Debut of Pledge Drive Party Song Last Sunday!

The Annual Pledge Drive team debuted our Kick-off party song during the Sunday, February 16 service. Thank you to Bob MacWilliams for his support and musical expertise. Don’t worry if you missed it -- we plan to perform again this Sunday!

The Annual Pledge Drive packet is in the mail. Be sure to open your letter right away and make your 2025-2026 pledge. Details on how to submit your pledge are enclosed.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 7pm for the Pledge Drive Kick-off party in Parish Hall. The event will be an extravaganza of music and dance with our lively MC’s, Barbara Schmitt and Tom Bean! This after-dinner event will feature dessert, snacks, beer, wine and soft drinks. Visit the Annual Pledge Drive webpage to RSVP or sign up to volunteer.

Please Resubmit Your Annual Pledge!!!

Have you already submitted your Annual Pledge? Unfortunately, the form on our website has been inundated with over 50 thousand spam messages! We've created a new Google form to replace it. Please use this instead.

Visit the website for more information!

We need volunteers to make this event a success!

Sign up to volunteer. Bring dessert or help at the event!

Do I need to RSVP?

RSVP here. Suggested but not required.

Become part of possible as we reach our giving goal!

Oppose The SAVE Act (H.R. 22 / S.128) – A Voter Suppression Bill

Republicans in Congress passed the extreme anti-voter Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (H.R. 22/S.128) on Wednesday night. This bill would hinder millions of eligible Americans from registering to vote by requiring citizens to present a birth certificate or passport in person to register.

Millions of Americans don’t have easy access to these documents.

• More than 21.3 million Americans lack immediate access to documentary proof of citizenship.
• More than 140 million Americans do not have a passport, and elderly Americans are one of the demographic groups least likely to have one.
• 69 million women who have taken their spouse’s last name do not have a birth certificate that matches their legal name.
• Similarly, transgender people who change their name to reflect their gender identity may be denied new passports and become ineligible to register.
• Disabled people are already much more likely to encounter a difficulty while voting compared to a nondisabled voter; more stringent requirements will just make this worse.
• Citizens of color are three times more likely than white citizens to lack documents such as birth certificates, passports, naturalization certificates, or certificates of citizenship.
• An in-person registration requirement would prevent military members serving abroad from easily registering to vote.

Despite unfounded claims to the contrary, there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud. The SAVE Act is designed to block eligible people from voting, not to protect elections. Demand your Senators oppose the SAVE Act and protect voting rights for all.

Go to 5calls.org to find a script and be connected to our Senators.

Join the Economic Boycott

February 28, 2025

A grassroots movement has risen up to send a message to companies that are abandoning their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Read the details below and consider not spending on February 28th. It can't hurt, and could send a message to these companies.

The 24-hour Economic Blackout

WHEN:

Midnight, Thursday, February 27th till Midnight, Friday the 28th

(A full 24 hours of the 28th)

12:00 AM to 12:00 AM

WHAT NOT TO DO:

Do not make any purchases

Do not shop online, or in-store

No Amazon, No Walmart, No Best Buy

Nowhere!

Do not spend money on:

Fast Food

Gas

Major Retailers

Do not use Credit or Debit Cards for non-essential spending

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Only buy essentials of absolutely necessary 

(Food, Medicine, Emergency Supplies)

If you must spend, ONLY support small, local businesses.

Accessory Dwellings: New Opportunities for Homeowners and for Newton

Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 7pm

Congregation Dorshei Tzedek/Second Church

60 Highland St., West Newton

In person & live streaming on Zoom

Join us for this fun and educational event.

• What will the new accessory dwelling laws mean for our community?
• Can accessory dwellings be a way for homeowners to add value and flexibility to their homes?
• Could accessory dwellings be a way for you to solve your family’s housing needs?
• Get some information on how to plan, design, and build one.

Featured Speaker: Will Cohen is an author of the Accessory Dwelling Unit Guidebook. He's currently a Senior Planner at the Boston Planning and Development Agency. Previously, he was an associate principal at Utile.

Register Now

Changes to the Newsletter

Dear FUUSNites:

We are writing to let you know about changes that are coming to the Chime

newsletter.

Starting in March, the newsletter will be compiled and edited by a consultant, Beth DiPasquale. Beth worked with Rev. Debra for five years, designing and editing the newsletter and other publications at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston. She has been a writer, editor, and designer for more than 25 years.

We are going to be experimenting with a new form and process for submissions for the Chime. To have the Chime to you by Thursday morning, we will need to enforce a strict deadline for all submissions by no later than 9:30 am on Tuesday. There will be no exceptions, even for your ministers! Articles received after 9:30 on Tuesday mornings will be considered for the next week.

To make it easier for you to submit articles and for our consultant to edit them, we are asking everyone to submit this form, known as a JotForm. You will need to sign in with your email to access the form. The link is HERE, and it will be at the bottom of every newsletter. Please note that we are asking you to keep your newsletter submissions to under 200 words. If for some reason you find it impossible to access the JotForm, you can always send Rev. Debra an email by Monday evening with your item for consideration.

We view these procedures as a six-month experiment and will be asking for your feedback in late summer. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we adapt to staff changes.

Thank you for all you do for FUUSN.

Rev. Debra & Rev. Joel

All Volunteer Opportunities Can Be Found on our Website

See https://fuusn.org/give/volunteer/ for all the opportunities to contribute your time and talent to our community.

Dinners for 7

Saturday, February 22, 2025 at 6pm

Dinners for 7 is a great opportunity to socialize with a small group at a member's home. Everyone brings an assigned dish, and the host provides the main dish.



Registration for this event has closed.

Any questions, please email Lynne Karlson.

FUUSN Musicians Concert

Sunday, February 23, 2025, 2-4pm

Come and hear the wonderful musicians of the First Unitarian Universalist Society in concert on Sunday, February 23, 2025 at 2pm in the FUUSN Sanctuary. This concert is a fundraiser for the UU Urban Ministry. You’ll hear classical chamber music by pianist Paul Antonucci, cellist Debra Minard, and guitarist Bob MacWilliams. Of course, the intrepid FUUSN Band will be rocking the house. Enjoy the fantastic array of musical styles and moods: a cappella singing, classical works, bluegrass tunes, jazz and more. And we’ll continue our tradition of Cookies at Intermission!

The concert is free and open to the public. Donations will be gratefully accepted for the UU Urban Ministry.

Mahashivrati Celebration

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at 6pm to Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 6am

We invite you warmly to join us for the retransmission of Mahashivratri, the largest and most significant among the sacred festivals of India. It is a night of great opportunity, and we can take part in our own beautiful FUUSN! Last year, 140 million people around the planet participated in this event live or online.

Learn more.

More information and Registration:

https://online.innerengineering.com/en/program-details/mahashivaratri-cityprogram-first-unitarian-universalist-society-in-newton---parish-hall-massachusetts-us-feb-26-2025

Pledge Drive Kick-Off Party

Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 7pm

Parish Hall

Join us for an extravaganza of music and dance organized and produced by the intrepid Anne Watson Born! Rumor has it that Rev. Joel will perform.

This year we are gathering as one fantastic community for an after-dinner party to kick off our Annual Pledge Drive and showcase the tremendous creativity and talent of our community. Sit back and enjoy the show and share snacks and desserts created by your fellow FUUSNites. Beer, wine, and soft drinks will be served.

Mission: Possible is our theme. “Become part of possible” is your call to action! Be prepared to be delighted, inspired, and to drop off your pledge card.

Questions? Email pledgedrive@fuusn.org

Over 60s Event: How to Tell a True Personal Story

Sunday, March 2, 2025, 11:45am-1:45pm

Telling true personal stories is sharing what it is like to be human. We connect - tellers and listeners - because true heartfelt stories, whether joyful, poignant, or funny, illuminate how we are really all the same. Crafting a personal story can also be a powerful way to find meaning in your life.

Introduction to Storytelling: Open to all!!

On Zoom and in-person attendees in the Alliance Room (zoom link to be posted later). Learn more on our website.

We hope to see you on March 2, 2025, 11:45 – 1:45 pm! A light lunch will be served at 11:30 am. Alliance Room.

Eleuthera Trio Concert at FUUSN

Saturday, March 8, 2025, 3pm

The Eleuthera Trio, a Boston area-based piano trio (Lois Shapiro, piano, Francine Trester, violin & Julie Reimann, cello), will perform at 3pm on Saturday, March 8th, 2025 at First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton. The concert benefits the PKD Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding treatments and a cure for polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a genetic disorder that results in kidney failure requiring transplant for survival. This concert is in memory of Trio member Lois Shapiro's brother Paul Steven Shapiro (1947-1981), who died from PKD. We hope you will join us for an afternoon of music and community.

Tickets and Details - The program includes the Poulenc Trio, Mozart Kegelstatt Trio, and Dvorak Dumky Trio. Admission is free, although donations to the PKD Foundation are gratefully accepted and can be made to reserve tickets online or at the door. 

Community Breakfast

Sunday, March 9, 2025, 9-10:15am

We are holding a community breakfast on March 9th at 9am!! Enjoy Tofu Scramble, Oatmeal, Pancakes, Bacon, Biscuits, Yogurt, Fruit, among your fellow community members! $5/person. Newcomers and kids 12 and under are free! 

To make this happen we need volunteers!  Please sign up on Signup Genius here: Sign up to volunteer here!

UU Plant-Based Eating Club Hosts March Potluck

Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 6pm

The UU Plant-Based Eating Club is hosting potluck dinners of 7 -10 people on Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 6pm at member’s homes. If you are a PBEC member, you may sign up here, and you will receive an email assigning you to a private home a few days prior to the event. If you are not yet a PBEC member and would like to be, or are not sure if you are on the list, please send an email to UU-Plant-Based-contact-us@googlegroups.com.

While we intentionally welcome newcomers and anyone who is interested in eating more plant-based food regardless of where they are on their journey, all items brought to our potlucks must be completely plant-based and contain no cheese, dairy, eggs, etc. Recipe suggestions are available. More information about the Plant-Based Eating Club is available here.

Start Planning for Ferry Beach!

September 26-29, 2025

Your Ferry Beach team has been in discussion with the staff at the Ferry Beach Conference Center (Saco, Maine) about this fall and the dates available to us for 2025 are: Friday, September 26- Monday, September 29. Although this is not a typical 3 day / holiday weekend, folks do have the option of staying over two or three nights, and we are hoping for warmer weather given the dates are earlier on the calendar. Pricing will be released soon and reservations open up shortly after that. We also look forward to gathering there with our friends from Theodore Parker Church (UU). For those who joined us last fall, you’ll remember the singing, walking on the beach, activities and discussions with friends, and a host of other activities. Please spread the word and be on the lookout for more details soon. Email Questions Here. Lastly, Save the Dates: 9/26-9/29!!