Lake in Geneva. It was hosted by the wonderful people of the Unitarian
Universalist Church of Canandaigua. The theme for this year's assembly was
Making Our Voices Heard Our keynote speaker, Helio Fred Garcia is advisor
to the UUA on Public Witness. This dynamic speaker told us it is time to
reclaim the language of religion on social issues. He said it is time to
challenge the Christian Right with the Gospel and he cited many
interpretations of the "book". Over the decades progressive
religions have been marginalized. He said that it is time to reclaim
Unitarian Universalist traditional influence on social policy. Right on! We sang. We
attended workshops. We shared stories, ideas and concerns. It was great fun
and inspiring. I wish all of you could have been there. Janie
Garlow ANNUAL GATHERING OF MEN The annual
Gathering of Men will be held again this year at Camp Unirondack. We will be
sharing the wealth of our experiences from the evening of June 9th
through the afternoon of June 11th. The cost for food and lodging
is $60 per person. A wonderful opportunity for men to be manly or let their
feminine side show with out judgement. Laughs, sharing and learning
experiences are all included for the small fee. Brochures available in the
East Room of church. Any questions, ask Kurt Schindler or Winfield Ihlow. COFFEE AND CHAT The next Coffee
and Chat will take place at Panera Bread, Route 31, town of Clay, at 9:15
a.m. on Wednesday, May 17th. All women of the church are invited
to attend this social occasion.
Nancy Haskell CHOIR TO PRACTICE Our choir
rehearses Sunday mornings starting at 9:30a.m. On May 13th we will
have our ususal second Saturday of every month extended choir rehearsal from
10 a.m. to 12 noon. Anyone interested in singing is welcome to join us.
Rita Thornton
Choir Director NEWSLETTER DEADLINE June 3rd Please have items
for the next newsletter to me by no later than Noon on Saturday, June 3rd.
If you can send your articles to me at dartfrog@usadatanet.net early it would be a big help.
Ellen LaPine MOTHER’S DAY BREAKFAST
Kurt Schindler
WEDDING BELLS On Saturday,
April 22nd, Rev. Libbie Stoddard officiated over the wedding of
Donna Recore and David Tesoriero at their home in Oswego. Congratulations and
best wishes to Donna and David! UUA/St LAWRENCE DISTRICT CONGREGATIONAL STEWARDSHIP
PROJECT The St. Lawrence
District is partnering with the UUA in an innovative project to make UUA
Fundraising Consultation available to six or seven congregations at a reduced
cost. We are fortunate to be hosting this workshop on May 20 from 9:30 to
4:30. You are welcome to attend or help. For registration or more
information, please contact Janie Garlow at 436-2238 or mjgarlow@aol.com
̈
Introductory Workshop: Share what is working; learn about fresh approaches;
expand your capabilities. ̈
Congregational Assessment: Review your congregation’s fundraising history,
capacity, and progress on fundamentals needed for success; Identify services
appropriate for your situation and goals. Includes a group workshop plus an
opportunity for your leadership team to meet individually with the UUA
consultant to assess your fundraising capacity and goals. ̈
Stewardship Workshop: How to make your annual pledge campaign more successful
and more enjoyable. ̈ Searching
for the Future: Learn how to involve your congregation in the process of
developing a fresh vision and mission, energizing your members to fund it. SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE We had our first
Adopt a Highway cleanup of the year on May 6th after a rain out on
April 22nd. Duck certificates
will be available next week to sell as a fund raiser and a way to support
Community Wide Dialogue's DUCK RACE TO END RACISM. The event is to be
held June 10th at the Inner Harbor. More details will be posted at
church. The plans to
arrange a group trip to Syracuse Stage to see a Sunday Matinee of Menopause
the Musical has not worked out. I am going to abandon it unless someone can
help plan a weekday show time agreeable to 10 people. Hope you are all
enjoying the delicious Fair Trade coffee after church. I will be putting out
a Fair Share jug for donations toward the cost. I invite everyone
to partcipate on this committee, call me with ideas.
Nancy Hallock,
Social Justice Committee Chairperson CALLING ALL HOSTA (and their friends, the perennials)!
My rules in my
own garden are that 1) they must be perennial, 2) they must not be fussy, and
3) once in the ground they MUST take care of themselves! I'd like to see
plantings down the length of each side of the ramp. If we have enough
donations, we might extend plants along the foundation. As you divide and
decide the fate and placement of your flowering perennials, please think
about bringing them to church to help the cause. It'll only take a minute or
two to pop them out of yours and plant them in ours. Thanks!
Sheila Emborski The St LAWRENCE DISTRICT OFFERS EAGLES 2006 A learning community rooted in Unitarian Universalist
values. July 23 thru 29, 2006 Hobart & William Smith colleges, Geneva, NY ~ There will be
two schools this year ~ Leadership
Development School (Just a great as ever) This EAGLES is
for you if you are interested in developing your congregational leadership
abilities and increasing your confidence as a lay leader Congregational
Development and Growth School (New) This Eagles is
for you if you are looking for ways to keep your congregation healthy,
receptive and growing. 'The participant,
the congregation, and the district share the cost of the school. For more
information contact: Janie Garlow at mjgarlow@aol.com or visit the St Lawrence District
website: www.sld.uua.org ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Using a
combination of PBS documentary videos, the Emmy award-winning movie Crash,
and discussions, we will explore how race is an illusion which carries
tremendous power. Sessions are scheduled for three Saturdays in June (June 3rd,
11-4; June 17th, 11-1:30, and June 24th, 11-3). Please
sign up at church or e-mail me at margaretahart@yahoo.com
or call 625-4485. You are
encouraged to bring a bag lunch; beverages will be provided. Please plan to
come to all three sessions; if you have to miss some, please let me know in
advance. Hope you can come!
Rev. Margaret Hart
Eleanor Roosevelt SAGE BANQUET (Potluck) The SAGE Potluck
on Sunday, May 21 at 4 PM. This is a group of LGBT people usually forty and
older but not necessarily. We ask everyone to bring a dish to pass (light in
the dessert area) or a beverage. For more
information contact: Mary Gillen at mrymryg@hotmail.com RETURN THOSE BOTTLES Our church has a
bottle account with the North Country Redemption Center in Central Square.
Take your returnable bottles to the center or if you prefer, Larry Linder has
graciously offered to return them for you if you bring them to him at church.
The value of the bottles redeemed will be credited to our church. If you
choose to return them yourself, you may enter the center from either Route 4
or Route 11. The center is located next to the Gun Shop. The center's
hours are Mondays, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30
p.m.; Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and the
first and third Saturdays of the month, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The center is
closed on Tuesdays and Sundays, and on the second and fourth Saturdays of the
month. MEMORIAL SERIVICE A Memorial
Service was held for Will Saunders, father of Zoe Saunders and dear friend of
Lisa Harter, on March 23, 2006. Our thoughts and prayers go to Zoe, Lisa and
their families. EMAIL LIST We have weekly
e-mail announcements of coming events at the church. If you are not receiving
them and would like to, please contact Janie Garlow at 436-2238 or at mjgarlow@aol.com.
Mary Perkins has offered to print the announcements and send them to folks
who are not on line. HOSPITALITY HELPERS NEEDED Everyone is
invited to sign up in the East Room of the church for hospitality and greeter
duties for our Sunday morning worship services. Hospitality duties include
providing a snack and juice and hosting the social hour. Greeters welcome
people at the door, pass out the orders of service and take up the
collection. We also need
people to sign up to bring flowers for the altar. Rita says the price for her
to get the flowers has been lowered to $20. Those bringing flowers are asked
to sign the sheet on the table in the East Room stating in whose honor or in
whose memory the flowers are provided. WE’RE STILL COOKIN’ We are selling
centennial cookbooks at the bargain price of $7.00 each. Lots of time tested
recipes shared by the wonderful cooks in our congregation. Desserts and salads
for those picnics this summer as well as wonderful meal ideas. Please contact
Mary Perkins at marychet@earthlink.net
for your copy or call her at 668-6719. LIBERAL RELIGIOUS HOUR NOW AVAILABLE AS PODCAST For music and
interviews on topics of interest to religious liberals go to UURadio.Org. The
purpose is to increase public understanding of UU principles and values as
well as serving the public interest by featuring guests representing other
community organizations. The program may now be heard on the World Wide Web
both in streaming audio and as a Podcast at www.uuradio.org.
DON’T FORGET TO SHOP FOR SCOTTY Remember the
Downstairs Scotty as you shop. If we can remember to buy just one or two
extra boxes of tissue, some toothpaste, soap or the like we when we shop, we
can be a big help to this local program with out church’s donations of
non-food items. Our collection box is in the East Room, under the water
dispenser. CALENDAR MAY 15, 22. 29
& JUNE 5: *7:00 p.m. Chanting & Meditation meeting MAY13: *9:30 a.m.
Extended Choir Rehearsal MAY 14: (Mother’s
Day) *9:00-10:15 - Free Mother’s Day Breakfast, *9:30 a.m. - Choir practice.
*10:30 a.m.-Worship service Rev. Libbie Stoddard, *11:00 a.m. - Religious
Education. MAY 17: *9:15
a.m. Coffee & Chat @ Panera Bakery. MAY 19: *7:00
Video and Discussion Group MAY 20: *9:30
a.m. -4:30 p.m. UUA/SLUDD Stewardship Project MAY 21: *9:30
a.m.-Choir practice. *10:30 a.m.-Worship service, Centennial Committee .
*11:00 a.m. - Religious Education. MAY 28: *9:30
a.m.-Choir practice. * 10:30 a.m.-Worship service, Rev. Libbie Stoddard.
*11:00 a.m. - Religious Education. JUNE 3: *11:00
a.m. - 4 p.m. Adult RE "Racism: The Power of an Illusion". *Noon -
Newsletter Deadline JUNE 4: *9:30
a.m.-Choir practice. *10:30 a.m.-Worship service, Rev. Margaret Hart. *11:00
a.m.-Religious Education. *11:30 a.m. Annual Congregational Meeting. JUNE 9-11:
*Annual Gathering of Men at Unirondack. JUNE 10:
*Interreligious Council Duck Race JUNE 17 & 24:
* Adult RE "Racism: The Power of an Illusion" parts 2 & 3. |