Rev. Patricia Hart, with Erika Reif, New Members, the Choir, and more!
"Welcome Back, Welcome In"
As we approach the end of this congregational year, we will celebrate the Society’s abundant blessings with beloved traditions in slightly new forms – Flower Communion, New Member Recognition, followed by the annual June picnic, games, and art projects for all. Plus, the Choir will sing, in person (and masks)!
We hope many of you will want to join us in person for this joyful, multigenerational service filled with music and stories, beauty and joy. As always, the worship will be livestreamed at 10 a.m., and available on the FUUSB YouTube channel for all who join online.
To make our Meeting House as safe as possible, we ask that everyone who is 5 and older be vaccinated, and those 2 and older wear a mask while inside. Seating in the Sanctuary has been adjusted for safe distancing, and the ventilation system can accommodate at least 100 people.
All are welcome to Outdoor Coffee Hour and the FUUSB Picnic at 11:15. Zoom Coffee Hour will resume next week.
Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development
Sunday, June 5, 11:15 a.m.-1 p.m.
The Society-wide picnic is back! We will gather in the Memorial Garden and on the lawn to dine together, with our Flower Communion flowers arranged by the children on all of the tables. We'll all bring our own meals rather than the traditional potluck, but we'll share some frozen treats, coffee hour drinks with a little lemonade thrown in, and lots of fun!
We'll have out lawn toys and organize an egg race and, continuing with the Flower Communion theme of celebrating the different blessings we each bring and the beauty we create in community, we'll have opportunity for shared artistic expression. Weave in your own ribbon to a cover for the Sanctuary lectern or work with others to weave temporary installations in the Meeting House fences! For anyone who took part in last fall's Nature Art Sunday, we expect the same kind of open-ended creative experience with all generations taking part!
First Sunday Anti-Racism Interfaith Vigil
Zoe Hart, Racial Justice Team
On the first Sunday of each month, we join with other faith communities in Burlington and around Vermont in standing together in faith against racism. The vigil begins at 1:00 p.m. and goes until 1:30. We will have as many signs as we can supply from our regular Love & Justice signs, but you're invited to bring your own as well. Please join us Sunday, June 5 at 1:00.
FUUSB Annual Meeting - Monday, June 6
7:00 p.m. on Zoom
Once again, this year's annual meeting will be held on Zoom! If you are a voting member, you should have received the annual meeting warning in the mail. This year we will be voting on five items:
1. Accept the minutes from the 2021 Annual Meeting.
2. Elect candidates for openings on the Board of Trustees, the Officers of the Society, the Nominating Team, and the Endowment Fund Team.
3. Vote on the proposed 2022/2023 Fiscal Year Budget.
4. Elect candidates for the Ministerial Search Committee.
We need to have at least 45 members at the meeting to reach a quorum, so please plan to attend on Monday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom at this link: https://bit.ly/3w2nfzU. If you do not have internet access, you may call in to the meeting at 929-205-6099 (Northeast US). Meeting ID: 935 7129 6690, passcode: 948823.
Please note that registration opens at 6:30 p.m. When you check into the Zoom meeting you will be put into a waiting room. You may be there for a little while; please be patient. You will then be put into a registration room with a staff member who will check you in. We will be voting by using the “Raise Your Hand” feature in Zoom. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Zoom, we will walk you through it at the beginning of the meeting. If you have more than one voting member in your household, you may wish to log on to different devices so that we can count both of your votes.
You can find the Summary Budget, Annual Meeting Warning, Annual Report, Ministerial Search Committee Candidates Information, andlast year's Annual Meeting Minutes on our website at uusociety.org/members/meeting-minutes.
FUUSB members will be voting at the annual meeting on whether to adopt the 8th Principle. If you haven't attended any of the previous sessions on it, or still have questions about it, this is your last chance prior to the meeting to have your questions answered in an informal setting. Drop in and leave at any time during the half hour.
FUUSB Board Support for 8th Principle
“We, the FUUSB Board of Trustees,
enthusiastically endorse
the adoption of the 8th Principle,
and we recommend that
FUUSB members vote 'YES' to adopt it
at our Annual Meeting" on June 6, 2022.
Ministerial Search Committee Candidates
Hope Baker-Carr, Board President
FUUSB members will be voting to confirm the slate of candidates for the Ministerial Search Committee at the annual meeting on Monday evening. Full background information, photos, and a brief description of the process by which the Board of Trustees selected the seven members of the slate are available at this link, and on our website at: uusociety.org/members/meeting-minutes or uusociety.org/members/ministerial-search.
Fiber Arts Group Meeting
Linda Graves
We hope all who enjoy Fiber Arts of any kind will join us for an hour-long Zoom get-together at 7 p.m. on June 7. Members of this warm and welcoming group enjoy sharing what we are currently working on, what we might be inspired to begin, and we love hearing of various members' creative ideas. Here is the link and hope to see you there!
We still have a few campsites available for Friday night only, so if you're a person who loves a campout but can only handle one night away from your cozy bed, here's your chance! We also have some members joining us for the Friday night potluck portion of our campout weekend with no overnight planned (including Rev. Tricia and Rev. Peter), and we would welcome more! Bring a dish to share, and your own plates and utensils; we will try to have all the food on the table by 6:30. (Store-bought food is no problem - it's your company we're after!) It's only an hour's drive from the Meeting House. If you are interested in either of these options or want to come for a day trip on Saturday and join us in some of the fun, please let me know, erika@uusociety.org, so I can work out the details with the rangers.
Election Season - What Are the Rules?
Christina Fulton, Director of Operations & Finance
Election season is upon us once again, and people are already asking about posting websites for candidates, putting posters on the bulletin board, etc. At this time of year, I like to remind everyone that as a non-profit religious organization we are required to follow some specific rules around endorsing candidates, lobbying, and taking a stand on social issues. Luckily, the UUA has compiled a booklet called "The Real Rules," which explains and gives examples of IRS guidelines in this area. Please take a few minutes to get familiar with the rules if you are one of the people who are politically involved. For the rest of you, the most important rule for us to remember is that we, the First UU Society, are not allowed to endorse a candidate. We cannot even give the appearance of endorsing a candidate or we put ourselves at risk of losing our non-profit status. We can endorse issues; we can't endorse candidates. If anyone posts anything in violation of these rules on our Facebook page, group, or our bulletin board, it will be removed. If you have more questions, please contact Christina.
Two Minutes with Your Treasurer(s)
Two Minutes with Your Treasurer(s) - May 2022
This edition features some tips on what we need to do to end the year on a high note! We hope you find this helpful and appreciate your feedback. Thank you for watching!
The Finance Team
VRJA & VIA Campaign Launch of
Abolish Slavery VT: Pass Prop 2
Join us for two great events to launch the Abolish Slavery VT campaign on this year's Juneteenth weekend. First, on Friday, June 17, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the lawn of First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, come to a free Community Cookout. There will be food, music, remarks by the directors of Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and Vermont Interfaith Action; lawn signs, stickers, and T-shirts available. Free-will donations gratefully accepted. Register online to receive a complimentary meal (please pick up your food by 12:30 p.m.).
Second, on Sunday, June 19, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., join us for a Virtual Prayer Breakfast on Zoom. Register online for the link.