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In Fellowship                                                                                                                                     

March 2010

The Rev. Sarah C. Stewart

 

 “Where do we come from?  Where are we going?”

 As a fellowship, we are considering these questions together this year.  They are the focus for our shared mission and vision work, and they are the theme for our stewardship campaign.  Mission and stewardship go together.  Without financial support, we can’t live out our mission.  Without a vision of where we will go together, we have nothing to support.  Who we are, where we are going, and how we will get there together.  This is our adventure this year.

 Stewardship, for me, is not just about raising the funds we need for our fellowship to thrive.  It is about the thrilling combination of imagining the future, and coming together to make it happen.  This fellowship--our fellowship--is what we make of it.  It is the combined spirit of all the people who gather in our walls every week for worship, learning, fun and service.  It is the memories of those who have gone before, and their gifts of time, energy, money and talent that have made our congregation what it is.  Our fellowship will be a place for and formed by those people yet to come, people we don’t even know yet, who will build on our work to grow the spirit of this place for generations.  We can find our own spot in that growing legacy by imagining the future, and giving what we can to support it.

 I don’t worry that I can’t do all the stewardship on my own.  My husband and I look at the giving chart and find ourselves on it every year.  We try to give a little more than we gave the year before.  We give the amount that is right for us and supports the mission of this fellowship.  We give in trust, knowing that all of you are making the same decision to give the right amount for you to continue our work together.

 This year, our Stewardship team is asking us all to consider giving to the fellowship the amount that is right for us.  Whatever you can give--whatever amount, big or small--make that your pledge to our shared future.  Don’t worry that you can’t do it all.  No one person can do it all.  Your gift, along with the gifts of everyone else around you in our fellowship, will make our imagined future a reality.  We are our wonderful and diverse selves, people of all means and stages in life.  And we are going on the adventure of fellowship life--together.

I look forward to seeing you at our Celebration Sunday on March 21!

 

In fellowship,

            Rev. Sarah

  

Religious Education Program

 

I am delighted to announce that we have a new Nursery Caregiver!  Keely Oates is from Reading, Massachusetts, and is a Junior at PSU.   She has worked in a Day Care and loves children, especially babies and toddlers.  Keely will be staffing the SKUUF Nursery from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon every Sunday.  Please stop by and say “hello.”

 

Earlier this month a couple of adults asked me where the children were.  They were missed at the beginning of the service.  I thought you all might like to know that on the first Sunday of the month the younger children have a Chapel Service downstairs.  (The Neighboring Faith students have their own ingathering service with joys and concerns in their room .)

 

We have a printed Order of Service each month with our opening and closing words and the songs we will be singing.  (I have posted a few samples on the RE bulletin board downstairs.) February’s topic was prayer and saying prayers at night.  We talked about the difference between praying and begging.  After a bit of discussion on prayer I told the children about a UU minister’s response to a seven year old who wanted to know how she should pray at night.  He suggested that each night she think of something she was grateful for, something she was sorry about, and something she hoped for.  We talked about all three topics and came up with examples of each.  You may want to try this with your children or grandchildren.

 

I really enjoy these special times with our children, but I also appreciate the time at the beginning of the service when the whole congregation meets together.  We are indeed a multigenerational family!

 

RE thanks this month go to:

 

                 Darlene Nadeau for leading Yoga with the children

 

                 Bob Gannett and Diana Pamplin for leading a singing and play time with

                             the younger children

 

                 Jay Apicelli for again welcoming our older students to the Radio Station

                             and Hoffmans and Zeolis for driving.

 

                 Margaret Salt for again meeting with the Youth Group

 

                 Lucy Miller for helping in the Nursery

 

                 Diana and Rachel Pamplin for helping with the Nursery interview process

                                                                

     Cindy Spring, DRE

 

 

 

 

RE Calendar

Date	Story Time	Creating Home	Neighboring Faiths
March 7	Chapel Rainbow of My Own Amy & Jason	Chapel Loyalty Kim & Mark	Chapel Buddhism
March 14	Annie & the Wild Animals Stew & Barbara	Diversity Kelli & Jeanette	Finish Buddhism
March 21	Passover Story Deb & Jamie	Stewardship Nancy & Sue	Hinduism
March 28	Intergenerational April Fool’s Service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank-you’s go out to Darlene Nadeau for doing yoga with our younger members and Darcy Hoffman, Louis Zeoli and Jay Apecelli for the radio station trip.

Also to all the parents and volunteers who sent in food and helped us put together coffee hour on January 31.

We couldn’t do what we do without all your help and support.

 

Mary Crowell   

 

 

“From the Prez”…

 

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!  As I’m writing this, it snowed about three inches in the last couple of hours for our first real snow in weeks. Despite the busted forecast for snow totals, I’m very happy that we have some new snow just in time for February vacation.

 

The Spring is an exciting time in the Fellowship. There is so much to do and so much going on. I invite each of you to get involved with the work and with the fun. I’m personally looking forward to being the auctioneer once again this year.

 

The Board is working with the Budget and Finance committee on drafts of the FY11 budget. We also continue to work on a number of policy issues. Remember, the Board meetings are open to everyone. If you have something that you would like the Board to address feel free to either attend a meeting or ask one of the Board members to make it an agenda item.

 

      Eric Hoffman

 

 

 

 

 SKUUF Finances Snapshot as of February 10,  2010

 

Fiscal Year to Date, Operating:                                                 Change from Last Month                                                

                        Income            $  90,498.10                                 + $   11,192.92                                                                              

                        Expenses            $  89,245.40                             + $   12,856.47                                                                   

Important Balances

                   Operating Funds    $    18,341.59                     - $     1,353.08                               

                   Building Funds**               $   96,635.97                     - $    12,732.67     

                   Endowment Funds*          $    12,007.42                     +$              1.55                   

 

This snapshot shows only selected funds.  This is not a full accounting of assets or liabilities.  If you would like more detailed information feel free to contact Nancy Chaddock, or me.

*These funds represent multiple accounts grouped together.

** This includes the principal from the new mortgage.

 

            Accurately submitted,

            Mark Becker

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

Office Hours

 

Our minister, Sarah Stewart, is in the office  Tuesday through Thursday.    You can reach her at: 536-8908 or  sstewart@starrkingfellowship.org.                  

 

Our Office Assistant, Regina Knowlton, is in the office Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

 

 Governing Board Meeting

 

The Governing Board will meet on Wednesday, March 10 at 5:00 p.m.

 

Committee Chairs Meeting

 

     Committee Chairs will meet on  Tuesday, March 16 at 5:00 p.m.

 

Announcements:

 

Deadline for the Sunday Order of Service:

Please note the new deadline for the order of service.   All elements of the order of service, including announcements, need to be submitted to the office by Tuesday.   

 

Thank you

 

 

 

Social Justice

Community Outreach for March

The Pemi Youth Center is a local not-for-profit, serving as an after school destination for youth ages ten to seventeen.  The Center offers enriching after school programming at no cost to youth and families,  which includes, academic assistance, mentoring, arts and recreational activities, nutritional guidance and cooking instruction, a drug and alcohol free group, a drama group, service learning opportunities and much more!  Pemi Youth Center staff work hard to inspire, encourage and support young minds and dreams.  The majority of volunteer staff are PSU students, who act as wonderful role models for our youth!

 

Over the past year the Pemi Youth Center has launched the Chain Reaction Youth to Youth Drug and Alcohol Free group.  This group meets on a weekly basis and topics such as the benefits of living drug and alcohol free, self-esteem, body image, healthy relationships and much more are discussed.  The group participates in many service learning and community service projects and looks forward to spreading their message of remaining drug and alcohol free to local middle school students.

 

Most recently Pemi Youth Center youth participants put together Hero Packs in collaboration with Operation Military Kids.  Back packs were filled with stationary, games, stuffed animals, cameras and photo albums for local children, whose parents will be deployed this summer.  This was a very meaningful project for all involved!

 

Over the past few months, the Center has been teaching cooking and feeding more youth than ever before.  More local families are finding it difficult to provide nutritious dinners in the evening and so the Center has filled that gap.  Every afternoon the smell of delicious food fills the Pemi Youth Center and youth participants go home with full bellies. 

 

The Pemi Youth Center and all its activities and programs are funded through grants, fundraisers and contributions.  The Center is so thankful for all the support received throughout the community!  It is so important to offer all services at no cost to youth and families, so that all youth regardless of their families’ socioeconomic status can participate and feel a sense of belonging.  Simply put, the Pemi Youth Center is a home away from home for so many young people in our community.  It is where they go to find support, smiles, friendship, laughter and fun.

 

Jessica Dutille 

 

Affordable Housing in Plymouth: The Saga Continues

 

On February 2, the Plymouth Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) declined by a three to two vote, to approve the proposed development of twenty-four units of affordable housing at the end of Allen Road.

 Plans are afoot to either file for a rehearing or a new application with perhaps a different access point to address  some of the concerns of the residents of Allen Road.

 

Martha Copithorne

 

Exciting New Initiative Transition Towns

 

Both the Social Justice Potluck prioritizing and an enthusiastic response to Sam Miller’s January 31 presentation on Transition Towns has spurred some follow up plans to help SKUUFers and other community members obtain a clearer view on how religious groups and other community organizations and individuals might best contribute to this Vision.

 

SKUUFers first step is to borrow the DVD on Sam’s presentation from the SKUUF library if you were unable to attend so you have a clearer understanding of why some SKUUFers believe this concept must be a part of SKUUF’s mission and goals.

 

Next step is to attend the presentation at SKUUF on March 11, at 7:00 p.m.  Bring friends from the Community and solicit representatives of Community organizations to attend.  Karen Ganey, currently on the Steering Committee for Transition Town White River Junction, and an active environmentalist and food activist for nearly ten years will speak on what Vermont, and particularly White River Junction is doing regarding Transition Towns.  She believes the Transition Movement provides a strong spiritual source of empowerment and cultural transformation.  

 

This should help us all be clearer on how we as a religious community might use some of the movement’s goals to further our mission and goal development.  This is vital to help each of us clarify our thoughts prior to our March 21 Celebration where we will be noting our three wishes for SKUUF’s future.

 

Then on Earth Day, April 22, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., SKUUF will again open its space to welcome the community to hear a presentation by Steve Whitman, Planning Consultant and Permaculture activist.  During the first hour Steve will cover general principles of Permaculture, where we build on the knowledge we gain from Karen Ganey's talk about White River Junction Transition Town, and the broad outlines of designing a transition initiative.  During the second hour  Steve will lead a brainstorming session, where we join other invited community organizations in developing a list of the resources/talents/energy already on hand, place them all in the context of a “big picture,” and figure out what’s “missing” from the picture.

 

Betty Ann Trought

 

SKUUF Contribution to Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund

 

Members and friends of SKUUF contributed a total of $1,642.52 to the UUSC/ UUA Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund.    The UUSC team is currently in Haiti, meeting UUSC partners to develop a mid-and long-term response to the devastation caused by the January 12 earthquake.  

According to information posted by UUSC on its website, their experiences in responding to crises has taught them time and again that in every disaster, groups of people are at particular risk of being overlooked or left behind in traditional aid programs.  The UUSC has found that the best way of identifying and reaching these groups is through partnering with grassroots organizations working in the country itself.    The UUSC works to support and strengthen these local partners who will be there doing the work long after the international relief agencies pack their bags.    

The UUSC reports that it sends $0.92 of every dollar donated to support relief and recovery efforts on the ground.  The remaining $.08 covers essential administrative expenses such as wire transfer fees to send funds, calls to partners on the ground, and temporary hires to support rapid response.

 

            Nancy Chaddock

            Treasurer

 

 

 

Stewardship 2010-2011

 

The Stewardship Campaign at SKUUF is actually the time of year when members and friends of our Fellowship reflect upon their duty and honor in supporting the whole of our efforts as a community.  SKUUF means many different things to our members and friends and we all view our ability, duty and honor in support of our community in different ways. 

 

This year we are incorporating a review of SKUUF’s mission and goals in our annual Stewardship Campaign.  We are asking members and friends to reflect and share their views on “Where do we come from? and Where we are going?”  We are also asking you to reflect on what Stewardship means to you, not only in terms of financial support but also in terms of personal volunteer time to our community.  We are asking that you commit not only a specific financial contribution but also consider a volunteer commitment for the upcoming year.

 

We believe that 2010-2011 will be the first year we will have 100% financial commitment from our members.  We hope to have 100% commitment from our friends.  We are interested in this 100% financial commitment not only to assure meeting our 2010-2011 budget commitments, but also to assure that all members feel equal in our faith based on liberal democratic principles.  We want all members to feel and be seen as equal partners in all our Fellowship’s efforts.  This desire does not require reaching beyond our financial means but does mean specifying what can reasonably be expected from our members during the year.  Many of these amounts must realistically be very modest while others will be generous beyond our expectations.  No amount is too small or too great when one considers being a partner in this community. 

 

Please review the Capital Campaign brochure carefully and come prepared on March 21 to make both your financial and volunteer commitment to our Fellowship. We anticipate meeting our pledge goal of the Stewardship campaign of $143,000 and rejuvenating our volunteer corps when we all attend our May General Meeting.

 

Thank you in advance for you generous support of our beloved Fellowship.

 

Andrea Sutherland  

Betty Ann Trought

 

Worship and Music Committee

 

Each week at the Sunday service, as I pick up the hymnal to sit down, I open it to see who donated it or to whom it is dedicated.  One hymnal I had recently, was donated by the Traunsteins, Louise, Russell and Steven.  Prompted by seeing their names, I enjoyed a few moments remembering them and their various contributions to the Fellowship.

 

The Worship and Music Committee has recently purchased several new hymnals.  For the price of the hymnal, twenty-five dollars, you may donate a hymnal in your own name, or the name of someone who is special to you, or you may dedicate it in the memory of someone you have lost.  Please speak with Sarah or any member of the Worship and Music Committee for more information.

 

Committee members are:  Mary Hazelton, Marcia VanderMast, Paul Tierney, Eva Nagorka-Ellsworh, Leslie Livingstone and Christie Faella.

 

            Marcia VanderMast

 

 Activities Committee

 

Open Mike/Hymn Sing/Potluck (evolving concept)

February 27:    Join Bev Walker for a fun, beat-cabin-fever event featuring stand up comic “Mo” and his balloons.  This is an opportunity for kids to have some fun as well as adults, so come with your jokes, songs, stories and music.  Costumes optional but welcome.

 

 Snowshoe Hike
        March 14:   Snowshoe (probably) Hike somewhere fun.   Join Mitch and a co-leader for a gentle winter meander about the countryside.  Bring your family. We’ll leave SKUUF at high noon. If you register with Mitch beforehand by e-mail, he’ll keep you abreast of any changes due to weather or conditions.

 

 

Mother and Son at the Silver Center.

March 18: “This one-act play portrays the hilarious and poignant relationship between a Jewish mother and her gay son.  The play is based on the conversations that writer/actor Jeffrey Solomon had with his mother and follows the woman’s struggles to accept her son’s homosexuality and to come out to herself as the mother of a gay man.” Join us for a Siam Smile dinner at 5:00 p.m. Contact Phyllis or Mitch, if you want a place at the table.

  

Committee Meeting

            The Actvities Committee will meet next on March 21, ten minutes after our Special Celebration.

 

            Phylis Rockwell and Mitch Manseau

            Co- Chairs

 

 

 

 

 

Fundraising Committee

           

Auction on Saturday  March 20

 

Our SKUUF Auction is scheduled for March 20.  There are forms in the foyer to use to identify your contribution, whether goods or services.   Turn the forms in to the people listed on the form.   For more information see Marcia VanderMast, Danni Simon, Bev Seavey or George Maloof.

 

We missed the yard sale last year so dig deep and bring in a nice auction item. Avoid clothing unless it’s handmade and practically new. 

 

You can bring your items in early since we have lots of space to store them before the auction.  Goods may be deposited in the back room opposite the elevator downstairs. Bring your items in during Regina’s office hours if possible, 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

 

We’ll need volunteers for desserts and coffee set up.  Still need a few more people to donate desserts. Sign up sheet for this is in the foyer.

 

Line Dancing
Friday, March 5, 6:00—7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 28, 4:30—6:00 p.m.

 

 Join us for line dancing in the Fellowship Hall on the first Friday and the fourth Sunday of each month.   This is a nice low key cardio exercise that almost anyone can do.   This group is not restricted to Skuffers so if you know of others who might be interested let them know about it as well.

For more information contact George Maloof .

 

George Maloof

 

 

 

 

 

Crafters’ Emporium –

June 12, 10:00 a.m.-2 :00 p.m.

Fellowship Hall

       Spring Cleaning?  Sweater you’ll never knit? Painting that takes too much energy?  Consider getting rid of all those craft projects that you KNOW you’ll never do, and pass them on. Donations will help get us our kitchen a lot sooner!  At the same time you can pick up summer projects for yourself or your kids. Tables will also be available for you to sell your craft supplies  at $15 to $20 a space.  Tell your friends – this is for the whole community!

        Can you help?!  We will need help organizing and pricing items the week before, and selling and cashiering that day.  If you can assist, please contact:
            Mary Tierney
            George Maloof
            Phyllis Rockwell

 

 

Worship and Music

 

Sunday readers for March and April are: 

 

 

Paul Tierney—March 7

Gary Walker—March 14

Danni Simon—March 21

Gigi Estes—March 28

 

Betty Ann Trought—April 4

Bill Trought—April 11

Janet Doner—April 18

Marcia VanderMast—April 25

 

 

 

 

Tips for Healthy Eating 

 · Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil it, or grill it.

· In a restaurant, opt for steamed, grilled, or broiled dishes instead of those that are fried or sautéed.

· Look for foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol. Most of the fats you eat should come from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, such as those found in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.

· Look for foods high in potassium (unless your health care professional has told you to restrict the amount of potassium you eat). Potassium counteracts some of the effects of salt on blood pressure.

· Choose foods and beverages low in added sugars. Read the ingredient list to make sure that added sugars are not one of the first few ingredients. (Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight. Those in the largest amounts are listed first.) Some names for added sugars include sucrose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, maple syrup, and fructose. Thus no sodas and only 1 cup of fruit juice a day.

Pick foods that provide dietary fiber, like  whole fruits, beans, vegetables, and whole grains. The “juices” don’t substitute.

Betty Ann Trought with help from FDA’s Consumer Update

 

Circle Dinners

Sam and Virginia Miller are offering their home for a Circle Dinner on March 13.   A sign up sheet is in the foyer.

 

We are still looking for hosts for April.   If interested, Please contact Sue Appleton to get details of what is involved and to book a date .

Suzanne Appleton

Membership Committee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Newsletter Deadline

 

            The deadline for the April Newsletter is Sunday, March 14. 

            Please send all items, committee reports, notice of events and activities to Barbara Avery.

           

 

Remember to Recycle Cans

 

           Remember to bring your aluminum cans to SKUUF.  Let us continue to recycle for the good of SKUUF and the planet.  Those cans SKUUF collects and recycles help the work of our Fellowship.