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TOP OF THE SQUARE First Parish Plymouth Unitarian Universalist National Memorial Pilgrim Church 19 Town Square, Plymouth, MA 02360 508-747-1606 www.firstparishplymouthuu.org [email protected] Reverend Ed Hardy Worship: 10:00 am Sunday Director of Music, Pianist: Niles Brandon Religious Education Director: Kim Caple Director of Music Emerita: Lynne Wilkinson Office Administrator: Jeanne McKinney November, 2015 Newsletter Thanks to a very generous member, we are about to dramatically improve our comfort in the Meetinghouse! Before long, we will be sitting on brand new pew cushions, and those current lumpy, hard, and ancient cushions will be history! We are confident this project will sit well with us all! Stay tuned for more news. There will be a display of tushy, uh cushy, samples to try out, and a variety of colors to choose from! And everyone will be asked to vote on the design they like best. Sitting in the Meetinghouse is soon to become a whole new experience! And while we’re at it, maybe someone else will step up and underwrite matching carpeting! A huge Thank You! goes out to the donor who wishes to remain anonymous. Pilgrim's Journey Last night on PBS some lesioned guy being screwed to death by legions of viral invisibility blurted the great cliché of regret: I wish I could be twenty again and know what I know now ... My own regrets are equally foolish. And, I wonder, how the hell is it I've reached a place where I'd give what's left of my allotment of sunsets and frozen dinners for some unholy replay of just one hour in some nearly forgotten time and place? ~Excerpt from This Is the Time of Grasshoppers and All That I See Is Dying by Adrian C. Louis Like all of us, my brother is dying, but he has a prognosis, a scientific date, a medical guess. He's resigned. He doesn't want to answer the big questions he never asked-about God, or creation, or good versus evil-for him it is pretty much poppycock. He is not fighting the "good fight" with death, as if cancer were a war, or a battle he has a snowball in hell chance of winning. He wants simple things-like being able to taste his food. Just one enjoyable bite, might be enough. He loved Casey's Steamed Hotdogs back in Natick. Oh, that we could slide backwards over fifty years or so, and even if we dragged all our knowledge with us, we would probably be as wasteful with the hours as we were in our youth. Seventy three years and memory has sanded off all the sharp edges, the details, the specifics; he doesn't want details from the past, yet he says, "I love you" with more frequency than ever. I imagine he would tattoo it on my arm if he could. He already, then and now, etched it on my heart. "I love you", was a precious commodity seldom found in our youth. Hard work, good fortune, grace, or just simple coincidence he found along the way what he could seldom could say til now. ~ Rev Ed Hardy Just like the seasons, people change Thank you to the Melville and Caple families for their Coastsweep efforts. The kids helped to collect hundreds of trash items that would otherwise have polluted our oceans. The items were also logged by our 'citizen scientists' to help researchers with their efforts to save marine life. Religious Education is off to a wonderful start! We have over thirty students now registered in our three classes. Thank you to our teachers Diane Stillman, Chris Lennon, Meghan Snee, and Aaron Smith. Students are exploring the theme Creating Love in developmentally appropriate ways. Each week upon returning to coffee hour, your children should be giving you a piece of paper that outlines what we have done for the week as well as some home connections and any schedule changes. Our hope is that you will have some conversations about how you can Create Love as a family. Also, this 'ticket' acts as a way for your child to reconnect with you in the church building, ending the Religious Education time. Please help us in promoting a safe and enjoyable coffee hour experience for all by reminding your child(ren) to walk and stay on the lower level of the building. Operation Be the Good Last month we introduced Operation Be the Good to the kids. This month it will be your turn! Find ways you and your family can do small Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) to spread joy in the world. It could be picking up trash on the beach or along your favorite walking trail, paying for a stranger's coffee, or just holding a door open with a smile. Please help us propel this movement by incorporating Operation Be the Good into your routine. Use the cards provided to leave at the scene of a RAK or take a photo and send it to me to add to our collection. Each Sunday we'll highlight a RAK of the week. Continued Ukulele with Reverend Ed Revered Ed and Middle School Street of Music have teamed up to offer free Ukulele lessons to any interested students. The lessons will take place at Middle Street School of Music on .... you guessed it - Middle Street, in downtown Plymouth. Lesson are free of charge but should still be considered a commitment in fairness to all students. Contact Reverend Ed via phone or email with questions or to reserve a spot. Wednesdays, 4:00-4:45 Middle Street School of Music Save the Date Friday, December 11 First Parish RE Family Potluck Holiday Party Location: TBD Anyone willing to host? November Meetings Parish Committee FIRST PARISH TALENT SHOW! Monday, November 2, 7:00 pm, Parish House Saturday, November 14, 6:00 pm, Kendall Restoration Committee Building & Grounds Committee Wednesday, November 4, 11 & 25, 9:30 am, Sunday, November 15, 8:30 am Parish House Parish House *Monday, November 16, 7:00 pm, Parish House Worship & Music Committee Buddhist Meditation Tuesday, November 17, 7:30 pm Wednesday, November 4, 11, 18 & 25, 7:00 pm Parish House Parish House PLYMOUTH ILLUMINATE 400 Singing Meditation Saturday, November 21, 4:00 – 8:00 pm Wednesday, November 4, 7:00 pm, Parlor Town Square / First Parish Plymouth Men's Breakfast PERSEPHONE’S CONCERT Saturday, November 7 & 21, 9:00 am, Sunday, November 22, 3:00 pm, T-Bones, Plymouth Center Meetinghouse Hospice Choir Women's Breakfast Wednesday, November 11, 18 & 25, 7:00 pm Saturday, November 28, 9:00 am Parlor Friendly’s, Exit 5, Long Pond Road, Plymouth November Worship November 1 Union Sunday Union Sunday is one Sunday when the congregations of Duxbury, Kingston, and Plymouth gather to unite in worship. It is a wonderful opportunity to get together, see old friends, meet new friends, and share Unitarian Universalist ideals. This year the service will be held in Duxbury at 10:30am. The topic of the service will be our First Principle-The Inherent Worth and Dignity of Every Person. Our guest preacher will be the Reverend Michael Wayne Walker, senior pastor of Messiah Baptist Church in Brockton, Massachusetts. Reverend Walker is a native of Texas, a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and has served Messiah Baptist for thirty-three years. On the front of the Messiah Baptist Worship bulletin for several years it said and I paraphrase-"We hold as highest ideals the following texts-The Book of Mark from the New Testament and The People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn." Reverend Walker is not your typical Unitarian Universalist preacher, but if you attended General Assembly this year and heard Cornel West preach, you get the idea. You won't be bored. Rev. Walker is one of the best preachers I know. I recommend him highly and anticipate hearing him speak to the First Principle. I am honored to call him my teacher, my colleague, and my friend; knowing him has made me a better person. November 08 Do We Speak the Truth in Love? Rev. Ed Hardy Every Sunday we speak our covenant; we say the words, "We speak the truth in love." Do we? Do we "speak the truth in love?" If we don't, what stops us? What keeps us from living our covenant? November 15 Immigrant Justice Rev. Ed Hardy Every Tibetan lay person, nun or monk I met in New York City, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Portland, Oregon, San Francisco and Carmel, California had a story to tell about immigration, about getting here by chicanery or accident, by suffering, by being pushed to margins, and yet, they came. They huddled on our shore for justice and freedom. November 22 The Mysterious Turkey and Pilgrims, Oh My! A Cast of Thousands and Ed THIS IS AN INTER-GENERATIONAL SERVICE What does that mean-intergenerational? It means fun, singing, laughing, and mystery for all ages. And who would want to miss that? When I say mincemeat pie-my kids say UGH! I might reveal my secret giblet gravy. When I say, I'll bring the gravy-my kids say UGH! When I say, "I'll just sing!" They say DON'T!! Please. Come to this service and experience the whole congregation, every generation, having a good time. November 23 Thanksgiving Service 7Pm The Thanksgiving Service is the most multicultural, most multiracial, most inclusive service, we perform each year. Many voices celebrate the blessing of this land from sea to shining sea. November 29 Nancy Day Worship Committee Nancy Day has been writing music all her life and has produced 12 recordings of original music and lyrics since 1980.
Recommended publications
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    THE COURT HOUSES OF PLYMOUTH by Rose T. Briggs Pilgrim Society Note, Series One, Number 17, May 1966 Plymouth, the county seat of Plymouth County, was also the capital town of Plymouth Colony, and thus has a judicial history which antedates the establishment of Plymouth County in 1685, and goes back to the founding of Plymouth Colony in 1620. Plymouth Colony had a well established judicial system before 1685. The first entry in its Book of Laws, dated December 27, 1623, provided that: all crimynall facts; and also all maters of trespass; and debts between man & man should be tried by the verdict of twelve honest men, to be impaneled by Authoryty in the forme of a jurie upon their oaths. The entry is in the handwriting of Governor Bradford. Before 1623, trials had taken place before the whole body of freemen, sitting as a General Court, the Governor and Assistants presiding. This General Court elected officers, passed ordinances, and took what judicial action was necessary. Its first recorded meeting was in the spring of 1621. The meeting was held in the Common House, the site of which, at the foot of Leyden Street, is marked with a tablet by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. When the Fort was built on Burial Hill in 1622, the lower chamber was used as a meeting place, not only for Sunday services, but for Colony business, which presumably included the meetings of the General Court. In 1637, a Meeting House, for both religious and secular meetings, was built on the north side of what is now Town Square.
  • Growing Smarter in Plymouth's Fifth Century; Master Plan 2004-2024

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    i PLYMOUTH PLANNING BOARD LORING TRIPP, Chair PAUL MCALDUFF NICHOLAS FILLA, Vice Chair WENDY GARPOW, ALTERNATE LARRY ROSENBLUM MALCOLM MCGREGOR PLYMOUTH MASTER PLAN COMMITTEE (2004) ENZO MONTI, Chair JOHN MARTINI RUTH AOKI, Vice Chair LARRY ROSENBLUM AILEEN DROEGE IRA SMITH SASH ERSKINE LORING TRIPP ELAINE SCHWOTZER LUTZ CHARLES VANDINI PREVIOUS MEMBERS OF THE MASTER PLAN COMMITTEE THOMAS BOTT JAMES MASON TERRY DONOGHUE MARY MULCAHY WILLIAM FRANKS DON QUINN ROBERTA GRIMES ROBERT REIFEISS REBECCA HALL TOM WALLACE GERRE HOOKER BRIAN WHITFIELD LOUISE HOUSTON MARK WITHINGTON TOM MALONEY DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT LEE HARTMANN, AICP MASTER PLAN CONSULTANT MICHAEL PESSOLANO EDITING AND GRAPHIC DESIGN: GOODY, CLANCY & ASSOCIATES Photos: Larry Rosenblum Paul McAlduff Goody Clancy Thanks to everyone in Plymouth who helped create the Master Plan. GROWING SMARTER IN PLYMOUTH’S FIFTH CENTURY Town of Plymouth, Massachusetts Master Plan, 2004–2024 Plymouth Planning Board Master Plan Committee August 2006 Table of Contents VISION STATEMENT FOR PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS MASTER PLAN OVERVIEW 1. LAND USE 2. NATURAL RESOURCES 3. OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION 4. HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES 5. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 6. PUBLIC FACILITIES/SERVICES 7. TRANSPORTATION APPENDIX: MAPS vi Vision Statement for Plymouth, Massachusetts In 20 years, the Town of Plymouth will be a beautiful, maturing community with vibrant and pleasant village centers, a preserved and enhanced historic heritage, long stretches of accessible coastline, integrated areas of commerce and compact housing, and vast, connected areas of open space set aside for preservation, outdoor activities, and appreciation of nature. Plymouth will retain its outstanding visual character, de- fined by clean ponds, rivers, wetlands, coastline, and forests.
  • Plymouth Guide for Students and Chaperones

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    Plymouth Guide for Students and Chaperones Emergency Teacher Contact: ​ Name:______________________________________ Number:____________________________________ Student List: _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ General Rules: ● Stay with your chaperone at all times (ie. chaperones wait outside/near ​ ​ bathroom if a group member needs to go) ● Show courtesy, consideration, and respect to all (chaperons and classmates, as well as residents of Plymouth) ● Take in all the learning around you: Look, listen, and enjoy this unique learning experience. ● Appropriate language, regular voices and walking at all times. ● No food of any kind, unless it is a designated snack time or lunchtime (this ​ includes eating on the buses). ● Absolutely NO electronics at any time during the field trip. (Chaperones/teachers ​ ​ are not responsible for Items lost or stolen) Plimoth Plantation: *In addition to the above rules* ​ ● The adult chaperone always enters the building first. You will wait by the door, until the adult has entered. ● Treat the animals with respect: Do not touch, tease, chase, or feed animals. ● Use your best manners at all times. ● Respect the environment. Downtown Plymouth the walking tour: ● Students should walk two by two with their chaperon in the lead. The sidewalks are narrow and we will be crossing busy intersections. Students are to remain WITH chaperons at all times. You may
  • Destination Plymouth

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    DESTINATION PLYMOUTH Approximately 40 miles from park, travel time 50 minutes: Turn left when leaving Normandy Farms onto West Street. You will cross the town line and West Street becomes Thurston Street. At 1.3 miles from exiting park, you will reach Washington Street / US‐1 South. Turn left onto US‐1 South. Continue for 1.3 miles and turn onto I‐495 South toward Cape Cod. Drive approximately 22 miles to US‐44 E (exit 15) toward Middleboro / Plymouth. Bear right off ramp to US‐44E, in less than ¼ mile you will enter a rotary, take the third exit onto US‐ 44E towards Plymouth. Continue for approximately 14.5 miles. Merge onto US‐44E / RT‐3 South toward Plymouth/Cape Cod for just a little over a mile. Merge onto US‐44E / Samoset St via exit 6A toward Plymouth Center. Exit right off ramp onto US‐ 44E / Samoset St, which ends at Route 3A. At light you will see “Welcome to Historic Plymouth” sign, go straight. US‐44E / Samoset Street becomes North Park Ave. At rotary, take the first exit onto Water Street; the Visitor Center will be on your right with the parking lot behind the building. For GPS purposes the mapping address of the Plymouth Visitor Center – 130 Water Street, Plymouth, MA 02360 Leaving Plymouth: Exit left out of lot, then travel around rotary on South Park Ave, staying straight onto North Park Ave. Go straight thru intersection onto Samoset Street (also known as US‐44W). At the next light, turn right onto US‐44W/RT 3 for about ½ miles to X7 – sign reads “44W Taunton / Providence, RI”.
  • Notes on Cole's Hill

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    NOTES ON COLE’S HILL by Edward R. Belcher Pilgrim Society Note, Series One, Number One, 1954 The designation of Cole‟s Hill as a registered National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, was announced at the Annual Meeting of the Pilgrim Society on December 21, 1961. An official plaque will be placed on Cole‟s Hill. The formal application for this designation, made by the Society, reads in part: "... Fully conscious of the high responsibility to the Nation that goes with the ownership and care of a property classified as ... worthy of Registered National Historic Landmark status ... we agree to preserve... to the best of our ability, the historical integrity of this important part of our national cultural heritage ..." A tablet mounted on the granite post at the top of the steps on Cole‟s Hill bears this inscription: "In memory of James Cole Born London England 1600 Died Plymouth Mass 1692 First settler of Coles Hill 1633 A soldier in Pequot Indian War 1637 This tablet erected by his descendants1917" Cole‟s Hill, rising from the shore near the center of town and overlooking the Rock and the harbor, has occupied a prominent place in the affairs of the community. Here were buried the bodies of those who died during the first years of the settlement. From it could be watched the arrivals and departures of the many fishing and trading boats and the ships that came from time to time. In times of emergency, the Hill was fortified for the protection of the town.
  • “Must See” Places to Visit in Plymouth

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    “Must See” Places to Visit in Plymouth You may not have time to see all the sights while in Plymouth, but here is a list of the pilgrim hot spots to help you plan ahead. There is a little booklet called “Plymouth Guide” which is free and found all over town with maps and information. Howland House Come “home” to Howland House, once owned by John and Elizabeth’s son Jabez and most certainly slept in by our Pilgrim ancestors. Take a tour with our hostesses and see many 17th-18th century artifacts. Each year a new exhibit is featured. This year it is about Howlands and whaling. “Our” house is located at 33 Sandwich Street. Howland Historic sidewalk Marker dedicated in September 1978, and reads: “On This Lot Stood the First House of the Mayflower Pilgrim John Howland, The Pilgrim John Howland Society, 1978.” Clinton w. Sellew did the research and was responsible for this very important marker. It is located at 16 Leyden Street. rocky nook This was the home of John and Elizabeth from 1638-1672/3 when John died. They bought the property/house from John Jenny. This is the sight of the archaeological digs you have been reading about the past few years. It is located in Kingston, just north of Plymouth. Take route 3A north. You will see a sign for Rocky Nook/Gray Beach. Right after that Howland Street, turn right. Go about three miles. See a sign for Cole; Standish. Right after that you will see the big boulders on the right, pull over here.
  • United States Department of the Interior

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    , ; REPl\ODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE A DDRESS ONLY WASHINGTON THE DIRECTOR. NATIONA L PARK SERVICE -December 8, 1939. • Memorandum for Mr. Ben Thompson: In accordance with your telephonic request of December 5, the following r eport on the firs t Thanksgiving Day in the United States is submitted: That the Pilgrims at Plymouth had a Thanksgiving festival in the fall of 1621 and that it set a pr ecedent for Thanksgiving as a national institution are established facts. However, to identify t he exact site and date of that first Thanksgiving from available evidence seems impos­ sible . William Bradford and Edward Winslow, prominent figures at that affair, both give accounts of it. Neither, though, is specific as to the exact scene or date of the activities. The official records of the colony contain no reference t o t he occasion, nor do the church records for the same period.1 Fr om research, however, it can safely be assumed: 1. That the Pilgrim Thanksgiving was between September 23 and November 9, 1621. Probably it was l a te in October.2 2. ~hat most of the attendant festivities took place on or near the top of the hill at the end of Leyden Street (then the onl y street) in the place that came to be known as Tovm Square.3 1. Russell, w.s.: Pilgrim Memorials and Guide to Plymouth, 126-12?. The records were checked by the writer. 2. Palfrey, J.G.: History of New England,I, 186-18?; On Sept.
  • Brief Itinerary Day 1 - Sunday, October 3, 2021 (MBS & D) We Will Leave Grand Rapids Bright and Early to Get As Much Mileage in As Possible This Day

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    Brief Itinerary Day 1 - Sunday, October 3, 2021 (MBS & D) We will leave Grand Rapids bright and early to get as much mileage in as possible this day. We will travel through Canada* and make a stop for photos and stretch our legs at Niagara Falls. We will stay at the Ramada Geneva Lakefront Inn for the night, where we will have a nice dinner and cocktail party overlooking the lake to get to know your fellow travelers. Day 2 - Monday, October 4, 2021 (CB & D) DUXBURY We will travel this morning to Duxbury, MA for a visit to the Alden family house museum. John Alden and Priscilla Mullins arrived in Plimoth Colony on board the Mayflower in 1620. Their courtship was immortalized as one of America’s great love stories in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, “The Courtship of Miles Standish.” We will have dinner and check into our hotel in Plymouth for the evening. Day 3 - Tuesday, October 5, 2021 (CB & D) PLYMOUTH Our historic tour of Plymouth begins at the Jenny House and continues through Brewster Gardens to the waterfront and to Plymouth Rock. We continue to Leyden Street, where before Christmas in 1620 after disembarking from the Mayflower, the Pilgrims began arranging their housing sites. Adjacent to this street is Town Brook, the place that provided drinking water for the early colonists. It is believed the famed First Thanksgiving was held nearby here in 1621. We will have lunch on our own at the waterfront, before visiting the Mayflower II, a detailed reproduction of the ship that the English colonists sailed to Plymouth.
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  • Digitizing the Past in Plymouth, Massachusetts

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    Digitizing the Past in Plymouth, Massachusetts HOW AMERICA’S FAMOUS COLONY IS PREPARING FOR THE NEXT 400 YEARS “And so assigned to every family a parcel of land.” -William Bradford, founder and governor of the Plymouth Colony Were it not for diligent record keeping, Plymouth’s historical records, wanted a this famous William Bradford quote may strategy to deliver an updated solution. have been lost and with it the American Documents had to be available to teach system of governance that we have students and scholars, inspire leaders, and today. Bradford and the colonists who provide enthusiasts with an easy online landed the Mayflower in Cape Cod Bay at search and retrieval capability. Plymouth Colony in 1620 had the foresight to draw up the Mayflower Contract, a A central part of the plan called for covenant with basic principles of self- digitizing and indexing documents that government for their fellow colonists. go all the way back to the founding of Plymouth Colony in 1620, and also for After nearly 400 years, many such original Plymouth County which was founded in documents show their age. 1685. To meet the 2020 anniversary date and to accommodate the scale of such That’s where John Buckley comes in. a project, Buckley and the project team As the Register of Deeds in Plymouth broke it down into phases and spread County, Massachusetts, he was elected to them out. maintain historic records as well as land records and other official documents that continue to be created each day. Buckley, keenly aware of the demand for online access
  • Utah Society of Mayflower Descendants

    Utah Society of Mayflower Descendants

    Utah Society of Mayflower Descendants JUNIOR MEMBER QUARTERLY Please email any membership changes to Tanya Bird at [email protected] March 2016 – Spring Edition Who Were the Pilgrims? The Pilgrims were a group of English people who came to America seeking religious freedom during the reign of King James I. After two attempts to leave England and move to Holland, a Separatist group was finally relocated to Amsterdam where they stayed for about one year. From there, the group moved to the town of Leiden, Holland, where they remained for about ten years, able to worship as they wished under lenient Dutch law. Fearing their children were losing their English heritage and religious beliefs, the resumption of war and their inability as non-citizens to find decent jobs, a small group from the Leiden church made plans to settle in Northern Virginia - as New England was known at the time. In August 1620 the group sailed for Southampton, England, where other English colonists who hoped to make a new life in America met them. They planned to make the crossing to America in two ships, the Speedwell and Mayflower. However, after many problems the Speedwell was forced to return to England where the group was reorganized. In their second attempt to cross the Atlantic, they boarded the Mayflower in September 1620 bound for the New World. They arrived as winter was settling in and endured significant hardships as they struggled to establish a successful colony at Plymouth. Are you planning a visit to Plymouth this summer? As a Mayflower descendant or a Mayflower Junior, you and members of your extended family are invited to take part in a special Pilgrim event which is held on the first four Friday evenings in August (August 5,12,19 and 27) .
  • England Event Release

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    For Immediate Release Contact: Lea Filson, 504-491-5330, [email protected] Susan Belekewicz, 508-746-3188, [email protected] The Mayflower Society Commemorates the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower Story with 2020 and 2021 Events Mayflower descendants will gather in Massachusetts in Plymouth, Boston, and Provincetown over ten days in September 2020 Plymouth, MA (May 16, 2019) – Plymouth-MA, Boston-MA, and Provincetown-MA will host members of the Mayflower Society as they make pilgrimages to Massachusetts for the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage. In addition to The General Society Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) triennial Congress between September 11 and 20, 2020, other events are planned through the anniversary of the first Thanksgiving in 2021. “Many of our 30,000 members will be visiting at various times over 2020 and 2021.” said Governor General George Garmany of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD). “We are commemorating the anniversary in a number of ways and at different times with the largest span of events occurring during our triennial Congress in September 2020.” Activities scheduled include tours, marches in Pilgrim dress, ceremonies, dedications, galas, publications, lectures, and more. Events scheduled, but subject to change, include: May 2019 to December 2021 – Mayflower descendants will visit Plymouth, MA and Pilgrim sights in England, Amsterdam, and Leiden to commemorate the first Thanksgiving. January 2020 – The Mayflower Society will be featured in the internationally televised Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day with a float commemorating the anniversary of the Mayflower voyage. February 2020 – Descendants will present a program and booth featuring the anniversary at Rootstech in Utah, the largest genealogy conference in America.