WINDOWS WEEKLY June 23, 2022
Greetings Friends,


Good afternoon everyone and welcome to Windows Weekly, Albany UU's central source for news and updates.

The Daily Reminder was not sent out this morning since there were no events to remind folks about today. Everything you need to know is right here in the Weekly. Daily Reminders will continue when there are reminders to be shared, then eventually, we will discontinue the Daily Reminders completely. Thank you!

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-Blessings and Be Well
MULTIPLATFORM SUNDAY SERVICE


SUNDAY SERVICE at 10:00 AM

Begin your Sunday morning with an 8:30 Multiplatform (both in-person and via Zoom) Meditation session until 9:20

Multiplatform service begins at 10:00 each Sunday

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For more information about our services, check out our website.
Masks are required


June 26 “Conspiracy for Life: A Personal Defense of Reproductive Justice,” Rev. Dick Gilbert
We meet on the eve of (or in the wake of) the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade. I’ll reflect on this in the context of being a counselor to women with unwanted pregnancy before both Roe v. Wade and New York’s legalization of abortion. We are on the brink of a non-democratic disaster.

Dick Gilbert, a retired Unitarian Universalist minister. Dick Gilbert has been a UU minister for 60 years. He has served congregations in Cleveland, Ithaca, Golden, CO, and for 32 years in Rochester. During his time in Ithaca he was part of the Clergy Consultation Service on Problem Pregnancies before Roe v. Wade and New York's abortion rerom law. He is an active member of Clergy for Choice.

Music: Ann Brandon


Our summer services run until Sunday, Sept. 4
There is no Coffee Hour after our summer services but there will be
cookies and lemonade in the back of Community Hall


Use this link to join the service remotely:

To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866:
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000


Those wishing to access closed captioning/live transcript can turn on the function in their Zoom toolbar. To update to the latest version of Zoom, please do that within the software by finding the menu link and “check for updates”.
JULY MULTIPLATFORM
SUNDAY SERVICE INFORMATION

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION FOR
CHILDREN and YOUTH

Summer Reading Opportunities!
  • There is a fantastic reading list for all ages curated by Albany UU's Inclusivity Team here.
  • 3 copies of How to Raise an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi are on hand in the RE Office to lend to parents/guardians. Message dre@albanyuu.org to borrow a copy.



Elizabeth Baldes
Acting Director of Religious Education
MUSIC MINISTRY CONVERSATIONS

Let’s Chat! Schedule a zoom call with our new Music Director, Olga. This is an open invitation to all members of the congregation. Ask questions, speak freely and get to know her. If you feel called to share musical gifts please let her know, she is excited to collaborate with anyone who is interested. 
 
UPCOMING WAYS to CONNECT

Start your Sunday Morning with Multiplatform Meditation
8:30 - 9:15 AM
We will sit together virtually for twenty minutes then have some conversation about the talk, meditation methods or experiences followed by a live loving kindness meditation. 

Use this link to join remotely:

By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000


Philosophy Group
At 10:15 AM every Tuesday, the Albany UU Philosophy Group will meet via zoom to discuss the topic of the day. All are welcome.

Use this link to join:

By phone: 1-929-436-2866 
Meeting ID: 987 7102 4708
Password: 0000
Bridge Group
Tuesdays, 1:00-3:00 PM, Room
B-8 at Albany UU. No matter how many people come, all are fitted into play. All are welcome and assumed vaccinated. Due to the nature of this group, there will not be an online
option offered.


The Social Justice Team meets on Tuesday, June 28 at 6:45 PM - on Zoom. (NOTE DATE CHANGE) All are welcome to join.

Use the service to join:

To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866:
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000
ANNOUNCEMENTS

Albany UU Wins Award
Sheridan Prep, the public elementary school that Albany UU has worked with for over 10 years, held its inaugural Community School Awards and Attendance Banquet on June 17th. Awards were given for excellent attendance, star students, star parents, and community partners. Albany UU received the Star Volunteer/Partner Award shown in the photo. The inscription on the plaque reads ….. We will continue to work with the school in the future by volunteering in the classroom, helping them build an outdoor education space and community garden, and fund raising. This is a clear example of how Albany UU can make a difference in our neighborhood. Thanks for all of your continuing support.


Gardening Volunteers
Do you have two hours to contribute to maintaining the gardens surrounding Albany UU? The Gardening Committee welcomes you to sign up here, where you can select which week(s) you'd like to help. Volunteers often work in pairs. No experience necessary. For more information or to receive e-mail updates, please contact Donna Meixner or 518/439-5947.


Pledge year alert!
As our church fiscal year (2021-22) winds to a close (June 30, to be exact) this is a good time to remind everyone to write on your checks which pledge year you are contributing to. Some folks have already started paying on their 2022-23 pledge, some still are on 2021-22. Please, please write ‘Pledge’ and the fiscal year you’re paying toward on the memo line.
Pledge statements were sent recently, check your email to find out what your balance is! (Or, log on to your record in ChurchDB and find your balance instantly.)



Mark your calendars for a Congregational Picnic on Saturday, July 30 - Volunteers needed!
Everyone is invited to join Rev. Sam and Elizabeth Baldes for a picnic at Horseshoe I Pavilion at Thacher Park on Saturday, July 30, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM. We are calling for volunteers who would like to participate in planning the fun. All are welcome! Please contact Rev Sam: minister@albanyuu.org or Elizabeth: dre@albanyuu.org to express your interest.


Endowment Trust 2022 Annual Granting Capacity 
Each calendar year the Endowment Trustees use a prescribed formula based on income from trust investments to calculate the amount of money available for Albany UU Special Projects grants. The original 2022 granting capacity was $31,281. A grant in the amount of $10,000 has been granted to support a property purchase for additional outdoor education space at Sheridan Prep. The remaining available grant funds are $21,281.
If you have an idea for a special project consistent with the congregation’s mission, please apply. More information about the projects we are looking to support and the application for grants can be found on the Albany UU website at: http://albanyuu.org/endowment-trust-grant-form/ 
In 2019, the Board of Trustees established a second endowment, the income from which will be used to support the ongoing operations of the congregation. The Operations Trust has contributed $4,550 towards the support of the 2022-23 operations budget. 
Members and friends donate to the endowments to commemorate life’s milestones and memories, joys and sorrows, at any time during the year. You may also support either (or both) of the endowments with planned giving by a bequest in your Will.  More information about donations can be found at http://albanyuu.org/wp/pdf/2018_Endowment_Trust_Greater_Gifts_Contribution_Form.pdf

Looking for a little income?
Are you--or a friend--looking to make some money occasionally? And, are you able to work on Sundays?

Albany UU needs a ‘backup’ Sunday custodian. The job is from 8:00-1:00 on Sunday mornings and entails a multitude of small tasks that that enable our service and classes to go smoothly. Some lifting is required. The pay is $15 per hour.

If you are interested in finding out more, contact Tammy Goddard, Church Administrator at 518-463-7135 or admin@albanyuu.org. And pass this on to anyone who might be interested!

Also available: occasional “gigs” as Building Host and Dishwasher. Contact Tammy if you’re interested in either of these. We really need more people to add to our list!


A Rich and Rewarding Experience Awaits You at UU Weekend at
Silver Bay
Join us at the UU Weekend at Silver Bay from October 14-16, 2022.
Here are some highlights from the draft schedule for the weekend:
  • Keynote speaker, Pastor David Trayham, leading a discussion on building better racial and community relationships
  • Workshop topics including a proposal to bring the Hudson River into Albany, getting off fossil fuels, book discussions, and an opportunity to create art
  • Several hikes, a bird walk, a presentation by a wildlife rehabilitator including her five live raptors, a discussion of the islands and bays of Lake George, a presentation about a trek across Northern Spain, and boat tours
  • A full children’s program including movies, kite and bead making and games
  • Several live musical events
  • The annual auction (Bring and purchase gently used items.)
Remember – the cost is all-inclusive for room and board, activities and entertainment - including all meals from Saturday breakfast through Sunday lunch. Children under 6 are free, with substantial discounts for older children and youth. 
Access additional information about Silver Bay and the UU weekend, including a preliminary schedule of events and a registration form at http://albanyuu.org/uu-weekend-at-silver-bay/
Note: Adaptions will be made to accommodate the status of the pandemic, if needed.
SOCIAL ACTION and INCLUSIVITY

Delmar Vigil participants: Mary Baker, Deborah Vogel, Dawn Dana, Carol Butt,
Barb Manning, Chuck Manning, Ed Hancock
Albany UU is again partnering with the Center for Common Ground to send 1.2 million postcards to FLORIDA residents to encourage people of color to vote. The Florida primary is on August 23rd. Karen Kaufmann and Elizabeth Berberian are coordinating this effort, as they did in 2020. We will be distributing postcard packets in early July, to be mailed out in early August. 

Please email Elizabeth Berberian at elberberian@nycap.rr.com, including the number of postcards you will write and whether you will cover the cost of postage, if you want to participate. 

Spread the word! Tell your friends and members of other organizations you belong to!  Thank you!


From the Inclusivity Team
As a measure to address white supremacy culture -- which mostly is not about pointy white KKK hoods and obvious acts of racism, but about how current institutions and processes often disproportionately harm people of color and other marginalized groups -- the Inclusivity Team is collaborating with Gemma Halfi to provide a book discussion learning group to explore the ideas presented in the book Caste: The origins of our discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson.
 
The 3-session-group will meet on Zoom and will be limited to 12 participants.  




Stand Against Racism Vigil in Delmar
Join Albany UUs each Saturday to Stand Against Racism, in front of the Delmar Farmers Market at the middle school, 332 Kenwood Avenue, from 9:30 to 10 AM. Welcoming all - whether you live in Delmar, Albany, or anywhere nearby!


Black Lives Matter vigil in Troy
When: Saturdays,10:30-11:15 am
Where: Troy - corner of River Street at the intersection of Fulton and Third Streets, 12180



The Inclusivity Team Recommends the following book:

For adults:
The Sentence, by Louise Erdrich. (2021).  In this stunning and timely novel, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich creates a wickedly funny ghost story, a tale of passion, of a complex marriage, and of a woman's relentless errors.  ~from Good Reads  

Erdrich brings her experience and perspective as an Ojibwe woman to this story. It surprises at every turn. Available in the Upper Hudson Library System in hard copy, large print, CD audio-book, and downloadable e- and audio-book formats. Available in the National Library Service (NLS) in braille and sound recording formats.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Learn about submitting announcements to for Sunday service and how to reserve a Zoom room for meetings and events here.


Other important resources, our file cabinet, archives, guidelines and information can be found on the Resource Page of our website, here.


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CONNECTIONS






Publication deadlines
This is an important reminder that the news and article deadline for Windows Weekly is 9:00 AM on Monday. Thank you for your cooperation.


Sign up for an Albany UU class or event

- Send an email to: registration@albanyuu.org
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany
Parking: 
Parking is available on the street. On Sundays (and for some special events) Albany UU has permission to use the University at Albany’s Hawley Parking Lot on Robin Street at Washington Avenue.

Office hours:
By appointment

Our Website:
General: www.AlbanyUU.org

Zoom use:
To reserve Zoom for an Albany UU meeting, contact the church office (518.463.7135 or office@albanyuu.org).

Building use
To reserve a room for an Albany UU activity or to rent a hall or classroom space, for a personal or non-Albany UU activity, contact Administrative Assistant Patience Pechette (518.463.7135 or office@albanyuu.org).

Photo credit: Rev. Sam Trumbore
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany | 518.463.7135 | 518.463.1429 Admin@AlbanyUU.org | AlbanyUU.org