10:30 a.m. Sunday, October 6th: “Land Stewardship and Access to Land for American Tribes” Speaker: George Boody
The Land Stewardship Project’s values and mission includes racial justice and gender equality in our communities. George will talk about Land Stewardship Project’s recent vision and commitment on how to gift farmland it owns to tribal groups in Minnesota This land was unjustly taken from tribes by government treaties in the past.
UUF Soup & Bread - Fellowship Hall
10:30 a.m. Sunday, October 13th: “Raising Our Consciousness - Addressing White Supremacy”
Please join us for a panel discussion of SCUUF members that have attended the Midwest Leadership School and UUA General Assembly. They will share and reflect on UUA leadership recommendations that local UU fellowships continue to explore white supremacy culture’s influence on us as individuals and as a faith organization.
10:30 a.m. Sunday, October 20th: “This isn’t going according to plan”
What do you expect in life? What is expected of you? As humans, we are going to have expectations. Some people see them as the root of resentment. Others suggest they are the foundation of greatness. Join us as we examine some of the surprising ways expectations influence us and our world.
10:30 a.m. Sunday, October 27th: “Many Cultures Honor Their Dead”
Individuals are welcome to bring photographs or mementos of people or pets who have passed. This is a way to honor those who have been significant in our lives.
President’s Corner
by Ozzie Meyers
“An optimistic person plants a garden because the rains will come and the plants will grow and the harvest will be bountiful. But a hopeful person plants without knowing what will happen, because the possibility of a harvest is worth creating.” (The Weekly Sift, June 10)
On Sunday, September 22nd, the Fellowship took an historic and a “hopeful” step by voting to accept the Expansion Plans that the Board recommended. What follows is a modified version of what I presented; if anyone wants a more complete account, you can send me a request at omayers@csbsju.edu. If anyone wants to see the Plan that was voted on, you can send a request to Wendy Schoen at wenschoen@gmail.com.
Given the requests over the past several years for building needs by members of the Fellowship, the Board in 2018-19 established a Building Options’ Committee to explore the possibilities of how best to address our building needs.
Phase I: Exploring Building Options which were presented at the Annual Meeting (May 2019)
Phase II: the Board’s recommendation to the Fellowship on an Expansion Plan, presented at the Congregational Meeting on September 22nd, 2019
The Fellowship voted in favor at Congregational Meeting to pursue this plan; we will therefore move into Phase III.
Phase III: The Board recommends that we establish the following Committees to pursue funding and to reconvene in a year’s time to take a final vote for moving forward with the building expansions:
Establish a Capital Campaign Committee
(Note: As President, I have spoken with a Regional Consultant about assisting us organizing such a campaign; she has provided details about this assistance and its costs.)
Establish a Construction Oversight Committee
Establish a Grant Writing Committee to pursue a Chalice Lighting Grant as well as funding from other granting sources.
If we need to secure a mortgage, should we look into the “Building Loan” option that UUA provides? https://www.uua.org/finance/grants/buildings/loans?
Phase IV: reconvening the Fellowship at end of 2019-20 to vote on whether or not to move forward with our Building Expansion in light of our Funding results.
I will be presenting to the Board the assistance plans that the consultant has provided and will consult with both the Budget and Finance Committee and the Building Options’ Committee to explore whether or not we should accept her assistance.
Note: the Board which usually meets on the 3rd Sunday of the month will meet on Sunday, October 27th, 8:45 a.m.
Fall Directory Coming Soon - Are You In?
The Communications Committee is preparing to provide an updated Fellowship Directory to be used by members and friends wanting to contact others within the Fellowship. We need your help for the directory to be as accurate and complete as possible. We hope to include all who have been involved in recent months and/or made a pledge of financial support for the current year. We will use information from previous versions plus additions and changes that we are aware of. The directory listing for each household includes NAME of adults, ADDRESS, PHONE (Home and Cell), EMAIL ADDRESS, and FIRST NAMES of children in high school or younger who attend Fellowship programs or activities. If you have new information or if you want to opt out, contact Joel Bershok by Monday October 23rd at 303-503-8964 or jebershok@gmail.com. At the end of October the directory will be sent by email to those who are listed in it, and it will serve as the calling list in the event that we need to call everyone regarding a cancelled Sunday service or other change in schedule.
Membership Committee News
By Marge Bates
The Membership Committee,consisting of Marge Bates, Bettina Hixson, Susan Dunbar, Michelle Mitchell, Laura Mohn, and John and Linda Peck.
Please think about signing up to bring some Sunday treats. The sign up sheet will be on the table in the Sanctuary.
There are some things that were left in the kitchen last Spring including a crock pot. If no one claims it, we will consider it a donation.
SCUUF BOOK CLUB
By Marcia Neely
For all readers and thinkers (all UU members): I hope you will join us for our next book club meeting in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, November 2, at 10:00 after you read Strangers in Their Own Land by Archie Russell Hochschild.
When Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election, a bewildered nation turned to Strangers in Their Own Land to understand what Trump voters were thinking when they cast their ballots. Arlie Hochschild, one of the most influential sociologists of her generation, had spent the preceding five years immersed in the community around Lake Charles, Louisiana, a Tea Party stronghold. As Jedediah Purdy put it in the New Republic, “Hochschild is fascinated by how people make sense of their lives. . . . [Her] attentive, detailed portraits . . . reveal a gulf between Hochchild’s ‘strangers in their own land’ and a new elite. A favorite common read book in communities and on campuses across the country and called “humble and important” by David Brooks and “masterly” by Atul Gawande, Hochschild’s book has been lauded by Noam Chomsky, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, and countless others.
Meditation Schedule for October 2019
Meditation is the practice of focusing one’s attention with intention and is used in many ways. For example, it can be used to be more in the present moment--aware and mindful of thoughts, words and actions. It can be used for growth and healing as with the loving kindness and self-compassion practices. Meditation can be used to build inner resources in a variety of ways.
Volunteers are needed for November and December meditation practices. Please contact Lucinda Hudson by calling or texting 320-224-5440 if you would be interested in facilitating one of these practices. (Assistance can be provided.)
Saturday, October 5th at 10:30am in the Sanctuary
Meditation: We will explore mindfulness in meditation with inspiration from great meditation teachers. Facilitated by Carol Musielevicz.
Saturday, October 19th at 2:30pm in the Sanctuary
Meditation: Meeting changes in life with awareness and gentleness through poetry and meditation will be our focus. Poets Mary Oliver, Rume, Maya Angelou and others will guide us along with water color as a visual as we silently meditate together. Facilitated by Therese and Ed Cacek.
Tuesday, October 22 at 6:30pm in the Fellowship Hall (not the Sanctuary)
Meditation: Beginning Zazen: Zazen Meditation is derived from mindfulness. It explores the inner self, and through discipline brings one to the joy of the non-self. Facilitated by Elaine Schrenk.
Potluck snacks and conversation follows each meditation in the Fellowship Hall
Learning Opportunity from Black Lives of UU (BLUU)
From the Social Justice Committee
SCUUF members and friends have an opportunity to attend a four-day symposium in St. Paul Oct. 30-Nov. 2.
According to BLUU, “The Harper-Jordan Memorial Symposium, hosted by Black Lives of UU, responds to a longing on the part of many Black Unitarian Universalists to more fully understand how to live out a Unitarian Universalism that centers Blackness.” For the first time, BLUU is opening this symposium to everyone.
The SCUUF Board has agreed to provide financial assistance to this event, but the amount of assistance will depend upon the number applying. In addition, applicants will need to provide the Board with a suggestion about how she/he will bring back information to share with the Fellowship (e.g., Meeting with the Social Justice Committee or Sunday Programming).
For further information and registration, see this website: https://www.blacklivesuu.com/about
In addition, for only $15, you can livestream the event: https://www.blacklivesuu.com/live
Please contact Ozzie Mayers no later than Oct. 15 if you wish to attend in person and apply for financial assistance.
Can You Help with Housing, Furnishings for Those in Need?
From the Social Justice Committee
Do you know of rental vacancies in your neighborhood? Would you be willing to donate toward a security deposit for a low-income person seeking to rent an apartment? Do you have anything you could donate for someone who has an apartment but needs furniture? All of the above? The Faith in Housing group, which includes representation from UUF, is organizing area churches to help out. Contact Judy Foster if you are able to contribute.
In addition, the committee urges attendance by SCUUF members at Create CommUNITY’s 14the annual Conversation on Race from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, at River’s Edge Convention Center. This year’s event will feature Breaking Ice, “one of Pillsbury House Theatre’s signature, award-winning programs” offering “an entertaining and thought-provoking experience designed to foster better understanding and communication around difficult issues…An organized discussion facilitated by a trained Breaking Ice artist will follow the performance and use deep reflection and dialogue as a springboard to positive action.” Dinner will be served with a vegetarian option. Registration is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/create-community-continuting-the-conversation-on-race-tickets-64400757399
CRE Fall Planning and Lessons
by Melissa Woods
We held our first CRE meeting of the year on August 18th. We got a lot of planning done for lessons into December! Please see attached schedule of CRE lessons for October:
October 6 - UUA Lesson
October 13 - Welcoming the Someone New
October 20 - Letter Writing
October 27 - Multigenerational
Our next meeting date has not been set, but if you would like to attend please email Melissa at woods.melissa11@gmail.com to get on the email list! We are always looking for fresh ideas, new teachers, and more insight to guide our children’s learning.
One update to our nursery is that we have decided as a committee to hire one attendant to care for our young children during service instead of two. This person will be paid $20 to work from 10:15 am - 12:15 pm. This decision was made because the nursery moved to a room where our window is visible to the service. The second attendant didn’t seem as necessary and then we can save a bit of money. If you or someone you know might be interested in staffing our nursery, please email Jessica at jbeierman78@gmail.com.
Thank you to everyone who attended our summer splash pad event on August 7th, it was a blast! We are looking to plan more family fun events outside of normal service hours this year. If you are interested in doing some sort of family night event, please email Lisa at lpbershok@gmail.com.
The Caring Committee
The Caring Committee has been formed for the times in each of our lives when we need help from another person. The members of the Caring Committee are available to help members and friends of the St. Cloud UU Fellowship in a variety of ways. Feel free to call any member of the committee.
Linda Saupe 320-250-0340 (Chairperson) Marge Bates 320-267-3590
Hanni Epp 320-217-2471 Doug Polley 320-240-0520 Chris Smith 320-251-1497
Charlotte Stephens 320-251-8677 Ron Syme 320-333-9732
For anyone with emergency needs, a wide range of services is available from agencies and organizations in the community. These can be accessed by calling 211 (or 800-543-7709). A white notebook on the shelf in the foyer also contains information about some emergency services. Information about other community resources may be found on the Community Bulletin Board and in the black notebook on the shelf in the foyer.
Calendar Reminders
AVOID ROOM CONFLICTS: Please check the online calendar on our website for space assignments. To get your UUF event on the calendar and reserve your space, send an email to Jessica Beierman using this email address: UUFcalendar@gmail.com.
To check on renting the Fellowship for outside groups, contact Charlotte Stephens at 251-8677 or charlow@cloudnet.com)
Saturday, October 5
10:30 am Meditation -- Sanctuary
Sunday, October 6
11:45 - 12:30 UUF Soup & Bread - Fellowship Hall
12:15 - 1:30pm, Caring Committee meeting - Small Meeting Room
Monday, October 7
5:00 - 6:30pm Communications Committee Meeting - Small Meeting Room
Tuesday, October 8
4:30 - 7:00pm Just B Yoga - Sanctuary
Wednesday, October 9
8:00am - 12:00pm CLEANING
6:30pm - 9:30pm (meeting starts at 7:00) Wild Ones Native Plants - Fellowship Hall
Sunday, October 13
9:00 - 10:15am Budget and Finance Committee Meeting - CRE Room
9:00 - 10:00am Program Committee Meeting - Small Meeting Room
10:30 - 11:45am UUF Sunday Service - Sanctuary
Monday, October 14
4:15 - 7:00pm Human Rights Commission Working Group on Housing and Homelessness - Small Meeting Room
Tuesday, October 15
4:30 - 7:00pm Just B Yoga - Sanctuary
Wednesday, October 16
6:30 - 9:30pm (meeting starts at 7:00) Central Minnesota Audubon Society - Fellowship Hall
Saturday, October 19
1:30 - 5:00pm Meditation - Sanctuary & Fellowship Hall
Sunday, October 20
10:30 - 11:45am UUF Sunday Service - Sanctuary
1:15 - 3:30pm CMS family concert at 2:00pm - entire building
Tuesday, October 22
4:30 - 7:00pm Just B Yoga - Sanctuary
5:30 - 8:30pm Meditation - Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, October 23
8:00am - 12:00pm CLEANING
Thursday, October 24
6:30 - 9:30pm ONE Holistic Wellness rental - Sanctuary
Saturday, October 26
5:00 - 8:00pm rental
Sunday, October 27
8:45 - 10:00am Board Meeting - Small Meeting Room
9:00 - 10:15am Social Justice Committee Meeting - Fellowship Hall
10:30 - 11:45am - UUF Sunday Service - Sanctuary
Tuesday, October 28
4:30 - 7:00pm Just B Yoga - Sanctuary