by Nancy Knox, Stewardship Committee 

***

Dear readers, 

If you've already pledged, THANK YOU!  If you haven't submitted your annual pledge yet, it's time to do so. You can go online to uusociety.org/stewardship and follow the links to make your commitment online, OR turn in your pledge card to the UU office on Sunday, or to the UU office.  If you can't get to the meetinghouse and would like us to pick up your pledge card, call me (Nancy Knox) at 802-373-4281 or email us at stewardship@uusociety.org - or send us your questions. Our campaign wraps up soon - pledge now to avoid a reminder phone call later this month. THANK YOU for your generosity! 

 

• Early registration has already begun! Register now because the registration fees go up after May 1^st.  
   
• You can reserve your hotel from the same website, but do it soon because rooms sell out quickly! 
   
• There are also options for housing other than hotels and even a place to find a roommate if you need one.
   
• Children are welcome at GA!  Read all about programs/childcare here 
   
• Youth are welcome at GA!  I know there are already some youth planning to attend GA, read about it here and check in with Tiffany to get in touch with other FUUSB youth who are planning to attend.
   
•  Delegates!  FUUSB receives 11 delegates.  Delegates are members of our congregation who represent FUUSB at all the Business Meetings and get to vote.  Find out more about being a delegate here.  If you would like to be one of our delegates,email xina@uusociety.org by April 30^th.
   
• Choir - GA has its own Choir that you can join.  Register for GA Choir here. Space in the choir is limited and there is a $15 fee.

• GA on a Budget - click here to read about Financial Aid for GA, Volunteering at GA and other ways to make your experience easier on your pocketbook.
   
• Financial Assistance from FUUSB - Each year FUUSB puts a small amount of money in our budget to help members pay for conference registration.  If you are interested in receiving financial assistance from FUUSB, please email xina@uusociety.org by April 10^th.

 

FUUSB is about to embark on two major facilities projects in 2017,; both involving work in the tower of our beloved 200 year old Meetinghouse.

Realizing that funds for these projects were available, yet finite, I explored supplemental means of securing funds. To that end, last September , I applied to the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation for a matching grant that would provide the FUUSB with 50% of the costs to repair and restore the window sash within the Lantern Room of the Bell Tower. I received notification late in December that we had been awarded the grant, which will cover $14,471 of the total projected cost of $28,942. The Property Committee and I are pleased, not only about the financial input, but also about this being the first step in developing an on-going and positive relationship with the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation. I view a constructive and engaged relationship with the Division as being a useful and positive step that will further promote responsible stewardship of the Meetinghouse. Many thanks to our Administration and the Property Committee for their support in the application process. Special thanks to caretaker and congregant Emily Koella for ascending into the Lantern Room on a particularly hot summer afternoon in order to provide the mandated photographic documentation .

About the Restoration and Repair Work

The restoration and repair work will be done by Jeff Fellinger of Willard Street Traditions . Jeff is a graduate of UVM's Historic Preservation Program , and specializes in historic window sash work. The project will necessitate the windows being removed from the Lantern Room, transported to Jeff's shop for restoration, and finally transported back to the Meetinghouse for re-installation. In the interim, when the sash is removed, the window openings will be covered with painted plywood.

The second major project involves the replacement of the perimeter railing of the Bell Deck . The existing 80 lineal feet of railing has deteriorated to the point that it is best to be completely replaced, with the exception of the four decorative finials that are placed atop the corner posts. The finials will be carefully removed, consolidated/treated with epoxy resin, and reinstalled on the new corner posts. The new rail system will be constructed of Douglas Fir and FSC Sapele (a Forest  Stewardship Council approved species of African Mahogany).  Both myself and the contractor,  along with members of the Property Committee who have woodworking experience, are confident that both wood types are better able to withstand the extreme environmental impacts that they will be exposed to than the white pine used in the existing railings. The work will be done by Red House Inc., a well- respected local contractor. The cost of the project will be approximately $30,000.

Multiple bids were solicited for both projects before contracting with Willard Street Traditions and Red House Inc. The projects are expected to start in spring, and be completed by mid-October of this year.

Impact on parking at the Meetinghouse

Both projects will necessitate the use of a crane for "rigging" components up and down from the tower. As a result oval drive will be inaccessible during the three or four days that the crane is on site. I'll do my best to let those who have parking stickers know before the fact, so they can consider alternative parking.

I would also note that a third project, though lesser in scope and cost, was recently completed. Maintenance to our slate roofs (Meetinghouse, 30 & 34 Elmwood Ave. and 27 Clarke St) which started in December was completed last week. Maintaining the slate roofs has been, and will be, an important ongoing project with at least some work being done every three to four years.

Monies used for all of the above projects, with the exception of half the cost of the Lantern Sash restoration, have been, or will be withdrawn from the Property Fund, which is overseen by the FUUSB Property Committee.

Finally, it's very important that you all know that I consider myself extremely fortunate to be a part of the on-going stewardship of the Meetinghouse and its satellite buildings. As some of you know, I was employed for 35 years by the Shelburne Museum where I was involved with the structural and cosmetic maintenance of its buildings, many of which are historically significant. I consider my current employment, among other things, to be a continued commitment to the maintenance of important historic structures.

Please contact me with any questions regarding the above, and I'll do my best to answer them.

Thank You!!

Bob Furrer

 

Emma's Revolution in Concert at 1st UU on Saturday April 1st, 7:30pm. Tickets  $18 advance / $22 at the door. Cash or checks only. We will be selling them after every service in the Parlors. This folk duo sing at every UU General Assembly -- folks LOVE them! They have sung with Pete Seeger and Holly Near, and are a delight to hear! Come one and all!

 

If you or your group are interested in creating a piece for an upcoming month- April/Resistance and June/Delight are both open. It can be any type of art you are moved to create like a banner, wreath, textile, painting, quilt etc. Please contact Sarah Forbes at sarahforbesdesign@comcast.net or 578-6119 for an outline of the project. Thank you!

 

In the Children/Youth Library

Everyone Is Important: A Kid's Guide to the 7 Principles (230.9 D) by Jennifer Dan gives scenarios about each of the principles with questions to help children understand how to put them into everyday life.

A Cup of Light (264.09 B) by Pamela Baxter is about our chalice and the ideas and ideas that it symbolizes.

Adult Books on the  Carts in the Parlors

Rebellion in the Mountains (288 M) by Edith MacDonald
This is a 1976 edition. A comprehensive history of the UU in Vermont. If you are interested in the details this book will be helpful.

Fluent in Faith: The UU Embrace of Religious Language
(230.9 N) by Jeanne Nieuwejaar.


Adult Books on the wooden Care Connection Cart in the Parlors

Joy in Every Moment (158.12 G)  Mindful exercises for appreciating the wonders of ordinary life.

The Gifts of Imperfection (158 B)

 

Please join us for the March Mother Up! gathering on Thursday, March 9th at 5:30. We'll begin with a simple, vegetarian dinner for all ages. Following dinner, for parents and older children, we will gather in a time of reflection and sharing. This month, we'll focus on how we're keeping ourselves sane while continuing to act against the injustice that surrounds us. Childcare is provided for young children in the nursery.

RSVP with food allergies and childcare requests! rmschek@gmail.com

Mother Up! is a program of 350VT bringing together families to talk about the tough realities of climate change and to participate in the transition to a healthier and safer world. What Joanna Macy calls the "Great Turning," or the third revolution, is this unprecedented time where we are called to stop the destruction of our world, to build new life-sustaining practices and ways of being, and to shift our collective consciousness. We especially wish to engage young parents in this vital discussion of how we can make positive changes to protect our planet for our children's future.

Click here to view the Facebook invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/414989865515388/

 

 

For a variety of scheduling reasons, Rev. Mara is moving her "writing day" from Thursday back to Friday starting this month. With this change, it seemed a good time to refresh our collective memories on her overall weekly schedule and how best to reach her!

Mara's office days are Tuesday, Wednesday, and, now, Thursday. On office days, Mara has regular recurring meetings with staff and lay ministry teams, and also schedules pastoral appointments and other Society business meetings. Office days are also when she handles the bulk of her Society email and phone messages. If you'd like to meet with Rev. Mara, you can email her at revmara@uusociety.org, or contact her the office at 802-862-5630, x. 24 to set up an appointment. Our ministerial intern, Andre Mol, has office days on Tuesday and Wednesday, as well, and most other First UU staff are in the office some portion of those days.

Of course, Mara is at also the Meetinghouse most Sundays to lead worship. And Saturdays are a "wild card" day - which can include rights of passage, trainings/workshops, Sunday preparation or family time. Rev. Mara's sabbath day is Monday. She unplugs beginning Sunday afternoon and is off of email/away from Society business until Tuesday morning. Fridays are, now/again, her sacred "writing day"; reserved for sermon/worship preparation.

Whether it's an office day or not, Rev. Mara, or whomever is on call for pastoral care when she is away, can always be reached in the case of pastoral emergencies at our Pastoral Care Number: 802-870-0447. Pastoral emergencies include serious hospitalizations or a death or crisis in your immediate family. In those instances, please don't hesitate to reach out. Your ministerial and staff team want to know what's happening and be there to support you!

We also wanted to let you know Mara will be out of the office for a few weeks of vacation and study leave from March 20-April 8. By way of background, UU ministers have eight weeks off per year: half for vacation and half for informal study, reading and reflection. This is crucial time for rest, family, and refilling the well that feeds ministry and worship throughout the year.

Rev. Mara, like many of her colleagues, usually reserves about half of that time for the summer months (typically July), and takes the rest throughout the program year. Last year, Rev. Mara took her vacation time in conjunction with her maternity leave in order to have have a full twelve weeks at home with newborn Cassidy. So far this year, due to a special and busy confluence of Bicentennial preparations, work with our UUA consultants, Director of Operations Sabbatical, and post-Election ministry, Rev. Mara has only been able to take a handful of study days so far. Given the flow of the rest of the program years, late March/early April seems to be the best time for Mara to take a chunk of her accrued time.

While Rev. Mara is out, our Director of Operations, Christina Fulton, serves as Acting Executive/Chief of Staff, and Andre will be available for pastoral needs. Both will know how to reach Rev. Mara if needed. And there are already wonderful worship services in the works for the two Sundays during the time Mara will be out!

 

Signups are open for this year's FUUSB Camping Trip to Lake Elmore! All are warmly welcome to come!

This beloved annual tradition is happening from Friday June 16 - Sunday June 18.

General Info:
We reserve a block of campsites at Lake Elmore (just a few miles from Morrisville), and a bunch of FUUSB families with kids of all ages come for a weekend of fun, eating, hiking, relaxing, fellowship, boating, swimming, games, and, often, a lovely Sunday worship on the beach. We meet on the Friday evening for a potluck, which is fun and casual. All activities are optional, and whatever level of joining-in works for your family is a good level.

This year's details:
If you'd like to come along this year, you need to register and pay ASAP. We have two weeks until we have to pay for the trip in its entirety (a change from past years). We can't ask UU to front the entire cost, and so our first job is to determine whether there's enough commitment to make it happen.

The cost of the weekend is $52 for two nights for up to 4 people (extra people even if they're kids are $5 per night and dogs are $1 per night each.) Please pay with a check made out to FUUSB and "RE camping trip" in the memo line. Checks should be given to Christina in the main office.

You can register here by adding in your name, your choice of sites, and the amount you owe. Only online sign-ups are available this year (no paper forms).

You can pay online here (or else very quickly bring a check for $52 or whatever your correct amount is to UU with RE Camping Trip in the memo line to Christina in the office as soon as possible.)

You can figure out the right site by looking at the park map here.

Questions? Contact Cheryl at herrickvt@gmail.com.

We hope you'll join us!