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Summer 2008 Volume 59, No. 7 The Hamilton Unitarian The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton Established 1889 Continued on page 4 Slivers from the Board September Newsletter Deadline August 18 Please send submissions to [email protected] Contact Information and Index Page 2 Summer Service listings, page 3 Given the lack of time between our last retreat and the deadline for publication, I am submitting Slivers, not Splinters. The implication of this is that this is not the voice of the Board except for bare facts since they won’t as usual have time to edit in detail. (I make them a little nervous... ) We have quite an ongoing debate at the Board about Splinters and the privi- lege of using it. One view is that it should be a neutral document reflecting as much as possible the sim- ple reporting of the business of the Board. By limiting it in this way the privilege of being a board member is minimized and the board business is likely more open to the influence of the con- gregation. The other view is that re- vealed personal agendas and tone of voice serve transpar- ency and help to reduce the mystique of leadership. It may be seen as a way for the congregation to get to know the folks who represent them, which may encourage dialogue. Now, if time permitted, the members of the Board would weigh in and make sure that I had just presented both sides fully and fairly. That would be after the debate about whether this was a worthy topic. Time does not permit and so you are getting the gist of this example of the level of concern the board exercises in regard to integrity, the perception of integrity, and the desire to present the facts in such a way that they are com- plete and can’t be misunderstood. To complicate things, in our congre- gation it is virtually impossible to avoid offence. If the linguist purist doesn’t get you the politically correct purist will. It is hard to avoid criticism. The Board has spent a monumental amount of time producing the report to reflect the discernment process. During the months of April, May and June many of us were gathered and benefited from the workshops. I could go on for pages describing in pithy details how I have moved along personally and in my ability to respond to the variety of voices in the congregation. Suffice to say I now can trust enough to allow my- self to feel. We who attended have, for the most part, worked through conflict and now trust as a result of that work. The level of trust will vary. What I do believe to be true is that despite our individual personal experiences we believe all con- gregants and staff must be treated with equal respect and not be marginalized within our beloved community. What is difficult is to act on that belief and assume the re- sponsibility to ask for that respect and behave with cour- tesy when asking for and re- sponding to requests for changes in behaviour. This is huge. If we can do this we can do anything. My concern at this time is for those of you who were not there. We should have varied times for folks to attend and it was not possible for our Minister to at- tend. Now how can we all get on the same page? The report which you will receive is an in-house document not designed for the public. We are going to reveal as much as From left to right: Don McFadyen, Doreen Knol, Pat Dickinson, Kath McIntyre, Cathy McPherson-Doe, Gail Rappolt and Mel Webber We need more photos like this. See The Face of First U... page 6.

The Hamilton Unitarian · The Hamilton Unitarian The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton Established 1889 Continued on page 4 ... 16 Chalice Families – News from Children’s Religious

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Summer 2008

Volume 59, No. 7

The Hamilton Unitarian

The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton Established 1889

Continued on page 4

Slivers from the Board

September Newsletter Deadline August 18 Please send submissions to [email protected]

Contact Information and Index Page 2

Summer Service listings, page 3

Given the lack of time between our last retreat and the deadline for publication, I am submitting Slivers, not Splinters. The implication of this is that this is not the voice of the Board except for bare facts since they won’t as usual have time to edit in detail. (I make them a little nervous... )

We have quite an ongoing debate at the Board about Splinters and the privi-lege of using it. One view is that it should be a neutral document reflecting as much as possible the sim-ple reporting of the business of the Board. By limiting it in this way the privilege of being a board member is minimized and the board business is likely more open to the influence of the con-gregation.

The other view is that re-vealed personal agendas and tone of voice serve transpar-ency and help to reduce the mystique of leadership. It may be seen as a way for the congregation to get to know the folks who represent them, which may encourage dialogue.

Now, if time permitted, the members of the Board would weigh in and make sure that I had just presented both sides fully and fairly. That would be after the debate about whether this was a worthy

topic. Time does not permit and so you are getting the gist of this example of the level of concern the board exercises in regard to integrity, the perception of integrity, and the desire to present the facts in such a way that they are com-plete and can’t be misunderstood.

To complicate things, in our congre-gation it is virtually impossible to avoid offence. If the linguist purist doesn’t get you the politically correct purist will. It is hard to avoid criticism.

The Board has spent a monumental amount of time producing the report to reflect the discernment process. During the months of April, May and June many of us were gathered and benefited from the workshops. I could go on for

pages describing in pithy details how I have moved along personally and in my ability to respond to the variety of voices in the congregation. Suffice to say I now can trust enough to allow my-self to feel.

We who attended have, for the most part, worked through conflict and now trust as a result of that work. The level of trust will vary. What I do believe to be true is that despite our individual personal experiences we believe all con-

gregants and staff must be treated with equal respect and not be marginalized within our beloved community. What is difficult is to act on that belief and assume the re-sponsibility to ask for that respect and behave with cour-tesy when asking for and re-sponding to requests for changes in behaviour. This is huge. If we can do this we can do anything. My concern at this time is for those of you who were not there. We should have varied times for folks to attend and it

was not possible for our Minister to at-tend. Now how can we all get on the same page? The report which you will receive is an in-house document not designed for the public.

We are going to reveal as much as

From left to right: Don McFadyen, Doreen Knol, Pat Dickinson, Kath McIntyre, Cathy McPherson-Doe, Gail Rappolt and Mel Webber We need more photos like this. See The Face of First U... page 6.

Page The Hamilton Unitarian June 2008

Our website: http://firstunitarianhamilton.org/ Check it out!

Personnel do change. Please inform the office of any errors, omissions or changes.

Contact Information

MINISTER: Rev. Allison Barrett (on parental leave) 905-527-8441 ext.223

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD PRESIDENT ...................................................... Kath McIntyre VICE-PRESIDENT: ............................................... Doreen Knol TREASURERS: ............................. Gail Rappolt & Mel Webber MEMBERS: .............. Don McFadyen, Cathy McPherson-Doe SECRETARY: .................................................... Pat Dickinson

OFFICE MANAGER: Melina ............................................... 905-527-8441 ext.221 Email .............................. [email protected] PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Julie .................................................. 905-527-8441 ext.222 Email .................................. [email protected] MUSIC DIRECTOR: Rachel .............................................. 905-527-8441 ext.224 Email .............................. [email protected]

LEADERSHIP & ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEES: Management ................................................... Doreen Knol Congregational Health...................... Karen Trollope-Kumar Nominating ...................................................... Ginny Megin Strategic Planning ............................................... Bill Fulton Pastoral Care Task Force ........................... Don McFadyen

THE CLUSTERS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT REPS:

FELLOWSHIP – BARB WALLACE Adult Potluck .............................................. Sheila Brockest Book Group ................................................ Dawn Ludbrook Coffee Helpers ................................................. Mary Beech Library......................................................... Sheila Brockest Membership ................................................. Daphne Payne Newcomers Coordinator................................ Ali Steinbergs Women’s Group ...................... Aukje Byker & Anne Bokma Young Adult Potluck ........................................... Kate Hicks

OUTREACH – MARGARET MCFADYEN Denominational Affairs ................................... Nora Prosser Lay Chaplaincy ........................................... Renate Manthei Social Justice & Green Sanctuary ................... Bill Johnston Fair Trade ............................ Jen Dawson & Jennifer Purdie Mental Health .......................................................... inactive UU-UN Office ............................................... Raman Kumar Welcoming Congregation ........................................ inactive

PASTORAL – BILL FULTON Benevolent Fund ................................................... Bill Fulton Joys and Concerns ................................................ Pat Oertel Shared Ministry Groups ........................................ Beryl Pegg

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION – MARILYN HUNT Adult Religious Education ................................. Bill Johnston Children’s R.E. Council ......................................... Ann Loree Our Whole Lives (OWL) ........................................ Kati Ivanyi Youth Group ............................. Jeff Mahoney, Stephen Park

SACRED SPACES – LESLIE KAYE Property/Grounds. .............................................. Mel Webber Sound Team .............................. Craig Hanson & Gary Hicks

STEWARDSHIP – ROY DICKINSON Canvass ..................................... Michele Corbeil & Mary Eve Fall Festival ................................ Anne Bokma & Lee Inkster Finance ............................................................ Jennifer Kaye Volunteer Development ............................................. inactive

WORSHIP – PAT OERTEL Choir Director .................................................... Cindy Carey Church Services ........................... Ed Canning & Lyla Miklos Music .................................................................. Cathy Grisé Worship Assistants. .................................Ann Craig-Howarth

LAY CHAPLAIN: Barbara Jepson ............................................... 905-304-0559

1 Slivers from the Board 2 Contact Information 3 Sunday Services listings 4 Slivers from the Board, continued Board calendar as of April 30, 2008 A big thank you from Mary Beech Thank you, Ron Doyle A note of thanks Church offices closed for the summer 5 From your Management Committee New Safety Manual Library reminder Newsletter subscription form 6 Green Tips The Face of First Unitarian 7 Hamilton’s gold-box challenge Denominational Affairs 8 Getting along without going along 9 Adult education courses Women’s group on hiatus

10 Our Shared Ministry Groups Food for Thought Book Group Hijacked Future: an Update from USC Canada 11 A Note from the Congregational Health Committee

The Pastoral Care Task Force wants your story Kairos Conference, The Geography of Hope 12 Canvass 2008 and 2009 13 Canvass continued Fall Festival Potluck July 22 The Music Committee is taking requests Come to the Speakeasy salon Summer Music Nights 14 Calling all gardeners! MADcamp notice Escape to Vermont Potluck Withdrawal, Village Potluck, July 16, 6:00 p.m. Blooms for Africa Weekend Garden Tour 15 July and August Calendars 16 Chalice Families – News from Children’s Religious Education

The Hamilton Unitarian June 2008 Page

Our website: http://firstunitarianhamilton.org/ Check it out!

3

July 6 – Reflections on Discernment Speakers: The Board of Directors, First Unitarian Church Service Leader: Mel Webber Music: June Caskey In mid-2007 our Church made a commitment to undertake a discernment process as a congregation. We have just finished a series of congregational retreats that started in December. What is the purpose of our journey and where is it taking us? Your Board will present this service in an effort to contribute to transparency and bring clarity to the discernment process.

July 13 – All I Really Know About Being a Universalist I Learned From My Dog Speaker: Mark Zenchuck Service Leader: Roy Dahl Music: Mark Zenchuck and Roy Dahl Some of us identify strongly with the Universalist side of our faith’s duality, yet it receives little press in comparison to our Unitarian pedigree. Today, Universalism gets the spot light and what better educators on the subject could we possibly find then our own canine companions? When it comes to walking the talk here, perhaps we should all be more like those people whose dogs take them for a walk. Please bring your dogs as they will be an integral part of this service!

July 20 – Happiness as a Spiritual Practice Speaker: Don McFadyen Service Leader: Jennifer Kaye Music: Jim Barrett What is happiness? Does it depend on circumstances? Does it come from inside? This service will explore the idea that the practices relevant to the pursuit of true happiness parallel those practices essential to spiritual development. We will discover that happiness is an engaging and accessible spiri-tual pathway.

July 27 – Is There Nothing You Would Die for? Speaker: Bill Johnston Service Leader: Leslie Kaye Music: Cathy Grisé, Joanne Dear and The Hamilton First Summer Choir This question comes from James Reeb, one of hundreds of Unitarian Universalists who risked their lives in 1965 to join Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama, to march for vot-ing rights for African Americans. Robert Hemstreet, one of our former Hamilton First ministers (1964–68), was among them. Two brave UUs were murdered before the march ended. Through the story of this extraordinary moment in UU history, we'll explore core values, ultimate commitments and moral courage.

August 3 – Change Yourself, Change Your Community, Change the World Speaker: Kevin MacKay Service Leader: Jennifer Kaye Music: Pamela Marques Sky Dragon Co-Op Founder and Mohawk College professor Kevin MacKay focuses on how we can take responsibility for the life and world we want. Kevin combines theories of social change with personal experiences as an activist and

community organizer. Through discovering responsibility, creativity and solidarity, Kevin will demonstrate how we can be catalysts for positive change.

August 10 – Learning to Live More Simply Speaker: Karen Trollope-Kumar Service Leader: Pat Dickinson Music: Tim Versteeg In this service, Karen Trollope-Kumar explores the voluntary simplicity movement that is inspiring millions worldwide to examine their lives and to pare away the non-essential. As we embrace a philosophy of living more simply, we allow space for lives of greater depth and grace.

August 17 – From Racovia to Walden Pond: Unitarians and Utopias Speaker: Tim Versteeg Service Leader: Michelle Corbeil Music Ministry: Mary Ann Forbes and Jim Barrett In 1569, during a period of religious tolerance in Poland, a group of Unitarians founded the town of Raków, which for almost a hundred years was a centre of progressive religious thinking in Reformation Europe. Almost 300 years later, in 1845, Henry David Thoreau began his experiment at Walden Pond, the story of which still inspires Unitarians and non-Unitarians alike. As Unitarians we are called to make the most of our lives and our world. These two stories from our history illustrate how collectively and individually we have attempted to make our “heaven” on Earth.

August 24 – Harry Potter: A How-To Guide on Speaking Truth to Power Service Leaders: Professors Kulcher, Miklos, Silverglen and Steinbergs Music: Voices and Songs of Freedom from Across the Globe This Intergenerational Service will explore our relationship with power by examining how J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter saga speaks directly to our Unitarian principles of justice, equity, liberty and democracy. Come dressed as your favour-ite Harry Potter character or real life freedom fighter. Arrive early so the Sorting Hat can assign you to your Hogwart's School House. Bring an amulet of power to place in our caul-dron for a special ritual. Hear inspirational stories about real children and youths who have valiantly fought against abuses of power.

August 31 – Music For Its Own Sake Music Minister: Rachel Derry Service Leader: Beverly Horton Music: Various members, adherents and friends of the congregation This is our special end of summer all music service, where the many musicians in our community share their many gifts. If you are interested in participating in this service please contact Rachel Derry, our church’s Music Director, at [email protected] by no later than August 24.

Sunday Services 10:30 AM—all are welcome 

Summer Sunday Services 

Page The Hamilton Unitarian June 2008

Our website: http://firstunitarianhamilton.org/ Check it out!

for the office volunteers Dave Gaylor, Craig Hanson, Brad Berquist,

Caroline King and Angela Gaspari for their continued dedication. A thank you also for the members of the newsletter team: Doreen Knol, Leslie Kaye, Angela Conlin, Ruth Pollard, Val Ramsey, Doris Wells, Dawn Ludbrook and others that have as-sisted throughout the year.

We are grateful for each and every

one of them and we literally cannot thank them enough for giving of their time and talents. I enjoyed getting to know all of you, working with all of you and the laughs along the way.

Volunteers are the “key” to our success!

Enjoy your summer and I hope to see you all in September.

Melina, Office Manager

4

Slivers possible so that those who were not in attendance will know what went on. It will not be adequate. It will be the best we can do. It won’t be adequate because some won’t read it because they just don’t read that stuff. Some will figure it is a propaganda document promoting one side or the other. Some won’t read it because it will reveal that the church isn’t perfect. It won’t be adequate be-cause it can’t contain the degree of love, pain, passion and goodwill which was

present at each and every retreat. My heart aches for those of you who

were not able to attend. I want you to somehow get to feel what I feel. Please read the report and more importantly talk to those who attended.

Oh Yes! One of our new rules/ideas is that it is not wise to complain until you have said five nice things about me. That makes it easier to trust that I am being cared for.

Stay Calm, Be Brave, and Watch For The Signs

Kathryn

Board Calendar as of April 30, 2008

May 3: Congregational Retreat 9:00–3:00 St. John Anglican May 6: Board Meeting 7:00–9:00 First Unitarian

May 24: Congregational Retreat 9:00–3:00 First Unitarian May 25: Waterloo Dedication 10:30 a.m. Waterloo May 27: Deep Chair 7:00 pm. Kathryn McIntyre’s

June 7: Congregational Retreat 9:00–3:00 First Unitarian June 14: Congregational Retreat 9:00–3:00 First Unitarian

June 17: Dinner Meeting 5:30 Gail Rappolt’s June 17: Triad Meeting 7:30 First Unitarian

August 12: Board Meeting 7:00 First Unitarian September 2: Board Meeting 7:00 First Unitarian

A big “Thank you” to Ron Doyle for the lovely new coffee table in the foyer

seating area, made with solid oak left over from the pews.

Thank you, Ron Doyle

First 2008 Fall Festival Silent Auction Winner

Congrats and a big “thank you” to Michele Corbeil, top bidder for the mini-vacation at Unicamp featured by your Fall Festival Committee in the silent auction that ran over the past few weeks.

Think of it as a sneak preview of this year’s Fall Festival to be held Satur-day, Nov. 15. Highlights: a scintillat-ing stage show, silent and live auc-tions, dinner and the usual good com-pany! Watch for newsletter announce-ments in the coming months.

A reminder that all monies raised in our Fall Festival are contributed to the church’s operating budget.

- Your Fall Festival Committee

To all who gave their cheerful support to the “Tea and Coffee Hour” this past year. I enjoyed getting to know you and we did have a few good chuckles and a lot of camaraderie while doing a mun-dane but necessary chore.

Have a great summer.

Sincerely, Mary Beech

A BIG Thank You

continued from page 1

A NOTE OF THANKS All church offices are closed for

July and August.

This includes the Administration Office, Music Office and Program Office.

The Hamilton Unitarian June 2008 Page

Our website: http://firstunitarianhamilton.org/ Check it out!

Sunday

Library Hours

10:15 - 12:00 noon

Please remember to sign out

all books

Please send me the monthly newsletter for a trial period of three months

I would like to subscribe to the monthly newsletter for one year. I am en-closing a $20 cheque payable to The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton.

Please note my change of address or telephone number below. Name: ……………………………………………………………………….. Address: ……………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………... Postal code: ……………………………Telephone: ………………………. Email address: ………………………………………..……………………...

From your Management Committee

5

The Management Committee has put together a Safety Manual derived from material published by an American in-surance firm, Church Mutual Insurance

Company of Wisconsin. There is much pertinent and impor-

tant information, along with safety checklists, in this material. It raises many important issues and concerns of which the whole church should be aware. The issues raised can spark rec-ognition of other areas of concern spe-cific to our institution.

Management asks that the chairs or leaders of every committee look through the red safety manual binder, located on top of the Mailbox shelf

with the first aid kit, to familiarize themselves with this material. The ma-terial can be photocopied.

The binder also exists in PDF format and specific chapters or the whole binder can be emailed to anyone who wants a copy. Please contact Leslie Kaye for any or all of this material. Leslie Kaye for the Management Committee

Here comes summer and the church activities are moving into “summer” mode.

However, your Management Com-mittee will continue to meet over the summer to do some thinking about next year—how we can fulfill our mandate better, perhaps even look at what our mandate should be—a part of our dis-cerning what we believe will be best for the whole congregation.

We have three primary foci: 1. how to develop the communica-

tions network from committees to the Management Committee and from the Management Committee back to the committees we serve;

2. how to work effectively with ad-ministration on the daily operation of the church;

3. and how to create a church calendar that will inform everyone—committee chairs, members, rent-als, administration—about what’s happening and act as a checkpoint for planning events, courses, so-cials/fund raisers, and any other activities that need to be coordi-nated at the church.

For example, we will try to keep you informed of changes in leadership, new task forces, and who needs volunteers.

Below is an example of who needs vol-unteers (something to think about over the summer!):

Enjoy your summer! And if you have any questions or concerns, please let us know. Doreen Knol, on behalf of the Management Commit-tee: Doreen Knol, Leslie Kaye, Margaret McFadyen, Barb Wallace, Roy Dickinson, Bill Fulton, Pat Oertel and Marilyn Hunt.

Position Contact Person Worship Assistants Ann Craig-Howard Communication Task Force Members Doreen Knol and Roy Dickinson Luncheon Task Force Members Barb Wallace Office Volunteers Melina Chair of Lay Chaplaincy Margaret McFadyen Newcomer Coordinator Ali Steinbergs

SAFETY MANUAL

New Safety Manual

Volunteers needed

Page The Hamilton Unitarian June 2008

Our website: http://firstunitarianhamilton.org/ Check it out!

No matter how involved you are in this church, there are still some faces you can’t put a name to.

At the congregational retreat May 24, those gathered agreed that we should create a wall of photos of every-one in the church. Pictures with names and perhaps a bit of biographical infor-mation. So we’ll all more easily know

each other. Bring a snapshot of yourself that

you are prepared to part with and drop it in the box marked “church photos” in the foyer or, during the summer, put it in the social action mailbox by the washrooms. We'll start mounting them on a notice board as soon as we have a good handful.

Shots from our past If you have any photos of church activi-ties, from as recent as last week or as far back as the dawn of this church in 1889, we’d love to have or borrow them. The May 24 congregational re-

treat decided we should revamp the history wall in the hall into the chil-dren's religious education area with more photos and memories. If you have photos or written memories of the church at any point in its history, drop them into box in the foyer marked “Church photos” or during the summer, pop them into the social action mailbox by the washrooms. Make sure your name and phone number are on the back.

If you have any questions about either of these photo projects, contact Sue Stewart Greene or Bill Johnston.

The face of First Unitarian Church of Hamilton

Green tips: Keep cool this summer, save energy and maybe win something too

6

The Social Justice Committee is encour-aging everyone in the church who pays a hydro bill to sign up for the Every Kilowatt Counts Summer Sweepstakes contest, put on by local electrical utili-ties. To encourage efforts to reduce en-ergy use, utilities are offering some cool prizes for everyone who manages to use 10 per cent less electricity this summer compared to July and August, 2007.

Just for signing up for the contest, congregants are eligible for a prize from the social justice committee and Hori-zon Utilities has kindly offered a free compact fluorescent bulb each. When you sign up, notify the committee at [email protected] or sign the signup sheet on the green sanctuary bulletin board to the south of our main doors. Everyone who signs up, regardless of their energy use, is eligible for a draw the committee will hold at the end of the summer for a prize.

And if you don’t pay for your own electricity, you can still sign up for the social justice committee draw. Just send us a description of the smartest thing or things you are doing to reduce your en-ergy use and you'll be entered in the draw. And we’ll publish some of the ideas in a newsletter in the fall.

Label your description “Smart Energy Actions” and send it by email to [email protected]

or pop it into the social action mail box in the foyer by the washrooms. (Anyone can submit a Smart Energy Action.)

To sign up for the Every Kilowatt Counts Summer Sweepstakes, go to http://www.everykilowattcounts.com/ or call 1-800-322-7417, before July 15. You'll need the account number from a recent electricity bill when you sign up.

Nine steps to cut your electricity use this summer Electricity use is typically at its highest in summer in Ontario. It’s largely due to air conditioning, which can account for up to half of your summer bill. 1. Keep the heat out. During the day,

close windows and blinds to keep the sun out. At night, use fans to blow in cool air. Shading south facing win-dows with deciduous trees or awnings is even better.

2. Fans are much cheaper than air con-ditioning. A central air conditioner will use about 100 times more energy than a fan on medium speed.

3. Proper maintenance of your air con-ditioner can increase efficiency by 5-10 per cent. Clean the outside com-pressor with a hose, remove debris that blocks air flow. Clean the air fil-ters regularly. With central air, make sure ducts are regularly cleaned, for health reasons as well as for efficient

air flow, and make sure there are no leaks.

4. Shade your air conditioner from di-rect sunlight.

5. When you do use your air condi-tioner, set it to 25ºC or above. Raising the setting by one degree can lower your electricity bill by 5 per cent.

6. Replace incandescent lights with compact fluorescent bulbs, which not only use less energy but also give off much less heat.

7. Use a microwave instead of a stove if you must cook indoors when it’s hot. Microwaves reduce energy use by about two-thirds and produce less waste heats than stoves.

8. Vacuum the coils of your refrigerator to keep it running efficiently. Keep the doors closed as much as possible.

9. Do laundry in cold water (modern detergents are designed for cool washes.) Don’t use a clothes dryer, hang laundry to dry.

As electricity use rises in the sum-

mer, the province brings online its dirti-est power generators, coal-fired plants like Nanticoke. So reducing your energy use not only reduces your hydro bill and gives you a chance to win a prize, it also cuts the production of deadly air pollut-ants and of greenhouse gases that con-tribute to global warming.

The Hamilton Unitarian June 2008 Page

Our website: http://firstunitarianhamilton.org/ Check it out!

7

The Social Justice Committee, in its envi-ronmental work, is encouraging the maxi-mum possible reduction in our congrega-tion's environmental footprint. That in-cludes greatly reducing the amount of garbage we throw out at the church and instead recycling or green binning much more of it. Congregant Marnee Maroes and her family just won City Hall recogni-tion for how seriously they recycle, as described here:

Last year, our family entered the Gold Box Challenge. To do this, we went to www.hamilton.ca/goldbox, and filled out the ballot. Entries also are accepted by mail and at the local municipal service centres.

Once you’ve entered, your household might be selected as one of the six that are audited each month. They called to let us know that we had been selected, so that we wouldn’t be startled when a pick-up came early one morning and took all of our garbage, recycling and the con-tents of our green cart.

These brave city workers sort through

all of the waste and provide the audited homes with a report on how they’re do-ing, in terms of diverting as much as pos-sible. All homes that have successfully diverted 65% (the city’s overall target) get the coveted Gold Boxes (well, they’re yellow).

We, at 86% diversion, also won the money prize for the most diversion that month, $122, which is meant to represent what it costs a family to dispose of their waste each year (e.g., in garbage bags, blue bags, and compost bags). My part-ner and son also got to go to City Hall to collect the prize and have their picture taken. Our city councilor announced the win in our local paper.

The audit report was the part of the gold box contest I was most interested in. We learned that several of the plastics we were putting in the box are not recy-clable, such as Ziploc bags, molded plas-tic (the kind you rip off of cardboard-backed packaging), saran wrap, and any kind of plastic wrapping

that is not easily stretchable.

Some of the strategies that work in our house include:

• keeping a compost bag in the bathrooms and laundry room for any Kleenex, cotton swabs, paper towel, or dryer lint

• we got rid of our big garbage bin, and put a small one under the sink.

• we also put the green bin under the sink, so it’s as handy as the garbage bin.

• we keep our two (now “gold”) recy-cling boxes near the kitchen. In our house, this is close at hand, so that most things can immediately be rinsed as needed and put into the correct bin (containers or paper).

• stopping and thinking, “Is it really garbage?”

More information on what goes where can be found at: www.myhamilton.ca/myhamilton/CityandGovernment/CityDepartments/PublicWorks/WasteManagement/

Marnee Maroes for the Maroes/Yeulett/Van Bakel household

Hamilton’s Gold-Box Challenge A way to win money while diverting waste from the landfill!

Denominational Affairs Summer is upon us and gardens, vaca-tion plans and, for many of us, Unicamp beckon (if you’ve never been to “Our Camp,” check out the brochure and try an overnight or a weekend this summer).

The Annual Conference and Meeting (ACM) in Ottawa was a great success, with over 600 registrants of all ages. For the 15 Hamilton members who attended, including our full complement of five delegates, it was a rewarding experience. Each of us had our minds and hearts moved and challenged and I’m sure that you will be hearing more about it all in the fall.

Comments on the ACM from Hamil-ton members:

• Experiencing several worship ser-vices in three days was healing and inspiring;

• Joining with fellow Unitarians from other provinces and countries in workshops, mealtimes, area congre-

gational gatherings and socials re-newed my pride in being a UU;

• Hearing that congregations in other places have problems and chal-lenges similar to our own—and how they cope with them—was comfort-ing and affirming;

• Connecting with people I met at CUUL School was a high point;

• It was interesting to learn more about how CUC serves all our con-gregations across Canada;

• The Confluence Lecture on the cri-ses our world is experiencing and our responsibilities was really in-spiring;

• The Annual (business) Meetings were interesting and helped us un-derstand what the CUC board mem-bers and staff actually do, much the same as our church board and staff, but on a larger scale: I was proud to speak and to vote on behalf of our Hamilton church;

• The workshop sessions were well-designed and presented and great learning opportunities;

• The multi-generational Ingathering and Closing Ceremonies were quite wonderful, with loving warmth and energy from our Youth and Young Adults filling the room;

• We are looking forward to the Re-gional Fall Gathering in Guelph in November and plan to go to the ACM next year in Thunder Bay.

Do mark the Regional Fall Gathering in Guelph, November 14–16, on your calendar and plan to attend with your family. All ages are included and al-though the Friday evening gathering and Sunday morning worship service are well worth the effort, Saturday is for the main program and workshops, with an optional festive dinner in the evening. Planning for car-pooling will be a must for this gathering of the Central Ontario congregations. Watch for details in Sep-tember.

Nora Prosser, Denominational Affairs Rep

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8

by Don McFadyen Facilitator and member of the Adult Religious Education Committee

Peter Steinke argues that a group of people is a system in which A & B are mutual influences on each other and mutually maintain the interaction. Steinke argues that it is natural that there will be anxiety in the system around those interactions and that this anxiety will frequently lead to knee-jerk reactions rather than intentional and productive responses.

He suggests three steps to help us step aside from the reactivity: self-differentiation; organizing around vi-sion, not anxiety; and helping others to refocus.

The self-defined take responsibility for their thoughts and feelings. They do not define themselves against others; they define themselves to others. The workshop suggested several strategies for becoming more aware of and taking

responsibility for our thoughts and feel-ings.

One such strategy involves remind-ing ourselves that thoughts are just thoughts. We are the ones who have the thoughts. We can choose to distinguish between ourselves who have the thoughts and the thoughts themselves. We do not have to buy into them or be-come involved with them. We do not have to let them define how we think about ourselves and others. Achieving this distance between ourselves and our thoughts allows us to stand back and examine our thoughts. It allows us to ask questions such as: What judgments are we presently holding that restrict how we live our lives? What judgments do we need to give up the most? What would happen if we gave up these judg-ments?

Other strategies include: changing negative self-talk to more reasonable thoughts; managing our feelings on a conscious level; taking ownership for “getting along;” redefining the problem to recognize that everyone involved in the problem is mutually responsible for creating the problem.

The self-defined have a plan. They create options. They ask questions. Ef-fective plans are rooted in the ability to identify our passion, our vision, our purpose, our values. Our values provide a reference point for making choices. They help us to stand strong against personal whims, outside pressures and mutual reactivity all of which work against the realization of our dream. If nothing is special to us, every demand on our time and energy is equally valid.

To help identify your dream ask yourself how you would most like to be as someone in an intimate relationship, as a parent, as a family member, as a friend. What do you want to stand for in your work? What type of learner do you want to be? What is meaningful to you about the activities you engage in for recreation and leisure? What will you do to take care of your health? How would you like to contribute to society? What do you most want to be about in the spiritual area of your life? For those areas that are both important to you and

manifested in your life, be grateful for this source of strength in your life and give priority to these activities in your life.

For those areas that are important to you and are not as well manifested in your life as they might , be grateful that you have these points of growth in your life and plan to do one thing differently in each of these areas that will move you towards your dream.

The self-defined are able to show empathy and to help others focus on challenge, not comfort. Of all the strate-gies for achieving step three the most basic is to treat fellow church members with respect. People need to feel valued and respected as individuals.

When people are treated as if they have little to contribute, they lose inter-est in doing a good job. Look for oppor-tunities to recognize those things a per-son really does well or potentially could do well. Give thanks for a job well done. Express genuine interest in the viewpoints and needs of others. Look for ways to help others. Other strategies include: focusing on the situation, not the person; being part of the solution; being prepared to deal with anxiety on a conscious level; helping others to rede-fine the problem.

This workshop will be offered again on Saturday, November 22.

Getting along without going along

A synopsis of the workshop presented by the Adult Religious Education

Committee, May 10, 2008

Reality is more complex than a tidy theory. Nevertheless, a theory helps us to organize complexity. From a place of reference, we put the forces at play into a coherent pattern. We see how things are connected; we make sense of what is happening. And we become more aware of how we might re-spond and where we might aim our efforts.

...System thinking considers the interrelatedness of the parts. In-stead of seeing isolated, unrelated parts, we look at the whole. For example, a small child looking at a house from different angles sees different objects. She lives with the illusion of seeing separate pieces that do not fit together. As her per-ceptual mastery increases, she will recognize that the different angles of view are parts of the same house. She will observe the house as a whole.

Peter Steinke, How Your Church Family Works, Understanding Congregations as Emotional Systems

cause effect

Straight-line Thinking

System Thinking

mutually influenced

A B

B

A

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The First Unitarian Women’s Group met monthly throughout the past year to dis-cuss various topics and connect with one another. Thanks to all the facilitators who made these meetings happen. Each meet-ing was a very positive experience thanks to the enthusiastic participation of the women who attended.

This group is meant to be self-sustaining with different facilitators organizing each meeting. While we had a lot of great facili-tators throughout the year, it’s been diffi-cult to find new facilitators to carry the torch for future meetings. For this reason, the Women’s Group will be on hiatus in the fall. If anyone is interested in helping

to organize future meetings, that would be terrific. We have plenty of information on what’s worked in the past and would be happy to assist in any way we can.

Please feel free to contact either Anne Bokma or Aukje Byker for more informa-tion.

Have a wonderful summer, everyone! Anne Bokma

A full session of adult religious educa-tion courses is being planned for this fall.

The preliminary schedule features a couple of new courses and some repeats of courses that have proved popular.

Also listed below are some of the ideas the adult religious education com-mittee is working on as possible offer-ings for the winter/spring session of 2009. If you see a course you might like to help with, contact a member of the committee.

Fall 2008 Spiritual Practice Support Group: Provides an opportunity to pause and consider the significance of spirituality in our daily lives, to experience a vari-ety of spiritual practices and to share experiences with spiritual practice. Eve-ryone is welcome.

Second and fourth Thursdays of each month, September through November, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 Facilitator: Don McFadyen

Introduction to Archetypes: A six-session Introduction to Jungian Psychol-ogy, exploring Carl Jung’s theories of archetypes through examples found in myths, dreams, fairy tales, art and litera-ture.

Tuesday afternoons, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., October 7 to November 11. Facilitator: Dr. Caroline King Limited to 10 participants

Happiness Is A Choice: An explora-tion of unconditional happiness, happi-ness that does not depend on the exter-nal conditions of our lives, but is gener-ated from within. Participants will learn about taking ownership of our happi-ness, managing our negative thoughts,

practicing loving-kindness, honouring the wisdom of our body, listening to our inner voice, finding our passion and cultivating nourishing relationships. Participants will also be introduced to mindfulness and meditation.

Thursdays, 7 to 9 p.m. October 9 to November 13. Facilitator: Don McFadyen

Articulating Your UU Faith: A two-session exploration of Unitarian Uni-versalism, including principles, history and our vision of community. Devel-oped for the Unitarian Universalist As-sociation, this course has the practical goal of helping participants get clearer about, and more comfortable explaining, what our religion is all about.

Saturday October 19 and Saturday October 25, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Facilitator: Bill Johnston

Getting Along Without Going Along: Exploring how churches function as systems to help us better understand how to be together less anxiously and more effectively. (See the article on page 8.)

Saturday November 22, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring your own lunch Facilitator: Don McFadyen

An Introduction to Myers Briggs November 25, 7 to 9:30 p.m. Facilitator: Gail Rappolt

Valerie Nielsen is also interested in pro-viding another writing series this fall, with subject and time yet to be deter-mined.

Full details of fall courses will be in the September newsletter.

Fall into some great adult education courses

Possible winter/spring 2009 courses - Spiritual Practices Support Group Facilitator: Don McFadyen

- Self-Esteem: Four session course Facilitator: Don McFadyen

- A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. A discussion of a guide to a new consciousness by spiri-tual teacher Eckhart Tolle. Facilitator: Nancy McMartin and Joanne Dear

- Life Lines: Holding On (and Letting Go): An exploration of the ideas of Forrest Church, following a UUA course guide. The book is described as a “hopeful book [that] explores the experiences that can help us survive suffering, feel more deeply connected to neighbors and strangers and gain a better understanding of human limits and our place in the Universe.” Each participant would need a copy of the book. Facilitator: Anne Wilson

-Articulating Your UU Faith - Conflict - Communication - Eco-spirituality - Financial Management/Generosity:

A practical and spiritual exploration of money

- Generosity as a Spiritual Practice - Service as a Spiritual Practice - Something on Judaism - UU History - Who Wrote the Bible: Exploring the

origins of the world's most famous book

- Wicca

The Adult Religious Education Committee – (Lee Inkster, Bill Johns-ton, Don McFadyen, Nancy McMartin, Anne Wilson)

Women’s Group on hiatus

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In Hamilton, the Small Group Ministry program of caring for each other is called Shared Ministry Groups. This is an important part of the life of our religious community. New and long-time members estab-lish deeper connections with one another and find a place for religious exploration and spiritual growth.

The open, accepting and nonjudg-mental tenor of the groups really foster trust and deep discussion. Members of each small group agree to hold in confidence all personal matters expressed by group partici-pants, to attend meetings regularly and welcome newcomers, to encour-age one another in spiritual growth, to listen and speak from the heart, and to honour the diversity of the thoughts and feelings of group mem-bers.

Several groups meet twice-monthly in the church library. If you are interested in being part of a Shared Ministry Group, the list of current group times and facilitators is posted on the bulletin board out-side the Ministers office. Or contact SMG Chair Beryl Pegg.

For more information, check out: http://www.firstunitarianhamilton. org/worship/shared_ministry.htm

Small Group Ministry information sessions and training for facilitators are provided through CUC Regional Service Consultants. http://www.cuc.ca/programs/congregational_wellness.htm

Our Shared Ministry Groups

Hijacked Future: an Update from Kate Green

at USC Canada

In the continuing activism around food justice issues, I can suggest the following websites and e-newsletters:

USC Canada: www.usc-canada.org The ETC Group: www.etcgroup.org The Canadian Biotechnology Network: www.cban.ca/ The Ramshorn: www.ramshorn.ca Canadian Organic Growers: www.cog.ca The National Farmers Union: www.nfu.ca Seeds of Diversity Canada: www.seeds.ca

And there are many more. Feel free to write to me for further ideas.

Lastly, many more people came to the screening than I have on the e-mail list, so please do send this message out far and wide to any friends or contacts you wish.

With best wishes, Kate Green and David Rain

Kate Green, Manager Public Engagement, North/South Linkages, [email protected] USC Canada, 56 Sparks St. Ottawa, ON, K1P 5B1 Ph: 1-800-565-6872 x 228

We meet at 7:30 pm on the third Monday in the Church Library. All are welcome.

We have chosen the following books for the coming year:

Sept. 16: The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill Oct. 20: Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen Nov. 17: The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence Dec. 16: Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje Jan. 19: The Perfection of Morning by Sharon Butala Feb. 16: Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali Mar. 16: The Film Club by David Gilmour AND Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert Apr. 20: The Sparrow by Mary Daria Russell May 25*: Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay Jun. 15: Potluck and book selection for following year

For more information, please contact Dawn Ludbrook at 905-627-4896.

* May meeting scheduled one week later due to Victoria Day

Food for Thought Book Group

This is a follow-up to Kate Green’s sermon, March 16, 2008. Dear Friends who attended the screening of Hijacked Future on May 17 in Ottawa,

Both David and I want to express our thanks to each of you for com-ing to the screening and making that afternoon so interesting. It is clear that issues of seed and food justice resonate with many, many people. It is also clear that when-ever we show Hijacked Future again, we need to ‘get right to it’ and allow for a much bigger and in-depth discussion period after the film.

The producer is very happily let-ting USC distribute the film in a more organized way, and I am pleased to announce that we have copies for sale (cost recovery) for $20 (plus $5 for shipping and hand-ling if we mail them to you).

Please contact me if you want to buy one.

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One of the initiatives that the Congre-gational Health Committee has recently launched is a lunch series. We are in-viting small groups of congregants to have lunch with CHC members in the setting of a CHC member’s home. At these lunches, we have an opportunity for intentional and thoughtful conversa-tion on a variety of topics related to the health of our church. We have talked about structure and function of the

CHC, about pastoral care needs, about relationships between congregants and church leadership, and about our hopes and dreams for our church community.

We began by inviting people who had felt that they were far from the cen-tre of the church (remember that “constellation” exercise at the Dec. 8 retreat?) We’ve also invited people who have a particular interest in one of the topics we’ve chosen to explore. Our lunches are meant to be a way of con-

necting people, and of deepening the CHC’s understanding of current con-gregational issues. We are continuing these lunches through the summer. If you would like to attend one, please give one of us a call and we would be delighted to extend an invitation.

Members of our committee: Karen Trollope-Kumar (Chair), Roy Dahl, June Caskey, Ginny Megin and Michele Corbeil.

H C C

The Pastoral Care Task Force invites you to submit your story about your experience with pastoral care, either as a recipient or a provider.

What does pastoral care mean? Pas-toral care means many different things to different people. So, whatever you expect pastoral care to look like in our church, what has been your experience with it?

A box will be made available to re-ceive your submissions. Your stories will greatly assist the Task Force in appreciating the place of pastoral care in our community and in formulating its proposals.

The Task Force met on June 6th to

discuss how we will proceed with the work of developing a proposal on pas-toral care. We intend to use the summer to begin collecting information from the congregation and to research the literature and pastoral care programs in other churches.

In the fall we intend to elicit re-sponses from the congregation on such questions as: What does pastoral care mean to you? What might it look like when implemented in our church? Who delivers pastoral care? What training might be needed?

Perhaps we could say for now that pastoral care, at the very least, includes noticing when people are missing, mak-

ing inquiries and providing a listening post.

Part of the job of the Task Force is to work with the congregation to define what pastoral care means for our church.

The membership of the Pastoral Care Task Force has been enlarged recently to include interested members of the congregation. Task Force membership now includes: Michele Corbeil, Glen Doe, Bill Fulton, Nancy Gaylor, Sue Steward Greene, Pat Keefe, Don McFadyen, Sammara Wallace and Anne Wilson. Don McFadyen, Chair Pastoral Care Task Force

The Pastoral Care Task Force wants your story about your experience with pastoral care

A Note from the Congregational Health Committee

Kairos (an interfaith group for social change) invites you to join them for a public evening presentation:

Friday, September 19, 2008, 7:00 p.m. Mount Mary Immaculate Retreat Centre 437 Wilson Street East, Ancaster, Ontario www.mountmary.ca

The Geography of Hope

Featuring keynote speaker Chris Turner, author of The Geography of Hope: a Tour of the World We Need

“My goal was not merely to find a duplicate version of our cur-rent social order, minus the greenhouse gas emissions, but to find the right fragments to assemble a whole new way of life.” Chris Turner

Sue Berlove, of the First Uni-tarian Congregation of To-ronto asks, “Could First Uni-tarian Hamilton members pro-vide home accommodation for some attendees at the Kairos conference who cannot afford the retreat centre fees?”

Please contact: Sue Berlove at 416-481-4064 if you can help.

Participant Accommodation

Needed

For more information on the entire Kairos weekend event, go to http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/network/GLSL_regional_meeting_brochure2008.pdf

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Canvass 2008 Earlier this year we announced the total pledged was a little more than $192,827 and I am delighted to share that the final total of Canvass 2008 is $194,607 and is the result of pledges received in January and February. On behalf of the Canvass Committee 2008, heartfelt thanks to the 213 members, adherents and ‘others’ whose generous financial commitment has ensured that our spiritual home con-tinues to be a beacon of love and hope for all those who seek spiritual growth, community and meaningful worship.

Canvass 2009 Co-Chairing Canvass 2009 are Mary Eve and Michele Corbeil. Mary Eve has been attending our church since the Fall of 2006. Prior to joining as a member in May of 2007, Mary was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Briarcliff, Croton and Ossining (UUBCO) in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. During her time at UUBCO, she served as Membership Chair and she was involved in the Buddhist study group, drumming circle, Adult RE pro-grams, book group and women’s group.

Canvass 2008 and 2009

List of Every Pledge – Highest to Lowest (1) – Individual (one

person pledging)

(2) – Household (two people pledging

together)

$12,600(2) $1,860(2) $1,050(2) $700(1) $500(1) $300(1) $100(2) 0 0 0

$10,000(2) $1,800(1) $1,025(1) $700(1) $500(1) $300(1) $88(1) 0 0 0

$8,000(1) $1,800(2) $1,000(2) $700(1) $500(1) $300(1) $80(1) 0 0 0

$5,000(2) $1,800(1) $1,000(1) $600(2) $480(1) $300(1) $60(1) 0 0 0

$5,000(2) $1,740(2) $1,000(1) $600(1) $480(1) $250(1) $50(2) 0 0 0

$4,700(2) $1,700(1) $1,000(1) $600(1) $480(1) $250(2) $50(1) 0 0 0

$4,500(1) $1,600(1) $1,000(1) $600(1) $480(2) $250(1) $25(2) 0 0 0

$4,250(2) $1,560(2) $1,000(2) $600(1) $460(1) $240(1) $20(1) 0 0

$4,000(2) $1,500(2) $1,000(1) $600(1) $450(1) $240(1) 0 0 0

$3,600(1) $1,500(1) $1,000(2) $600(1) $400(1) $240(1) 0 0 0

$3,600(1) $1,500(1) $1,000(1) $560(1) $400(1) $200(1) 0 0 0

$3,000(2) $1,500(1) $1,000(2) $520(1) $400(1) $200(1) 0 0 0

$3,000(2) $1,500(2) $1,000(1) $504(1) $400(1) $200(1) 0 0 0

$3,000(1) $1,500(1) $975(1) $500(2) $400(1) $200(1) 0 0 0

$3,000(2) $1,400(2) $960(1) $500(2) $400(1) $200(1) 0 0 0

$2,900(1) $1,400(1) $950(2) $500(2) $400(1) $150(1) 0 0 0

$2,600(2) $1,300(2) $900(2) $500(2) $400(2) $125(1) 0 0 0

$2,400(1) $1,200(2) $900(2) $500(2) $400(2) $120(1) 0 0 0

$2,400(2) $1,200(1) $900(1) $500(2) $400(2) $120(1) 0 0 0

$2,400(1) $1,200(2) $800(1) $500(1) $360(1) $120(1) 0 0 0

$2,240(1) $1,200(1) $800(1) $500(1) $360(1) $120(1) 0 0 0

$2,220(1) $1,200(2) $800(2) $500(1) $360(1) $100(1) 0 0 0

$2,100(1) $1,200(1) $720(1) $500(1) $350(1) $100(1) 0 0 0

$2,100(1) $1,200(1) $720(1) $500(1) $325(1) $100(1) 0 0 0

$2,000(1) $1,200(2) $720(1) $500(1) $300(1) $100(1) 0 0 0

$2,000(2) $1,050(1) $700(2) $500(1) 300(1) $100(1) 0 0 0

Medians Median pledge of entire congregation of 292 people = $360 Median pledge of 213 people = $500

“Giving is a miracle that can trans-form the heaviest of hearts. Two peo-ple, who moments before lived in separate worlds of private concerns, suddenly meet each other over a sim-ple act of sharing. The world expands, a moment of goodness is created, and something new come into being where before there was nothing…But true giving is not an economic exchange; it is a generative act. It does not sub-tract from what we have; it multiples the effect we can have in the world.”

In Simple Truths, Kent Nerburn Continued page 13

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Come to the Speakeasy

Salon

What are you thinking about? Want to talk about it? Want to hear what oth-ers are thinking? Bring your mug and let's get to know each other.

Our first session at the salon was most interesting. We took off from where Tim Versteeg left us, with “what is essential Unitarianism?” What are we not doing that we could be doing (with significant emphasis on social “good works”). Also, what responsibilities do we have, as a church, to those among us who are experiencing hardship? All good stuff!

The Speakeasy Salon will be open after each service in the

Beatrix Potter room.

Fall Festival potluck July 22

The July meeting of the Fall Festival committee will take place at the home of Anne Bokma on Tuesday, July 22 at 6:30 (please note change in regular time). This will be a potluck get-together so please bring a dish to share. Address: 192 Hillcrest Avenue (corner of Hillcrest and Hyde Park). Phone: 905-540-4642

The Music Committee is taking requests!

In the fall we will be inviting you to tell us your favourite piece of medita-tive music. We would like to play re-corded versions of some of these re-quests before the service starts as peo-ple come into our sacred space of wor-ship. Spend some time over the sum-mer thinking about what you might like to hear and then talk to someone from the Music Committee.

We’re looking forward to seeing your requests!

Michele continues as co-Chair for a third and final year and she looks for-ward to incorporating recommenda-tions received from Canvassers in to Canvass 2009. Seeking new members for the Canvass 2009 Committee In addition to your ideas for Canvass, we need three new members to join our team. If you have an interest and experience (or you would like to de-velop an interest/skills) in the follow-ing areas, we would love to hear from you.

1) everything financial – a numbers guy or gal

2) administrative savvy – e.g., brochure layouts Meeting schedule - one to two

meetings this summer and approx. four meetings between September – November with work outside of meeting

3) Canvass Launch and Canvass Celebration Convener

…true giving is not an economic ex-change; it is a generative act…

and taking care of ourselves, our church and our community is a gen-erative act of love…an act of hope an act of faith….an investment in our future.

Michele Corbeil Canvass Co-chair

Friday night music will continue through the summer. We’ll gather in our gardens, our kitchens and homes and share in the magic of making music together! Please let the host know that you’ll be sharing your gift of music or that you will be coming to enjoy the music!

All welcome.

Here are the dates and locations:

Friday, July 11: Hosts: Gary Hicks and Linda Thomson Phone: 905-332-3185 Address: 1293 Tyrell Road, Burlington

Friday July 25: Hosts: Brian and Cindy Carey Phone: 905-648-0122 Address: 440 John Frederick Dr., Ancaster

Friday August 8: Host: Michele Corbeil Phone: 905-528-2712 Address: 56 Tom Street, Hamilton, Directions: From the church, travel north on Dundurn Street (toward Dundurn Castle) 1 km and turn right on Tom Street.

Friday August 22: Host: Sandy Lubert Phone: 905-659-6617 Address: #1667 Regional Rd. 97, RR#6, Cambridge

Friday September 5: Hosts: Tim Versteeg and Cathy Grisé Phone: 905-529-2962 Address: 426 Charlton Ave. West Directions: From the church, travel south on Dundurn (towards the Moun-tain); turn right on Charlton Ave W. (dead end); fourth house on right.

Time: 7–9 p.m. Rain or shine. Bring your instruments and lyrics, your own lawn chair, snacks and beverages.

See you there!

Summer Music Nights

From the Chart, page 12 Members pledging 185 Adherents pledging 24 Others pledging 4 Amounts: pledged by members $188,797 pledged by adherents $ 4,890 pledged by others $ 920 Total number of people pledging 213 Members/adherents not pledging 79 Total number in congregation 292

Total amount pledged $194,607

Canvass continued from page 12

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14

Gail Spring 5 Melville Dr., Dundas

Gerald Coaker 51 Morton Ave., Dundas

Bill and Mary Elizabeth Fulton 70 Jerome Park Dr., Dundas

Don and Margaret McFadyen 15 Mayfair Ave., Dundas

Jennifer Powell Fralick & Paul Fralick 65 Victoria St., Dundas

Katrina Simmons 80 Patterson Rd., Dundas

Janet Klein 10 Greenwood Ct., Dundas

Dundas Museum 139 Park St. W., Dundas

Ivor Lynch 360 King St W., Dundas

Cathy and Dave Cummings 73 Hopkins Ct., Dundas [email protected]

Blooms for Africa Weekend Garden

Tour July 19th and 20th, 11 A.M. to 4 P.M.,

rain or shine

Passports are $10 and are available at

a different drummer books 513 Locust Street, Burlington

Bryan Prince Bookseller 1060 King St. W., Hamilton

The Dundas Museum 139 Park St. W., Dundas

Lee’s Pharmacy 58 King St. E., Dundas

The Keeping Room 6 Cross Street, Dundas and also available for purchase after church each Sunday leading up to July 19–20 at the First Unitarian Church, 170 Dundurn Street South, Hamilton.

Fourteenth Annual B&B Weekend offered by the UU Church of Rut-land, VT. Enjoy the beauty of Ver-mont, UU hospitality, and a choice of guided activities: hiking, kayaking, bicycling, antiques/arts, cider making historic tour, soaring tour, touring historic sites and quaint towns and much more.

Registration by August 1, $250 (single) and $450 (double). After August 1, $300 (single) and $500 (double).

For more information contact [email protected] or (802) 353-7969.

(A fund-raiser for the UU Church of Rutland, Vermont)

Escape to Vermont September 26–28, 2008

MAD camp will be in the church weekdays from June 30th to July 11th and August 4th to August 29th. For safety reasons, Jude Johnson and her staff need to know who is in the

church at all times. If meetings can be scheduled for after 3:30 p.m. or in the evenings, Monday to Friday, that would make things easier for Jude. Thank you.

MAD Camp Summer Schedule

The church gardens were built and are maintained by volunteers, who can always use more help. Anyone who'd like to learn to tell a weed from a flower or who is able to hold a hose over a parched flower bed can have the satisfaction of making things grow and

making the grounds beautiful and worth showing off. Interested in spending some time in the gardens? Contact Leslie Kaye or Bill Johnston at 905 523-7128.

Calling all gardeners!

Are you in potluck withdrawal? Never fear! The next Village Potluck will take place on Wednesday, July 16th, starting at 6:00 pm. Please bring what-ever dish you fancy; if it is vegan or vegetarian, please label it as such.

Children, neighbours, relatives and friends are most welcome. This pot-

luck is organized by Daphne Payne and Ali Steinbergs, the two Newcom-ers’ Co-ordinators.

For more information, please contact

Daphne Payne and Ali Steinbergs

Potluck Withdrawal? Village Potluck, July 16th, 6:00 pm.

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Summ

er July Sunday

Monday

Tuesday W

ednesday Thursday

Friday Saturday

6 Reflections on D

is-cernm

ent B

oard meeting

7

8 9 Social Justice 7:30 pm

10 C

hoir 11

12

13 All I R

eally Know

A

bout Being a U

ni-versalist I Learned From

My D

og

14 C

ancer group 7:30 PM

15

16 Village Potluck 6 pm

see p. 4

17 C

hoir 18

19

20 Happiness as a

Spiritual Practice 21 Iroquoia B

ruce Trail C

lub 7 pm – 10 pm

22 Fall Festival Plan-ning 6:30 pm

see p. 13

23

24 C

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What Young UU’s Do. I can tell you what happened, if you didn’t hear, Exactly what went on in church school this year,

Children’s Chapel starts church off right, We sit in a circle and ignite our Chalice light Children have many glads and sads to share, So we light a candle for each one, to show that we care, We have a new piano to play, Songs are sung each Sunday, Our signing bowl was a gift from a friend, To listen to, during meditation.

The Rainbow Room is the place to be, You’ll really enjoy it, if you’re under three. There are lots of Spirit Play stories to explore, Next year, we’ll be sure to hear even more. The Chalice Club kids picked their own name, They got along great playing co-operative games. There were lots of fair trade cookies to make So the 7P Group went to the kitchen to bake, The children sure shone bright In our play, The Common Light. With our laptops to church school we came. And logged on to play an environmental game, We made animal masks out of papier-mâché And tiny creatures fashioned from clay,

The Spirit of Adventure was in the air, So we called on the grown-ups, for their gifts to share. An Adventurer just back from Africa, came, He shared some really yummy plantain. There was a scientist who had a lot of gas. But we didn’t mind, we had a blast! To raise money for our Haitian Friends, We walked a mile up Dundurn, and back again.

Because we are so grateful for all that you do, We had an ice-cream social, and invited all of you. The Reptile Store sent in their crew, There were centipedes, lizards and even snakes too. As you can see there was a lot to do, That’s how it is at Hamilton’s First U!

Now that it’s summer, we are not over and done. Our Dr. Seuss program will continue the fun. There are stories like, If I ran the Zoo, Green Eggs and Ham and Horton Hears a Who. We promise, there will still be snacks and juice, Come and celebrate our faith with Dr. Seuss.

Julie

The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton 170 Dundurn Street S. Hamilton, ON L8P 4K3 http://firstunitarianhamilton.org/

Chalice Families—News From Children’s Religious Education Well now that summer is here things may be slowing down a little bit in the CRE program but the fun is definitely continuing. This summer we will be offering the Back Yard to the Universe – Dr. Seuss Unitarian Pro-gram. The Backyard to the Universe sum-mer program is suitable for children 3 and up. Unfortunately we are not able to offer childcare for children under 3 during the summer. Thank You to everyone who signed up to volunteer during our summer CRE program. There would not be a children’s program without your support! A special Thank-You, to Heather Wickett who was the Youth Ambassador in the Spirit Play Room this year. Heather dedicated al-most every Sunday to helping out in the

Spirit Play Room. The children really en-joyed spending time with Heather! Another special Thank-You is for Shelly Van Dyke. Since November 2007 Shelly has been employed for 8 hours a week in the CRE program. Shelly has supported the Rainbow and Spirit Play Rooms (and much more). Thank You Shelly for stepping in and supporting our Church and Religious Educa-tion Program! As well, a big huge Thank-You to our many volunteers who have supported the Children’s Religious Education Program this year. I hope you all have a safe, healthy and rejuvenating summer. In the Faith, Julie Davidson Interim Program Co-ordinator