Tickets are now available online for Emma's Revolution coming Friday, November 17th to the Octagon!
Click HERE !!! We are promoting this concert all over the Tampa Bay Area so don't wait.
E-Octagram
October 6, 2017
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What's Happening at UUC   Adult Religious Enrichment   UUC and Beyond    
THE UUC WEEK AT A GLANCE

October 8th, Sunday
--Open Issues
TED Talk. Raza and Jessica. "Higher Love". T hey tell the story of their interfaith marriage, a story that blunts Trump’s ethic of exclusion, fear and hate. Raza, Moslem; Jessica, Christian Protestant Evangelical.
-- Sunday Service
Service Leader: Rev. Patrice Curtis, "How Can We Go On? ", 10:30-11:45 am, Octagon

October 8, Sunday , 1:30-2:30, Interfaith Week 2017, Buddhist Talk on Peace, Patio Room
October 8th, Sunday , The Environmental Justice Committee, 12:15 pm, Westwood Rm.
Please join us and bring your thoughts on the committee’s education and action projects for the upcoming year.
October 8th, Sunday , Humanists Meeting , Guest speaker is Tony Brunello ,Professor of Politics at Eckerd College. 12:30-2:00 pm, Octagon

October 11th, Wednesday: Exhale! , Spend some peaceful moments away from it all. 6-6:45 pm Octagon

October 15, Sunday
-- Open Issues
Jay Hardman. "Applying Anthropology - Learning from the past, putting theory into action". Archaeologist, Naturalist and Science Educator; "Jungle Jay" Hardman will share anecdotes from years as an archaeologist and the insights gleaned that inform his new calling. 
-- Sunday Service
Service Leader: Rev. Patrice Curtis
-- Beans and Rice Luncheon, 12:15 to 2:00 pm,, Patio Room
Come join the us in the social hall on Sunday Oct. 15th after service for the Social Justice Committee’s Rice and Beans Luncheon. Suggested donation is $5.00 per plate and/or Bags of Rice and Beans. We will be collecting money, rice, and beans for migrant farm worker. Please bring small to medium sized bags of rice and beans, instead of the very large bags.

Highlights of September Board Meeting

1. Property Chair, Bill Newton updated on campus survival after Irma. After a detailed
account of the status of our phones, the Board approved replacement of our
problematic phone system. Cindy Sullivan will be working with Bill on this issue.
2. Our Administrator, Alyssa Diaz will be taking maternity leave beginning November 3.
She has provided a smooth transition calendar during her absence.
3. Beacon Project is moving forward.
4. The Board approved a sound system technician who will work every other Sunday to aid the two members currently working. This person will be paid $50.00 per Sunday for
approximately three hours work.
5. Board approved a letter of sponsorship in support of Marty Pelham to continue his
Seminary studies. This will not involve any funding.
6. The Finance Committee will be meeting with selected Board members to make the budget cuts needed to comply with obtaining a balanced budget.



Meet with Rev. Patrice Curtis
If you would like to meet with Rev. Patrice contact the office at 727-531-7704. If you wish to contact her, please call
(510) 852-9304.
Rev. Patrice Curtis
 Service 
Sunday at 10:30

October 8th, 2017

Service Leader:
Rev Patrice Curtis

"How Can We Go On"
Theme of the month:
Healing
  Pastoral Care Associates

UUC has a strong team of lay Pastoral Associates who offer confidential, emotional support and spiritual companionship to fellow church members. You can access pastoral care by contacting Rev. Patrice Curtis at 727-531-7704 ext. 5 or [email protected] .
Please note that emails sent to the front office are not confidential; emails to Rev. Patrice are.
This week’s pastoral care associate is Susan Hegner and is available at 727-531-7704 ext. 5.  

Open Issues
Sunday, October 8th, 2017 
9:30-10:20 am
Patio Room
TED Talk. Raza and Jessica. "Higher Love". T hey tell the story of their interfaith marriage, a story that blunts Trump’s ethic of exclusion, fear and hate. Raza, Moslem; Jessica, Christian Protestant Evangelical.
  Flowers for Sunday Services
If you would like to supply the flowers for an upcoming Sunday service in honor of a special event or person in your life, please email Laura Daniel at [email protected] . She will help you coordinate your contribution. 

Rice and Beans Luncheon next Sunday the 15th
Come join the us in the social hall on Sunday Oct. 15th after service for the Social Justice Committee’s Rice
and Beans Luncheon.
Suggested donation is $5.00 per plate and/or Bags of Rice and Beans.
We will be collecting money, rice, and beans for migrant farm worker. Please bring small to medium
sized bags of rice and beans, instead of the very large bags. Thank you.
FAST TEAM LEADERS INVITE YOU TO THE ANNUAL ASSEMBLY
On October 23 rd at 7PM at Holy Family Catholic Church, FAST will be holding the 14 th Annual Assembly. This is the first of four major FAST events that will be held this year. FAST members from all 39 congregations will gather to choose the issues we will work on this year. The committees working on affordable housing and civil citations for youth have requested that we continue the work and the FAST Board has agreed that that work needs to continue. This means we will be choosing one new issue at the Assembly. The committee on education has asked that FAST members vote for youth concerns so that we can continue to monitor the implementation of restorative justice practices in the school system. The other issues that came up from home gatherings in other congregations are: mental health and drug treatment; transportation; health care; hunger and nutrition; environment; jobs and wages; crime and gun control; credit and debt; and senior concerns.
Want to carpool?   contact Theo Betjemann 727-489-7470
Want to join us for dinner before the event? Contact Gretchen Craig 940-453-3456
Stop by the Social Justice Table to sign up or get more information. Don’t forget to wear your UUC tee shirt.

g
" Surreal Sojourns :
Digital Photography by Barbara D. Boss."
Continues at the Octagon til mid-November
Barbara Boss is a surrealistic abstract artist who creates unique photographic expressions. Her lifelong interest in biology, both flora and fauna, has fueled a fascination with the shapes of ordinary and extraordinary objects. Her work often reflects these themes.
For more info contact
Jaki Wilsun at [email protected] aB
  Our Ticket Site is up and running!
Click HERE to buy tickets in advance.
Tickets are $18.00 in advance and $22.00 at the door. Don't wait, reserve your seats now!


November 17th, Friday in the Octagon at 7:00 pm
Emma's Revolution, the award-winning “activist power duo” of  Pat Humphries & Sandy O , will perform in our Octagon at 7:00 pm. 

July 2017: Emma's Revolution's CD, "Revolution Now", was released to Folk DJs nationwide and topped the June charts at #3 Top Album. Their song "Sing People Sing" tied for #2 Top Song and every track on "Revolution Now" was played. 
Exhale! 
A Gathering for Sitting and Moving Mindfulness.
Exhale resumes October 11th from 6-6:45 in the Octagon. Hold the second Wednesday of each month open for some quiet moments of mindfulness and connection.
Sally Otto is moving permanently to Florida and has asked us to post a request for moving assistance in mid October. She wants to pay for your services but definitely needs a few heavy lifters. If you want to earn a day's pay or just want to help please call Sally at 267-258-7489, or email her at: [email protected]
New Office volunteers needed.
The UUC office is looking for volunteers to fill the first, third, and sometimes 5th Wednesdays of each month. While our volunteers are mostly women we do have one man who is volunteering at the front desk and he really enjoys it. We are a fun bunch and we guarantee you will enjoying interacting with your fellow congregants as well as helping with valuable admin work. To join the Office Team contact Alyssa at 727-531-7704 or email her at [email protected].
A note from the UUC Administrator Alyssa Diaz:

Hello everyone! As most of you know, I am expecting a baby girl in November.
I am unsure of her name as of yet but we will make the final decision when we meet.
My last (projected day) in office will be November 3rd and I will be out of office until Feb 2018.
Feel free to stop by during office hours and say hello (or goodbye) before November!
Peace, Love and a toothy smile, 
Alyssa Diaz
UUC In Action... Upcoming Committee Meetings
Please get your meeting information to [email protected] NO LATER than one week before the next E-Octagram (publishes on Thursdays). If there are changes, they must get to the above email NO LATER than the Wednesday before publishing. Thank you. 

-- Black Lives Matter, Sunday, October 1st, 12:15-2:15 Chorale Room This is our "September" meeting. The topic will be White Supremacy Culture, the Water We Swim in (and the spinach in our teeth). It will be facilitated by Susan Allen.

-- End of Life Choices, Thursday, October 5th, 1:30-3:00 pm, Westwood Room
Of course, our September meeting didn’t happen because of hurricane Irma. Hopefully all of you got through that with minimal loss. We are grateful for having been missed by the strong force of the storm.
For our October 5 th  meeting, Gay Lyn ​​​Birkholz from Ocala will present “If You Love Me Let Me Go (But Not Today)”. We all want our wishes respected, but sometimes we have not communicated them to the people who need to know them. Gay Lyn will help us with drafting a letter to our proxy/surrogate to help us get our wishes met when we cannot speak for ourselves. She wants us to bring whatever we want to write on/in—electronic devices are acceptable. It is also helpful to bring your advance directives and any other pertinent documents you have completed.
Kayt Kennedy, who was supposed to speak in September will now speak for our November 2 nd  meeting. She is going to talk about dementia in general and Alzheimer’s specifically—the realities and myths. She will also talk about Exit International and The Peaceful Pill Handbook as she knows that were she to get a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s for herself, she would be exploring ways to end her life rather than to live that long, drawn-out death sentence.
 I am scheduled to speak for the Sunday service in the Octagon on November 12 th . The theme is risk, so talking about sharing our wishes with our families will be an easy fit, I think. 
 We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, October 5 th   from 1:30-3 pm in the Westwood room in the Octagon Center of the home of the Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater, 2470 Nursery Rd. We will take a love offering for the use of the room, air conditioning, etc. Remember to bring your writing materials. I’ll try to send another reminder about them. 
 
With warm wishes,
Marcia
-- Environmental Justice Committee Sunday, October 8 th  ,12:15 in the Westwood room. 

Please join us and bring your thoughts on the committee’s education and action projects for the upcoming year.

The world is witnessing the effects of climate change, up to 50 inches of rain in some parts of Texas, Florida experiencing a hurricane larger than the state itself, back to back massive hurricanes causing untold destruction and suffering in the Caribbean basin, unprecedented fires in the Western U.S., massive floods in South Asia, and record heat across southern Europe. 

We are very quickly coming to a Y in the road. Time has nearly run out to either chose a direction that seriously addresses climate change or continue on the path that all but guarantees untold hardship for humanity. Climate change cannot and will not be solved without economic and social justice. Our seven principles place us in a unique position to demand that the focus of the climate change debates not be about a sustainable economy but about a sustainable climate in a just and equitable world. 

-- Humanists Meeting in the Octagon, Sunday, October 8th,
12:30-2:00
 Anthony Brunello, Ph.D. is a professor of politics at Eckerd College and has served on the faculty of Eckerd for 31 years.. He earned his B.A. from the University of California at Davis and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. His research and teaching is in the area of Comparative Politics and Political Theory, including parties and elections, ideologies, propaganda and religion in politics. He has also published in a wide range of topics including capital punishment, terrorism, liberation theology and much more. Professor Brunello has received numerous awards for teaching and leadership, and has served as faculty representative to the NCAA for Eckerd College for 13 years. 
The title of Professor Brunello’s talk is  THE POLITICIZATION OF RELIGION IN AMERICAN POLITICS: "THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY.” This should be an excellent presentation not to be missed. Plan to attend  this  Sunday, October 8.
Bill Norsworthy
Co-Facilitator
 

What's Happening at UUC
Coming this November to the Octagon Arts Center! Tickets available at the UUC office.
Adult Religious Enrichment Presents
Readers Forum
 Readers Forum next meeting is October 13th. 10:30 am, Chorale Rm.

Greetings! We will not meet Sept 30 or Oct 6. We do,however, have the next 2 books. On Oct.13, and 20th we'll discuss "Red Notice "by Bill Browder. On Oct.27,and Nov.3rd, we'll discuss "Evicted:Poverty and Profit in the American City "by Matthew Desmond.
FOOTNOTES FROM THE LIBRARY:

Donate Your AV Materials to the UUC Library
 
The library has now started a collection for Audio Visual subjects related to such subjects as: Unitarian Universalism, Religions of the World, Philosophy and other subjects that have helped on the journey of personal growth and development. 

 This goes for books, and now, AV materials as well. 
 Help our collection grow!
 Come on in and check us out!

Here is where you can help. Many of us have purchased materials for our own personal use, and having watched or listened to them a couple of times, they just sit on our shelves collecting dust. This would be a perfect time to put these material back into the action for which they were designed…to be used. Why not donate them to the Library and share them with other members of our congregation?
Tuesday Morning Duplicate Bridge

Come and join the game at 9:00 every Tuesday in the Patio Room. We are experienced and not experienced and yes, we use boxes as it is helpful to those of us who don't hear all that well! Give us a try. We would love to have you come by one Tuesday. For information, call Jane Torell  727-400-4149
Beyond UUC...
Faces of Domestic Violence Luncheon is October 17th.
 
Please RSVP for the 16th annual FACES of Domestic Violence Luncheon to benefit The Haven of RCS on Tuesday, October 17th. 
Last year's luncheon raised over $25,000. With your help, we hope to surpass that accomplishment. Seating is limited and we expect that every seat will be reserved again this year. 
We look forward to seeing you Tuesday, October 17th at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 409 Old Coachman Road, Clearwater FL 33765. Doors open at 10:30am; the luncheon and program start promptly at 12pm(noon). RSVP HERE

I appreciate you,

Kirk R. Smith
President & CEO
Explore Cuban education, arts and culture Jan. 7-16th, 2018 with Witness for Peace
Explore Cuban education, arts and culture in January of 2018 with Witness for Peace. Get to know Cubans from all walks of life while taking part in this People to People Delegation, a travel and study experience we’ve been leading to this island nation since 1999.  
 
This trip is aimed at educators and others who want to visit and study Cuba's urban and rural educational programs from primary to university levels, including professional schools such as the Latin American School of Medicine and the National School of Arts. Included are meetings with professionals, families, elected officials, neighborhood organizing committees, and visits to artists’ collectives, museums, and historical sites.
For more details about the trip click HERE.