The Overlook
Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville 
3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville AL 35810  
May 4, 2017
Vol. 17 Issue 18
In This Issue
Sharing Sunday 
 
This Sunday, May 7th, is a Sharing Sunday!

On the first Sunday of each month, we
Share the Plate during the offering, Share our Lunch with each other during Potluck, and Share our Bounty by filling the Food Basket! Please don't forget to bring non-perishable food and hygiene items for the food basket, to be donated to the Huntsville Assistance Program.
WE CAN REACH 100!   
The Social Justice Committe e's goal is to collect and donate 100 items per month. CAN you pick up an extra CANNED good, nonperishable food item, or personal care product next time you are out shopping? Please do, and put it in the basket in the church foyer to be donated to the Huntsville Assistance Program (HAP). Suggested donations:  
macaroni and cheese, pasta and sauce, dry beans and rice, boxes of cereal, bars of soap, canned meat, and peanut butter!
Thanks for all you do!  
This Week
GROUP MEETINGS

Friday, May 5th


Awareness Through Movement 10-11 a.m.

Wednesday, May 10th

UUkulele Group - Newcomers welcome ! 5:45-6:45 p.m.

UUCH Choir Practice
7-8:30 p.m.

See the Calendar and Sunday Bulletin for details

Members:
Save the Date!
Annual Congregational Meeting 
May 21st, 2017
at 12:30 p.m.
Please make plans to attend, because we need a quorum! Also, per our bylaws, we will send electronic copies of the mailing to all members using your newsletter preferences as a g uide. If you currentl y get a paper copy of the newsletter, we'll mail a paper copy of the agenda and other information. If you receive the newsletter electronically, we'll send you the agenda electronically. Please make sure that the church office has your correct email address! If you would prefer to receive the annual meeting notices in a different format than you get the newsletter, please just let the church office ([email protected] or 256.534.0508) know as soon as possible. Thank you!

2016 Opening Parade


General Assembly 2017 
June 21-25, 2017
at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70130.
By going to New Orleans, we can both celebrate our successes and recommit to the relationships that have been forged with this community. Plan your trip! Important dates and programming updates may be found here:  http://www.uua.org/ga.
This is close enough to drive from Huntsville! 

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UUCH 16-17  
Board Members
 
President:
Laurel Bollinger 
Vice-President:
Denise Runnels  
Secretary:
Ed Bernstein 
Treasurer:

Greg Howard   
Trustees:
Susan Coddington
Kathy Heath

Lynsie Lamitie 
  Ex Officio:
Reverend Alice Syltie

Do you have an Agenda Item for the Board?  
The Board respectfully requests that all agenda items for the meeting be submitted to Board President Laurel Bollinger, no later than one week prior to the meeting, i.e. the Tuesday before. You may phone her at home or send a copy of your request to
[email protected]The next UUCH Board Meeting will be held on
Tuesday, May 23rd. 

The Overlook is a publication of The Unitarian Universalist Church, 3921 Broadmor Rd. Huntsville, AL 35810

Minister:  

The Reverend Alice Syltie

Board President:  

Laurel Bollinger   

Editorial Board:  

Laurel Bollinger

Kathy Heath 

 

Newsletter deadlines are each Monday at midnight.
Please send submissions to news collator Willette Battle at
[email protected].  

 

Office Hours:

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Mon-Fri.

 

Office phone: 256.534-0508, email: [email protected] .

Minister's email: [email protected].

Website: www.uuch.org 

 

Sunday Services are held 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon; Children's Religious Education held concurrently. Nursery available for age 3 years and under.

 

For further info on any event, call the church office:
256-534-0508.

May's Theme: Embodiment
Upcoming Service 

Sunday, May 7, 2017 
    
  
"A Community of Embodiment"   
                            Reverend Alice Syltie

What does it mean to be a community of embodiment? This is our question for the month of May. As Unitarian Universalists, we strive to embody the principles and purposes of our liberal faith. Rarely is there one answer to how that might be accomplished. How might we speak of embodiment in light of the current questions around privilege and justice within our own UUA, as well as the communities in which we live and work? 
 
 
Also this Sunday, we Share The Plate with New Futures, Inc. For more about the program, see the article below.  
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This Sunday in Children and
Youth Religious Education 
 
We continue our "Storysharing" curricula based on our Soul Matters monthly worship theme of EMBODIMENT.

For information or to register a child, contact Erin Reid, Director of Religious Education (DRE), at [email protected] or Audrey Fox, CYRE Chair, at [email protected].

Scribble Sheets for Mini-UUs

You will notice a new regular addition to worship resources available in pews on Sunday mornings. Thanks to a joint effort of Membership, Children and Youth RE, and Worship, we are introducing "scribble sheets" for playful use during our all-ages worship times together. The hope is to make the sanctuary a space that feels inviting and fun for our youngest members. Of course, any age is welcome to scribble! Special thanks to Audrey Fox, Pam Korb, and Willette Battle for helping this project become a reality!
This is POTLUCK SUNDAY!
 
This month the Girl Scouts will be helping hospitality with the potluck and the theme is "Picnicking!"

Please join us for a potluck immediately after the worship service. Bring a dish and let's eat together! Fellowship served up with potluck food. Get to know your fellow UUs! 
 
Hosted by your Hospitality Committee

Who:
Girls who will be in 2nd or 3rd grade this Fall

What:
Find out about joining Girl Scout Troop #10507

Where:

The Unitarian Universalist Church of
Huntsville, 3921 Broadmor Rd, Huntsville

When:
Monday, May 15th at 5:00 p.m. (Meeting regularly every other Monday starting in September)  

Why: 
Girl Scouts builds confidence, character, and connections. Mostly, being a Girl Scout means trying new things and having fun!  

Contact Troop Leader LaDawn Edwards at 319-431-7461 to RSVP or for more information. Scholarship money is available.  
Wonderful Wednesday Supper!

This Wonderful Wednesday Supper features Tom Meier and his delicious Hibachi!

Join your old friends and make some new ones as we break bread and enjoy each other's company.

Wednesday
, May 17th, 6:00 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. Childcare at 6:30 p.m. Choir and Adult RE at 7:00 p.m. 

Family friendly pricing: Adults $5, 3-12 $2, under 3 free. Family Max $15.
 
There will be a film discussion after the Wonderful Wednesday Supper. Title is "What Would You Do?"

Hosted by your Hospitality Team

UUCH Annual Yard Sale!
 
As you know, the UUCH yard sale will be held at the church on Saturday, May 20th, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Here's how you can help. If you haven't already brought your items, please do so. We will store them in the north hall. Willette is available to answer the doorbell 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on weekdays. If that's inconvenient, text/call me at 256-289-1374, and I will meet you (perhaps on a Saturday?). You can always bring the items on Sunday morning as well.

We will plan to pick up big items the week of the sale. Lynda Lamitie has graciously volunteered the use of her truck. Please call her at 256-498-2665 for scheduling. Betsy, Alice, and the Korbs have a trailer available as well. (Thanks!)

During the week leading up to May 20th, we will need all the help we can get to sort and price items. If you work and you really want to help, let me know; we will figure something out. Otherwise, it's likely that I will schedule morning sessions. This is typically the biggest fundraiser, next to the Service Auction, and that means we will be selling oodles and oodles of VIJ (very important junk).

If you have questions, you can reach me at 256-289-1374 or [email protected].
Thanks to my future helpers and to my recent helpers (Gail Williams and Jessica Schultz)!

--Bonnie Herold
Snacks for the Annual Meeting
 

Please sign up to help provide finger foods and cleanup help for the May 21st UUCH Annual Congregational Meeting. You can sign up online or on the Fellowship Hall poster. (These will be synched.)

Thanks for participating!

Hospitality Committee
Handrail installed at  
South Entrance



The Property Committee is proud to announce that a new handrail was installed at the covered entrance from the south parking lot.   This was one of the top priority items recommended by the Accessibility Task Force, and complements the recently completed ramp improvements. This gets our church another step closer towards our goal of being fully accessible.
 
Thanks to all those members and friends who pledged generously for the 2016-2017 year for making this and other property improvements financially possible. Thanks also to Jeanne DeFrance for her time and energy in meeting with bidders and over-seeing the installation.
 
Depending on bid costs and contractor availability, the remaining Property Committee projects for this year will be improvement of the south entrance threshold to improve  accessibility and installation of a second dishwasher to accommodate machine washing of all plates on potluck days.
 
Property Committee
Share
We Share the Plate* with New Futures, Inc.
STP logo
New Futures, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, founded in 1990, addressing the need in Huntsville and Madison County for an organization that serves homeless, intact families. New Futures, Inc. operates the Marilyn Mabry Family Lodge, a homeless shelter that allows families to remain together in a safe, family-friendly environment. They are the only homeless transitional housing program in Madison County that accepts families with children up to 18 of both genders, single fathers with minor children, and single mothers with sons over age 10. By keeping families together, the Lodge will enhance the positive outcomes for all family members and ultimately for the community of Madison County. 

For more information, see their website:
http://www.keepingfamiliestogethernf.org/

*When we "Share the Plate," all cash collected on the first Sunday of each month in the second quarter (April, May, and June), along with any checks noted as "Share the Plate," will be halved with New Futures, Inc.
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Board Report for April 25, 2017

Your UUCH Board of Trustees met on April 25th. Topics of discussion included:
  • Reviewed the Finance Committee recommendations for the 2017-18 budget and for the allocation of the proceeds from the sale of the Governors Drive property.
  • Prepared for the Annual Congregational Meeting scheduled for May 21st.
Ed Bernstein, Secretary
UUCH Board of Trustees
votives
Care List
 
This Sunday, April 30th, 2017  at our Circle of Candles:
 
Anonymous , a candle of joy: "Last week as I was falling into a deep sadness, like many times before, I had one difference that I didn't have before. I was able to reach out to four diffferent people in the church that helped me rise out of the ashes. I'm so glad to have a church community and I thank everyone here for all the love that is shared. The simple kindness is immeasurable."

Konar and Zilya Kinley, a candle of joy: They want to wish their Mum a Happy May 4th Birthday.

Gloria Guay, a candle of joys and sorrows: "Expression of gratitude to all who made my husband Ken Shrider's Celebration of Life happen the evening before Easter. I want to thank our Minister, Alice Syltie, Pianist, Kathy Fisher, Care Committee, Hospitality Committee, our UU Church Community, and everyone who sent cards, donated finger food, or made donations to the ALZ Association in Ken's memory. I felt truly blessed to have so many of your cares and concerns with me and Ken's family."

David and Laurel Bollinger, a candle of joy: "Our daughter, Maren, celebrated her 21st birthday on April 26th. Hard to believe!"

Cheri Smith, a candle for her daughter, Vicky, whose tests confirm cancer. Vicky will have surgery on May 9th.