Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth 
August 2007 Newsletter
Sunday Services for August 2007
Summer Services at 10:00 am (unless otherwise noted). Nursery provided
- Sunday, August 5: Music for the World Community with "Peace, Liberty, and Justice for ALL." Guided by the 6th principle, "Strings Attached" acoustic group will weave a service of mostly music, using our very own hymnals. Join us to sing or hum along, tap your toes, just listen
—or all of the above! - Sunday, August 12: Biloxi Youth Team On July 8th ten youth group members and four adults, supported by our beloved community, went to Biloxi, Mississippi to help build one replacement home and repair another home that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Please Join Us for the 10:00am August 12th Service. Our "Biloxi Group" will share their stories
- Sunday, August 19: "Poetry and Spirituality" Cal Benson
- Sunday, August 26: "Loving the Journey, Dreading the Move" Suzanne Wasilczuk. Sometimes our journeys are linear, historical, from point A to point B. Sometimes we journey in circles or cycles. From here to your holiday destination; from summer to fall; from one birthday to the next: our lives are filled with journeying. This morning let's think about some of these journeys together.
Making It Home
The "Making It Home" task force has developed a calendar showing important events for the next few months. It is on the wall in the Board Room so you can check it when you are in the building. Take a look, but remember, dates are "subject to change!"
Guidelines for Newsletter Submissions
The newsletter for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth is produced monthly and released by the first of each month. It is available online at http://www.uuduluth.org. THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS TO THE SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER IS AUGUST 15. Priority will be given to items received on time; late submissions may not be included due to space constraints. Submissions should be directed to the Congregational Administrator at firstuu@cpinternet.com. If at all possible, please email newsletter submissions (firstuu@cpinternet.com) rather than handwriting them or leaving a print copy in the church office. When emailing, please both embed and attach submissions in a .doc (Microsoft Word) format, and write "Newsletter" in the subject heading. Be sure to include a contact name and phone number
From Interim Minister Sally Hamlin
One of you emailed me the other day that the temperature in Embarrass went down to 32 the other night. This news came on a day in Buffalo when the mercury was hitting into the mid-nineties and we were desperate for even a small breeze to cool us off. But even if Embarrass is often the coldest place near Duluth and I read this when I was longing for a dip in the neighbor's pool, the news of this drop on the thermometer sent a shiver down my spine! It is, after all, July as I write this, not September or October, and, despite growing up in Buffalo, and being immune to snow and cold weather jokes, I am not ready for weather quite this cold smack dab in the middle of summer. This weather report makes me wonder, once again, about the effects of global warming on our dear planet earth. And it also makes me think about how accustomed we can be to the ‘way things are', and our resistance to change, especially when the changes are taking place in increments almost too small to notice.
As human beings, we resist change. We want things to stay the same, to know what to expect, and to be able to plan accordingly for the future. For millennia this has been the way we have survived, by being able to predict what can reasonably be expected to occur in the near future and prepare for any inevitability. I think about this as I prepare for my move to Duluth, trying to anticipate each step of the move, arranging for movers, packing and marking boxes for each room. I am also trying to determine which boxes of books will go to my home, which can stay in boxes until the move to the new building, and which I will want to have available right away. Is this too much attention to detail, or is it spending time now that will later produce the best outcome? Who knows? All I can do is the best I can do. I believe this is true for most challenges we encounter in life.
But what happens when what we expect to occur, does not? Or what happens when we are confronted with the unexpected? How do we handle such events? What is our response then? Our ability to be flexible and spontaneous will often determine how well we survive such challenges, or if we survive at all. Jacob Moreno, a psychiatrist, and the founder of the therapy called psychodrama defined spontaneity this way: "the ability to formulate an adequate response to a new situation or to develop a new response to an old situation".
I believe there is something else to consider when we strive for success in our relationships with one another, and that is how we perceive our responses to challenges we have faced in the past. Perhaps you are like some who have had more than their share of loss or failure, and you feel defeated and exhausted at just the mention of another change. Or, conversely, you have found that you have made the most of the challenges you faced, and met them with grace and ease. I would expect that most of us fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, and that if we think about it, we can find a way to muster the resources necessary to get through what is before us.
This congregation is poised at the edge of some very exciting changes: moving into a beautiful new building (I had a look at the bare bones construction when I visited briefly last month- stunning!), preparing to call a new minister, planning for growth in the congregation, and so much more. It would be foolhardy of even the most confident optimist to expect that all of this will proceed without some unexpected twists and turns in our most carefully detailed plans. But there is a lot to be said for acknowledging two things about dealing with change: first, each of us has had experience with change, and can source our knowledge about that to assist us in moving through what is ahead; and, second, we must remember that what is ahead of us is going to happen to and with all of us, and that it is not up to one individual to make everything happen. That is the ultimate blessing of deciding to belong to a faith community, finding out what it means that we are not alone. It is together that we will approach all the wonderful things ahead, and it is together that we will find solutions to any unforeseen situations that come our way.
Unitarians and Universalists have a long history of facing adversity, unraveling the knots of social, religious, and ethical challenges. In addition, our forebears found ways to move forward and stand strong in their beliefs, acting with resolve, even when the path ahead was filled with danger and fear. We can take comfort in the knowledge of our collective path, and the legacy we have inherited, and use this to inspire us, spark our imaginations towards finding creative solutions to anything unforeseen, and forge a new inspirational congregational life for the coming generation to follow.
I look forward to joining you on this path into this next year in UUCD's congregational life! Here's to spontaneity and adventure!
Many blessings,
Sally
Making It Home
NOTICE TO ALL COMMITTEE LEADERS (and other Energetic Persons!): It's Time to Pack!
This is a reminder to all committees or groups that have "stuff" to pack in the Winona building. If you have not already made plans to pack your area, please do so as soon as possible. We need to have everything packed up and ready to move by the end of August. It would be preferable if someone on your committee can take home items that you might need before October or that need special care or are fragile.
Please also reserve some time on Friday, August 24 and Saturday, August 25 between 8am and 8pm to help pack the Bride's Room and the Kitchen and the Library. Childcare will be provided. Call the church office (724-0308) or Barb Lund to sign up to help.
A Letter from Our President of the Board, Ann Fryberger
The incomparable UUCD,
This is my first letter to you as Board President. One of my primary goals is to stay in communication with you. I intend to share information, thoughts, ideas, encouragement, etc. throughout my tenure as board president via a monthly newsletter article. If there ever was a time to read your monthly newsletter from cover to cover the next four months is that time in order to keep up with an irregular schedule.
To start, Karen Gustafson gave me the book Managing Transitions by William Bridges. I have paraphrased the following two paragraphs from that book as food thought.
How can we make these transitions between the old and the new a time during which the organization can thrive and everyone's place in it can be enhanced? How can we come out of this time better than we were before the transition started?
The world is full of people with big dreams, but to convert Dreams into Ventures, people have to go through transition; many of them are not ready to do that. They have to let go of the perfect ideal or the effortless vision that the Dream represented and begin the hard work, and the compromises that it takes to launch the Venture. Some who let themselves be pulled into that transition—often with grave misgivings—never manage to emerge from it. Years later, they reminisce ineffectually about how things used to be. They remain wholeheartedly committed to the Dream, but they have found a dozen reasons why they cannot and should not go through the ending that will be necessary if they are to make the transition into the second age of organizational life, turning the Dream into the Venture.
As I start this year's journey with you, I am asking for your help and understanding. Help because there is much to do and you will be asked to volunteer more than usual. Understanding because we will
- have to be relatively flexible in the next four months (watch calendar carefully)
- possibly share Winona with the new buyers during September if the sale goes through
- have to adapt to a slower than desired construction schedule including moving into a somewhat unfinished interior
- need to pack and move (probably to secure storage at College Street) by end of August and possibly hold services in unusual places
- need to heal from the loss of our minister of 21 years
- need to adapt to an Interim Minister and begin a process for a new Settled Minister
- need to afford paying benefits to an increased staff and a construction budget overrun
- continue, as usual, sharing the joys and heartaches that inevitably come our way.
There is a solution to each of these issues. The solution is to recognize each issue so it can be solved much faster to meet everyone's needs. This implies that everyone needs to be involved in solutions.
One could say we have a lot on our plates. That's an understatement. However, I am excited about so very many things. Our opportunities are immense. We are in a time that is ripe with creative opportunity. I have no doubt that we will make our transitions with grace and thrive into the future knowing that our beacon will shine throughout the northland for all who come to join us in making our world a better place.
Please don't forget that communication is a key goal of mine this year. I'll give you updates each month in the newsletter and other avenues as well. No matter how busy I appear, I am available to you day or night, weekday or weekend, holiday or not. If you need to talk, just call. I am never too busy to talk to a friend.
Ann Fryberger
Board President
Board Report
Your Board of Trustees met on June 26, 2007 and worked through the following items:
- We approved a Special Program Fund grant to pay the interim minister's moving expenses.
- We voided a Special Program Fund grant for a second person to attend Midwest Leadership School as candidates could not attend due to calendar conflicts.
- We discussed board trustee assignments with no one agreeing to serve as president elect. Dan Burrows agreed to serve as acting vice president.
- We received a report from treasurer Borrmann regarding Staffing for Growth Bridge Pledges with over $49,000 raised to date.
- We selected October 13 as our preference date for the Prairie Star District recommended Interim Ministry Startup Workshop.
- We tabled working on the fund raising matrix until July.
- We received a verbal report from Ann that we are going back to the City of Duluth with a new sewer location proposal because their approved location would require drilling an 8 foot depth down a 250 foot line of rock at an unreasonable expense. Ann also reported that the Zeppa Family Foundation is recommending we seek additional financing sources for the larger than expected construction debt.
- We scheduled June 14, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. as our next Annual Program Council and Board Retreat.
- We received Karen Gustafson's request for the Administration Trustee, Congregational Administrator, and Personnel Committee Chair to meet with her to discuss personnel policies affecting ministry staff positions.
- We received the Board Secretary's report that board manuals should be updated.
Under Construction
A column to answer questions about our new church home
Volunteers Needed
The week of August 6 looks promising for volunteers to possibly move soil onto our new greenroof. We don't have the exact date yet but we know it's going to happen. If you're interested, keep your eyes peeled for "the call." Additionally, there will be many more opportunities for congregational labor – we're not sure what and we're not sure when but we'll certainly keep you posted.
The Great White Pine
The white pine was cut into lumber in mid June. We got a good yield of fine pieces of lumber in varying widths and lengths. Right now it is securely stored and drying nicely. Thank you to Paul Wartman for kindly sealing the ends of the cut pieces!
Sewer, Sewer and more Sewer
I'm sure you're just as tired as we are of talking about s…ewer. We think we finally have a plan that will be mutually beneficial for all parties involved. We still need final approval from the city but we think taking the sewer out the west side of building to Lyons Street is going to be the answer.
Front Windows and Name
The task force voted to put 4 (instead of 3 or 5) large windows in the front of our building above the entrance. There will be 2 windows on each side of the main entrance which leaves space for a sign/logo/picture of some sort for our name right above the door. We all thought this was a good place for it and we are excited to see it come to fruition.
College Street Project Task Force
Members: Lori Bauman, Alisa DeRider, John Evans, Ann Fryberger, Richard Fryberger, Warren High, Dave Stinson, Beth Travis-Betts, and Geiger Yount. Please call us if you have any questions or concerns.
John J. Kelly Art Collection: Update on Paintings Sold
There has been an upsurge in sales activity with the John J. Kelly art collection! We have sold 31 paintings so far and there may be even more sold by the time this goes to print. Please take a stroll in the hallway on the UUCD second floor to see the recent additions to our gallery. Also, be sure to check out the listing of Kelly Paintings UU website at to see which paintings are still available. If anyone knows the owners of the homes listed there or would like to purchase a painting, please contact Barbara Kelly. Thank you. Status as of July 18th: 31 of 69 paintings have been sold 44.9% $3,580 (of total value $7255).
Transition Council Update – Making It Home
We are excited to announce the move from Winona to College Street.
- Packing days will be Friday and Saturday, August 24 and 25. Packing will start at 8AM and last until 8PM on both days or until the packing is done.
- Moving days will be Wednesday and Thursday, August 29 and 30.
Childcare will be available for all four days.Moving will start at 1PM on Thursday and Friday. The majority of the move will happen on Thursday. We will rent a large truck to minimize the number of trips between Winona and College Street on Thursday. On Friday we will concentrate on items that need special handling, delicate items for example. The move will be from Winona to storage areas at the College Street site. We do not expect to have the full use of the building late in August. The last service at Winona will be on August 26. The first service at College Street will likely be
September 23.
Please contact the UUCD office at 724-0308 to sign up for a work day or two. We thank you in advance for your help!
Music Notes
"Without music life would be a mistake."
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
July brought a number of fine musicians into our sanctuary with a diversity of uplifting selections that enhanced the morning worship times:
- The Choir, Greg and Tanya Moore, Sam Black and our music professionals choir director Cyndi Gritzmacher and music director/pianist Karen Bauman.
- Thanks to each and every one of you for the difference you make!
- Special thanks to the folks who took time out of a gorgeous summer day to attend the annual Music Programming Retreat June 24th! There is a great year of music coming!
Perhaps you, dear reader, want to help make music and a difference right in our own congregation?
The new programming year will begin in September and the music program always has room for more folks to participate! Music director Karen Bauman or choir director Cyndi Gritzmacher are ready and willing to dialogue the possibilities with you!
One really FUN event to put on your calendar is: Annual Choir Potluck and Sing Fest (an open invitation to try the Choir!)
- Date: August 15th in the home of our effervescent Hella and Paul Wartman!
- Time: 5:30 pm (potluck); 6:15 - 8 pm SING!
- Address: 1649 W. Paige St. (not far from Kohl's)
The upcoming rehearsal schedule looks like this:
- Sat. Aug. 4: Strings Attached, 10 am – Noon. Sanctuary
- Sun. Aug. 5: Strings Attached 9 am Warm-up. Sanctuary am service. Sanctuary
- Weds. Aug 22 8VA 6 pm. Sanctuary
- Weds. Aug 29 8VA 6 pm. Sanctuary
And... looking ahead :
- Weds. Sept 12: 8VA 6 pm Sanctuary
- Choir 7- 8:30 pm. Sanctuary
- Sun. Sept 16 Choir warm-up. Time TBA
- Weds. Sept 19 8VA 6pm. Choir 7-8:30pm
- Sun. Sept 23 8VA (warm up). Time TBA. College St.
- Choir (warm up). Time TBA. College St.
A reminder about the FLAMES (our children's singing group):
- We may have a rehearsal on Sunday Sept. 16. Singers from last year will be contacted by director Cyndi Gritzmacher in the near future.
- The first regular rehearsal will be sometime in October. Stay tuned!
- For more information contact Cyndi Gritzmacher.
Women's Moon Group Summer Rituals: August Full Moon
Tuesday, August 28 from 5-8pm, Susan and Caroline's house
- For directions email spaethsusan@aol.com
- Bring a dish to share and dress for the weather.
- Questions: Contact Larissa at larissa.schmitt@gmail.com
CARING CORNER
In response to some fairly serious surgeries and illness, the Caring Community is offering assistance. If you would like to help by bringing a meal, please contact Jill Lakhan. Thanks to all of you who are out there caring daily. Julie & Warren
CARING NOTES
Congratulations to Sally Munger who just retired from 28 years with the Minneapolis Public Library. She is enjoying Duluth's nice summer and considering what fun, interesting, exciting activities to pursue.
Beth Travis Betts and Tom Betts are grateful for the support, good thoughts and energy this community is giving them. Beth was diagnosed with peritoneal cancer in early July. As of this writing, she and Tom are still finding out about options and treatments. They will keep everyone abreast of her progress as time goes on.
Diane Daniels is home recovering from a reverse shoulder replacement on July 11th (this on the same shoulder that was operated on in February). According to Diane, the hospital stay was like a tropical vacation complete with a view of the water, quick-working drugs and excellent care! She is at home and recovering.
Cher Obst is also home after a difficult surgery on the 28th of June. This surgery was necessary because of infection resulting from her surgery in May. During this second surgery, Cher's kidneys shut down resulting in a longer hospital stay and a complicated recovery. With the help of visiting nurses, the infection is clearing up and she is getting stronger and feeling better. Her kidney function has returned to normal!
THE WELCOMING CONGREGATION NEWS
Upcoming Events: Pride Festival!
- Thursday, Aug. 30 – Mayor's Reception at the Depot – 5 to 8 pm.
- Saturday, Sept. 1 – Festival at Bayfront Park – 10 am to 7 pm.
- Sunday, Sept. 2, Parade in Superior WI – 12 Noon.
The WCC will be staffing a booth at the festival, please join us to show your support for the local GLBT community.
- Living the Welcoming Congregation classes – to be offered in January 2008, stay tuned for more information.
- Opening Our Doors Celebration – April 4&5, 2008 – We will be hosting the event in our new building and will be looking for lots of help from our UUCD community!
THANKS TO UU'S WHO HELPED WITH THE CHUM RHUBARB FESTIVAL!
A big "thanks" goes out to the UU's who volunteered at the 3rd annual CHUM Rhubarb Festival on June 23, 2007. Bakers included Beth Tamminen, Joan Hinds, Cindy Edwardson and Suzanna Moore. Day of the festival volunteers included Beth Tamminen, Carol Burrows, Dave Stinson and Kathy Heltzer. As a CHUM member congregation we are working to increase our ongoing support of CHUM activities and services. Congregational delegates for this year are Beth Tamminen and Kathy Heltzer. The next time they contact you to ask for your help please say "yes"! Thanks too to the UU's who attended the event as well!
SUZUKI SPEAKS FILM
Thursday August 16th at UUCD Family Living Room 7p.m.
A film from Canadian biologist and host of TV show "The Nature of Things". This environmental film uses special effects and graphics to get its message across. It really helps explain our UU seventh principle "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence, of which we are a part." For more info contact
Tom Starkey
YES IT IS HOT AND STEAMY IN MISSISSIPPI IN THE SUMMERTIME
BILOXI YOUTH MISSION IN REVIEW: Yes it is hot and steamy in Mississippi in the summertime. That was the answer to one of the many questions that most of us were discussing as we boarded the Northwest flight heading to Biloxi for a week of volunteering for post Katrina work. We were a group of 10 youth and 4 adults ready to take on whatever task the people at Back Bay Mission (a U.C.C. facility) were going to dish out. And they had a lot to dish out. We spent most of our work days installing soffit and facia on a new house for a man named Newman who had lost his home in the storm. Newman had started the rebuild process and had run out of funding pretty quickly so Back Bay Mission stepped in. The mission helps provide funding for materials and work volunteers for labor for low income people in need of assistance. Just one of the many things the Mission does.
Newman's house was a pretty good challenge for our group made up of mostly 13-15 yr olds. It was hard fussy work (the soffit and facia were made of cement siding not the easiest thing to work with) the main roof was a 6/12 pitch but also had two large dormers and an addition that were 12/12 pitch. We all bent a few nails working up on the scaffolding or extension ladders but we managed to get most of the soffit and facia on. Lightning cut our last day short or we would have gotten the last two little 1' pieces installed. Many of the kids got a chance to work at a soup kitchen the Mission helps staff. Other work included, installing a panel ceiling into a carport, putting door handles and locks into doors, hauling 60 bundles of shingles up onto the roof (it doesn't get much tougher than that one) and getting some of those shingles laid.
Time after work was spent either exploring the local beaches (we found out about jelly fish) or relaxing in the comfortable air conditioned trailers provided for our stay at the Mission. Thursday was a half work day and half trip to New Orleans to experience some of that culture and view some Katrina destruction along the way there. The highlight of the trip probably for the kids was Wednesday night when we all attended and participated in a Southern Baptist church service. Pastor Don from the Mission had taught and coached the kids a couple of songs to sing. Don is a special man who understands our UU principle of acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth. He also did a shrimp bowl for us on Friday night. In the kids words Don rocks. The Mission has a couple of volunteers who help coordinate things and keep things moving forward. Leah and Scott helped us a lot and were fun people to hang out with.
This was a very big trip and took a lot of effort from the kids and the adults to work not only in the heat of Mississippi but also to put it all together. Special thanks to Gary Larson for all the hard work and patience at the jobsite and elsewhere. Most importantly we as a congregation owe a huge thank you to our RE Director Carol Turner. Carol's effort really made this possible for the kids, we are all lucky to have you at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth.
To find out more about the trip and Back Bay Mission please attend the upcoming service August 12th, when we will be sharing more about our experience. Submitted by Tom Starkey
Religious Education News
Due to the upcoming (and exciting!) move to College Street, our first day of Sunday School will begin September 30th. There will be a table set up and registration forms for you to fill out.
Please join us with your children for our traditional Water Service at 11:00am on September 23rd.
The water that each of us brings will be blended together in a sacred ritual that symbolically reunifies our community after many have traveled to places near and far.
Please encourage your child to bring a small container of water that he or she has collected from a body of water you've visited over the summer.
Pooley Bookstore
Hal Bertilson and Marree Seitz are planning to lead a discussion of Paul Rasor's book Faith without Certainty: Liberal Theology in the 21st Century. This adult enrichment class will start in mid-September or early October. Our Pooley Bookstore has ten copies of this book for sale. I (Diana) have the books available at my home and I can see that you get a copy if you want. Here's some summer reading, albeit not your beach thriller, but if you are inclined to get an early start on this book just give me a call (525-8406) and we can arrange a "deal". And for that matter, if there is any book from our store that is a "must have" right now we can handle that also.
Diana Moore.
Certified Music Practitioner Training
or information on possible training in Duluth to become a Certified Music Practitioner, please call Barbara Glick at email bgharper@webtv.net, subject line: MHTP in MN.
Submitted by Barbara Glick.
Distributive Justice: Spirit Valley Young Mothers
Thanks to all of you who donated baby items, a complete layette was given to the new mom expecting a baby boy in August. Thank you so much from the mom and the committee. We are still collecting new things as there are two more expectant mothers, so bring your items to the large basket in the Narthex. There is always a need for diapers and women's toiletry items such as shampoo, feminine products, etc., and kitchen items.
In the fall we will recruit new volunteers. If you are interested in providing child care or have special skills that could be used for a parenting class, please contact Carol Michealson, email cmicheal@d.umn.edu.
UU Pretty Good Book Club
At our June meeting, we selected books for the next seven months. The UU pretty good book club is open to everyone, not just members. If you enjoy reading good books and discussing them, why don't you join us. We're a friendly, nonjudgmental group and welcome newcomers. Meetings are usually the third Tuesday of the month at 7:15 in the Youth Room. Because the time when we will be able to occupy our new home at College Street is unknown at this time, fall locations may change. Brief descriptions of the next few months' selections are below. For more about the books, do a Google search.
AUGUST SELECTION - The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at 7:15 p.m. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for 2007, The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey by a father and his son. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son are sustained by love. A selection of Oprah's book club.
SEPTEMBER SELECTION - The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, Tuesday, September 18 at 7:15 p.m. Bringing Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life, Erik Larson's spellbinding bestseller intertwines the true tale of two men-the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America's place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.
OCTOBER SELECTION - A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah, Tuesday, October 16 at 7:15 p.m. Beah tells the story of his life as a boy soldier in Sierra Leone and how he was rescued by UNICEF, rehabilitated, and learned how to forgive himself.
For more information, contact Carol Michealson at cmicheal@d.umn.edu.