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University Unitarian Universalist Society The Connection Volume 14, Issue 6 June, 2010 ADULT RE (OFFSITE) SUNDAY 9:00 AM PROGRAMS FOR JUNE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION SUNDAY 9:30 AM June 6th Catherine Giordano ' Thou Shalt Not Kill ' SUNDAY SERVICE 10:30 AM Cathy is a well respected speaker in area UU congregations. In honor of our 2nd Principle, Cathy will take a look at why capital punishment is neither just BEACON (TEENS) nor fair and why it should be abolished. SUNDAY 6-8 PM FIND US/WRITE US: June 13th Rev. Mark Spivey 'Honor Thy Neighbor as Thyself ' UNIVERSITY UUS Mark comes to us from Hospice of Volusia County, with a wealth of experience 11648 MC CULLOCH RD ORLANDO, FL 32817 and knowledge, mixed with a quick wit and a performer’s soul. This month, he talks about how our capacity for experiencing compassion is related to our abil- 407 737-4018 ity to accept what we see reflected in our own mirror. He explores the truth VISIT OUR WEBSITE: about love, compassion, self care and being vulnerable in the presence of others (neighbors). It supports our First Principle. • www.universityuus.org POTLUCK AFTER SERVICE Inside this issue: June 20th Jim Scott 'Honor Thy Father' Programs for June 1 Annual Elections 2 UU folk singer and Green Sanctuary pioneer, Jim joins us to celebrate fathers, peace and serenade us with some of his favorite songs. Jim is on tour and will Alliance Schedule for June 2 Our HS Graduates 3 be performing in the area on June 19th if you wish to hear him in concert. UU Notable News 4 Beacon, RE, Adult RE June 27th Jim Rucquoi 'Florida Hometown Democracy' Social Concerns 5 FHD is a grassoots, non-partisan group which seeks to return land use deci- sions to local communities. This issue is on the ballot for November 4th and already is being misrepresented. Jim seeks to clarify what the new Calendar of Events 6 amendment actually would accomplish . Groups, Clubs, Meetings 7 University UUS offers live streaming of the services! What this means is that if you're unable to attend the service, you can still listen to the service as it’s happening, instead of waiting for the recorded version to be put on the Inter- Directory (Back Cover) 8 net. To listen to the service, visit http://www.universityuus.org/audio.htm and follow the directions there. PAGE 2 THE CONNECTION VOLUME 14, ISSUE 6 ANNUAL MEETING: NEW BOARD AND TRUSTEES FOR 2010/2011 (7/1/10-6/30/11) At our Annual Meeting on May 16, 2010, the following slate was elected by the congregation: President...Martha Kirby Board of Trustees: (3 year terms) Vice-President...Joie Kohl Mike Christle...3 year term Treasurer...Dave Symonds Kim Carter-Williams...2 years remaining Secretary...Judy Minear Link Christensen...1 year remaining, replaced Grant Enright Endowment Committee: (3 year terms) Bill Long...1 year remaining Virginia Viles...2 years remaining Nominating Committee: Dan Metz...fulfilling 2 years remaining Evelyn Chiland-Long on Mike Christle’s term John McCormack Pat Moylan...3 year term We had an extended discussion about the budget for the coming year, as our planned expenses exceed our pledge drive and estimated income. Most of the new building expenses had to be estimated. The budget was passed (with one against) with the understanding that we will continue to work toward its bal- ance. We are all looking for ways to cut expenses and bring in more income, such as actively seeking rental income. The Board has been approached by several members who are interested in volunteering to do jobs that we customarily pay for, a potentially significant savings. In the 2 weeks since the meeting, we have received more pledges and donations, (all are welcome!) cut back on other expenses and are getting closer to a balanced budget. We fully appreciate the importance of the programs we offer and of the community we share. Each and every one of us are precious and we are so thankful to have such an amazing community! We will keep the dialog open and thank you all for your ideas and support. Alliance Programs for June, 2010 In case you missed it last month: June 1 Board Meeting Continuing Bazaar May 1st is membership renewal time, and one of our members will match any June 8 Pot Luck money given over the $10.00 yearly Continuing Bazaar dues. The Alliance is essentially a giving cir- June 15 Making sandwiches for the homeless. cle. We raise money from donations and Continuing Bazaar our continuing bazaar and donate most of it to local charities. Last year we gave June 22 Virginia Thayer will present a monologue titled away $15,000. We also pledge to our two "Missing A Beat". The subject is Women's churches. heart health. Continuing Bazaar The Alliance is an important voice for Unitarian Universalists in the community. June 29 Alexis Collins, Resident Services Director of the Give your money with 70 other men and Orlando Neighborhood Improvement women and make a difference. Make Corporation will be our speaker. your check payable to The Alliance and Continuing Bazaar mail to the church (1st Church Orlando) or give to Shirley Jantzen. Thank you. Vicki Kirkland, Second Vice President for Programs VOLUME 14, ISSUE 6 THE CONNECTION PAGE 3 CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATES WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND WISH YOU SAFE JOURNEYS, AMAZING EXPERIENCS AND HAPPY LIVES MIRANDA HARMON: Miranda Harmon is graduating from Oviedo High School on June 4th , 2010. She will be attending Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland in August, and plans to major in visual art and art his- tory. She began attending youth group at age 12, and has been active in UUUS ever since. CHLOE MC ELROY: Chloe McElroy is graduating from Winter Park High School on June 3rd, 2010. She will be attending Seminole State College in the Fall, having received a scholarship. She will be majoring in theatre arts. ANDI SHAFER: Andi Shafer is graduating from Winter Park High School on June 3rd, 2010. She will be attending Valencia Community Col- lege and will major in animal medicine. PAGE 4 THE CONNECTION VOLUME 14, ISSUE 6 UU NOTABLE NEWS — MAY 2010 In May Harvard Square Library presents a double bicentennial celebration. MARGARET FULLER 1810-2010 recognizes the extraordinary early contribution to the liberation of women symbolized by the publication of her Woman in the Nineteenth Century . http://harvardsquarelibrary.org/Margaret_Fuller_Bicentennial/Margaret_Fuller.html THEODORE PARKER 1810-2010 reminds us of the moving epistle the dying prophetic preacher wrote from Santa Cruz to his Boston congregation concerning his Experience as a Minister . http://harvardsquarelibrary.org/parker1/Experience_as_a_Minister_-_Theodore_Parker.html Two other articles of note are being released online this month, one is a celebration of recent WGBH Ra- dio broadcasts of our First Parish Cambridge Forum founded in 1967. The other is a celebration of Lowell and Janice Steinbrenner ’s role in creating the Carnegie-Mellon University Steinbrenner Institute for En- vironmental Education and Research in Pittsburgh. http://harvardsquarelibrary.org/hsr/ Rev. Herbert Vetter, Director Harvard Square Library www.harvardsquarelibrary.org BEACON NEWS…. Our teens hosted a CON May 28-30, “CONopoly.” This was a social action CON. They planned to provide volunteer time at Mending Hearts, an organization that provides activities and safe play opportunities for local children from 2 to 12 years of age. Additionally, they had a workshop on homelessness, led by Christine Tudhope, who spoke so powerfully to us in April. RE for our young…. The RE classes will continue for another week or two, finishing up on the 7th Principle. The sum- mer classes are usually times when people share their talents or interests with the children. Please “stay tuned” to Happy and Michelle to hear what they have planned over the summer months. If you have a hobby, craft, special interest or great idea and would love to share it with the chil- dren one summer Sunday, please get in touch with Happy Amein ([email protected]) or Mi- chelle Smith ([email protected])….they would love to sign you up! The Adult R.E. (a.k.a. UUUS Breakfast Club) meets each Sunday morning from 9-10 @ the Holiday Select Hotel Dining Room, one block east of Alafaya Trail off University Blvd. (7 minutes from church). If you are curious about what type of subjects we discuss, please join us! To be placed on our mailing list to receive the Sunday Class Reading, contact our UUUS Office @ [email protected] & write UUUS Breakfast Club on the subject line PAGE 5 THE CONNECTION VOLUME 14, ISSUE 6 Status Reports Date: 2009-05-24 By: Gary Przyborski Social Concerns (SC) The Urgency of the Immediate The immediate always grabs ones attention as it did with Greece's unsustainable economy fed on ever burgeoning debt via a bubble facilitated by none other than the infamous Goldman Sachs. Few cared about Greece's poor fiscal policy until investors sent shockwaves throughout the global economy and Europe's currency was threatened. Reluc- tantly Germany finally stepped in to try to stem the crises. More recently, the Gulf Oil disaster has focused public attention on offshore drilling. Almost daily for years, the indus- try has shown television commercials with an attractive middle age actress confidently telling viewers how the new deep water offshore wells are more productive and safer. The ads end with a pitch for more offshore drilling to “strengthen America's energy independence.” President Obama and a majority of Americans believed this before the Deepwater Horizon exploded and sunk into the Gulf, leaving a ripped open pipe at the ocean floor pumping spewing thousands of barrels a day into the ocean.