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The Communicator

March 2021 Volume 38 Issue 3

Join us this Sunday!


Please join us on Zoom this Sunday, March 7th at 10:30 AM for our service titled The Universe is Madly In Love With You with guest minister, the Reverend Tandi Rogers.


Pronoia is the opposite of paranoia, according to mystic Rob Brezsny. It's hard to feel anything but existential exhaustion in these pandemics. Come be reminded. The Universe is conspiring to shower you with blessings.


Rev. Tandi Rogers is the learning strategist for the conflict engagement initiative of the UUA, a professor at both Meadville-Lombard Theological School and the Seattle University School of Theology & Ministry, as well as a spiritual director in private practice. She lives in Tacoma, WA with her wife Rev. Sue Phillips and their 13-year-old son.


Join Zoom Meeting Sunday at 10:30am

https://zoom.us/j/98733916229

No password needed


Or follow the link on our webpage for audio onlyuucfm.org

Thank you to Sunday's Participants:


The Reverend Tandi Rogers, Guest Minister 

Mary Cline Golbitz, Lay Minister 

Suellen Kipp, Director of Music              

Gary Robbins, Worship Associate

Peter Golbitz, Musician

Lesley Peterson, Musician and Tech Team Member 

Mark Brandon, Tech Team Member

Walter Peterson, Lead Tech Team Member

Holley Rauen, Tech Team Member

Jill Carville, Tech Team Coordinator

Jen Smith, Dialogues Host

Helen Dixon, Dialogues Host

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UU Dialogues & Breakout Rooms

~ After the Service

To participate in UU Dialogues, stay in the main zoom meeting after the service ends and do not accept the breakout room invitation that pops up. All are welcome to attend this intentional dialogue session, especially newcomers.


If you'd rather join a breakout room for casual conversation, please accept the pop-up invitation.

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Community Sharing in March- South Fort Myers Food Pantry


The pantry continues to evolve to provide food for those in need in the safest possible environment for patrons and volunteers. As the pandemic continues and food insecurity increases, they are exploring different ways to expand our reach and help feed even more neighbors.


The Pantry’s current service area includes certain zip codes in South Fort Myers. However, for those in the congregation in need of food, they waive the residence requirement so they can access the Pantry regardless of where they reside in the local area. They would just ask you to provide these folks with a note on your letterhead confirming they are members of the church. They can present that note on their first visit to the Pantry. Another way we are considering expanding our services is through outreach to provide food for seniors who are homebound and/or reluctant to visit the Pantry because they concerned about possible exposure to COVID. We plan to develop a program that would allow volunteers from your church to pick up food at the Pantry for those senior members that you have identified. Food pickup would be available during our normal service hours or could be arranged at a different time by appointment. If you have an interest in this program, please let us know and we will provide you with information needed to get started. Call us at 239-628-3191.


Thank you for supporting the Food Pantry as this month's Community Sharing Partner!

Vespers Service


Join Albie and Mary via Zoom bi-weekly Thursdays from 6:30PM-7:00PM. The next Vespers Service will be March 11th.


Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/91800250314?pwd=MmRRenNOUjNUdjcvU1Y3VTIxNFBTQT09

Meeting ID: 918 0025 0314

Passcode: 743236

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Starting Point, A Journey Group of Who We Are


Mary and Albie will begin offering Starting Point, a Journey Group of Who We Are as UUs and members of UUCFM. We will be offering weekly classes effective Monday, March 22, 2021, 6PM-7PM, via Zoom. It is 6 weeks. All are welcome, however we encourage new members and those new to UUism to come. Contact: albiestalk@gmail.com or marycline@gmail.com.

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AED & First Aid Kits Installation


On March 15th, Operations will be installing 2 new AED units with signs and cabinets, 2 shelf First Aid Cabinets with signs, and 2 Waterjet Bleeding Control Kits. This also includes monthly inspections performed on the AED defibrillators and first aid supply check.

Charitable Contributions


If you would like a receipt for donations made to UUCFM in calendar year 2020, please email your name(s) to: uuchurch@uucfm.org

Community Sharing Partners 2021-2022


The following partners have been approved by the Board and Social Justice for the next fiscal year:


Planned Parenthood—April 2021 and October 2021


Alliance for Fair Food—May 2021 and November 2021


Pachamama Alliance, Inc—June 2021 and February 2022


Early Learning Coalition of SWFL—July 2021 and March 2022


Quality Life Center—September 2021 and December 2021


GRACE Project—August 2021 and January 2022


1st Sunday in AugustBlessing of the Animals service- Gulf Coast Humane Society

Congregation Zoom Forums for Bylaws Amendments


On Sunday March 28th at our Annual Meeting, members will be asked to approve a set of Bylaws amendments. The Board of Trustees has scheduled the last of 3 congregational Zoom Forums to discuss the proposed changes this coming Sunday:


Zoom Information: Sunday, March 7, 2:00 p.m.


https://zoom.us/j/99576308982

Meeting ID: 995 7630 8982

Passcode: 739770


The goals of these proposed Bylaws amendments are (1) to provide for an organization that reflects our current realities and vision, (2) to streamline our committee structure with well-defined chains of authority and reflective of our vision and volunteer expectations, and (3) to provide for enhanced governance responsive to current strategic focus areas and relative technologies of today.


You will hear in our Zoom Forum the background for the following changes summarized below:


VP-Finance replaced with VP for Stewardship: Over the past several years, finding 2 members with sufficient financial skills to fill the Treasurer and VP-Finance positions has been virtually impossible, leaving one or both positions vacant for long periods of time. Because we have developed strong policies with respect to bookkeeping and checking account permissions, there is no need for both

positions. Traditionally, the stewardship functions have rested with the Finance Council. The Council has readily acknowledged that its analytical skills do not align with the required stewardship marketing skills. A new VP for Stewardship will provide year-round Board-level focus on fundraising initiatives—pledging and non-pledge revenues.


Member-At-Large replaced with VP for Membership: Most would argue that membership is one of our top 3 long-term issues for UUCFM, yet no individual at the Board level has that direct responsibility in the current Bylaws. The Member-At-Large position has no specific duties in the Bylaws. The VP for Membership would bring a key strategic effort to the Board with direct responsibilities for member engagement and communications, volunteer coordination, and our

radical hospitality as a Welcoming Congregation.


Rename the VP-Ministerial Services to VP for Worship.


Rename the VP-Programming to VP for Programs: The responsibilities of this position will include bringing Vision focus to programs, community outreach, and event scheduling for the church calendar.


Streamlining and defining lines of responsibility for committees: Of the 31 current top-level committees, the proposed changes eliminate 15 of them, many of which are vacant and whose scopes are redundant. The “councils” from the current Bylaws are replaced with Standing Committees which report directly to a Trustee. Standing Committees are distributed over 7 Board members, compared to the current committee structure reporting to only 4 Trustees, better distributing responsibilities and broadening member representation at the Board level.


Updating the Bylaws for technology advances: Sections have been added to allow for electronic meeting attendance and email voting limitations.


Dissolution clause: Currently, the Bylaws call for all remaining assets of UUCFM upon dissolution going to the UUA. We recommend changing the designation to non-profit(s) determined by the action of the Board of Trustees at the time of such dissolution. Any changes to this clause would have to be approved by the UUA. If the congregation approves this change, it would be contingent on UUA subsequent approval. Without UUA approval, the clause would remain unchanged. UUA

contingency only applies to this Dissolution clause.


Come to the last Zoom Forum to understand the proposed changes, provide your feedback, and be informed in preparation for your Annual Meeting member vote. Although not a Bylaws amendment, we will also be discussing the vote to change the “C” in UUCFM from “Church” to “Congregation” or “Community” or not. Your voice is needed.


For your information and greater details on the proposed amendments, here are links to 2 PDF documents to assist your decisions:


www.tinyurl.com/bylawsbackground


www.tinyurl.com/bylawscompare


The Transition Team & Board of Trustees

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Audrey Potter


Former member Audrey Potter passed away on February 3rd. Audrey and her late husband, George, were long time members of UUCFM, before Audrey moved out west to be near children. Audrey's daughter, April, is making a donation to UUCFM in Audrey's name. Anyone who would like to remember Audrey is encouraged to donate to bestfriends.org, an animal rescue group in Utah.

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The UUCFM Book Group



The UUCFM Book Club will not meet next week.  It will begin discussing a new book, The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous, by Joseph Henrich on March 15th via Zoom. If you’re joining for the first time, please email Mary Studer. She will send you the link. mstuder929@gmail.com 

UUCFM/Caloosahatchee Mindfulness


The Caloosahatchee Mindfulness and UUCFM Meditation Book Group is reading The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness by Rhonda V. Magee.


The author "reveals that the work of racial justice begins with ourselves. The practice of embodied mindfulness--paying attention through our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations in an open, nonjudgmental way--increases our emotional resilience, helps us to recognize our unconscious bias, and give us the space to become less reactive and to choose how we respond to injustice."


The group meets from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. Contact Helen Leddy at helen.leddy@gmail.com or Mary Robinson at mindfulness579@gmail.com for more information.  

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Birthdays in March


March 3 Joan Hickok   

March 3 Don Routh

March 4 James Morgan 

March 4 Dorothy Van Howe

March 6 Dave Hutchins

March 7 Dick Boynton

March 8  Mary Tracy Sigman

March 9 Frank Schooley

March 10  Gary Robbins

March 11  Jonathon Sauer 

March 13   Krista Hopper

March 15  Michael Carville

March 22   MaryGayle Skinner

March 24  Sheila Jaskie

March 25   Lily Hoffman

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Amazon Smile donates to UUCFM when you do your online shopping by following this special link

smile.amazon.com/ch/59-1160337

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Want to Become a Member?

If you are interested in becoming a new member of UUCFM, please email 

memberservices@uucfm.org.


Memorial Garden Tiles


Plan Ahead! Join many other members who have reserved their names for a memorial tile to be placed in our Memorial Garden. You just need to fill out a form, pay $100, and choose your preferred location for your tile to be placed on one of the walls. (Of course, it will be placed upon your demise!) The $100 includes all costs of any lettering, installation and replacement over the years if needed, as well as upkeep of the garden and new plants and trees. To obtain a form, contact the church office or call or email Chair of Ways and Means, Suzanne Ziemer, 239-463-9020, suzanneziemer@gmail.com

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From the UUA President: You Are Held In Care 

By Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray

 

Dear friends,

 

In the last year, we have experienced trauma unprecedented in our lifetimes. The assaults on our democracy, the devastation caused by COVID-19, repeated incidents of deadly police violence, the rise in white supremacist violence, and the impacts of climate disasters continue to take their toll. So many lives and livelihoods have been lost. We are exhausted. We are grieving.

 

To everyone in Texas, we send you our love and care and pray that you and your loved one are safe. To leaders in communities impacted by these deadly winter storms, if your congregation, members of your community, or local partner organizations are in need, the UUA’s Disaster Relief Fund is a resource for financial grants to help in this time. Please be in touch with Lisa Presley at lpresley@uua.org with any questions about applying for grants.

 

Continue reading

Board of Trustees

Email: board@uucfm.org


President Lesley Peterson

President Elect Lane Cook

Secretary Ruth King Fotovat

Treasurer Pati Maier

VP Ministerial Services Keith Hamlin

VP Operations Dorothy Van Howe

VP Programming Toni Latino

Member at Large Genelle Grant



Staff

Lay Minister Albie Johnson albiej@uucfm.org

Lay Minister Mary Cline Golbitz mary@uucfm.org

Director of Music Suellen Kipp music@uucfm.org

Office Manager Jill Carville officemanager@uucfm.org

Building Supervisor  Mickey Kellam buildingsupervisor@uucfm.org

Assistant  Liza Kellam lhiz_sierra@yahoo.com

Please send all newsletter articles by Wednesday at noon for publication in Thursday's newsletter. Send articles to newsletter@uucfm.org.

UUCFM

13411 Shire Lane

Fort Myers, FL 33912


uucfm.org

uuchurch@uucfm.org 239-561-2700 

Office Hours: 9-2 Tu-Fr

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