Daytime Book Club Title*
October 24 - Nightwoods: A Novel, by Charles Frazier
November 14 - Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power, by Rachel Maddow
December 12 - Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter
*We meet one Wednesday a month, at 10:30 a.m., in the Fellowship Library. We then go out for lunch together. All are welcome!
Lunch with Amy Is on The Move!
In October, Amy will be meeting at the House of Kabob on 298 N. Main St. in Centerville. They have Mediterranean sandwiches, are relatively inexpensive, and are a quiet, independent restaurant. It's very informal and they do accept credit cards. We meet every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. so please join us!
Community Discussion Group*
October 7 - "World Aristocracy? -Part 2." Moderator: Joe Lawrence
October 14 - "Body Parts - Or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Mine." Moderator: Jennie Hardy
October 21 - "World Aristocracy? - Part 3." Moderator: Joe Lawrence
October 28 - "Is There A Solution to the Immigration Problem?" Moderator: Gordon Taylor
*This adult group meets every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Founders room for fellowship and thought-provoking discussions led by member volunteers. For a more detailed listing of topics, please see the Sunday bulletin.
Evening Book Club
Please join us at 7:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month at Christopher's Restaurant (2318 Dorothy Ln., Kettering). For more information, contact Ann Snively.
October 9 - Beneath the Lion's Gaze, by Maaza Mengiste
*We will choose books for the next several months at October's meeting as well.*
Child Dedication
Our Child Dedication service will take place on October 21. If you or someone you know would be interested in having their child/ren participate, please let Rev. Amy know.
Fall Bazaar Raffle
Raffle tickets are on sale now! Just $1/each or 6/$5! We have two different raffles this year - the first is the general raffle. Put your ticket in, we pull your name, you win a prize! The second is the "pick your prize" raffle. We'll have several raffle prizes available for you to admire prior to the actual drawing. Really want that prize? Then put your tickets in that raffle only and increase your chances! Tickets are on sale after every service and on the day of the Bazaar, Nov. 10.
St. Vincent de Paul 2nd Saturday Lunch*
October 13 Menu: pulled pork sandwiches, any type of veggies, fried apples/applesauce, 100% juice, 2% milk
*All items should be delivered heated (if applicable) and ready to serve 15-20 people. Donations should be taken to St. Vincent de Paul Hotel at 120 W. Apple St. in Dayton. Sign up in the Gathering Space.
Providing Lunch at The Castle
If you are interested in providing lunch on the third Monday of the month to The Castle in Centerville, please contact Mary Lou Heitkamp at 291-1831.
Chili Cook Off at The Castle
The Castle is sponsoring a chili cook-off at Temple Beth Or on October 13 with all proceeds going to The Castle! There will also be a silent auction and of course, time to socialize with all your friends! For more information, see the sign on the Fellowship doors or pick up a postcard on the table in the Gathering Space.
Harvest Dinner
Everyone is invited to attend the Harvest Dinner potluck after the worship service on Sun., October 7. This event, hosted by the Environmental Action Group, will be our first annual potluck to celebrate the bounty of the season. Vegetarian dishes prepared with local, organic ingredients as available will be featured. Some items that will be prepared by our Environmental Action team are: Autumn Vegetables with Balsamic Sauce, Corn Off the Cob Casserole, Home Baked Breads and Rolls, and Apple Crisp. We invite you to join us and bring a similar dish to share. Think harvest theme dishes, such as apple and pumpkin dishes, eggplant and zucchini casseroles, vegetable lasagna, squash, etc. Though vegetarian offerings will be featured, meat dishes are also okay; a grill will be available to cook burgers and franks, etc. After the meal there will be some "pioneer games" -- sack races, three-legged races, carrying beans on a spoon relays -- for kids (and adults). Plan to be with us for food, fun, frivolity, and fellowship at our first annual Harvest Dinner celebration. And to help the Group in planning the festivities, indicate on the sign-up sheet in the gathering space that you plan to be there, and what you will bring to share.
Humanitarian Giving
During October, the Humanitarian Giving Action Group welcomes non-pledge donations to benefit the Suicide Prevention Center. The mission of the Suicide Prevention is to save lives threatened by suicide by offering 24-hour crisis hotline and support groups; to foster prevention of suicide by offering specialized training programs and programs for school children; and to encourage community involvement in suicide prevention efforts to affect change.
Immigration As A Moral Issue
Please sign-up for an important religious education class, "Immigration as a Moral Issue." This course was created to help Unitarian Universalist congregations and individuals engage in the issue of immigration with topics including the causes of migration, the history of immigration in the US, the economics of immigration, security and enforcement, and more. The class will be held on Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m. beginning Thu., October 4 and will run for six weeks. This course is sponsored by the Social Action Committee Immigration Action Group and will be facilitated by Maureen O'Meara and Alice Diebel.
Environmental Learning Book Club
Join us October 15, in the Founders room at 7:00 p. m., for a spirited discussion of Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution. The authors are Paul Hawken, (Ecology of Commerce), Amory & L. Hunter Lovins, Founders and co-- CEOs of the famous Rocky Mountain Institute. They argue what most conservationists and environmentalists see as a serious imbalance in traditional capitalism - "it has always neglected to assign monetary value to its largest stock of capital-namely, the natural resources and ecosystem that make possible all economic activity and all life."For copies of the book, contact Environmental Action Group chairman Gary Courts at 436-1094 or [email protected].
Treasury Notes
By Pat Whitney, Treasurer
We had a lot of discussion in April and May about the challenges we face with finances - us and the rest of the world, it would seem. How does our financial picture look in September?
Glancing back at fiscal year 2012 (July 2011 - June2012): At the end of June we had a shortfall of $11,300 in pledge payments. In addition, the pledge level for FY13 was $13,000 less than FY12, dropping from $228,200 to $215,200.
In the new fiscal year our financial income numbers as of 9/12/12 are:
- $6,300 has been received in payment of FY12 pledges, leaving us $5,000 short. Thanks so much to all of you who honored your pledges for last year!
- Pledges have risen to $218,200; an increase of $3,000 since June, $10,000 less than FY12.
- Pledge payments are, however, $2000 behind plan. (This assumes everyone plans to pay a flat amount monthly, which isn't the case, so there's no cause for alarm at this time.)
- Of the $10,200 promised as one time gifts, we have already received $8,800. Thanks!
- Our UUA and district dues are still about � short of goal, the child care cut of $500 is still in place and our budget for operations is inadequate unless nothing goes wrong!
Where would we like to be? Why do we need more money? We're keeping the doors open aren't we? Here are a few things to think about:
- Our goal is to meet UUA averages for employee salaries. We aren't there yet.
- Our goal is to have a "rainy day" fund for fixing roofs and replacing appliances, etc.
- Our goal is to pay 100% of our dues to UUA and District. They provide a great deal of support. Lest we forget, it was a grant from the UUA that enabled us to get our new sound system. We're only eligible for that kind of support when paying our full dues.
- Our goal is to restore budget for programs to enhance the experience of YRE and other groups and programs within the Fellowship. For now, that is a big stretch.
I'm sure many of you could add to that list of goals related to your dreams for MVUUF.
As we look to the future we need to enhance our understanding of stewardship and our ability to raise funds over and above pledge income. We need to attract non-members to our fundraisers. We also need to increase our fellowship rolls, to keep us both vibrant and solvent. Part of the challenge to each of us is participate in this in our uniquely UU way.
Please feel free to email me with any thoughts or questions you may have about our financial situation, [email protected]. Also, please consider taking a more active role in helping us solve the challenges we face. It's another great way to contribute and assure the longevity of our community.
Bullying Prevention Workshop at MVUUF
On Fri., October 26, Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio will be hosting a workshop at MVUUF titled "Making It Better: Bullying Prevention and Intervention that Works." Counselors and social workers will receive 6 CEUs for attending. The cost is typically $75, but has been reduced to $30. Anyone is welcome to attend! To register, go to www.ppswo.org and click on "Events."
