UUCSC News and Updates
Weekly on Fridays
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of South County, RI
All are welcome!
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Reverend Denis Letourneau Paul, Minister
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This Sunday, August 7, 2022, 10 AM |
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"Reflections on Community Building
and Organizing During the Pandemic"
Brian Beaudreau
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Community organizing has been challenged by the continuing pandemic of 2020. Creating a sense of connection, togetherness, and common purpose is difficult when people cannot meet face to face. Yet communications technology has enabled more conversations between groups of people around concerns of shared importance, like with the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI.
E-communications technology has been interspersed with telephone and occasional touch points to yield some very positive results. When we get to be physically together again, with all we have been able to accomplish remotely, we might imagine the possibilities for building the beloved community.
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Bernie Beaudreau is the executive director of the Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Edesia and Hunger Free America. |
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"This zoom-only service starts at 10 am,
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Share the Plate will resume in September |
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It’s nice to be back from vacation. Joe and I helped his mom move into our house and she’s settling in nicely, enjoying the “apartment-ette” (as Joe calls it) that we set up for her in our former living room and dining room. We also got a chance to explore historic sites in New England, which included a few days in a beautiful airbnb in the historic district of Portsmouth, NH. |
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I want to thank you all for respecting my time off. It was nice not to get daily text messages and voice mails saying “I know you’re on vacation, but….” It was especially nice to not return to thousands of emails!
For a brief moment I was worried that nothing happened while I was gone, but nothing could be further from the truth. The front garden thrived, despite the drought. Social events sprung up, planned seemingly overnight. Lovely worship services happened on line and were well attended. Groups and committees convened as usual. And the board voted to hold a special congregational meeting.
You don’t need me or the board to tell you that the last few years have been incredibly turbulent. Nothing looks the same as it did. Everyone’s mood and view of the future has changed dramatically. Our lives, families, and institutions are all affected. So, on Saturday, September 17 we’ll have a congregational meeting to begin a conversation that gives us the chance to think boldly and creatively about how to move into the future. We’ll talk about the things that are meeting current needs and challenges, and imagine new ways of being that will ensure continued relevance. Relevance to our current friends and members, and relevance to the great big world outside our door, beginning in South County.
It’s also the time to look at what we’ve done, and determine if it’s still effective, and gratefully say goodbye to it if necessary, so that we can focus our energy where it will be the most helpful.
The board would like to use an appreciative inquiry model for this evolving conversation, and has enlisted the help of Jill Pfitzenmayer from the RI Foundation for guidance as we plan. In the meantime, the board is sending committee chairs a few questions to consider in your meetings, so that we can be prepared for this important conversation. Even if you aren’t on a committee, you can have conversations amongst yourselves, answering a few questions:
What are the needs being met by our programming?
What could we do to make them more effective? And what else would you like to see?
How can we build on the positive energy and can can-do attitude that are the hallmarks of this community of faith in the human spirit?
Details are still being worked out for the September 17 meeting, so keep an eye out for more information.
In Peace,
Rev Denis
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Save the Date--Congregational Meeting
Saturday, September 17, 2022 Time TBD
Join in this very important meeting to envision the future of UUCSC.
Time and more details to come soon.
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We had some fun meetups this week! The Beach Picnic at Bay Campus was well attended. Lots of hermit crabs were corralled and then released with the incoming tide. A small but determined crew had dinner by the front door on Monday. And three of us had a glorious paddle in Wickford Harbor on Tuesday. New prospective member, Dorrie Wagner, joined Etta and me. Dorrie hasn’t has a chance to introduce herself yet on a Sunday morning so it was fun to get to know her.
Elizabeth
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BYOEverything Picnic
Monday, August 8, 5pm
UUCSC Backyard at Lily Pads, Hosted by David & Mary Fulton
Bring your dinner, a beverage, a chair, bug spray and whatever else you might need for a few minutes or a couple of hours of conversation. Cancelled if it threatens to rain yet again. Contact Mary Fulton at 401-633-2524 with questions.
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Kayak Meetup
Tuesday, August 9, 10:00am
DEM Boat Launch Narrow River at Pollock Avenue, South Kingstown ( Map) |
Plenty of parking. Kayak access is a little rocky, have water shoes. There is the potential for an extra kayak or two available for you to borrow. Call Elizabeth at 580-9180 or 783-1362 to let us know you are coming and to reserve a kayak (must be an experienced kayaker to use) |
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August 7, 14 Our Worship Committee will present services on Zoom at 10 am. See the newsletter and website each week for the topic and the link to join the service.
August 21 and 28 Rev Denis will lead worship at our usual time and place, 10 am in the sanctuary.
Submitted by Johnnie Rodriguez
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Summer Office Hours
Rev. Denis is back! But Sara will be out of the office the week of August 8th.
From August 15 on, Sara will be in the office Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 AM to 2 PM and Thursdays from 10 AM to noon.
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Outdoor Dining!
Saturday, August 6, 2022 9 AM
Sly Fox Den Too
4349 S County Trail, Charlestown, RI
Submitted by Will Bender
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Tomaquag Museum's Annual Honoring and Cultural Celebration!
August 16, 2022
5:30 - 8:00 PM
URI Memorial Union Ballroom
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Several folks from UUCSC are already signed up to go, and we’d love to fill a UUCSC table. We need at least two more willing supporters of the Tomaquag to join us!! Tickets are $150.
Purchase tickets here to support the work and accomplishments of this wonderful local organization, and help Tomaquag to build its new home near the URI campus.
Note: if you decide to attend, please email Betsy Dalton know and we’ll add you to the UUCSC table!
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Future MEETUPS FOR ALL AGES |
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Hiking!
Saturday, August 13, 2022
Trustom Pond
Contact Russell Kellogg
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Swim Picnic!
Last Sunday of August, 3PM
URI's Bay Campus
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Upcoming Gubernatorial Forum
Women’s Fund RI - Gubernatorial Forum: Creating Equity
August 30 , 2022 - 5:30pm
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This war rages on...
The UUCSC Share the Plate committee recommends one of these four organizations that are providing support to Ukrainians in crisis. |
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Bethany Sorrentino, Helping Hands Coordinator
Don't be afraid to ask for help - helping hands are here!
Helping hand volunteers are also needed.
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Membership Committee is vacant. Facility opening and closing is vacant. Please contact President Elizabeth Donovan at elizdn342@gmail.com. |
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List of Black owned businesses from RI Monthly magazine. Patronize these businesses all year long. This small effort can help undo racism. Please send pics and reviews to Etta for sharing here and on website.
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Includes lists of Black-Owned Businesses
Your search for truth and meaning begins here.
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How to Submit Info to This Newsletter |
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Send announcements and news with Newsletter Item in the subject line to Etta Zasloff*, Editor, at zasloff.etta@gmail.com and Sara Kaplow, Congregational Administrator, at uucscri@gmail.com by Tuesday Noon
to assure publication by Friday of that week.
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