Chairman's
Ramblings
Hi,
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is not an organization that I always agree
with, but in reading their reports of the work being done by them in partnering with other groups and local Haitians they have a much more humanitarian way of distributing aid and providing resources than a lot of the volunteer groups there. First, the UUSC through appeals to local congregations has raised more than $1,000,000 in funds - significant for us, but not nearly enough to do the work that needs to be done. Second, by using their partnerships with local community action groups, they have passed out this aid in a dignified way to those who might not otherwise get it. Many aid groups have simply driven to a site, thrown out large sacks of rice - allowing the strongest to elbow their way to the front of the line - the young and the old have been short changed in this un-humane way of distribution. Third, being a charity and using local groups, more of the donated money has gone to aid, not administration.
I urge you to continue contributing to the UUSC fund for Haiti - it will be needed for a long
while: unemployment is above 60%, wages are unconsionably low, and those who work in the garment
industry work for 12 hour days-6 days per week and still have no place to live cannot afford
decent food for themselves let alone the rest of their families. I also want us to all
appreciate the gifts that we take for granted and how quickly they can disappear. Talk to you
again next month.
Dick
The 1st Annual "Put-Your-Spirit-Into-Hymn" Hymnal Fundraiser And Contest
Choose your favorite hymn tune and write words for it that express something your spirit longs to have in song. Candidates will be played after worship on April 8 and voted upon by those who volunteer to judge that day. The winning hymns will be sung during worship on "Music Sunday" on April 11. The winners will also have a hymnal each donated to the church in their names. An under-sixteen and over-sixteen winner will be chosen. Original hymn tunes are also welcome!
Pick up a registration form from the front entry of the church. Your registration should be
submitted to the box on the piano in the front of the sanctuary by April 1. A separate
registration is required for each entry. A three dollar registration donation is suggested.
BCD Spring Conference
The Ballou Channing District (BCD) Spring Conference will be held from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on
April 24, 2010, at First Unitarian Church of Providence in Providence. We will explore the
developing trends in demographic and religious practice and possible congregation responses.
This year we will focus the theme through three sermons embedded in an extended, dynamic, morning
worship followed by five conversation workshops. Our presenters will be: Rev. James Ford, First
Unitarian Church minister, Rev. Eric Wikstrom, UUA Director of Worship and Music Resources, and
Rev. Sue Sinnamon, Thomas Jefferson District Director of Faith Development. Plans are also under
development for a community social service project. Please chek the BCD Web site
(www.bcduua.org) and our church vestibule for more information and registration instructions.
Summer At Ferry Beach
Registration for summer conferences at Ferry Beach is now open to everyone! The summer
conference season begins with "Work and Play Week"/family week and Quilting Retreat:"You Can
Quilt!" from June 20-26, 2010. Some new conferences this year are "The Ferry Beach Group: A
Ministerial Study Retreat”, “Filling the Well: younger women's mini-week”, “Exploring the Maine
Coast: A Family Nature Camp”, “Grand Buddies Camp”, and “Celebrating Our Living Tradition: UU
History Course and Conference”. For more information on all of Ferry Beach’s programs, visit
www.ferrybeach.org or check the vestibule for the current brochure. You can register on the Web
site or over the phone at 207-282-4489. There is also a registration form on their Web site to
download and mail in.
Join NCTE For Lobby Days: March 14-16
On March 16, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) will be holding a Lobby Day in
Washington D.C. specifically for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). In brief, this
bill stops companies from firing or refusing to hire transgender workers simply on the basis of
gender identity. This has drastic consequences which have included becoming homeless, being
preyed upon by those who are in the sex worker industry, and worse. LGBT people and allies from
around the country who support ENDA will be at the Lobby Day. For more information about the
proposed legislation, the NCTE, and how you can participate, please visit
www.uua.org/socialjustice/issues/bgltequality/employment/index.shtml and/or www.transequality.org
Fundraising Ideas
Have a fundraising idea or want to help out at some of the upcoming fundraisers? Please submit
your ideas to the Finance Chairman or Board Of Trustees and let the event organizer know you have
time to help. You can do this in a variety of ways: in person; leave a note in the mailboxes in
the church office; via e-mail; and/or on-line through
committees.uufoxborough.org/Finance/.
Don't forget to purchase products through our
Amazon.com and Powell's Book partner programs: click through the links on the church Web site
home page (www.uufoxborough.org) and shop!
Planning A Wedding, Meeting, Party, Or Other Event?
Members and non-members are able to
hold special events at our conveniently located church! Overlooking a quintessential New England
Town Common, the Foxborough Universalist Church makes a lovely setting for weddings, meetings,
commitment ceremonies, reunions, classes, workshops, rehearsals, and other events and ceremonies.
In addition to the Sanctuary, piano, overlooking balcony, and vestibule, there is a large
finished downstairs which includes a kitchen and social hall. We welcome all to tour our
treasure and discuss your event needs with our Minister and/or Board of Trustees. Our minister,
Katie Lawson, is available to perform your ceremony, but utilizing her pastoral services is not a
requirement for using our historic building. Please contact us via rentals@uufoxborough.org to
reserve the church for your events. Please contact Minister Katie Lawson regarding your
ceremonial needs.
If you will be using the church some evening or Saturday for a meeting or other event, please
drop the Property Committee a line or give them a call a bit in advance. This will allow the
thermostat to be programmed so that the building is welcomingly toasty when you arrive and, after
you leave, it will return automatically to its preset program.
First Thursdays Peace Vigils
A Peace Vigil is held outside at the church from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. the first Thursday of
every month. Everyone - members, congregants, area residents, etc. - is invited to participate.
Please show up during the hour and stay as long or as short as your schedule allows. Candles
will be provided. If you want to be added to the reminder e-list, please let LeeAnn or PR know
or sign up via http://events.uufoxborough.org.
"Music can be an important component of identity, but it is also an important means
of arriving at cultural pluralism, by which I mean a tolerance, openness and understanding
towards other peoples' cultures, social structures, values and faiths." ~ His Highness the Aga
Khan
[top]
BCD and UUA
Events
full listings BCD In Brief* and UUA Calendar
Dates and time
subject to change so please check with the offices.
- Mar. 3 and Apr. 7: (7:30 p.m.) Men's Group Meeting at Pike's Peak Mining company in
Mansfield. Please contact Rick for details. Newcomers are welcome!
-
Mar. 4 and Apr. 1: (6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church. Area
residents are invited to participate!
- Mar. 6: (9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) "Thinking Outside the Pulpit: Beyond the Hymn-Sermon
Sandwich Service" workshop at All Souls Church in Braintree, Mass.
- Mar. 6-10: End Mountaintop Removal Week. Please visit www.ilovemountains.org/wiw for
details.
-
Mar. 7: (8:00 a.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church. All are welcome to
attend.
-
Mar. 20: (10:00 a.m.) Annual Meeting of The Universalist Church School Union Trust at First
Parish Church in Waltham, Mass.
-
Mar. 22: Sex Education Advocacy Call-In Day. Details via
www.uua.org/socialjustice/issues/reproductive.
-
Mar. 27: (7:30 p.m.) Kim and Reggie Harris at Javawocky Coffeehouse in Brockton. Tickets and
more informatio available via www.javawockyuu.com.
-
Apr. 8-10: UU-UNO 2010 Annual Intergenerational Spring Seminar "A Climate of Change: Head, Heart,
and Hands Around the Planet". Details and registration forms available via
www.uu-uno.org.
-
Apr. 24: (9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.) BCD Spring Conference at First Unitarian Church of Providence in
Providence.
-
Please contact the UU-United Nations Office if you're interested in becoming an UU-UNO
Envoy.
-
Contact rentals@uufoxborough.org to reserve the church for your ceremony, meeting, or other
event. Payments are made through the Treasurer.
-
April 8-10, 2010: UU-UNO Intergenerational Spring Seminar, "A Climate Of Change: Head, Heart, And
Hands Around The Planet" in New York City, New York.
-
Contact rentals@uufoxborough.org to reserve the church for your ceremony, meeting, or other
event.
- Please see the BCD-In-Brief , church web-sites, and church
bulletin boards for additional events and information.
Wayside Pulpit
Satisfaction of one's curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life.
~
Linus Pauling
Stewardship
In 1915 Sarah Doolittle gave her family home to the Universalist Convention
of Massachusetts to be used as a residence for the elderly, especially
those of the Universalist faith. Over the years there has been a
strong relationship between the Home and the UUA (and its predecessors)
and currently about half the residents are UUs who chose to retire to this
haven because of its affiliation with the UUA. Now, a current Board
of Trustees is trying to sever that tie. A policeman in uniform was
hired to keep people out of an Annual Meeting (the people barred
entry were UUs who are members of the corporation or people who were holding
valid proxies). This is a very unfortunate situation where a group
of outsiders is trying to wrest control of a UU institution. There
are legal costs to fight for Doolittle so please contribute - a large check
if you can, or a small one if you can't. Checks should be made out
to: The UUA Fund for Doolittle Home, Inc. and sent to the UUA, Attention:
Jerry Gabert, 25 Beacon St. Boston, MA 02108. Please be generous.
We are very grateful for your support. For more information please
contact Rev. Dorothy Boroush.
Support the Doolittle Home residents, our UU family, friends, and
community,
and the Home's treasured UU Heritage!!!
Not just the "big green and white house on the corner or across from the Library",
the Doolittle Home has been a planned for retirement haven of U's and UUs for over 90 years.
Support the Doolittle Home residents, our UU family, friends, and community,
and the Home's treasured UU Heritage!!!
March's Global Chalice Lighting
English
Let all nations live together in unison
And praise GOD together.
Speak with one voice
To LOVE and accept the Word.
Let LOVE create great songs of praise
For all living souls to sing together.
Yoruba
Gbogbo Eda Dapo,
E Jo Yin Oluwa.
E Pa Ohun nyin po,
Lati Fe Oro Na;
K' ife da orin ope nla,
Ki gbogbo eda k'o si gbe.
~ Olufemi Matimoju
First Unitarian Church of Nigeria
UUSC/UUA Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund
We are still participating in this social action. As of February 19, the Fund has received 8,585
donations totalling approximately $1,130,000! If you would like to donate, please place your
donation (in an envelope marked with "UUSC/UUA Haiti Fund") in the collection plate and/or
contact our church Treasurer.
The CUUPS Podcast Is Out!
The Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) recently released the first issue of their
new CUUPS Podcast. The first issue features an interview with British academic Michael York
recorded at the December 2009 Parliament of World Religions. Basic information about CUUPS is
also included in the podcast. The second issue features Margot Adler and Brian Schorr and music
from Carole Eagleheart and Faith and the Muse. You can download a free copy of the podcasts
either by going to cuups.libsyn.com or to the religious podcast section of the iTunes store.
Womensphere Spring Gathering
Please join Unitarian Universalist women at a Day for Women with Dharma Teacher Joanne Friday,
Buddhist teacher in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. The day’s theme will be “Listening as a
Spiritual Practice, Hearing with the Heart”. The program will be Saturday, March 27, 2010, from
9:30 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth, 840 Sandwich
Road, Falmouth Mass. The deadline to register is Friday, March 19. The fee of $20 includes
registration and lunch. Scholarships are available. Contact dschmader@cox.net for more
information and to register.
Standing On The Side Of Love News
- March 19-22: Ecumenical Advocacy Days: "A Place to Call Home: Immigrants, Refugees, and
Displaced Peoples". This year's focus will be on Immigration. Details available at www.advocacydays.org. Please contact Kat Liu at kliu@uua.org, if you are participating.
-
March 21: Join UUs & others for a March for Change for Comprehensive Immigration Reform to rally together and Stand on the Side of Love with Immigrant Families. Details and registration
available via www.standingonthesideoflove.org/take-a-stand.
-
June 26: UUA General Assembly 2010 attendees are invited to join in an Interfaith Community
Public Witness Event at the Twin Cities' Pride Weekend at the Stonewall Stage in Loring
Park.
Inclement Weather Days
As soon as any change in the church schedule is known on snowy or other inclement weather days, an announcement will be posted on Channel 5 (WCVB).
Did you know...
...that many plants in the driveway garden came from the homes and
yards of Sarah and Marion, Joe and Susan provided the big flower containers, Charlie built the
retaining wall, the yews on either side of the wayside pulpit came from Marion's parents, Shirley and Ted gave us the cornerstone, Carolyn donated the sprinkler system to make sure the plants thrive, and the big tree was planted in memory of Gertrude Fitz?
There are many more plantings, objects, artwork, fixtures, and upkeep around the church that have been done, placed, and maintained by numerous others (such as the children) through the years; this is just a small sampling. Our 'Memorial Garden' is not restricted to a garden bed!!
Universalist Convocation 2010
The Universalist Convocation will hold its annual convocation May 14-16, 2010, at the First
Universalist Society of Rochester in Rochester, New York. The keynote presenter will be the Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed, whose talk is titled "Dragged Kicking and Screaming to Heaven". For more information go to www.nmuc.org/Convo.
Restocking The Shelves
Since 1970, the Foxborough Discretionary Fund and the Foxborough Food Pantry have provided
emergency food relief as well as temporary food support to Foxborough residents in need. The
organizations could not exist without the generous support of our community and friends.
Donations to the Foxborough Food Pantry can be made in the designated boxes at the Foxborough
Stop and Shop
and the Sharon Shaw's Supermarkets. Demand at area food pantries is especially high during the
winter months (when utility and fuel costs rise) and during the summer months (when children do
not have access to the school lunch programs). Gladly accepted is any food donation that has not
reached its expiration date. The following items are always in short supply at the town pantry:
Baked Beans,
Beef Stew,
Canned Fruit,
Canned Vegetables,
Cereal,
Chunky Soups,
Cleaning Supplies,
Feminine products,
Hamburger Helper,
Jelly,
Juice Boxes,
Kleenex,
Laundry Detergent,
Peanut Butter,
Shampoo,
Spaghetti Sauce,
Toilet Paper,
Tuna,
Bottled or Canned Juice,
Canned Chili, Hash, or Spam,
Canned Pasta: Ravioli, Spaghetti O's, &
Snacks: cookies, crackers, chips
No matter which town or city you live in, our contributions
have an immediate impact on the lives of many individuals and families in our municipalities.
Please help if you are able to either by donating to your local food pantry or by adding
something to the Church's monthly donation box in the Vestibule. The Discretionary Fund also
usually sends out an annual request for holiday gifts and needed winter clothing. Please donate
if you can. Thank You!
Universalism struck hell from the theological menu; Unitarianism removed original
sin. ~ Forrest Church
Listen To The Latest 'UU World'
Audiorecordings of the articles in the latest UU World are now available. The audio version of
UU World is produced in cooperation with the UUA Office of Accessibility Concerns. We welcome
your feedback about this audio service. Write to world@uua.org. On-line at
http://www.uuworld.org/about/audio.shtml.
Church Groups
You're invited to join any of our groups! Some of our current groups are: Men's Group,
Choir, Children's Choir, Women's Group, Green Sanctuary Committee, Religious Education Committee,
Social Action Committee, Welcoming Congregation Committee, and Sunshine Committee. Please check
the vestibule bulletin boards and upcoming newsletters for details about our groups, who to
contact for more information, and how to join. If none of those interest you, think of forming a
new one for you and other congregants to join.
Foxborough
Universalist Church Music
Our choir information and music catalog is on-line at music.uufoxborough.org/.
The collection ranges from music published as recently as 2005 to music
published as far back as 1832. All sheet music listed in the catalogue
is available to other Ballou Channing District churches on a lending basis. Please contact
us to add items to the database.
Wayside Pulpit
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed,
it's the only thing that ever has.
~ Margaret Mead
Notices
- Preserving the Unitarian Universalist
Chaplaincy at the Doolittle Home a new Fund
- Please see
Marion or Dick for matching gift program paperwork. "This is an easy way to double your
contribution to the Church - without costing an extra dime."
- This year, the Building Preservation Fund will be used to restore the floors and ceiling in
the Sanctuary.
- Some Committees & Groups: Women's Group, Men's Group, Green Sanctuary
Committe, Social Action Committee, Sunshine Committee, Worship Committee, Finance, & RE Committee
- Consider adding the Foxborough Universalist Church to your estate plans. Contact the Board
Chairperson or Katie Lawson for more information.
- Social Action News
- Columns: Green Corner, Seven
Principles, and The Living Tradition
- Please see the Fundraising & Support Opportunities section to
see some of our ongoing efforts. Our church is a small but steadily growing church with big
ideas about how it wants to better serve our community and the world. Thank you for considering
all these opportunities to help us. Whether you're able to experience the good work of our
congregation directly or not, we know that you will feel great about the ways we are putting
values you hold into action.
- Please contact PR for questions about the newsletter and/or web-site.
- Please check
the bulletin board and Order Of Service for weekly updates.
In The Community: Some March Events
- Monday – Friday – Crossroads Children's Center at the church (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
- Mondays & Wednesdays – Belly Dance classes at the church (6:30 p.m.)
- Tuesdays – Yoga classes at the church
(6:30 p.m.)
- Saturdays – Yoga classes at the church (9:30 a.m.)
- Mar. 5-7 – "Rent" at Orpheum
Theatre
- Mar. 5-7 & 12-14 – Events at the stadium
- Mar. 6, 9, 23, & 30 - Board Of Selectmen's
Meetings
- Mar. 1 – Choral-palooza by Grades 5-12 at FHS (6:30 p.m.)
- Mar. 9 - McGinty Family Fun
Day On The Common Planning Meeting at Public Safety Building (7:00 p.m.)
- Mar. 11 - Winter Skate
at Patriot Place
- Mar. 19 – The Un-Common Theatre Company Improv Soup at Burrell (7:30 p.m.)
- Mar. 23 - Bandorama by Grades 5–12 at FHS (7:00 p.m.)
- Mar. 29 – Apr. 9 – Foxborough Reads (tickets to related events available beginning Mar. 15)
- Mar. 31 - "Harriet Tubman's Freedom Train" at Orpheum Theatre
- The Restocking The Shelves collection box is on the church's second level – please contribute!
Questions about the church?