Newsletter for August, 2014
From Our President:
I want to convey my experience at the UUA 53rd General Assembly in Providence, RI, from Wednesday, June 25, to Sunday, June 29. It was my first GA, coming at a good time with my inauguration as UU Santa Monica Board President. GA lived up to its description as “really something.” There were ~4,600 Unitarian Universalists attending, of which six came from our own congregation. This year’s theme was “Love Reaches Out,” a commitment to share our faith within and beyond our walls, and it showed. Adjacent to the Providence Convention Center was the Dunkin' Donuts Center with its high capacity Dunk Arena. I attended the welcoming celebration with the banner parade on Wednesday and the Worship Witness leading to WaterFire on Saturday.
The Worship Witness was led by Sanctuary Boston, a new young vibrant movement grounded in UU principles.
On WaterFire evenings, downtown Providence is transformed by one hundred bonfires that burn just above the surface of the three rivers that pass through the middle of downtown Providence. The UUA sponsored Saturday’s WaterFire with thousands of UUs migrating to the river, wearing ”Standing On the Side of Love” yellow t-shirts.
Between Wednesday and Saturday there were myriad workshops and UUA business to attend to. People were welcoming and friendly, as well as impressive in their dedication to UU principles and their congregations. I was impressed and inspired (maybe a bit overwhelmed too). I was also introduced to the wealth of resources in the UUA and our district that I want to take advantage of.
Rick and Peggy Rhoads contributed this response: “The GA selected ‘Escalating Inequality’ as the congregational study/action issue for the next four years. The issue was described as follows: ‘Upward mobility — the American Dream — has become a myth.
Concentration of wealth and power has skyrocketed. King’s dream of justice and equality has fractured. Half of all Americans are impoverished or struggling, as the middle class shrinks and billionaires take the profits.
Where’s our commitment to the Common Good?’ We (Peggy and Rick) think that implementing this study/
action issue in our congregation gives all of us plenty of work to do.”
Next year’s UU GA will be in Portland, OR. I would like to invite people from our congregation to attend. I would also like to see us plan ahead to take maximum advantage of workshops and maybe meet in a dedicated space every day at GA to share what we learned.
— Patricia Wright
Featured Articles:
The Interweave/Women's Alliance Picnic
The Interweave / Women’s Alliance all-church picnic on July 20 was a resounding success. There was wonderful food and socializing following the single summer service. Shown here are the three main food areas: a table with a wide selection of salads and side dishes, a barbecue station, and a table resplendent with desserts. In addition to the food, the organizers collected $2,439 for two of our families in need. Photos by Charles Haskell. Additional photos by Carol Ring are available for viewing at https://plus.google.com/photos/114510043120183201877/albums/6039415179685931857
We are a Teaching Congregation Once Again
A few short years after our ministerial search process for a settled minister, this congregation knows the importance of having prepared and capable ministerial leadership in our UU congregations. This year, we have accepted the commitment to support one future minister in her preparation for ministry.
She is Nica Eaton-Guinn, candidate for the Master of Divinity degree at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley. Nica brings to us a very diverse background, including studies in sociology and work in theater, management of classical musicians, creative arts therapy, life coaching, and spiritual counseling in hospice settings. She will be working to deepen her own theology and build her professional parish ministry skills, particularly in the areas of religious education, creation and leadership of Sunday services, and social
justice work.
The Intern Committee and members of the congregation accept the responsibility to support Nica in her work as Intern Minister. Our Minister, leadership, and staff members will be finding many opportunities for Nica’s professional skills to grow and flourish. And members of the congregation are invited to offer their support through constructive and thoughtful feedback for the work she does.
The eleven-month internship will be a time of mutual benefit and learning for our Intern Minister and for the congregation, and we are eager to launch this new collaboration. We will introduce Nica on August 10, her first Sunday with us, then hold a reception in her honor once we return to two services. We hope you will take these opportunities to introduce yourselves and welcome her warmly.
— Barbara Kernochan
Second Sunday Suppers Super Popular
Our monthly Second Sunday Suppers (SSS) are a huge hit. They are family-friendly (we offer child care), delicious (all food made by the host committee and you), and a wonderful opportunity for relaxed socializing with friends and less-known, soon-to-be friends.
These suppers were begun by Ron Crane and John Fels as a support to the congregation during the serious economic woes of 2008 to 2010. Sue Bickford, in her role as President, joined Ron and John, followed by Alan and Amy Brunell who are part of the SSS establishment. It is a big task to pull together a dinner for 40 to 90 people, so we now count on church committees to do the hosting.
During church year 2013–2014 the following committees ably and generously hosted Second Sunday Suppers: Amelia Monteiro’s Small Group Ministry (SGM) group, the Membership Committee, Amy Thiel’s SGM group, the Board of Directors, Rhonda Peacocks’ SGM group, Dan Patterson’s SGM group, the Green Committee (twice!!!), the Lifespan Religious Education committee, Interweave, the Finance Committee, and Knitters and Friends.
Thank you all for your warm hospitality, superb food preparation and responsible cleanup. Those of us who attend truly appreciate what you do to bring us together in celebration of our abundance.Would you like to become part of this wonderful community activity?
Let coordinator Beth Rendeiro (in the directory) know of your committee’s interest in hosting. If your committee is fewer than five people, join with another group to host. Also let her know if you would like to attend but need transportation or just a friend to attend with. Upcoming SSS dinner hosts include the SGM Facilitators (August), Faith in Action (September), the Membership Committee (October).
We need YOUR group to join this wonderful team of hosts.
Watch for announcements of second-sunday-of-every-month-suppers. Note whether there are activities before or after the supper; sometimes there are crafts or games; other times the suppers are followed by music or a movie. These monthly gatherings offer great food, stimuating conversation, and a night off from meal prep. They begin at 6 p.m. in Forbes Hall. Join us! Bet you can't wait; I know I can't!
-- Beth Rendeiro
News & Announcements:
Photographs of new and established members will be taken at the church on Sunday, August 17, at 11 a.m. Look for Charles and Christine Haskell in the Southwest corner of Forbes Hall.Camp de Benneville Pines — September 12 to 14
Each year, UU Santa Monica members and friends flock to Camp de Benneville Pines, an idyllic, rustic paradise two hours east of Santa Monica (if you leave at the right time on Friday), for a weekend of ping-pong tournaments, dam building, s'mores, tye-dying and sing-along versions of every '60s song you know (or don't). New this year: get to know UUSM's intern minister and spend some quality time with DRE Catherine Farmer Loya and her family.
You are invited to join us! Singles, couples, and families young and old enjoy clean mountain air, lots of activities, great camp food, and fellowship. Rustic heated cabins are clean and comfortable, with indoor plumbing and hot showers, for "roughing it, gently".
See http://archive.uusm.org/getting-involved/events/lifespan-religious-education/camp-debenneville-pines-uuccsm-weekend-retreat for more information, including a registration form. You can also pay online at uusm.org under “make a donation.”
Prices start at $145/person for adults, $85/person for kids, and $110 for teens. That price includes all food and
activities for the weekend!
This year we are also offering a limited number of financial aid “camperships” for those who need them. If that's your situation, your camp fee is just half-price (down to a slim $73 per adult), and FREE for kids/teens. Or
alternately, if you're flush with cash, you could contribute to the campership pot, which would help even more campers make it to Camp de Benneville in September. A full camp is a happy camp, and we aim to be very happy. Contact Jacki Weber for more information.
Building News:
Comments from Our Past President on the occasion of dedicating our upgraded facility on June 22
It is truly a joyful moment to be here with you, celebrating the completion of three construction projects for our campus here at UU Santa Monica. It is rare to be able to have a vision and an opportunity and to be able to see the vision through to reality. When I became president of this congregation just a little over two years ago, we were holding discussions about what our new roof should look like. I thought that the roof would be the main event of my presidency, and I was happy about that. Our office staff and anyone who used the office at all had been struggling for several years with serious roof leaks. They put tarps over the copier whenever it looked like rain. And remember, it actually used to rain sometimes. So we were all more than ready to get that problem solved. Beth Brownlie submitted a proposal to the Spirit Level Foundation, which awarded us a $35,000 grant. Bronwen Jones, Tom Hamilton, and Ron Crane solicited donations from the congregation for the required matching funds. Thank you to everyone who contributed that money. Once all the decisions were made, the roof construction proceeded smoothly, preserving the look of our historic building, eliminating leaks, and
preventing further damage to our structure.
It was at this point that our fortunes changed dramatically. Andrew Still, whom we knew as Drew, died in February 2012, leaving his entire estate to the church.
I knew Drew as a man who attended Sunday services, meetings, and events quite faithfully, and who formed
opinions and expressed his opinions seriously and passionately. I asked Joe Engleman to tell me a little more
about Drew. Joe was his friend and did the work of serving as administrator of his estate. This is what Joe told me:
Drew had no siblings, no children and never married, plus he never owned his own home. Thus, we were his family, and this church was his home.
He was hearing impaired, speech-impaired, and (probably, as a result) socially impaired. He was hard to get
to know, and he really appreciated anyone who did take the time and effort to get to know him. To those of us who did, we found him to be smart, witty and caring. He served as the president of our Singletarian group in the '80s.
Drew left over $600,000 to our church. He directed that the initial $210,000 in his estate be used for a building
program. The remainder came from his retirement account, as he was still working when he died.
Seven months later we sadly also lost Judy Federick, who left half of her estate to the church, ultimately totaling
over $250,000. Like Drew, Judy loved our church and was very committed to this place and the people in it. I first
clearly remember her leading a program on bisexuality, which was part of our process of becoming a welcoming congregation. She did so much to make our congregation more welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. I was also very struck by the way she cared for her husband, Jim Weinberg, in the last year of his life, when he was ill and in a wheelchair. Judy was present here and helpful here in so many ways, and I feel she would be happy to have helped to create these beautiful spaces.
It was the dedicated money from Drew Still’s estate that allowed us to develop and proceed with the office
renovation plan. We encountered many challenges along the way, but we were working with good people, and we are all very pleased with the result. It was the additional money that allowed us to go forward with the plans
for the pergola wall, which completes the vision of the exterior of our campus. I am especially excited about
the way in which the new wall opens our church to the surrounding community and invites people to come
and see what we are all about.
These projects were truly a labor of love for your volunteer building committee, as the donation of the money was an expression of love from Judy and Drew.
My hope for our community is that it grow and thrive and continue to foster the loving spirit which makes this building a symbol of the search for truth, the commitment to service, and the hunger for justice that bring us together, here and now, today and tomorrow.
— Cynthia Cottam
Faith in Action News:
TAKE BACK ADELANTO
Our friends at Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement (CIVIC) participated in an action on Saturday, August, 16, to protest the City of Adelanto’s plans to expand their prison run by GEO Group, a publicly traded prison corporation with record profits amounting to billions of dollars each year.
Currently GEO Group is expanding its immigration detention facility in Adelanto by 640 additional beds. The expansion is slated to be completed by July 2015, and will make Adelanto home to the largest immigrant detention center in the Adelanto is located in San Bernardino County in a remote and isolated high desert location. Families and visitors who wish to visit immigrants in detention there currently face an onerous journey that is not easily accessible by public transportation.
Adelanto has invested too much in prisons and far too little on education according to a press release by CIVIC. There is no middle school or high school district in Adelanto. Victor Valley Union High School District finished completion of Adelanto High School back in 2012, but the school sat vacant for two years because it was $3.4M over budget. Meanwhile, the county jail expansion that opened in February was $25 million over budget. Concerned residents are worried that this sends a direct message to Adelanto youth that jails are more important than their schools.
The Take Back Adelanto action focused on highlighting the current prison industrial complex within the high desert, stopping the expansion of the Adelanto facility, and delivering a message to the city that the community needs to focus on education and opportunities for our young people.
Sign the petition to STOP THE EXPANSION at Bit.ly/No_Expansion and learn more at www.defunddetention.org
-- Cathie Gentile
PSJ Talent Search
The Peace & Social Justice Committee is looking to present a production of the Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace (ICUJP) drama about solitary confinement, "If the SHU Fits." This will be a staged reading in our Sanctuary of the ICUJP script. We are looking for a few people with good voices who would act as readers. Also we would like to find a Director for the production. We are hoping to present the staging at the end of September in conjunction with the September Prison Art Wall. If interested contact Roberta Frye or Cathie Gentile.
Membership News:
The Membership Committee is responsible for helping new members become full participants in our church life. Members of the committee at the time of the New Member service in May are shown here. Left to right on the left: Carol Ring, Barbara Gibbs, Kris Langabeer, Wendi Gladstone, and Rhonda Peacock. 
Leonard Cachola is shown separately. Not shown are Beth Rendeiro and Linda Van Ligten. Photos by Charles Haskell
“One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn't as individuals. When we pool our strength and share the work and responsibility, we can welcome many people, even those in deep distress, and perhaps help them find self-confidence and inner healing.” ― Jean Vanier, Community And Growth (1979)
Splinters from the Board:
Our Board president Patricia Wright again “filled our bowls”, this time with modified coq au vin. Delicious.
Rev. Rebecca Bijur and Catherine Farmer Loya were away on summer leave.
Our first item of business was to approve the updated Personnel Policy Manual. The Personnel Committee had thoroughly reviewed and revised the manual, following consultation with an employment law attorney. Denise Helton, chair of the Personnel Committee, had presented the manual at the June 10 Board meeting, and she returned this month to respond to any further questions. The manual was approved unanimously.
Beth Brownlie reported on the sanctuary lighting project. The new California electrical code, which went into effect July 1, 2014, has created difficulties for contractors and municipalities. Currently it is not possible to get permits to do our electrical work, so it appears that we will be unable to do the work this summer.
No new members joined in the past month, and the membership stands at 378. Membership in June 2013
was 374.
Nurit Gordon, our Church Administrator, reported that there are nine new twelve step groups renting space in the early mornings. We now have 34 rentals per week.
Jacqueline Schwab, the new Communications and Volunteer Coordinator, is quickly learning her job and is
already a great addition to the office staff.
The books on the 2013-2014 fiscal year, ended June 30, are now closed. This year-end task entails a great deal of work.
Kit Shaw, our Treasurer, reviewed the End of Year Finance Report with us. The projected deficit in the 2013-2014 budget was $25,407. The actual deficit was $18, 606, which is $5,584 less than projected. The $18,606
will be transferred from unrestricted savings. Pledge money collected was $20,425 less than budgeted. Pledge
receipts are always somewhat fluid, but the church is very dependent on pledge receipts to meet its budget, so this large a deficit is concerning. In the past year the pledge deficit was offset by increased rental income of about $10,000, a slight increase in non-pledge contributions and fundraising, and decreased infrastructure expenses, which were about $5,000 less than anticipated. The generous congregation donation for the fiscal year totaled $13,379.
Board President Patricia Wright asked the Board to read the book “Governance and Ministry” by Dan Hotchkiss as a beginning to our long educational process about policy governance.
The meeting ended a little earlier than usual, and everyone felt grateful for the “summer lull” giving us a little space to begin our work together.
— Cynthia Cottam
Other UU News & Events:
Pete Seeger Songfest
Jim Scott, who collaborated on many projects with the folk legend Pete Seeger, will perform a songfest on Saturday, August 9, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jim will lead a celebration of many songs by Pete and others, as
well as his own, for the causes Pete championed. With the death of Pete Seeger we've lost an icon, but not his
rich legacy of song to teach and inspire us.
This event will be held at the Unitarian Universalists of Santa Clarity Valley Chalice Center, 22916 Lyons Ave, Suite 2B, in Santa Clarita, www.uuofscv.org Suggested donation $15.00. Songfest info: music director Scott Roewe, scott.roewe@gmail.com or (310) 739-4132.
A prolific composer in his own right, Jim Scott was guitarist with the Paul Winter Consort. He compiled the “Earth and Spirit Songbook,” 110 songs of earth by many contemporary composers, including Pete Seeger.
For more information about Jim Scott visit his website www.JimScottMusic.com
— Joyce Holmen
RE News:
“V” is for Volunteer!
If you’ve always wanted to volunteer some time in the Lifespan Religious Education (LRE) program but don’t know what to expect or don’t want to make a commitment at the moment, here is a way to try it out.
We’re currently looking for volunteers over the summer to lead and assist in the children’s classes. These classes are already planned out, with specific instructions on how to run the class and a list of materials (which will be set out for you when you arrive in the classroom.) In the case of the preschool classes, the curriculum is based on the writing of Dr. Seuss and is appropriately called, “Summer of Seuss.” Each lesson will be based on one of Dr. Seuss’ books with activities planned around the book. The other classes will have UU Principle-based lessons and activities as well.
Working in the summer program is a great way to get a sense of how the Children’s LRE classes are set up and run. It’s also a wonderful way to meet the children of our congregation.
Volunteering for these classes offers our children and youth an opportunity to build connections with other adults in our church community other than their parents and to create a better sense of fellowship.
For more information, please stop by the LRE table located next to the coffee bar in Forbes Hall.
Our helpful LRE committee member will be on hand to answer questions you might have and to assist you
in signing up for classes. Summertime slots are still available, and we are now recruiting for the fall session.
— Liza Cranis
Sabbath
Bettye Barclay has provided this list of weekly thoughts about our ministerial theme for August. These weekly thoughts are also published in the weekly email announcements.
Week 1. “Anybody can observe the Sabbath, but making it holy surely takes the rest of the week.” Alice Walker
Week 2. “Some keep the Sabbath going to church, I keep it staying at home, with a bobolink for a chorister, and an orchard for a dome.” Emily Dickinson
Week 3. “Most of the things we need to be most fully alive never come in busyness. They grow in rest.” Mark
Buchanan
Week 4. “The Sabbath is a weekly cathedral raised up in my dining room, in my family, in my heart.” Anita
Diament
Adult RE by Karen Hsu Patterson
BlueStockings: A Feminist Salon
Bluestockings, a feminist salon, invites church members and friends to join them on Sunday, August 24, at 5 p.m. in Forbes Hall, for a potluck supper followed by discussion of the nonfiction book “Girls to the Front” by Sara Marcus. The group has been meeting in local homes since 2011. Founded by former UU Santa Monica member Katrina Daly Thompson, who moved to Wisconsin last year, Bluestockings has members from UU Santa Monica and Neighborhood Church.
The Bluestocking Society of England was an informal women's social and educational movement. It was founded as a women's literary and discussion group, a revolutionary step away from traditional, non-intellectual women's activities. The women involved in this group usually had more education and fewer children than most other English women of the time. Talk of politics was prohibited, but literature and the arts were of main discussion. Educated men were invited to the meetings.
An equal gender mix most often attends local Bluestockings meeting. Faithful to the foundations of the first Bluestockings group in England in 1750, our group favors “informal quality of the gatherings and the emphasis of conversation over fashion” (Elizabeth Montagu 1718-1800). For more information contact Karen Hsu Patterson.
Wednesday Night Writers
A welcoming space for all writers, regardless of prior writing experience or expertise. Join us August 13 and August 27 (second and fourth Wednesdays) at 7 p.m. in Forbes Hall for writing, helpful critiques, and moral support. Unlock your creativity! No sign-ups required — just show up!
Long, Strange Trip: A UU History
Our six-part video and discussion series, about the history of Unitarian and Universalist thought from the beginning of the Christian era to what we know today as Unitarian Universalism, goes on summer hiatus until September 2014. Stay tuned for the next installment.
Patio Chat
Join us for our monthly UU Santa Monica Theme Discussion with Natalie Kahn on Sunday, August 24, at 11:10 a.m. on the Patio.