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UU Visalia Quick Links
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Quick Calendar for June 2007
June 3, 2007 - 4:00 PM Annual Congregational Meeting (PLEASE NOTE EARLY TIME)
6PM - Salads Potluck
June 10, 2007 - 5:00 PM Service - Session 1 - "East Yourself and Find the Sun: The Summons to the Spiritual Life" .
June 17, 2007 - 5:00 PM Service - Session 2 - "A Certain Wandering Light: The Spiritual Vision of Ralph Waldo Emerson."
June 24, 2007 - 5:00 PM Service - Session
3 - "A God in Ruins."
Meetings of the Religious Education, Social Justice, Worship and Growth Committee/Ministry Teams will be arranged by their coordinators, due to various summer travel plans. |
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June 3, 2007
4:00 PM - Annual Congregational Meeting
Highlights from 2006-07, Declaration of Quorum, Approval of Minutes from 6/06 Annual Meeting, Acceptance of Proposed Budget, Election of 2007-08 Board Members, Reports of Committees/Ministry Teams, Application for Accreditation as a Green Sanctuary, Vote on Collections for Non-Profit Organizations, Sharing Our Talents, Community Service Projects, Summer Sign-Ups and Decision on Meals, Appreciation, Adjournment.
6:00 PM - Salads Potluck
 June 10, 2007
5:00 PM Service - "East Yourself and Find the Sun: The Summons to the Spiritual Life" - Session 1 of the book Emerson as Spiritual Guide - A Companion to Emerson's Essays for Personal Reflection and Group Discussion by Barry Andrews
June 17, 2007
5:00 PM Service - "A Certain Wandering Light: The Spiritual Vision of Ralph Waldo Emerson" - Session 2.
June 24, 2007
5:00 PM Service - "A
God in Ruins" -
Session 3
Meetings of the Religious Education, Social Justice, Worship and Growth Committee/Ministry Teams will be arranged by their coordinators, due to various summer travel plans.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
4:00 PM [Note earlier time]
ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL BUSINESS MEETING & START OF SUMMER SCHEDULE
The annual congregational meeting is when we elect new officers, adopt a new budget, celebrate last year's accomplishments and next year's goals. 4:00 PM meeting to be followed by a light potluck of salads and socializing.
Some Highlights of 2006-07
August 2006 Strategic Planning Retreat
Chalice Lighter Marketing Grant
Drum Circles
Forum Showing "Inconvenient Truth"
Garage Sale Fundraiser for Energy Star Refrigerator
Green Sanctuary
Meditation Group
Publicity for Donations of Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs to London Residents
September 2006 Fresno Bee Article about UUFV in Religion Section
Two Awards at Pacific Central District Assembly
What Were Your Highlights?
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Fellowship News
President's Message
What are ways the Fellowship can grow and reach more people who need our message? Many groups struggle with the question, many books and workshops offer a variety of answers. The studies I have read about small rural churches advise becoming more visible. They suggest changing evening services to a more traditional time in the morning and even searching for a location that is closer to population concentrations. The Friends Meeting House is gorgeous, peaceful, and very compatible with our philosophy. How can we reach out to attract more people? We will soon be installing a sign by the Meeting House parking lot and hanging a banner by Highway 198. We will continue to strengthen our outreach efforts, website, newsletter, programs, etc. You, Fellowship members and friends, are invited to get involved, to invest your time and effort in the congregation however you are willing and able. Some tasks can be done at home or on a computer, other work in groups. You are also invited to tell your co-workers, neighbors, family members and work acquaintances about Unitarian Universalism, about our small congregation, about how we can work together to make a difference in Tulare County. Keep a copy of the newsletter in your bag or briefcase and share what's going on. Carry a pocket-sized card of UU principles and purposes or with basic information about the Fellowship. When the
topic of religion comes up, admit that you belong to an organization that
encourages questions and your individual spiritual path. Invite a friend to
church. So, we grow. With peace, love and laughter, from April
Library
Librarian David Hodges is looking for a few good people to assume his role in preparing books and other media for inclusion in the Fellowship library. Most of the work can be done at home - preparing a check out card and gluing an envelope in each book, listing new titles in the UU Visalia collection on the "LibraryThing" website and occasionally listing or highlighting special items in our newsletter. A great chance to preview new additions to the library! Please speak with David or e-mail him at hodgesdave@aol.com.
Share the Good News - As you finish reading your quarterly UU World magazine, please contribute it to the library. Spares will be shared with visitors, friends and new members.
History & Scrapbook
Into photography and making memories? Ongoing project to interview our elders for stories about the history of the Visalia Fellowship, collect old and current news articles and photos of members and produce a scrapbook about us. More than one make twice the fun! Please don't wait for an invitation - volunteer yourself!
Help Choose UUFV's Charities
Which non-profits should our congregation support with a monthly offertory collection? We've traditionally supported FoodLink and some others with checks after the annual meeting. Following a model used by the UU Church of Fresno and others, here are details. UUFV could support 10 non-profits on an ongoing annual basis, with each group
receiving one month's offertory collection. The other two collections will be left to the discretion of the Board, for emergencies like Katrina or internal needs like new hymnals or member family crises. Supporting the same organizations year after year will make our support for these groups more consistent and will have a greater impact as a result.
To honor our democratic process, congregants will nominate and members will vote for the 10 recipient organizations. This vote will take place at the June 3, 2007 Annual Congregational Meeting. Congregants who wish to nominate specific non-profits will be asked to make a brief 1-2 minute presentation on the merits of their nominee at the June meeting. Make your voice heard and your vote count! Past recipients of humanitarian donations the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee,
FoodLink, Youth Vision, Habitat for Humanity, UU Legislative Ministry, UU United Nations, Projecto Campesino and UCYC, among others. Others that have sent requests include PCD Chalice Lighters, American Friends Service Committee, Alternatives to Violence and Safe Darfur.
(Thanks to the UU Church of San Mateo, whose 5/07 newsletter highlighted this idea.)
Service Projects
Non-profit organizations appreciate volunteers. What better time to think of what we can actually do to support the work of favorite agencies than just after we hear their descriptions and their appeals for funds? At the Annual Meeting we will have the opportunity to brainstorm how individuals or small groups of UUs can contribute time and effort and to sign up for a task and time with a non-profit.
Church Camping Trip
Many expressed interest in hiking and camping when responding to the spring survey. The local Sierra Club and Audobon Society offer wonderful outings, which are posted on the Meeting House bulletin board. We're tentatively thinking of a weekend in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park in August. If you would like to be involved in the planning, please talk with Janet, April or Harold.
Apologies
In the May newsletter, three very important people were omitted from the list of new members for the year - Mona Selph, Connie Tippett and Sarah Hart. You helped us earn a growth award from the Pacific Central District! The paragraph should have read "By adding eight new members, our numbers grew by 20.8%. Since July of 2006, the following have joined the UU Fellowship of Visalia - Ben Briscoe,
Lesley Dyer, Mona Selph, Connie Tippett, Dennis Litzan, Kim Litzan, Shell Melendez and Sarah Hart." Thank you.
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 Unitarian Universalist Events & News
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
General Assembly - June 20-24, 2007
GA 2007 in Portland, Oregon
Registration is $330 between 5/1 and 6/25/07. Online Registration. Preceding GA will be UU University - on Tues, 6/19-Wed, 6/20 for present & future congregational leaders. Registration fee $140 after 5/1/07. Three Visalia Fellowship members plan to attend GA so far. If you are interested or able to attend, information is available at Fellowship meetings and on websites for PCD and UUA.
PCD 30th Annual Leadership School
July 21-27, 2007 (Saturday - Friday)
Westminster Retreat Center, Alamo California
Purpose - to assist lay leaders in UUA communities, prepare people for new leadership roles, enhance overall leadership capabilities, and expand and deepen our religious faith. Space is limited! Sponsorship by your congregation is required -your registration form must be signed by your Board President. Complete the registration form ASAP or by 6/30/07 deadline.
Total Registration $995 - Financial aid is available, through UU Fellowship or PCD Leadership School.
For more information, please contact a board member.
Cruise Stebbins 2007 at Asilomar from July 28-August 2, 2007 (Sunday-Thursday)
Workshops, networking, Information available from co-registrar Helen Oxley.
Church of Larger Fellowship (CLF) Online Class on "Beginning Unitarian Universalism" and "Chosen Faith" are free on-line courses that cover basic Unitarian Universalist belief, history and organization. There are opportunities to ask questions, and to discuss the readings. What makes Unitarian Universalism a religion? What makes the Church of the Larger Fellowship different from other UU congregations? How can a new member connect to this congregation which never meets in person?
More information about this and other online classes is available at CLF. |
Community Events for Personal Spiritual Development
April 21 through June 16, 2007
UU Relevance: Sixth Principle: The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all.
Pax Christi Non-Violence Workshops
"Learning to Live in a Non-Violent Way"
at St. Mary's Church (Serra Center), Garden & Race Streets
2nd half of 10 session series on alternate Saturdays between 10AM-1PM Cost - Adults $10, Students $5
5/5, 5/19, 6/2, 6/16. Register at church - 734-9522.
June 2, 2007, Saturday - Come and enjoy the beautiful Quaker Oaks Farm gardens and country atmosphere, while benefiting two worthy non-profit organizations. Big Yard sale 8AM-3PM to benefit Friends of Radio Grito/ AFSC Proyecto Campesino and raise funds to complete its Low-Power FM radio station, KFSC-LP, which plans to begin broadcasting in mid-June. The low-power community radio station,
KFSC-LP will broadcast on a frequency of 94.1 FM and its goal will be to inform, educate, and give a voice to local concerns, especially those of youth. Quaker Oaks Farm Flower Show and Plant Auction to benefit the Alternatives to Violence Program, which trains conflict resolution facilitators inside prisons. Entries for an 8'X8' garden plot display competition by local individuals or teams are being accepted at www.quaker.org/visalia/flowers A team is any size, any age, any gender, any level of experience. We require only a willingness to share your talents and a $20 team registration (this is to separate the academically curious from the "dirt under the nails" type). Prizes will be awarded for different categories to include: Most Environmentally Sensitive, Best Use of California Natives, Art for Arts Sake, Kids under 9, Kids under 18, Guys Only, and of course, Best of Show! Team registration will be strictly limited and your team's access to our sponsor's freebies will be on a "first-come-first-served" basis. Each team will bring their materials and create an 8'x8' display at Quaker Oaks Farm on Friday June 1st between 9 am and 7 pm. Materials not marked for return will be auctioned to the public after the prizes are awarded.
June 5, 2006, Tuesday, 5:30-8:30PM Health Care For All Public Forum. Downtown Visalia, Garden Street Plaza. Come learn why SB 840 is the best solution for California's Health Insurance needs, videotape your story, enjoy refreshments and music by the Sequoia Brass, get your blood pressure taken. You will hear quality speakers - Cynthia Koval performing her letter to Maria; Dr. David Roberts and Dr. Bill Winn speaking from the physicians' point of view; and Marla Reyes and Joyce Hale giving us the California Teachers Association and California School Employee Association viewpoints on the California Universal Health Care Act. Sponsored by Visalia Health Care for All, League of Women Voters, California Teachers Association and California School Employees
Association.
June 8, 2007, Friday, 8PM Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno. A free lecture on "Faith and Science - Can Religion and Science Coexist in Modern Society". Limited seating at 2111 E Nees Ave at Maple. More information at www.icfresno.org or 559-297-9535.
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 Application for Green Sanctuary Accreditation Submitted
On May 14, 2007, we submitted our 19-page application for Green Sanctuary Accreditation
(PDF), which we hope will be approved by a congregational vote at our
June 3, 2007 annual meeting, and then by the UU Ministry for Earth.
We ask all members to please be prepared to vote on the decision to adopt our Green Sanctuary Resolution for Accreditation at the annual meeting. Please review our draft Resolution for Accreditation - click on link to download from our website, or retrieve it from:
http://www.uuvisalia.org/green/resolution_for_accreditation.pdf
The goals of the Green Sanctuary effort are:
- To build awareness of societal environmental issues among UUs.
- To build awareness of and rectify environmental injustices.
- To generate commitment for personal lifestyle changes.
- To motivate UUs to community action on environmental issues.
- To build a connection between spiritual practice and environmental consciousness.
To
address these goals, we worked on 12 action projects for the past year.
These resulted in energy savings and greater education of the community
and our Fellowship on the importance of energy conservation, and the
need to address global warming and other environmental concerns. These
action projects covered all areas of congregational life, including
Worship and Celebration, Religious Education, Social Justice, and
Sustainable Living.
Our 12 completed projects included the following:
Project 1: Arranged for 6 "green" sermons during the year.
Project 2: Researched and prepared a Service on Water Justice.
Project 3: Researched and prepared a service presentation on Renewable Energy Certificates/Carbon Offsets.
Project 4: Added to our Fellowship library nearly 40 books on environmental issues.
Project
5: Planned and carried out a Compact Fluorescent Light donation program
with London Community Council - we donated 1,000 compact fluorescent
light bulbs, with accompanying information in English and Spanish, to
this community.
Project 6: Participated in California Interfaith Power & Light, including a showing on "An Inconvenient Truth."
Project 7: Environmental investing - Opened a "Eco-Max" CD with Shorebank Pacific.
Project
8: Developed a renewable energy/carbon offset program, contributed
through Fellowship funds and encouraging members to participate in
carbon offsets with Carbonfund.org.
Project 9: Presented a
program for the congregation on the value/importance of CFLs, then get
pledges - we successfully asked 80% of congregation to replace three
most used traditional lights with Compact Fluorescent Lights.
Project
10: Asked congregation to have three family & friends replace three
most used lights with CFLs as part of their 2007 Earth Day Pledge.
Project
11: Raised $874 to replace the Friends Meeting House
refrigerator/freezer with an ENERGY STAR unit. Our successful rummage
sale was enjoyed by all!
Project 12: Transition a change to recycled paper products and green cleaning products.
All
this effort came about by the individual contributions of a large
number of our Fellowship's members and friends - a vast majority of our
Fellowship contributed in one way or another during the past year. We
owe our thanks to all these members.
In addition, we undertook several other "green" activities throughout the past year.
These include the following:
1. Additional Activity 1: Summer 2006 discussion series on Thoreau as Spiritual Guide
2. Additional Activity 2: Prepared comments on the UU Statement of Conscience on Global Warming.
3. Additional Activity 3: Advocated Clean Water in School Health Plans by writing to school districts in Tulare County.
4. Additional Activity 4: Held a Sustainable Living Discussion Cours with 13 participants.
5.
Additional Activity 5 - Film and Environmental Education Programs,
included several environmental films including "Suzuki Speaks."
6. Additional Activity 6: Vegetarian Awareness.
As
past President Don Chapin says, "The most important benefit in
participating in the Green Sanctuary program was that it brought home
to us the importance of environmentalism as a tenet requiring specific
changed behavior. It is not enough to be opinionated about
environmental issues; we must also 'walk the talk.' Our members are
converting to CFLs, using non toxic household cleaners, purchasing
hybrid cars, changing their buying habits, changing their driving
habits, reducing their home energy usage - to name a few.
Also,
an important benefit for us was the community-building and
infrastructure improvements working on the Green Sanctuary program gave
us. By having specific goals and timelines, we worked together as a
community more than ever before, deepening and strengthening
relationships in the congregation in the process.
Because our
Green Sanctuary effort has been such an inspiration, we hope it will
continue to be a crucial part of our Fellowship's life in the coming
years.
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Contact Info
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Visalia
info@uuvisalia.org
(559) 477-4214
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