Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Briarcliff, Croton, and Ossining

Dear Members and Friends,

Stepping down.   It has been two very busy years.  And I am ready to change roles.  As I have indicated previously, I will be involved in some fairly intensive religious education starting in the Fall.  Clare, Kathy Herron and I will be teaching Our Whole Lives, a Unitarian Universalist  program of sex education for our 7^th, 8^th and 9^th graders.  Guiding our young people through these challenging topics is a real test of commitment to our UU principles and the development of our future adults, future leaders.  So I will not be stepping away.

Rather than reflecting on the past, I prefer to look to our next challenge and opportunity.  We have many.  I want to use my last moment standing as your president to say that we have a wonderful opportunity before us.  That is to launch a formal music ministry.

We have been blessed by superb contributions by volunteers.  I hope that continues.  Music ministry means more music for more members.  First, we really need a church choir.  For so many, singing deepens the spiritual experience.   We have been blessed by the gifts of Spirits in Harmony.  They are a “Select Choir” that is small and likely will stay that way.  We need to open the doors to more singers through a church choir.  A paid music director will organize choirs and conduct rehearsals as well as Sunday presentations and also concerts.  We need an organized program for our children to be singing.  And we need more musical events for our congregation.  Let’s not leave out instrumental music, developing that form of musical expression can be encouraged, enhanced and coordinated.  We could have hand bell and chime choirs.

There is a new hymn book.  Is someone advocating that purchase? 

And a few weeks back, Reverend Jim got a bunch of men around the piano singing between the services.  Did I hear almost twenty guys raising the roof?   They sounded great and their smiles would have warmed our sanctuary for a year.  We need more of this and the opportunity is presented with our budget and a proposal to hire a music director.  This is a risk that is worth taking. 

Someone described paid ministry as three legs to a chair that will support our religious home:  Minister, Religious Education, and Music.  It is time to invest in the last leg of the chair.  A deeper spiritual experience and stronger congregation will surely follow.

I may be stepping down from the role of president, but I will not be stepping away.  Let us all renew our commitment to improving our spiritual experience and our community experience.

And one last time…                

The light is on, the door is open;

Please come in, we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried

President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 at 11:38 am and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Members and Friends,
I love being a member of this religious community, do you?

Granted, this brief period of being president has required a sharper focus than I had previously. But I still remember the day Clare and I first visited a UU church. After 5 years we came to this Fellowship and I have never looked back. We became UU’s initially to give our children a religious identity, one that fit our value system. The boys are in college and we are still here.

So we started for the religious education of our boys. I asked my 21 year old what he thought of RE, and how it helped him. Martin is certain that it helped him be the adult he is now. His interest in ethics started with RE discussions. Being in RE broadened his view of the contributions of many faiths and cultures. He was not sure what his 19 year old brother will say. Eric still reminds us of his discomfort at taking the UU course in sexuality (OWL, Our Whole Lives for 7th, 8th and 9th graders) taught by his parents! (Dr. Clare, Midwife Kathy Herron, and I will be teaching OWL again next year, you will begin to hear more in April and May.) Bottom line, the boys are doing fine, and they did RE from age 2 to 16. Not bad. And reports are that our current RE program is nurturing a fine group of value-driven young adults. Be sure to congratulate our current teachers, our RE Committee and RE Director. They hold our future in their service.

And then there is the worship. Reverend Jim, the music, the hymns, the community. It is where I need to be on a Sunday morning. Today (3/23), Easter Sunday, Rev. Jim talked about Hope. In his inimitable way I heard reference to all that we do and all that we hope to be at this little fellowship in Croton. Erika and Spirits lifted me up. I know we are not supposed to clap in a religious service, but it was so hard to resist acknowledging the seemingly magic way their voices blend and take me to a spiritual place.

Speaking of “Spirits in Harmony”, I hope you came to their concert on March 15; it was beyond our (high) expectations. Entertaining, uplifting, awesome! I have spoken to enough of the Spirits to know that there is a lot of practice and preparations to bring us their Sunday performances. I cannot fathom how much time they put in prior to the concert. And we need to thank more than these wonderful vocalists directed by Roberta Kosse. The Fundraising Committee, chaired by Ginny Stillman, the donors of the auctioned items, and the Buildings and Grounds Committee members. What collaboration! What a great evening! And we raised more than planned. And what did Ginny and company say? We have more work to do on this building! (You see, all proceeds from Fundraising goes to the maintenance and improvement of our building and grounds.)

And if you like the music, we can have even more. If we raise more money in the annual pledge drive and if the congregation approves funding for a part-time music minister, there can be even more singing for all: In RE, during the week and on Sundays. This is called “music ministry” and we got some exposure to the potential when the singers from the UU church in Westport entertained us on February 3rd. Is it worth the money? We get to decide.

The Green Sanctuary Global Warming class is fully enrolled and the participants are enthusiastic. And now we have begun composting much of our kitchen waste right outside our kitchen. If we learn environmental responsibility at all levels, we will bring such practices into the mainstream! And have you noticed all the “green” in our “sanctuary”? Erika Schenker announced with pride and appreciation all the individual donors who made this possible.

Social Events hosted a family game night that participants declared to be both fun and a wonderful opportunity to get to better know some fellow congregants. Social Action continues to serve the surrounding community. Monthly they prepare a midday dinner for a hundred residents of the local shelter (Susan Peter coordinates); second collections go to programs that support some special programs we could not otherwise reach (Bearni Croft coordinates). And, coming on Social Action Sunday, will be guidance for those that want to be allies of GLBTs. Learn how to support your loved ones as well as how to take an appropriate role in those awkward/embarrassing/revolting moments when anti-gay words or behaviors need a response. Mark your calendars, Sunday April 27, 9 and 11am. Lastly, Social Action hosted a “community dialogue” on safety in our neighborhoods. On Thursday, March 27th Town officials, police and neighbors came together in our sanctuary to talk about the recent abduction and sexual assault in our neighborhood, while we learn what to do individually and as a community to make this a safer area for all. This is a bold new role that I am proud to say was put forward by Social Action and supported by the Board. We have much to discuss about our evolving role in the community.

Does all this enhance the experience of a “beloved community”? I hope so. So much going on! I hope there is something sufficiently alluring to draw you in. I love being a member of this religious community. I hope you do too.

The light is on, the door is open;
Please come in, we have much warmth to share.
Eddy Fried
President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at 11:56 am and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Why do we come to our Fellowship?

There will likely be as many answers to this question as there are members. I hear people say they come to hear Reverend Jim’s sermons which help us to reflect and refocus our week and our lives. The music deepens our religious experience. The religious education program anchors our children in our values and principles and they are becoming impressive adults. Coffee hour and other activities gather together people of similar values and we have the opportunity to become an extended family!people who care about and support each other.

We also have the opportunity to become personally involved in righting the wrongs in our community. Our Green Sanctuary activities offer the opportunity to learn about the environmental impact of our lifestyles!and the opportunity to change our practices. Starting with our personal practices at home, continue with the use of resources at our fellowship, and move on to the activities in Westchester and beyond. We provide this opportunity at UUFBCO because it is an essential element of our faith–Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. The Green Sanctuary activities are just one example of how our participation is part of a transformational process. I wrote about transformation last November. Briefly, being committed to transformation suggests that it is not enough to attend our Sunday Services, educational programs and other activities to be entertained or gain insight or make friends.

I suggest that an import reason we come to our Fellowship is to change ourselves into the persons we want to be, and to change our community. “We are committed to reaching out to help build a more just and compassionate world.” This is from our Mission Statement.

Our Social Action Committee has taken recent strides to increase its programs to address this commitment to transformation. We are very pleased with the early reports from that committee. Do mark your calendar for the worship services on April 27th. The Social Action Committee has arranged for David Diamond, Faculty Advisor to the Gay – Straight Alliance of Lakeland and Walter Panas High Schools to speak on support for young people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning. “Mom and Dad, I have something to tell you! How to be an ally for youth today.” It will address the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and guidance for dealing with the private struggles and public hate that continues unabated in our local community. We hope to draw visitors who will find a safe place in our congregation, and a welcoming environment with a commitment to transformation.

The light is on, the door is open.
Please come in; we have much warmth to share.
Eddy Fried
President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 at 3:24 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Spirituality, Community and Action

On Sundays we gather together. On our best Sundays the words of our Minister or a guest speaker and the music in our services and in our hearts bring us closer to the divine. Our spiritual focus helps us to define and redefine our reason for being on this planet!and the best ways to live our many roles in life.

Our coffee hour provides sustenance beyond the obvious nutrition. (Aren’t coffee and bagels a basic food group?) This is the time when we can begin to become a community by asking each other about joys and concerns of the past week.

In our Fellowship we have much more opportunity to participate in this community, to nurture it and become nurtured individually in the process. One such opportunity is to be active in one of our committees. A natural reaction might be that it is “work” and my life is sufficiently exhausting without being on a committee. One member told me today that she does not like committees. And I believe her. Committees don’t always work well, and there are many reasons why this occurs. The first is that we humans can be difficult. Or we can be too easy going, and not accomplish goals and tasks. Some committees are a delight, being both fun to attend and highly effective. Regardless, each “committee” of this Fellowship is an opportunity for some of our members to get to know other UUs better and use our special gifts to advance the interests of this Community. Each has potential for being both fun and productive. Providing service is one of the requirements for membership in the Fellowship. More than that, it is a way to make a meaningful impact on this Community. Please ask others during the coffee hour which committee they are on and what joys are associated with committee membership. It is the action that comes from our committees that sustains this spiritual home.

UUs have been accused of being too cerebral, too intellectual. While this can be true, we are at our best when we survey the facts and decide to take action. Facts can reveal disrespect, injustice, opportunities for deeper spirituality, need for democratic processes in our deliberations, or greater respect for the environment, to name just some.

We have the opportunity to do more than talk about making this a better place. We can actually make a difference. We can take action.

The Social Concerns Committee wants to be called the Social Action Committee. They are addressing issues of race relations, hunger, highway cleanup, support for GLBT’s, in our community and beyond. Most important, they are committed to action. Let’s hear a motion at our June 1st annual meeting to officially change their name. Watch for announcements about a film series, an inspiring speaker on April 27th, and ongoing service opportunities.

Last month I told you about opportunities to deepen our spiritual experience through a formal music ministry. Some members took action and set up the free concert on February 3rd, Sunday at 3:30 pm. We can experience and learn and enjoy and maybe commit to implement our own Music Ministry.

Green Sanctuary is all about education leading to action. Between newsletter articles, after service education and projects under development!we can all appreciate the perils of our lifestyles!and commit to change!
Religious Education works to provide meaningful content with inspiration and passion to facilitate the development of our next generation. (Ask the Senior Youth Group about the Midnight Run.) Is there any action more important than that? Sign up to assure that we continue to develop the best adult UU’s.

Fundraising has planned a series of UU on the Road events from wine tasting to a poker party to Hungarian and Italian dinners. Social Events has arranged five events to join members and have a great time. You have got to read the weekly announcements. So many great activities planned! So much action to be part of!

Our Membership Committee gets the word out and helps visitors to learn and decide to join and encourages us to be radically welcoming to visitors, members and friends.

Buildings and Grounds works to maintain and improve our religious home. Projects need those with vision and/or skill and/or interest.
Learn about these and the rest of the committees on pages 22 and 23 of the Directory. Program, Sharing and Caring, Arts, and Stewardship! All are inviting you to join in, not so much as an obligation but rather as an opportunity to put your values into action.

Sundays we gather together and become inspired. And then, “the service begins!”

The light is on, the door is open.
Please come in; we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried
President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 31st, 2008 at 12:09 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

What is spiritual?

More and more of us are looking for a spiritual experience on Sunday mornings. I know that I look to our worship services as an opportunity to reflect on the joys and sorrows of the past and to consider my role in making this a better place!and on becoming a better person. Recently Reverend Jim described “spiritual” as religious experiences being, ” inspiring, transforming, conscious-raising, moving, touching, enlightening, motivating, a call to action!healing!a feeling of connection with something greater than ourselves.”

The music in our Fellowship is a spiritual experience that often penetrates my emotional center faster and better than the best sermon (no offense to our own amazing sermonizer). I have said previously that one of the roles of a transformational church is to provide the opportunity for those with special talents to share those gifts within our religious community. We are blessed with many talented musicians. We all benefit from the frequent performances of Spirits in Harmony and Erika Schenker. In addition we have enjoyed the performances of Iris Dayer, Greg Kullberg, Dick Joseph, Nenette Kress and several others. Hopefully these individuals will stay with us and continue to inspire us with their music.

It may not be apparent how much work goes into preparing for the performances we enjoy. More than the musicians’ practice, the coordination and planning for these experiences can be substantial and often goes unrecognized. Moreover, I believe there is a potential for music to be an even more powerful part of our worship. And I believe that there is a substantial wealth of untapped talent in our midst.

Are we ready for a formally appointed music director? A UU guidebook suggests that, “…a thriving church music program is the result of careful planning, ongoing support, and a continued commitment to provide music that addresses the spiritual needs of the church community. As components of worship, music and the spoken word are of equal importance.” A number of our members have approached Reverend Jim and me about beginning to plan such a process.

To begin to consider the prospects of a formal direction for the music in our Congregation, we have scheduled a special event. On Sunday, February 3rd at 3:30 pm Rev. Dr. Ed Thompson, Minister of Music of the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, will come with his Chamber Choir to perform for us!and to talk about the formal music program at their church. Not only can we expect this performance to be a moving, spiritual experience, but it will be an opportunity to launch our consideration of a music director as a member of our paid staff!and our opportunity to build on our music program. Is this an investment we should make in our congregation? If the current music is part of the magnet that draws in new members and elevates many of us, both as performers and captivated listeners, than this opportunity can be critical to the future of our congregation. I encourage you to mark your calendar for this free event.

Well selected, well prepared and carefully presented, music can be a powerful means to explore our spiritual needs for reflection and celebration, inspiration and transformation. This may not explain what is spiritual, but it can help us down the path to exploration every Sunday on the happiest or saddest days of our lives!and all of the days in between. Join us on February 3rd as we begin to consider this investment in our future.

The light is on, the door is open.
Please come in, we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried
President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 26th, 2007 at 8:13 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Members and Friends

Who Are We?

As a liberal religion, we focus on appreciating the value of all people, seek justice and fairness in our relationships and organizations from local to global. And we encourage the continual search for truth and meaning in our lives in our work and in our spiritual growth. We want to make this a better place for ourselves, our children and everybody’s children.

As a congregation guided by a mission and set of principles, we have committed to a number of endeavors this year in support of the above.

Your Religious Education Committee and your Board of Trustees have committed to a path of introspection and transformation: Why do we have religious education? What do members and parents say about our RE program? Where do we need to improve? What is our vision? What are our expectations of the RE Committee and its leadership, the Board and its leadership, the Director of RE and the Minister? What obstacles exist and how can they be overcome? You are welcome to take part in this process by sharing your ideas and insights with Reverend Jim, Carol Zoernack, Director of Religious Education, Susan Cuccinello and Marge Grimm, Committee Co-Chairs, or any member of the RE Committee or Board of Trustees. Certainly there is room for you on the RE Committee as we make plans that follow from the questioning. This questioning is hard work, its important work and a keystone of our faith. In the process we strive to help our children become better adults, highly motivated to improve the world we have left for them. Please support our interest in bringing the religious education of our children to the forefront of our congregational life.

Your Membership Committee and your Board of Trustees have reviewed the definition of membership and will soon unveil some proposed changes to our by laws for your comment. We are also asking questions about the benefits of membership in this fellowship and concerns about pledging financial support as an expression of the value of membership in our lives. We are concerned about lost members who identified with our mission and principles. And lastly, we are questioning our welcoming environment. Blue mug or not, do we embrace visitors, members and friends with genuine interest and concern, or do we simply like to interact with a few familiar friends? If you share some of these interests, talk to Anne Sumers or any member of this committee. There is room for you.

The Fellowship voted for the creation of a new standing committee last June. A number of motivated members are challenging our lifestyles and encouraging all of us to consider the sustainability of the way we operate in this fellowship and the way we live. They challenge our use of energy, transportation,and trash disposal. Internally they question our fellowship’s use of disposable plates and utensils, the means for washing reusable plates and utensils, and the way we process waste. More important, they are explaining the science behind these concerns and the options available to all of us. They are suggesting that we do some things differently, and spend some money wisely. The Green Sanctuary Committee is engaging us individually and each of the committees that operate this church. This is important work of our faith and I encourage you to meet with Peter Calloway after services for GS information sessions and to support the Green Sanctuary issues associated with the activities of this congregation. There is certainly room for you to join in this effort.

Who are we? We are a questioning people who have an optimistic view of the potential in our lives, in our congregation and in the world. We are here to support each other and make this a better place. The opportunities are limited only by our curiosity and willingness to commit ourselves to these endeavors.

The light is on, the door is open.
Please come in; we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried
President of the Board of Trustee

This entry was posted on Friday, November 30th, 2007 at 12:33 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Members and Friends

The Board, staff and committees of this fellowship have responsibilities that are sometimes mundane and not without challenge to sustain the facilities and programs you expect. This maintenance role is important, but cannot dominate our focus.

I like to read and reread our UU Principles and our Fellowship Mission. I cite them often. Our true challenge is to convert those written words to life, to change our lives and those of others, on Sunday mornings, and through the week, in our homes and in our communities and to make this a better world for future generations. As such, we are in the business of transformation. This is spiritual work that goes on seven days a week.

Recently I met with a group of prospective members. I indicated that in the past some new members felt pressed into service, to immediately join a committee and get to work. I saw some smiles of acknowledgement around the circle. I apologized for the perhaps overly zealous enthusiasm of some of our recruiters. I know that I needed some time before I “volunteered” my services when I joined my first UU in 1989. These recruiters believe that members tend to feel more at home when they actively engage in the Fellowship by teaching in RE, joining a committee, an interest group, and a Community Circle. This may be true.

Here is another perspective: Everyone has strengths and gifts. We need to provide opportunity for our members to reveal and apply these strengths and gifts in the service of our mission. Done right, there is personal satisfaction in the service and appreciation of the gift. Everyone wins. And we become even more vital and zealous in pursuit of our mission. Each gift celebrates, “The inherent worth and dignity of every person.”

So where do we apply these “gifts” so that we can engage in the business of transformation? Your Board of Trustees has a set of Goals and Objectives. Our first is to bring the Religious Education of our Children and Youth to the forefront of our congregation. Next we want to expand our support to families with young children, teens, and with aging parents. Small group ministries have 80 participants; community circles must be available to all. We want to expand the music experience and participation in our congregational life. We want to provide a welcoming religious home to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transvestite (glbt) members of our community. We want to encourage sustainability as an expression of our faith.

There is more. If you have strengths or gifts in these areas or others, please let one of us know. Being in the business of transformation is a large responsibility. The work is hard, the rewards are HUGE. And the spiritual work of this congregation goes on seven days a week.

The light is on, the door is open.
Please come in, we have much warmth to share.
Eddy Fried
President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 6th, 2007 at 12:51 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Members and Friends

Sometimes it is the small actions that mean the most.

We welcome visitors, friends and members to our religious home because we are proud of who and what we are. And we want to share this with others. We are not a club, but a faith explained by seven principles. We believe that this faith, with people of like values, will help make this a better world, and a “safe place” for people searching for meaning and direction in their lives. Last year 17 new people, “signed the book”. Over 20 visitors have come to check us out in just the first three weeks of this year. Fabulous numbers! We welcome the visitors, and if they carry a blue mug, we particularly seek them out. We ask about them and share of ourselves and this beloved community.

Among our visitors and our members, and often the most needing what we have to offer, are young parents with young children. This is wonderful. Many families come to us for our RE program and the important values communicated through it. However, as more young families visit and join us we have more challenges. Good challenges. Challenges which need our attention.

For example, sometimes parents will bring a young child into the sanctuary, declining our offer of child care because the child is clinging desperately to Mom or Dad. And that child is!noisy. That noise makes it hard for many to follow the sermon, or can be jarring in a sacred moment. Few complain about a happy baby’s cooing. Screeching is clearly beyond any reasonable accommodation. Still, some of the hard and angry looks and comments seem out of place in the welcoming Fellowship that I have come to love. So, what to do? Well, there ought to be a rule that tells Mommy and/or Daddy its time to take junior outside. At least that is what a number of people have told me.

Some parents will easily and naturally step out when a young one does more than whimper!and do so without a rule or a policy. Some parents may be oblivious to the disruption caused by their young one. Other parents may desperately NEED what our service provides and are torn between attending to their velcro child or taking care of themselves.

So, what to do? I have listened to more than a dozen members, and each has the right answer. Unfortunately, and typical to UU’s, they all recommend different plans. So, here is my proposal. None of it is my original thought. If you see something familiar, take the credit.

1) For an immediately quieter option think about attending the 9 am service as few small children are brought to that service. There are plenty of seats, consider a schedule change if you can.

2) All parents are encouraged by the greeters to use our child care service.
(We have one very capable teenager providing child care. Six children, including 3 babies are currently in child care at the 11 am service. Likely need to augment coverage.)

3) In the sanctuary a child cooing is fine, a child screeching is not fine.

4) A kind offer by another member to entertain the child outside may be a welcome relief for an exhausted parent.

5) Repeated interruptions will be reviewed with the family. In the meantime we may need to dig deep for some charitable consideration.

6) When a serious and persistent issue presents itself, we will find a way to do the right thing. I promise that.

All I ask is for each of us to consider the first five of our seven principles: The inherent worth and dignity of every person; Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregation!. I am sure we will figure out the right course. And it may emerge as a policy.
The light is on, the door is open.
Please come in; we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried
President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 17th, 2007 at 3:38 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Members and Friends

Welcome Back! I hope that each of you found some respite over the summer. I know I needed downtime. Got some, need more. Isn’t that always the case? Nonetheless, I look forward to seeing those of you whom I missed in my summer mode activities.

Your Board of Trustees worked through the summer months, as did many of our committees. We were pleased with the great turn out of Fellowship members for the June 3rd Annual Membership Meeting. At that meeting you elected some new Trustees, and a few weeks later the Board elected its officers for the next year and selected liaisons to the standing committees:

Edward Fried, President and liaison to Committee on Ministry
Teri Lukin, Vice President and liaison to Religious Education
and the Leadership Committee
Greg Kulberg, Treasurer and liaison to Fundraising and
Stewardship
Rick Turner, Secretary and liaison to Buildings and Grounds
Berni Croft, liaison to Social Concerns and Green Sanctuary
Shahan Islam, liaison to the Arts Committee and Sharing & Caring
Anne Pearl, liaison to the Program Committee
Marjorie Redleaf, liaison to Social Events
Michael Schwartz, liaison to Membership

We have been listening to you (as best we could) and hope you will talk to us, listen to us and support us, so that our actions can reflect the priorities and interests of the Membership.

A year ago the Board of Trustees committed to a set of goals and objectives. As I reported at the June meeting, we made respectable progress. We will again draw on your expressions of concern and priority to set a new plan for the next year. We will meet to develop goals in mid September, so it is not too late to make sure we understand what is important to you. Reverend Jim has expressed his concerns in the areas of Religious Education, a defined Social Responsibility policy, more active outreach to the Gay and Lesbian Community, Family Life Ministry, and Music Ministry. This list comes from the Minister, yet is a product of many of our discussions.

The Board of Trustees and Reverend Covington will likely add priority to environmental sustainability (and our Green Sanctuary efforts) and long term planning for the Fellowship. We may explore organizing the many interest groups to be formally adjunct to a standing committee. This would be to support communication, planning and budgetary issues.

Certainly we ended the year with interest in clarifying membership status and linking membership outreach with both some unfulfilled pledges and several who did not pledge this year. The intent is less an accounting effort, than for clarity regarding people’s intentions. Oh yes, some have floated the idea of a minimum pledge amount to cover the fees we pay to the UU District and national Association for every member. If interest in this topic is sustained, I promise that there will be ample opportunity for members to discuss this concept in open forum. This would be well before the next annual meeting in June, 2008, where it would need to be put before the members of the Fellowship for a vote.

And what did you think of the mini sermons that Reverend Jim sent out on our Fellowship Business List Serv over the summer? I liked them. But they were not as potent as sitting in the sanctuary with you and Our Minister, puzzling over our plight and opportunities and the “magic” we can make together. I hope each of you got to one or more of the lay led services over the summer. They offered inspiration, information and community during the warmer months. Special thanks for these services goes to Phyllis Tortora, the Program Committee and the volunteer coordinators/presenters.

So this September let’s rededicate ourselves to, “an open, inclusive religious Fellowship, striving to build a beloved community that fosters the search for personal truth, social justice, and spiritual growth!”

The light is on, the door is open.
Please come in; we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried
President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Monday, September 10th, 2007 at 2:51 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Members and Friends

(1) What is the price of democracy? (2) Do UU’s hibernate when it is warm?

On the local scale, the price of democracy is your attendance at our annual membership meeting at 11 am on Sunday, June 3rd. No inspirational sermon by our Reverend Jim Covington, no wonderful piano pieces by Erika Schenker, no moving songs by Spirits in Harmony, no guest speakers deepening our understanding of the issues of our world. Those of us who need some of this weekly fare will attend the 9am service on June 3rd. At 11 am we will present issues that require your input and your vote. Your attendance will be a reflection of your commitment to our 5th principle:

“We UU’s affirm and promote the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.”

In this one meeting we set the course of the Fellowship for the next year by
o Electing 4 (of 9) members of the Board of Trustees
(the 9 members elect the officers, including the president), and
o Discussing and perhaps approving changes to our bylaws, and
o Reviewing our financial performance of the last year and approving a
budget for the next year.

These decisions set the expectations for the next year. There is actual or potential controversy in each of the areas above. It is not safe to make any assumptions about the outcomes.

I do know that each of you attends UUFBCO activities for many reasons, some in common, others unique only to you. Some come and like what is presented!and hope and expect that it will continue as it is. Others see vast potential, and hope we will evolve into the Community we need to be. The status quo is not assured and changes can only reflect your needs and inspiration if you participate. We hope you will make every effort to attend.

The price of democracy begins with your scrutiny of the candidates, the issues, and the budget proposals, asking enough questions or proposing changes, such that the focus for the next year is reflective of the will of the members.

So, in our religion, your participation in these deliberations really is an act of faith!and the price of democracy.

What happens over the summer? Do UU’s hibernate when it is warm? In this Fellowship we keep it moving all year long. On Sundays, after June 10th, we do go into summer mode. That means there will be 9 am lay led services. I highly recommend that you come and participate. Last summer I came to about four of them!and regret that I did attend them all. Usually a smaller group attends, and the focus is chosen by the presenter in collaboration with the Program Committee. We will light the chalice and sing some hymns. The intimacy of the smaller group usually allows participants to get to know each other better, to share and get support as one desires, and to support your spiritual and community needs while others are traveling or vacationing or just sleeping in. Those interested in leading a session should contact Phyllis Tortora.

Other committees and certainly your Board of Trustees will work through the summer so that come September, we are ready for the rush of energy that comes with the beginning of our new year of activities and services. It may seem a bit quieter, but there will be a lot going on. And if special needs arise, we will be available!

The light is on, the door is open.
Please come in, we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried
President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Friday, June 1st, 2007 at 12:39 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Members and Friends,

Giving, Green and Leadership.

From the pulpit Gary Simon, who with Sally is leading our pledge process, admitted that he does not like asking people for money. Most of us feel that way. Then he went on to say that his membership in our community was very important to him. Again, I think we were with him. I hope each and every one of you have been able to view the extraordinary video he produced. Simple concept: interview some of our members, ask them to describe the importance of the Fellowship in their lives. Granted Gary selected some very special people to interview: Jan Ruotolo, Paul Yue, Michael Schwartz and Christine Kerwin, Nenette Kres, Sheri Brown, Bethany Davis, Frank Panzer, Peter and Chris Fromme. (Here is Gary’s secret: Those interviewed were no more special than you!) Their messages were eloquent, we learned more about them, and we heard how they VALUE their membership. No glossy salesmanship, just value. I encourage you to pause long enough to compare what you spend on various important parts of your life. If you find strength, support, insight, camaraderie, the sacred or other UUBCO experiences of VALUE, that comparison should guide you on the appropriate amount to invest in this Fellowship. Please fill out your Pledge Form, and turn it in by May 6th.

Last month my President’s Letter was a bit of a rant, I apologize. Please plan to attend the June 3rd General Membership Meeting. One item of business will be to vote on the Green Sanctuary Proposal. The vote is not on committing to ecologically appropriate practices. Plastic utensils have not been banned from the Fellowship, and will not be as a result of any vote on June 3rd. If the proposal is affirmed by a majority of the voters present, we will be committing ourselves to the serious examination of issues associated with sustaining our environment. We will be exploring the seventh principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. At the same time, let us not lose sight of the fourth principle: A free and responsible search for truth and meaning. So, in the meantime–to the extent that we use plastic utensils and other disposables, we may continue using them–until and unless we learn why not to use them. Then, as a democratic organization (see principle number five), we may decide to modify our practices. We would be committing to be inquisitive and purposeful.

Lastly, please exercise your democratic RESPONSIBILITY by attending the General Membership Meeting at 11 am on June 3rd and by voting for four of your nine Board members. I could say that this is your chance to, “throw the scoundrels out” but three of four are leaving of their own accord. I am the only current Board member who has the temerity to think that I might be reelected. Please thank Daria Greg, who served as Board Secretary and liaison to the Program Committee. And thank Dave Morkal, past President, liaison to Buildings and Grounds and Sharing and Caring Committees, convener of the Leadership Committee, and member of the Administration Committee. Lastly, please thank Betsy Turner, Vice President, liaison to the Fundraising Committee and member of the Administration Committee. If you did not see my email of April 17, those interested in serving on the Board, still have a few days to contact the Election Committee of Dave Morkal, Amalia Connolly and Karen Witting. The plan is for the nominees to prepare personal statements/bios that will be available to you four weeks before the election. Talk to the candidates, talk to others who have worked with them. Ask how they will spend your money and make decisions that guide the course of your Fellowship over the next two years.

Please submit your pledge forms, and the amount should reflect your value of the Fellowship and the extent of your financial ability to support our work. On June 3 vote on the focus of learning about how our practices effect the environment, and also vote on four of nine positions on the Board of Trustees.

Come to see us because we like to see you!

The light is on, the door is open, Please come in, we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried, President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007 at 1:58 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Member and Friends,
What do we believe?
Some say that as a UU, one can believe in anything. Wrong Answer!
We provide a religious home and community center for people who ascribe to the seven principles of the UUA and the mission statement of the UUFBCO. While we don’t have these posted in the sanctuary, they are on the back of each Sunday’s order of service. What we do in every Sunday service and in every event of this Fellowship can be guided by and tested against our principles and mission.
Rev. Covington said in his letter that we are an, “imperfect human community.”
Does that mean that we are ok with the status quo? Absolutely Not!

On the contrary, it is meant to free us from the sometimes impossible performance expectations we make on ourselves and potentially crushing disappointment that can follow. We need to be kinder to ourselves, while renewing our commitment to make this a better place for ourselves and for our heirs.
Our principles indicate that we stand for the worth and dignity of every person, justice, spiritual growth, the search for truth and meaning, democratic process, world peace-liberty-justice and the interdependent web of all existence. As with any written words, this can mean nothing or can serve as a radical source of energy and action. So it is up to us to decide how we use our time and energy to feed our soul and right the wrongs at home and in our society.
We have one such opportunity under consideration right now. Over a dozen of our members have met as a task force to consider issues associated with environmental sustainability. Our seventh principle reads that, “We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. We believe that we should care for our planet earth.” This task force has met several times under the able leadership of Peter Callaway. The question before this group (and eventually the entire membership) is whether we are going to commit to a process for designation by the UUA to be designated as a Green Sanctuary. Wrong Question!
The right question is whether we are willing to assess all that we do in this Fellowship as in our best interest. Environmental questions deal with ecology and economics and resources and our own priorities at any given moment. Are we ready to accept the challenge of these dozen or so people? If the response is, “!let them do what they want”, then we are not ready (and may never be ready). We could end up going through the motions and perhaps be proud of a meaningless plaque on the wall.
The keyword is “transformation”. Does that seventh principle indicate our need to ask many questions about ecology, economics, resources and priorities to commit to a meaningful process? UUA designation or not, are we willing to look at our actions and commit to change if such is indicated? Last month I described Unitarian Universalism as a “Questioning Faith”. If the questioning is lazy liberal blather, then let’s plan a party instead.
As president of your Board of Trustees, I plan to encourage intense discourse and inquiry. We cannot rush into this process. I expect that there will be much inquiry prior to and possibly at our June meeting of the membership when the establishment of a standing committee dedicated to UUA Green Sanctuary designation could be presented for a vote. At this time some people are unsure if running the dishwasher after the Auction/Gala would have caused more environmental harm than using certain disposables. That is an appropriate question and there are many more. So, the larger question is, are we willing to review our actions to determine if there is a better way? And if there is a better way, are we willing and able to commit to such? This is not a trick question. It is possible that we decide not to pursue the Green Sanctuary accreditation program. Or we can decide to pursue this program in a very gradual incremental way. The buy-in of our committees and membership is much more important than the speed with which we move on this topic. Questioning and education must come before decisions. The Green Sanctuary task force is meeting with each standing committee of the Fellowship. They are asking the RE Committee, the Program Committee, all the committees, how environmental sustainability might effect what they do and how they do it. Are we willing to consider that this initiative could radically transform our behavior? This is neither about slapping wrists nor about being politically correct. This is about being a religious community that stands on its principles and acts on these principles.
Do we know the Right Answers? More important, are we willing to ask the Right Questions? And even more important, once we have asked all the questions and gotten our own answers, are we willing to incorporate what we have learned into our actions? How well do we listen, really listen, to each other?
Those willing to seriously reflect and, if indicated, take action on issues such as these (Green or not) will really know!.What we believe.

The light is on, the door is open, Please come in, we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried, President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Friday, March 30th, 2007 at 10:30 am and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Member and Friends,

How does this Fellowship and this Faith help you?
Why do you come to the Fellowship and participate in its activities?
Or, why do you not come to the Fellowship and not participate in its activities?

The best UU’s will pause and reflect on these or similar questions. I say, “Best” because we are a questioning faith. We don’t have the hard rules provided by other faiths. While we are free to embrace commandments, encyclicals and traditions, we have but seven principles that start with a promise to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and ends with respect for the interdependent web of all existence.
These principles and our local priorities were translated into our Mission. Look at the back of the order of service on Sundays. Do these principles and mission address your needs? Do the services and activities of UUFBCO meet your needs?

Membership in this Fellowship is, fundamentally, an opportunity. It is an opportunity to continually ask important questions, translate questions into expectations, and to transform expectations into service. We have the opportunity to build and maintain a community that serves our needs.

We facilitate questioning when

We give feedback to the Program Committee, so that Program Sundays
continually improve;
We teach in R.E and facilitate the questioning of our youth;
We watch “Why We Fight” with Social Concerns, and feel patriotic in our
questioning; and
We ask visitors what they need!.then help them get what they need.

I am most impressed by the volunteer leaders of this Fellowship–the chairs of our committees, the coordinators of our interest groups and community circles, our musicians on Sundays, our RE teachers, the organizers of our 50th Anniversary Gala, the members of our Board of Trustees, and others.
In the dead of winter the structure that allows this questioning is gearing up for the seasons ahead:

Our committees, reconstituted in January, are electing chairs for the next
year.
The RE program is looking for more teachers for the next cycle.
I am soon to announce an election committee to identify candidates for
the Board of Trustees election in June.

If you are interested in any of these positions, please let us know. Particularly if you are interested in running for the Board of Trustees, let me know now, or wait until I announce the Election Committee. It would be a blessing to be voting on more candidates than the five positions (of nine) which will be up for election.

This environment of questioning will thrive and improve when everyone does their part. With your participation we will better meet the needs of our members…and you!

The light is on, the door is open, Please come in, we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried, President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 27th, 2007 at 2:58 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Members and Friends,

I cry in church.

I would never do that at work, with my mountain biking buddies, or in any of the other organizations I am part of. Not very manly. Not my style.

But I cry in church.

I cry when “Spirits in Harmony” touches me.

I cry when Rev. Jim Covington’s sermons tap sensitivities I had forgotten.

I cry when members and friends share Sorrows!and Joys.

I cry when Erika Schenker’s music lifts me up.

I cry with shared pride when Sam Morkal-Williams plays Ragtime.

I cry when members of the Men’s Group-Community Circle tell their stories.

I cry when I learn about oppression in Palestine through the eyes of a young man who could be my son or yours.

I cry when I hear of the continued plight in the Gulf Coast.

Crying is usually thought of as sadness akin to depression. That picture does not suit me at all. This crying is a spiritual process. It grounds me and gives tinder to my passions and the impetus to take action. Our church, our Fellowship, is a safe place where I can expose this vulnerability. It is a safe place for me and –I trust–for others. As such, it is a place where I can give and get affection and support from more than my immediate family. This is a treasure.

For those of you who might share some of these inclinations, it is a treasure that should not be kept a secret. If you experience the value of this treasure and want to invite others, then please do what I learned from Anne Sumers. Many people seem to be timid, so timid that they feel uncomfortable in the Coffee Hour or amongst UUs. These people carry blue mugs, white mugs or no mugs at all. Let’s work to shatter this wall of discomfort and isolation. Every one of us should try to get to know at least two people they did not know before. Let’s make new connections in this safe place. If each of us does this every Coffee Hour–and at every function of this Fellowship–the treasure can indeed be shared.

The light is on, the door is open, Please come in, we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried

President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 1st, 2007 at 12:51 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Members and Friends,

Welcome to 2007

What does it mean for you to start a new year? Is it a fresh start or just a mechanical shift from dating documents “December”, to now “January”? Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Do you reflect on the last year, or just move on?

I continue to be extremely busy, and I know many of you reading this are in the same mode. I would like to think of myself as somewhat introspective, but, honestly, I am usually in more forward motion than retrospective.

Something has changed for me and it has a lot to do with our Fellowship.
Everyone comes to the Fellowship with needs. For some it is a brief reprieve from a hectic life, others arrive with a raw painful injury, having tried emotional band-aids without success. The examples range with the number of people who come to this Fellowship. We have something very special to offer. And it is yours for the taking. Let me share some of the recent experiences that have made me pause, reflect, and ponder 2007 and beyond.

On Saturday evening, December 9th, I sat in the sanctuary with about 30 members of the Fellowship and about 30 visitors to watch a movie entitled, “Paradise Now”. It is a story primarily about two Palestinian young men who were recruited for a suicide attack on Tel Aviv. I was unable to discuss my experience for 48 hours. Questions were asked from the audience, and thoughtfully addressed. I now feel qualified to use the word “oppression” in my vocabulary and have the strongest sense that understanding the Middle East conflict is important UU work. What we learn can apply to many conflicts. Think about Iraq, Darfur, and the unenfranchised here in the USA. Thank you Social Concerns, Middle East Education Initiative, Michelle Celarier and Lucinda Manning.

Our Fellowship has had a Men’s Group for over six years. We continue to welcome new members.

Recently we decided to become a Community Circle. Our tradition continues, but the impact of the meetings has changed profoundly. The format helps us to make the hour special, to talk about joys and sorrows, fears and trepidations. We can support one another in dealing with life’s challenges. I get to sit in a room with men who share my values, and are willing to listen as each tells his personal story. This isn’t therapy, but it is very powerful. Last Thursday when I tried to share how important this group had become to me, I was accused of “wimping out on them”. How utterly masculine. I love them anyway.

In December I was able to sit in on a meeting chaired by Dave Morkal, our Past President. He was joined by the chairs of our ten standing committees. Let me share a secret with you. These people and the members of their committees deserve the real credit for the work of this Fellowship. Despite the obvious gravity of their work, the dominant feelings in the room were passion, commitment, necessity, and purposefulness. I was impressed by their creativity and curiosity and most important; their desire to collaborate. This month you will be given the opportunity to learn more about the work of these committees. You will be invited to share your talents, or to join with them and develop new talents. This will be an important opportunity for you to be more than a Sunday consumer, but rather an owner of this incredible community.

The last several months I have written about the most important first step in a successful congregation, being truly welcoming. For us the symbol of the blue mug identifies visitors who need to be welcomed. Blue mug bearer or not, each of us has days when we desperately need to be welcomed. With a little initiative, members can join a committee or a community circle or attend an event of Social Concerns or Social Events. Many of the people on these committees are very busy and tired at the end of long work days. Some of you may need some help to join in and become owners of this Fellowship. Consider this to be your invitation.

Make 2007 the year you increased your involvement in this Welcoming Community!

The light is on, the door is open, Please come in, we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried

President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 26th, 2006 at 8:34 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Members and Friends,

Have you noticed? While the Sunday Services and Programs are great, and very well received (a packed house for today’s Thanksgiving program!), we are a very busy Fellowship the rest of the week. If you have not participated in some of these activities, you are missing some very exciting opportunities.

In my President’s Letter last month, I described the role of the Fellowship as welcoming, nurturing, empowering, and serving. We start by truly welcoming those who are checking us out, looking for a religious home. And then we nurture our members by providing a safe place for them to find the truth, the sacred, and principles that give purpose to life. We can then empower them to make a difference and provide opportunities to serve the Fellowship and Community. Yes it is cyclical and it can be more powerful than nuclear energy!and sometimes just as controversial!

You see, if we fuel this source of righteous (forgive me) energy, then we have to give members the opportunity to express themselves!and that is what is happening in our congregation. Every Sunday we now insert a sheet of announcements in the Order of Service. Announcements used to be oral. As the weekly announcements became voluminous (and perhaps a few “announcers’ were too loquacious!) we initiated the insert. It quickly went to both sides of the sheet, and now we need to reduce font size to get everything in. And it is not just that people are active. Yes committees are meeting and yes they are welcoming new volunteers, for that we can be thankful. Please take a closer look. Some of those welcomed, nurtured, and empowered individuals are taking some risks. They are stepping into new territory, new areas that they feel compelled to address within our Fellowship. For Example:

∞ On Sunday, Dec 3rd (10:15 am) a group will gather to consider a Hurricane Katrina Relief group traveling to Louisiana from our Fellowship!

∞ On Saturday, Dec 9th (7:30 pm) come and see a heralded film, “Paradise Now” and explore the alternatives to violence in the Mideast with a former Fulbright scholar.

∞ Also on Saturday, Dec 9th (2:30 pm) attend a Family Group Social at an Ossining kid friendly restaurant. This is an opportunity for young families to enjoy and help each other. UU’s helping–and enjoying–UU’s. (Contact Christine Clayton at moandcd@optonline.net)

∞ Dealing with Teen Culture. Many of us agree that we need to focus on the concerning behaviors of many teens in our community. (Think drinking, driving and more!) We may ask Reverend Jim to do a sermon, as part of a broader effort to understand our teens, and help get them more safely to adulthood. If you are interested in a support network or a task force, please contact Marjorie Redleaf at mredleafcsw@aol.com.

These “announcements” are a symptom of members taking risks, members challenging the limits or presumptions of the role of our Fellowship in serving the needs of our members, our Community, and our potential members.

We are involved in a TRANSFORMATION. Yes we continue to have many maintenance functions to address so that the building is clean, the heat is on (!), and the coffee is ready after services (thank you Daniel Schwartz) and many more. We continue to define and redefine ourselves. Imagine a religion that is open and searching.

What is this TRANSFORMATION, you ask? Rev. Virginia Safford expressed the challenge to her congregation, who asked if they can, “!rise to the occasion of hearing one another, beholding one another!to listen to the beating of hearts.” We can do this on Sunday mornings, we can do this in Community Circles, and we can do this as we seek to serve the heartfelt needs of our members.

While Rev. Jim Covington, the Program Committee, and the RE Committee can and do assure a special experience on Sunday mornings, you are encouraged to participate in the very busy seven-day week of this Fellowship as we welcome, nurture, enable and serve. There is room for you in this transformation.

The light is on, the door is open, please come in, we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried

President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 7th, 2006 at 4:23 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Members and Friends,

Why would anyone in their right mind volunteer service to this Fellowship? Many of us lead busy, even hectic lives. Don’t we deserve the spiritual refocus of a worship service and enlightenment of a program Sunday after an exhausting week of business and family responsibilities? Why do some people work so diligently to make this organization go? Why would others want to join these busy folks by serving on a committee, or teaching in RE?

Recently Michael Schwartz and I attended a Metro UU Leadership Development Program at the UU Congregation at Shelter rock. There we heard Rev. Dr. Larry Peers talk about, “The Resilient Congregation.” His thoughts are worth sharing.

Congregations are being stretched, he says, not only to find new ways to do what we do, but also to better understand and serve the needs of our members. Resilience is needed to Grow the Soul of the congregation…and of its members.

Some might agree that Unitarian Universalism, as a faith, can support, inspire and challenge us to be resilient. But how can our little Fellowship be both resilient in its efforts, while engendering resilience amongst its members?

Rev. Peers drew from Richard Southern and Robert Norton suggesting that congregations succeed by reviewing the confluence of four systems.

The Welcoming System includes those activities and behaviors that attract newcomers to a safe and inviting environment, one that hopefully will address their reason to be out searching.

The Nurturing System provides the support a member gets to address her/his most important needs. For some it is deepening their spiritual life, for others it is finding fellowship with people of like values.

The Empowering System is our ability and focus, “to help each person discover his or her spiritual gifts and passions.” It is not just utilizing talents, but rather more like unleashing and celebrating each others talents. It is how we all engage in ministry to and for each other.

And lastly, the Serving System includes those avenues we provide for members to use their unique gifts to serve others, to grow spiritually, and emerge as servant-leaders.

So, each system feeds the next. It is more than a cyclical process, it is organic. Welcoming draws us into a desirable environment, nurturing feeds the needs that brought us to this community, empowering adds to personal and collective vitality and serving both rewards the recipient and the donor.

I asked one particularly engaged volunteer why she put so much effort into her belonging to this fellowship. Anne Sumers, a relatively new member, chairs the Membership Committee. She and the Committee have been prodigious with their greeting, new member follow up, getting to know UU opportunities, new member Sundays, a new baby welcome and support. The list is endless, as it seems is Anne’s energy. Why the effort? “I want to make friends, and become part of the community, and do useful work with others…with congenial and intelligent people.” “UU makes me part of something much larger than myself,” describes her pride for the work of the Social Concerns people in our congregation.

Another particularly committed member, Sandy Lewis, puts in countless hours week in and week out to maintain and improve our facilities. He is chair of our Buildings and Grounds Committee. Somehow despite a demanding career and while being an attentive father and husband, he finds time to (most recently) keep our furnace running and plan our November 4th Fall Clean Up. Asked why he puts in so much effort for us, he replied, “I consider the Fellowship my spiritual home, and as such it has special value to me.” He says that, “There is a long tradition of people in the Fellowship, particularly in B&G chairs, going above and beyond…” His work demonstrates, “…that we are a vibrant and passionate faith community.”

So, why do you come to this Fellowship? To make it through the week? To find or confirm your place in the world? Or to accomplish something most important to you…before you die?

Whatever your needs are, I hope you will see yourself, your benefits and your role within the welcoming, nurturing, enabling, and serving systems of this congregation. If you need help with your search, we have one wonderful reverend-minister and many wonderful member-ministers here to search with you.

The light is on, the door is open, please come in, we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried

President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 1st, 2006 at 12:21 am and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Dear Members and Friends,

While making all efforts to roll gracefully from summer to fall we have faced a number of setbacks. Many of our members are facing serious medical problems. One of our wonderful members died this week. Others are having serious financial and relationship issues. Such is life, one could say. But the burden is heavy when it is your problem or my problem. No intellectualization or rationalization helps move on to the healing. Similarly having a joy and no one to share it with contributes to loneliness and isolation.

My personal hope is that as a church community we can support one another through our joys, sorrows and frustrations. Sunday Services certainly offer spiritual and social opportunities to reflect, refocus and grow. We have more continuing, and some new, opportunities to gain support with life’s challenges.

We have committees and interest groups that need and welcome new members. Through participation in such groups you will meet some wonderful and caring people. And they will get to know you. I can personally guarantee this. While I am not offering refunds, there is so much to gain; the risk of disappointment is minimal. Though our formal recruitment for committee membership will occur in December, share your interests with any of us and we will make sure you are welcomed with open arms.

“New” opportunities to grow through life’s obstacles have been under development for about three years. Our Community Circles are an immensely successful option for connection and support. Four groups are now open for new members. I have found my Community Circle to be a place to share joys, sorrows and frustrations with life, a place to hear life stories, to explore differences and similarities, and even a place to test our UU Principles. We provide each other sympathy, empathy and advice. We share secrets and vulnerabilities. My experience is replicated in all seven groups.

Our Sunday services are great and continue to improve. I look forward to seeing you on Sundays. However, there is even more to gain by also participating through the week in our Committees, Interest Groups and Community Circles.

The light is on, the door is open. Please come in, we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried

President of the Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 1st, 2006 at 12:21 am and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Welcome Back!

I hope the summer was good to you.

I would like to introduce myself. I am Eddy Fried, and last June I was elected President of your Board of Trustees. I am both thrilled and humbled to serve in this role. I admired the leadership of Dave Morkel and am pleased that he has agreed to continue for the next year to serve on the Board and as a valued member of the Administration Committee of the Board. I accepted my new role for just a few reasons:

1. Reverend Jim Covington and few members encouraged me to do it, and promised they would help. Very few people are successful at refusing a request of Reverend Jim.
2. There is a fine, capable and hardworking set of people serving on the Board. All deserve recognition. I will single out Betsy Turner whose insight and advice is invaluable and her leadership and dedication to our Fellowship is behind much of our progress. Thankfully she has agreed to continue as Vice President. Expect me to find opportunities to highlight the special efforts of each of your elected members of the Board.
3. The people drawn to our Fellowship are remarkable. They defy common description; to draw any stereotypes would be a mistake. They are inspiring, challenging, vivacious, generous and needy. Our Faith serves as a magnet for people who I want to listen to and get to know better.
4. And lastly, I have found solace and strength in our Mission and Principles. I find sacred moments in the spiritual gifts of Reverend Jim Covington, Spirits in Harmony, our Religious Education teachers and the many other ministers in our midst. I have received far more than I can ever give back to this Fellowship.

If I have a personal mission in this role, it is to invite each of you to participate in the life of this Fellowship all week long. The vitality of our Fellowship is driven by its committees, Community Circles and events. What happens on Sunday is truly special, but those of you who limit your involvement to Sundays are missing many opportunities to get more than you can ever give. In my future letters I plan to tell you some of the “secrets” of what happens in this congregation.

For example, you have got to admire the progress on the renovation of our Fellowship Hall bathroom. Please make sure to thank John Mingle, Jim Terry, Carl Grimm, Dave Morkel, and Sandy, Elija and Joshua Lewis. And we please thank Linda Griffin and the other Community Circle leaders who, with guidance from Reverend Jim, provide special opportunities to share and learn and deepen relationships.

If all I do is make sure the light is on and the door is open, then I can confidently leave it to the wonderful people mentioned here and those many others who deserve acknowledgement. You are in great hands with them.

Please come in. We have much warmth to share.

With all Sincerity,

Eddy Fried

This entry was posted on Friday, September 1st, 2006 at 2:06 pm and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Fellow UU’ers,

This is it, the last letter that I will write for the newsletter as the President of your Board of Trustees. After 2 years I have reached my limit, my term limit that is. I will be stepping down as President and on June 4th after our Annual Meeting the new Board of Trustees will meet and elect new officers for the coming fiscal year. I will have another year left on my term as a Trustee and will serve if that is the wish of the new President.

It has been an incredible experience for me to be able to work with the members of the Board of Trustees over the last 2 years. The dynamic, respectful and invigorating discussions that we have had at our meetings always left me energized and excited. The support that I have received from the membership over my presidency has been humbling and overwhelming. When I was first elected President I told Jim that I wasn’t sure that I could do the job. As I am finishing this second year I know now that I couldn’t have without the support and hard work of the Board of Trustees and the membership.

In the past year we have accomplished quite a bit. We have written the Name Use Policy, Policy on Policies, refined the Fundraising Policy, and the Newsletter Policy. We were able to finally get the Committee on Ministry up and running, as well as take steps toward our financial health as a congregation by making sure the Stewardship Committee has the resources it needs to accomplish their task. There have been several other accomplishments and developments over the year and I will try to cover them at the Annual Meeting on June 4th. But I want everyone to know, and I have said this repeatedly, that we couldn’t have done any of this without the support, dedication and contributions of all of you in the congregation. I thank you all for the opportunity to be your President and for the incredible experience of the past two years. It has been an honor and a privilege to be able to stand up in front of the congregation and say that I was the President of the Board of Trustees.

Thank you all for what you do.

Be Safe,
David Morkal
President Board of Trustees

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 1st, 2006 at 10:56 am and is filed under President's Letter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.