The Flaming Chalice - UU Valdosta

Sun	June 2	10:45 AM	Service –“The Menace of the Erosion of Public Integrity,” Rev. Harold Hawkins
Sun	June 9	9:30 AM 10:45 AM 12:15 PM	Youth and Adult R.E. Service – “Got Free Will?” by Jack Donovan, read by Charles Green Second Sunday Potluck
Mon	June 10	11:00 AM	Break Bread delivery
Sun	June 16	10:45 AM	Service – “ Great Knowledge: Things My Aunt Never Told Me About Ontology,“ Raymond Peace
Sun	June 23	9:30 AM 10:45 AM	Youth and Adult R.E. Service – speaker, Ron Barnette
Sun	June 30	10:45 AM	Service – “Building Your Own Theology: The Challenge of Being a UU ,“ Betty Derrick

June ……. The official arrival of summer this month finds our Valdosta congregation in the midst of an exciting time. Jim Ingram is heading a Ministerial Search Committee, which is already at work with the goal of finding a minister by September. (Web Ed. note: To see the announcement and other information about the Ministerial search, please click here.) The new Board, which takes over next month, is participating in this process. As has become our custom in recent years full programming will continue through the summer. Adult R.E. began a new series late in May, which will continue this month. Rev. Harold Hawkins, a UU minister who lives in Tallahassee, will lead our service the first Sunday in June. Many of us will be vacationing during the summer. Relax and enjoy your time away. Come when you are in town. Keep our congregation and its future in your hearts and minds.

UU Minister Visits

Rev. Harold Hawkins, who has visited us frequently in recent years, will be here June 2 to lead our service. His subject will be "The Menace of the Erosion of Public Integrity.” Rev. Hawkins is a former Southern Baptist who came to UUism late in life when he could no longer fight the Fundamentalist takeover of the Denomination. He graduated from Wake Forest Southern Seminary and entered the Naval Chaplain's Corps at the end of the war in 1944-45. In 1951 he entered the Hospital Chaplaincy and was an active Chaplain of the College of Chaplain headquarters in Chicago for most of the years until his retirement in 1996. He had earlier joined the UUA and has been actively serving small UU churches ever since retirement. He recently retired as minister of the Pensacola UU church and has been very successful in helping build up the RE program at the Tallahassee UU church. Welcome Harold back to our church the first Sunday in June.

Other Visitors and Sunday Programs

Ron Barnette, frequent visitor through the years as a speaker at our church, will be with us on June 23. Ron is the past Chair of the Philosophy Department at VSU and is retiring this summer as the Acting Dean of the VSU College of Arts and Sciences. He and his wife Candy are moving to Florida. Ron always has something provocative to share with us. Raymond Peace, who you may know as the pianist at Charlie Tripper’s Restaurant, is also a philosopher. Ray has taught through the years in the Philosophy Department at VSU. He holds a B.A. degree in piano from VSU and a philosophy M.A. from, the University of Memphis with further work toward the PhD. His topic on June 16 will be “Great Knowledge: Things My Aunt Never Told Me About Ontology.” Two of our members will provide programs also in June. Charles Green will do another of his readings of a UU sermon (click here for a link to the Rev. Jack Donovan's sermon, "Got Free Will" originally delivered Feb. 10, 2002, UU Fellowship of Gainesville). Betty Derrick is planning a presentation using materials from the UUA “Building Your Own Theology” program.

Religious Education

Youth R.E meets the second and fourth Sundays. Contact Virginia Branan for information.

Adult R.E. began a new series led by Hue Jacobs in late May. Although the June calendar indicates a 2^nd and 4^th Sunday meeting date, the group may have decided (too late to make this newsletter edition) to meet every Sunday. Contact Hue for more information. The group will be doing exercises from the book “Quantum Psychology” by Robert Anton Wilson. Participants do not have to read the book.

Social Action Activities

Break Bread Together

Our date for meal deliveries with the Break Bread Together program is the 2^nd Monday of each month. If you can deliver meals on this day beginning about 11:00 AM, please contact Virginia Branan.

Thank You! Thank You!

For keeping our building clean: René Kerr, Dee Tait, Bobbie Dixon, Diane Holliman, and Frank Asbury

For keeping our grounds neat: Jim Ingram

For delivering meals: Sharon McKenzie and Steven Rowe

For financial assistance and service to our church - our heroine and hero: Josette and Jim Ingram

For their leadership, the 2001-02 Board: Diane Holliman, Charles Green, Sharon McKenzie, Joan Cline, and René Kerr

To the Nominating Committee: Chair, Virginia Branan, Betty Derrick, Jim Ingram

· Jason, who took first place in the state for Computer Assisted Design at the Technology Student Association annual meeting. He was also 2nd in the Dragster Challenge and 4th in the Technical Design Challenge. His school, Hahira Middle, won the Most Outstanding Chapter Award for the state, winning 21 top three awards and six top 10 finishes of the 27 events.

I grew up on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. My backyard was miles of desert, which I spent many hours exploring. I attended an evangelical Christian high school where I became disillusioned by the institution’s responses to social problems and spiritual needs. After I graduated from the University of Arizona at Tucson, the Peace Corps gave me the opportunity to experience life outside the U.S. For three years I taught science in a secondary school in Malaysia. There I lived in a fishing village on the coast of the South China Sea. From my neighbors, I learned about Islamic and Malay culture and the impact of modernization on their lives. In the town where the school was located and other places in Malaysia, the people of this very multicultural society invited me to many cultural and religious events, such Hindu temple ceremonies, Chinese funerals, Sikh weddings, and the wonderful tradition of visiting the homes of friends from other communities on their traditional holidays.

It was difficult to leave that part of the world. In nearby Brunei, I taught in a junior high for two years. Then I moved to Indonesia, where I stayed on a tourist visa for another year. That was long enough to meet my Indonesian wife, Nadra, get married, and discover that I enjoyed teaching English. We returned to Arizona, but stayed only long enough to both get degrees in teaching English as a second language. Two years teaching in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia followed. There I discovered that Islam was as diverse as Christianity in the doctrines and lives of its followers. Back to Arizona for the last time as a student, I changed my interest to instructional technology and completed a Ph.D. program. Our two sons, Sean and Kevin, were born and started school when we lived in Tempe.

When I accepted a position at Valdosta State University almost three years ago, it was my first time living in the U.S. outside Arizona for more than a few months. Life in the South has been a real learning experience for the whole family. I consider finding your church and becoming a part of your fellowship at Valdosta a wonderful opportunity to continue the adventure of spiritual growth. I look forward to being involved in the activities of this community.

Welcome Lars to the Valdosta UU church. We all look forward to getting to know you and Sean and Kevin and Nadra better. Thank you for agreeing to serve too on the Board. Lars is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instructional Technology in the College of Education at Valdosta State University.

1. Call to Order: V.P., Charles Green called the meeting to order and welcomed visitors. He reported that Diane would be away and had asked him to facilitate the meeting.

1. Present: René Kerr, Sharon McKenzie and Charles Green from the board. Visitors included Jim Ingram, Betty Derrick, Virginia Branan, Charles Judah, Lars, Frank Asbury and Dee Tait

2. Treasurer's Report: Mortgage balloon payment is required at the bank before June 12^th. Balance due is approximately $36,400. There is approximately $4,000.00 in checking and $3,000.00 in savings at this time.

3. Mr. Jim Ingram offered a personal unsecured note of $36,000 to help René fulfill the payment requirements. He offered to prepare a simple note at 7 ½ % interest; ten year payoff, no closing costs, no prepayment penalty and he said if payments were missed, he would simply add the interest and refinance each month. If the payments exceeded the minimum, then there would be a savings. Sharon moved that we accept Mr. Ingram’s personal loan and René seconded the motion, after further discussion; the motion passed with a unanimous vote.

4. Pres. Elect's Report: Charles Green announced that other business (old and new) would be tabled until the next meeting so that Mr. Ingram could make an important presentation. Mr. Ingram then issued the following offer from Josette:

· Charles Green had been given the UU Settlement Handbook to review. It recommends a committee of three or more of the members with the longest sustained membership be asked to serve as a steering and search function.

Charles Green asked if anyone in the group present had any opposition to Josette’s offer and there was none. René made the motion to accept Josette’s offer and Sharon seconded the motion. After discussion, the motion passed unanimously.

Charles Judah warned that without strong support and participation by the membership, the minister would not be successful. He challenged all members to become more active and interested in growing the fellowship.

New search committee was formed: Charles Green asked those present to advise him on the members with the longest tenure at UU Valdosta. He was told Jim Ingram, Virginia Branan and Betty Derrick were three of the members with the most tenure. All three agreed to serve on the search committee. Also, René Kerr asked to serve. Dee Tait expressed interest in serving. Frank Asbury recommended his wife be included on the committee as she would be experienced and interested in assisting the search. He said he would ask her and report her interest. Jim Ingram asked the committee to be limited to six members since his airplane had six seats. Charles Green charged this group with the responsibility of performing the search and recommending a name to the board this summer as our new minister. Virginia suggested the committee meet regularly and often. Minutes submitted by Charles Green.

Ministerial Search Committee

The committee held its first meeting on May 15 at 5:30pm at the offices of IPG, Jim Ingram’s office. The group developed an advertisement for presentation at the May 19 Annual Meeting and for release to appropriate places to advertise the position. Members of the committee agreed to take on various tasks to complete a packet for interested applicants. The committee agreed that we were searching for an ordained UU minister who was willing to live in the Valdosta area and available for employment beginning September 2002. We are interested in someone who is committed to providing leadership for growth, willing to prepare and present at least 20 sermons per year, and excited about the possibility of providing religious and organizational guidance for a small but stable UU congregation in south Georgia. The position will not be full time. The church expects that the minister’s schedule will be adjusted to accommodate other employment. The Valdosta UU Church is prepared to offer a two-year contract with a $30,000.00 annual package (includes all cost to the church for ministerial employment). Some funds are available to offset relocation expenses.

For more information about the Ministerial Search please click here to see the announcement.

New Officers For July 1, 2002-June 30, 2003

Thank you for your willingness to serve in these leadership positions in our congregation in this exciting time for growth for our UU community.

Treasurer’s Report

June 6-8 Renaissance Module: Worship, Boca Raton, FL A workshop for UU Religious Educators, Ministers, and interested lay people.

June 14-16 MountainScape Flyfishing Weekend, The Mountain Retreat and Conference Center, Highlands, NC

June 30 deadline for registration for September 21-27 FL District Leadership School. Some scholarship funding available from the district.

Tai Chi – Monday and Thursday Evenings. A new beginner’s group began at 5:30 PM May 20. Contact Dennis Bogyo.

Metropolitan Community Church - Sunday evenings: Choir practice at 5:00 PM. Service at 6:00 PM

Women’s Group The group will take a vacation during June and July and resume its regular gatherings in August. Contact René Kerr.

Thank you for reading our newsletter!
The Newsletter Team (click here to meet us!)

President's Column	Thank You! Thank You!	Religious Education
Did you know?	Social Action	UU Activities and Announcements
Board Notes!	Special Note - Exciting news - Ministerial Search Committee!