BUUF News – November 2011

Contents

EverGreene

Reverend Elizabeth Greene

"I feel marginalized!"

Ever hear—or say—that, in relation to something about our congregation, especially something about worship?

Right now, I'm hearing some strong statements about our anti-Christian sentiments. I hear about how, when something Christian-oriented is mentioned, there is often an audible titter from the people who hear it, as though something has been mentioned which can be dismissed with a condescending laugh.

However, I've heard lots over the years from humanists who say they, too, feel marginalized—although not so much lately (did you hear the eloquent humanist contributions to our inter-faith service a couple of weeks ago?). I did receive, in a roundabout manner, an email that had been sent by an Idaho Falls UU humanist. He attended our service on the inter-faith Sunday and thought it was "OK." Further, he said, "Hot button words I heard in the fellowship were: holy spirit, prayer, faith, and a few others..." Clearly, he would feel "marginalized" if he were required to attend this just-OK place regularly.

Tell me your opinions, your experiences, on this marginalization issue! I'm preaching a sermon in November, in which I plan to reflect on how we deal with our differences, and I would very much like to get a genuine cross-section of congregational views, since I usually only hear from people with very strong opinions. Email me:

Thanks for contributing to our community!

Ministerial transition

Bill Reid, Board Member

Our Minister Elizabeth Greene, and BUUF Committee on Ministry (COM), in consultation with our Pacific Northwest District Executive Janine Larsen have recommended a Ministerial Transition plan to the BUUF Board. Their plan is based on Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) recommended best practices and best processes. The UUA recommendations are based on years of real world experiences of hundreds of Ministerial Transitions in UU (and other) Churches. These hundreds of real world experiences have been studied by UU Ministers and Lay Professionals in a concerted effort to determine those practices and processes that produced the best transition results.

Satisfaction with the UUA recommended processes and practices is uniformly high, and almost all UU Churches choose to follow the existing recommendations as fully as is appropriate in each Church's unique circumstances.

Our BUUF Bylaws wisely require us to follow the UUA recommended best practices and processes in calling a Minister. The BUUF Bylaws allow the BUUF Board sufficient latitude to interpret and adapt UUA recommendations to suit our individual requirements, while still holding us to honor the integrity of the entire process.

The BUUF Board has unanimously endorsed and adopted the transition timetable and plan submitted to us by Rev Elizabeth Greene and the BUUF COM. The BUUF Board will continuously review, adapt, and follow this plan during our Ministerial transition process. The BUUF Board, and COM will strive to appropriately inform and involve the BUUF Congregation as this process unfolds. The Board is currently in a preparatory phase, because the majority of actual transition actions will not begin until the 2012 – 2013 program year. The Board will keep an updated copy of the transition timeline and supporting documents and publications available in the BUUF Library.

A major component of the UUA recommended transition is a period of 'interim ministry'. A qualified Minister hired specifically for a limited time period. The Interim Minister will not be a candidate for our next 'called' Minister. The role of the interim Minister is to guide us through the transition process, and to help us discover the possibilities and potential to be found in a new beginning. The interim Minister will help bring us together and create a shared vision of our future and what qualities and strengths we want in our next called Minister. Because the Interim Minister is temporary and not a potential candidate for permanent Minister; he/she will be able to guide us in these tasks without imposing his/her opinions/values/preferences on our decisions.

The BUUF Committee on Ministry will be meeting on November 19 to begin their task of developi1Gegarding the dynamics of the change process and to provide organized facilitation for the emotional elements that arise in any major change. The COM will coordinate this work with the Board, and this educational phase of our transition will begin in 2012. Please contact the BUUF Board or Committee on Ministry if you have specific concerns or questions you would like us to address.

The "President's Message" will return here next month.

Religious Exploration

Across the Generations: Connections and Changing the World

Emmie Schlobohm, Director of Religious Exploration (DRE)

Have you ever seen grandparents playing with grandchildren on a playground , or sharing time walking together in a park, or enjoying time together in other ways? There is a light and a lightness of spirit that is present, a sharing of wisdom, memories, and stories back and forth between them. Wonder and magic happens in our own sanctuary and class rooms! We have members of our older generations guiding discoveries and explorations in our class rooms each week and grandparents caring for our nursery-aged children. Just this last week, our preschool class invited several honored guests to share stories and memories across the generations. These honored guests were not related by blood to these young people, but there is a connection growing from this time spent together that could have a lasting impact for all involved.

Connections across blood lines and generations are all the more precious because they are by choice and intention. We, of all generations, can change the world one person-to-person connection at a time. In our own beloved community, I challenge you to reach out across the generations, younger or older, to someone not related to you and start to build a caring connection or relationship that will forever change your lives and our beloved community for the better.

Deck the Halls Celebration

Emmie Schlobohm, DRE

December is just around the corner and it's time once again for merry mayhem in our midst! On the first weekend of December, while everyone is preparing for the upcoming holiday season with all the songs, decorating and merriment, we too at BUUF set aside time to celebrate. On Saturday and Sunday, December 3 and 4, we have our congregation-wide Deck the Halls event.

On Saturday afternoon, we gather to make ornaments for the tree and munch on some holiday treats while the children and youth of Religious Exploration (RE) rehearse their parts for the Sunday worship services. Then, be sure to come back on Sunday, December 4 to experience the wonder as our children and youth explore the world around them and faith traditions around the world while we Tell our Stories.

Once again, we will have two services of Deck the Halls, at 9:30 and 11:15. These two services will be different, so why not kick your holiday season off with our beloved community and join us for both services! This is an all-age, community event for everyone! So, don't miss it. Mark your calendars now: Saturday, December 3 and Sunday, December 4. More details about all the holiday happenings are on their way, so be sure to watch for details throughout November in your weekly Order of Services.

A World of Wonders Await Just Beyond those Doors

Did you know that your filled out and submitted RE registration form (lovingly known as the REgistration) is your family's ticket to a whole world of wonders? Your family becomes connected to all the other REgistered families and, with the information you provide, we can let you know about upcoming events, community happenings, and classroom-specific essentials. If your child(ren) is/are interested in lighting the chalice at the beginning of our Sunday time of worship, their REgistration is required for that too. Opportunities galore await you for just a simple filled-out piece of bright green paper.

COMMITTEES

Fundraising News

Silent Auction Date Change: Nov 27 to Dec 11

New and gently used items as well as homemade food or certificates for services will be collected after Nov 7— BUT: write up your donation ASAP so it can be entered into the data base . Forms are on a clipboard in the "Community" section in the North Vestibule....or call or e mail Patty Nakaoki—her info is in the directory. (If you are donating a food item that cannot be left sitting out, please take a photo of it to put on the sale table.)

We will have a special section of items for children—so far we have passes for Monkey Business and a "Make-Your-Own-Pizza" Party. We have asked Pojo's, Wings, WAHOOZ, Roaring Springs and The Little Gym. If you would like to babysit or be a "Mother's Helper" (you watch the children even though the parent is home) and give the proceeds to the BUUF General Fund, just write it up. If you have other things for kids, they will be most welcome.

Other businesses that have been asked include: AAA, The Egg Factory, 3-D Framing, and Stag Hair Care. If you would like to ask a business you frequent contact Claudia AFTER NOV 7 and she will send them a donation letter or you can take one to them.

Items collected so far include: a large ivy plant, a blackberry plant start, some "Queen's Tears" plants (bloom in winter), some hanging strawberry planters, some thornless blackberry plants (you come and dig 'em up), a side table with drawers and shelves, some lamps, admission to the Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey with a personal docent tour, 10 passes to the Northgate Reel Theater, Regular and "Black Card" memberships to Planet Fitness, a certificate for clothing repair and other sewing, and some homemade pear marmalade with brown and serve biscuits (reknowned Children's book author Tasha Tudor's recipe).

Consignments: Elaine Daly-Kerr will save you the trouble of consigning your clothing and accessories if you are willing to donate the profits to BUUF.

Gala Live & Silent Auction & Dinner Mark your calendars for Saturday February 4. Hope to see you and your friends there.

A View From The Bridge

Jolene Schow

Bridge Event Center brings in additional revenue to BUUF's General Fund by renting out our unused space. One of the key tools that we use is the Fellowship Calendar (which is managed by Nancy Harms). Before we rent to a BEC client, this calendar is checked to make sure conflicts don't exist. If no BUUF events are scheduled, we will confirm that it can be used to generate income from outside the Fellowship for these events. Because we make approximately $1,100 profit for each external wedding, we like to say "yes" to potential renters. We can do this if the calendar is open. [FYI, we already have booked several weddings in the summer and fall of 2012.]

If you are the head of a Committee or group desiring space for an event, it is very important that you put your information on the calendar. Being diligent about calendaring your planned events and deleting events that are no longer being held helps everyone in the Fellowship. Our building is being used more by both BUUF groups and paying renters. Sometimes we turn groups away due to lack of space.

We recently had a conflict because an event was not on the calendar and BEC rented it to someone wishing space. The conflict was resolved to everyone's satisfaction, but we hope to avoid this in the future. Communication is a key element, and the Fellowship Calendar is a vital tool to achieving that exchange of information. We thank you for your help.

Check out www.bridgeeventcenter.com, become a friend on Facebook, or call 891-8081 for more information.

Thanks to the Installation Crew

A huge "thank you" goes to our hard working crew who just finished installation of our new security system! David Clopton, Bill Reid and Robb Deines made it all happen. Thanks also to Mitchell Bethel for essential software support. When you see one of these folks, please extend your gratitude to them. However, none of this would have happened without the very generous support from the congregation at last February's auction. We are grateful for the many contributions that meet our special needs.

Gentle Reminder for those who use our rooms for meetings and such...

Our building is a place of community and fellowship. These halls and rooms are used by many from within and from without our congregation all during the week. When you meet together with others or use a room as a place of contemplation or reflection, please remember to put the furniture back the way you found it and to clean up whatever trash or mess you might have made. There are pictures of the room set-ups on the walls next to the doors in each room. We have labeled trash and recycle bins in each room. Dishes taken from the kitchen or the coffee area can be brought back to the sink to be cleaned. Thank you for your kind stewardship of our sacred shared space.

Financial Corner

Welcome to the BUUF financial corner. This will be a monthly discussion of where the finances at BUUF stand. We have closed the books on the 2010-2011 financial year. What started out as a rough and difficult financial year with the cut to the staff salaries to make up for a short fall in the annual budget drive, ended the year with a small "profit". We were able to pay back $15K in "loans" taken from reserve accounts in 2009 and carried a small amount of cash into this year to pay for insurance and mortgage payments that did not happen in June. In addition there was more net income from the Bridge Events Center than in previous years as successful events have increased. The challenge now is to keep the budget balanced with staff hours re-instated. In December we will update income and expenses for the 2011-2012 year so far.

BEC's MVP for November

The Bridge Event Center would not exist without all the great people within the Fellowship that help make the building and grounds what they are. This month we feature one of those people with our thanks:

Barry Hope – for keeping the building clean and event- ready, and for doing the extra work required after events to get it back to Fellowship ready.

JUSTICE Outreach

November Social Justice Plate Collection:

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is dedicated to advancing human rights and social justice in the United States and around the world.

Examples: In countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, UUSC works with local partners to empower women to become active and engaged members of their communities. UUSC is defending and supporting workers' right to organize, especially laborers marginalized by race, language, and/or gender. The Rights in Humanitarian Crises unit works to defend the rights of marginalized groups to relief assistance, participation in reconstruction, and full recovery.

BUUF is supporting the UUSC with the November social justice plate collection and Guest at Your Table offering. The plate collection is a way to contribute to UUSC during Sunday services while Guest at Your Table is a way to engage families in supporting UUSC as a home activity. See the article about Guest at Your Table for details about this offering.

Twenty-five percent of BUUF's unpledged November plate offering will go to UUSC. If you write "Outreach" on the memo line of your check, 100% goes to UUSC.

Welcoming a Guest at Your Table

Turn your coins into BIG change... the little cardboard boxes are back! BUUF's participation in the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee's annual Guest at Your Table program begins Sunday, November 5.

Participation is easy. RE Families are encouraged to pick up a Guest at Your Table Box or jar in the RE vestibule beginning Nov. 5. Over the next month, simply put any loose change into the box. Also available Nov. 5, you can pick up a copy of the Stories of Hope booklet, which highlights how the money is spent, with profiles of the beneficiaries. The program is open to all in the congregation who are interested in supporting human rights.

The program runs from Nov. 5 thru Dec. 4, 2011, and boxes can be dropped off Saturday, Dec. 3 (Deck the Halls rehearsal); Dec. 4 and Dec. 11. The RE students will help count funds raised, so all money needs to be turned in by Dec. 11. Everyone who participates will be entered into a raffle, with one lucky winner taking home a $25 gift certificate to the Rediscovered Bookstore.

Guest at Your Table is part of UUSC and works to advance human rights issues worldwide. UUSC also will be the November plate offering.

If you have questions, please contact Ellen Morfit at .

UUSC Holiday Cards Coming

Julie Fanselow

Look in the Book Nook by mid-November for this year's selection of Unitarian Universalist Service Committee holiday cards. Packets are $10 apiece for 10 beautiful cards that support UUSC's projects on behalf of worker's rights, a sustainable environment, ethical eating, and a just economy.

You can see this year's designs (and several that are still available from past years) at the UUSC online store. You may order there, too, or save shipping costs by picking up your cards at the BUUF Book Nook. Limited quantities will be available, so don't delay.

For more information on UUSC's projects, check out their website at uusc.org, connect with UUSC on Facebook or on Twitter @UUSC. Thanks for your support!

Help BUUF Host a Potluck Dinner & Holiday Party for Refugee Families

You are invited to participate in a cross-cultural exchange about religious beliefs and holiday celebrations with a few selected refugee families from a variety of countries. About 25 refugee children and adults will join us at BUUF on December 17 for a dialogue and potluck dinner. Besides enjoying sharing BUUF hospitality and an international meal, there are also opportunities to help plan this evening and to purchase holiday gift items for these families (details and suggestions of what they would like will be provided, along with name, age, sex).

Please let us know if your family would like to:

• interact with a refugee family at the potluck dinner,
• sign up to bring a dish to the dinner, and/or
• offer to help transport the families to BUUF and/or to deliver the holiday gifts.

Contact Sue and Mike Philley at 208-340-9450 or .

ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

November 12 Is Fellowship Fun Night

On November 12 we'll have our Second Saturday Potluck Fellowship Fun! Join us at 6:00 for a potluck followed by Elizabeth leading us in an alternative worship service.

There will also be activities for children so come and join the fun!

In order to address the diversity of dietary needs, think about bringing a vegetarian or vegan dish and labeling it as such. Bring a dish and your own utensils and plates.

Contact Wanda Jennings at 362-7563 or .

Thanksgiving Dinner with BUUF Friends

Please join us!

Sign up on the clipboard in the North Vestibule to share a Fun Community Thanksgiving Dinner with BUUF Friends. Someone will call you to ask you to bring a dish. Questions: Ask Wanda Jennings at or 362-7563 or Mary Munson at 898-4147 or .

Ministerial Lunches

Take a little time for being with other BUUFers! Each month, the Committee On Ministry and your minister, Elizabeth Greene, "sponsor" two no-host lunches—second Tuesdays and fourth Fridays—for schmoozing and sharing.

Tuesday, Nov. 8, 11:30, Miss Tami's Tea House, Meridian

Friday, Nov. 25, 11:30, URS cafeteria (across from Ram Brew Pub off Broadway)

Join us!

Miral

Saturday, November 12, 4pm: The film Miral will be shown (Free) in the Channing Room, south wing, BUUF.

Starring Frieda Pinto as Miral, with Willem Dafoe, Vanessa Redgrave; directed by Julian Schnabel, an American Jew whose mother was president, in 1948, of the Brooklyn chapter of Hadassah the Women's Zionist Organization of America.

Rula Jebreal's novel on which the movie is based is a strongly autobiographical account of her youth in the West Bank. She's torn between the injustice she sees at the hands of the Israeli army during the first Intifada and a desire for peace.

Presented by Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East. UUJME is headquartered in Massachusetts, is not affiliated with BUUF or the UUA, but is recognized by the UUA as a related organization. The Boise chapter is composed of UUs, BUUFers and guests.

emma's revolution & the Idaho Peace Coalition

emma's revolution celebrates the release of their new cd, Revolutions Per Minute and the 10th anniversary of the Idaho Peace Coalition:

about emma's revolution

emma's revolution has strong connections with UU churches. They performed at the first ever International Convocation of Unitarian Universalist Women and at GA in 2009 and 2010. emma's revolution also performs at UU Coffeehouses and Sunday services from Maine to California, Florida to Alaska. Their songs, "Keep on Moving Forward," "Swimming to the Other Side" and "Peace, Salaam, Shalom" are sung by UU congregations across the country and included in the Earth and Spirit Songbook, the UU Tapestry of Faith series and the new UU Spanish Hymnal.

emma's revolution's songs have been sung for the Dalai Lama, praised by Pete Seeger and recorded by Holly Near.

Minister In the Community

Our minister, Elizabeth Greene, is participating in two community inter-faith activities this month:

* Sunday, November 20, she is giving the benediction for the annual Hymns of Thanksgiving service.

* Wednesday, November 23, she is delivering the "sermon" (10-minute reflection) for the Thanksgiving Inter-faith service that is always held at St. John's Cathedral on Thanksgiving Eve.

Come be part of Boise's inter-faith community!

Tell Us Your Story!

Our theme for our Worship Services this year is "Our Living Stories, Living Our Principles." We hope you have been enjoying the stories you have been hearing each Sunday.

During Worship Services this year we will be hearing 2-minute stories from our BUUF Friends. We would love to hear your story of living our principles. Please contact Wanda Jennings at 362-7563 or .

New! Second Thursday BUUF Pagan Group!

Are you a Pagan? Are you an Animist, Pantheist, Panentheist, Polytheist, Nature-oriented and/or ....? Are you interested/curious about Paganism?

A new group for BUUF Pagans will be meeting on Second Thursdays. The first meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 10, 7 PM, in the Channing Room, South Wing. See you there!

Partner Church News

Gwyn Reid

Since 1993, BUUF has partnered with the Unitarian congregation in Mészkõ, Transylvania. The Partner Church committee coordinates activities that help to sustain this relationship.

Choir Stoles

New choir stoles were unveiled at the first choir performance of the program year. They were created last winter by the women of the Mészkõ congregation. They feature embroidery in the traditional blue floss of the Mészkõ congregation. Each of the thirty stoles is a unique design. Many thanks to Mary Schwartzman and Irene Rush for starting the project, and to Jeanette Ross and Tom von Alten who received the stoles in August while on tour in Transylvania with the UU Festival Choir.

Boise/Mészkõ Annual Scholarship Fund

The Mészkõ board has selected the Mészkõ members of scholarship committee. Scholarship applications will be reviewed and recommendations forwarded to the Boise members. We are excited to be launching this important milestone in our partnership.

New Meeting House

The Mészkõ congregation is making progress on the Francis Balázs Community House. Reverend Robert Bálint writes, "If everything goes all right we might have the building ready by the end of October."

Spring Classes

Our committee is planning classes to be offered under the Adult Religious Education program. The egg-dyeing class will be offered in time for you to make Transylvanian-style eggs in time for Easter. We also hope to have a cooking class, a history class, and a class featuring wines of the region.

Travel to Mészkõ

Please contact Gwyn Reid if you're interested in traveling to Mészkõ next year.

Youth Invited to ISSC's "Youth Night"

BUUF's Junior and Senior High School youth are invited to participate in the Idaho Safe School Coalition's (ISSC's) annual Youth Night event, on Friday, Nov. 11, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. This event will take place at BUUF and is being sponsored by BUUF's Rainbow Outreach Committee.

Youth Night provides lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied youth an opportunity to socialize, participate in activities and enjoy a free meal provided by Albertsons/SuperValu. Those interested in participating are asked to please register in advance at www.IdahoSCC.com.

ISSC is a partnership of community organizations, school and government agencies, churches, youth, parents and educators. Its mission is to help schools become places where every family can belong, every educator can teach, and every child can learn, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. It has helped establish gay/straight alliances and other school clubs focused on equal rights and diversity in numerous high schools in the Treasure Valley.

BUUF Sages

Tom von Alten

The BUUF Sages meet just once this month, Thursday, November 10 at our usual venue, the Kopper Kitchen at 2661 Airport Way. We gather between 9 and 9:30am to order breakfast (or not, it's "no host"), and then an interesting presentation or discussion will ensue. Sometimes we know what's coming, sometimes it's a last minute surprise. (But usually by the Sunday before, you can find us in the Order of Service announcements in church, on the web, or sign up for our group's own announcement list.) Contact Tom at 378-1217 or for more information, or if you have an inkling for November's (or any other) gathering. Newcomers are warmly welcomed, and no reservation is needed.

How HUUmanists Understand Mental Illness

Did you know mental illness affects 1 in 4 families? How about Idaho is the only state in the nation without a nationally certified suicide prevention hotline? Last but not least, Idaho is dead last in the nation in mental health care spending. Sounds like mental illness gets no respect in Idaho. Why? I look forward to discussing this at our next meeting, November13, 11:15am, BUUF library. Dan Kerr will lead our discussion.

For our October 9 meeting we had an assignment: look up the United Nations and share what you find. How well does its purpose align with humanist values? How well does it achieve these? We started with the most visible of UN work, peacekeeping in areas of conflict. Dan cited a Rand study: two thirds of peacekeeping efforts succeed. More information is available online. Also increasingly effective: International Courts of Justice, which have set an expectation that all parties accept an objective rule of law.

We also considered progress on the Milennium goals that assume a global responsibility to help the poorest, then an obligation of states to take responsibility for their own economic well-being. It's an admirable goal, at least. Rules that allow each nation its own sovereignty leave us with a system of treaties. Progress is slow and subject to disruption, but is in the right direction.

New! Third Thursday Discussion Group, exploring topics of Interest from serious to fringe!

The first Third Thursday BUUF Discussion Group will meet Nov 17 at 7pm in the Channing Room, South Wing.

Our topic this time will be Animal Rights/Ethical Eating. Leslie Miller will share information about the proposed Animal Cruelty bill, then the discussion will be open!

New UU Class offered again soon

Are you new to BUUF? Would you like to learn more about Unitarian Universalism? Are you thinking about becoming a member? Then the New UU class is for you! This class will offer you the opportunity to meet other newcomers, church leaders, and members. It will provide you with some history, an opportunity to explore your own spirituality, and give you a glimpse into the inner workings of the Unitarian Universalist Association and of BUUF in particular. It will also reveal the many ways you might become involved in the life of this community.

The New UU is the first step toward membership, but, even if you don't plan to join right away, the class is fun and informative.

This time around, the class will be offered in a single session: Saturday, November 12, from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Please note – this is a change from the dates published in the Adult RE offering. Bring a sack lunch, and we can socialize during our meal break. Please complete an Adult RE enrollment form or call the church office at 658-1710 to register. For more information contact Jay Wechselberger at 871-3765, or email . Childcare is available at no cost if you contact Jay at least one week in advance.

Classicists Discuss Woolf

The BUUF Classic Reading group will meet at Eric Wallace's home (1387 E. Monterey Drive) at 7:00 on Nov. 29 to discuss To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. All readers are invited to participate. Call Lorel Case (376-3188) for details.

The Other Book Club

Come join us for a lively discussion on books and other topics. We meet on the second Sunday of the month from 7 to 8:30pm.

Our November 13 book is Double Bind by Chris Bohjalin. We will meet at the home of Eric Wallace, 1387 E. Monterey, Boise, ID 433-0706

Our December 11 book is Run with the Horseman by Farrell Sams. We will meet at the home of Benita Coleman, 8169 W. Beckton Ln., Garden City, ID 83714

If you would like to be on our email list send your address to .

Happy Reading!

Next newsletter deadline: Noon, Tuesday, November 15

A Note from the Editor

Last month was an unusual month. The newsletter deadline is based upon when the third Thursday of the month falls. This month, the third Thursday was Sept 15. Which meant that the newsletter deadline was September 13. Now, I know most people think the deadline is the third Tuesday of the month. And many months that is how it works out. But, in months like this past September it was only the second Tuesday.

I wish there were some more straightforward way to calculate the newsletter article deadlines. My recommendation: check the Fellowship calendar or the bottom of the last page of the previous month's newsletter. I always publish a reminder there for the next coming deadline.

2012 PNWD District Assembly Call for Workshops

Workshop proposals for the 2012 District Assembly (May 18-20 in Anchorage) are being accepted through December 2. The Alaska Unitarian Universalist Fellowships (Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau) seek UUs interested in sharing their insight and expertise through educational workshops offered at this annual gathering.

The 2012 District Assembly will provide a forum to celebrate PNWD's 50th anniversary. In 1961, Unitarian and Universalist faiths consolidated and the following year, the Pacific Northwest District (PNWD) evolved into a new organization. We'll look back at the spark that kindled the UUA, and explore progress and milestones spanning five decades. With a nod to the flaming chalice as the official UU symbol, we will also look to the future as we Carry the Flame to promote UU principles to a world clearly in need of more justice, equity, liberty, compassion, tolerance, respect, peace and spiritual growth.

Details for submitting a workshop proposal can be found on the PNWD website. For more information, contact PNWD Training Coordinator, Lori Ragona, (206) 299-4747.