UUSD Newsletter ■ AUGUST 2017 August 6 — The Next Chapter — Jean Charles, UUSD Ministerial Search Committee Chair: Please join us in meeting and welcoming our settled minister, Rev. Michelle Collins. Today is the beginning of a journey that will lead us into the future, and we are predicting an amazing ride. Come join us as we begin the next chapter of UUSD’s step into the future. August 13 — Being in Right Relationship — Rev. Michelle Collins, Minister: Let's face it. Community can be messy, and relationships can be messy. And they can take work — a lot of effort and compromises to make them work. But yet, we keep coming back and trying to make it work, our relationships with each other and within our community. What does it take to bind us together and be in right relationship with each other? We'll explore this today.

August 20 — Transformation at the Unitarian Universalist Association — UUSD Members Susan and Mac Goekler, Don Peterson, and Ron and Pat Schaeffer: Unitarian Universalists held their annual meeting in New Orleans this year with a theme dedicated to racial justice. In a radical departure from previous years, nearly all workshops, worship services, major lectures, and business sessions dealt with raising awareness and addressing the structural racism that infuses our association and society, much of it invisible and below the surface. UUSD members who attended the meeting will share key highlights and

their impressions from this historic and transformative conference. August 27 — The Rent We Pay for Living — Rev. Michelle Collins, Minister: Marian Wright Edelman said, “Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time,” and Muhammad Ali said, "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth." What are our obligations as human beings to each other and to our world? How, and why, do we carry those out? The act of living is a give-and-take; what is our "give" as we go about our lives?

Sunday Services at 10:00 a.m. Religious Education & Childcare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Message From Rev. Michelle……………………. 2 Lifespan Faith Development…………….…..…. 3 Did You Know?............................................ 3 Committee News………………….……………………. 5 Events & Activities.....................................10 August Highlights..…..……..……………………… 12 Contacts...…………………………………………………. 13

Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware (UUSD) 30486 Lewes Georgetown Highway, Lewes DE 19958 302-313-5838 uussd.org

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REV. MICHELLE COLLINS, MINISTER

JOURNEYING TOGETHER With every journey, there is a beginning. This August marks the beginning of our journey together. And beginnings, especially beginnings of long journeys, can be marked with lots of feelings and lots of uncertainties. I am beginning with a good deal of building excitement and enthusiasm, as well as a good measure of curiosity. I really can’t wait to see you all again. I’m guessing that you all are looking forward to the start of our journey, too. I can scarcely imagine what our future holds! And there’s also uncertainty that is part of every journey. I’m glad there is, or else one might wonder why we’re on the journey in the first place. We’re going to run into bumps on our journey, and I don’t know what they’re going to be yet. One thing is for sure, there’s a lot that I don’t know and a lot that I’m going to stumble on as we go along. I’m going to do things that seem dumb or ignorant, just because I’m still getting to

know UUSD and getting to know you all. During the three years that I lived in San Francisco, I used public transit exclusively for my transportation. And I usually carried my backpack with me most places that I went. One of the things that you learn over time is that when you’re on a packed train car, you put your bag on the floor between your feet rather that wearing it on your back. This is so that it doesn’t take up additional space or get stuck in someone else’s face. It makes perfect sense, once you think about it, and it’s something that virtually all of the locals had long figured out. After a couple of years there, I found myself looking with annoyance at folks who hadn’t figured out that particular courtesy. We were on a crowded car, and they were wearing their backpacks on their backs, oblivious to the extra space they were taking up. The catch was when I realized that I must have looked that way myself when I got there. After all, it took me a while to figure it out too. And that others may have shared that exact same annoyance directed at me. This happens when one is new somewhere. There’s a lot that one doesn’t know. There’s a lot that I don’t know. I don’t realize yet that I’m still wearing my backpack on the crowded train car. I’m going to need your help. I need you to help me realize that I’m still wearing my backpack, and I need your grace when I do too. But I also need your imagination, enthusiasm, and passion. There are a lot of possibilities for us, but it’s going to take our dreams and energy to find them and make them reality. Are you up for it? Are you ready? I sure am. See you soon! Blessings, Rev. Michelle

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LIFESPAN FAITH DEVELOPMENT — AMBER PETERSON

Have you ever watched a child learn something new? The wonder in her eyes…the excitement in his smile? It’s a beautiful thing. Wouldn’t you love to be the source of that wonder and excitement by being a teacher for RE this year? You don’t have to have previous teaching experience, and the lessons and preparations are all done for you! All you need to do is be willing to teach at least once a month with a partner teacher, spend an hour or so reviewing the material so you are prepared to teach, and have a desire to help children learn lessons of our wonderful faith. Easy, right? We have a one-time teacher training session in late August to orient you to the classroom process, review the curricula, and go over basic procedures and safety rules. Curricula classes run from September through May, so you would basically be teaching nine times in the whole year (unless you want to do more, which we can certainly arrange). New teachers are often paired with seasoned teachers, so there is no need to

worry about “knowing what to do.” And, the choir schedule can even be worked around so choir members can teach when the choir is off! If you are interested in being an RE teacher this year or you need more information, please email Amber Peterson or call 302-853-0846. Many of our teachers have said they think they learn more than the children sometimes. While you may be providing a service to our congregation, you may also be taking another step on your own journey, as well. I look forward to working with our wonderful teachers this year and hope to hear from many of you, soon. Namaste. Amber Peterson Director, Lifespan Faith Development

BOARD OF TRUSTEES The Board of Trustees did not meet in July. Previous Board meeting information may be viewed on the UUSD website in the members-only section at http://uussd.org/index.php/board-of-trustees-meeting-minutes.html.

DID YOU KNOW? — RON SCHAEFFER

A SECOND CHANCE AFTER 50 YEARS

The recent General Assembly in New Orleans could be described as a “déjà vu” moment all over again, or as a transformational event to again force our denomination to confront our long and painful journey to successfully attract and involve people of color in all parts of our faith organization. More information about the recent GA in New Orleans will be presented at the August 20th worship service, so in this article I will try to provide only a thumbnail sketch of the relevant history for comparison. The late 1960s were a particularly difficult time for the newly merged Unitarian Universalist Association (merged in 1961). The Vietnam War and the nationwide racial conflicts were divisive issues throughout America, and in

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the UU community throughout the U.S. In October, 1967 The Emergency Conference on the Black Rebellion was held at the Biltmore Hotel in New York. There were 135 UU participants, thirty-seven of whom were African-Americans. It was organized by the UUA in response to the severe racial strife that had erupted throughout American cities that year. At the very start of the conference, thirty African-American UUs withdrew and formed a caucus closed to whites. They emerged with a list of “non-negotiable demands,” including the funding of a Black Affairs Council (BAC), to receive $1 million over four years. This conference and the formation of the BAC marked the beginning of what became known as the Black Empowerment Controversy within the young Unitarian Universalist organization. Integrationists against black separatism opposed the BAC and formed an alternative group, Black and White Action (BAWA). Polarization within the UU community nationwide over the Vietnam War had already hurt fundraising and growth, and the black empowerment controversy added to the problem. At the 1968 General Assembly in Cleveland, and just after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., the delegates voted to fund the BAC with $250,000 a year over four years, by a vote of 836 to 326. They also voted to increase funding for the three theological schools and other programs. They thought they had the money and the authority to do so. But under Massachusetts nonprofit law, it turned out that the UUA Trustees had sole responsibility for finances, and not the General Assembly. In addition, a severe financial problem became clear over the next year as both fundraising and membership continued to decline. To try to keep the peace, the UUA Trustees adopted a 1969-70 budget with $250,000 for the BAC and $50,000 for the BAWA. The BAC declared, however, that it would not accept its allocation if the BAWA received anything. The 1969 General Assembly in Boston was filled with conflict as a new President, Robert West, was elected. A substantial number of Black UU delegates walked out in protest over the failure of the UUA to fully support their plan. It became clear that the UUA was deeply in debt and major financial changes had to be imposed, including reducing the annual BAC allocation to $200,000 and spreading the full $1 million over five years. The BAC moved to disaffiliate from the UUA, and the 1970 General Assembly in Seattle voted to reject a motion to restore full funding to the BAC. Over a thousand Black UUs left their congregations over this controversy, including William Sinkford, who would rejoin in the 1980s and become the first African-American President of the UUA in 2001. After several years, the BAC fell apart due to internal dissent. It would be another fifteen years, and the UUA would again attempt to address racism within UU congregations with new programs starting in the late 1980s. In addition, the UUA implemented numerous improvements to its financial structure in the 1970s, including bylaw changes and establishing an independent financial advisor to assure sound budgeting and investment management. Robert West is credited with providing tough and thoughtful leadership through these difficult years from 1969 to 1977, and the UUA would emerge as a more mature and financially stronger denomination, albeit smaller and with less diversity. The next thirty years would demonstrate that Unitarian Universalism would be a “cutting-edge” liberal religious organization fighting for women’s issues and gay and lesbian rights. It also tried to again re-address the lack of diversity within our congregations and to work in partnership with others on the social justice needs of Black and Hispanic communities. But the marginal progress on these latter issues led to another General Assembly- wide confrontation this year on what is now called “A White Supremacy Culture” within the denomination. The UUA and every UU congregation are being directed to rethink again strategy on how to become more diverse and how to involve people of color in every level of the denomination. There is more to come on this critical subject.

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COMMITTEE NEWS

COMMUNICATIONS EARLY SEPTEMBER IS TARGET DATE FOR NEW WEBSITE

— Pat Schaeffer, Chair

The Communications website team is planning for our beautiful new website to go live in early September. Stay tuned!

FINANCE COMMITTEE

ONLINE DONATION IMPLEMENTATION TEAM HEADS UP: ONLINE DONATION COMING

— Ron Schaeffer

The Finance Committee Online Donation Implementation Team is happy to announce that UUSD will implement online donation capability through Vanco Payment Solutions’ online giving for churches and nonprofit organizations. We expect this online service to be available on our website in September. Vanco Payment Solutions, with 20 years of experience, is a well-known vendor in the online donation field. They serve over 20,000 churches and other nonprofit entities throughout the United States. UUSD members and friends will be able to make pledge payments, and visitors, guests, actually anyone, will be able to make debit/credit donations, or direct ACH donations from your personal bank account, if you wish.

You will learn more in the future about exactly when the service will be available and how to use it. This is a “heads up,” stay tuned, more to come.

FIRST FRIDAY FILMS A THANK YOU FROM THE PRODUCER OF WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH FILM

— Karen Lunstead

For those who enjoyed 'Breaking Through the Clouds,' which was shown in March during Women's History Month, you will appreciate knowing that the money collected at the movie was sent to the producer, and she sent a nice note:

Thank you and everyone at the UUSD First Friday Film Group for your kindness and

generosity. I will use the $100 to pay it forward, hopefully in the same spirit of which

it was given. My deepest appreciation to you all. Blue Skies, Heather Taylor.

FUNDRAISING

UUSD’S GOT TALENT! — Pam Smith, Member

Isaac Carney and Rick Welk, members of the UUSD Fundraising Committee, are planning to prove that UUSD’s GOT TALENT! If you can sing, play music, dance, provide comedy, are athletic, or have any other performing capability…then they want to hear from you to be part of this future fundraiser to benefit UUSD. If you have any of these talents, or others, please contact Isaac at 302-519-0735 or Rick at 302-519-0736, or speak to them when you see them. Also, let them know if you

(Created by Rick Welk)

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want to help in the production crew. This is going to be a FUN Fundraising Event…please be part of it! You will have FUN!

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

REPORT FROM YOUR “ENERGY TEAM” — Gary Schmidt, Co-Chair

We are close to the first anniversary of the initial installation of our solar panel system (July 26, 2016). The full installation was completed in late September. We now have enough data and experience with the panel system and our consumption to make high confidence observations and projections. From the earliest concept discussions, our congregation supported and funded the design approach for energy systems in our facility. Now that we’re past the solstice (June 20), we have had three months of generating more than we have consumed — in fact, 80% more. That “piggybank” is being accrued and tracked by Delmarva Power, and we project adding to it through October. We will certainly draw down on that during next winter, but we conservatively estimate that we are generating more than 90% of the electricity that we consume on a yearly basis. We should be justifiably proud that we are probably the most energy efficient, “near net zero” church facility in the state. This is particularly noteworthy considering the amount of remediation that we did in the existing “East Wing.” Not to bog you down in details, but these are the topic areas for future reports from the Energy Team:

The consultation, design tradeoffs, and product selections that Land & Building made during the design of new construction. These were often not easy calls, but in reflection, they were the long-term correct decisions.

The timing and justification of remediation in the East Wing. Temperature control and system reliability have been a challenge, but consider that the house was heated with an old oil hot water system when we started.

How we selected our solar contractor, Clean Energy USA. What our contract is with them. The basics of how the system works.

Real-time, remote data on system operation. We have remote control of all thermostats, hourly data from the solar inverters, to-the-second data on all systems in the East Wing, daily consumption reports on sanctuary HVAC. With this real-time monitoring, we can compile statistics and quickly react to problems. We are looking at adding monitors to our systems operations on the UUSD website, so the interested members can look at the data.

The Energy Team is a subcommittee of the Property Management Committee. Members are Al Lister (co-chair), Gary Schmidt (co-chair), Allan Cairncross, Ron Schaeffer, and John Sykes.

SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

— Susan Goekler, Chair Share the Plate: Starting August 20, once a month as part of the offering on Sunday, you will have an opportunity to donate to an organization doing social justice work while helping UUSD. The first opportunity will be on August 20. Half of non-pledged money will be given to the recipient organization and half to UUSD. Watch the weekly update for the name of the recipient and information about its work. Social and Environmental Justice Activism Sub-Committee: The Activism Sub-Committee provides UUSD members and friends specific actions for resisting the threats to our values. The group usually meets at 10:00 a.m.

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in the large RE room on the fourth Friday of each month. If you would like to attend future meetings or otherwise get involved with the sub-committee, please contact Cass or Teresa Ripley. Green Sanctuary: A subcommittee has formed to update our Green Sanctuary status with the UUA, now that we are in our own space, and to renew our environmental justice commitment. Contact John Sykes for more information.

Dismantling Racism: UUSD co-hosted a daylong workshop with the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice on Healing the Wounds of Racism, attended by eight UUSDers. Both the Alliance and UUSD’s Social and Environmental Justice Committee are considering ways to keep the momentum going. The UU Delmarva Cluster is hosting a training on White Supremacy and dismantling racism to be held at the UU Fellowship at Easton on September 23. If you are interested in the September workshop, contact Mac Goekler.

Social Justice Films: UUSD is a sponsor of the Rehoboth Film Festival and will become a venue. We are also active participants in Peace Week Delaware. Spike Lee’s film Do the Right Thing will be shown on Monday, September 18 as part of Peace Week activities (venue TBD). A march and rally are being planned for Sunday, September 17. ESL: We are gearing up for a new year of English lessons with new books and computers, and we will offer a training for ESL teachers in August. Contact Betty Kirk for more information. Petition Sent: After the July 16 service, 38 people signed a petition calling for a halt to air gun blasting to test for oil off the mid-Atlantic coast. This represented almost 10% of all the signatures collected by the Assateague Coastal Trust. The petition will be forwarded to the state of Delaware, which is now considering permit applications for conducting the seismic surveys. All Are Invited! Any UUSD member or friend who wishes to learn more about UUSD’s social and environmental justice work is welcome to attend the Social and Environmental Justice Committee meeting (no commitment required!). Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of every month at UUSD from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Please contact Susan Goekler for more information.

A FEW WORDS FROM THE LIBRARIAN

— Joyce Fitch

This is a good month to provide a few housekeeping tidbits for your information and better usage of the library. I’ve had a good suggestion from Karen Lunstead, a UUSD member. She thought it would be easier for people to find books they were looking for if they were arranged by author rather than the number system currently in use. It didn’t take me more than a few seconds to realize it would be much better. After all, that is the way real libraries catalogue! We will be rearranging the books this way in early August. I also want to remind newcomers that when borrowing a book, please sign the yellow legal pad with the date, your name, phone or e-mail, and the call number that is hand written on the spine of the book. When you return the book just cross your name off the list. If you don’t know where to put it, just leave it on the legal pad. You may keep the book as long as you need to, but please be reasonable. If kept too long, it is so easy to forget you have it. That is how we lose some very good books. There is a listing of all the books we have clipped underneath the legal pad, in case you are looking for a special title.

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WELCOME TO NEW UUSD MEMBERS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

WELCOME: CHRISTOPHER EDGINTON

Chris Edginton is from Montgomery County, PA and recently retired to Milton. His partner Gail commutes to PA weekly, but you may see her occasionally on a Sunday. Chris worked most of his career in printing and publishing, including 23 years publishing books for Judson Press at American Baptist Churches in Valley Forge. Chris has jumped right into life at UUSD: he’s a member of the Social and Environmental Justice subcommittee on Activism and the new “Green Team.” In addition, he is on the Communications Committee, and two covenant groups — the Men’s and “New, Newcomers.” Not bad for a beginner who has only been with our congregation for eight months!

Boats, the outdoors, and the seashore are his passions. In addition, he spends most of his free time volunteering at Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge, Milton Cheer, and the Center for the Inland Bays. In August, he will begin training to become a Wildlife Habitat Steward through the Delaware Nature Society. Always a seeker for deeper meaning in life, Chris found his way to UU through an aunt. He is deeply satisfied with UU’s commitment to social and environmental issues, and appreciates the welcoming attitude to the LGBTQ communities. UU feels like home already, and he really enjoys the social time after the Sunday services.

WELCOME: DONNA DAVIS

Donna was born and raised outside of Philadelphia near Valley Forge. She grew up with a love of animals and was passionate about horses and riding. While a career as an equestrian seemed like a dream, she was convinced by those wiser than her that going to college would be a good thing, and then, if she still wanted a career as an equestrian, she could come back to it.

Her first two years of college took her to central Virginia until she transferred to the University of Denver in Colorado where she earned her BA in Psychology. Graduation brought her back to the Philadelphia area where she began her career in social services. After three years, she made a career change that took her from saving the world to selling enterprise business software. She enjoyed the opportunity to travel, meet people, earn her MBA, and learn about all kinds of businesses. After 26 years in the field, last year she decided it was time for a change, and she left the hectic corporate

world for a much slower pace and relaxed lifestyle.

Today she combines her love of animals and nature to do pet sitting for a local business. She shares her home with her wife Gail, and their two rescue dogs, a miniature dachshund named Sophie and a ‘Chiweenie’ (Chihuahua/Dachshund) named Peanut. Her passion for animals led her to become a vegetarian 26 years ago, and just this year she became vegan. She loves to travel, listen to great music, cook, eat, enjoy wine, tinker in the garden, and do anything related to animals! UUSD is the first church she has been a member of, and she is thankful to have found such an open, warm, and welcoming community here!

(Randy Davidson — Photo)

(Randy Davidson-Photo)

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WELCOME: RAND AND ELLEN LYTTON Ellen and Rand just moved to Sussex County six months ago from the Fairfax VA area. They now have a new house in downtown Milton that they share with their two cats, Tucker and Tailgate. They fell in love with Sussex County on their drives through the state on the way to Cape May for vacations, and they decided to retire here to Milton. One of the prerequisites to moving to anyplace for retirement was that there had to be a UU church near, and so they are delighted to find us here at UUSD. She has been a UU since the 70s. Both Rand and Ellen attended the Oakton UU church near Fairfax for many years.

Rand spent his youth in West Chester, PA, attended a Quaker kindergarten there and learned a lot about the Quakers, since there were many living in that area. He has always been very interested in history of any kind, and has collected local memorabilia from wherever he has lived. He received his Master’s degree in Greek and Roman ancient history from the University of Washington on the “other coast” and became a UU while there. Then Rand received his doctorate in ancient history of Greek and Rome from Penn State, back in PA, where he met and married Ellen, who was getting her Master’s in ancient Byzantine and Roman history. A match made in heaven! Rand then taught Greek and Roman history for about 42 years at George Mason University near where they had moved. While he was at GMU, he led programs for students visiting to Italy and Greece, and then led courses at Oxford in England for a time. He retired in 2014 and waited for Ellen to retire this past year, before they moved to Milton. Ellen grew up in the city of Baltimore attending Catholic elementary and high schools. At the University of Maryland in Baltimore County, she received her degree in history. She then went on to Penn State to earn her Master’s degree in Byzantine and Roman history. Ellen taught Ancient and Medieval History for a number of years at Immaculata High School, a private girls school in northwest Washington, D.C. After being a teacher for a while, she then decided to become a student again, and received her second masters at Catholic U. in D.C in information and library science…all the while being a UU. She then held several jobs in the D.C. area working in finance research and economic development of developing countries, and for the federal government. Both like to collect old, historical things. They do a lot of antiquing and “junking” looking for old treasures, photographs, documents, etc. and both like photography. Beach walking provides them the opportunity to take beautiful photos as well as look for old pottery shards and beach glass. They are new members of the Milton Historical Society. Both enjoy, and will be putting in, the landscaping and gardening at their new home. They are very impressed with our UUSD congregation and building. They love that the church has an impressive level of involvement from members and friends. They added, “Never, in anywhere we have ever been, have people made such a fuss over us as newcomers! So welcoming and inclusive. Attending the newcomers’ luncheon and being in a new covenant group right away was awesome, and we can really see that this community truly makes a concerted effort to include new members!”

(Randy Davidson — Photo)

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COMMITTEE EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

FIRST FRIDAY FILMS AUGUST 4: TAKING WOODSTOCK

On Friday, August 4, UUSD will commemorate the 48th anniversary of the famed music festival by showing Taking Woodstock, a 2009 American comedy-drama film about the Woodstock Festival of 1969, directed by Ang Lee. Based on the memoirs of Elliot Tiber, the comedy follows Elliot who inadvertently played a role in making the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival into the famed

happening it was. The movie features a standout ensemble cast and songs from a score of ‘60s musical icons, making this a joyous voyage to a moment in time when everything seemed possible. The film is free and UUSD members and friends are invited to attend. A potluck dinner starts at 6:00 p.m. followed by the film at 7:00 p.m. Karen Lunstead will lead a discussion following the film. Tie-dye T-shirts are optional. For more information, contact FirstFridays@uussd.org.

FUNDRAISING AUGUST 30: CRAFT WORKSHOP

— Karen Lunstead, Member Please remember that our Craft Faire is quickly coming up in November, so we hope you'll keep up your creativity this summer, either by joining us at a monthly craft meeting (next one is August 30, 10 a.m. in the Gathering Area), or on your own! If you'd like to check in and let us know what you'll be able to donate to the faire, please speak with Jane Miller, or Karen Lunstead.

MEN’S COVENANT GROUP AUGUST 12: NEXT MEETING

— Ron Schaeffer

The Men’s Covenant Group will meet on Saturday, August 12 at 9:00 a.m. in the Gathering Area. All male members and friends of UUSD are invited to join. You may have noticed that our official name has changed. Our name had been the “Men’s Group,” but people were calling us the Men’s Club — I suppose, an easy mistake to make. We are not a club, never have been, and we wanted to make this clear. We are a covenant group, and we felt the need to set the record straight, so our new name should help.

SAVE-THE-DATES

FUNDRAISING SEPTEMBER 22/23: ANNUAL YARD SALE

— Karen Lunstead

Calling all downsizers! UUSD will hold a yard sale in September, and we will be able to store your items if you'd like the boxes to leave your house now! If so, please speak with the co-chairs Jane Miller or Karen Lunstead.

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The dates are: Friday late afternoon, September 22 for UUSD friends and family, and Saturday, September 23 for everyone! We're still looking for volunteers to help a little, or a lot, that week, and you'll find it's a fun day and a fun way to raise money for our church.

FUNDRAISING SEPTEMBER 13: TRIP TO NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDENS

— Karen Lunstead

The FUNdraising Committee is organizing a trip to the New York Botanical Garden on Wednesday, September 13 to see artwork by world-renowned glass artist, Dale Chihuly, now on view in his first major garden exhibition in New York in more than ten years. According to the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) website, "Chihuly… showcases more than 20 installations and includes drawings and early works that reveal the evolution and development of Chihuly’s artistic process during his celebrated career. Set within NYBG’s landmark landscape and buildings, this sensory-filled exhibition is a must-see throughout the changing seasons from spring through fall. The Garden’s dramatic vistas become living canvases for work created specifically for NYBG, showcasing Chihuly’s signature organic shapes in brilliant colors." The cost for the bus and admission to Chihuly will be $89.00 per person. Friends and family are invited too! We will depart from UUSD at 8:00 a.m., and leave the New York Botanical Garden at 6:00 p.m., returning home about 9:00 p.m. There is a lovely café for lunch and breaks, and it will be a truly wonderful

experience. Sign up in the Gathering Area, or contact Kris Acker for more details.

GOOD-BYE, REV. PAULA!

(Sue Brown – Photo)

The congregation celebrated Rev. Paula Maiorano’s interim ministry at UUSD on June 18, 2017 with a picnic, gifts, hugs, gratitude, and farewells. (Alleane Taylor and Sue Brown – photo).

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AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS & FUTURE EVENTS

AUGUST 4, Friday, 6:00 p.m. First Friday Film — Taking Woodstock Contact: FridayFilms@uussd.org AUGUST 5, Saturday, 10:00 a.m. Delaware Pride Festival Contact: Mac Goekler AUGUST 7 , Monday, 7:00 p.m. Book Group: Whatever Happened to Interractial Love by Kathleen Collins. In these short stories, the author explores deep and far reaching issues — race, gender, family, and sexuality. Facilitator: Linda Marsden. Contact: Bobbi Dunham AUGUST 16, Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Board of Trustees Meeting Contact: President@uussd.org

AUGUST 18, Friday, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Friends and Family Game Night Contact: Amber Peterson AUGUST 30, Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. Craft Faire Meeting Contact: Karen Lunstead SAVE-THE-DATES SEPTEMBER 13, Saturday, 8:00 a.m. Trip to NY Botanical Gardens Contact: Karen Lunstead SEPTEMBER 22, Friday UUSD Yard Sale (Members/Friends) Contact: Karen Lunstead SEPTEMBER 23, Saturday UUSD Yard Sale (Public) Contact: Karen Lunstead

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Staff & Officers Rev. Michelle Collins, Minister Email: Minister@uussd.org Faith Development Amber Peterson, Email: DLFD@uussd.org Music Director

Dr. Marcie Schiff

Email: MusicDirector@uussd.org

Nursery Teacher Sabina Beaver-Kepner Board of Trustees: 2017-2018

President: Gary Colangelo

Email: President@uussd.org Vice-President: Joanne Saltzberg

Finance Officer: Pat Murdock

Secretary: Gwen Johnson

Members: Len Bowman, Joyce Fitch, Mac Goekler,

Bookkeeper: Leah Ann Thompson (Direct all bookkeeping, pledge data requests, and related financial matters to Pat Murdock, Finance Officer)

Send changes in Directory contact information to DirectoryUpdates@uussd.org.

To email a designated person or open a website link in the Beacon, move your cursor over the underlined name or text and a small hand comes up, simply click on the name to open the email or site.

Board Committee Chairs

Activities: TBD Capital Campaign: Gary Colangelo & Lee Summerville Communications: Pat Schaeffer Email: Communications@uussd.org Denominational Affairs: Ron & Pat Schaeffer Finance: Joanne Saltzberg Cloud Society: Joanne Saltzberg Fundraising: Kris Acker Land & Building: Allan Cairncross Leadership Development: Ruth Lamothe Lifespan Faith Development: Amber Peterson Adult Education: Betty Kirk & Len Bowman Email: AdultEducation@uussd.org Librarian: Joyce Fitch Long-Range Planning: Joanne Saltzberg Membership: Bobbi Dunham & Betty Kirk Email: Membership@uussd.org Music: Dianne Conine Partner Church: Ceil Toth Pastoral Care: Jan Daily Personnel: Deb Davies Property Mgt.: Gary Schmidt Email: Admin@uussd.org Energy Team: Email: Energy@uussd.org Landscape Management: Issac Carney Rental & Usage: Pat Murdock Social & Environmental Justice: Susan Goekler

Email: SocialJustice@uussd.org Stewardship: Jean Charles Worship: Jean Charles

Ad Hoc Committees

Small Group Ministry: Bobbi Dunham

UUSD WEBSITE uussd.org Webmaster Administrators: Alleane Taylor & Margaret Keefe Email: WebsiteAdmin@uussd.org Website Content Administrator: Pat Schaeffer

FACEBOOK Administrator: Pat Schaeffer Editors: Joanne Saltzberg & Alleane Taylor

NEWSLETTER Editor at Large: Pat Schaeffer

Copy Editors: Linda Palmer, Lead; Sue Brown

Newsletter Articles due the 20th of each month to Pat Schaeffer.

Publicity requests to Pat Schaeffer

Order of Service notices by Wednesday to Anni Wood and Jean Charles with a copy to Pat Schaeffer

Weekly Community Updates by Thursday to Jean Charles.

Website Calendar Updates to Jean Charles as needed.