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eNews

February 17, 2017
Latest News
Stand Up For Livable Wages and Workers' Rights
Speaking of Stewardship- Generosity and Gratitude
Spiritual Theme Banne
Care Network- Thank You
NNED Opportunities
Caring for Our Youth
Opportunities for Music Lover
Sign-up for Board's Love and Justice Listening Session
Wool Sock Collection
 
Breath of Fresh Air

   
 
 
Upcoming Services
February 19- Hymn Sing

Worship Lead: Rev. Mara
Worship Associate: Stephen Rainville

Adult Choir (11) 
 
Musicians: Sam Whitesell and Wayne Schneider 

9 & 11 a.m.

The FUUSB hymn sing is back by popular demand! 

February 26-
w/ Andre Mol

March 5- 
w/ Rev. Mara 

 
How Do I Submit to eNews?
Click here to view our submission guidelines for 2016/2017
 

 
Important Dates

February 19
Classroom Sunday

Solidarity Sunday- Stand Up For Livable Wages and Workers Rights in Our Community

February 23 
Writing With Spirit
6:00-7:30(every 2nd and 4th Thursdays)



February 26

FUNday: games and play for UU kids during school vacation!

March 9 
Mother Up! A Gathering for Families
5:30

March 11
New UU Class
9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m

April 13

Mother Up! A Gathering for Families
5:30

May 11

Mother Up! A Gathering for Families
5:30

June 8

Mother Up! A Gathering for Families
5:30

 
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Stand Up For Livable Wages and Workers' Rights in Our Community

When: 12:30pm, Sunday, February 19, 2017
Where:First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington
152 Pearl Street, Burlington, Vermont

Join us to call for a moral economy in Vermont, one that includes livable wages, family and medical leave and justice and fairness in the workplace. We invite you to learn how you can get involved in an initiative to increase our state's minimum wage to $15/hour, pushing for paid family and medical leave, protecting workers' rights here in Burlington, and supporting the efforts of University of Vermont Medical Center patient care professionals to form a union and advocate for themselves and their patients.

These struggles are building on the energy generated by the Women's March on Montpelier, to make a real difference in our community. 

Join us for song, readings and learning how to get involved and hear from speakers including UVM-Medical Center Licensed Nursing Assistants, who are organizing for a union, Reverend Mara Dowdall of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, James Haslam of Rights & Democracy, Laurie Aunchman, President of the Vermont Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals, Kate Kanelstein of the Vermont Workers' Center and others.

For more information or questions, please contact Julielyn Gibbons, EJTF co-leader, at
[email protected]
 
Speaking of Stewardship- Generosity and Gratitude
by the Stewardship Committee

Here is one example of the generosity and gratitude that flows to and from the members of our Society
 
"Over the last few years, circumstances have forced us to cut out church attendance. At first, I wondered why we were still pledging at the same level. Then the Care Network reached out, and soon church was coming to us. After a lifetime of us giving to the faith community, the faith community has been happy to give back. The meal train has even helped us keep up on folk we used to see on Sundays.  Someday our pledge will go down, as money gets tighter, but for now, we're staying at our top possible amount."
 
-Elz Curtis and Lynne Mathews

 
Spiritual Theme Banner 
by Sarah Forbes

Please thank Kathy Bonilla for her gorgeous hooked wall hanging illustrating this months spiritual theme of "love".

Her piece is called a remnant rug. These rugs were historically made with the scraps left over from other projects, reworked rugs and odd pieces. The results were often impressionistic and organic and reflected the creativity of the maker in the use of color pairings. 

We are still looking for individuals & groups to create a banner/wreath/wall-hanging/textile to represent the spiritual theme for some upcoming months. Are you interested in making something for us all to enjoy? Each piece will hang in the arch above the pulpit for its designated month. 

Contact Sarah Forbes at 578-6119 or [email protected] with any questions.



 
Care Network- Thank You to All Meal Train Participants! 
by Sarah Weber , Care Network

Thank you so much to all of you who responded to this request last week.  

Not only do these meals reduce stress and energy for these families, but they also (in the words of a past recipient) remind the family that the First UU Society is thinking about them and sending strength and love their way, which can be just as important as the food itself.  

Please continue to support these families.  Thank you for everything you do.  
 
 
NNED Opportunities for Service and Change

The Northern New England District of Unitarian Universalist Churches (NNED) is changing!!  This is a time of new beginnings as we UU Congregations learn how to continue to grow and support each other in a time of UUA Regionalization.
Some former Districts have, or plan to, dissolve into the regionalized structure, staff and services.  The Board of the NNED met last year for a time of discernment with other UU leaders from Vermont, NH and Maine and decided that there is still a need for our District to continue.
 
There is still a need to advocate for our congregations, helping them to find ways to connect with our wider Regional and national activities.  There is still a need for fun and informative collaboration between local churches, in gatherings and celebrations of all sorts. We have an endowment which will require care and management to benefit future congregations.
The NNED Board is looking for new leaders to join them.  The Nominating Committee is charged to find UUs who are eager to see what may come next; who are comfortable with change and can help bring our congregations into a rewarding and sustainable future. 
 
We are looking for ministers and lay people, women, men, and young adults from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds.  We have positions open for Board members from Maine and Vermont, and three members of the Nominating Committee itself; one each from Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.
Board terms are all 3-year commitments.  Meetings of the Board are held quarterly face-to-face, and monthly via teleconference (August through May).   It is rewarding work, as we live out our UU faith of respect for all, care for each other and our world. 
 
Contact Rev. Olivia Holmes, Nominating Committee Chair, or any member of the Nominating Committee, (see email addresses below) by February 20th, 2017, if you, or someone you know, might want to know more about the NNED Board or Nominating Committee and their very rewarding work.  Come and join the dance!
 
NNED Nominating Committee:
Rev. Olivia Holmes, Chair:   [email protected]   (NH)  
Sue Buckholz:  [email protected]    (VT)                  
Carmen Buford-Paige:  [email protected]  (NH)      
Roger Comstock:  [email protected]    (VT)                         
Donna Dolham:  [email protected]   (ME)                               
Brian Dustin: [email protected]  (ME)                          
 
 

 
Caring for Our Youth
by Tiffany Tillman

"Multi-generational relationships are formed when we care for each other."  Pastoral Care with Youth, UUA Youth Ministry Webinars
After watching and discussing the Pastoral Care with Youth webinar put out by the UUA this past month a whole slew of ideas emerged for how we can care for our youth.

One tangible, and relatively simple, idea that rose to the top was having members of the congregation reach out to youth by sending them cards or care packages at key times during the year.  We asked the youth for specific times they'd like to have someone from the community reach out to them, and the consensus was during mid-terms and finals (along with birthdays!).  

Are you interested in helping to care for our youth?  If so, send an email to [email protected] and we'll get you connected.  This is a great opportunity to build mult-generational relationships and communities!  Thanks so much for thinking about supporting our youth during stressful times in their lives.

 
Opportunities for Music Lovers
by Jonathan Sands

Our Music Survey last year revealed extensive interest from the congregation in being more involved in music. Here are some options for involvement that your music committee has identified.  It would just take a few folks acting as a task force to put some of these into action and gain the appreciation of the entire congregation.   

1) Offer an occasional UU coffee house in the parlors. 
2) Provide help with publicity for concerts and events.
3) Provide support for the use of audio-visual equipment such as microphones and projectors, and maybe certain forms of technology.

Please Contact Music Committee Co-Chair Jonathan Sands with your interest. [email protected]

Sign-up for Board's Love and Justice Listening Session

Come Share Your Stories! 
 
colorful_tree_chat.jpg Now more than ever, our Society is feeling a renewed energy in our call to stand for our values of love and justice.  In recent weeks, many of us have been acting to live out those values in new ways and with greater frequency than ever before. In the midst of this critical time in our world, your Board of Trustees wants to hear from you, as moral owners of our institution. The Board is running a series of focus groups in the coming weeks to talk together about what makes our hearts sing and fills us with pride, and what vision we share for our future. These will allow us all to step back and reflect on some deeper questions that inform our work in the world: What motivates us to act? How could we be transformed to bring more love and justice to the world?

These listening sessions are what's called "linkage" practice in our policy-based governance model.  They are a critical way for the Board to be in relationship with our larger congregation, as well as to collect information which will help it best articulate our shared vision for the future.

Sessions will be held at the following times and locations:

*Sunday, February 19th, 6:00-8:00 PM, Michael Swaidner's house, 614 Macrae Road, Colchester

*Saturday, February 25th, 10 AM - 12 PM, at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington (a light breakfast will be provided). 

*Wednesday, March 1st, 3:00-4:30, Debby Bergh's at Wake Robin, Shelburne

*Saturday, March 4th  10AM - 12:00 PM, at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington Meetinghouse

RSVP by visiting the following link, or by calling Gene Bergman at 658-6289.


The feedback from these sessions will guide both your Board and your Senior Minister in charting our future, and will help us bring focus and power to our work in the world. Please join us!
 
Gene Bergman, President of your Board of Trustees
Tracy Titchner, Vice-President of your Board of Trustees
Mara Dowdall, Senior Minister
 

 
Wool Sock Collection
by Deborah DeLadurantaye

Help improve the health and comfort of a homeless person

The Junior League hopes to deliver 300 pairs of wool and wool blend socks to Safe Harbor Health Clinic this winter to help our community's homeless. When it's cold out your feet will be toasty and warm in wool socks. Wool can absorb a high amount of moisture - much more than cotton. Wool can actually hold a third of its weight in moisture before it even starts to feel "wet." Wool keeps its insulating properties while wet.
The risk of "Trench Foot" is reduced when feet are kept clean,
warm, and dry.

Safe Harbor will distribute the wool socks to their clients. Sock
Collection ends February 28, 2017


Upcoming Sundays for Children
by Martha Dallas 

Feb 19: Classroom Sunday

Feb 26: FUNday: games and play for UU kids during school vacation!