Guidelines - Book Submissions

Guidelines & Information:

·       From one to 500 words

·       Initially, three items can be submitted at any time before the deadline.  Mark them 1, 2 and 3 indicating your preference in case not all can be published.

·       Use a popular typeface, double space & one inch margins

·       Or handwritten copy that is clearly written (we will type it)

·       Copy MUST use appropriate language for general readership

·       No controversial topics, ie. political issues

·       Submissions limited to members and friends who attend

·       Artwork must be reproducible and reducible to booklet size with high contrast

·       Possible upcoming writers workshop for children & youth also one for adults

·       Tentative deadline June 2017

Voices Among Us - Monday, November 28

“As we recover from the bruises from this year’s Presidential election, perhaps a different perspective on citizenship will speed the healing. “Ken Mandile

Other voices and visions offer ideas that help guide us throughout our lives. Their messages can suggest direction and meaning. Come for the potluck at 6 PM and/or the program from 7-8 PM in the Chapel.

Ken Mandile will discuss some views on what it means to be a good citizen, with particular focus on Teddy Roosevelt’s “Citizenship in a Republic” speech.  An excerpt, “Man in the Arena” quote (“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood…”). 

There was a more important point of Roosevelt’s speech that was lost in the focus on this one powerful quote.  It is not the hero that will determine the success of a republic, “… success or failure will be conditioned upon the way in which the average man, the average woman, does his or her duty, first in the ordinary, every-day affairs of life”.  

Upcoming presenters: January 23, Jay Lavelle; February 27, Steve Knox; March 27, Lee Bona

A "Must-see" CD Release Party

A"Must-see" CD Release Party November 19th

The John Henry’s Hammer Coffeehouse (JHH) concert series is pleased to announce

that on Saturday, November 19, 2016, 7:30-9:30pm, we will host a special CD Release Party for Claudia Schmidt and Sally Rogers featuring their latest collaboration entitled We are Welcome.  Schmidt, who performed at JHH last year expressly promised to return bringing Rogers for this special event. Attendees of last year's concert are still talking about how Claudia touched us by expressing in spoken word and song what we profess in our Seven Principles.

The new CD comprises of seven original tunes by Schmidt, three by Rogers and four more by other songwriters. The two nationally known singer/songwriters have toured and written songs together over a span of thirty-something years even though they’ve lived in different states for the past few decades.  There is a natural chemistry about these two women that makes singing together a very dynamic experience.

Michigan native Schmidt has spent years traveling from across North America to European venues ranging from small clubs to 4,000 seat theaters, and festival stages in front of 25,000 rapt listeners. Having recorded nineteen albums comprising of original songs, exploring folk, blues, and, more currently, jazz idioms, she is known for featuring her acclaimed 12-string guitar and mountain dulcimer performance skills.

Rogers, a nationally renowned recording artist with numerous awards, has fourteen recordings and a music video to her credit.  Her songs have been published in hymnals and national school music textbooks.  She has also composed folk operas, cantatas and has written a children’s picture book published by E.P. Dutton.

JHH is thrilled to have these two powerful performers grace our stage, and hope Worcesterites and more will come out to enjoy what promises to be a highly entertaining evening.  Don't miss it!  Spread the word!

Concert Info:  The doors open at 6:30pm, with a light dinner available; show runs from 7:30-9:30pm. 

Tickets:  $20/door.  Online:   www.brownpapertickets.com

UU Sisterhood Monthly Potluck Dinner and Program

Please join us for the next UU Sisterhood Monthly Potluck Dinner and Program  Friday, October 21.

We will start the evening with our usual potluck dinner starting at 6:00.
All women of the church are encouraged to attend, please bring a dish and drink to share. 

Our own Lorna Pezanelli will bring us a program that she has developed.  She describes it in more detail below.

   

Presentation

Title: "Women of the 18th Century in Colonial America." This past summer, on a full scholarship, I attended a fascinating 5-day George Washington Teacher Institute at Mt. Vernon, VA on this topic. We studied women from the lower-mid classes to the upper classes.We also studied Native American women and female slaves. I will have a slide presentation. handouts, and information for further research. 

Lorna’s Bio

I teach Art in Millbury to grade 4-6 students. I'm creator/coordinator of the annual "Art in the Valley" art show, which features over 400 works of students in grades K-8 throughout the Blackstone Valley schools, both public and private. The show had ~1,500 attendees last year. This April will be the 11th year of the show.

I also work at the Worcester Public Library Foundation. In my spare time, I paint, create fabric art, cook, bake, and read (esp. Colonial American History)  

I was lead vocalist in a band for 30+ years. My 2 grandsons are a joy! As many of you know, after a 50 year hiatus, I'm thrilled to say that I've taken up horseback riding again and have not fallen off . . . yet.

Refugee Circle Update

It was a busy summer for the Refugee Circle!  In July, eight-year old Vanessa had surgery for a cochlear implant, which went well. The Circle is now working with Olive to get her placed in an appropriate educational environment.  We are hoping, with the help of an evaluation from the Boston Children’s Hospital, to have her transferred to the Framingham Learning Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.   Vanessa now has an advocate from the Mass Commission for the Deaf for Vanessa, and we all continue to navigate the various social systems for additional support and resources. Other news: Olive has been working part-time at FedEx, Jordy is now in pre-school, and Angela is still in day care.

Over the summer we realized a need to revisit our goals and role in Olive’s life. Through that process we created a mission statement for ourselves: “We are committing to assisting Olive to meet her own goals, for herself and her family, in a relationship of mutual respect, openness, and honesty, and with an ethic of caring and compassion.”

We have a new member of our team, Stacey Hill, who has signed on through Ascentria Care Alliance, the agency we are working with. We have had so many people from our church community respond and help with time and/or donations. It has truly been remarkable.

How you can help: Olive and the children have enjoyed attending church on the Sundays that we can provide them with transportation.  We would love a few more volunteers to sign up so that we could create a Sunday driving schedule.   You will need to fill out a volunteer form from Ascentria to serve as a driver.

Other needs: winter gear!  We would like to provide the family with winter shoes, boots, and coats. Please contact Lynn Simmons to get information about sizes and to prevent duplicate donations: 774-262-5120, lsimmons@me.com.

 Additional needs: 

- Boys clothing for Jordy, Size 4-5T

- Wet wipes, Kleenex, paper towels,

- Diapers: Size 4 (day and night), Size 5 night

- Mousetraps

- 6-8 volunteers to drive Olive and the children to church

- Volunteers for outings with the children to area parks, playgrounds, etc.

- Saturday morning transportation to ACE starting in mid-October

- Transportation to laundry, groceries

Please bring donated items to church on Sunday and leave them by the welcome table during coffee hour. Again, for winter coats, shoes, and boots please contact Lynn Simmons to get information about sizes before donating.

Thank you and many blessings to all,

Ellen Foley, Stacey Hill, Danna Peterson, Peter Haroutian, and Lynn Simmons (774-262-5120, lsimmons@me.com.)

Pete Seeger Songfest

Pete Seeger Songfest - Jim Scott Remembers Pete in Song

7:00 PM, Sunday November 6

First Unitarian Church, 90 Main St. in Worcester

At 7:00 PM Sunday November 6, in the sanctuary of the First Unitarian Church, folk singer Jim Scott will hold a Pete Seeger Songfest as a benefit concert for the Center for Nonviolent Solutions.  Suggested donation for the concert is $20 for adults and $10 for students.

The Center for Nonviolent Solutions is a non-profit organization that provides education and resources to help people in the Worcester area to understand nonviolence and peacemaking as a way of life and to reject the use of violence in resolving conflict.  The center teaches middle school and high school students how to resolve conflicts peacefully through mutual respect, empathy cultivation, active listening and peer mediation.  The center also provides training in peacebuilding skills to teachers and youth workers, and provides instruction in the history of successful nonviolent movements in the modern world.

Join us on November 6 to celebrate Pete Seeger by singing many of his well-loved songs such as If I Had a Hammer, Turn, Turn, Turn, Where Have All the Flowers Gone and many others.  Led by composer/guitarist Jim Scott, who knew Pete well and collaborated on many projects with the folk legend, we'll raise our voices for the causes Pete championed and remember the great contributions to peace and to our American heritage Pete made in his 94 years of life. 

Jim Scott brings a warmth, and authenticity that turns any size audience into an intimate gathering. His lyrical melodies, well-crafted words, guitar mastery and humorous surprises moved Pete Seeger to call him “Some kind of a magician.”  Known to many as guitarist with the Paul Winter Consort and co-composer of their celebrated "Missa Gaia / Earth Mass," Jim is a prolific composer in his own right.  

He has also become a student of the movement for peace and justice in song, compiling and arranging the "Earth and Spirit Songbook," a collection of over 110 songs of earth and peace by many contemporary composers, including Pete Seeger.  

A life-long Unitarian Universalist, Jim has visited more than 700 UU churches over three decades of travels.  His much loved "Gather the Spirit" and other songs are in the UU hymnbooks.  He was one of the creators of the Green Sanctuary program for churches to become more sustainable.  

For more information see:  www.JimScottMusic.com, call 508-755-0995, or email Jim@JimScottMusic.com

50/50 Offering to Benefit LGBT Asylum Support Task Force

“Remmy was a lawyer in Uganda who arrived in the U.S. in January. She attempted to flee to Kenya after her sexuality was discovered by her husband, but he tracked her down and brought her back to Uganda. She managed to make her way to the U.S., but in March her partner who had fled to Ghana was caught and imprisoned by old neighbors. Remmy received numerous threats that if she didn't return to Uganda they would kill her partner.

Hoping it was a bluff, she stayed put. The mob set fire to her partner's home and burned her alive.”                                (Metro West Daily News, May 2, 2016)

This is the kind of horrific threat that many LGBT people around the world live with every day.  More than 80 countries have criminalized homosexuality.  In many countries, mobs harass, threaten, and even murder people for their sexual preference or gender identity. 

            The LGBT Asylum Support Task Force, based at the Hadwen Park Church in Worcester, has offered safe havens and financial assistance to more than 130 people from 16 countries over the past 8 years.  First Unitarian has supported the Task Force though its 50/50 offertory in the past and will do so once again on Sunday, September 25.  We hope that First U members will continue the generosity that they have previously shown to this important organization. 

            In June, the Old South Church honored Task Force co-founder Pastor Judy Hanlon with their Open Door Award (along with Senator Elizabeth Warren).  “I have kind of what you might call a huge crush on you,” the Rev. Anthony Livolsi told the women, “in the way you two go toe-to-toe with evil, the way you square off against injustice.” (Boston Globe, June 11, 2016)  The Open Door Award is presented annually to a person or persons who have worked to kick or pry or elbow doors open for members of the LGBTQ community.

Pastor Judy said, "It's presented to someone who kicks or pries or elbows the door open, but I don't feel like I've done that.  I've just been on the other side of the door. People who have kicked open the door are the asylum seekers themselves. They've experienced things I could never imagine”.

We are all on the other side of that door.  We have the blessings and the resources to help the asylum seekers who have made it through that door, escaping the terror of their home countries.

           The principles of our faith call on us to recognize the inherent worth and dignity of every person, to seek justice, equity and compassion in human relations, to affirm the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.  Your generous financial support of the Task Force and the LGBT asylum seekers they serve is a wonderful way to live out these values.   Please be generous when we ask for your support of the 50/50 offertory on Sunday, September 25.

            For more information on the Task Force, please visit their website at http://www.lgbtasylum.org/ .

                                                Ken Mandile