Please join us this Sunday, March 8 for our stewardship campaign kick-off! We'll make it worth losing an hour of sleep, with festivities and food! Pledge forms and information will be handed out, and we'd be glad to accept your completed pledge card on Sunday! There will also be a chance to learn about getting onto Realm, and setting up your pledge electronically. Also, we're still organizing cottage parties, so if you haven't been invited to a cottage party yet, please sign up in the Parlors after the service. 

Everyone should have received their invitation to Realm on Monday, March 2. The good news is that many of you have already activated your accounts and have been setting up automatic pledge payments! Yay You!  

If you have not yet activated your Realm account, please do! It takes just minutes of your time. If you feel like you need a little help, there will be folks here on Sunday, March 8 to help you out. In order for people to help you, you will need access to your email account, so make sure to bring that along. If you do not have an email account, please see or call Christina, so that she can set you up.  

A collaborative group that includes Migrant Justice, Community Voices for Immigrant Rights and the ACLU has been working on a local campaign, called No Mas Polimigra, to bar collaboration between Burlington police and immigration authorities. A critical vote will be held at the March 9 Burlington City Council meeting on a resolution that would close four dangerous loopholes in current police policy and outlaw collaboration with ICE and CBP based on racial profiling and other discriminatory tactics. Over 40 organizations have signed on as supporters of this campaign, including unions, religious groups, and legal advocates. 

It is VITAL that lame duck city councilors see and feel public pressure to vote YES on this resolution. Please, come out to the rally at 6:30 p.m. on March 9 at City Hall immediately before the City Council meeting, and then stay for the vote. Let's make meaningful local change and demand that justice for our immigrant neighbors can't wait!

For more information, please check out 

https://sites.google.com/view/no-mas-polimigra-btv/

As a faith community that aspires to be welcoming and culturally diverse, we have work to do. The history of our country and our UU faith have left us a heritage of white supremacy that we often cannot even see. It is the air we breathe. Achieving cultural diversity will demand more than just the desire to do so. "Knotty Conversations," a five-part online webinar series hosted by the UUA, is intended for individuals of any racial/ethnic identity who are navigating the challenges of dismantling white supremacy in and with their congregations.

Several First UU members attended the first two Knotty Conversations webinars, but you need not have attended that webinar to participate in the next webinar: Dealing with Shame, Fragility, and Denial. This webinar will focus on faithful responses to expressions of shame, fragility, or denial as congregations engage in anti-racism work. The webinar will take place Thursday, March 12 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. You can participate online in the comfort of your home or join a group of us at the First UU Meeting House. Wherever you plan to participate,  register online before 12 p.m. on Monday, March 9. If you'd like to join us at the Meeting House please email Peggy Owen-Sands at  [email protected] so we know to expect you.

Join Us for Good Food, Friendship, and Music at the 

Saturday, March 14  FUUSB Potluck and Coffeehouse

 

What?  Our Monthly Sanctuary City Potluck and Coffeehouse

Who?  Everyone! Friends and family welcome

Where?  The Parlors, First UU Society of Burlington

When?  Saturday,  March   14 , 6-8:30 p.m.  The potluck begins at 6:00, and the open mic starts at 7:00.

We welcome all ages and skill levels to sing a song, play an instrument, read some poetry, tell a story... or you can just listen. It's a great way to share food, fellowship and fun, and we would love to have you join us.

Questions?  Herb Schroeder:  [email protected]  or Brian Haas: [email protected]

The Membership Team leads classes on the first Sunday of every month from 8:30-9:55 a.m. for newcomers who wish to learn more about the Unitarian Universalist faith as a whole and First UU Society in particular. These classes generate lively discussion and often there is not enough time to fully explore all the questions and comments that arise.

 

To that end, the Team is offering an informal meet-up session called "Staying Connected" on Sunday, March 15, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. in the Dix Room, for anyone who is interested in further exploration of some of these questions (or any new ones you might have) as well as an opportunity to connect in an informal way with other newcomers. It is not necessary to have attended any of the newcomer classes to come to this event. Rev. Tricia and other members of the Team will be there to welcome you warmly; refreshments will be provided. No sign-up necessary. Please join us!

Members of the Immigration Justice Team are working with the group CASAN (Chittenden Asylum Seekers Assistance Network), on an upcoming event. There will be an informational meeting about the work of CASAN on Sunday, March 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. at FUUSB. CASAN wants to invite you to learn how you can join the circle of support for a local asylum-seeking family. Contact Kim Watkin at  [email protected] with any questions. 

For the past few years it has been my pleasure and my honor to serve as lay lead for the First UU Justice & Outreach ministries. Like most important things in life, it has both challenged me and brought great rewards. In this time when the needs of our world cry out from every corner and with such urgency, it has been a gift to have the chance to work with and support the leads of our amazing justice ministry teams.

Now after three years, it is time for me to pass the torch and let another leader put their mark on the position. If you think you might consider filling this important First UU role, please contact me ( [email protected]). I'd love to find a time to talk with you and tell you more about the role. Or let me know if you know someone you think might be interested in the role and I'll reach out to them directly. 

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 3, someone broke into the Parlors of the Meeting House. The alarm was triggered and David McFeeters was contacted by the Burlington Police Department. The alarm must have frightened the intruder, as they were no longer on the scene when police arrived. There was minimal damage done to a window pane in the Parlors, and there was no evidence that the intruder entered any other portion of the building. The window has been replaced. A sincere thank you to David for his constant care for our beloved building.

Please know that the staff has had discussions about the Coronavirus and how we can be prepared for whatever might come our way. As I'm sure you are all aware, everything we know about this virus changes daily. But there are some things that truly apply whether we're talking about Coronavirus, the flu, or the common cold.  

1. Wash your hands often and well!  
2. If you are sick, stay home! If you are feeling unwell, have a fever or a cough, please stay home and take care of yourself. No need to share germs.
3. Limit physical contact. Instead of shaking hands, tap your heart, bump elbows, or just wave.
4. Cover your cough or cough into your elbow, and refrain from touching your face.