What's going on.... July 1999

The UU New Year is upon us....
The new fiscal year starts July 1, and the new board is already hard at work, several of them returning from the previous year, but with a couple of "newcomers." Wendy Sue Lamb takes over as director of Religious Education. She will hold a meeting in late summer with all involved in the R.E. program, parents, instructors, and students, to plan the year's curriculum. Virginia Branan, who has been in positions on the board and served on numerous committees in the past, takes over as Vice-President and Chair of the Program Committee. The Program Committee will hold a lunch meeting after the service July 11. If you have ideas about a theme or topics for the year, please talk with any member. Also, please give input if you would like to present a program, conduct a service, or suggest a speaker. The committee members are Virginia Branan, Betty Derrick, Tom Hallock, Carol Stiles, and Theresa Thompson. Another relative newcomer, Doug Fraser, was recently appointed by the UU Board to take over as secretary for the next year. He will add this responsibility to an already busy schedule of providing wonderful music, along with Molly Scholz, during our services and other activities, such as the coffee house. Charles Judah takes over as President, and René Kerr remains as Treasurer. Welcome New Board!! We appreciate all the work you do!

Games Night!

Sat., July 3, 7:00 p.m. Call René or Julie for more information.

Religious Education
The Religious Education groups will not meet for any of June, July, or August, with Religious Education classes resuming on Sunday, September 12th (weekend after Labor Day). Watch for announcements of a planning meeting later this summer.
--Wendy Sue Lamb

Break Bread Together
If you can deliver meals the 1^st and 5^th Tuesdays of each month beginning about 11:00 a.m., please contact Virginia Branan.

Congratulations, Jack and Kathy!!
June 26, 1999
....in the rain!

Gems from Judah
Our mission to increase the membership and spirituality of this church is a partnership in which we can all share. Our commitment to build this community by affirming and promoting our principles is realized when each person feels empowered to exert their individual talents and gifts. No one person or group can do all the ministry involved in a growing vibrant church and it is important that people step forward and seize the day. What can we do to move this church forward? Answering that question with our actions and deeds will help to propel this church toward the desired goal. Each individual talent is needed in order for us to achieve our objective. A talent not used is a talent lost.
Welcome a guest!
Write an article!
Sing a song!
Pray a prayer
Read a story!
Go to district meeting!
Teach RE
Lead a service!
Deliver a Meal!
Host a party!
Stuff a letter!
Sweep the floor!
Plan an outing!
Suggest an outreach!
Join a committee! Don't wait to be asked!
The chair will use your talent!
Become empowered by seizing your
personal power!
Valdosta and this area are ripe to harvest. Let us, therefore, go forth with renewed vigor and enthusiasm proclaiming our "good news" to this community.
--Charles Judah

Welcome New Members!!
The following individuals have signed the book as members of UU-Valdosta. Please welcome them to the church-in-the-woods!
Janis Tait
Sarah Tait
Chris Tait
Charles Tait
Mike Black
Wendy Sue Lamb
Francis Phillips

UUA General Assembly - Going on now, June 24 - 29, Salt Lake City, Utah
GA delegates will vote on the first ever UUA Statement of Conscience in the history of our Association! - The statement is titled Beyond Religious Tolerance: The Challenges of Interfaith Cooperation Begin with Us. Here's another excerpt from the second draft of this statement:
"Contemporary Unitarian Universalism is a pluralistic faith, drawing its strength from its openness to many different sources. While religious interdependence is an integral characteristic of our living tradition, we are not immune to religious intolerance. There is still hard work to be done within our ranks to ensure that Unitarian Universalists with different theological and philosophical beliefs feel equally at home in our congregations. We need to grow beyond the stereotypes, symbols, and semantic barriers that divide Unitarian Universalists from one another."

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Editor's Note:

Deadline for articles for The Flaming Chalice is the 15^th of each month.
Contact Carol Stiles, 1951 East Park Ave.,Valdosta, GA 31602
cranfun@peachnet.campuscwix.net

At the Church-in-the-Woods....
Cardio Karate - Now meeting at the UU Church on Tuesdays and Fridays, 7:00 - 8:15 pm. This class is led by Albert and Delane Slone, call them for more information.
Tai Chi The Tai Chi group continues to meet on Monday and Thursday evenings. There will be a new beginners' class starting in August or September. Contact Dennis Bogyo or Luana Goodwin for more information.

 Women and Religion Retreat
The Florida District Women and Religion Fall Retreat will be held October 15-17, at UU-in-the-Pines (see below). The retreat will be facilitated by the Circle Lucina and Willow LaMonte to create "A Village of Women and Children." From Womanspirit, newsletter of the Florida District UU Women and Religion Committee:
"Willow, with her knowledge of ancient cultures, will facilitate development of our village, based on prehistoric matriarchal design. Might you sit on the council of Crones, or be a healer, gardener, spiritual guide, housebuilder, dreamworker, or artist? What personal skill and wisdom will you contribute to our village? Please join us as we create this circle of dialogue, ritual, song, and sisterhood...." [Michelle Macinni] More info to follow, or contact Julie or Carol, if you're interested.

UU in The Pines
....a year round, rustic Conference Center in West Central Florida's rolling hills, 40 miles north of Tampa. Thirteen acres with towering oaks and pines houses sleeping, dining and workshop
facilities. Home cooked meals, outdoor adventures, and quiet, rural atmosphere renew body, mind and spirit. Groups and individuals welcome. Contact: 7029 Cedar Lane Brooksville FL 34601 or uupines@pro-scat.cts.com

New Member Profile: Our featured new members this month are the family of Christiane and Mike Black, and son, Jonas. Christiane and Jonas moved to Valdosta in October, 1998, from Alamogordo, NM, and Chris joined the UU Church in December, 1998. Mike also 'signed the book' when he returned to Valdosta this spring after a year-long tour in Korea with the US Air Force.
Christiane was born in Ramstein, Germany, and has travelled in Europe and the southwestern U.S. She loves cooking, living a holistic lifestyle, reading, animals (they have a dog, two cats and a guinea pig), and "people!!!" Among her accomplishments she counts her family, friends and "an abundance of love in my life because of them." Both Chris and Mike are Reiki practitioners, both are ordained ministers of Universal Life Church in Modesto, California, and both attended Valsala School of Natural Healing in Albuquerque, among other educational pursuits. Christiane heard about UU-Valdosta by reading an article in the Valdosta Daily Times, a column written by Jack Ford entitled "Acceptance of One Another." She looked us up in the Yellow Pages, and also heard about the "church-in-the-woods."

Mike was born in Landstuhl, Germany. His parents had met in Germany while his father was stationed there with the U.S. Army; his father remained in Germany after retirement, so Mike grew up there. Mike has travelled in Europe, the southwestern U.S., Korea, Kuwait, amongst various other assignments with the Air Force. He likes reading, living a holistic lifestyle, and working in the yard, also values family and friends among his accomplishments.
Their son, Jonas, 13, will be an 8^th grader at Hahira Middle School. He enjoys playing the guitar and saxophone (he was a member of the fantastic UU Youth Orchestra at the last coffee house!).
The entire family has been very involved in UU-Valdosta with many activities; Christiane is particularly known for the terrific treats she brings to Sunday services, which serves as a fundraiser for UU-Valdosta. Look for them next time you join us!

UU Activities and Announcements
Check the bulletin boards in the church and R.E. building for information on the following events:
Aug 27-29, Second Annual Florida District YRUU Advisor Training, Lake Region UU Fellowship, Lakeland, FL
Sep 25, NE Cluster meeting, Daytona Beach, "Make a Joyful Noise - Using the Hymnal in Worship"
Oct 15-17, Women and Religion Retreat at UU in the Pines, "A Village of Women & Children"
Oct 22-23, Fall Leadership Conference, "A Home for Every Florida Unitarian Universalist," Rev. Clark Olsen, presenter, Orlando
Nov 7-13, Florida Leadership School, Oviedo, "The View That Refreshes."

The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center is an independent affiliate of the Unitarian Universalist Association, near Highlands, NC, (about two hours from Atlanta).
Website: http://themountain.uua.org/mountain
e-mail: mountain@dnet.net
Phone: 828-526-5838

July 2 - 8
4^th of July Vacation Week
July 4 - July 17
Elementary MountainCamp
July 11- 17
Religious Education Week
July 18 - July 31
Senior High MountainCamp
Aug 20-22
African Drum and Dance
Aug 27-29
Creating the Magic of Wolfsong X, a Native
American Peace Conference.

Issues of Interest: UUA vs. Boy Scouts of America
[excerpted from UUA website, General Assembly report, http://uua.org/ga/ga99/240.html]
"The Religion in Life award, which is awarded by the UUA to scouts who are UUs, continues to be the subject of dispute with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Last year the BSA had withdrawn its support for UUA awards because of its objections to how BSA's position on homosexuality and religion was characterized in the UUA's Religion in Life Manual.... In May the BSA agreed to restore the award after the UUA agreed to change the language in the Manual, and the BSA also agreed that UUA could provide scouts with an independent communication about the issues of homosexuality and religion. But last month the agreement fell apart when BSA learned about two pamphlets that will accompany the Manual: "When Others or You Say God," written by Rev. John Beuhrens, President of UUA, describes religious pluralism in a language accessible to youth; "In Support of All People," by Rev. Keith Kron, Director of UUA's Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns, addresses the dignity of all people regardless of sexual orientation."
Michael Healy, (UU Area Church of Sherburne, Mass., also president of BSA Area 1) "reported that a big stumbling block between the two organizations is the BSA's lack of understanding of Unitarian Universalism and of the role of the UUA. 'They don't realize the UUA's long tradition of involvement in social issues, so they don't understand the background of our concern with gay rights. They don't understand the loose affiliation of UU congregations, which leads to our mulitiplicity of views,' Healy said. He noted that while the BSA does not welcome gay scouts or scoutmasters, it doesn't tolerate gay-bashing at any time, and teaches leaders to deal with gay parents of scouts sensitively." [Ed. note: Healy went on to give several recommendations including the establishment of a UUA committee to serve as a liason with the BSA, as other major denominations have done. Healy and Rev. John Buehrens, President of UUA, urged scouts to continue working for the award until the dispute is resolved, noting that many troops continue to allow scouts to wear the award.]

Membership Directory:
Last call for the new membership directory!! This directory will be distributed to those members and friends who are listed in it. Please complete the following information and return it to Carol Stiles by July 10. You may also call her or send the information by e-mail to the following address: cranfun@peachnet.campuscwix.net By doing so, you will tell us which information you wish to have listed in this directory. (Work telephone and FAX are optional; it would be very helpful however to have an e-mail address if you have one. Thanks!!)

Name: ________________________________ Member or Friend? (Circle one)
Complete Address: ____________________________________________________________
Home telephone: ______________ Work telephone: (optional)______________
Fax: __________________ E-mail: __________________________________
Children's names: _____________________________________________________________________