Rally against Racial Profiling

On August 26, 13 members of First Unitarian participated in the "Redeem the Dream" rally against racial profiling in Washington, D.C. At the UU General Assembly in June, the Assembly endorsed the rally in an Action of Immediate Witness. We organized a bus that also carried UUs from Madison, WI, Davenport, IA, and Second Unitarian in Chicago, and representatives of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Moratorium against the Death Penalty - 41 of us in all.

We gathered at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Washington where we met up with Rev. Nina Grey and enjoyed a continental breakfast with Barbara Seals, head of community affairs there. From St. Stephens we took public transportation to the White House and walked to the Lincoln Memorial where the rally was held. We chose a spot in the shade near the Reflecting Pool (with about 50,000 other protestors), set up the church banner, and listened to an interesting and controversial group of speakers including Coretta King, Martin Luther King III, Al Sharpton, the wife of Louis Farrakan, and Kweisi Mfume. We circulated a Social Justice Council leaflet and met several UUs from around the country. Unfortunately, an entire UU bus from Boston was canceled at the last minute by Rev. Sharpton, who had earlier promised to help pay for the bus and then refused. The Boston bus organizer, David Concepcion, has written a letter to the New York Times about this action.

We thank the members of First U who contributed money even though they didn't make the trip. We could not have made the trip without you, because we were unable to fill the bus completely and because some who came could not afford to pay. Our efforts at recruiting were very successful compared with some other Chicago organizations. The NAACP, which reserved 88 buses, actually brought only one bus that was half full; SCLC reserved six buses and ended up with six people on our bus.
 

Important Dates

Oct. 1: 2-5 pm Harvest Fest 2000, UU Urban Coalition of Chicago, at our church.

Oct. 3: 7:30 "Taming Your Gremlins," Adult RE Program

Oct. 7: Social Justice Action Retreat at the church, 9:30-4:30

8:30 am Philosofest, "Cosmic Consciousness," North Shore Unitarian Church, Deerfield

11:30 am Great Books

11:45 am UU Orientation I

Oct. 15: 11:45 am UU Orientation II

Oct 16-21: Church Photo Directory; reserve a time to have your picture taken

Oct. 19: First Unitarian volunteers working at Hyde Park Co-op, 55th & Lake Park, for Hyde Park and Kenwood Interfaith Council's food program

Oct. 21: 1:00 pm Needlecraft Class, Adult RE

9:30 am District Interweave Conference, Unitarian Church of Evanston

Oct. 26: 6:30 pm Social Justice Council Trip to Meet Ruby Bridges, Chicago Historical Society

Oct. 28: 9:00 am Ministerial Startup Gathering (all leadership should attend)

Oct. 28: 1-5 pm Art Sale, Hull Chapel

Oct. 29, 2 am: Daylight Savings Time ends

Oct. 29: 1-5 pm Art Sale, Hull Chapel

Nov. 3-5: UU Women's Federation Fall Retreat, Lake Geneva, WI. Registration forms in Blue Folder in Newsletter Slot

Nov. 12: 9:00 am Nature of Racism, Adult RE

Nov. 18: Annual Thanksgiving Seder service and feast
 

Ministers' Hours

Rev. Nina Grey: At church Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 to 2 and by appointment. On Thursdays, I study and prepare sermons. Monday is my day off. Call me at church (773/324-4100) or at home (773/288-0348). E-mail NinaGrey@aol.com. If your need is an emergency, call me at home even on Mondays.

Rev. Marlene Walker: Phone number 773/955-1607; e-mail Revmar@aol.com. New office hours: Tuesday and Thursday 10 to 3 pm and Wednesday 9 am to noon. Monday is now my day off, and I work at home on Fridays. Call me with any questions, concerns, or interests at the church (773/324-4100) or by e-mail. If you are calling about an urgent concern or an emergency, call me at home even on my day off.
 

Lifespan Religious Education

by Rev. Marlene Walker, Minister for Religious Education

Tis the Season of New Beginnings

Each fall I am reminded that, even though our official "New Years Day" is January 1 - right in the midst of Winter, culturally our New Year actually begins in the fall - the season of changes. This is truly a time of New Beginnings. Our children have begun new school years with all the excitement that bringsÑnew teachers, new clothes, new friends, new questions. For many people fall finds us in new homes and in new jobs as well. I think more and more our culture is built around this season as the time to begin anew. In the Jewish tradition this time has always been the time of the New Year, of beginning anew and Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year observance, is celebrated this year on September 29.

So it is here at First Church in RE. Sept. 17 was the first Sunday of our new Religious Education year. Our teachers have been dedicated and our young people have begun a new adventure in their growth as religious people. It was an exciting day, full of energy and bubbling with the presence in church and RE classrooms of young people. We have begun: a new year in the life of the church, a new year, and a new beginning in ministry.

New years and new beginnings bring with them new possibilities and new ways of being. It is certainly true for me this fall as I find myself in a new home in a new city and in a new ministry. It is an exciting time as I discover who I am in this new place, and it begins to more and more feel like home. Like all new beginnings, there are also moments of anxiety (remember that first day at school?), and I find myself aware of how unfamiliar things are at times. Yet, with each new day there comes a deepening sense that I know where I am. I can even almost always now tell which expressway is meant when someone refers to the Dan Ryan or the Eisenhower, for instance, and many of your names and faces are becoming familiar.

It is a good and exciting time full of beginnings and possibilities. I hope you will find it so as well. In the Jewish tradition there are words said at Rosh Hashanah that I think are fitting for us here at First Church in this time of new beginning. Each year as apples and honey are passed around the table, each person says to the other, "May the year be good and sweet." So my wish for all of us here at First Unitarian, as we begin this new year, is "may the year be good and sweet."

Blessings,

Marlene
 

To Parents of Church School Children:

Please remember to register your children. Registrations forms are inside the RE Prospectus. If you didn't get one or need one, please call the Church Office.
 

What's Happening in RE This Month:

Our new RE year is underway and our young people are engaged in the following classes:

Discoverers (Preschool): "We Are Many We Are One"

The preschoolers are learning about their religious community and their own place in it. Teachers Adrienne King and Jaime Moore are helping them to discover their own uniqueness and get to know each other.

Adventurers and Voyagers (Kindergarten-2nd grade): "Treasure Hunting and Special Times"

This combined class is learning about UU principles and values and exploring the richness of our Jewish and Christian heritage. Teachers Ivan Lappin, Elsbeth Dunn, and Norman Hines are helping them to find the treasures in UUism and the experiences of celebration and worship found in our Jewish and Christian heritage.

Pathfinders (Grades 3-4) "Timeless Themes"

This class is exploring themes found in the biblical literature of our culture and heritage. Teachers Diane Broz and Cynthia Echols are using a variety of songs, games and activities to bring the biblical heritage to life.

Searchers (Grade 5-6): "Living the Promise"

Teachers Allan Lindrup and Andrew Greenlee are exploring the Hebrew Scriptures with this class through the theme of covenant as the promise that life is good, orderly and beautiful.

Junior High (Grades 7-8): "Messages in Music"

Our junior high class is using music to help understand and incorporate our UU Principles and Purposes. Teachers Betty Holcomb and Amanda Helin, with help from Paul Ulbrich and Jen Crow, will be helping the class plan two projects, a musical presentation and a congregational worship service.

Senior High (Grades 9-12): "Reel to Real"

This class, along with advisors Steve Ploum and Enid Norman, is looking at UU themes (and others) in contemporary and classical films.
 

Another New Beginning

This month Jen Crow begins as our new RE Assistant. Jen is a first-year student at Meadville/Lombard and is from Northampton, MA, where she was involved in the UU church and was a Youth Advisor. Welcome Jen and her partner Anne Crow when you see them!
 

Adult Religious Education

Taming Your Gremlin

Based on the book Taming Your Gremlin by Richard D. Carson, this course is a practical and creative approach to dealing with life's problems and internal resistance to change. Through the metaphor of "the gremlin," you will explore ways to deal with the self-defeating aspects of your personality. Meet at the church with co-leaders Ioanna Crawford and Margaret Huyck on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 7:30-9:30 pm.
 

Needle Craft, Anyone?

Knitting, chain stitch: a myriad of items can be created: sweaters, scarves, handbags, hats, etc.

Knit and purl: again many items can be made. Come see what you can learn to do. Dates at the church:

Your needles and yarn for $3 donation to the church for instructions. To enroll, call Kennie James, 773/ 238-1833.
 

Nature of Racism Course Begins Sunday, Oct. 8

Finley Campbell

Once again, by popular demand, I am presenting my course, "The Nature of Racism." This course has been endorsed by the Charlotte Lackner Anti-Racism Committee, the First Unitarian Social Justice Council, and the Adult RE Program Committee. The course gives the historical origins of racism as an antidote to the mythic origins of racism in the skin-color privileges of white people. We will continue with the format we had last year with the following changes.

First, the course will meet at 9 am in VOV Gallery (off the sanctuary in the front of the church, south) the second Sunday of each month from October to March. Second, we will incorporate video clips from the widely acclaimed TV series Africans in America. Finally, we will have two special video showings at convenient times of video clips from Africans in America, for unmediated reactions, followed by editorializing. These sessions are aimed primarily to choir members who are rehearsing at the regular session time. For more information, contact Finley. A brochure is being prepared to give a fuller picture of the course. There will also be a text booklet.
 

Committee on Ministry Report

The Committee on Ministry (COM) has begun monthly meetings for the year 2000-2001. The COM was established by the congregation at its 1999 Annual Meeting. Its charge is:

"to consult with and advise the professional ministers regarding their relations with the society; also to work with the committees and councils of the Society to translate the church's mission and long term goals into program, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the Society's ministry."

COM is working closely with the Board in exploring how to carry out the committee's purposes in ways that can help strengthen the Society's whole ministry. COM has joined the Board in studying some processes for renewing the Society's vision, mission, and covenant. To better understand the concepts of vision, mission, and covenant, COM asks groups in the church that have vision, mission, and/or covenant statements to share them with the Committee on Ministry. They can be placed in the COM mailbox in the church office or sent to Hank Henriques, COM chair, c/o First Unitarian Church, 5650 S. Woodlawn Ave., Chicago, IL 60637.

In addition, COM is engaging District Congregational Services Director Angela Merkert to work with the Committee on discovering its own mission, vision and covenant at a COM retreat this month.

COM members are:

Hank Henriques, chair

Evelyn Johnson

Grace Williams

Rev. Neil Gerdes

David Puszkiewicz

Revs. Nina Grey and Marlene Walker serve ex officio.
 

Ministers' Personal Advisory Committees

At its Annual Meeting in May 1999, the congregation established Personal Advisory Committees to meet with the individual ministers. Rev. Grey's Personal Advisory Committee includes Winston Kennedy, Evelyn Johnson, and a third member, soon to be chosen, to replace Rachel Cole, who is working this year in the Caribbean.

Rev. Walker's Personal Advisory Committee includes Hank Henriques, Vivian Burns, and Diane Broz.
 

Special thanks

Thanks to Paul Ricker, who has recently taken on our church's website management.
 

Tom Weisflog Leaves Us for Rockefeller Chapel

by Joan Staples, Music Subcommittee

It is a bittersweet time for First Unitarian Church's music program! Tom Weisflog, our beloved organist of more than 20 years, is moving on to Rockefeller Chapel - a wonderful career opportunity for him but a loss for us.We will experience his artistry in special concerts there and elsewhere - and he will occasionally be available to us, especially as consultant on our organ rebuilding.
 

Interim Pianist Engaged

Meanwhile, as we begin the search process, we introduce Byron Dueck as our interim pianist. Byron, from near Winnipeg, Canada, is a Ph.D. student in ethnomusicology, specializing in North American music. He has bachelor's and master's degrees in piano performance. He became acquainted with Tom when asked to substitute at another of Tom's venues, K.A.M.-Isaiah Israel. The choir has already experienced his ability as a rehearsal pianist . . . a challenging test.

Byron Dueck began his service on Sept. 24. Welcome him to our music staff.
 

Artists Exhibiting Locally

Cindy Pardo is exhibiting her quilts and fabric articles at Artisans 21, where she recently became a participating artist. Another church member, Bill Barron, exhibits stained glass articles there and is Artisan 21's Board President. Artisans 21 is a cooperative gallery run entirely by the member artists. The gallery started at our church in the 1970s, with exhibitions in our VOV Gallery for two years before moving to its present location in Harper Court, 5225 S. Harper. It is open noon to 6 pm Tuesday through Sunday.
 

Membership Matters

By Holly Jamison, Membership Chair

Unitarian Universalist Orientation Series

Whether you have been a recent visitor, have visited with us several times, are a new member, or even have been a member for some time, our fall UU Orientation series provides an excellent opportunity to learn even more about Unitarian Universalism and First Unitarian Society. UU orientation is particularly valuable if you are contemplating membership. The series will be led by Rev. Nina Grey.

The Orientation Series will be held Oct. 1, 8, and 15 at 11:45-1:00 in the VOV Gallery. Light refreshments are served, and childcare is available.

Program topics are:

Oct. 1: Getting acquainted; sharing our religious journeys with an opportunity for questions about Unitarian Universalism.

Oct. 8: Unitarian Universalist history

Oct. 15: A brief history of First Unitarian Society; social action programs, lifespan religious education programs, and the many other activities provided by First Unitarian Society.

For more information, stop by the Welcome Table in Hull Chapel after church and speak with a member of the Membership Committee.
 

Keeping Track of the Past

The dynamic heritage that First Unitarian Society enjoys was built by its members. Those of us who have been around a long time have real memories that help us appreciate their contributions. But there are few written records of those individuals. A committee is organizing the collection of the life stories of these "pillars." If you also share our concern, have a name you think should be included, or just want information, please call Polly McCoo.
 

Great Books

The Great Books discussion for Sunday, October 8, continues the discussion, begun last month, of Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita (Vintage International, first printing 1996). The discussion begins at 11:30 in the Choir Room. For more information, contact Gloria Gnatz.
 

Get Ready to be Photographed!

We began making appointments in September for our church family photo album. We want every member's picture to in this valuable resource. Pictures will be taken during the week of October 16-21, and appointments are set for daytime and evening hours.

Please plan to participate. It will help all of us to have this photographic reference. It will cost the church and individual members nothing, although you may choose to purchase portraits.

Can you help with this project? If so, please contact Cindy Pardo. Questions to the same great answerer.
 

Art for Sale!

by Ellie Hall, Art Committee

Need something to give class to your home or apartment? The Recycled Art Sale will offer all kinds of art: picture, wall hangings, sculptures, posters, etc., at reasonable prices. We have a wide variety: African and African American works, Lincoln portraits, a Monet poster, photographs of homes of U.S. presidents, paintings by our own Chuck Staples, a framed piece of quilting, watercolors, a large, flat wooden sculpture by Joyce Neimanis of the Art Institute faculty, and much more. Most items will be sold at a set price ($5 and up); some by silent auction (write down a bid and others may bid higher; winning bidder notified after the sale).

Come to the sale Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28 and 29, in Hull Chapel. Hours Saturday are 1-5 pm, with live jazz. The Sunday sale will begin immediately after church. Wait to see what will happen after 1 pm.

All proceeds go to the church. If you have questions or art to donate, phone Ellie Hall.
 

Philosofest 2000

The annual Philosofest conference will be held on Sat., Oct. 7, at North Shore Unitarian Church, Deerfield, IL. The theme of the day-long gathering this year is "Cosmic Consciousness." Two UU ministers (Revs. Karen Stoyanoff and Jay Deacon) and two scientists (Grace Wolf-Chase and Joshua Frieman) will present papers. There will be an opportunity for discussion and questions. Registration (includes lunch and copies of the papers) is $30 ($15 for full-time students); late registration after Sept. 29 is $35. Look for the registration form in the Blue Newsletter Folder; copy the registration form if you wish to attend.
 

Attention, Young (18-35) Adults

The Young Adult Outreach Network (YAON) will be holding its 3rd EVER WUURSHIP weekend October 6-8, 2000, at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church in Park Forest, IL. You may still be able to register; contact A.D. Lowe via e-mail at ADtheYAONGoddess@aol.com, or by phone.
 

Central Midwest District Interweave Conference

Internalized Homophobia: A Journey Inward

Sat., Oct. 21, 2000, 8:30 am-5:30 pm

Unitarian Church of Evanston, 1330 Ridge Road, Evanston, IL

Co-sponsored by the CMwD Interweave Committee and the Welcoming Congregation Committee of the Unitarian Church of Evanston

The conference features three presentations by the Rev. Keith Kron, Director, Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Concerns, Unitarian Universalist Association, Boston, and opportunities for small-group discussion. Those who choose to stay after 5:50 pm can also sign up (by Oct. 14) for a buffet dinner and entertainment put on by the Unitarian Church of Evanston's Welcoming Congregation Committee.

Get registration forms and further details from the rack across from the Church Office or from the Blue Folder in the Newsletter slot in the Church Office.
 

"The Sacred within": UUWF Fall Retreat

The Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation holds its annual Fall Retreat at Lake Geneva, WI. The dates this year are Nov. 3-5. Information and a registration form may be found in the Blue Folder in the Newsletter slot in the Church Office.
 

Urban Ministries Conference Scheduled for March 2001

"Building Our Faith, Building Our Cities" is the theme for the Urban Ministries Conference, to be held in Chicago March 8-11, 2001, at the Congress Hotel.

Conference plenaries will provide time for focusing on issues of theology, class and race. The conference will include some 30 workshops, with opportunities for participants to experience some Chicago area ministries.

Brochures and detailed information will soon be available. Contact Robin Nikora-Dorson, rnikorad@uua.org, or the Rev. Tracey Robinson Harrison, trobinson@uua.org.
 

Social Justice Action Retreat

We urge you to attend the Social Justice Action Retreat scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 7. We hope to involve as many church members as possible in selecting a social justice replacement for the Grove Parc project. We want your input in selecting a project that will motivate you to become involved at your own level of energy, time, and commitment.

The final list of projects to be considered includes Southwest Women Working Together, the Chicago Interfaith Committee on Workers Issues, and the Stolen Lives Project as described in the last newsletter. We will also look at three other projects:

1. Citizens' Alert has been active in Criminal Justice issues for many years. Evelyn Bomer has been active with this group. Mary Powers will make the presentation.

2. A Caregiver's Support Initiative to provide caregiving support through advocacy for paid caregivers and volunteer support for family caregivers is proposed by Margaret Huyck and will be presented by Kennie James.

3. Sister Pat Davis of Lutheran Social Services will present a proposal involving support for mothers in prison.

The retreat begins with coffee and registration at 9:30. Each project will be presented and discussed before lunch. After lunch we will discuss projects in small groups and then come back together to vote on the projects. Margaret Huyck is our facilitator. Preregistration forms are available at church. We need to know how many want to buy lunch ($5) rather than bringing their own and how many will require child care.

More information about the projects will be available at the Social Justice table on Sunday, Oct. 1, and in the church office the following week.
 

New Social Justice Fund

The Social Justice Council, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, has established a fund to help Simeret Taye pay her school debt so that she can begin taking classes again.  Simeret is a political refugee from Ethiopia. Her father, Dr. Taye Woldesemayat, was the leader of the largest teachers' union in Ethiopia before he was imprisoned by the Ethiopian government. At the time of his sentencing, the Social Justice Council joined an international campaign and sent a letter to the Ethiopian government pleading for his release. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Dr. Taye has been designated a "Prisoner of Conscience" by Amnesty International.

During this time Simeret was also arrested, and the authorities attempted to force her to renounce her father. Dr. Taye feared for his daughter's safety. Catherine Harth and Stephen Stern agreed to sponsor Simeret, and the U.S. State Department allowed her to immigrate with the understanding she would attend college.

Simeret was recently granted political asylum. She wants to continue her education so that she can get a job to support herself until it is safe for her to return to Ethiopia. However, she owes Harold Washington College $3,000 for last spring's tuition and will need about $1,000 for the next semester. To contribute to this fund, please send your check to the church, made out to First Unitarian Society, with "Taye Fund" on the memo line.
 

Meet Ruby Bridges

Members of the Social Justice Council invite you to join them at a special program at the Chicago Historical Society Thursday, Oct. 26, 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Ruby Bridges, the subject of Norman Rockwell's painting "The Problem We All Live with," will describe how she helped integrate Franz Elementary School in New Orleans. She will also sign copies of her book Through My Eyes. If you are interested in accompanying us, contact Bobbi Campbell or any member of the Social Justice Council.
 

Let There Be Food for All

The Hyde Park and Kenwood Interfaith Council's food program raises roughly $2,000 of its annual program funds through the 5 percent rebate that Co-op members receive on their Co-op purchases on Thursdays in October. First Unitarian is responsible for working Thursday, Oct. 19, handing out flyers at the Co-op, 55th & Lake Park from 9 am to 9 pm, advising shoppers of their rebate and asking them to designate it to go to the Food Program when they check out.

Volunteers are needed 9-11 am especially and as a backup until 9 pm. Kennie James is handling the 11 am-1 pm time slot, with Allan Lindrup handling 1-9 pm. Can you volunteer for 9 to 11 am or be a second volunteer for any time 9 am to 9 pm? If so, contact Allan Lindrup.
 

Richard L. Criley, 1911-2000

A memorial tribute to Richard Criley, founder of the Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights, was held in September 2000. Dick spent many years as an activist and advocate for civil rights and social justice on Chicago's West Side. In response to the police murder of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, Dick worked with others to organize the Alliance to End Repression, of which our church was a member. The Alliance can be credited with the Red Squad lawsuit and the 1981 federal consent decree prohibiting police spying on constitutionally protected activity. During the 1970s, Dick spoke at our church a number of times.
 

Criminal Justice Committee

by Evelyn Bomer, Chair

Crime is down according to national statistics, but more prisons are needed to house people of color, primarily for some form of drug offense, and to house the mentally ill. One target appears to be youth 15-20 years of age.

There are those who truly need to be in prison, but according to federal reports, unemployment is at a minimum now, primarily due to the prison system.

The state of California, which has more people in prison than does China, has begun a program of treatment for those who have committed minor offenses.

The election and appointment of judges on all levels of our local, state, and federal court system is extremely important. We will try to provide some information about judges to inform you as you go to the polls in November. Also, see the next story by Stephen Stern on where to get information about ratings of judges.

Please review the Criminal Justice bulletin boards. One is located in Hull Chapel during the Social Hour; the other is on the south wall in the Pennington Center corridor near the back door. There will be information on judicial candidates on these boards along with other information.

I along with many others support Judge Eugene Pincham's motion-petition filed Aug. 24 for the Cook County Bar Association asking for a listing of cases in which the State's Attorney's office has substituted white judges for black judges on arraignment calls and calling attention to the "process" for eliminating blacks from juries. The brief states: "The removal of Black trial judges by the Cook County, Illinois, State's Attorney, simply because the judges are Black, violates the federal and state constitutional rights, privileges and guarantees of ... due process, equal protection, and right to trial."

Included in the brief are articles by award-winning journalist Maurice Possley (a First Forum guest from a while back) and Ken Armstrong from the Chicago Tribune on misconduct of prosecutors and judges over time. The brief will be available for you to view at the Social Justice Table at the Social Hour for the next several Sundays.
 

Evaluation of Judges in Cook County

by Stephen Stern

In the Chicago metropolitan area, until recently the evaluation of candidates for judicial office was conducted by a handful of bar associations that had the personnel to conduct the evaluations. The oldest, largest, and most conservative of the bar associations was the Chicago Bar Association, which has had many prosecutors on its evaluation committee.

Other bar associations that provided perspectives on judicial candidates were the Chicago Council of Lawyers (which has strong representation from large-firm lawyers and lawyers with more liberal views); the Cook County Bar Association (one of the oldest black bar associations in the U.S.); the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois; and the Women's Bar Association of Illinois. About three years ago, an effort began to get all the bar associations join together in the evaluation process to (1) ease the burden on candidates of being evaluated; (2) ease the burden of evaluation for the bar associations, especially the smaller associations; (3) to give the bar associations a chance to hear the perspectives and concerns of one another before deciding what position to take on a candidate.

The Chicago Bar Association (the largest association) decided to continue to evaluate candidates on its own. However, the Illinois State Bar Association joined the effort, along with several other bar associations that had not previously been involved in the evaluation of judicial candidates (Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area, Black Women's Bar Association of Greater Chicago, Decalogue Society of Lawyers [primarily Jewish lawyers], Puerto Rican Bar Association, and the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago). All these associations have joined in the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening (Alliance). The Alliance evaluated judicial candidates jointly, but each participating association issues its own rating of candidates.

The Alliance process allows the public access to a number of perspectives on the desirability of particular judicial candidates, especially with regard to ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.

The layperson can use the bar ratings in a number of ways: to see the overall rating, to see ratings from individual groups. The layperson can also get more information about candidates from the candidate's materials or from the bar associations, which often provide materials in connection with their evaluations.

We will provide phone numbers and website addresses for the bar associations beginning Oct. 20 at the Social Justice Table at the Social Hour.
 
 

In the Local News

The Hyde Park Neighborhood Choir of the Chicago Children's Choir was featured in a story in the Sept. 20 issue of the Hyde Park Herald. The Neighborhood Choir rehearses at our church twice a week throughout the school year. As many of you know, the Chicago Children's Choir was founded by our own Rev. Christopher Moore more than 40 years ago. A unit of the CCC will sing at the Oct. 22 Sunday service in recognition of the anniversary of its founding.

Open auditions are being held early in October on Tuesdays and Thursdays 4 to 6 pm. No appointment necessary.
 

News from Starr King

Our church sponsors two students at Starr King School for the Ministry who are members of our church: Karen Day and Janet Johnson. Here are he latest report s from them.

Dear First Church Friends,

This fall I begin my internship and my final year at Starr King (thanks to classes I'd taken at Meadville/Lombard, for which credit transferred). My internship is a combination of community and parish work, which together with my RE experience, should cover the bases! I am working in the Faithful Fools Street Ministry with Rev. Kay Jorgensen and Sr. Carmen Barsody. We offer support and resources to folk on the streets in the Tenderloin and also invite folks from churches, businesses, and other groups to take to the streets for a day-long retreat. The concepts of presence and witness guide us to use various models of reflection as we enter the streets, and I love it. First Church of San Francisco has named Kay its Minister of Social Justice. My work there will include teaching an adult RE class on homelessness, meeting with Justice Associates, as well as preaching and pastoral care.

All this work feels like a natural extension from my time with you, through my classes last semester in preaching, New Testament, performance and community ministry reflection. The church, school, and communities spill out into each other, enriching our lives as we fulfill our covenants with each other. My work has also included leading an Easter service at Gladman Mental Health facility, being a chaplain at family camp in Mendocino, and preaching at the Asheville (NC) church. It was great to be in Chicago for my daughter Anne's rite of passage and eighth-grade graduation at Flower Communion and to see some of you at UUA General Assembly. I look forward to seeing you this year too.

Blessings,

Karen Day
 

Hi Everyone!

Last semester I completed my clinical pastoral education requirement at John Muir Medical Center. John Muir Center is a 320-bed regional trauma center. In addition, this hospital offers a broad range of in-patient and outpatient services. I was assigned to the oncology and endocrine floor and covered trauma patients when I was on call. After this experience, my self-knowledge and commitment to ministry have deepened.

This year I am doing a nine-month parish internship at the Mount Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church (MDUUC) in Walnut Creek, CA. The Rev. David Sammons has been the Senior Minister there for 17 years. Dave has been a parish minister for 37 years, which makes his the longest tenure of any UU minister in northern California. [Dave served the Evanston church before he went to the West Coast -Ed.] MDUUC started as a fellowship in 1951 with 8 families. There are now about 320 members. Like First Unitarian, this church has a commitment to our movement as a whole as well as to its own particular needs. It has a reputation of being a good teaching church, and I look forward to working there. If you are in the area, I will be preaching on 10/1, 11/12 (Karen and Bill will be dancing), 1/14 (MLK Birthday), 3/4, and 5/20.

Love & Peace,

Jan Johnson
 

Among Us

Congratulations to David Arksey on the culmination of his 23rd and the beginning of his 24th year of ministry as Minister-at-Large of First Unitarian Church! David gave flowers for the altar to celebrate the contributions of earlier Ministers-at-Large, Robert Collyer and George Sikes.

We were so glad to see Joan Bernstein back at church, as she continues recovery from surgery.

Many thanks to Bobbi Lammers Campbell and Finley Campbell for organizing the bus to Washington DC for the rally against racial profiling and police brutality.

Warm get well wishes to Arnita Boswell.

Best wishes to all our members and friends who are faculty, staff and students at Meadville/Lombard as they begin a new school year.

Our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Kem Young Wong, who died Sept, 5 and was remembered in a Memorial Service on Sept. 10.

Congratulations to Ron and Betty Wentzel on the marriage of their son, Luther Paul Heinrich Wentzel, to Sandra Davis, on Sept. 16, 2000, in southern California.

Welcome new member Diana Gray, who signed the Membership Book of First Unitarian Society on Sept. 10. Diana is also serving as Secretary to the Board.

Congratulations to Laura Finnegan and David Smith on the birth of their son, Matthew Leo Finnegan Smith, born July 14, 2000.

Congratulations to Julie Gilmour and Jeff Kilpatrick, who were married this summer.

Congratulations to Pat MacClarence on her new position with the Geriatric Center of the University of Chicago.

Alan Porterfield, son of John Porterfield, recently graduated from college with a degree in graphic arts. He has a new job with what John referred to as a small, startup Internet firmÑIBM.
 

Marking Transitions: Musings of a Member of the Board of Trustees

by Dr. Finley C. Campbell, member, FUSOC Board of Trustees

The following is a personal commentary by a member of the Board of Trustees. Official reports on Board activity will appear in later issues.

Let me describe a bit of my experience as a member of the Board of Trustees of the First Unitarian Church/Society of Chicago. My main participation in this august body was as part of the particular First U board that coordinated the church's efforts to make the transition in ministerial leadership. What a time this was. I first came on board as alternate (a one-year term) while we were searching for interim ministers.

I have served under three board presidents: Sister Cindy (then) Carroll (now) Pardo, Brother Norman Hines, and now under Brother Allen Harden. During this time what began for me as a chore, placed on my shoulders as a draftee by Sister Cindy, evolved into a duty and then a commitment as I began to see how important the Board was to the ongoing life of the church.

In our church, our Board of Trustees acts as the representative of the collective will of the church, manifested in our committee, task forces, ongoing organizational entities. In this context, the BOT combines actions that reflect the whole range of congregational concerns. It provided leadership in carrying out our mission in relationship to the hopes and dreams of the congregation. Indeed, our board is a manifestation of the concept of congregational responsibility. This was demonstrated in how the Board supported the efforts to find interims, a senior minister, and now a new position, the Minister for Religious Education.

It was during this time that Rev. Sydney Wilde and Rev. Dennis Daniel came on board as our Interim Ministers, and our work with them revealed to me the symbiotic interaction between church organization and church spirituality. With their help we went through the struggle, in the dialectical sense, to become ready for calling our Senior Minister, Rev. Nina Grey, and our Minister for Religious Education, Rev. Marlene Walker. In addition, we had to break in a new team to run our office and physical plantÑJesse Williams and Kimetta Smith. All this we did with much success.

So, all in all, it has been a great experience, and now we prepare for our next great task, finding a replacement for Brother Thomas Weisflog, who was a major participant in the music side of our worship service. But once more, the Board to the rescue: at our last meeting we agreed to a proposal to set up a major task force composed of representatives from appropriate committees to work with this search process in terms of a full-scale look at our whole Sunday morning worship service. So, here we go again, onward and upward.
 

News from Out of Town

David Mosby was home from Burundi for a brief visit in September. He is the son of Evelyn Mosby and grandson of Kenneth and Mamie Gibson.

Townley McGiffert, who served us as a work study student when he was attending Chicago Theological Seminary, has now entered the chaplaincy program at Emory University. He sends greetings.

Meet a Group That Shares Our Space

As you are no doubt aware, a number of groups share our space at First Unitarian Church. (Note below the monthly calendar the list of regular meeting times for several groups.)

Affinity uses the Garden Room every day for its programs. Affinity's mission is as follows:

"Affinity's mission is to provide a safe space for socialization and interaction on the South Side of Chicago for the lesbian, bisexual women, transgender women, and lesbigay youth of African descent. As part of this provision, we will include our families, friends and other supporters. We will provide and promote services to meet existing and emerging needs, including, but not limited to, health, advocacy, education, and allied services. Our fundamental commitment is to facilitate wellness within and among these groups and serve as a change agent within the larger lesbigay community and the African American community."

Affinity's staff is all volunteer. Programs include the Healthy Woman Series (first Thursday of each month), "Lez Chat" (second Thursday), Social Justice Forum (third Wednesday), 40 Plus (third Saturday). Affinity also has held such special events as Ole School Party, Open Mic Night, Annual Fundraiser, and a Literary Weekend.

For more information e-mail Affinity95@aol.com; website: http://www.affinity95.org.

Other space users are (in no particular order) Rhythm N Moves, Hyde Park School of Ballet, Spanish Studio, Chicago Children's Choir, Alateen, Alanon, Tai Chi, Overeaters Anonymous, Sea Scouts, and Meadville/Lombard Theological School.