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Apr-04

Month: 
Apr 2004
From Our Minister: 

After years of slow, deliberate planning, our building program was finallyon its way to approval. Then shortly before the longawaited March 3 meetingwith the Santa Monica Planning Commission, the house next door went up for sale.Our board held an emergency meeting, consulted with as many members of the congregationas possible, and submitted an offer. The planning commission voted their approvalof our building program. The house offer was accepted hours later. And in justa few short days, everything had changed.

You can find the details of the transaction elsewhereon this website. What strikes me as worth reporting is how well everyone workedtogether to act quickly and decisively on the opportunity. Knowing that we hadprecious little time, Board president Carol Kerr sought out the help of realtorsin our congregation, and Pat McGuire worked closely with her to structure thebid. The Building Committee, which had invested years in creating a design tomaximize the potential of our 17th Street lot, quickly embraced the change ofplan and supported it enthusiastically. Our congregation responded to the newswith joy and appreciation.

This fortuitous turn of events could not have happened if it were not for theskill of our leaders and the time they gave to bring about this happy result.Thanks go to Carol and Pat for their hard work. Thanks also go to Barbara Kernochan,Building Committee chair, and all the members of the Building Committee, fordemonstrating flexibility and vision. All the wisdom they have gained from yearsof planning can now be applied to this new challenge.

It will take time to understand what our options are now. But we can be confidentthat we know how to plan, design and secure approval for whatever we choose.That confidence comes from the strength of our leadership and the breadth ofour vision. Let’s be thankful for both.

-- Judith Meyer

Featured Articles: 

Would you like to be a happy camper? Then don’t miss our church’sannual family retreat weekend, June 18 to 20. Come with us to the beautifulde Benneville Pines Camp and Conference Center, and enjoy clean mountain air,walks in the woods, crafts, campfires, singing, discussion groups, children’sactivities, teen activities, swimming at Jenks Lake or in the pool, great food,fellowship, and relaxation. Rustic cabins are clean and comfortable, with indoorplumbing and hot showers, for “roughing it, gently.”

Very shortly, you will see a table in Forbes Hall after each service to signup. Watch for more details, coming soon. Questions about registering or helpingwith registration? Contac Marv Pulliam.

Do you have a skill or talent to share? We are looking for a few good peopleto lead activities and workshops during the weekend. Some possible ideas includediscussion groups (on spiritual growth, current events, men’s issues,women’s issues, living a balanced life, whatever), art and/or crafts (forchildren, adults, or both), yoga workshops, folk dancing, sing-alongs, hikesand/or nature activities, bridge or poker night, talent/no-talent shows. Doyou have special knowledge of astronomy, geology, botany, wilderness lore? Couldyou teach massage, tai chi, charcoal sketching, or origami for a couple of hours?Do you love to lead children’s activities? I would like to provide a varietyof workshops for all tastes, so please get in touch with Sharon VoigtDamerell, Program Dean, if you have ideas for activities you wouldbe willing to lead.

 

Appreciation

Three volunteers, Dan Kegel, Greg Wood, and Bob Dietz, spent many hours afterwork and on Saturdays and Sundays to troubleshoot the office computer system.During the work the voicemail system failed and the computers acted up, buteveryone could do their job. Some of the computers may be beyond repair, butkeeping everyone working throughout the process earns high praise and many thanks.

A special reception to welcome Catherine Farmer was organized by Wendy Johnstonand Alicia Van Ooyen and a committee of Beverly Alison, Dorothy Steinicke, ErikaValore, Beth Rendeiro, Chris Brown, Steven Van Ooyen, Moira Johnston, Rosy DePaul,Nicolaas Van Ooyen, Paice Van Ooyen, and Diane Fletcher-Hoppe. Thanks to allof you.

Special thanks to Helen Burns, Shirlee Frank, Peggy Kharraz, Sue Moore, andSandra Trutt, the Dining for Dollars Committee, who organized and prepared materialsfor the biggest fund-raiser of the year. The events offer a variety of dinnersand community experiences. 

News & Announcements: 

Save Time and Stamps

Get regular! Sign up for the Church’s new automatic bill paying serviceand have your pledge deducted from your bank account at regular intervals (monthlyor quarterly). Save energy and stamps. Pick up an application in the churchoffice.

 

New Record Set by Dining for Dollars

Due to the generosity of our many donors (approximately 70) and our bidders(about 150 bidding units) we are pleased to announce that the 2004 Dining forDollars auction has generated over $22,000 for the church coffers. The committeeis so grateful for your enthusiastic participation in this event and the hostsand guests will also benefit from the sense of community enhanced by these gatherings.

—Dining for Dollars Committee

Building News: 

Our Church Made a Presentation to Santa Monica's Planning Commission

Building committee chair Barbara Kernochan made a report to the membersof the committee the day after the March 3 planning commission meeting:

Congratulations to us! Thanks to this team’s hard work, and with a lotof help from friends and architects, our applications for a parking varianceand conditional use permit were unanimously approved at last night’s planningcommission hearing. All who were present came away, I’m sure, with thesense that our congregation is truly heard and appreciated in our community.The speakers waxed heartwarmingly eloquent about our good work, and even theone neighbor who felt compelled to bring up parking problems did so with greatreluctance.

Bravo, and thank you, Barbara.

(The full text of the statements presented at the meeting is below.)

Faith in Action News: 

An Evening of Classical Music with Dean Voegtlen

On March 7 the Music Committee and the Faith in Action Commission jointly sponsoreda benefit concert of classical music in our sanctuary. It featured the RussianString Quartet performing Haydn, Bach, and Brahms, with Dean Voegtlenjoining the group for Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet, Opus 115 (see photo below).

Why is an evening of classical music a topic for this column? First, it demonstratesthe power of teamwork in helping our community. Several years ago, we choseto work more closely with StepUp on Second. This is a wonderful institution that works to reintegrateindividuals with severe and persistent mental illness back into society. Wehelp this group in a variety of ways. For example, Lyn Armondo and a team of50 volunteers provide a monthly meal for the residents of Step Up on Second.Now, thanks to the teamwork of Faith in Action, the Music Committee, and ourGenerous Congregation program, we raised $729 for this worthy cause.

The second reasonis personal. I would like to recognize Dean Voegtlen for 40 years of serviceto our church. Dean has served two separate terms as president of our congregation,initially in the 1970s and more recently in the early 1990s. He is known forhis passionate love of music and dedication to our music program. His love ofmusic was kindled by clarinet lessons in the 4th grade. He sustained this interestand was the winner of an all-state solo competition in high school. He laterstudied music at Wayne State University and studied with Angel del Busto ofthe Julliard School Woodwind Department. However, he was not destined to bea professional musician. His career was engineering, but music has been hispassion.

Our community has benefited enormously from Dean’s love of music. Hewas the prime mover in obtaining our organ and a key member of the committeethat found and purchased our Steinway piano. He has been a major financial donorto our music programs, and he was responsible for making our recent concerta charity event for Step Up on Second. Our church covenant calls for us to “dwelltogether in peace” and it states that “service is our prayer.”Dean Voegtlen’s contributions to our community are a demonstration of“faith in action.”

— Charles Haskell, Chair, Faith in Action Commission

From the Archives: 

Historical Tidbit from Our Archivist, Rob Briner

Our church’s board of directors in 1967-68 — 36 years ago —included three people who are still active members of our congregation: MiltHolmen, Stu Moore and Dean Voegtlen(as well as Mrs. Lloyd Drum).

Splinters from the Board: 

Minister’s Evaluation
The board went into executive session while Audrey Lyness reported the resultsof an interview process conducted by the threemember Committee on Ministry team.The consensus was overwhelmingly positive. Judith and the COM were congratulatedon their work. Suggestions were made about increasing the size of the COM nextyear and rotating terms.

Personnel Committee
Pat Parkerton reported that job descriptions for all staff will be ready forboard review next month. John Eger was added to the committee.

Nominating Committee
S.J. Guidotti reported that all candidates for office to be elected at thisyear’s annual meeting in May will be receiving a series of five questions,the answers to which will form the basis of an annotated ballot.

Bylaws & Policies Committee (BPC)
A bylaws amendment for establishing a Religious Exploration Council was approvedfor submission to the congregation at the annual meeting in May. The board approvedthe revision and updating of the policy allowing our building to be used asan emergency shelter for neighboring healthcare facilities. Carol Kerr askedthe BPC to consider a shorter notice requirement for special congregationalmeetings.

Finance Committee
Warren Mathews expects the 2004-05 budget to project a deficit of around $12K,which is less than previously expected, due in part to the excellent trend inDining for Dollars receipts.

Purchase of 1248 18th Street Property
Carol Kerr was thanked for her leadership in this project. For the completestory, see the Features Page.

Treasurer’s Report
Collection of pledge receipts has improved greatly in the past month owing toa pilot mailing of pledge statements. Beginning next month there will be anoption to have pledge payments made through automatic withdrawals from bankaccounts. The capital campaign account has $1.2 million paid of $1.5 millionpledged.

Membership Report
Current membership is 462. Pledges from the new members during the past monthtotaled $3,000, which exceeds the $1,500 per month average that was assumedin predicting pledge receipts for the year.

— Melinda Ewen

RE News: 

From the Desk of the DRE

Thank you all for a lovely installation service on February 8. Now, I’mreally, really official as your Director of Religious Education. As part ofthe ceremony, we invited all of you to share your hopes and dreams for my positionand for the RE program with us. Together, they paint a wonderful vision forour church, and I’d like to take this month’s column to share someof them with you.

  • I hope that we will continue to inspire the religious growth of our membersof all ages.
  • I hope the children learn to feel support from this church.
  • I hope for a religious education program that grows the soul of all whocome to our church.
  • Help the children to learn to make the world a friendly place.
  • Value the children’s differences.
  • May we feed each other.
  • Joy in learning, tolerance and love.
  • May our community and its newest members thrive.
  • Let our UU history and traditions give strength to our efforts to reach forour dreams.
  • May you keep the teenagers involved.
  • Best wishes as you work with the young people, and lead them to longtermcommitment to Social Justice in our world.
  • Joy and laughter.
  • To have a place where the children want to come and feel at home and at peace
  • Encourage curiosity.
  • I hope you help the children to find a nice, soulful place in their hearts.
  • Spirit and hope for the homeless and depressed.
  • Include everyone.
  • I hope that we can make RE more racially diverse.
  • I dream that our children feel in their hearts the truths and inspirationthat our faith has to offer.
  • That the kids grow into UU values and strength.
  • Keep it simple.
  • Reverence for truth and peace on earth. Also have fun.
  • A continuing UU community.
  • Love wastefully – it won’t run out.

Truly, we are passionate about the possibilities forReligious Education in our congregation. And we haveonly begun our journey. I look forward to many yearsamong you as we bring our dreams to life.

— Catherine Farmer

 

Bring Donations for David and Goliath

The YRUU high school group is working with the “The David and GoliathProject” to sponsor a food drive to aid Los Angeles hotel workers in anticipationof a strike. A marked food bin will be left in Forbes Hall for the next twomonths. Please donate rice, beans, baby food, and diapers only. For more informationon the project, contact Edith Mendez.

 

Forty Participants Gathered for Owen-Towle Workshop

Tom Owen-Towle, minister emeritus of the San Diego UU Church, and a prominentUU writer, presented a one-day workshop on Saturday, February 28, on the varietyof concepts of God found in the Unitarian Universalist community. The purposeof the class was to help participants update their concept of the unnamable.The goal is for participants to “grow their souls” by loving self,neighbor, the natural world, and divine mystery.

Tom reminded us that UUs are comfortable with paradoxes and ambiguity. Threecommon concepts of the divine are atheism, agnosticism, and affirmatism. UUallows for denying, doubting, and believing simultaneously. Each of these perspectivesholds part of the truth, and each attitude can be a part of a strong UU community.

Atheism is usually considered a rejection of God but actually means “withoutGod.” Many Asian philosophies put little effort into defining God. Thereare also styles of religion that include “the inheritor,” who acceptsbeliefs as they are given, or “the heretic,” who chooses what beliefsto accept.

Agnosticism is a suspension of belief based on incomplete knowledge. In thereality of mystery, the agnostic accepts what is. Reality is a paradox, andis always evolving. Our being is a combination of body, heart, soul, and mind.We seek integration because one or two combinations are not enough. Religionis love of self, neighbor, the natural world, and divine mystery.

Affirmatism requires defining concepts to which one gives loyalty. Belief ispassive; affirmatism requires action. It is not just seeking, but declaringthat which is found. One finds God through service and action, not words. Humoris a necessary approach to God; one looks to recognize the lurking places ofGod in art, nature, music, and the laughter of children. One can recognize thedivine through struggle, in the sense of “being there”; throughsuffering, with the goal of acceptance; through surrender, by being willingto give oneself to a person or a purpose without giving up self; through service;even through “stuff,” such as meaningful objects that can be windowsto the divine.

In summary, participants were reminded that God is larger than human comprehension;we are but human, not angels or gods. There are many paths to God; we must eachfind our own concept of a God that is transpersonal, not anthropomorphic. Seekersmust remain open and active on the face of mystery.

The Adult Religious Growth and Learning Committee sponsored and hosted theevent. Jane Machnik did a superb job of executing their arrangements for a groupof 40 members and guests.

— Geralyn Lambson