The Scoop

Sunday, August 31 10:00am Worship Service


"HYMN SING SUNDAY"


~WORSHIP LEADERS, ANNE PEARL & DAN KADER


Sunday, August 31, 2025 at UUCHV


2021 Albany Post Road

Croton-on-Hudson NY 10520


JOIN US ONLINE VIA YOUTUBE


AFTER SERVICE COFFEE HOUR


For the Order of Service, please see the website, fusw.org


Please check our website fusw.org and Facebook page for the latest info and updates about our Sunday services and other events.

A Note from Rev. Arlin Roy

Pastoral Care



These are uncertain, unsettling times; no one knows in advance when they may need emergency pastoral care. In case you find that you need to connect, I'm providing my contact information here: 978-587-1148, arlinroy@yahoo.com


I don't take my cell phone swimming or running, but I will reach back when I can.


If you wish to make a non-emergency appointment, please email me. ~Arlin

Just a heads up, we might occasionally update the FUSW.org website with some cool photos of memorable moments at FUSW. If you’d rather not have a picture of yourself on the website, just let us know by reaching out to admin@fusw.org.

Upcoming Events



  • Friday, September 5, 12:30pm, Daytime Women's Group ~ FUSW. Contact Theresa Reynolds

(ntdelise@optonline.net).


  • Friday, September 5, 7:30pm, Men’s Group ~ FUSW and on Zoom. Contact Paul Gross

(paulrubengross@gmail.com).


  • Friday, September 5, 7:30pm, Evening Women’s Group ~ on Zoom. Contact Diane Guernsey

(dianeguernseyuu@gmail.com).


  • Saturday, September 13, 1:15pm, Reading Black Lives Book Group~ FUSW. Now reading The Street, by Ann Petry. Please see below. Contact

(admin@fusw.org).


  • Saturday, September 20, October 18, 9:00am, Wednesdays, September 24, October 1, 7:00pm, Meditation Group ~ FUSW. Contact Deen

(mashuq.deen@gmail.com).


Upcoming Worship


  • Sunday, September 7, 10:30am, "Identity and Spirituality" ~ Rev. Arlin Roy, Service at FUSW, in person and via Zoom. For further information, please visit www.FUSW.org


  • Sunday, September 14, 10:30am, Rev. ReBecca Sala, Service at FUSW, in person and via Zoom. For further information, please visit www.FUSW.org

Message from the Treasurer


Your FUSW treasurer is pleased to report that finances are already on track for a successful year ahead. The first quarter of our fiscal year is July through September. 


Twenty percent of our income has been received. Eight households have already paid their 2025-26 pledge in full, which provided a healthy balance in the checking account to carry us through the summer until the rest of us get our contributions set up. Ten additional households already send recurring contributions weekly or monthly via check from their bank, or our donate button. Statements will be sent out in early September to remind others to contribute regularly.


Pledges from forty-four households (sixty individual members) will account for $100k of our operating income. Income from the collection plate, as well as contributions for the use of the space by the meditation group, are also generously on target. 


We are optimistic that planning for fun(d)raising events and ongoing programs in our new space will result in additional income to cover our annual operating expenses of $170,000 between now and June 30, 2026.


Respectfully submitted,


Susan Greenberg

Treasurer

Final Summer Sunday at UUCHV

Sunday, August 31 | 10:00am


Our final summer service will be our annual, congregational Hymn Sing - a much beloved UUCHV tradition - which will be led by Anne Pearl and accompanied by our guest pianist, Dan Kader. UUCHV folks are invited to request hymns, in person, on Sunday, so please think about your favorites and what you might want to suggest (all hymns should be from either the grey or teal hymnals).


FUSW folks are invited to email their requests to Anne at: apearl315@gmail.com.com by Saturday, 8/30, at 5:00 PM. We promise to include as many of your requests as possible. So… have some hot tea for breakfast, warm up your voices, and join us for a really fun and enjoyable end-of-summer service!

Through Other's Eyes: Jewish and Arab Israeli Teens Photography Project

Wednesday, September 3 | 6:30pm-8:00pm


An insider view of the way Israeli teens can embrace a spirit of cooperation, conflict resolution, and mutual understanding across differences.


Description

Here is an opportunity to witness the conversation between two Jewish Israeli and two Arab Israeli teens as they reflect on what they learned through their year-long photography project in each other's neighborhoods and homes.


Date and Time

Sep 03, 2025 

Wed @ 6:30pm-8:00pm (1 hour 30 minutes) 


Location

Shames JCC

425 South Broadway

Tarrytown, NY 10591

View Map 


The event is free, but registration is required. To do so, go to shamesjcc.org/givat and click on 'register'. You will be asked to make an account. You can do this by signing up as a non-member. There is no fee.

Reading Black Lives Book Group

Now Reading: The Street by Ann Petry

Saturday, September 13 | 1:15pm – 2:45pm at FUSW


"The Street follows the spirited Lutie Johnson, a newly single mother whose efforts to claim a share of the American Dream for herself and her young son meet frustration at every turn in 1940s Harlem. Opening a fresh perspective on the realities and challenges of black, female, working-class life, The Street became the first novel by an African American woman to sell more than a million copies." -- Publisher.


The Reading Black Lives Book Group looks forward to discussing The Street with you!


Check out our page on FUSW.org or contact admin@fusw.org for further information.

Building Your Own Theology

Sundays, September 14, 21, 28, October 12, 19, 26 12:30pm-2:30pm at FUSW


Unitarian Universalists are definitely happy heretics. We choose to “do theology” in a liberal religious mode. But if we are living, breathing, hurting, laughing, crying, questing human beings, it is impossible not to be theologians. Theology traditionally deals with the study of God or divine things. Still, there is another definition. It can mean “a field of study, thought, and analysis that discusses religious truth.” 


Theology is involved with our ultimate concerns and commitments, regardless of the names we give them. While theology can be, and often is, stuffy, deadly dull, and unutterably boring, it can be, and often is, exhilarating, exciting, and endlessly fascinating. Why? Because it deals with the "stuff" of the human experience and the meaning of being and becoming. 


Arlin and Sarita Roy are offering a six-session course called "Building Your Own Theology" beginning Sunday, September 14, at 12:30 pm-2:30pm. Because this course is discussion-based, there is only one hour of suggested “homework.” A notebook and a personal credo are recommended. 


This course is in response to several inquiries and has been updated from its previous version to include value clarification exercises. There is a limit of ten participants.


Contact Arlin Roy to register at arlinroy@yahoo.com.


Meeting Dates

September 14, 21, 28

October 12, 19, 26

Meditation Group with Mashuq Deen

Saturdays, September 20, October 18 | 9:00am-10:00am; Wednesdays, September 24, October 1 | 7:00pm-8:15pm at FUSW


Meditation is a “practice,” meaning it’s more of a journey than a goal. We work to develop our capacity for curiosity and an open mind. Whether you are new at this or a seasoned practitioner, all are welcome. Gentle instruction will be offered before guided and walking meditation, followed by shared reflections. If you have a meditation cushion, please bring it with you. There will be chairs available for those who need them. Here is a helpful video about how cushions and props can help you find a comfortable posture that is both active and relaxed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwhP-veUubk). There will be an invitation to remove your shoes for the meditation; please bring socks if necessary. A thin blanket can be helpful to either sit on or wrap around yourself for warmth.


Deen has been meditating for almost 25 years, has experience with multiple meditation methods as well as mindfulness body practices, and is a certified yoga teacher. He’s currently enrolled in a Zen Buddhist chaplaincy training program. Please email Deen if you’re interested in attending at mashuq.deen@gmail.com.

Side with Love

“What is love calling you to do?”


Unitarian Universalists affirm unconditional, universal love as a foundation and grounding for our actions in the world. We strive to be of service to our communities and advocate for change on local, state, national, and international levels.


Through our Side with Love campaign (formerly “Standing on the Side of Love”) we amplify the voices of the oppressed through online media; we show up in partnership at justice events across the country; we lobby national leaders on immigration reform, racial justice, equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, religious freedom, and more; and above all we work to make love real in the world.


Over eighty percent of Unitarian Universalist congregations, and many more individual UUs and others who care about justice, have become a part of Side with Love.


Mahatma Gandhi did it. Mother Theresa did it. Martin Luther King, Jr., did it.

We do it. How do you reach out in love?


Credit: https://www.uua.org/action/love


We are Unitarian Universalists!


We are Unitarian Universalists, people of many backgrounds who have different beliefs, but shared values. Together, we offer a guided path towards a better you and a better world. Get to know us in this short animated video. For more information contact info@uua.org.

Credits

Copyright and Text—Unitarian Universalist Association

Animator—Elliott Cennamo

Voiceover—Stephanie Carey Maron


Safe & Sacred: Creating Safe Spaces for Everyone


The First Unitarian Society of Westchester strives to provide a safe environment for all. The Board of Trustees has implemented a policy to prevent and address sexual harassment and abuse. The goal of this policy is to ensure a respectful community and fulfill our legal duty to protect members from harm and false accusations and to provide a safe environment for children. Our aim is to minimize risk and foster spiritual well-being in a trusting atmosphere. Click here to view our Congregational Policies.

FUSW Contacts & Information


Questions, Concerns, or Compliments for FUSW? Reach out to any member of our Board of Trustees.


Board of Trustees - The Board usually meets on the third Monday of each month via Zoom at 7:45pm. If you wish to attend, please check with a board member or the administration, because the schedule sometimes shifts. Click here to join the Board meeting on Zoom.


Meetings are open to any member of FUSW. For confidential matters, non-Board members will be asked to leave temporarily. At the end of the meeting, there will be an open forum, during which non-Board members can speak about topics of concern, limiting remarks to two minutes. To access the minutes from previous meetings, visit the Members page of fusw.org and click on Board Minutes Archive. 


Scheduling Zoom Meetings or Submitting Information for The Scoop and FUSW Calendar - Contact our Administrator, Karmesha Peake (admin@fusw.org). For Zoom meetings, please include the purpose and preferred date/time. Articles for The Scoop are due by Wednesday at 10:00am. 


Administrative Office Hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays; 10:00am - 3:00pm.


Please call ahead or schedule an appointment by clicking here, should you need to connect with Karmesha, our Office Administrator, in person at 210 North Central Ave.

We are a liberal religious community shaping the world in our image of love:

Deepening Spirituality · Nurturing Community · Advancing Justice

fusw.org / 914-478-2710

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