October, 2004
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Rev. Grey's column, "Both Sides," is available here. First Forums may be found here In the InterimBy Rev. Millie RochesterMaybe it's all those years of going to school, or seeing our children off to school. Maybe it's all the years of church life, especially preparing a religious education program. Whatever the reason, September - not January - has for a very long time felt like the start of a new year. Now we turn the page of the calendar to October, and I know for sure that, for me anyway, the feeling remains. Last year at this time, I had just arrived in Chicago. Everything about First Church was new to me, the culture and traditions unfamiliar. Now I know many of the traditions, and much of the history of First Church. Learning all of this took time. By this time next year, you will have recently welcomed a brand new professional religious educator to your midst. In between now and then, a task force will study what sort of religious professional educator will best fit your needs and make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees. A Search Committee will be formed, and a new professional hired or called. And that person will begin the process of learning the culture and traditions of First Church. But this experience is one that occurs on a weekly basis, with every newcomer that walks through the doors! Every Sunday someone joins us for worship, or looks inside and decides whether to stay or to leave. How do we make these people feel welcome when they are unfamiliar with the culture and traditions? The next time you greet a newcomer, remember how you felt the first time you stepped foot inside the church. Chances are you knew no one. Did you feel excited? Overwhelmed? A little scared? If you came with a friend, or if someone from church invited you, the experience was probably easier than it would otherwise have been. You could count on knowing at least one person, so you felt more at ease, making the transition from newcomer a pleasant one. If you are entering for the first time as a child, the unfamiliar might be even more difficult if you don't know people yet and don't know what to expect. On the other hand, what pleasure we derive from sharing what we love with other people - it makes me wonder why so few of us bring our friends to church! Consider doing just that some week. And encourage your children to invite their friends! When my own children were young, many of their friends looked forward to a Saturday overnight visit at our house and accompanying the family to church the next day. What fun it is for children to share their experiences! We all start out new, just as your next religious educator will be. Faithfully yours, Millie RE News Like many other aspects of Unitarian Universalism, continuing spiritual growth is individually determined. You may decide to participate in a class, a service project, or undertake a personal spiritual practice. You may have skills you would like to contribute. Many opportunities are ongoing, such as the Great Books Discussion, The Nature of Racism, Dialogue Circle, Men's Group, and First Forum, the Young Adult/Campus Ministry Group, and Life Journeys, a class at Montgomery Place. Other opportunities are being scheduled. New Member Orientations will take place in October, and again in the spring, to acquaint newcomers and re-acquaint others with Unitarian Universalism and First Church. Look for a workshop about Advance Directives, sponsored by the Caring Committee; for Parents As Resident Theologians, and an Introduction to Buddhism. And in April, a women's cross-generational group, "Can We Talk?" will begin, presenting an opportunity for women to learn from one another as they discuss the challenges of life's many commitments. Learning and spiritual growth are lifelong endeavors. Whether your participation is as a teacher -- for adults or for children and youth -- or as a class member, these are ways that you are practicing a religious life. Board Talk By Margaret Hellie Huyck We had an inspiring and productive Leadership and Board Retreat September 4-5. About 24 of our congregational leaders assembled Friday evening and Saturday to consider best strategies for meeting our goals in the coming year. We were privileged to welcome Shirley Lundin, CVA, as our facilitator on Saturday; she is a member of the Unity Temple in Oak Park and is a regular consultant with the UUA Central Midwest District. One of the outcomes of this meeting is our Board Covenanting Plan: how we will agree on the “holy manners” that will guide our interactions within the Board, with lay and professional leaders, and with congregational members. We have a draft covenant, prepared by Ken Schug, and will consider it at a special pre-Board meeting on October 21 at 6 p.m. We are very pleased to welcome Marge Saphir as our new Secretary for the Congregation. Marge and John were married in First Church, and have been active members for many years. Marge served on at least two search committees for the Religious Education professional, and has been involved in RE, gardening and other groups. At the last Board meeting (chaired by Ken Schug, in my absence) several important actions were taken. (1) The Board voted to accept the recommendation of the Finance Committee to include the interest payments on the bell tower restoration loan in the annual church budget. This means that all contributions to the special Restoration Fund will be designated to reduce the principal; however, it also means that we must budget the anticipated interest payments on the loan each year. (2) The RE Task Force is considering options for professional staffing for the religious education program; if you have suggestions or concerns, contact Ken Schug (the President-elect). (3) We will have a special “Bon Voyage” program for Rev. Nina Grey's sabbatical on January 2. I am delighted that the congregation has officially voted to approve our Vision statement on September 26. This is an inspiring statement that will guide our strategic planning for the next era. We owe a great thanks to all who have participated in the process We owe special thanks to the group of members who have dedicated themselves to “Claiming Our Future” – crafting an inclusive process honoring our commitment to democratic process in church polity, and seeing to the details that ensure statements we can abide by. When you see them, give the Task Force members your thanks: Diana Grey, Coordinator; Paulette Dodson, Bernie Frieden, Madeiria Myrieckes, and Cynthia Oakes. Our next step forward is to agree on a Covenant to guide the relations among us all. Peace be with us! Get Your Newsletter by Email It is now possible to receive your newsletter by email in Adobe PDF format. It will be identical to the printed version and can be read or printed out with the Adobe Acrobat Reader program which can be downloaded free at www.adobe.com. If you want this service, send an email to the editor, Tom Huyck at tomhuyck@yahoo.com. Immediately Needed Furniture needed for the nursery and youth room. Very gently used please. We need a two seater sofa, a rocking chair, and maybe collapsible or bean-bag type furniture for the youth. Leave a message for Madeiria at the church office or call me at home 312-461-9832 to come look at the furniture first to be sure it will work for us. Committee Meetings this Month Adult RE - Tues. Oct. 12 at 7:00 pm
By Ken Schug In support of the Membership Committee, I urge all church members, especially those whose travels take them to other communities, to help gather information about techniques, documents, and activities that have been developed at other UU churches that enrich the congregational experience, especially that which could be used by the committee to develop a "radical hospitality" program that would result in membership growth. At the invitation of my son, I recently attended a suburban UU church (which is growing rapidly) and brought back a stack of brochures and a list of approaches they are using to encourage member participation in the life of the church and to enliven the worship service, which I am sharing with several committees. I intend to visit several other area churches during the coming year with the same motivation Fall Leadership Day Scholarships Available When? Saturday October 16; 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Dr. Quentin Young Speaks Friday October 1st Dr. Young, nationally known health care activist and long time Hyde Park resident, will be our guest speaker at a special evening First Forum on Friday, October 1 at 7:00 p.m.. Dr. Young has long been a leader in public health policy and medical and social justice issues. Dr. Young is the National Coordinator of Physicians for a National Health Program, a Chicago-based organization of more than 10,000 physicians who support single payer national health insurance. Among the problems Dr. Young is expected to address are the rising number of uninsured citizens, the corporate takeover of the practice of medicine, and the high cost of medical care. Just recently, it was announced that the elderly and disabled would face a 17 percent increase in their Medicare premiums next year. Dr. Young believes that a national health insurance program is the ultimate answer. Church members and friends are invited to participate in a 6 p.m. potluck supper preceding the First Forum. The First Forum Committee will supply beverages and paper goods. You provide something delicious to share! The public is invited to the presentation at 7 p.m. “Everybody in, nobody out.” raiF eettimmoC Reminder - October 3 By Ken Schug That's Committee Fair spelled backwards!! But no matter how you spell it YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS IT!!! From 11:15 am to 1:00 pm on Sunday, October 3 in Hull Chapel, Come get acquainted or reacquainted with current chairs and members of the church's committees, councils, task forces, teams, etc that make our church exciting and special. A new attraction this year is the opportunity (at most of the tables) to sign up for "little acts of kindness" (part of an emerging Foundations of Fellowship initiative) - one shot tasks you can do to help maintain the vitality of our life together without signing a lifetime contract ( or surrendering your oldest child) for the cause. Each group has been asked to provide snacks so that both your intellectual and physical selves will be nourished. Friday Noon Concert Series Director of Music Michael Thorn announces a free concert series to be held at 12:15 p.m. in our church every Friday. Michael will be the soloist on the organ at the first concert on October 8. He will play some of his own compositions, as well as works by Sowerby, Langlais and others. The concert on Friday October 15 will feature Thomas Hahn playing jazz standards on the soprano saxophone. On October 22, Thomas Weisflog, our former organist and currently the organist at Rockefeller Chapel, plays works by Bach, Vierne, and others. On October 29, violinist John Eckhard will play works by Mozart, Beethoven and Vivaldi. Craft Camp Starts Oct. 2 Attention Campers! Anyone who has an idea for our Craft Fair should report to the R.E. Classrooms on Saturday, October 2, at 9:30 a.m. Bring materials, sewing machines, craft equipment, and enthusiasm. We will share tables, ideas and fellowship, and work together on whatever project you like. If you have energy and a modicum of skill, but not many ideas, there will be plenty of possibilities for you as well. There will be two more Camp sessions on October 30 and November 13, so you will have plenty of opportunity to get involved. Working together is one of the best ways to get to know others in the congregation. Please join us. Baby Shower Please join us 1-3 p.m. Saturday October 2 at First Unitarian for a baby shower in honor of our head custodian, LaTonya Bennett. You may already know that LaTonya went on maternity leave in September. Now, we want to "shower" her with all the things she may need for a new little infant, which we know will be a girl. Come also for the fun and games, fresh fruit and cake -and to wish LaTonya well. Please RSVP by e-mailing the church office at office@firstuchicago.org, or call (773) 324-4100. Choclate Lovers Prepare! We will be sampling our new chocolate bars and several varieties of Equal Exchange coffee on Sunday, October 10. The chocolate bars will be available in three varieties: Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate with Almonds, and Very Dark Chocolate. These Fair Trade Items benefit the people who grow and process them - and the church coffers. What a tasty idea! Stop by the Coffee Table and taste how good fundraising can be! Annual Seder Dinner Our Annual Family Seder Celebration Dinner is Saturday, November 20, 2004 at 6:30 P.M. We look forward to this event every year. Please try and attend with your children. Adults: $15:00, Children under 12 years: $8.00. All reservations must be paid in advance. Also please see Madeiria or Polly to help in the various preparations. World Parliament of Religions A follow-up conference to the World Parliament of Religions, held in Barcelona, Spain, last summer, will be held at our church Tuesday evening, October 12. A potluck meal will be held at 6:00 p.m., and the program will begin at 7:00. A number of guest panelists have agreed to participate. Rosemary Snow, who attended the Barcelona meeting, is organizing the conference. Contact her at rosemarys@mail.com. Among Us Warm healing wishes to Wiley Sherer Dear First Church Friends: My move to Wisconsin is almost complete, so I want to take this opportunity to say good-bye and wish you well. I am excited about living in Door County, but I know I will miss Hyde Park and, above all, this church community. I hope to hear from many of you in the months and years to come. My new address is 2805 S. Highland Rd., Fish Creek, WI 54212. My new e-mail address is jneuman@dcwis.com. Julie Neuman Partner Church Council Conference First Unitarian Church and Meadville/Lombard Theological School will co-host the Unitarian Universalist Association's Partner Church Council's Mid-west Regional Conference on October 22 and 23, 2004. Events will take place at both the church and the seminary. All are invited to register and attend. The registration fee is a very reasonable $25.00, due to funding from the UU Funding Panel. Our church was involved with the partner church movement several years
ago, partnering with a Unitarian congregation in Transylvania. Congregations
all over the U.S. are partnering with Unitarian churches there and in
other European locations. This co-hosting arrangement with Meadville/Lombard
is an opportunity for us to strengthen our relationship with Meadville/Lombard
and learn more about the partner church movement. Our members and friends
are invited to register and participate and, if they wish, to help out
with the planning. Membership Committee Report Welcome Dinner Sunday, October 17 Are you just beginning to get to know the members of First Unitarian ? Please attend a Welcome Dinner and get to know some of us better, as well as others like yourself who are new to the church. We look forward to the opportunity to answer your questions and to the pleasure of meeting you and welcoming you to our church. Please R.S.V.P. to Betty Holcomb by Wednesday, October 13 if you plan to attend. Dinner is at 5:00 pm, Sunday, October 17 at Betty's home. Children are welcome - bring your whole family! New UU Orientation Series The New UU Orientation Series, presented by Rev. Nina D. Grey and the Membership Committee, will be held Sundays, October 10, 17 and 31 at 11:45 a.m. This three-session program provides a group opportunity for learning more about First Unitarian Church of Chicago and Unitarian Universalism. We will share stories about our journeys into and/or within Unitarian Universalism and our church, consider some history of First Church and our faith movement, and, in our sharing, demonstrate the span of our diversity on a number of interesting questions. We hope our time together will be enlightening, fun and maybe even provocative. Newcomers, visitors, people considering membership, and members or friends desiring to learn more and meet others are all warmly invited to participate. Caring Committee Caring is Us, means birthday cards of joy and friendship cards of support. But that is not all our committee does. Each month a group of six people meet with the ministers to share the month’s progress of family units needing confidential support. It may be as intense as accompanying a church member who is experiencing a medical procedure, or recovery from surgery. Sometimes it is a weekly call to an infirmed member who needs to know they are missed. Caring is Us means that we need you to sign up to help with ONE-time calls, visits or transportation. Caring is Us means we need more members to become active with the monthly committee of decision makers. We need all of you because Caring is Us. Chalice Circles to Meet During the month of August the Small Group Ministry Planning Group successfully recruited four facilitators for two Chalice Circles: Frieda Stillerman, Diana Gray, Joe Cherry, and Lorie Rosenblum. The Planning Group adopted the name for the small groups, "Chalice Circles," from the Small Group Ministry Program of the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Houston, Texas. This church's Small Group Ministry program was discussed in SMALL GROUP MINISTRY by Robert Hill, which the Planning Group has been using as a resource. The Chalice Circle facilitators will receive a total of four two-hour training sessions by Revs. Grey and Rochester in September and October. Some topics covered in the first two sessions were the history and development and the purposes and processes of Small Group Ministry. Also the facilitators and trainers established their own covenant and discussed the facilitators' job description. The two Chalice Circles are slated to begin in November with eight two-hour, twice monthly sessions on the seven UU principles. This is an example of a "curriculum based" small group ministry, chosen by the Planning Group because of its suitability for long-term church members, new members, those considering membership, and visitors. Each Circle should have two facilitators and from six to twelve participants. Look for the insert in the order of service to sign up for a Chalice Circle or to obtain more information about the principles and practices of Small Group Ministry. Also for more information, contact Rev. Grey, Rev. Rochester, or members of the Small Group Ministry Planning Group, Phiefer Browne, Joanne Kent, and Vivian Burns. The exact days and times for the meetings of the Chalice Circles starting in November will be based on participant preferences and availability. Great Books Great Books begins a new series entitled "Politics, Leadership and Justice." Our first work will be the 2nd inaugural address by Abraham Lincoln. We will meet Sunday Oct. 10 at 12:30 in the Religious Education Resource Room. Newcomers are welcome. Call Gloria Gnatz for further information. Charlotte Lackner Anti-Racism Committee The Charlotte Lackner Anti-racism Committee is so named to honor the memory of Charlotte Lackner (now deceased), a long time member of this church who never ceased in her work to gain justice for all people. It began as an ad hoc committee in 1997 co-chaired by Alex Poinsett and Charlotte Lackner. The current members of the Committee are Alex Poinsett, Finley Campbell, Bobbie Lammers Campbell, Joanne Kent and Frieda Stillerman (co-chairpersons), Kennie James, Ellen LaRue, Phiefer Browne, Richard Jennifer, Rev. Nina Grey, Grace Williams, and Pat Lucas. The focus of the Committee is to identify and address any remnants of racism in First Church and to help First Church move from anti-racism to multiracial unity. The Committee has developed a reading list of relevant books, sponsored a film series to stimulate discussion about racism, developed and held a series of “Dialog Circles” to discuss various aspects of racism, co-sponsored the annual Unity Party, and provided a list of African-American speakers to the Senior Minister for consideration as guest speakers, among other activities. Finley Campbell also offers a popular Nature of Racism course. If you are interested in participating on the Committee, please feel free to attend the meetings held on the fourth Sunday of the month after the First Forum. If there are issues you would like addressed, please talk to a Committee member. Environmental Task Force The Environmental Task Force has two new waste-bins for recyclables in the RE-wing hall around the corner from the office. In consultation with the custodial staff we will determine if these are easier to use than the old bins. If they work out, we will get more. The Environmental Task Force encourages everyone to make use of the Chicago Hazardous Household Waste Collection, on October 9, at 2800 S. Western Ave. This is a chance to responsibly get rid of household poisons and other nasties, including electronic equipment. Details on this event will be available at church. Several task force members continue work on the election, which is probably the most important thing that can be done for the environment at this time in our lives. For more information, please contact Ellen LaRue. Green Corner. Fred Small gave a talk at the Seventh Principle Project Annual Meeting, at the 1999 General Assembly in Salt Lake City. In it he said, "All environmental work is justice work." He gave examples, which were included in this column previously. Then he went further: "Perhaps the greatest justice issue of all is intergenerational theft. The Eighth Commandment says "Thou shall not steal," but every day we live unsustainably we steal from our children and their children. When we speak of community, we must understand that community occurs not merely in space, but also in time, extending backward through memory and tradition and forward through vision and legacy..." Sabbatical Committee Report As you were notified in the August newsletter, Rev. Nina Grey will go on her Sabbatical leave as of January 3, 2005 through May 31, 2005. The leave is an important event in the life of the congregation and especially for the spiritual well-being and growth of the Senior Minister. A Sabbatical Committee has been established to plan for and coordinate various activities during the sabbatical. The committee is responsible for ensuring that all areas of the minister's responsibilities are adequately attended to during her absence. The members are: Rev. Neil Gerdes, Rev. Nina Grey, Evelyn Johnson, Pat Lucas, Madeiria Myrieckes, Rev. Millie Rochester and Allan Stern. The committee will have the support of Rev. Millie Rochester, Rev. David Arksey and others whom Rev. Grey has asked to assist us during this time. A brochure is being developed, which will give details about the areas of greatest concern: Worship, Pastoral Care, Administration, Adult R.E. and Community Outreach. The brochure will be available on October 3, 2004 at the Committee Fair. If you have any questions or concerns, please bring them to the attention of the committee Did You Know Our Church Has a Burial
Crypt? In the main basement under our sanctuary is our Burial Crypt, a place for the deposit of urns containing the ashes of the deceased. The Crypt was the vision of Von Ogden Vogt, our minister from 1925 to 1944. He envisioned the Crypt as “open to all persons without reserve, Methodists, Baptists, humanists, and members of other groups.” Inhabiting chambers directly beneath the VOV Gallery, the north aisle, and the nave, the Crypt occupies several large bays. In the first bay is a great winding staircase and a small, dignified chapel. Then one steps forward through graceful iron gates into several additional bays. The stone walls are fitted with compartments for cinerary urns. Each niche lies behind a cover of beautifully veined marble, into which may be cut names and dates of those memorialized in the niche. Niches 12 inches deep can accommodate urns for one to four persons. Larger niches can accommodate up to six urns. The church has perpetual responsibility for the maintenance and continuation of the Crypt. Dr. Vogt wrote: “The ashes of the dead may be buried, not in some distant and easily forgotten place, but in the very midst of the city where the surroundings are of the noblest and where their names and lives may more frequently be recalled to the great benefit and satisfaction of many.” Many members of our church or from the community have had their ashes placed in our Crypt. We are seeking information about those whose ashes lie behind the marble niche covers. The Crypt Committee is working on a new brochure about the Crypt and a guide to help visitors locate particular niches. Note: The Crypt Committee has been charged to review niche prices and to market them to the public. We plan to have new prices approved by the Board of Trustees by December 1. It is quite likely that there will be significant increases in price (by niche size and location). However, the current prices of $300 to $475 will remain in effect through November 30, 2004. Take advantage of this opportunity to secure a niche at a quite modest cost. Lost and Found The Lost and Found bin in the Church Office is full. The bin will be emptied at the end of the month. If you feel you may find an item there, please check as soon as possible. RE Halloween Potluck The RE Halloween Potluck will be held Friday, October 29, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Bring your kids, yourself, your friends, your costume, and your dish to share. The Nature of Racism course The Nature of Racism Course: October 2004- March 2005, is sponsored by the Racial Justice Task Force of the Social Justice Council in conjunction with the Adult RE program. The instructor will be Dr. Finley C. Campbell, former chair, the Dept of Afro-American Studies, Univ of Wisconsin-Madison and former chair, the InterNational Committee Against Racism (INCAR) This course will meet in VOV the second Sunday of the month at 1:00
pm, beginning on October 10th. The focus will be on neo-racism. The
theme is "Neo-racist Aspects of Institutionalized Racism." There is no fee for this course. However, a special donation is usually requested for the Religious Education Council for its on-going budgetary expenses. Report of the Social Justice Council August 29th: This was a full day of activity with direct and indirect relationship to our social justice mission: First of all, there was a wonderful First Forum, presented by John Porterfield and his business partner, on how to make/save money off of using energy saving ways. It was a very impressive presentation of practical activities which could teach us to be both environmentally and financially responsible with our energy use, especially in cutting down our heating. For example, there was a fascinating discussion about how outside air influences inside energy use. There was also a major discussion contrasting energy saving activities in single-family homes and in apartments and condos. Next, members and friends of the Social Justice Council took part in an anti-war rally down at the Federal Plaza that afternoon. While the proceedings had a decidedly partisan tone [but more anti-Bush policies than pro-Kerry), there were many points of view present, including members of a revolutionary communist group wearing T-shirts which said "Don't Vote; Revolt" and members of a socialist group supporting Ralph Nader. The SJC did give belated support to this effort, at the suggestion of Jim Proctor, and an impromptu group of us attended from First U: Cynthia Oakes, David Puszkiewicz, Lori Rosenbloom, Bob Davidow, Susan Grubb, and Bobbi Campbell. Some of us then went to a multicultural celebration of our Muslim heritage, sponsored by a local group at the Block 57 area. The highlight of this was a set of performances by the sister of our own Diana Gray and her multicultural dance troupe from San Francisco. Spotted there from First U were Maderia Myrieckes, Ellie Hall, Diana Gray, her daughter Dr. Melissa Harris-Lacewell and her daughter plus me, Bob, Susan, Lori, and Bobbi. September 5th: This was another full day of presentations. First there was the Labor Day Service itself, which we hope will become an on-going tradition at First U. John Berquist in coordination with the Labor Justice Task Force -- Linn Orear, Jane Kiser, Jim Williams, and me as worship associate -- created a thoughtful, pro-working-class, spiritually uplifting service which, though a bit over our maximum time, was enjoyed by all. A centerpiece of the service was the naming/dedication of Federico Pretini Latino, the baby son of Giuseppe Latino and Raffaella Pretini, he a rank-and-file member and she the chair of the Racial Justice Taskforce. This was followed by a First Forum on blacks and the labor movement, by Prof. William Iverson from Indiana University - North West. It turns out that Prof. Iverson is the nephew of one of the original members of the old InterNational Committee Against Racism (INCAR). We ended the day with a farewell party for Federico, Giuseppe, and Raffaella, who were to be returning to Italy on the 15th. They both agreed that joining First U and participating actively in the Social Justice Council were the highlights of their three year visit to the United States. We wished them bon voyage or Aveviderci with plenty of friends from the church dropping by, great food, delicious drinks. The Nine-Eleven Study Group informally hosted this event. The Social Justice Council met on September 9th: The full minutes are available on request. Here are some of the main aspects of that meeting: at 8 pm, those of us in attendance, B and F Campbell, A Lindrup, E. LaRue, J. Kent, Rev. N. Grey, S. Grubb, E. Pelliterri, took part in a national vigil to honor the 1000th US American serviceperson to die in the US-Iraqi war and to also remember the 12,000 Iraqi casualties of this on-going war as well. We lit candles and stood on the church step conversing quietly among ourselves about the moral implications on this new Vietnam. We then returned to the meeting and dealt with the following action items: 1. Confirmed a plan to have accurate, monthly financial reports so as to avoid the past experience with conflicting reports of where the SJC budget stood. 2. Racial Justice Task Force has chosen the outside group targeted for special assistance this year: the Justice Coalition of Greater Chicago, which focuses on ending racist actions by the Chicago Police Dept and the criminal justice system. 3. U.U.s for Social Justice: The UUSJ Annual Meeting will be held in Oak Park on Sunday, November 21, from 2 to 5 p.m. The program portion of the meeting is scheduled to be a program on what global warming will mean, in concrete terms, for our planet's future. 4. Dr. Quentin Young, a medical doctor and universal health care activist and one of the founders of the old Hyde Park Clinic, will be a First Forum speaker. And later in the year, Rev. Bill Sinkford, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, will be speaking, hopefully with some social justice elements to his presentation. For the September 19th First Forum, the Sept. 11 Study Group sponsored Mr. Mahzoub Souhelle, a Sudanese citizen presently working here in the United States to give his views on the Dorfur Crisis in the southern Sudan. He made three key points: first, that this crisis had been going on for several years and nothing had been done about it because of fruitless discussion trying to decide whether the violence was genocide or just normal tribal warfare. Second, he underscored the fact that much of the political turmoil going on in the Sudan has been created by division in the ruling elite of the country and not simply by tribal violence. He pointed out, for example, that there had always been cultural friction between the nomadic and agricultural tribal groups over land use in the Dorfur region. Third, and most important, he pointed out that oil was and is the secret force behind the increase and intensity of the violence, especially competition by US, Chinese, and Malaysian oil companies. At the morning service on September 19, there was a special collection for the relief of refugees from the genocide in the Darfur region. Elvira Pelleteri, who was spear heading this project, gave the appeal. As a result, First U raised $681.60 which will be sent to the International Red Cross Refugee Relief Fund. What a generous church. We literally put our money where our mouths are. Word has come down from UUA in Boston that all churches should form some kind of ad hoc group to deal with the coming election. I was supposed to have announced that at our 3rd Sunday service, but was doing my Sunday School duties. So, anyone interested in forming an Ad Hoc Committee to work in UU Election 2004 Political Education Project, see me. In dealing with election issues, the general rule is that candidate forums need to have all major candidates for an office, or at least a representative of their campaign, present. Just inviting all the candidates is not sufficient. However, forums to address campaign issues are fine. So, in light of this, our first forum for October is called: "Putting in Your Two Cents Worth-- an open forum on the 2004 election." October promises to be a major celebration of racism and neo-racism in the arts and entertainment world. The Lyric Opera is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a complete performance of Wagner's pre-National Socialist operas, the Ring of the Niebelungen [his code word for Jews], beginning with Das Rheingold. And Dr. William Cosby, formally know as Bill Cosby, will be performing at the Rosemont, sponsored by Osco-Jewel. The Racial Justice Taskforce has circulated a letter criticizing Dr. Cosby for his neo-racist views and, as usual, I am preparing a document for the Lyric Opera management detailing the racist, anti-Jewish nature of the Ring operas. I will be proposing that we have both documents made available at their respective performances...or elsewhere. The Nature of Racism course starts on October 10th, Sunday, from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, tentatively being held in VOV. The topic could be called: Neo-racism - the last stage of institutional racism. It will be sponsored by the Adult RE Committee, the Charlotte Lackner Anti-Racism Committee, and the Racial Justice Task Force. The first session will deal with the topic: "The Origins of Institutionalized Racism." The premise is that first came color-coded political economic institutions, then came the ideologies to justify the policies and praxes of those institutions. Finally, we need more members, especially young adults and men, both as full time, part time, and associate members. So, if reading this column has inspired you, meet us at the annual Committee Fair which will be held on October 3 in Hull Chapel, after the Worship Service. In addition to telling what we do, we will offer ways that individuals can help us out without even having to join us - officially. The Environmental Taskforce, the Racial Justice Taskforce, the Sept 11 Study Group, and hopefully the Labor Justice Taskforce plan to have tables at the Fair. For more information, contact me, Finley Campbell.
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