Would you like to make a gift of cash or securities to Unitarian Universalismwhile retaining needed income for yourself and your loved ones? The UnitarianUniversalist Association offers free gift planning services to all UUs and canhelp you make a "life-income" gift to support our congregation, the UUA, and/oranother UU organization.

The two primary types of life-income gifts are the Charitable Gift Annuityand the Pooled Income Fund. Life-income gifts are rewarding and simple to arrange.You make an irrevocable contribution of cash or securities and may claim a one-timecharitable deduction for part of your gift. In exchange, you'll receive quarterlypayments for life, guaranteed. One or two people - you and your partner, forexample - may be named as income recipients. Payments can be either fixed orvariable, depending on the type of gift you choose. When you die, your giftis distributed to the beneficiaries you've designated - our congregation, theUUA, another UU affiliate, or a combination. It's entirely up to you.

Life-income gifts are a great way to give highly appreciated securities becausepart or all of the capital gains tax may be excused, and the remainder distributedover a period determined by life expectancy. You may be able to generate a largerincome stream from lowyielding assets, and you'll create a wonderful legacyfor our congregation. To learn more about life-income gifts and the benefitsyou might enjoy, contact Ron Crane, the church office at (310)829-5436, or the UUA's Charitable Gift and Estate Planning Team, at (888) 792-5885.

- Ron Crane

 

We Need More Time to Think Before Selling 17th Street

We are scheduled to meet September 19 to decide on building plans. This needwas created by the unexpected acquisition of the property next door on 18thStreet, essentially throwing our building plans for 17th Street out the window.Such a change and delay can be very disturbing: somewhat akin to grieving. Wewant to reachieve our equilibrium and momentum.

In this present state we may make decisions we may later regret. The churchhas not yet had the equanimity to truly contemplate and dream about what thenew acquisition can mean for the long-term future of the church.

The original buyers of the corner lot on 18th Street had no chance to foreseewhat would happen to Santa Monica in 75 or 100 years. Further, when the 17thStreet property was originally purchased, it was right after the building ofForbes Hall and classrooms and many people could not see the future need forthat property. Now, in many regards we are at the same place: we have plansfor the new 18th Street acquisition and, again, cannot see the future need for17th Street. Part of the reason, I believe, for not currently being able tolook beyond our current needs is that we have not yet had the opportunity toexamine what our new property holdings could mean for our long term future.

The church board recently had its annual retreat, during which we discussedin broad strokes ways we could increase the level of commitment and responsibilityour members feel toward the vibrancy of the church. The consensus was that offeringprograms which engage our members creates a cycle of enthusiasm and involvementthat will lead to an increase in commitment. (Commitment, here, can mean eithertime or money.)

Up to this point, our church has mainly been a Sunday institution. The acquisitionof the new property allows us the opportunity to think beyond Sundays. But thechurch community has not had the opportunity to discuss these possibilities.We are scheduled to meet regarding building plans, which currently include thepossibility of selling the 17th Street property, without having had the opportunityto brainstorm and cogitate on our future. The church has been around for over75 years. What about the next 75 years? We have pressing needs now, particularlyregarding the church school, but if we meet those needs without thinking ofour further future, we may be dooming the church to little beyond what we currentlyare.

A vibrant church is a growing church. Many might say we don't want to be muchbigger than what we currently are. That may be a valid point, but the churchhas not had a chance to talk about it. Some want to reach out to the wider community,to help the disadvantaged. Some feel that a weekday nursery school offered bya liberal religion would be good. That may be a valid point, but we have nothad a chance to talk about it from our current property position. We need thatopportunity. The town hall meetings that have taken place to this point havenot offered that option.

We have carried out a capital campaign, which has not netted us as much aswe had hoped, and we have bursting classrooms. We want to DO something and havesomething to show for all of our efforts. This is also a valid point. Doingsomething related to building can help our fund-raising efforts. But we alsoneed to think about our longer-term goals and we cannot do that if selling the17th Street property is on the table beforehand.

The facilitator at our board retreat felt that the ideas generated would needsix months to be fleshed out. That was for the board - what about the wholecongregation? If the 17th Street property has already been sold, it will betoo late. September 19 is too soon and comes too quickly after summer for sucha permanent decision. We need time.

- Rebecca Deal Crawford

 

It's Time to Start Building; We Must Sell 17th Street

We have spent many years on our building plans. Through a series of visioningmeetings in 1997, facilitated by LuAnn Darling, the congregation named a newbuilding as our priority. We wanted more sanctuary space and better church schoolfacilities. In 1999 we engaged a capital campaign consultant and an architect.

I doubt that any of us realized what a long process it would be. It is noteasy to build in Santa Monica. We conducted a capital campaign. And the BuildingCommittee kept plugging away at plans for the city to approve.

Those plans were shelved the very week the city approved them. No one objectedto that delay because the new property is so clearly better for us than theoriginal. We all recognize new plans must be created and we must jump over whateverobstacles the city places in our way. I am working on both the capital campaignand the Building Committee, trying to make the delay as brief as possible.

The purchase of the new property depleted the construction funds. We have onlyabout $300,000 to begin a project that will cost at least $1.5 million, or muchmore if we build underground parking. This is far more than we can expect toraise from a capital campaign and loan; sale of the 17th Street lot could contributeup to $1 million and mean the difference between starting construction in 2005or not until years later.

Further delay to study alternatives to selling the 17th Street property isuncalled for. There have been many opportunities to state our preferences. Inthe survey taken at the July 25 town hall meeting, 30 favored selling 17th Streetand five were opposed. At the de Benneville gathering, 23 favored selling itand two were opposed. We all have had an opportunity to speak pro and con, andto study alternative ideas. We have until September 19 to do further work onthem.

It is hard for me to understand why some people think this is not enough time.Yes, once property is gone, it is gone. But land across the alley was alwayssecond best. We are fortunate we made the purchase, because without it we wouldnever have had the capital campaign that enabled us to buy the property we havelong coveted. Without selling that land we have the coveted property withoutenough money to build on it.

Am I in a hurry to build on that property? Yes. There is the city to consider.With their approval of our plans fresh in the minds of the planning staff andcommission, I hope we can move faster to get approval of this new project. Propertyvalues are high now, and with interest rates rising, the value of land may drop.And we must consider our donors. They gave money for classrooms and improvedfacilities. Do we have the right to spend it in another way?

Keeping 17th Street, for whatever reason, leaves us without much-needed cash,which would mean we have three properties with mediocre facilities. Given thesize of the property, its location, and the significant development limitationsfor the site, the best use is to sell it so we can make something special contiguousto our church. Using 17th Street for parking or putting parking under our newproperty would mean a huge cost per space and not give us enough spaces to makea dent in our needs.

The town hall meetings gave us the opportunity to discuss alternative usesof the property. More talk is not what we need. It's time for action. Thosewho want to present facts and figures on alternatives to moving ahead now withour building plans can present those alternatives at the meeting.

Our existing facilities are inadequate, unsafe, and inaccessible. We reachedthat conclusion in 1997 and nothing has changed. Let's get moving and builda facility that we and the larger community can enjoy.

- Carol Agate

New Lending Library is Open for Business

The Robert V. Stern Memorial Library is up and running, located on the southwall of Forbes Hall to the right of the TV. The library is named for a memberwho was married to Carol Edwards, our former minister of religious education.

The lending library will be open on Sundays during the two coffee hours. Therewill be a special area for our Book Club selections.

Book donations for the Robert V. Stern Memorial Library will be accepted underthe following guidelines:

1. We are looking for books that are spiritual in nature: thoughtprovokingfiction, UU Book Club selections, books pertaining to classes offered throughAdult Religious Growth and Learning Program and OWL.

2. Books must be in good condition, preferably hardbound.

3. No college textbooks or books that have been written in or with text highlighted.

4. Contact a committee member if you would like to donate books so the committeemay review them.

5. Please do not bring in books and just put them on the shelves.

Books culled from the collection will be on sale for 50 cents to $1. It's away of passing on someone else's books and accumulating money for future purchases.Books for sale are in Forbes Hall near the windows. Look for the sign.

Members of the Library Committee are Sandra Trutt, Librarian, Caroline Falk,Ilse Kleinman, Nedra Bickel, and Rob Briner.

-Sandra Trutt

 

We'll Vote August 1 on a Banner for Civil Marriage/Civil Right Issue

At the annual meeting in Maythe congregation discussed the following motion: "The Unitarian UniversalistCommunity Church of Santa Monica will place a banner on the church stating:'Civil Marriage is a Civil Right.'" There was agreement, disagreement, and debate,but not enough time. The motion was tabled.

The Board of Directors has called for a congregational meeting on August 1to address the tabled motion.

It's time for an old fashioned congregational meeting. What is your opinion?What do you have to say about expressing ourselves publicly? What are your concernsabout using a banner on the church? Bring your voice to the meeting on August1.

Unitarian Universalist Principle #5 is: The right of conscience and the useof the democratic process within our congregations and in the society at large.

August 1 is the opportunity to exercise Principle #5. Please attend to discuss,debate, consider, influence and be influenced, and speak out with your vote.

-Ron Crane

 

Covenant Groups will Begin in October and November

The mission of our Covenant Group Task Force is to develop the framework tobring covenant groups to the church. Covenant groups are also referred to as"small group ministry." This grass roots movement within UU churches has grownto meet the expressed need for greater intimacy and to afford the opportunityfor small groups of people to develop together spiritually.

Several church members signed up for a series of four weekly meetings in Marchto learn about the format and process of covenant groups. After the initialfour meetings, the remaining interested members of the learning group formedthe Covenant Group Task Force.

Because two qualified facilitators are required for each covenant group, thetask force and others attended a facilitator training session in May. The Rev.Judith Meyer will select facilitators for the first covenant groups to be formedin October and November.

All task force meetings will replicate the format that is envisioned for covenantgroups at our church. This will allow the team to continue to experience theprocess and the spiritual practice that are a part of groups.

Some actions for July and August include announcing facilitators, trainingfacilitators, covenant group "taster" sessions, newsletter and order of serviceinserts, a "CG Ask Me" table in Forbes Hall, sign-up process logistics, samplelists and statements.

Tentative plans later this year include scheduling covenant group "taster sessions"to introduce people to the concepts, stationing a covenant group member in ForbesHall after Sunday services to answer questions, making it possible for churchmembers/friends to join a covenant group based solely on day and time, and developingthemes, service projects, and covenants for start-up covenant groups.

-Marv Pulliam

 

Give Money Where You Have Given Time

When you plan your estate giving to the church, you may give money to specificprograms of the church.

If your time and interest have gone to Faith in Action, Religious Exploration,Music, Building and Grounds, etc., you may direct that your gift be used forthe area of interest that has most touched your mind and soul.

If you want to support the entire work of the church, you may give withoutdirective and the money will be used where it is most needed at the time.

Contact Ron Crane or the church office to discuss how you may endow or giveto the program of the church that is of most interest to you.

-Ron Crane

 

Men's Group Cleans Our House Next Door

Four members of the Men'sGroup spent most of Saturday, June 12, cleaning up our 18th Street bungalow.Phil Bonacich, Dwight Flowers, Joel Rosenblum, and Nels Hanson tossed stufffrom both inside and out, filling two dumpsters in the process.

In the morning they pulled carpet, anchored at random places with nails, thathad been patched together, either 30 years ago or over the past 30 years. (Theyweren't sure which.) They opened windows and doors and had the house much cleanerby the time people started arriving for Dean Voegtlen's pancake breakfast. Churchmembers coming to breakfast, many who had not yet seen the inside of the house,got a better impression of the house, though much work obviously still needsto be done to bring back some of its original beauty.

In the afternoon, the Men's Group worked on the backyard. Most of the churchhas enjoyed having a spacious outdoor area to wander into after Sunday morningservices and now they don't have to look at piles of concrete, yard clippings,wood and other discards.

Throughout the day neighborsstopped by to chat. Some were concerned about tearing down the house or worriedabout adding cars to the street. One neighbor, who has lived on the block sincethe 1930s, came over and told stories of Santa Monica. A couple of neighborstalked about the tenant that had lived in the house. It was nice to informallysay hello to the community.

Nothing precious was found in the cleanup, but the men felt the reward ofmaking the place look better. Now they are thinking about what else they cando to make the house a place that the church can use.

-Nels Hanson

 

...and a thank you from Marie

On behalf of the church, thank you Phil Bonacich, Dwight Flowers, Nels Hanson,and Joel Rosenfeld for taking the first step in making 1248 18th Street moreenjoyable and safer. If you have a project or want to participate in futurechurch work parties, please contact Marie Kashmer-Stiebing, Church Administrator,at (310) 829-5436, ext. 100.

 

Gilbert & Sullivan Evening Proved to Be a Great Triumph

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who shared the responsibility for thesensationally successful Gilbert and Sullivan evening on June 5.

The most important thanks go to Richard Sheldon, whose stellar performancegave us a close-up of live theater. Thanks also go to Dean Voegtlen, who sponsoredthat performance. How nice to have an "angel" in our midst. We are gratefulalso to Michelle McWilliams and Carol Winston for their beautiful high notesand for playing their parts on short notice. Also outstanding as soloists andensemble participants were Michael Lamb and Kathi Wight.

A big thank you is owed to our music director, Steve Wight, for his commitmentto excellence (and the many extra hours he spent) and to pianist Louis Durra,who transformed an orchestra score into a piano part and made music out of it.And, of course, the choir deserves a heartfelt thank you for its performance.

The delicious and beautiful British "high tea" was planned and supervisedby Maria Simpson, assisted by Beverly Alison and many helping hands. More than50 people contributed desserts and/or time to making this a memorable occasion.A big thank you also goes to Peter Van den Beemt, who spent many hours planningand checking details for this event. And finally, a thank you to the wonderfulaudience that really made it all possible.

-Gaye Follmer Deal, Retiring Music Committee Chair

 

Appreciation

 

Annual Meeting Scheduled for May 16 After Second Service

The annual meeting is scheduled for May 16 after the second service Comingsoon to a sanctuary near you is the annual meeting of our congregation. On May16 at 12:30 p.m. we will all assemble and make some critical decisions for thelife of the church.

This year there will be quite a few new board members and the first contestedelection in a long time. The nominees for officers, each serving a one-yearterm, are Carol Kerr, president; Pat Wright, first vice-president; Charles Haskell,second vice-president; Carol Agate, treasurer; and Ron Crane, secretary. Candidatesfor member- at-large for a two-year term are Rebecca Crawford, Warren Mathews,Julie Nyquist, and Daniel Teplitz. Three of those four are to be elected. Thereare two unfinished member-at-large terms, so those elected to the positionswill serve for one year. Candidates are Melinda Ewen and Peter Van den Beemt,with two to be elected. Candidates for the nominating committee are Linda VanLigten and John Fels for three-year terms and Audrey Lyness for a two-year term.

In addition to elections, there will be written reports from all the church'scommittees and oral ones from the minister, the president, and the treasurer.The finance chair will present and seek approval of the annual operating budget,and the congregation will be asked to ratify the purchase of 1248 18th Street.

There will be more discussion of the bylaws than usual on the agenda. One proposedchange addresses the problem we had when escrow was closing in less than 30days. The board was empowered to act on behalf of the congregation in buyingthe 1248 18th Street property, but would have preferred a congregational vote.The board now proposes that the 30-day notice requirement to call a congregationalmeeting be shortened to two weeks. Other proposals concern the composition andduties of the board and the nominating committee. The board proposes that appointmentsto fill mid-term board vacancies be made by the nominating committee and notthe board, and that people appointed to vacancies be eligible for three electedterms. Graduates of the Coming of Age program would be eligible for church membershipregardless of grade level. The nominating committee would have six members,instead of seven, eliminating the board appointee. There are further proposedbylaw changes, some of which would make technical corrections.

As always, there will be an opportunity for new business. Lunch will be available.

 

Check Your Congregational Meeting Packet for Candidate Statements

Candidates for board and nominating committee positions have been asked thefollowing questions. Look for their answers in the packet sent with the annualmeeting materials.

1) How long have you been a member of this church?

2) With what areas of church operation or organization are you personallyfamiliar (current and past committees, chairpersonships, groups, activities,etc.)?

3) Are there pertinent areas of interest or expertise that you bring from otherparts of your life or from experience in other churches?

4) How do you view the mission of the church?

5) What are the goals of this church and how do you see them being achieved?

 

Covenant Group Task Force Formed

Forfour consecutive weeks in March, ministerial intern The Rev. Stefanie Etzbach-Daleled the Covenant Group learning group in exploring the theory behind CovenantGroups, how they are different from other kinds of groups, what the benefitsare, and how to make them actually sustainable. Enough enthusiasm was generatedto result in the formation of a Covenant Group task force, which will be determininghow to bring the actual Covenant Group experience to UUCCSM. Stay tuned.

(Photo from top, left to right: Carol-Jean Teuffel, Lloyd Drum, Ilse Kleinman,Ren Renshaw, Katie Malich, Sanna Egan, Geralyn Lambson,Marv Pulliam, Kathy Cook,Patricia Gomez, Susan Jain, Jean Allgeyer. Bottom row: Melinda Ewen, Pat Wright,Linda Van Ligten, Stefanie Etzbach-Dale, and the "empty chair acknowledgingthose we don't yet know and affirming the commitment to being welcoming.")

 

Here is a Legal Way You Can Avoid Your Heirs Paying Double Taxes

Did you know that your retirement plan assets are facing double taxation?

If you leave these assets to your heirs, you'll generate "income in respectof a decedent," which is subject to tax as part of your estate - and taxed againas income to your heirs. This can seriously diminish an inheritance.

Undoubtedly, your decision of who gets the remainder of your retirement plandepends on your family members' circumstance; their needs come first. But ifyou can make other provisions for them, there's a better option for your retirementplan assets: a charitable gift.

Individual account plans - such as an IRA, Keogh or a 401(k) account - resembletax-sheltered savings accounts. If a participant dies before the entire accounthas been distributed, the remaining balance can be transferred to an heir orto religious and charitable organizations.

The principal advantage of donating retirement plan assets to the church isthat you avoid all income and estate taxes, whereas giving the assets to individualheirs may trigger taxes at incredibly steep rates - exceeding 75 percent insome cases.

For more information on planned giving, contact Ron Crane or the church office.

- Ron Crane

 

The Measure of Wealth

There has been a great deal of buzz about money lately . . . about money bequeathedand received, money pledged and money collected, about money needed, calculated,and allocated, as well as money spent.

It has been interesting learning about this aspect of church life these pastfew months and I've seen in it an opportunity for reflection. Certainly, I'velearned to appreciate the actual amounts needed to support our property andto compensate skilled and dedicated staff. (It's a lot more than I'd imagined.)

I've also come to recognize the tremendous practical value of active volunteerismand lay leadership. Without these gifts of time and energy, so much of our programmingwould falter, or draw on financial resources required elsewhere.

It is said that the real measure of wealth is how much you'd be worth if youlost your money. I've come to see that, even with the ongoing need for solidfinancial planning and generosity, this is already an incredibly wealthy congregation.It is wealthy in spirit and vision, in hope and commitment, fellowship, flexibility,creativity, and responsibility. It is wealthy in ways that have nothing to dowith dollars.

This month we bear witness to a new generation of Unitarian Universalists throughthe May 23 Coming of Age ceremony. While it may be possible to calculate thecumulative dollar value of this event, it is impossible to determine its truevalue. It is impossible to tally up the meaning it holds for all those who haveparticipated in or otherwise been touched by the life of this church and thelives of these young people. It is impossible to know what meaning their ownlives will hold and the ways in which they will contribute to the wider world.

This is a wealth beyond comparison and one to be affirmed through ongoing appreciationand practical support. May it be so.

-Stefanie Etzbach-Dale, Intern Minister, on behalf of the Stewardship Committee

 

Our First Open House was a Huge Success!

After waiting for more than 35 years to see the building next door,church members had to wait another 20 minutes on March 21 for thekey to arrive.

— Jim Cadwell, photographer

 

What would you like to do with our new property? Post your opinion in the alcovein Forbes Hall.

 

Thank You

Rob Briner has followed in the path of Milt Holmen in organizing the churcharchives, creating an inventory, and sharing what he has learned through articlesin the newsletter, displaying old photographs, and providing historical insightinto current events. Thank you for preserving our history.

The Clubhouse, a program of the Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Centerpresented UUCCSM a plaque in appreciation of our generous support of the Clubhouse,a day center for people living with chronic mental illness.

The "Ask Me" volunteers who appear in Forbes Hall greet newcomers, answer questions,and give directions, but more importantly they represent our church and ourfaith. Thank you Kathy Cook, Melinda Ewen, Carol Agate, Pat Parkerton, and S.J. Guidotti for faithful service.

Adult advisors Chris Brown, Liza Cranis, and Stephanie DuPont, show dedication,good judgment and guidance to our high school group, Young Religious UnitarianUniversalists (YRUU). Together they produced a fun and enlightening YRUU SundayService. Thanks to all of you.

- Judith Meyer

InJanuary, all the church's office computers were on the fritz at once, so theComputer Committee spent five Saturdays fixing the machines, one by one. Leftto right, Dan Kegel, the mastermind multi-tasker, able to both direct correctcomputer procedures and amuse his six-month-old son, Alex (who is especiallyhelpful at keeping morale high); Greg Wood, wondering why there is a pictureof an hourglass on the monitor; and Bob Dietz, reformatting the hard drive andreinstalling essential software programs. The Computer Committee was formedin order to upgrade the church's aging computer network, which was crashingconstantly.

 

Include Your Church in Your Will

Whether you are writing your first will or updating an existing one, we hopethat you'll include a gift to the Unitarian Universalist Community Church ofSanta Monica Endowment Fund.

There are various types of bequests: General Bequest: You give your entireestate to the UUCCSM.

Specific Bequest: You give a specific amount, percentage of your estate,a specific asset, or collection of assets to the church.

Residuary Bequest: Your will can stipulate that charitable gifts bemade using all or a percentage of what remains of your estate after all specificbequests have been satisfied and debts and expenses have been paid.

Contingent Bequest: You give all or portions of your estate to theUUCCSM in the event that other named beneficiaries predecease you or disclaimyour bequest. This type of bequest can avoid litigation or prevent propertyfrom reverting to the state.

Testamentary Charitable Remainder Trust: A trust document is createdduring your lifetime, with a "pour-over" will to designate which assets areto be placed in a trust with the income paid to specific individuals for theirlifetimes. Upon the death of the last income recipient, or after a term of aspecified number of years, the trust terminates and assets are transferred toUUCCSM according to your instructions.

Carnegie, Rockefeller, Gates, Ford, and (your name here)-are all philanthropists.For further information contact Ron Crane or call the church office at (310)829-5436.

--Ron Crane, chair, Planned Giving Committee