INCLINATIONS SEPTEMBER 2005

INCLINATIONS SEPTEMBER 2005

Monthly Newsletter from the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Eastern Slopes

Services Every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. (From Sept. 18 on: 10:00 a.m.)

Sunday School (beginning Sept. 18: 9:00 a.m.)

Minister: Rev. Mary Giles Edes, revmge@mac.com 323-8585

UUFES Meetinghouse

30Tamworth Rd. (Rt. 113)

PO Box 474, Tamworth, NH 03886

Web page: www.uufes.org

Rick Friend, President friendm@adelphia.net 569-4812

Calendar

Services:

Sept. 18: Rev. Mary Giles Edes– Ingathering, Jim Mac Dougall participating 10:00 a.m.

Sept. 25: Rev. Mary Giles Edes - Robert Sarly participating 10:00 a.m. (New Member Breakfast at 9:15 a.m.)

Oct. 2: Rev. Herb Adams 10:00 a.m.

Time Change

UUFES Sunday services will begin at 10 a.m. starting on September 18th, our fall ingathering service. Sunday School begins at 9:00 a.m.

Announcements:

Sept. 13: Sunday Service Committee, UUFES Meetinghouse, 3 p.m.

Sept. 15: Governing Board meeting, UUFES Meetinghouse, 4-7 p.m.

*Rescheduled to Sat., October 1: Meetinghouse Beautification work party -- 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (see p. 3)

Friday, Sept. 23: Dialogue Weekend Retreat begins: 6-9 p.m. Supper and Keynote talk. UUFES Meetinghouse, Tamworth. Supper provided.

Sat., Sept. 24: Dialogue Weekend Retreat Workshop 8:30-3:30, UUFES Meetinghouse, Tamworth. Lunch provided. Child care to be arranged. (See p. 2-3)

Oct. 14-15: NH/VT District Conference (See p. 3)

Message from Mary

Last Sunday evening at around five o’clock our backyard was suddenly - gloriously - filled with dragonflies! Hundreds of them darting all over. We sat in the Adirondack chairs and just marveled at them. What a strange and wonderful gift they seemed on this perfect late summer afternoon! They weren’t performing for us, of course, but we were allowed to sit among them as they swooped and soared. Henry David our little yellow tabby cat was beside himself - overwhelmed at the possibility that he might catch one. But which one? How was he to choose? At first he leapt about in all directions - batting them only sporadically and with no observable success. Finally he lay down behind a lilac bush and simply enjoyed the show - just as we were doing. Ah late summer. How I love these days!

Now, there are few happenings I want to be sure to mention - while I have your attention.

First of all, we will have our Water Communion and Ingathering Service on September 18 at 10:00 AM. Please remember to bring a little container of water from your summer travels, to add to that of other summer travelers.

Religious Education classes will begin that day, as well, at 9:00 AM. Following their classes, children may join us for the service upstairs in the sanctuary or remain downstairs for supervised childcare and playtime.

During the weekend of September 23 - 25, we will be holding a Dialogue Weekend Retreat for the greater UUFES spiritual community (details below). This is an excellent opportunity for all of us, and I urge any who can attend to do so. It is my hope and expectation that we will all emerge from this weekend with greater understanding and respect for one another and the different ways we communicate our ideas and feelings.

This work will be a wonderful way for us to start the next phase of our life together as a voluntary association. We have chosen to be together - what a delight! Let’s do it the best way we can!

Soon - yes, very soon - we will be back into the full Fall swing of things here at the Meetinghouse. I am hoping we can dart around with half the joy and grace of the dragonflies as we maneuver through our paces.

See you at Fellowship!
With love,
Mary

PS Those of you who live or work in Tamworth know that I spend some time at my office in the Meetinghouse almost every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Eventually I will have "posted" office hours, but until that time, if you need to see me, please feel free to give me a call ( 323-8585 ) and make an appointment.

A DIALOGUE WEEKEND RETREAT FOR THE GREATER UUFES SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY:

Friday, Sept. 23 (6:30-9 PM) and Saturday, Sept. 24 (8:30 AM-3:30 PM)

How do we talk with one another about meaningful things? How do we listen?

Do the differences that separate us keep us from enjoying the commonalities that hold us together in community?

Is our reality what we see and win for ourselves? Or what we believe and give away? Do we bowl alone?

Dialogue is the study and practice of courageous conversation. Its purpose is to help us find meaning and joy in even the simplest of connections we make with one another. Dialogue is the discipline of holding ourselves fully present so that meaning and joy flow between, and among, us. Dialogue is also a skill set, an awareness, and a way of engaging others that unlocks the goodness in conversational relationships, opens them to fresh possibilities, and turns ordinary talk into an experience of personal growth that opens the path for us to grow into wisdom. Dialogue is a spiritual practice that awakens the sleeping soul deep in our hearts to the presence of the greater unifying and universal mystery that breaths wisdom into our lives, and helps us share this wisdom with the all those we hold dear. Please join us!

Robert Sarly has served as a dialogic trainer for over 50 community organizations. (cont.)

Dialogue Retreat cont:

$20 per person includes Friday dinner, Saturday lunch. We are working on plans to include child care as well. Scholarships are available.

UUFES members and friends (if you got this, you’re one of them) will be given first chance at signing up. We’re limited to 50 people, and after September 5^{th we will open registration to friends and the larger
community. So sign up now.}

^{To register, send a check payable to UUFES with Dialogue Workshop
on the memo line. Include name(s), address, phone, e-mail address (if any),
need for child care (if any). You can put this in the collection basket at
church or mail it to UUFES,}^{PO Box 474}^,^Tamworth^,^NH⁰³⁸⁸⁶^{, Attn. Dialogue
Workshop.}

^{For more
information or to request a scholarship, call Eleanor Jenkins}⁽⁶⁰³⁾^539-4843^{or Dianne Sinclair}⁽²⁰⁷⁾^625-3302^.

^{Site Beautification Reminder:}

^{Now that the perimeter of The Meetinghouse looks lovely, let's
turn our attention to the back and west side of the building. Not a pretty
picture; in fact, it's a mess: loads of weeds, sumac trees making a
comeback, slope of evil bittersweet, trees and shrubs that need pruning.
This is a call for hardy folks who can put in a few hours on Saturday,
Sept. 17,}⁸^{a.m. to 2 p.m.}^{,
to help}^{clean up and make the back and side of the
building look a lot better. This day falls in between}^Ferry^Beach^{weekend
and a workshop on 09/23 & 09/24, so hopefully you have enough notice to
mark your calendars. Rain date Sunday, Sept. 18, after
service. Will need rakes, loppers, wheelbarrows, tarps, pruners, saws, etc. (Please put your names on your
tools.) Maybe we can start planting bulbs for the spring as
well. Rescheduled for
October 1st.}

^{Please contact Beth Bonanno or Bobbi Hoyt
with any questions. Thanks!}

^{Religious Education}

^{Following is a brief description of the children’s religious education
programs that UUFES will be offering this fall. Please take a moment to review
the curricula descriptions and think about where you may be able to assist in a
successful 2005-2006 religious education program. There truly is something for
everyone.}^{With the promise of so many coming to our new home and the luxury of
classrooms we are able to offer classes in four different age groups - a first
in UUFES history! We have an awesome Minister, a new home, religious education
space, eager children, an acting Director of Religious Education and now we
need just one more thing - a group of interested, caring, committed, fun loving
adults (sounds like UUFES to me) to help guide our children on their spiritual
journey.

Please contact me, Joy Maidment terrapin@pivot.net or Rev. Mary revmge@mac.com}^{‘05-’06 Curriculum Map:}^{Pre K - Kindergarten (ages 4-6)

We Are Many, We Are One

By Colleen MacDonald}

^{We Are Many, We Are One is based on the philosophy that young
children learn about religion through relationships. The primary goal of this
curriculum is to create an atmosphere that invites religious growth and
learning. Some of the essential ingredients for this atmosphere are experiences
of love and security shared within their Unitarian Universalist community and
opportunities to sense the wonder of being an integral part of all life.

The program uses lots of stories, crafts, games and songs. The recommendation
for this program is a year-long commitment from teaching teams. This commitment
enhances the experience for the children as well as the adults. Consistency
helps to develop trust and security. The teachers - rather than put their time
in - have a chance to develop their skills in group leadership and to see the
children grow and change over time. (36 sessions)}^{cont. p. 4}

^{RE cont:}

^{Grades 1-3 (ages 7-9)

A Stepping Stone Year

By Margaret Gooding

A Stepping Stone Year is a yearlong program (36 sessions) that includes
a special closing recognition ceremony to be conducted with the congregation.
This program is based on two premises:}

^that^{religion helps people find answers to important life questions and}

^that^{Unitarian Universalists find these answers for
themselves.}

^{The program addresses children who are taking their first structured steps in
forming religious identities and concepts. Browsing the
contents of the program yields Myths, Science, Birth, Adventures, Death, and
Making Decisions. There is almost too much to list - lots of stories,
songs, art activities, plays, discussions and even cooking. A Stepping Stone
Year is a very important program for this age group and promises to be a
fun and exciting undertaking.

Grades 4-6 (ages 9-11)

Honoring Our Mother Earth: Experiences in Native American Spirituality

Tirrell Kimball and Gina Orlando}^{This program teaches young people the need to revere and preserve all
living things. It draws on the authors’ understanding of Native American
Spirituality, but it’s not a study of Native American culture and religion.
Uses ceremonies, rituals, myths, stories, song and dance, arts
and crafts.}^{The goal is a feeling of connectedness to nature and earth, respect for
all living things, exploration and appreciation of Native American Heritage.

(Ages 12+)}

^{You, the Creator}

^{Donna Polhamus,
Jessica Wright and Dianne Sinclair are offering an opportunity to all middle-schoolers to explore their values and beliefs through the
arts as part of our RE program. The group will meet Sundays from}⁹^to^{10 AM}^{. Some of the planned projects are creating bumper
stickers, bridges from spaghetti and a one-line play. The group is free of
charge. For more information, call Donna at}⁽⁶⁰³⁾^323-7391^{or Dianne Sinclair at}⁽²⁰⁷⁾^625-3302^.

^{Hymnal memorials:}^{We recently purchased twelve hymnals and soon we will be
ordering an additional dozen. Each hymnal costs UUFES $45. This is $1080
worth of hymnals.

In order to help defray this cost and to allow you to permanently memorialize
or honor a loved one, a friend or even a pet, you may do so by sending a
check for $45 to UUFES at the address in the masthead. With that check please
include a card that states exactly what you want to have put on a label to be
pasted to the inside cover of a hymnal. For example, "In
memory of ................."}

^{" In}^{honor of
..............."

Thank you. This will really help us to balance our budget for this year.}

^{Membership Committee}

^AUGUST^NEW^MEMBERS

^{UUFES is pleased to announce that Mary Smith of}^Tamworth^{signed the membership book August 7th. Mary is an RN who works for the Northern
Carroll County Visiting Nurses Association.}

^{On August 14th George and Sally Zink of}^Tamworth^{signed the Membership Book. George and Sally are familiar faces as they have
been UUFES regulars for some time.}

^{Welcome, Mary, George, and Sally-- we are so pleased that you decided
to join us.}

^{NEWCOMERS WORKSHOPS}

^{Rev. Edes and the Membership Committee will
host a series of three New or Prospective Member Workshops this fall.
The series will include sessions on: Your Personal Spiritual Journey, the UU
Journey and the UUFES Story. The dates will be announced shortly; the sessions
will begin at}^noon^{and last approximately one and a half hours and include a light lunch.}

^NEW^{MEMBER PROFILE}

^{Margaret Reiser}^{was raised
in}^Philadelphia^,^Pa.^{in the Quaker Unitarian and Jewish traditions. Her family instilled in her the
value of community service and she has made her vocation reflect that heritage;
she has been a Social Worker for 21 years and for ten of those years worked at
a local mental health center. She is now a busy Mother to 14-month-old Ben,
and works one day a week as a psychotherapist.}

^{Margaret and her partner, Missy Myers, live just a few hundred
yards from the new meetinghouse and the family loves to walk everywhere. Be
sure and say "hello" to Margaret and Missy at Sunday Services; you
can’t miss them, they are the Moms accompanying the
adorable blonde Big Ben!}

^SEPTEMBER^NEW^{MEMBER BREAKFAST}

^{The Membership Committee will host a New Member Breakfast before
services on}^{September
25}^{, 2005}^at^{9:15 AM}^{. Are you a New Member? You
decide! It will be an informal time to enjoy a continental breakfast with your
UUFES friends who have recently (or not so recently) joined the fellowship.}

^{CIRCLE DINNERS}

^{The Membership Committee continues to organize UUFES Circle Dinners in
members’ homes. The September dinner will be at Ted and Bobbi Hoyt’s home, the
October dinner at Miriam Morrell’s home; the November dinner will be at Stephen
and Wendy Gaal’s home. The purpose of these dinners
is to enjoy time with new and old UUFES members and friends in a small
group setting and over a nice cooperative dinner. Rev. Edes
and her husband, Dr. Stephen Kull, attend all of
these dinners, so it is also a chance to get to know your minister and her
husband better. If you would like to participate as either a dinner guest or
host, please let Donna Polhamus know of your
interest. Contact her at donna@polhamus.org}

^{News from UUFES}^SCC^:

^{THE CROP}^WALK^{: THANK
YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Thank you UUFES for all your support for
the CROP}^WALK^{.
Service certainly IS your prayer! We had 13 walkers and many more
contributors. We raised $1,155. This was the 10th year
of the Sandwich CROP}^WALK^{in support of ending hunger. Susan Davies, the coordinator, told me that
they have never had rain until the few drops this Sunday, which helped lower
the humidity! So…next year, let’s organize some relay teams as Mary suggested
at church…and we can all Walk the CROP Walk! (P.S. Last night, Stephen Gaal
said, "What a nice group of people were here for lunch before the
walk." I concur wholeheartedly! W. Gaal.)}

^{ST. ANDREW’S DINNER BELL}^:^{Thank you, Jim Clemons and Lyn Slanetz
as well two St. Andrew’s folks who volunteered for Dinner Bell on September 18.
This was a spot that had not been filled although it was not one of our UUFES
commitments. We still have two UUFES dates unfilled:}^{January 29, 2006}^and^{April 30, 2006}^{. Let Wendy Gaal}^284-7734^{wendy@gall.com know if you would like to
put your culinary skills to work for a good cause!}

^{K. Burnell,
Editor}

^INCLINATIONS

^PO^BOX²⁷⁸⁵

^CONWAY^,^NH^03818-2785

^{BOOK RECOMMENDATION}^:^{In the past, former UUFES SSC co-chair Sandra Carr
recommended books of note. Here’s one from Wendy Gaal,
current co-chair along with Ruth Hall: Moral Politics: How Liberals and
Conservatives Think by George Lakoff (}^University^of^{Chicago Press}^{,
2002.) The author is a cognitive scientist who analyzes the unconscious
worldviews of liberals and conservatives, "explaining why they are at odds
over so many seemingly unrelated issues—like taxes, abortion, regulation, and
social programs." There were many "Ah-ha!" moments for me in
this book, which is very dry but insightful! Perhaps reading this would help us
understand one another a little better and create productive communication.}

^WATCH
FOR^:^{Information about a talk co-sponsored with the
Tamworth Community Nurse Association about Alzheimer’s…a forum on capital
punishment…a documentary discussion series…}

^{Submitted by Wendy Gaal, co-chair, UUFES}^SCC

^{***
Deadline for October issue: Sept. 25 ***}

^{kburnell47@verizon.net}