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First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit4605 Cass AvenueDetroit, MI 48201Phone 313-833-9107Fax 313-833-0127June 5, 2005 |
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First Unitarian Universalist Church
Organizational Chart 2003 - 2004 Officers Moderator Jim Harvey Vice Moderator Dan Weist Immediate Past Moderator Colleen Dolan-Greene Board Secretary Treasurer Dan Secrest 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 Lencha Acker Alicia Biggers Jim Brown Linda Darga Carolyn Ludwig Mary Lou Malone Jackie McNaughtonM/I> Irene Schultz Newsletter Irene Schultz |
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I am delighted that the Interim Ministry Screening Committee has selected the Rev. Diana Heath as candidate for Interim Minister in 2005-06.
The Board of Trustees has scheduled a special meeting on Tuesday, 7 June at 7 p.m. to consider the committee's recommendation (I am writing this on Saturday, 4 June).
Diana Heath is an experienced, distinctive, and outspoken UU minister colleague. You will like her directness and sense of humor. She laughs often and heartily, and she can tell a good story. This is an inspired choice by the screening committee.
Diana was associate minister of the UU Church in Rockford, IL two decades ago when she and I first met. Like the undersigned, she has served a number of UU congregations, both as settled and as interim minister. She is widely respected in our ministry and in the denomination for her incisive thinking and her constructive approach to congregational life. She will ably represent First UU in the greater Detroit community.
Congratulations! You have an outstanding interim minister candidate, and I have the satisfaction of welcoming a valued colleague as spiritual leader of a congregation I cherish. My best to you, David.
Black
Concerns Working Group
All are invited to join us for a potluck supper on Tuesday, June 14th at 6:30 in Memorial Hall
Alecia Becks
Summer Newsletter Schedule
There will be two Newsletters during the summer. The deadline in July will be 17th and the one in August will be the 21st. The regular schedule will resume the first Sunday in September, the 5th. Thank you. Irene Schultz, Editor
Women’s Book Club
The next meeting of the Women's Book Club will be on Sunday July 17, 2005 from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM in Memorial Hall. (Please note date change for July only) The book to be discussed will be Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Nasland. At the August 7th group, we will be talking about Testimony of an Irish Slave Girl by Kate McCafferty. Please contact Maria Majer at maria_majer@yahoo.com or 313-899-1694 for additional information. All are welcome.
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:
June12, 19 with performance on the 19th.
Help Needed
To help save our funds, Rev. Parke will not be hiring professional movers for his departure from Detroit. This means we will rely on the help of able-bodied members of the congregation. The event will begin at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, July 16th and should take about two hours. If there is any interest, we will follow up with beverage and pizza. If you can help, please contact Mark Bendure at 313-961-1525 (o) or 313-882-7732 (h).
Fundraising
Mildred Robinson and Alecia Becks, along with my friend, Maria Meyer, helped with the garage sale Saturday, May 21st. We raised $210.25. Alecia rode the Mack Ave. bus with her bicycle to help. We had a lot of fun and practiced reusing. Any help you can give to help with summer garage sales will be greatly appreciated. Please call if you can help. Margaret Beck 313-882-7775.
Reduce – Reuse – Recycle
Eight of us are going to the Detroit Repertory to see Hannibal of the Alps on Saturday, June 18th. The tickets were sold out immediately. Hopefully, in the fall, we can have some more theater parties.
Women’s Alliance
The last meeting of the season for Women's Alliance will be Wednesday, June 15, 2005. Lunch will be served at noon to be followed by a musical program. The cost is $6. Please make reservations by phoning the church office at (313) 833 -9107, or Eiko Takemoto at (313) 869-6389. The deadline for reservations is Monday, June 13 at noon. Meetings of the Women's Alliance will resume in the fall on Wednesday, September 21, 2005. Membership will be renewed at a cost of $15 for the year and $6 for lunch at every meeting.
Annual Juneteenth Picnic
at First Unitarian Universalist Church Detroit
June 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The emancipation of slavery throughout the U.S. was made law by the Thirteenth Amendment, and ratified December 18, 1865. Rumors about the Emancipation Proclamation traveled by grapevine, a mysterious telegraphic communication. For most slaves formal emancipation followed the surrender, April 1865, when Generals Lee and Grant met at Appomattox. The Juneteenth celebrations are said to have begun on June 19th, 1865 when General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, TX, along with a regiment of Union army soldiers and read General Order Number 3 which began with two memorable sentences one of which is “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the U.S., all slaves are free.” That historical pronouncement inspired the newly freed ex-slaves to coin a nickname for their cause for celebration – a blend of the words “June” and “nineteenth” – and to create several legends that explain the year delay in the arrival of the news of emancipation in Texas. Stories are that “town folks” celebrated this event by going out into the rural areas, preferable by a creek, where they could fish and picnic in a shaded area. Picnic lunches were usually fried chicken, potato salad, light bread, and pink lemonade in jugs. A growing number of American Cultural institutions have begun to sponsor Juneteenth based cultural events. It is designed to share knowledge of this celebration with all Americans. As the tradition of Juneteenth continues to spread, so does a greater appreciation of African American History.
Annual Juneteenth Picnic
First UU Church Detroit
June 19, 2005
In Church Yard
12:30 – 2:00
Bring You Own
PICNIC BASKET
DISH TO SHARE
GARBAGE BAG
Free Watermelon and Lemonade
Medical Equipment for Sale
I have a number of items for sale. They are new or practically new. Prices are all negotiable – name your price. Here is a list:
* Manual (not electric) wheel chair with foot rests (suggested price $100)
* Walker with 2 wheels (suggested price $30)
* Walkers without wheels – 2 (suggested price $15 each)
* Bedside commode (new) (suggested price $20)
* Shower/bath chair with side rails (suggested price $50)
* Bath rails (attachable) (suggested price $5)
* Walking cane with attached seat (suggested price $15)
* Cane – for the blind (suggested price $10)
* Chair with assist handles (new) (suggested price $25)
* Telesensory black and white CCTV (closed circuit TV monitor) - enlarges reading material (suggested price $100)
* “Reacher” – it gets items too high to reach/or helps retrieve them from floor - (suggested price $5)
If you are interested, contact Charlotte Allen at 313-393-3982 or 313-804-0065 (cell) or email at clallen_rev@yahoo.com
MotherGrove Summer Gathering
MotherGrove is a small weekend festival held in Newaygo County. It’s a wonderful weekend for anyone with leanings toward earth-based spirituality or wishing to learn about it. Informational flyers are located outside the church office.
Join the Call for Justice Weekend to Speak out Against Torture
Speak out with one voice against the use of torture by the United States by joining UUSC's Call for Justice weekend, Sept. 24-26. Join us in Washington, D.C., for a series of events highlighting the role of the U.S. government in sanctioning torture around the world.
On Saturday, Sept. 24, we will offer a series of workshops and panel discussions about the relevant legal, humanitarian and security issues.
On Sunday, Sept. 25, we will hold our Citizens' Trial, and on Monday, Sept. 26, we are asking that all participants proceed to Capitol Hill to speak with their representatives and senators.
If you wish to attend, please sign up with us as soon as possible! For more information and to register
(Cindy Hill and Jan Thompson plan to attend this conference and urge others from First Church to join them.)
Sinclair Lewis said this 70 years ago:
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in
the flag and carrying the cross." ---from "It Can't Happen Here", 1935
Items from the Internet
Here are the 10 first place winners in the International Pun Contest:
Read at your own risk. Remember, I'm only the messenger.
1. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger."
2. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and says "Dam!"
3. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.
4. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says "I've lost my electron." The other says "Are you sure?" The first replies "Yes, I'm positive."
5. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.
6. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why?" they asked, as they moved off. "Because", he said, " I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."
7. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him ...(Oh, man, this is so bad, it's good)..... A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
8. And finally, there was the person who sent ten different puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.
Ed. note – there were originally ten, I had to edit for space.
Spring has always been my favorite season. Our intergenerational service, Turning Points, that officially welcomed Grant and Marianna into our congregation with their dedication, celebrated Lawrence’s high school graduation and Reverend David’s retirement reminded us all of the circle of life. Going around and around… It is the refreshment of spring, the newness that delights me the most! There is always something to look forward to.
There has been a lot of refreshment and newness around here lately. On April 23, 16 church members joined Nancy Combs-Morgan, Heartland District DRE Consultant, and I for a day of envisioning the future of our RE program. On June 1st, I welcomed aboard our new RE members: Nora Holt, Nicole Kozub and Mark Schwing. These commitments that members have made have me feeling very positive about our future. Thank you all so much.
New plans for the high school youth have helped to gain more steady attendance and excitement in our program! Vanessa Gant, Our high school Youth Advisor has begun to suggest plans for their summer programming. We hope to engage them over the summer as much as possible.
After a push from Mary Neale and Mildred Robinson I have begun to learn a lot more about the possibility of a draft, military recruitment and Conscientious Objection. As these are issues that our high school youth could be faced with in years to come I think it is important that we are paying attention and getting involved. Along with the Social Action Committee I have helped to begin a group called FAME, Finding Alternatives to Military Enlistment, we are presently working with Veterans for Peace and the National Lawyers Guild. Our primary objective is to get into high schools in the fall and let our children know that they have choices. We meet the 1st and 3rd Mondays at 7:00 pm at church and would welcome your presence. We also have an email listserve if you’d like to get involved let me know. Get out and enjoy the Springtime- while you still have a chance, Summer is certainly on it’s way!
In Peace, Jennifer A, Teed
Acts After-School Program
With your help our church will offer an after school program on Mondays in the fall. We are part of a cluster of churches in the community that has received special funding. The grant for this program will also greatly support this summer’s Peace Camp! Are you interested in helping in any way, either at the camp or behind the scenes?
June 25 Summer Storytelling Workshop 11:00AM – 3:00 PM
July 3 Salad Sunday
July 17 First Storytelling Summer Children’s Service.
August 1st – 5th Peace Camp Training
August 8th – 12th Peace Camp
June 25 11:00-3:00
Last Spring to prepare for our Summer Storytelling Program we had a very successful workshop led by Storyteller, Sumarah Smith. It was such a hit that we decided to make it an annual event. The primary purpose is to give adults the skills and experience in telling a story so they will feel comfortable leading a Summer Session. This workshop is free for church members who volunteer to lead one Children’s Summer Service. Lunch will be provided. Please call the church office to register, or speak to Jennifer Teed.
If you are interested in making salad on July 3 please contact Cindy Hill.
Please remember how important regular attendance and punctuality are to your child. It helps them to keep up with what is going on and also to get to know the other children.
Along with the RE Committee, Ruth Seifert, Rose LaBolle, Peggy Wilkie, Maria Majer, Dan Wiest and Faye Colling have made a commitment to the future of First Fridays. We will be meeting soon to discuss how First Fridays will continue, what will stay the same and what will be different. We need all the help we can get, please notify Jennifer Teed if you are interested in joining this short term committee.
As there are many paths to get to 2nd Story Church the RE Committee has recognized the need for multiple greeters to be downstairs to welcome children and visitors to our program. If you could help with this from 10:40-11:10 on a Sunday morning please contact Jennifer Teed.
Let's utilize our theatre space... Anyone interested in starting a dramam group, either to do some all-out plays or some casual reader's theatre? Talk to Jennifer during coffee hour, call 313-833-9107, or email
The McNaughtons have attended our church for 2 years, and Jackie was just recently elected to the board. At our Valentine Party, this is how they introduced themselves…
Christopher is the Dad; he is an Engineering Supervisor at the Renaissance Center. Jacquelyn is the Mom, she runs an online store, and attends Wayne State University. Arielle is 8 years old and in the 3rd grade, she likes to draw and apples are her favorite food. Morrison is 6 years old and in the 1st grade. He enjoys playing with dinosaurs and his favorite food is kiwi fruit. Ariel is turning 5 on June 24, she is in preschool. She enjoys making cards and eating marshmallows. Their youngest daughter is Olivia, who is 19 months old. Olivia loves to swim and eat noodles of any kind! Their favorite family activities include: hide and seek with grandma, going to parks and museums and riding their bikes together. The children’s favorite part of attending 2nd Story Church is making projects.
If you’ve received a program survey please return it ASAP. If you haven’t yet received one or need another please ask Jennifer Teed.