UU Galvest n Gazette Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Galveston County DECEMBER 2011 502 Church Street, Galveston, Texas 77550-5502 409.765.8330 Online at http://uugalveston.org A Christmas Music Extravaganza with the UU Choir and UU String Band There’s nothing like music to get you in the holiday spirit! The UU Choir, under the direction of Susan Vaughan, will perform special Christmas music at our service on December 4. Come join us in this special musical celebration of the upcoming holiday season! Greeter: Curtis Jones Facilitator: Gerry Carr Music: String Band Board Member: Holly Fortenberry Joanna Crawford “The Battle for Christmas” There has been talk in the past few years about the “War on Christmas.” However, if you look at the history of Christmas in the United States, you’ll discover that the real- ity is different than some would want you to believe. Make no mistake – this is a subversive holiday, highly influenced by Unitarian supporting friend of the International Council of the UU. He visits UU Universalists. In fact, without Unitarians and Universalists, Christmas as congregations all over the US and has 400 UU members supporting the we currently know it wouldn’t even exist! children they serve and their schools. Greeter: Claudia Maveety Facilitator: Cheryl Henry Greeter: Laura Schaaf Facilitator: Tony DiNuzzo Music: Margaret Canavan Board Member: Mike Hennen Music: Bunny Andrews Board Member: Margaret Canavan Earl Canfield INGATHERING/POTLUCK “Sacred Cows Make Great Hamburgers” Gerry Carr Earle Canfield and Mary Jane have been returning every “Moravian Love Feast” year to Nepal for the past 17 years. Ten years ago, they This annual service celebrates the Christmas season with established ANSWER to educate disadvantaged children carols, readings, candles and a traditional Moravian Love when they placed a little street girl in a private school for Feast. This ritual is a shared communion of rolls and sweet higher caste children and watched her shoot to the top. Little Uma grad- coffee, served by members of the congregation. It is based uated with Distinction in Nursing and is now part of an organization of upon the Agape feast and the meals of the early churches described in the 700 students and career professionals being educated and working in Bible in the Acts of the Apostles, which were partaken in unity and love. Nepal to improve their country. These children are the vanguard for A Lovefeast seeks to strengthen the bonds and the spirit of harmony, undercutting the caste system there. Earle Canfield is the Executive goodwill, and congeniality, as well as to forgive past disputes and instead Director of ANSWER, a 501c3 program that places indigent, low caste love one another. Gerry Carr will lead this service with the help of other children in high caste schools in Nepal in order to undercut the caste sys- members. Gerry is past president of our Fellowship and chairs the tem there. ANSWER is a unique, model organization and you can learn Program/Worship Committee. more about his organization on their website www.answernepal.org. Greeter: Al Smith Facilitator: Gerry Carr Earle is a member of the UU Church of the Larger Fellowship and a Music: TBD Board Member: Bets Anderson YYouou TooToo CanCan BeBe AA ChaliceChalice Lighter!Lighter! Our Southwestern UU Conference (SWUUC) a special project linked to growth. Our SWUU development. Projects often focus on helping offers us the opportunity to help other congrega- district includes most of Texas; all of Oklahoma, congregations call a minister or construct a tions grow and develop. Arkansas, and Louisiana; and parts of Continued on Page 2 The “Chalice Lighters” project has been Tennessee, Missouri, and Mexico. around since 1984. Individual UUs sign up to Over the years UUs have donated millions of Join Us Online on Facebook! contribute $10 or more up to three times a year, dollars to help other UU congregations in their www.facebook.com/#!/home.php?sk=group_152677004758894&ap=1 to help a congregation in their district complete 1 Chalice Continued from Page 1 building or addition. More than 10,000 UUs are Chalice Lighters. You can read more about the program at http://www.uua.org/inter- connections/interconnections/48570.shtml Here’s how it works: In a Chalice Lighter call, members in congre- gations across a district agree to contribute a set amount several times a year to help a congregation achieve a specific goal. In 2010 the SWUUC project was Huntsville UU church, and this year it is the Westside UU Church in Fort Worth. Specifics on donations are available on the SWUUC website at http://swuuc.org/pages/stewardship/chalice-lighters.php, (including a printable enrollment form). Think about “paying it forward” and sending a few dollars a year out to other UU congregations. Who knows, someday the congrega- tion benefiting might be our own. Get Connected with UUFGC Meetings are at the Fellowship unless otherwise noted. Everyone is invited and welcome to all listed activities Alcoholics Anonymous Phoenix Group Jesse Tree fundraiser. Please check availabili- Sunday of each month in a member's home meets Sunday & Wednesday at 8pm. Contact ty before showing up. to play "dealer's choice." Location is in the Robert G. for information at 409-392-7005. Choir rehearsals are held approximately monthly calendar and is announced in Adult Forum meets Sundays at 9am (except twice monthly and are generally listed in the weekly emails and the Sunday bulletin. potluck days) to explore topics in religion, calendar in this newsletter. If you would like Game Night is not currently held for lack of philosophy, history & politics. Contact Neil to participate please contact Bets Anderson, a host (let us know if you'd like to host!). Huddleston at (409)744-2369. director Susan Vaughan, or any choir mem- Social Action Committee meets the first Board of UUFGC meets the second Monday ber for the future rehearsal schedule. Sunday of each month after service and of each month at 5:30pm. Course in Miracles Study Group meets welcomes your ideas, energy and enthusi- asm. Book Club meets the 2nd Wednesday of each every Monday at 11 am. Contact Laura month at 7 pm at the Fellowship. Contact Murrell for info: ([email protected]). Supper Circles meet monthly. Call Judy Fanny DeGesero if you have book sugges- Dance Classes: Galveston Dance Club offers Glaister at (409)762-8187 to schedule a tions. classes each Tuesday & Thursday at 7pm. supper, sign up for one, or for information. Book Sale monthly on second Saturday, Questions, call Betty at 281-337-0441. See Meditation: Zen Island Fellowship meets 9am-2pm, at the fellowship. All adult hard- http://www.galvestondanceclub.com. every Monday at 5:30pm, Contact Cara back books are $ 1.00, paperbacks $ 0.50. Program/Worship Committee meets the first Geary ([email protected]) or visit Children's hardback books are $ 0.50 and Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm, at the http://galvestonzen.org/ . Natural Awareness paperbacks are $ 0.25. Fellowship. Join them or contact Gerry Carr Meditation no longer meets. Bowlers will meet at 5 pm each Wednesday if you have a program to suggest. Have an open group meeting you’d like to to create “Empty Bowls” for the annual Spirituality of Poker" Group meets the third list here? Let us know and we’ll add it. 2011 - 2012 UUFGC Board of Directors Provocative Film Series President Billie Rinaldi President-Elect Cheryl Henry Friday, December 2, 7 p.m. Past-President Mike Hennen 502 Church Street, Galveston Secretary Bets Anderson Treasurer Woody Dickson Members at Large: Margaret Canavan God Grew Tired of Us: The Holly Fortenberry Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan John Frannea Committees and Task Forces After raising themselves in the desert along with thousands Communications Madeleine Baker of other "lost boys," Sudanese refugees John, Daniel and Landscape John Hunger Membership Cheryl Henry Panther have found their way to America, where they experi- Program/Worship Gerry Carr ence electricity, running water and supermarkets for the first Religious Education Neil Huddleston time. Capturing their wonder at things Westerners take for Supper Circles Judy Glaister Social Action Mary Hodgson granted, this documentary, an award winner at the 2006 Administrative Team B. Anderson, M.Baker, Sundance Film Festival, paints1 an intimate portrait of M.Canavan, J.Glaister, & J. Rainey Newsletter Jimmy Rainey strangers in a strange land. Webmaster Neil Huddleston Bring a friend and a snack to share. 2 UU News & Events UUFG’s Kiva Portfolio Book Sale: The UU Book Sale will be THE SIGN-UP SHEET FOR THE held on Saturday, November 12, from 2012 Supper Circles is on the bul- Continues To Grow 9 am to 2 pm. Books are $1.00 for letin board. Please sign up for the hardbacks and $0.50 for paperbacks. month that you would like to host a In recent weeks we have added loans to the UUFGC Kiva Book Club: Will Meet November 9 at Supper Circle at your house. Let “portfolio” as previous loans have been repaid. Since joining 7 pm in the living room at the fellow- Judy know if you have ideas for a Kiva in March 2007 we have made 171 loans totaling over ship to discuss All Those Who Save non-traditional supper circle. $5000, and have donated $342.50 to support Kiva’s activities. We "Spirituality of Poker" will meet at Us by Jenna Blum; The final book make loans as we receive donations and re-lend as existing loans Club meeting for 2011 will be Tony DiNuzzo’s house, at 6:30pm December 14 wher the discussion will on Sunday, December 18.