Submissions must be submitted by Wednesday at 4:00 pm to office@beaconuu.com 
in order to be included in the newsletter. 
~ Sunday Service, June 30, 2019

Interspirituality, Mysticism, and Everyday Life
What is Interspirituality? How does it connect to Mysticism and what meaning do they bring to our UU understanding of religion and the world, and more specifically to our "ordinary" individual lives? So many questions! Some possible answers and a lot to think about as we live our lives day to day. Speaker Char Tarashanti
  

~ Monthly Touchstone Theme: Transcendence  ~ 
~ Letter from the President ~

Dear Beacon Congregation, 
 
This will be my last letter to you as your Board President. Sunday, June 30, is the end of the fiscal year and the end of my term. My report to the congregation is attached as a link to this letter.  Mostly, I want to say thanks. The last half of the year has been challenging, and continues to be as we deal with unexpected soils issues related to the building expansion. But, we will figure this out. Otherwise, our summer circle suppers have started and are fun, it's only a month until our new minister arrives and she is staying in touch regularly, committees are continuing their work. Services continue to be a time of joy and warmth.  I feel we have an inner strength that comes from the love of our church. I believe love is the spirit of this church.  
 
So, wishing you a great summer and an even greater new year. You have an excellent Board going into next year and Dennis is an experienced President, willing to do it again!  He is a treasure. I will be around, continuing a few projects that still need work, and I doubt I can refrain from offering my two cents worth of advice, wanted or not, every now and then.
 
Again, to all of you, my sincere thanks for all you do and for all you will continue to do.  
 
Sincerely, 
Dora
~ New Fiscal Year ~

As a reminder, July 1 is the start of the new fiscal year for Beacon. Please remember to specify the pledge-fiscal-year on your check and direct your finance related inquires to the new Treasurer...curios who that is or how to reach a particular committee? 


~ Religious Exploration ~

Religious Education at Beacon will look a bit different this summer.  Check the  summer 2019 blog for details and more information.

We will continue to work on our  activity booklets related to Transcendence.   Check here for weekly updates on activities and resources for both YOU and the kids!

So Amy, how was GA?  My time with 2,700 other UUs last week in Spokane, Washington for General Assembly was wonderful!  Check out my report here for more details.

No First Sunday Funday in July - We'll return Sunday, August 4th at 4:00 p.m. with an All Church Back to School Potluck Ice Cream Social.

Let me know if I can be supportive to you in any other way!  I am here for you.

All my best with blessings,
Amy
Director of Religious Exploration 
construction_hard_hat.jpg
~ REI Building Project Update ~

This is excavation week at Beacon. It turns out Beacon's backyard is composed of layers of sand and clay, that will require deeper excavation and a treatment of the holes with a "slurry" of concrete to stabilize the new foundations.

The Building Expansion Team (BET) is holding a meeting on July 2, at 5:30, at Beacon,
to discuss the follow-on projects that will be completed by members after the contractors are finished. We will be installing the fence and playground, doing landscaping, interior painting, and some interior remodeling. Come to the meeting if you would like to help out!

If you need to schedule a meeting or use of the building during the next couple of
months, please check with Carl Taylor or myself to be sure that the construction won't
interfere with your plans. If you need a key to the side door, see Dennis Spurlin.

Check out the blog for pictures, videos, and info:
https://www.beaconuu.com/category/rei-building-project/

Theresa deBoer, REI Building Project Manager
Contact me at bgcommittee@beaconuu.com
Social Justice Allies (SJA)   ~

SJA has decided to dig into the issue of education, particularly in the Flagstaff area! In the first SJA meeting of Beacon's new fiscal year (Sunday, July 14-please see Next SJA Meeting, below), we'll follow up on our conversation with Flagstaff teachers and Beacon members Carol Hixson and Walt Halaberda, who offered suggestions of ways we can support teachers locally. When we have organized our collective thinking we will share those ideas with the congregation.
 
Meantime, below is a summary of the legislative outcomes with regard to education, lifted from the Arizona Legislative Alert, written and published by Dr. Anne Schneider.
As part of her wrap-up of the 2019 legislative session, here is Anne's summary of this year's work on education.
            The biggest accomplishments were:
    • Getting SB1485 passed that will cap corporate tax credits for private school tuition;
    • Killing a host of bills, including two introduced near the end of the session, that would severely restrict teacher's "free speech" (HB2032, and HB2026). (Others died early - all were "revenge" against the teacher walkouts of a year ago.)
    • Killing about a half dozen "voucher expansion" bills.
    • Passing a suicide prevention bill requiring training for school personnel (but not clear that any extra money provided to help implement this). personnel (but not clear that any extra money provided to help implement this).

The worst news is the missed opportunity to restore the almost $1 billion to education that has been cut over the past decade. The money was there, but the Legislature cut about $320 million in taxes; gave away another $60 million in tax credits or elimination of fees, and put $547 million into the rainy day fund..

A number of Beacon members and friends subscribe to Arizona Legislative Alert, by Dr. Anne Schneider, retired ASU Professor of Political Science, former Dean of ASU's College of Public Programs and long-time devout State Legislature watcher and analyst. Anne is a member of the Valley UU Church (in Chandler) and a UUJAZ (UU Justice Arizona) network leader. Always to be found at the top of her remarkable publication is this caveat: All opinions are those of the author. Still, those of us who have followed the Alert and heard Anne speak value her opinions.

Want to subscribe to the Arizona Legislative Alert? It is published weekly during the legislative session to alert progressive social justice advocates to legislation that they might want to support or oppose. When the Legislature is not in session, it is published sporadically. To subscribe, email legislativeadvocacy@vuu.org. Beacon members, friends and visitors are welcome!

The next SJA meeting will be Sunday, July 14, following the service (about 11:15). In addition to our education discussion, other agenda items include: a report on the Somos America program-and-collection in mid-June and former Director of Student and Family Services Deb Harris's ideas (shared with Roz in early June) for engaging NAU students in our social justice efforts.

Beacon members, friends and visitors are welcome. Snacks will be provided.

In community,
Roz Clark, SJA Journalist
 ~ Special Thanks ~

Beacon received a thank you from Somos America:

"Thank you Beacon Unitarian in Flagstaff for putting this multi faith group together to hear updates on immigration & Somos America mission to provide travel bags to asylum seekers going on their way to family members who pay for their bus ticket or sponsor them"

(Quoting form last week's Beacon UU newsletter):

Last week's Somos America program and travel-item collection for asylum seekers, held at Epiphany Episcopal Church, was gratifyingly successful!

In terms of outcomes, the healthy turnout was a pleasant surprise (Rich counted 43).Represented faith communities were Epiphany, UCC (United Church of Christ), Federated, Living Christ Lutheran and, of course, Beacon), not-to-mention numerous other people I had never met. And the donations--WOW! There was so much that it created a bit of a [wonderful) challenge to arrange the logistics for transporting it all to its Phoenix destination. Thank you, Roseanne Fulcher, Dorothy Rissel, Rich Clark and Terry White for making that happen.

In terms of process, Sharon's experience, passion, and understanding of the issues surrounding the border situation were compelling, eliciting numerous questions from the audience. Furthermore, NAIC's organizer Roxana Cardiel and Sharon committed to collaborate on continuing support for Somos America.

Special thanks to Dorothy and Roseanne for generating the idea for this event (and generating effective flyers) and to Rich Clark and Faith Moore for helping at Epiphany that evening. The Epiphany people who supported us--office manager Lori, tech guy Ryan, and that evening's point person Lynne were-without exception-generously helpful.

Roz deserves hearty thanks and a round of applause for being a major organizer of this event. Roz, we couldn't have done it without you!

Dorothy Rissel
~ Caring Circle ~

Anybody sick or mentally down and need a double shot of cheer to pick them up?
The Caring Circle is here to help..... Contact me at 890-7287 and  Dorothy Rissel and I, as co-co-coordinators of the CC, will get right on it big time. 
Dick
~ Chalice Circle ~

Touchstones Chalice Circles are designed to meet our needs for belonging (intimacy) and meaning (ultimacy) by building friendships and providing opportunities to ponder life's questions, small and large, with others who share the common values of our UU Principles. 

Chalice Circle continues to meet on the 4th Tuesday of each month.  Discussion examines subjects as provided in the monthly journal of Unitarian Universalism, Touchstones.  One can download pages for reading prior to our meeting by accessing the website in the weekly e-newsletter. 

To meet the needs of the congregation, we have made attendance open. 

For further information contact Char Tarashanti or Lynda L. Dorweiler at ChaliceCircles@Beaconuu.com
Joys and Concerns

June 16, 2019
Mark J. - Shared a memento from his father.
Char T. - Honored her father, who married her mother (widow with 3 children), and her children's father; both men were warm & affectionate.
Grace. - Expressed sorrow that her cousin was in an accident, a child did not survive.
Dorothy. - Expressed concern that John .K experienced another set back.
Rich C. - Honored Roz's dad, stepdad, and his own dad.

June 23, 2019
Alysa A - Shared joy of her  son's graduation trip to Ireland. Also that she is engaged! Will be moving - has music job in Valley.
Becky H. - Shared that her son is  struggling with bipolar issues.
Marty M. - Shared that his b rother had prostate surgery .
Nash - Joy that 150 kids showed up.
Carol H. - Invited all to a  vigil on July 12 at City Hall in support of asylum seekers
Gabriel H. - Happy Pride!
This Month's Share the Plate Partner   ~

For June, Beacon will share the plate with Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona and Sharon Manor. This organization helps homeless victims of violence and their children on their journey out of violence and poverty and into economic independence, safety, health, and self-sufficiency.
Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness for women and their children in the United States. Local shelters play a critical role in helping families in crisis, but they are short-term in nature.

Sharon Manor is transitional housing for homeless victims of domestic violence and their children. Beyond temporary, emergency shelter, Sharon Manor provides up to 2 years of comprehensive one-on-one case management, group trainings, and safe and affordable housing for residents as they work to rebuild their lives. Since opening, Sharon Manor has helped more than 1,140 victims and their children transition to self-reliance through its holistic program.

Undesignated contributions to this month's Sunday service offerings above $300 will be presented to Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona and Sharon Manor. Nominations for 501c3 agencies can be made through a form located at the bottom of the stairs in the CAC folder.
CAC members are Steven Patrick, Susan Patrick, Susan Strobel, Joanne Parkes, and Lynda L. Dorweiler. Please contact the office for questions: Office@Beaconuu.com
~ Events in the Community ~

SJA would like to invite Beacon members & friends, 
and the rest of the community  to attend: 

Lights For Liberty: A Nationwide Vigil to End Human Detention Camps

Friday July 12th
Sign-making event at Beacon: 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Vigil at City Hall:  7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.


Have a community event to share? Email: office@beaconuu.com
~ Beacon Calendar  ~


Worship & Religious Exploration
Sunday, June 30, 2019
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Worship Associates Meeting
Wednesday, July 03, 2019
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
BET Meeting
Tuesday, July 02, 2019
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm


 
If you would like to submit a calendar event, send an email to  office@beaconuu.com . With all requests, please indicate the following: proposed start and end time of the event, the space/room preferred, and a rough group size. On the occasion of a cancellation or rescheduling of an event, please let the office know in a timely fashion to ensure that your event is correctly represented in the newsletter and order of service. Thank you!
Beacon Office Hours*  ~


Ministerial 
Hours  t o be announced
Director of RE, 
Amy Huntereece

Sun: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Wed:  8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Or by appointment 
  Office Manager, 
April Yax

Tues: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Wed: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Thurs: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Or by appointment

*PLEASE NOTE CONSTRUCTION & VACATIONS MAY ALTER 
THESE HOURS  THROUGH THE SUMMER

Office Phone (928) 779-4492
~ Unitarian Universalist Seven Principles ~

Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote seven Principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides. We live out these Principles within a "living tradition" of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from  sources  as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience.  Learn more at beaconuu.com!


~ Beacon Google Group ~

If  you are not on Beacon's exclusive Google group, you are missing out on an important communications link within our congregation. It is useful for spreading information about something going on in Flagstaff, informing others of social action activities, offering an item for sale or to give away, sharing enthusiasm about a book or movie, requesting information or recommendations -- and more! It's simple to sign up! Email our Office Manager, at  office@beaconuu.com.