George Ibala - George has already begun doing training shifts with Bob. George has wonderful experience in custodial work and has great enthusiasm to work here at the UU. George will begin his regular schedule on Tuesday, July 17. He will work mostly evenings and will have  Monday  and  Friday  evenings off.

 

David McFeeters - I guess we should say welcome "back" to David McFeeters! As many of you remember, David served as our Facilities Manager from 2004 - 2012, and he will be returning on  August 13, 2018. David and his wife Suzie have been living in California and are ready to move back to Vermont to be closer to their grandchildren. 

 

Charlie Delaney - Charlie has agreed to stay on as our part-time Caretaker. Charlie will be working here  on Sunday mornings and  Friday evenings. 

Please make sure to say hello and offer a great big welcome to our new staff! 

 

After two years as First UU's Director of Music, Jennifer Carpenter has decided to conclude her tenure on our staff team this summer and pursue another opportunity. During Jennifer's time at the UU, we have lived into our mission and vision for worship and music by increasing the diversity of our worship music, further integrating music with our service themes, and increasing our music programming. Jennifer launched the Community Chorus, engaged our youth in the Children's Choir, and directed Paul Winter's "Missa Gaia," celebrating the beauty of  Mother Earth and all her creatures. This was a multi-generational collaboration including all of our choirs and music staff, guest orchestra players, and a number of other staff and volunteers "on stage" and behind the scenes. We thank Jennifer for the enthusiasm and dedication she has brought to her work here and send her off with our best wishes for her in her future endeavors.

 

Since the Director of Music position is currently on its summer hiatus, we won't have a chance to say a formal goodbye to Jennifer in worship before her resignation takes effect in July. We know that many of you will want a chance to thank Jennifer for the gifts she's brought to the Society in her time with us, so we will be collecting cards for her over the next few weeks. You can place them in the basket at the office  on Sunday morning or send a note to the meeting house. Jennifer will also be presented with a gift on behalf of the Society like other departing staff members in June.

 

A search process for the Director of Music position will get underway after the arrival of our Transition Minister, Rev. Susan Milnor, in August. Stay tuned for more information. In the meantime, accompaniment for our summer services will continue as planned with our Pianist, Sam Whitesell. Both Sam and Wayne Schneider, our Organist, will be continuing on as keyboardists in the coming program year.

Hello All, 

Our parking lot and drive are scheduled to be repaved on  July 19 and 20. There will be no parking available anywhere on our site, including the gravel areas, from  July 19 through the 21st.

The lot and drive will be "striped" and marked on  August 4. Both projects are somewhat weather dependent, and in the event that they need to be rescheduled, I'll let you know the new dates ASAP.

My apologies for any inconvenience, and your understanding is certainly appreciated. I'm sure we'll all appreciate the new surface free of potholes and divots!

Please contact me with any questions.  Thanks!

Later this month, or early August, the tower/steeple structure of the Meeting House is scheduled to be painted. During the course of the project, parking availability in our circle will be minimal. There will also be times that the front walkway will be closed to pedestrian traffic. During those times, please use Clarke St. or Elmwood Ave. to access Pearl St. and points south. Thanks again for your patience and understanding!

 

HAVE YOU COMPLETED PAYMENT OF YOUR PLEDGE FOR 2017-18? Completed pledge payments were due by June 30, 2018, the end of the 2017-18 fiscal year.

 

If you're not sure, you can check your account online at uusociety.org/donate/ or your most recent statement. (They were sent recently via email/snailmail.) You can also check with Christina Fulton at [email protected] or by leaving her a message at (802) 862-5630 x 22.

 

REMINDER: The 2018-19 fiscal year started July 1, 2018 - This is the time period you made your pledge for this spring. If you changed your pledge amount from the previous year, and...

 

You pay by automatic deduction - You can go into your account (uusociety.org/donate/ - Click on "Make a Gift" to log in to your account) and change your payment amount.

 

OR you want to set up automatic payments - Go to uusociety.org/donate/ and click on "Set Up Automatic Payments" and follow the prompts.

The Care Network Team continues its 

work  over th e summer, so if you  or someone you know would enjo y visits, please contact us at 

[email protected] .

                                           

The MEAL TRAIN ALSO CONTINUES throughout the year.  We need the help of all members and  friends of the Society to share in providing meals. When you make a

meal, please consider making extra for a family on the list.  

                                  

A return to the list are Jill Stevens/John Lincoln as they deal with recent additional medical issues. They have requested meals two times per week, Monday and 

Thursday,  and they live in South Burlington, just off Williston Rd.   

If you can help any of the three families on the list, please sign up on the Meal Train Link below.

mealtrain.com/groups/uusociety

You can always find the Meal Train and Care Network links in the QUICK LINKS section in the lefthand column of the eNews.

Thank you for your help.

Mary Silverman

Member of the Care Network Team

Care Network Team webpage: uusociety.org/belonging/care-network/

Our first selection is The Overstory by Richard Powers. Further selections will be chosen by  participants! No RSVPs required.

All are welcome!

 

September 14 (through end of "Trunk") 

October 12 (rest of book)

6:30-8:00 p.m.

Susan B. Anthony Room

 

UU Principle #7:  Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

 

Please locate your book copies as soon as possible through the library, a bookstore, or online to read before the discussion date.

 

THE OVERSTORY

"In his twelfth novel, National Book Award winner Richard Powers delivers a sweeping, impassioned novel of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of...the natural world. From the roots to the crown and back to the seeds,  The Overstory unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fables...exploring the essential conflict on this planet: the one taking place between humans and nonhumans. There is a world alongside ours--vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us. This is the story of a handful of people who learn how to see that world and who are drawn up into its unfolding catastrophe.

 

The Overstory is a book for all readers who despair of humanity's self-imposed separation from the rest of creation and who hope for the transformative, regenerating possibility of a homecoming. If the trees of this earth could speak, what would they tell us? ' Listen. There's something you need to hear.'"

Click here for the book group flier!

As you probably know, the First UU  is proud to offer Our Whole Lives (OWL), a lifespan comprehensive sexuality education curriculum, in age-appropriate classes for groups from kindergarten through 9th grade. 

This year we will be offering an OWL class for 4th through 6th graders as well as one for 8th graders.  We are in need of more teachers for both divisions! 

Facilitators must be trained in the curriculum. A single training qualifies you to teach both 4-6th grade OWL and K-1 OWL, which we offer on alternate years; a separate training is available for 7-9th grade OWL, which we offer every year for youth in the 8th grade.  FUUSB will pay for the training, which includes room and board.

If you are willing to be trained to facilitate these very important classes and volunteer to be part of this year's teaching team, please contact Andrea Spencer-Linzie at [email protected] for more information about available trainings in our region. Also, if you have already been trained in OWL and are interested in teaching this year, please let Andrea know!

OWL for grades 4-6  helps children learn about and discuss the physical, emotional, and social changes of  puberty. 

The eight sessions of this class will most likely be held after the second service on Sundays between mid-December and late February. 

OWL for Grades 7-9  provides accurate, age-appropriate information, puts sexuality in the context of values and personal responsibility, supports healthy decision making, and strengthens social skills, preparing youth to make healthy choices for life.  This class is 20 sessions long, offered from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Sundays between mid-September and mid-April. 

 

Community Inspired - An Evening of Hope/Healing/Inspiration for LGBTQ+ People and Allies

Friday, July 27, 7:00 pm at the FUUSB Meeting House

Presented by Ryan Polly, an Interfaith/Interspiritual Minister and board member of the Pride Center.

During this evening we will leverage spiritual practices (music, meditation, poetry, arts, etc.) from the world's great wisdom traditions to form/grow a new community, gathering in solidarity to heal from religious and social wounding and begin working toward a new tomorrow.

An early registration discount is available until August 1, 2018 for the 2019 Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship Convocation.

UUBF Convocation 2019:

"Making the Invisible, Visible: A Multi-Media Exploration of Race and Racism in the U.S. Through a Buddhist Lens," led by Dr. Jan Willis

For more information and to register, visit the UU Buddhist Fellowship website at  uubf.org/wp/uubf-convocation-2019/.

In the face of mounting turmoil over ongoing immigration issues highlighted by our administration's stance on separating children from parents at our southern border, coalitions of church groups are standing up to speak of the unfair treatment of asylum seekers. 

Supporting members of Vermont Interfaith Action (including two from First UU) met with staff from Senators Leahy and Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch on June 12 to discuss various requests for action. Read the full report at this link.

Please note the following   eNews schedule for the rest of the  summer !