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First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit4605 Cass AvenueDetroit, MI 48201Phone 313-833-9107Fax 313-833-0127February 6, 2005 |
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First Unitarian Universalist Church
Organizational Chart 2003 - 2004 Officers Moderator Colleen Dolan-Greene Vice Moderator & Strategic Planning Jim Harvey Immediate Past Moderator Lynda Smith Board Secretary Kathe Stevens Treasurer Bob Lauer Staff Interim Minister Rev. David B. Park Minister Emeritus Rev. Larry Hutchison Director of Religious Education Jennifer Teed Music Director Todd Ballou Choir Director Lyle Brown Church Secretary Wendi Winston Building and Grounds Joe Brimmer Trustees Charlotte Allen Mark Bendure Linda Darga Carolyn Ludwig Kathleen Rock Irene Schultz Dan Secrest Ruth Seifert Dan Wiest Newsletter Irene Schultz |
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Newsletter Deadline The next deadline is Sunday, February 20, 2005, no later than 12:30 P.M. Newsletter Articles Please leave legible contributions in the Newsletter box located outside the church office. Please include your name and a contact number should there be any questions.Articles may also be emailed to me, by the deadline date and time, at ieschultz1945@yahoo.com If you email items, please specify they are for the Newsletter. Please do not write articles on little pieces of paper or contribution envelopes, the ones that don't get lost are very hard to read. |
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From the Interim Minister
Rev. Parke is out of town recuperating from a fall.
Wanted: Secretary for First UU Church Board of Trustees. If you have at least minimal word processing skills, and an interest to volunteer one night a month to attend Board meetings to take notes and prepare minutes of the meeting, you are asked to contact Jim Harvey, Vice- Moderator.
Wanted: Members for the Interim Minister Screening Committee. If you are interested to become involved in the selection of the interim minister who will replace David this fall, please contact Jim Harvey, Vice- Moderator. This is a process that will begin in March and likely will be completed by May of this year. Thus, this is a relatively short-term commitment, but it will involve reviewing submissions of interested candidates, conducting telephone interviews with candidates, and getting together with some frequency during the month of April to perform these functions. Please speak to Jim Harvey at coffee hour or call him.
The meeting of Women's Alliance, Wednesday, February 16, will feature Focus: Hope. A representative of Focus: Hope will speak immediately after the noon luncheon. Open to all interested persons, the luncheon requires reservations made by noon on Monday, February 14, by phoning the church office at 313-833-9107 or Eiko Takemoto. The cost of the meal is $6.00. The meeting will be in Memorial Hall.
The next meeting of the Women's Book Club will be on Sunday March 6, 2005 from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM in Memorial Hall. We will be discussing "The Close" for March. Our April selection will be The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith by Irshad Manji. Please contact Maria Majer for additional information. All are welcome.
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Choir
Our choir is open to all who enjoy singing and being with some really nice people. Rehearsals are in Memorial Hall, unless otherwise noted, and begin at 9:30 A.M. The schedule follows:
February 20 with performance
February 27 - off
March 6, 13, 20, and 27 with performance on 27th
April 3, 10, 17 with performance on the 17th. April 24 - off
Writing Circle
Sponsored by the Worship Committee, Ministry & Worship Task Group, RE
Join in the fun of writing, sharing, and choosing passages and thoughts for our new Lay Leaders' Readings book. Lay Leaders select passages from Readings (or bring their own) for components of the worship service such as the call to worship, welcoming visitors, calling for the morning offering, meditation, prayer, and the benediction. Sumarah Smith, Artist, Ritualist & Storyteller, is leading this artistic experience. Visual artists are invited. Our intention is to create and publish an illustrated book of readings. Interested? Call the Church Office, 313-833-9107, and add your name to the "let me know when" list.
Length of Workshop: 2 half-day sessions
"VOICES OF AFRICA" CONCERT
Circumstances have forced the cancellation of this concert.
Have You Been Trained as a Lay-leader?
We need you NOW! Each Sunday, as we enjoy the variety of our church services, we also enjoy having a different lay leader. You could be one! This is your ministry. Sign up now while there is a choice of available dates or call Charlotte Allen.
Save the Date
2005 Heartland Spring Conference and Annual Meeting - "Gather in Spirit" - April 8 - 10, 2005 in Cincinnati, OH. Join us for a weekend of exploring who we are in relationship to one another. Details will be announced in the months ahead by co-chairs, Gwen Winston and Mildred Robinson.
Dan Secrest wants YOU - for the First UU Army of Canvass Captains. We will be conducting an in-home canvass this year, and need every able bodied adult to report for basic training on Saturday March 12. Please contact Dan via phone or email to volunteer. Volunteer Now - Avoid the Draft!
Dan Secrest
313-864-0177 (home)
313-983-2173 (work)
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In Memoriam
Hank Scott, who played Irene Schultz's father in the Red Door Players production of Death of Bessie Smith, died on February 4, 2005 at the age of 86. Hank was on his annual all-winter visit to the south of Spain. His son, Harvey Scott, who grew up in Second Story Church, says he will let John Angry know when funeral arrangements are complete.
Fundraising
Saturday, January 15th, 19 of us had a great time seeing the play Intimate Apparel and going to dinner at the Traffic Jam. It raised $95.00 for our church budget. I am planning another outing in April to see Boyd's Bog at the Detroit Repertory. Hope to have a winter, Valentine sale February 13th during coffee hour to raise funds for our utilities. Thanks to Lance Halsted for selling another Entertainment book. Entertainment book sales now have raised $348.00 for our church. If any one wants an Entertainment book, I can order one for you pre-paid. In August I will have 2006 editions. Thanks to Nicole Kozol for donations to our spring garage sale. With garage sales, Christmas and winter sales last year, we earned almost $2400.00 for our church budget.
Margaret Beck
Community Mental Health Resource Orientation
A group of church based social workers have met to identify community resources with special focus on making referrals for individuals in need. Approximately 20 mental health/social service agencies serving our church area were contacted, leading to the conclusion that we can be of help. Recently, the Board approved the idea of providing an information session for church members seeking options in response to persons who repeatedly approach members requesting handouts, displaying inappropriate behavior, etc. Please call the church office at 313-833-9107 to indicate your interest in participating in this presentation.
First UU Social Work Committee:
Sally Borden, Ivan Louis Cotman, Nora Holt, Mary Neal, Ruth Seifert and Lee Thume
Black History Month Book Reviews
By Barbara Stevenson
Arc of Justice by native Detroiter Kevin Boyle tells the story of Dr. Ossian Sweet, a young and ambitious man who purchases a nice house on Garland St in 1925 Detroit. A near riot erupts to oust the Black intruders, who shoot back, killing a man and gravely injuring another. Ten men and Mrs. Sweet are arrested. The City of Detroit is a rough place with corrupt politics, and Ku Klux Klan rallies of 10,000 and more. A trial takes place, attracting the famed Clarence Darrow. For those who are not familiar with this story or that period in Detroit history, this book is a revelation. While the book is non-fiction, it reads like a novel. The times created many well known African American and Euro American leaders. Look for this National Book Award winning book at your local library or Borders.
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines is the choice of our Elmwood Public Library Book group for February 12th. The story follows the last months of a young black man, Jefferson, who is accused and convicted of killing a storekeeper (he didn’t do it!) and sentenced to be executed in a small Cajun town in the early 1940’s. Mr. Grant Wiggins, the college educated local school teacher, is pushed by his aunt and his Godmother to visit Jefferson and help him. Reluctantly, Wiggins begins the dialogue that will lead both men to the understanding of being a man, choosing not to run, yet resisting the horrors of the racist life they endure. This is a powerful story, filled with clear descriptions of life in the south at that time, but also of the universal truths and challenges faced before dying.
Save the Date/Save the Planet
On Saturday, May 14, 2005, the UU Social Justice Network will host a conference at BUC from 9 – 1:30. The topic is the environment. The theme, “Working on behalf of the environment in your own backyard” will focus on advocacy, taking actions at home, monitoring local government and doing your own part – such as recycling, gardening and conserving energy. Mary Lou Malone and Barbara Stevenson, of First UU Church, are serving as co-chairs, and Hillard Williams has joined the committee. Five UU churches attended the last meeting and Randy Block serves as the group facilitator. The next meeting will be Tuesday, February 8 at 7:00 P.M. at the Northwest UU Church. For more information contact Mary Lou.
Items from the Internet
World's Easiest Quiz
Passing requires 8 correct answers. (Answers in next Newsletter)
QUESTIONS:
1) How long did the Hundred Years War last?
2) Which country makes Panama hats?
3) From which animal do we get catgut?
4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
5) What is a camel's hair brush made of?
6) The Canary Islands in the Atlantic are named after what animal?
7) What was King George VI's first name?
8) What color is a purple finch?
9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from?
10) How long did the Thirty Years War last?
If you think you know the answers, jot them down on a piece of paper and put them in the Newsletter box. The winner will be treated to a First Friday dinner. In case of a tie, the one with the earliest date and time will be the winner – so don’t forget to sign, date and time them. Ed.
Buildings & Grounds
Article 5
How To Paint Huge Sanctuary Windows
It has been many months from our last update on Building & Grounds Committee projects that keep our beautiful structure going. All of the projects are funded by the generous donations of our congregation. Building & Grounds wants all to be informed of the progress we?re making and to show your donations are hard at work along with our volunteers. We?re going back to September to discuss painting the massive wood sanctuary windows. Stay tuned to the Building & Grounds articles because over the next months more projects will be discussed!
Have you ever counted the number of windows in the sanctuary or looked at the shape and sizes? Most of us take for granted the windows that fill our sanctuary with sunlight. All of the windows have an intricate wood frame. The wood is exposed to the elements outdoors and without paint the wood rots away. Some of the largest and most intricate windows are found along the sanctuary. As it happened, the windows along the Forest Avenue parking lot required painting as soon as possible. As mentioned, painting keeps the elements from deteriorating the wood. Not only was paint peeling along the parking lot windows (a mere aesthetic problem), but also structurally, there were places where you could stick your finger into the wood and behind the window glass! When it gets this bad, the price to paint the windows increases because more preparation work is needed to fill the wood voids with wood filler.
It was during last summer that the sanctuary windows along the Forest Avenue parking lot were found to be the most in need of urgent help. And it just wasn?t one huge window, but all four large windows. And, the clear story, the ?second floor? windows of the sanctuary needed attention. If one more winter season passed, there might have been no wood left to fill or paint. Then it would be a massive expense to get a master carpenter to replace all of the wood.
Because the large sanctuary windows are so big, a simple ladder couldn?t reach all parts of the wood frame. Sure, if a volunteer had 5-foot arms it would be possible, but no volunteer in Building & Grounds has arms that long. And because of the number of windows, volunteers couldn?t finish them all even if we had scaffolding. The professionals at Gus?s Painting were called. Spending our limited money, we knew we had to have an honest, hardworking contractor. Gus had painted the Church House Foyer about 12 years earlier and came highly recommended from the architect who had previously assisted us with other large building issues. To be safe, we got a quote from a second contractor also recommended (the second contractor came in about $4,000 more then Gus). Once work began, it took two weeks of labor including Saturdays with two to three workmen. The workmen accessed the windows the same way telephone and electric utilities access their equipment, by a hydraulic bucket lift. The total cost was about $7,600 and their work was outstanding. When properly prepared and painted as done by the workmen of Gus?s Painting, the paint should last up to 14 years. Though $7,600 seems expensive, painting is a very labor-intensive job especially on our battered window frames. Building & Grounds made use of the situation to use Gus?s bucket lift (after being trained) in the evenings and Sundays. For the projects to be detailed in the next articles, you?ll see that the lift allowed volunteers to work on projects otherwise impossible without it and this saved much money!
Thinking about window painting now, the task is nowhere close to completion. The sanctuary windows along Forest Avenue and Cass Avenue need painting this spring. Luckily, because these windows were not in as bad shape, their cost will not be so extreme if they are done this year! The Church House windows on Prentis also need painting. Nearly all of the windows will require professional help due to the number of units to prepare and paint, their size, and their location above the ground!
DO YOU FEEL A DRAFT COMING?
CONFRONTING THE IMMORALITY OF WAR AND INJUSTICE AND THE ROLE OF THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR
JOIN US TO HEAR
Mandy Carter,
Durham, N. Carolina
Mandy has spent the last 30 years fighting injustice by linking The issues of civil rights and racial justice Gay and Lesbian rights Peace and Pacifism