What

What’s going on.... May 2001

Tues	May 1	7:00 PM	Women’s Group at the church
Sat	May 5	7:00 PM	Games Night at the church
Sun	May 6	9:30 AM 10:45 AM	Youth R.E. Service – Flower Communion led by Diane Holliman ANNUAL MEETING following the service
Sun	May 13	9:30 AM 10:45 AM 12:15 PM	Youth R.E. Service – Dr. John Guthrie, ”WITHIN THE DRAGON'S LAIR: A Doctor's Drug War Memoir” Board Meeting and 2^nd Sunday Potluck
Mon	May 14	11:00 AM	Break Bread delivery
Tues	May 15	7:00 PM	Women’s Group at the church
Fri	May 18	7:00 PM	Special welcome back potluck! For the Andersens....
Sun	May 20	9:30 PM 10:45 PM 12:15 PM	Youth R.E. Service – Rev. Jack Ford! Congratulations, Jack! "UU 101" Visitor orientation to Unitarian Universalism (after the regular service)
Sun	May 27	9:30 PM 10:45 PM	Youth R.E. Service – Dr. Melanie Byrd and John Dunn, “Napoleon and the Holy Land: Napoleon, Islam and Judaism”

May……. This is the month we practice our UU Principle: “The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.” Plan to attend the annual meeting and express your opinions and vote. Celebrate spring and the growth and blooming of our congregation with flowers. Diane Holliman has lined up some intriguing programs for the month. After an unusually busy social month in April, we’ll slow a bit this month, but watch for more to come in the summer. Come and participate as you can.

Recently a frequent visitor asked about joining our congregation. If you would like to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and explore the possibility of becoming a member, just mention it to one of our board members. We will be glad to offer our short course (3 hours) "UU 101" to give you a broader picture of our denomination and local congregation. Then if you're ready to join us, you simply sign the membership register and are officially welcomed into the congregation. Now scheduled for Sunday, May 20, after the service, led by

Rev. Jack Ford. Please contact Virginia Branan if you would like to participate, so that a packet can be prepared for you.

Bring $1.00, a dish, and your favorite game to the church on Saturday, May 5, at 7:00 PM. Call René Kerr or Julie Halter if you need further information.

The flower communion service has become an annual tradition in the spring at our church. For this service bring a flower. The flower may be from your own garden or a favorite flower you have gotten from a friend’s garden or bought from a florist. The story of the first Flower Communion will be remembered as we participate in our own annual flower communion service. This service will be held on the day of our annual congregational meeting. This special service will represent our growth over the past year and for the future, the flowers symbolic of our congregation growing and blooming as we move into a new year. Don’t forget to bring a special flower or cutting to participate fully in the service.

Sunday, May 20 - Rev. Jack Ford will be our speaker at the 10:45 a.m. service. Jack was our part-time minister for many years. He recently completed the last of his requirements to be a UU minister with highest marks! Congratulations!

Hospitality Volunteers Needed

When we have out of town guests we offer them home hospitality. What a wonderful opportunity for each of us to make new UU friends. If you can help out let Diane Holliman or Virginia Branan know. We especially need a volunteer for Saturday, May 12, to host Dr. Guthrie. During the coming year we will probably be having ministers from farther distances, for example Rev. Mary Higgins in July. Help out if you can.

Dr. John Guthrie is a physician by background and training, now retired to Charleston County, SC. He writes and speaks on his most recent book and the Drug War. A copy of the first chapter of his book “WITHIN THE DRAGON'S LAIR: A Doctor's Drug War Memoir” is on the church literature table. Virginia Branan says she found it intriguing and well-written. The President of the St. Simons UU congregation reports that their congregation enjoyed his presentation very, very much.

Dr. Guthrie’s book is a true account of how, a successful and well-respected physician, became enmeshed in the tangled net of the criminal justice system's drug police. In a prosecution many considered to be politically motivated, he eventually became "a prisoner of the drug war."

All of the profits from this book are going to public service organizations to which Dr. Guthrie belongs including Secular Humanists, Amnesty International, The American Civil Liberties Union and the Unitarian-Universalist Church.

Fri., May 18, 7 p.m.….for Steve and Janet Andersen at the home of Betty Derrick. Contact Betty for more information.

VIRGINIA'S VISION

My vision this month is both a looking backwards and peering into the future. May is the month for our annual congregational meeting and review. Each of you will be given the opportunity to assess our progress as a congregation and to suggest goals for the future. Also, we will be electing officers who will welcome your input and advice as they begin their term July 1 as your board of directors. This important meeting is the first Sunday in May, immediately following our service. I hope each of you will make an extra effort to attend.

Our service May 6 is a favorite celebration of Unitarian Universalists—Flower Communion. It seems an appropriate symbol for that day as we consider the quality of our congregational bloom. Many kinds of blooms go on to become fruit. May our church symbolize that quality also, to nourish ourselves and the larger community in which we are "planted."

The Annual Meeting for our church will be on May 6 after the Sunday morning service. We will hold the election of officers, vote on the budget, and act on evaluations and recommendations from the Board. The Sunday service that day will be a little shorter than usual. The Board expects the business to be completed by 12:30. Make plans to participate in this important part of our commitment as members of this congregation. One of our principles speaks to the democratic process in our congregations.

Nominating Committee

Thank you to nominating committee members Joan Cline, Chair, and Lea Atkinson, and Jim Ingram.

The election will be held at the annual meeting of the congregation. Nominations may also be made from the floor at that time, with the approval of anyone nominated.

Youth R.E. Jason and Gena are involved in a project on “Life in the Universe.” They would be delighted to have other young people join this R.E.project/learning experience. If you want to be involved contact Ann Kasun.

Adult R,E, If you are interested in coordinating an adult R.E. program, let Ann Kasun know.

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 .

Religious Witness for the Earth is an interfaith network dedicated to bearing public witness on critical environmental issues, concentrating on global climate change. Seeing the environment as a justice issue, RWE invokes the loving spirit, disciplined courage, and moral authority of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s. In response to plans for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, RWE has issued a Call to Religious Witness for the Arctic Refuge and is planning Prayer & Witness for the Arctic Refuge in Washington, DC, May 1-3, which will include lobbying public officials, public prayer and witness, and loving and nonviolent civil disobedience by those who choose. To sign the Call or join the Prayer & Witness, please visit http://www.religiouswitness.org.

Join us for good food and great company, the 1^stand 3^rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Bring a snack, ideas for discussion, or just yourself! Contact Julie Halter for more information.

Treasurer’s Report

Thank you! Thank you!

For efficiently organizing the pledge campaign and preparing the tentative budget in time for newsletter publication: René Kerr

For delivering meals in April: Laurel Hahlen

To the Nominating Committee: Joan Cline, chair, Jim Ingram, and Lea Atkinson

For Organizing the Coffee House: Doug Fraser, Molly Scholz, and René Kerr

To All the volunteers who supported the many activities in April: CoffeeHouse, Easter Campout, Seder, Mountain Program, Teaching Evolution potluck Lunch.

Newsletter: Betty Derrick, Doug Fraser, Virginia Branan, Charles Green

July 22-28 SUUSI 2001 Mark your calendar now for this summer week of fellowship and fun on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, VA.

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