Jan-05
From Our Minister:
Every Sunday I offer appreciation to an individual or group in the church whosevolunteer work has made a difference to our community. This custom began nearly10 years ago. The Administration Committee chair at the time, Helen Brown, broughtthe idea to me. She and her committee thought it would be a good way to thankall the people who did so much work, often unrecognized, for the church. Sincethen I've never had trouble finding people to acknowledge each week. Sometimesthe acknowledgement is predictable. After a big church event, we always havepeople to thank. Sometimes I learn about a quiet good deed and have the pleasureof making it known to others. Other times the staff members and committee chairssend me tips. Do you know someone who is doing something for the church? Someonewho hasn't been recognized? If so, please let me know about it. If you havesomeone you want to thank publicly, we can arrange for you to offer the appreciationyourself. I would enjoy hearing your words of gratitude to each other. I thinkeverybody would. It would add a new dimension to participation in the servicetoo. Offering public appreciation is a simple gesture. It is easy to do, butit builds community because it reminds us of how much we value individual contributions.While I'm at it, let me thank Helen Brown. As Administration Committee chair,she not only found ways to nurture our volunteers, she researched and oversawthe installation of our first security system, and supported the staff withher wisdom and skill.
-- Judith Meyer
Featured Articles:
Well folks, you've just had a chance to see a bit of the inner workings ofdemocracy in action. Last month, I shared with you a proposal that was beingconsidered to abolish the position of church treasurer. I cited compelling reasonsthat had led to the proposal, some of the impediments to implementing it, anda list of major factors that needed to be considered.
It was the third of those factors, the need for any volunteer position to befilled by realistically available candidates, that led the discussion to anunexpected answer. That answer was to strengthen rather than abolish the treasurerposition, but in a way that would not require unrealistic technical financialcompetence on the part of the incumbent.
Specifically, the annually elected treasurer would be responsible for monitoringand taking action relative to performance against budget, and for participatingactively in development of the budget for the following year. The longer-termFinance Committee would be the primary source of technical financial competenceon an advisory basis, providing technical support to both the treasurer andthe financial accounting functions of the office staff. It would also serveas financial policy advisor to the board and the congregation.
Democracy does work, by golly, and discussion among intelligent people canlead to solid solutions to seemingly difficult problems.
-Warren Mathews, Finance Committee Chair
News & Announcements:
Please join our Saturday work parties
Have you been asking yourself what you can do at a monthly church work party?We can help you find the answer. Just call me at (310) 829-5436, extension 100,and let's talk. Whether you enjoy gardening, woodworking, cleaning, organizing,sewing, painting, cooking, or any number of other things that need to be donein or around a building or in the garden/yard, a job is available for you.
So, please, look over the schedule below and pick a Saturday and come to theparty. The title of the Rev. Judith Meyer's December 12 sermon, "The More theMerrier," applies to work parties as well. The more people who participate,the lighter the work, the merrier the mood, and the better we'll all feel aboutthe place we call our church home. Perhaps you'll even make a new friend orrenew an old friendship.
Why not put all these dates on your calendar? Surely, as you make your waythrough this New Year, you'll be able to help out around the church on January15, February 19, March 19, April 16, May 21, June 18, July 16, August 20, September17, October 15, or November 19.
-Marie Kashmer-Stiebing, Church Administrator
Appreciations
Appreciation to Amy Thiel and Patrick Meighan,for their splendid work on the Sunday service about Universalism November 14. . . to Melinda Ewen for leading and organizing the Pilgrim'sFeast . . . to Saturday work party volunteers Ren Renshaw, Karl Lisovsky,MarvPulliam, and Anne MacQueen . . . to new Head UsherNed Wright, for stepping in after longtime Head Usher Pat McGuirestepped down . . . thanks also to Pat for his years in that job . . . and toall the children in our Religious Exploration program who made cards for theMarines serving in Iraq. First Lieutenant Glen Baylif, the son of church memberMarsha Smith, sent them this personal thank you note from Falloujah:
"Dear kids of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica,I want to thank you for the wonderful cards. I, as well as many of the MarinesI work with, have thoroughly enjoyed your efforts and have set aside a wallin our work area in which to place them on display. From what I can see youare all very creative and talented artists.We received cards ranging frombeautiful drawings, paper airplanes (a personal favorite), to even a few lettersthat were creatively folded into interesting shapes! Maybe when I get backI will have the opportunity to come draw and make some more cards with allof you. I want to wish all of you a happy holiday season and good New Year.Once again, and most of all, thank you for thinking of all of us over herein Iraq."
Art & Craft Sale Proceeds Go to Artists, Westside Coalition and Church Garden
The art and craft benefit sale was a big success. Many church people who cameto the event saw our newly purchased house for the first time. It was nice tosee it alive with a bustle of activity. Sixteen artists - Marti Bercaw, BobDietz, Shirlee Frank, David Friedman, June Jamison, Fran Kessler, Ilse Kleinman,Arvid Knudsen, David Knudsen, Ellen Levy, Debbie Menzies, Jacki Paddock, CarolRing, Louise Rothman, Judy Schonebaum, and Diana Spears - contributed theirtime and talents. The commission of 30 percent came to $622.40, which will bedivided equally between the Westside Hunger and Shelter Coalition and the churchfor refurbishing the garden. Thanks to all.
-Diana Spears
Any Suggestions for the Board?
In January the Nominating Committee will begin preparing for deliberationsregarding membership on the Board of Directors for the coming year. If you haveany input about the board or suggestions for board membership, please contacta member of the Nominating Committee: Kathy Cook, S.J. Guidotti, Shawn Kerr,Audrey Lyness, John Fels or Linda Van Ligten.
Dining for Dollars Update:
Bidding Will Be Feb. 20, 27
The following fellow church folks have felicitously favored us with fascinating,formidable offers for the next Dining for Dollars. Bidding will be on February20 and 27: Gomez, Hanson, Higginbotham/Murray, Machnik, MacQueen, March/Clark,Mill, Nardoni, Parkerton, Patman, Pulliam, Scott/Spoto, Scruggs, Steinicke,Wright, Bamford, Beckett, Berry, Bleak/Smith, Bonacich, Boothe, Cadwell, Harper,Fels/Crane, Crawford, De Benedittis /Pinkham, Curtis, Voegtlen/Dietz, Eckstrand/Rothman,Trutt, Gilliam, Teuffel, Van den Beemt, Elahi, Lim, Shinno/Burrows, Ewen/Guidotti,McDonald, Jain, Loran, Goodwin/Lisovsky, Kerr, Alison, Van Ligten, Arnold /Prichard-Lane,Kernochan, Murphy, Snyder/Nakajima, Bjornlie, Brae, Chapgier, Chipman, Goetz,Rendeiro /DePaul, Elson/Olson, Kegel/Fuller, Hamilton, Kahn, Kory, David Olson,Jacki & Victor Paddock, Patch, Hasse- Pinto, Stange, Bickford, Straw, Canady,Weber/Fouts, Nyquist/Gates, Horan/Losh, Johnston/Van Ooyen/Poirier, Schonebaum,Cindy Kelly, Hallinan, Church Choir, Camp de Benneville Pines. Complete detailswill appear in the February newsletter.
If you would like to join these generous church members and friends in ourbiggest fund-raiser of the year, please call one of the committee members now.
-Gratefully yours, Dining for Dollars Committee
Our Lending Library Needs Your Used Books
Read a good book lately? How about donating it to our church's lending library?Both fiction and non-fiction books are needed to update our collection. We areespecially looking for the UU Book Clubs' selections. Please put donations inthe labeled box in Forbes Hall. Donations of one to five books are welcome.Call Sandra Trutt or Marie Kashmer- Stiebing in the church office for largergifts.
Building News:
We Sell the 17th St. Property for $1.1 Million with a 15-month Leasebackat $1 Per Month
After having listed the 17th St. property for sale in October, we closed thesale of the property on December 14 for a purchase price of $1,100,000. Evenafter our first buyer for the property walked away from the deal, there wasa great deal of interest in the property and our broker fielded over 200 calls.We received several confirmed offers before settling on a final purchase agreement.The net cash to the church, after paying closing costs and commissions, is expectedto be approximately $1,030,000, although a small portion of that purchase priceis being held in escrow during our lease term. A total of $995,023 was wiredinto our bank account on December 14.
The agreement specifically includes a leaseback of the 17th St. property tothe church for 15 months at $1 per month. We might be able to extend the leaselonger (assuming we still need the space) if the developer is not yet readyto proceed with construction at the end of the 15 months. Based on estimatesfrom some of the bidders, the value of this lease to the church is approximately$45,000 (based on a monthly rental rate of $3,000 per month).
I am so pleased that we were able to sell our very valuable asset at such agood price. As previous newsletter articles have indicated, we paid approximately$1,250,000 for the 11,000 square foot lot on 18th St. (which is about 3,500square feet bigger than the 17th St. property), so the result for our 17th St.property is really excellent. We also did much better than some earlier estimatesof value in the $600,000-$700,000 range. We ultimately sold the 17th St. propertyfor about $146 per square foot, which is actually higher than the per squarefoot cost of the 18th Street property (coming in at $114 per square foot).
My thanks again to Pat McGuire and Warren Mathews for serving on the specialcommittee that helped review offers and strategize about the property, and forthe support of the board over the last two months. I hope everyone enjoys ahappy and healthy new year.
-Carol Kerr, President
As We Refine Our Building Plans We Consider Architectural Styles
The Building Committee has been working with our architect to refine the plansto reflect all the input on specific program needs received at our November6 "Refine the Design" workshop for congregation members. We have also begunto work on the challenge of determining the architectural style of the new building,and how to integrate it with our existing buildings.
The consensus has been that among the many styles on our campus, the simpleelegance of the sanctuary is the style that we should take our cues from. Somemodifications to the exterior of Forbes Hall to make it more compatible withboth the sanctuary and new building are being studied. We should have a newset of design drawings posted in January on the "Building Our Future" bulletinboard.
As soon as the full set of elevations, sections and other drawings is completed,we hope to submit them to the City of Santa Monica. The application will includea Conditional Use Permit for use of our new property for church activities aswell as the new construction and relocation of the old house.
-Alison Kendall, AICP, Building Committee Chair
Faith in Action News:
Biggest Food Sort Ever Held on December 2
About 40 UUCCSM volunteers and friends (including many young people) sortingcans and packages of food on December 2 at the Westside Food Bank in Santa Monica,and breaking the all-time record. "This year you sorted a record 14,660 poundsof food in one evening," Bruce Rankin, Food Bank director, told them. "Thanksagain for the fabulous job you did, sorting the food that came in during thestart of our Holiday Food Drives. Over the past year our 65 member agencieshave seen a growing need for food assistance among the working poor familiesand individuals they serve. We greatly appreciate your efforts to help ensurethat those in need receive the food that is so vital to their existence." TheFood Bank distributed nearly four million pounds of food last year. Over 100,000people on the Westside, including 50,000 children, live in poverty, accordingto the Food Bank. Our church's Faith in Action Committee sponsors Food Sortsin December and June.
From the Archives:
Chair of the Pipes Lecture Series Passes from Goodman to Adler
Shortly after the Rev. Ernest D. Pipes Jr. retired in mid-1991, after 35 yearsof leading our church, Ray Goodman (president 1987-88) led an effort to permanentlycommemorate Ernie's tenure by endowing an annual public affairs lecture in Ernie'sname.
The inaugural lecture was held at the end of 1991 with a talk by the then-presidentof the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Rev, William Schulz. Since thattine, the second through the 13th lectures have been presented in the firsthalf of each year. After overseeing this project since its inception, Ray hasdecided to focus on other activities, and Leonard Adler (president 1989-91)has agreed to become the new chair. Under Len's leadership, we look forwardto future public affairs lectures this year and beyond.
Since 1991 UUCCSM has enjoyed a variety of speakers and topics:
"Religion in the 21st Century"
The Rev.William Schulz, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association
"Adolescent Violence and Its Impact on the Community"
Deborah Prothrow-Stith, M.D., expert on community violence
"Environment and the Church"
The Rev. Peter Kreitler, Episcopal minister, historian, and educator
"Equal Justice under the Law"
Ramona Ripston, executive director, ACLU Foundation of Southern California
"Bumper Sticker Politics and Hair Spray News"
Patt Morrison, LA Times and KCET journalist
"Politics: Past and Future Perspectives"
Anthony Beilinson, former member of Congress
"Why a Livable World Requires a Restructured and Empowered United Nations"
John B. Anderson, former member of Congress and 1980 Independent Candidate forUS President
"What I Learned about God from Buddhism"
Kennard Lipman, Ph.D, University of Judaism
"Sex, Politics, and Scheer in the 21st Century"
Robert Scheer, L.A. Times journalist
"Making Every Vote Count"
Margo Reeg, League of Women Voters of California
"Health Care Ethics"
Charles Haskell, M.D., Chief Ethics Officer,V.A.
"How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption Are Undermining America"
Arianna Huffington, political columnist & author
"Civil Liberties and the War on Terrorism"
Erwin Chemerinsky, USC School of Law
-Rob Briner, archivist/historian
Splinters from the Board:
President Carol Kerr reported on the closing of the sale of the 17th St. propertyfor $1,100,000. (See story on our Building page.)
Warren Mathews presented information on the church's recent pattern of increasingbudget deficits. For a number of years our total expenses have increased fairlysteadily at about five percent per year, but for the last few years our annualincreases in income have been substantially less than that. This year, the approvedbudget included a deficit of $18,000, currently forecasted to be $30,000. Yetthe total income is actually lower than it was last year. There was wide-rangingdiscussion of the problem with no immediate resolution, but with reaffirmationthat a long-range planning task force should be established to consider theimpact of this situation along with that of the impending construction and remodelingprogram.
The Rev. Judith Meyer reported that she is making plans for her sabbatical,probably to be taken from September to December 2005.
Catherine Farmer, DRE, reported that she is working with the nursery staffto create goals to improve the nursery program. The aim is to make the nurserymore welcoming to adults who accompany the children and to improve the contentof the program. The sixth, seventh, and eighth grades have completed their explorationof Judaism and Catholicism. Next they will be visiting the United MethodistChurch in Santa Monica.
Marie Kashmer-Stiebing reported that membership is 477 after the loss of twomembers and the addition of six.
Stuart Moore and Jose Ruvalcaba spent four days cleaning under the structureand replacing wiring to the furnaces to solve the heating problems and giveaccess to the plumbing below the building. Marie coordinated and worked withthe Saturday work group in which Anne MacQueen washed and organized every toyin the nursery closet, Karl Lisovsky installed a lock on the closet in Room6 and painted the room, Marv Pulliam installed a lock on the RE supply closet,and Ren Renshaw painted the wall of the sanctuary nearest Forbes Hall. Mariealso compiled the church directory and made it available for corrections bymembers.
Steve Wight reported that the second evening of "Stevenings" on the life ofJ.S. Bach was well attended and he plans to present two more this year. Choirmembers are busy planning their Dining for Dollars event.
-Gerrie Lambson
RE News:
From the Desk of the DRE
Happy New Year! This month, the RE Council and I are kicking off a new wayof recognizing the many gifts that our volunteers bring to our RE programs.Each month we'll select one RE Shining Star of the month. I like the imageryof the stars; not only do they give light and beauty, and when up close (likethe sun) provide life and warmth, but they also are something we ought to payattention to. I'm reminded of one of my favorite meditations, from Clarke Wells:
"Several years ago and shortly after twilight our three-year-old tried to gainhis parents' attention to a shining star. The parents were busy with time andschedules, the irritabilities of the day and other worthy preoccupations.