Community Discussion Group

July 7 - "The Miracle of Dialogue." Moderator: Jim Faulconer

July 14 - "Psychic Experiences." Moderator: Doug Plasbett

July 21 - "Best Kept Secrets - Vacation Destinations." Moderator: Diane Bohlander

July 28 - "Ask the Doctor." Moderator: Tom Starr

*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.

Daytime Book Club Title*
July 17 - Sharp and Dangerous Virtues, by Martha Moody

 August TBD - The Space Between Us, by Thrifty Umrigar

 September TBD - Run, by Ann Patchett

 October TBD - Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and The Search for Identity, by Andrew Solomon

 November TBD - A Painted House, by John Grisham

 December TBD - A Christmas Memory, by Truman Capote

 *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! 

The Evening Book Discussion group

The Evening Book Club invites everyone to join us at 7 p.m. on Tue., July 9 in the Founders Room at the Fellowship for a discussion of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Diversity, by Michelle Alexander. This title is the 2012-13 Unitarian Universalist Association Common Read. Alexander, an attorney who is a civil rights advocate and litigator, asserts that crime-fighting policies and systems in the U.S., such as the "war on drugs" and the incarceration system, disproportionately and intentionally affect Americans of color. She describes multifaceted, lifelong discrimination and disenfranchisement that affect people who are branded "felon." A UUA discussion guide is available at http://www.uua.org/documents/lfd/commonread/crow_discussion.pdf.

Regular meetings are at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month at Christopher's

Restaurant (2318 Dorothy Ln., Kettering). For more information, contact Ann Snively

or Ruth Rowley.

Future selections:

August 13 - Making Rounds with Oscar, by David Dosa

September 10 - Flight Behavior, by Barbara Kingsolver

October 8 - Elsewhere, by Richard Russo

November 12 - The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, by Ayana Mathis

December 10 - Marmee and Louisa, by Eva LaPlante

Humanitarian Giving
Now through August, the Humanitarian Giving Action Group welcomes non-pledge donations to benefit the Reach Out Free Clinic. Located close to the Miami Valley Hospital, this clinic provides basic care to those in need. Our Committee recognizes there is a huge need in our area for health care to those who can least afford it and Reach Out Free Clinic is providing that care.

Baby Shower for Wesley Center
The Humanitarian Giving Committee is hosting a "baby shower" for Wesley Center attendees. There is alarge box in the Gathering Space for those who wish to donate any baby item.

Fellowship Work Day
We'll be doing some outdoor beautification work around the Fellowship after service on July 7. Please join us!

 Joining Session
Have you been attending MVUUF for a while and are considering membership? Please attend a "Joining Session" to explore the rights and responsibilities of membership in this beloved community. The session will be held on Sun., July 7, at 12:30 pm. For more information, contact Alice Diebel at [email protected] or 937-350-7763. 

 Thank You!
Thanks to everyone who made Rev. Amy's Farewell Sunday so special! Thank you to those who contributed money, food, and your good wishes in her farewell scrapbook. Special thanks goes out to the Farewell Committee whose hard work made Amy's goodbyes so memorable: Joe Law, Connie Gilhooly, Phil Wise, Denny Smith, Barb Weber, Lathe Snyder, Diane Dover, Kathleen Pennington, Alysoun Taylor-Hall, Kristin Freeman, Alice Diebel, and Steve Thompson. 

Ad-Hoc Safety Task Force
We will be forming an Ad-Hoc Safety Task Force to learn more about risks to safety in our church and potential measures we can take to reduce those risks and increase our likelihood of preventing and/or handling a threatening problem if it occurs. We will then make recommendations to the Board and congregation for the benefit of our community. If you are interested in joining in this task, please email or call me. Some of you have participated in the past and have some "institutional memory" of what past task forces have done and others may be new and able to see things with a different lens that will be very helpful.

We'll set a date to get together when we know who is passionate about this mission and willing to put some energy into helping assure the safety of us all. Personally, I'd like to do the bulk of this work during the summer, if possible. School employees, you know you're going to be bored without a daily job, and you know some things about managing potential crises with large groups of people. Will you join us? 

 ~Genevieve Harvey 477-2385 or [email protected]

 
Examining Whiteness
In 2011, the board invited a mixed-race group to participate in the Dayton Dialogue on Race Relations. Following that work, the group, called A Journey Toward Wholeness, continuedtheir work which culminated in a worship service last year. In a follow up to the JTW, the board recommended an all-white group participate in the UUA curriculum, Examining Whiteness, facilitated by student minister Joel Araujo.    

 MVUUF congregants at the June 9, 2013 "Surprising and Compelling: the Amazing Grace of Anti-racism" service heard experiences from members who completed the Examining Whiteness class early in 2013. At the end of the service, all in attendance were invited to tell their story about their own race in six words, in an exercise adapted from Michele Norris' "Race Card" project: http://michele-norris.com/theracecard/

During the June 9 service, congregants were invited to sign their card or turn it in unsigned, or even to keep their card if not comfortable sharing it. Race cards in the basket at the end of coffee hour included the following: 

�        I wish I saw it sooner. - Anon        

-        Partitioned 'melting pot' of European tribes. - Jim P.

�        Rodney held the mirror. I saw. - Anon

�        Immigrant, Scottish, poverty, lost, searching, learning - Theresa

�        Observant of grief, blind to privilege. - Anon

�        I grew up on White Island. - J. Zimmerman

�         Not my problem, Not my fault, No el-toro - Phil Wise

�         White. Trying to get a clue. - Alice

�         Aware that I'm a privileged person - Robin 

Several MVUUF members want to continue the process of self-educating, for those with little awareness about their own racial identity. I believe that most MVUUF members are also interested in ultimately sharing a larger conversation about diversity. I am seeking board approval to set up a display of all the race cards written at the June 9 service, and I am hopeful that the next chapter in MVUUF's story of diversity begins soon.      

~Catherine Queener, MVUUF member, with thanks to Alice Diebel for board specifics 

Environmental Learning Book Club
 The next monthly meeting of our Environmental Learning Forum Book Club will take place in the Founder's Room at 7:00 p.m. on Mon., July 15. Our reading/discussion selection will be The Future of Life, by Edward O. Wilson. Wilson, one of the most important biologists of our time, is also a gifted writer who has twice won the Pulitzer Prize. In The Future of Life, he looks at the alarming rate of biodiversity loss we are facing and its implications for the future well-being of our planet. Yet, he believes the situation is not hopeless, and he proposes solutions based on reversing human overconsumption and overpopulation. Copies may be available at area libraries, and we have ordered a few paperback copies from Amazon.com for $12.65 (list price is $15.95). To reserve one of these copies, contact Environmental Action Group chairman Gary Courts at [email protected] or 436-1094. Plan to be with us on July 15 to discuss this important book by a preeminent living scientist.    

St. Vincent de Paul Lunch*
Menu for July 13: hearty chili, green salad (dressed/include bottle of Ranch dressing), fresh fruit salad, 1 gal. of 100% juice
*Please bring all items, heated if applicable, to 120 W. Apple St. in Dayton (St. Vincent de Paul Hotel) by 10:30 a.m. Sign up in the Gathering Space.
**Good weather activities and travels seem to have left us with fewer donations than needed lately. To meet our needs, some members have had to bring two and three menu items. Please help in feeding those in need.   Feel free to call Lynn at 657-0426 if you have any questions.** 

Social Action Summer Film Series
These free films with snacks are on alternate Fridays at 7 p.m. in the Founders Room. Feel free to bring friends and family. If you like, stay after for discussion. 

July 12, "Fierce Light: Where Spirit Meets Action." This acclaimed film looks at spiritual activists using their voices and hearts to make a difference, with Bishop Desmond Tuto, environmental activist Julia Butterfly Hill, author Alice Walker, actress Daryl Hannah and Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. 

July 26, "Bidder 70", a great documentary about peaceful warrior and UU Tim DeChristopher and his efforts to protect federal wilderness lands from drilling and mining by bidding on them in a federal auction. The auction was later declared illegal, but Tim DeChristopher was prosecuted and imprisoned. In addition to Tim's story, this spiritual, political and environmental documentary shows First Unitarian of Salt Lake City, creative political theater, Utah wilderness, and reflections on civil disobedience.  

*Mark your calendars for more Social Action films on August 9 and possibly August 23.

Social Action Committee Meeting

The next Social Action Committee Meeting will be Mon., July 29, 7 p.m., Founders room. All are welcome. We generally meet every other month on the fourth or last Monday. For future dates, check the calendar at www.mvuuf.org or call the Social Action Chair, Lynn Buffington at 657-0426. 

Members' Art Show
Mark your calendars and get your artwork ready! A members' art show will be taking place in August and September. Wall-hung artwork in any medium will be accepted a few pieces of 3-dimensional works can be displayed. You need to submit your works during the last two weeks of July! We'll be hanging it the first week in August. Contact Kathleen Pennington or Kate Sanctucci. 

Thank You from Rev. Amy
Thank you. I can't begin to tell you how touched I was by the ceremony and reception on Sunday. The words, the music, the gifts, and the beautiful flowers and decorations- it was all amazing!   And most of all, the hugs. The tree is a wonderful way to honor me as I know it will stand strong beside the Fellowship, as my love will for all of you. As it grows, I know you will be growing and changing. The plaque is so permanent that it helps me to remember how my time with you has forever changed me and stays with me. I have talked with Rev. Mary Moore and I'm so glad she is on her way to be with you. I think you will really love her. And I know she will love you. I told her a lot about you and she's very excited about getting to know you. You will do good work together in discerning what is next for MVUUF.