E-Octagram
August 7, 2020
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*~*~* UUC HAPPENINGS *~*~* |
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Important Sunday Service Information
As we are adhering to guidelines of avoiding gatherings of 10 or more people (and proving how flexible we are!), we have decided to offer Sunday services via Zoom. We would love it if you would watch it. We appreciate everyone's support, kindness and patience, and invite you to sit back and enjoy the service from the comfort of your home.
The Zoom link is below, but it won't be active until just before the service on Sunday (August 9 @ 10:30 AM).
Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 967 1190 1492
You can also join from your landline or cell phone by calling 301 715 8592 and entering 967 1190 1492 when prompted to enter the meeting ID.
Speakers: Susan Gore, Sue Hand, Sue Boone and Margie Manning
Message: The General Assembly Experience
General Assembly, the annual gathering of Unitarian Universalist Association was completely virtual this year. Several members who attended will share a few of their experiences.
Margie Manning - Rev. Guengerich's workshop on gratitude as a spiritual practice.
Susan Gore - Commission on Institutional Change report.
Sue Hand- the inclusion of the spirit of First People in the worship services.
Sue Boone - general observations of good and bad of the virtual gathering
Worship Associate: Sue Boone
Technical Support: Michael Kahn
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Open Issues: August 9, 2020
This week we will review and discuss the League of Women Voters "100 Action Items prior to the election"; You can view the list here:
Join us via Zoom at 9:30 (you can join a few minutes early):
Meeting ID: 859 3688 9025
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League of Women Voters North Pinellas is looking for postcard writers for General Election. If interested, contact Anne Burnham at acsburnham or 727-348-9983. |
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NOTICE OF MONTHLY BOARD MEETING
(DATE MOVED TO AUGUST 12, 2020 @ 7:00 PM)
Please join us for the monthly Board Meeting, which will be held via Zoom:
UUC Host is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Monthly Board Meeting
Time: Aug 12, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 925 7074 4634
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,92570744634# US (Germantown)
+13126266799,,92570744634# US (Chicago)
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Practical Expression of the Values in our Covenant
As members of a spiritual community, our covenant encourages us to grow into the ideal of loving-kindness towards one another. The practical values illustrated below can help us to anchor the aspirational ideals of our covenant firmly to our everyday lives through intentional practice. We invite you to explore these shared values as possible sources of meaning, guidance, and inspiration.
Engagement Appreciate others for who they are; thank them for what they do. Focus on the good and the positive in our community. Participate in our activities and celebrations.
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President’s Message
Stepping Back/Stepping Forward
I took a few days off last week to drive to the UUA’s retreat center, The Mountain, in Highlands, NC. It was weird to go further away from Gulfport than to Clearwater, frankly. Fortunately, I was able to break up the trip by stopping over in Atlanta to see a decades-long friend. That was weird, too, though. We wore masks, didn’t hug and ate outdoors. Life during a pandemic.
I took books for the time I would have “nothing to do,” with zero cellphone coverage and minimal email. One was Growing a Healthy Community, by Tom Owen-Towle. Tom was co-minister of UU San Diego with his wife, Carolyn, for 24 years. He writes about R & R as an indispensable part of growing a Beloved Community. Recreational activities.
The deep silence of the mountains couldn’t slow down my brain that first night, even while I relished the cool air. It was only the second day that I could feel the tempo shifting. I explored the pond, memorial garden and Many Hands Peace Farm on the Mountain’s acreage. I paint houses, not pictures, but I tried my hand at watercolor and painted a mushroom that I encountered during one of my walks. I learned about and wrote haikus, 17-syllable poems written in a 5-7-5 non-rhyming pattern. Traditional haikus express transience, the momentary nature of now. Stepping back from the next email/meeting/crisis into appreciating the present can be hard…and it’s important to do.
Tom writes about stepping forward, too – to take a leadership role or join a Beloved Community. Your board has been talking about both recently. They are new conversations, among others, we have had to take on in the absence of a called minister, complicated by the coronavirus pandemic. The Worship Committee has done an extraordinary job of keeping the pulpit filled with interesting speakers. It’s different from having a consistent spiritual leader and message to relate to, though, isn’t it? How much has your experience of church changed by not being able to see your friends face-to-face, share a hug and catch up? Add to that the pandemic’s impact on every aspect of our individual lives, as well as on our Beloved Community. It’s irritating! Try leading under those conditions.
In theory, stepping forward into membership at UUC includes an “intro to UUism” class, an interview with the minister, signing the membership book and making a “financial contribution of record.” We’ve learned even among board members that individuals’ experiences are often different. “What’s this class you’re talking about?” was one comment. There has been no opportunity for a ministerial interview since January. The membership committee put signing “the book” on hold when we stopped meeting in the Octagon, which deeply upset one member of the March class. Addressing the needs of one individual versus the impact of postponement on the entire March class is a conversation the board has never before been called upon to have. What’s the role of our Covenant of Right Relations in the process?
Tom Owen-Towle describes “four Rs” of membership – rites, rights, responsibilities and risks. Risks of membership? Perhaps UUC’s Beloved Community won’t live up to an aspirant’s expectations.
Congregational priorities differ from person to person. Long-time members may wonder what happened to “their” congregation. People say things online they would not say face-to-face.
The Covenant of Right Relations that was affirmed by the congregation in 2018 “…represents the promises we make about how we want to treat each other and serve the wider community.” Membership is the visible expression of those promises. How do we, as a congregation, enact that covenantal relationship when our interaction is limited to Zoom, Facebook and other social media? How do we serve the wider community? Your board has put out a call to begin such conversations. I hope you will choose to be part of them.
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New Florida Majority is a premiere voting rights group in Florida that has registered hundreds of thousands of new voters, fought for criminal justice reform and climate justice, and is inviting us to work with them to expand the coalition of voters who will place police accountability at the top of their priorities when they go to the polls.
NewFM has hundreds of staff and volunteers doing outreach to Black and Latinx voters in the state to help them overcome voter suppression and get their ballot cast. They’ve asked us to help add to that by reaching out to white and young Latinx voters in Broward County to survey their attitudes toward the recent protests against police violence and then share with them the info they need to get their vote counted. It’s a special opportunity and a special invite just for Unitarian Universalists because of our history on the issue and the recent positions we’ve taken.
During the group times, we’ll be using the ThruTalk auto-dialer, the same that was used during general assembly to speedily connect to voters. You can preview that script here.
Registration links for this week's and next week's phone banks are below. After the primary we'll shift to monthly phonebanks and invite UUs from around the country to make calls in Florida and we will shift our script to be oriented toward the general election.
Please sign up for the 6-8 pm ET phonebanks on Thursday
Note that when you sign up, you'll be asked to Select a “Shift.” Please choose UU the Vote in the drop down menu so we can track our participation.. Let's keep recruiting more volunteers!
When you sign up you'll receive an email reply with more information and the zoom link for the event, so make sure to save it!
New Florida Majority staff will be orienting and training us. We're very grateful for their work. Supporting this progressive statewide community organization is very much appreciated - and needed - and will help us build together for justice in Florida and in our nation.
You will need a phone (for audio) and a computer or laptop.
The platform we're using will be doing the dialing automatically for us, and we'll record people's answers on our computers by clicking on various boxes in the script. All these details will be gone over at the training right during the first half hour of the phonebank. We'll be together on Zoom for our training and can check in throughout the phonebank with our trainers if questions arise as we're making our calls. It's a great system and easy to do.
This is an all hands on deck moment! Please sign up and help us recruit more volunteers. You can forward this message, send people the sign up links, send it to your lists, post in your newsletters, and share the sign up links on Facebook. We have a goal of 150 UUs and friends in Florida making calls! If everyone recruits 2-4 people we can make and even surpass that goal. People understand what a crucial moment we are in, in Florida, and in our nation.
And Save the Dates! We will be holding monthly phone banks on:
- Tuesday August 25th
- Tuesday September 29th
- Tuesday October 27th
- Monday November 2nd
We'll send the sign up links once they're set up.
We hold the phonebanks on Zoom so that we are able to make our phone calls together. We gather in, get oriented, trained in the first 30 minutes of the phone, make our calls for an hour and half, and debrief and celebrate our results at the end of the session. Working this way is fulfilling, faithful, and fun! We're so glad to be in it with you!
In faith & hopefulness,
Susan on behalf of the UU the Vote National Team
Susan Leslie | Unitarian Universalist Association
Congregational Advocacy & Witness Director | Organizing Strategy Team
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ZOOM!
Since we stopped hosting in-person Sunday worship services on our campus, we have been working diligently to deliver consistent messages to our beloved community. Although we do miss the comfort and camaraderie of being in person, we are very fortunate that we have a virtual mechanism to gather together: Zoom. If you're new to Zoom, we have developed some helpful hints for you! Please click on the link and let us know if you have any questions: https://www.uuc.org/zoom-intro
**For those interested in using the UUC Zoom account to host your own (UUC-related) virtual meet-ups, please contact the office for more information (727-531-7704; admin@uuc.org).
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We are in need of Worship Associates. As you can imagine, doing Zoom services has put a particular strain on this group. If you are interested in volunteering as a Worship Associate, please contact Sue Boone suebooneuu@juno.com or Margie Manning margiem821@tampabay.rr.com to learn more about what it means to help with our worship services.
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Join us for Digital Coffee Hour this Sunday (August 9, 2020) immediately following the service. Stay in the same Zoom meeting if you wish to participate.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ONLINE GIVING and PLEDGING
In lieu of our traditional collection baskets that you see during the Offertory on Sundays, we are trying out some different ways to make online donating easier. You may also try:
Text Giving
(727) 500-2410
If you prefer to donate online, feel free to click the button below.
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You are also welcome to download, print and mail in a Pledge form here. |
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PASTORAL CARE
Please remember that Pastoral Care is still available if you need it. To connect with one of our dedicated Pastoral Associates, please call the office (727-531-7704, Ext. 5). Rev. David Franks is also on hand to provide assistance to those who need him (contact a Pastoral Associate, who will help you get in touch with him).
Drinda Lombardi: August 3 - August 9
Sally Otto: August 10 - August 16
Kathy Krohn: August 17 - 23
Susan Hegner: August 24 - 30
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A MESSAGE FROM THE CARE CIRCLE
May you be well… we sing it, we say it, we mean it. And in 2020, it has even more intense meaning. There are so many issues we have to be aware of for our world’s health, for humanity, for our health.
Be mindful of the Tropical Storm that is possibly approaching Florida (and the impact it may have on the others on our planet). Take necessary precautions, get your supplies in, just in case.
Speaking of precautions—please continue to mask up and physically distance if you must go out.
And should you have an illness or injury, please contact Susan Hegner or Eloise Hardman of the Care Circle for short-term assistance. You may leave a message at the UUC office (727) 531-7704.
May you be well!
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Family Ministries Offerings
Susie Safford, the Board Liaison to RE with the support of the Board of Trustees is reviving the Religious Education Advisory Committee, which will consist of two members with children, two members without children, and one youth representative. If you are interested in participating, call the UUC office at 727-531-7704 and leave a message for Susie. Sunday Morning Children’s Program is remote for the rest of the summer. If your child is registered in our RE program, you will be sent a lesson each week you and your family can choose to use at any time during that week. Materials, if needed, will be provided. If your child is not registered in our RE program, please contact our UUC office at 727-531-7704 and leave a message.
Mondays @1:00...TORCH Youth Group (ages 12-20)
Zoom ID:
970 0554 3034
Our UUC youth group, Teen Organization Reaching for Community Harmony, is for students aged 12-20. The youth group is self-led by teens and supervised by Al Swinyard. This will include a check-in time and a chance for deeper conversation about what is going on in both personal lives and in the greater community/world, from a UU perspective. Please have a candle/chalice to light (even if it’s just on your phone). All are welcome, so if you have high school friends/cousins/neighbors who are lonely, send them the Zoom meeting ID and we look forward to getting to know them.
If you have a question, or are interested in Religious Education at UUC,
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Spiritual Potpourri is a new group of people gathering together at 1pm on Fridays to share different practices that are feeding our souls right now. Chair yoga ... new "tiny" habits... meditation ... we look forward to learning from each other and trying new things.
Join us this Friday for a beginners discussion about being an anti-racist and how that might be spiritual for you.
Everyone welcome, always.
--> Contact Kathy Krohn if you have questions or trouble logging in! Hope you can join us!
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/98442090304
Meeting ID: 984 4209 0304
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UUC PSI Symposium and the UUC Buddhist Fellowship Meeting via Zoom
Our next meeting of the UUC PSI Symposium and the UUC Buddhist Fellowship will be held via Zoom, on Saturday, August 8, 2020, at 3 p.m. Please enjoy the comfort of your homes, family, and friends in your home salons when participating with us. We will discuss the afterlife and/or previous lives and future lives and ESP experiences of all kinds. We will focus on the important resource book:
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE? A Lawyer Presents the Evidence for the Afterlife (2013)
by Victor and Wendy Zammit
This book is a compilation of academic research and reports of firsthand experiences, written from the perspective of a criminal trial lawyer who analyzes the evidence for the existence of an afterlife, and communications with the dead.
The Zoom contact information is as follows:
UU Clearwater is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: UUC PSI Symposium and the UUC Buddhist Fellowship
Time: Aug 8, 2020 3:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 980 6696 6456
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,98066966456# US (Chicago)
+19292056099,,98066966456# US (New York)
Please prepare for our meeting by familiarizing yourself with the book, and/or with the website www.victorzammit.com, and/or with the author’s newsletter Friday Afterlife Reports and associated YouTube links.
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JOIN the UUC Social Justice
Immediate Response
Facebook Page
The UUC Social Justice Council invites you to become a member of the UUC Social Justice Immediate Response Facebook Page. Although we are stuck at home, there are still Social Justice issues we can work on. The page is the place we post such opportunities.
An administrator will accept your request to join. Once you are a member you can post on the page but an administrator must approve the post before it appears. Criteria for posts are at the top of the page.
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The Mountain in Highlands, NC is offering an online program from September 23 - October 28
UNDERSTANDING WHITE PRIVILEGE AND BECOME AN ANTI-RACIST
A starting point for self-reflection and racial reconciliation
Learn how to be more. Learn more. Do better.
$60.00 For more information:
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The Saga of the Racially-Offensive Mural in the St. Petersburg City Hall
The city of St. Petersburg has a particularly racist history characterized by events such as:
- The lynching of John Evans in 1914.
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Allowing Blacks to live in only designated sections of the city.
- Clearing Blacks out of designated neighborhoods to build the Tropicana Field sports arena.
- Allowing only White people to sit on the green benches throughout downtown.
- Prohibiting Blacks from entering certain parts of the city without proof of their employment in that area.
- Barring Blacks from specific beaches.
Public pressure began to reduce St Petersburg’s systemic racism in the late 1950s, when a lawsuit and protests forced the integration of Spa beach. The sanitation workers’ strike in 1968 led to less racist employment practices. Riots in 1996 after St. Petersburg Police killed TyRon Lewis, an unarmed Black youth, alerted the wider community to the South St. Petersburg Black community’s seething anger at policing practices. A diverse group of Pinellas County citizens, the Community Remembrance Project, has been working with the city of St. Petersburg and the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, AL to acknowledge John Evan’s lynching. A plaque will be installed soon at the lynching site near Tropicana Field. [Sources: Arsenault, Ray (1996) St. Petersburg and the Florida Dream 1988-1950, University Press of Florida; Peck, Rosalie and Jon Wilson (2008) St. Petersburg’s Historic African American Neighborhoods, The History Press.]
The culture of a city is reflected in its public art, which can reveal insidious racism. In 1945 the city of St. Petersburg hung two murals by George Snow Hill in the first-floor stairway landing of City Hall. One of the murals, Picnicking at Pass-a-Grille, a portion of which is shown above, portrayed stereotyped Black musicians entertaining White people at the beach. For years, the Black community in particular appealed to city leaders to take the extremely offensive mural down. Finally, in 1966, several Black men, including Joe Waller (now named Omali Yeshitela), took the matter into their own hands. They ripped the canvas off the wall, and marched with it down Central Ave. This act is seen as a crucial part of the Civil Rights Movement in St. Petersburg. Yeshitela was convicted of grand larceny and imprisoned for two-and-a-half years. In 1972, he founded the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement and continues to be a leader of Black resistance. The wall where the mural hung has remained blank and been the center of an ongoing, often heated, debate over how to best acknowledge the racist history it represents. Gwendolyn Reese, president of the African American Heritage Association, made formal proposals to the city for adding a plaque in that space describing these events. This solution was finally accepted by the St. Petersburg Community Planning and Preservation Committee in June 2020, although they rejected the use of Joe Waller’s current name of Omar Yeshitela.
-Susan Allen
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Update from Mental Health Rally
We had a great Rally on Tuesday night with 174 attendees! This week we sent hundreds of emails to the commissioners asking them to fully fund the coordinated access model (CAM) next year so that people with mental illnesses and addictions can easily get the help they need.The commission responded yesterday and said they cannot fund the CAM next year.
We know that our loved ones struggling with mental illnesses and addictions need help NOW. Because of this, we are scheduling emergency meetings with individual commissioners to talk with them about our concerns. If you are interested in working on the issue of mental health as part of the UUC FAST justice ministry please email FAST@UUC.ORG.
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