Newsletter for October, 2015
From Our Minister:
FROM OUR SABBATICAL MINISTER
“In the Shelter of Our Sukkah”
For a few months, you and I will be building a sukkah of sorts. A physical sukkah is connected with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, a harvest festival that begins the evening of September 27 this year. The sukkah is a temporary shelter, covered with bamboo, branches, and palm leaves. It has three walls made of canvas or other material. The fourth wall is left open as a doorway. Jewish practice calls for eating and sleeping in the sukkah, as often as possible, during the seven day festival. This temporary shelter is lovingly decorated with lights, fabrics, and images of the harvest. At the end of the festival, the sukkah is dismantled, some bits stored for next year and others given back to the earth. For fun, you can Google “sukkah” and see many beautiful examples. An image of our family sukkah from last year is included here.
During the three months of Rev. Rebecca’s sabbatical, you and I will build relationships. We will worship, play, ponder, sing, question, lead, analyze, and mourn together. High priorities for me during my time with you are leading worship twice a month, meeting with the Board, Finance Committee, and Committee on Ministry, and offering pastoral care. During these three months, we will prepare our hearts and minds to welcome back Rev. Rebecca, and to embark on the next chapter of your ministry together.
While she is gone, we will create a beautiful, yet temporary, structure. We’ll begin to build up our foundation of trust, we will embellish it with laughter, tears, and good food. And just when we are feeling at ease and comfortable in our makeshift home, it will be time to take it down, piece-by-piece, together. We will say our good-byes but more importantly, we will plan the joyful welcome and continuation of your shared ministry with Rev. Rebecca.
I’m looking forward to being together in the shelter of our sukkah. What a time it will be.
Yours,
— Rev. Tera Little
From Our President:
Right Relations, Openness, and Financial Planning
On Saturday, September 12, the Board held its annual retreat in Long Beach. I flew in from French Polynesia for the event and I am glad that I did! It was a productive day couched in the spirit of covenant, mission, and ministry. A primary purpose of a retreat is to set goals. We set three SMART goals. A S.M.A.R.T. goal is defined as one that is specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time-bound.
(1) Our first goal is our commitment to Right Relations, a theme that has been prevalent in our congregation since the congregation-wide visioning meetings of October 2013. Our facilitator for the Right Relations portion of our retreat was the Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Congregational Life Staff of UUA’s Pacific Western Region, available to us because of our Fair Share contributions to the UUA. We plan to develop a Covenant of Right Relations. We want to know how to call back into right relations, when right relations have floundered, the actual practice vs. the aspirational.
Our first step is to begin to develop the language of right relations. To that end, the Board and the Committee on Ministry are sponsoring a workshop on Compassionate Communication to be conducted by Mary Mackenzie on October 3.
The goal of a covenant and a right relations team may realistically extend beyond the next year but we will be working on it, led by the Committee on Ministry (or “Mission and Ministry Team,” as Rev. Kwong has suggested).
In the meantime, check out Friedman’s “Theory of FROM OUR PRESIDENT Right Relations, Openness, and
Financial Planning Differentiated Leadership Made Simple.” It’s funny and has a good message. Find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgdcljNV-Ew
(2) Our second goal falls under the notion of openness. The Board is committed to quarterly sessions with the congregation to provide an opportunity for Q&A, give and take, themed or open discussion.
The Board has also recognized the need to preserve and make available (in our newsletter, on our web page, and in folders maintained by the office as appropriate) the outcomes of meetings that are open to the entire congregation. An example is the Green Committee/Garden of Eternity meetings in which details of the planned garden were discussed and agreed upon, and eventually formulated as FAQs.
(3) Our third goal is to build upon the excellent work of the Committee on Money by incorporating more of mission and vision into our financial planning. Our goal is a strategic plan with financial and ministry goals that moves us towards a balanced budget, with interim goals that we can commit ourselves to. The Rev. Rick Hoyt-McDaniels of First Church Los Angeles facilitated this portion of our retreat.
We started serious discussions of our budget eight years ago. In 2007, the first phase of a multi-year Vision Budget developed by Long Range Planning (chaired by yours truly and facilitated by current Board member Rebecca Crawford) was incorporated into the budget and approved by the congregation at the 2007 Annual Meeting. Sadly, 2007 was followed by the economic collapse of 2008 and we all suffered. Still, a revisit to that plan underscores its vitality today, and we implemented many aspects of the plan and should celebrate those achievements.
Our timeline includes Town Hall meetings on November 1, December 6, and January 17, 2016, to discuss financial planning for the church. The Board will vote on its recommendations on January 12, the Board’s recommendations will be published by January 15, and there will be a Congregational meeting to vote on the
recommendations by February 15, 2016.
— Patricia Wright
Featured Articles:
FROM OUR TREASURER
Kim Miller invited Finance Committee member Steve White to write about our financial deficit.
A Perspective on Deficits
The Congregation voted at our Church Annual Business Meeting in May 2015 to adopt a Board-approved budget for 2015-2016 with a projected operating deficit of $52,000. Also approved was a motion to classify withdrawals from reserves as income for the 2015-2016 budget. The previous year, in May 2014, a budget with a $72,000 projected deficit was approved. A deficit happens when more will be spent on our ordinary operating expenses than our expected ordinary operating income. “Ordinary” means excluding one-time events such as receiving a bequest, making withdrawals from bequests or savings, or making capital improvements to our buildings and facilities.
The deficit was reported to be necessary due to short-term disruptions in our pledge income since 2013, but no specific information or analysis of the nature of the changes to pledging was provided to the Congregation. Also reported was that no expenses could be further reduced without harming the “vitality and growth” of our church. In addition, raises averaging 3% (totaling $15,000) were deemed necessary for the fair treatment of our minister and staff.
The Committee on Money’s research and report found that other UU churches with deficits required two years to reach a balanced budget — that is, two years of intense, concerted efforts to increase income and reduce expenses, not merely the passage of time.
Some leaders and members suggest that the money we have available, consisting entirely of the remaining balance of the rare 2013-2014 major bequests from Drew Still and Judy Federick, should be spent without restriction on advancing the ministry of our church, specifically by growing membership and thereby pledge income. Other leaders recommend that we adopt a balanced budget as soon as possible. Withdrawing from our bequest money to further the ministry of the church might be a prudent choice, given specific programs to use it for these purposes. Spending bequest money for the everyday expenses of the church year after year is not a prudent or sustainable practice.
FROM THE CHAIR OF OUR MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
Do You Like to Meet New People?
As new Membership Committee Chair I want to send a warm welcome and briefly introduce myself. In my home UU church in Hobart, IN, I held a number of committee positions including Finance, RE, and Stewardship and served on the Board as member and also President. I attended a weeklong UU training (Midwest Leadership School in Beloit, WI). I served briefly on a UUA Committee on Appraisal and also was a Central Midwest District Consultant for a few years, facilitatingBoard retreats, etc. As an introvert, I might never have opted to do any of
this had it not been for the great UU friendships I’ve developed over the years. When I first came to UUism, Iwas very nervous about sharing my innermost thoughts. I’m sure as you are reading this, you can relate your own journey.
I know we have much to offer other people in our communities. Membership may be the most fun committee of all
— getting to meet new people, sharing UU insights, sending cards, hosting fun events! If you like to do any of these kinds of things and have a few minutes to make a phone call during the week, please contact me for more information on how you can get involved. I invite you to the Membership Committee meeting Sunday, October 11 at 12:30 pm at the church where we will be discussing the 2015- 2016 year.
If you have questions, contact me.
Thanks and see you soon!
— Olga Felton
Quotes About Letting Go
Bettye Barclay has provided this list of quotes about our ministerial theme for October. Daily quotes also appear in the weekly electronic announcements.
Week 1. There’s a trick to the Graceful Exit. It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, a relationship is over — and to let go. It means leaving what’s over without denying its value. — Ellen Goodman
Week 2. When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. — Lao Tzu
Week 3. When you’re passionate about something, you want it to be all it can be. But in the endgame of life, I fundamentally believe the key to happiness is letting go of that idea of perfection. — Debra Messing
Week 4. Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it. — Ann Landers
Week 5. Everything flows and nothing abides, everything gives way and nothing stays fixed. — Heraclitus
UU COMMUNITY CHURCH OF SANTA MONICA: SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 TO JANUARY 5, 2016
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Minister’s Sabbatical
What is a sabbatical?
A sabbatical is a time dedicated to spiritual renewal, rest, and rejuvenation. In our UU tradition, congregations strive to offer their ministers and religious professionals an opportunity to rest from the demanding work of congregational ministry by encouraging them to go on sabbatical after they have been in leadership for five years or more. As the Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur has just completed her fifth year as our full-time Settled Minister, it is time for her to rest for a season, so that she can return renewed and rejuvenated.
Have we done this before?
Our congregation has a long history of sending our minsters on sabbatical. Both the Rev. Ernie Pipes and the Rev. Judith Meyer were able to go on sabbatical, and this is one of the reasons they were able to serve in ministry for 35 and 15 years, respectively. During Rev. Meyer’s last sabbatical, the Rev. Jim Grant served as our sabbatical minister, and many remember his leadership here fondly.
What will Rev. Bijur be doing during her time away?
Like Rev. Pipes and Rev. Meyer before her, Rev. Rebecca plans to pursue study, reflection, contemplation, and action that is not possible when she is present in full time congregational ministry. Possible sabbatical projects will include resting, being fully present with her family, traveling in California and Mexico, and practicing the art of neighborliness. Several years ago she identified growth, outreach, and covenant are key areas of ministry for our congregation, and this sabbatical may offer her the opportunity to pursue these interests. She hopes to return to the congregation with new perspectives on our life together, as well as a renewed connection to the sources of her own spiritual courage and leadership.
When will Rev. Rebecca return to congregational ministry?
Rev. Rebecca will return to the congregation on January 5, 2016. Her first Sunday back in the pulpit will be January 10, 2016.
Who will lead worship, provide pastoral care, supervise church staff, and support the Board of Directors and our volunteer leaders?
We are fortunate that the Rev. Tera Little will serve as our part-time Acting Minister while Rev. Rebecca is on sabbatical. She will be with us from September 28, 2015 to January 5, 2016.
Rev. Little will partner with our Board of Directors and the Committee on Ministry to ensure that the important ongoing ministry of the congregation continues uninterrupted, and even deepens with new leadership from our Acting Minister, staff, and volunteers. Rev. Little will preach two Sundays a month, and the following worship leaders will be with us for Sundays when Rev. Little is out of the pulpit: our own Catherine Farmer Loya, the Rev. Jonipher Kwong, Michael Eselun, and the Rev. Kikanza J. Nuri-Robins.
More about part-time Acting Minister Rev. Tera Little
Rev. Tera Little currently serves as the part-time Minister of Throop Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena and is the former Director of Lifespan Programs of the Pacific Southwest District (PSWD) of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Rev. Little has over 16 years of experience in coaching, training, and support in all ages of faith formation, worship arts, justice ministry, campus ministry, and youth ministry.
Rev. Little has also served as the PSWD liaison to our In-Care Program for seminary students, where she created and led service/learning/reflection events at least once a year. Rev. Little brings a positive, collaborative, energetic leadership style and an ability to create worship that “touches people where they are,” which is important in a congregation like ours, with a diversity of theological commitments.
While serving as our part-time Acting Minister, Rev. Little will also continue to serve as the minister of Throop UU Church part-time. Rev. Little was ordained in September of 2011 and received her M.Div. from Meadville Lombard Theological School in May 2010. She is the proud mom of Adrian, age 21, and shares her life with Rabbi Jonathan Klein.
How can we reach Rev. Rebecca during her sabbatical?
In order to allow Rev. Rebecca to fully invest in this special time away, she will not be available to the congregation during her sabbatical. From September 28 to January 5, please contact Rev. Tera Little at minister@uusm.org or at church at (310) 829-5436 x104 with all ministry concerns. As Rev. Little is with us only part-time, she will also work closely with our President, Patricia Wright, and with the Committee on Ministry, co-Chairs Sue Stoyanoff and Tom Peters, at committeeonministry@uusm.org
How is the sabbatical funded from our church budget?
When Rev. Rebecca answered our call to become our Settled Minister in 2009, the church had already begun to fund a Sabbatical Fund with regular contributions from our annual fundraising efforts. Since 2009, we have added $3,000 per year to this fund, and now we are able to fully fund a part-time Acting Minister without the need for additional fundraising.
Thank you for the gift of this special time, and for your generous investment in your minister’s ongoing education and spiritual development.
Your Committee on Ministry is Sue Stoyanoff and Tom Peters, co-chairs, Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur, Barbara Kernochan, Leon Henderson-MacLennan, and Margot Page at committeeonministry@uusm.org
Warren Mathews Conference Room Dedicated
Christine Haskell, Charles Haskell, Ron Crane, and John Fels with Warren Mathews in the Warren Mathews Conference Room on August 30. The room was originally designated the Warren Mathews Conference Room by the congregation at the annual meeting of May 2007, but no official ceremony was held to formally identify the room as such. Christine, Charles, Ron, and John corrected this oversight by creating a plaque with that designation and holding a catered lunch to celebrate the placement of the plaque in the room. Photos by Carol Ring
News & Announcements:
24TH ANNUAL ERNEST D. PIPES DISTINGUISHED LECTURE
James Dusenberry: Climate Chante! Global Warming! CO2 Emissions!
Saturday, October 10, 7:30 pm in the Sanctuary
What is the human relationship to these phenomena? How close is the tipping point? What can we do? How urgent is it? Nothing affects us more as individuals or as a planet than the weather. James Dusenberry, from Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, will answer someof these critical questions.
Don’t miss this opportunity to refresh your understanding of climate change and its potential as a life altering phenomenon.
7:30 pm, Saturday, October 10
ALSO:
Join us for the second Sunday Cinema screening of the antifracking film "Groundswell Rising." In the Sanctuary, October 11, 7:30pm.
Donate a brick engraved with your loved one's name
Members can donate $500 or more in memory of a loved one, family member, or former church member and have that person's name, date of birth, and date of death engraved in a brick that will become part of the Garden of Eternity project. Contact Nurit Gordon at admin@uusm.org for the order form, or go to the church website to complete the order form and make your donation at http://old.uusm.org/make-a-donation
Donations received before November 1, 2015 will be included in the Garden of Eternity project as it is installed.
Holiday Craft Fair Collection
Beverly’s Treasure Table will be at the Holiday Craft Fair on November 15 — she is collecting NOW — cherished, prized, valued, precious jewels — does one of your treasures seek a new home? Gracious loving new owners await at the church Craft Fair. Call Beverly for pick up.
Building News:
FROM THE FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
What’s Happening in our UU Santa Monica Facilities?
Our Sanctuary Upgrade and Lighting Project (SoUL Project) is progressing. Here’s a joke: “How many UUs does it take to replace light bulbs in our Sconces? Answer: All of them!”
Actually, just one of them — Brad Hutchinson accomplished this task on September 12.
We are spending some time and funds on improving our classrooms. We recently purchased new stackable chairs for the classrooms in Forbes Hall. They are easily cleaned keeping us all healthy. Please be sure to keep the blue chairs in Classrooms 1 and 3 and the grey chairs in Classroom 4. We are trying our best to keep our classrooms clean and healthy. Please help us. If you see something that needs attention, tell us. And, please do your part to keep all our spaces clean. Our Community thanks you for your help.
We hear you! We are researching getting some lightweight and stackable chairs to replace the brown folding ones in Forbes Hall. Stackable chairs allow us to have more chairs stored in a small space. We will have some samples for you to check out and lift in the coming months.
The Garden of Eternity project should be commencing soon. We are currently receiving three bids for review. The Board will review these and select a winning contractor and we will be on our way! Hooray for the Garden of Eternity Task Force: Alison Kendall, Helen Brown, Ernie Pipes, Ray Goodman, and The Green Living Committee.
We are doing our yearly maintenance items in September, like washing windows and trimming trees. We are also seeking bids to repaint the exterior of the Cottage. It has been more than 10 years since the Cottage was completed, so now it’s time to maintain it. We do not want to defer this maintenance, especially this year, with rain predicted.
— Beth Brownlie Oakes
Faith in Action News:
CLUE/UNITE HERE LaunchMinimum Wage Campaign for Santa Monica
Forbes Hall was the scene of an historic meeting on Wednesday, September 9, as activists from CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) and UNITE HERE (Hotel and Restaurant Workers’ Union) met to launch the 2015 Minimum Wage Campaign for Santa Monica.
Vivian Rothstein, who was a leader in the living wage campaign in Santa Monica in 2002, reminded us of the close vote on Proposition JJ, which was defeated when hotels and corporations in Santa Monica sent fraudulent material to voters claiming that Democrats, teachers, and others were opposed to the measure. Like other attendees at the meeting, she is ready to restart the battle for a living wage.
The current campaign has some notable supporters. Mayor Kevin McKeown, speaking at the September 9 meeting, noted that the city of Los Angeles has set a standard of $15 per hour by 2020 (starting this year at $9 per hour). But McKeown says Santa Monica can set the standard for tipped wages. “Some restaurants tack a ‘mandatory service charge’ onto bills for large tables of diners, private parties, or catered events. Under federal and California law, this isn’t considered a tip. Many employers give at least part of these service charges to employees, but that’s the employer’s choice. Employees have no legal right to that money” (nolo.com).
The living wage has advocates on the Santa Monica City Council and, of course, among the hotel workers and community members at the UU Santa Monica meeting. UNITE/HERE members spoke to those gathered about their need for a living wage ordinance comparable to that passed by the city of Los Angeles. There is a difference in the current wage laws of L.A. and Santa Monica. Santa Monica has no minimum wage provision that covers all workers and has no provision for protection from wage theft.
The audience at the UU Santa Monica meeting reiterated their dedication to fighting for the living wage. As Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels of Beth Shir Shalom said, “Justice is essential to CLUE’s standards — there is no justice without a living wage.”
— Peggy Rhoads
Visitation Program Makes Goals for 2016
Seventy members and friends of CIVIC, a national group committed to helping immigrants in detention, met in early September to plan for a new year of action to end the incarceration of 34,000 immigrants detained in U.S. jails and prisons. Three members and friends of UU Santa Monica joined the group for three days of study and action. We were joined by several men and women who had been released after as much as eight years in detention, who now are devoting their time to the goal of ending incarceration as the primary response to immigration.
We dedicated ourselves to a year of action, with the goals of increasing visitation programs, advocating for immigration reform, publishing stories and poetry by those in detention, establishing systems for post release safety, and expanding our contacts with international immigrant rights organizations such as AVID, in the United Kingdom. Considering the continuing crisis in receiving refugees from Syria, we understand our movement as a global one.
Members of UU Santa Monica who are also members of Friends of Orange County Detainees are planning an orientation for new visitors. Announcements will be made in the near future. We encourage youth to join us!
— Peggy Rhoads
Textbook Fund Update
As of mid-September, the Textbook Fund has received $2,212.50. The Faith in Action Commission would like to thank all who contributed so generously to make this campaign a success!
— Nora Hamilton
Green Living Committee:
2nd-Sunday Supper and Cinema on October 11
This month, the Green Committee hosts Second Sunday Supper, featuring locally grown and sustainable main dishes and drinks. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. We are a small group, so help with hosting and cooking is appreciated! (Contact: Alison Kendall)
Immediately afterward, join us for Second Sunday Cinema’s presentation of “Groundswell Rising: Protecting our Chidren’s Air and Water.” This film “gives voice to ordinary folks engaged in a David and Goliath struggle against Big Oil and Gas. We meet parents, scientists, doctors, farmers, and individuals across the political spectrum decrying the energy extraction process known as fracking that puts profits over people. This provocative documentary tracks a grassroots movement exposing dangers to clean air, water, and civil rights.”
Hydraulic fracturing aka “fracking” is truly an issue of the moment, for myriad reasons. Evidence strongly suggests that its effects on air quality and groundwater are significant threats to environmental and human health, and that it is a direct cause of earthquakes, especially in several Midwestern states that have seen dramatic recent spikes in seismic activity. Moreover, while cleaner-burning natural gas has often been lauded as a healthier energy source than coal and oil, we’re learning that the fracking process itself often leaks enough methane, itself a potent greenhouse gas, to more than negate the benefits and contribute Climate Change.
Unlike many environmental documentaries of the last several years that are often unavoidably gloomy, “Groundswell Rising” tells the inspiring story of a grassroots movement across the U.S. (including notable actor/activist Mark Ruffalo) that is actually pushing back against the fracking boom and, in some cases, winning. We can learn from them, because the use of fracking for shale oil in California is expanding. The city of Los Angeles placed a temporary moratorium on it last year, but Governor Brown has resisted calls for a statewide ban. And if you’ve turned on cable news anytime recently, you’ve probably seen one of the sunny ads that industry groups have been running as part of a massively-funded PR campaign to convince audiences that fracking is safe. This is a good time for us as a congregation to study the issue and decide how we can act.
Some of us had the opportunity to meet and talk with Mark Lichty, executive producer of this film and himself a member of the UU Fellowship of the Poconos in PA, when he visited UU Santa Monica in September. After the screening, technology permitting, we plan to hold a Q&A Skype session with Mark and the film’s director, Renard Cohen. Don’t miss it!
More information about the film can be found at: http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/gsr.html
— James Witker
Splinters from the Board:
Garden of Eternity and a New Path to Membership
Vice President Dan Nannini chaired the meeting of September 8, as President Patricia Wright was on vacation.
We were happy to welcome back the Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur, who lit the chalice.
The Board passed the Consent Agenda and then proceeded to a presentation by Alison Kendall and Roxanna Vera on the Garden of Eternity (GOE). Alison reminded us of the generous $10,000 donation from Ray Goodman and the matching grant from the Spirit Level Foundation. She put up the plans and mentioned the task force and Town Hall meetings that have taken place. Ray Goodman, Helen Brown, and Ernie Pipes of the GOE Task Force were all present as guests at this meeting. The Board passed a motion authorizing the Green Living Committee/Garden of Eternity Task Force, in collaboration with the Facility Development Committee, to execute this congregation/Board-approved project.
The Board also approved the Tiered Funding Proposal for the purchase of commemorative bricks. There was concern that we need a less expensive option for commemoration, and the Board will consider a proposal for such an option in the future.
Bryan Oakes presented an overview of the Facilities Development/Design Committee for the new Board members, explaining its membership, procedures, and past, present, and future projects.
Olga Felton has agreed to be the new chair of the Membership Committee. She asked for the Board’s support for creating a new path to membership process, and we were glad to give her that support. She will be changing the meeting times to Sundays and is hoping to involve more people to do specific tasks, even if they don’t want to be committee members. We were happy to welcome her into leadership.
Rev. Rebecca discussed her upcoming sabbatical, which will begin on September 28 and end on January 5, 2016. Tom Peters was present as co-Chair of the Committee on Ministry. Rev. Rebecca reviewed some of the details of how things will function in her absence. The Rev. Tera Little will be our part-time Acting Minister during the sabbatical. She will work closely with President Wright and the Committee on Ministry.
Beth Brownlie gave an update on the SoUL lighting project. The electrical wiring has been replaced. The task force is still trying to obtain one more quote for the installation of the LED lighting. The fixtures are being ordered. Once an installer has been chosen the work should proceed fairly quickly. The project continues to be well within budget.
The Board reviewed the agenda for its annual retreat as well as plans for its hosting of the Second Sunday Supper on September 13.
The Board wants to remind everyone of the church-wide compassionate communication workshop on October 3.
— Cynthia Cottam
RE News:
FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
A Safe and Sacred Place for Children, Youth, and Adults
We are a few weeks into our new church year now, and it is an exciting time, as we try out new ways of being together in our RE classrooms as well as in worship with the arrival of Rev. Tera Little as our sabbatical leave minister this fall.
As you know, our Unitarian Universalist faith is covenantal. We do not subscribe to a common doctrine, and are instead made up of all who have chosen to “walk together” as members and friends of the church. When we gather, we welcome all who choose to join us, and we ask and depend on one another to create a safe and sacred space for all the children, youth, and adults of our community. We also rely on one another to create, talk about, and implement policies that help keep our congregation healthy and ensure the safety and well being of our members and visitors.
As we have just launched a new year of classes, it is a good time to remind our members about the congregation’s existing safety procedures, policies, and plans, particularly as they protect the children and youth entrusted to our care.
Training: An important part of every year’s RE volunteer training is a review of our safety policies, including classroom procedures as well as a discussion of mandated reporting of suspected abuse.
Screening: RE teachers and advisors fill out a screening form that provides background information and personal references as well as permission to perform a background check. We conduct this screening when volunteers are new to RE as well as once five years have elapsed since prior screening.
Evacuation Planning: Evacuation procedures for RE classes are reviewed with all volunteers, and the printed plans are included in every teacher notebook as well as in the attendance notebook for each RE class. In the event of an evacuation during class time, teachers will fill out a form with each child’s name, and parents are required to sign their children out when they are picked up from the designated gathering area outside.
Classroom Rules: All of our classes require two adults to be in the room — generally a lead teacher and an assistant. We put windows in the doors of our upstairs classrooms during the renovation to make periodic classroom check-ins possible without disrupting class time. Parents fill out and sign registration forms that include permission to treat in an emergency if a parent is not immediately available, though this is an extra precaution, since our Sunday RE classes happen when parents are also on our campus. A special extra permission form that includes health information is required for any trips or events at UU Santa Monica when parents are not present. At least a 1 to 6 adult to youth ratio is required for any of these special programs (in addition to the 2-adult minimum). At no times are a child/youth and an adult in a one-on-one setting during activities offered or sponsored by UU Santa Monica.
First Aid/CPR: All RE Department staff are First Aid/CPRcertified.
Finally, as written in our congregation’s Policy on Disruptive Behavior, while openness to a wide variety of individuals is one of the prime values held by our congregation and expressed in our denomination’s purposes and principles, we affirm the belief that our congregation must maintain a secure atmosphere where such
openness can exist. When any person’s physical and/or emotional well-being or freedom to safely express his or her beliefs or opinions is threatened, the source of this threat must be addressed firmly and promptly. (For more information on this policy, please see http://www.uusm.org/about-our-church/governance/policies/general-operations/disruptive-behavior) The time to make plans for how to respond to a breach of trust in our community is before such a breach happens. While the RE program has comprehensive safety plans in place, and much
work has been done to develop helpful, clear policies such as that outlined above, there is more to do within the congregation as a whole to support our shared commitment to community wellbeing.
All of the staff at UU Santa Monica are committed to working with you and our leaders to continue to refine and improve safety policies and procedures, which will enable us to meet the needs of all in our community. Like many of you, we know this is hard, necessary, and sacred work.
— Catherine Farmer Loya
Coming Up this Month in RE
This month in the elementary and middle school RE programs, preschoolers will celebrate our multigenerational church community, and will begin to explore the natural world with sessions focusing on our connections with trees.
Kindergarten to 2nd graders at the 9 am service will jump into this year’s focus on themes from our church covenant with sessions celebrating love for ourselves and our families, as well as a session featuring a story called “Uncle Willy’s Soup Kitchen,” as we consider ways we can be of service to others in our wider community.
3rd to 5th graders in the UUniverse Story program at 9 am will discuss the purpose of religion and science, and will learn about science as the best method we have developed yet to understand the natural world around us.
Middle-schoolers in the Interfaith Quest class at 9 am will set off on their year-long journey by taking a look at our own Unitarian Universalist faith, using it to build a framework for how we’ll learn about other religious traditions later in the year, and developing our own “elevator speeches” for explaining our UU faith to people of other faith traditions.
And in our multi-age 11 am program, we will kick off the month with an exploration of “The Chemistry Between Us” in building a caring community together, and then will engage with October’s ministry theme of “Letting Go” with a focus on the Buddhist story of “Tenzin’s Deer,” as well as a special “Ribbons of Memory” ritual, leading toward our Day of the Dead Sunday service at the beginning of November. We will also be offering our parent/
youth orientation to the newly revised 8th to 9th grade Coming of Age program on Sunday, October 18.