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Annual Meeting Recap, by Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy
To read our 2017-18 annual report, go HERE. It was an honor and pleasure to participate in my first annual meeting here at the Fellowship last Sunday, June 3. After celebrating a beautiful all-ages Flower Communion service, we moved directly into our annual meeting, led by our very capable governing board president, Sam Zinth. It was the shortest meeting in recent memory, at only about 45 minutes long! We kicked off the meeting with a reminder of our Principles for a Healthy Congregation, led by two members of our healthy congregation team, Debbie Wagner and Mark Boushele. We approved last year’s meeting minutes with a small correction, and agreed on how we would proceed with the meeting. There was a report from your governing board, presented by Sam Zinth, which particularly focused on the new Ends Statements that the board has created to guide the work of the Fellowship for the next five years. Theresa Hannah, your board treasurer, then gave a report on the financial state of the Fellowship, which is in good shape! Then, I gave a report from the executive team (the X-Team is Rev. Leah, business administrator Phyllis and me), and I focused mostly on the additions to our Coming of Age youth program, changes to the social justice organizational structure here, and a bit about an upcoming procedure to gather your feedback and concerns, which has been proactively created by your healthy congregation team. Our business administrator, Phyllis Schmitt, reviewed the 2018-19 budget, which is mostly the same as the previous year’s budget, except for increases to a few small budget items and the biggest increases are to our personnel expense line. Those increases include a promotion for one staff person, a raise for another, small increases for all staff to stay in line with UUA fair compensation guidelines, the addition of our AV tech in the budget, increased hours and pay for our RE assistant, and the addition of a part-time building maintenance staff person. This is excellent! There is also the addition of a fundraiser to bring in more income—we will be hosting a raffle and asking people to sell tickets next year, so please let me know if you’re interested in helping support the raffle! Lastly, there was a motion put forth by the board to grant Emeritus status to Rev. Roger Bertschausen, which passed overwhelmingly (I think it was unanimous!). This will be an honorary title, and it will allow Roger to serve as a delegate at the annual UUA General Assembly from our congregation. It won’t grant Roger any additional privileges or responsibilities here; it’s honorary and symbolic. It will mean his photo and bio are included on our website, and we’ll have a party in the coming year to celebrate his long and wonderful ministry here. Thank you for those of you who came and participated in the important business work of our beloved Fellowship. It has been an honor to serve you this year, and I look forward to many more annual meetings with you!
With love,
-Rev. Christina
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Upcoming Services Sunday at 10:00 am
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June 10 Broad Arch Above; Our Annual Bridging Service
with Rev. Leah Hart-Landsberg
We will honor the Fellowship’s graduating high school seniors with a bridging ceremony as they move from being part of our children's and youth community to joining the adult community. We’ll hear from our bridging youth about their plans for the future, as well as where they are in their spiritual journeys. A ceremony of child dedication will welcome and celebrate new life into our midst. Religious education volunteers will also be recognized. Be sure to stay after the service for a reception in honor of our high school graduates! June 17 Leap of Faith by Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy
Rev. Christina will share with us the sermon that she preached when the Ministerial Search Committee first interviewed her over a year ago. Learn how a single flying trapeze class informed her understanding of our Unitarian Universalist faith and ministry. We will welcome Rev. Jim Coakley today as he prepares to serve as our part-time Assistant Sabbatical Minister.
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At last weekend’s service, we collected $741.50 to benefit the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. If you missed the opportunity to contribute and still wish to send a contribution for this organization please drop off or mail a check payable to Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, with Young Center noted in the memo field, no later than Friday June 15, 2018. Thank you for your support!
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Did you realize that our entire community is responsible for the children attending Religious Education classes? We have a Safe Congregations Policy that requires that there are two adults present in each of our RE classes. If you are an adult that regularly attends services at the Fellowship, we need you to consider acting as a Room Assistant or Room Assistant substitute in order for us to keep both our students and teachers safe. This new position makes it easy for most adult members and friends of the Fellowship to volunteer as little as one or two time per program year. Please contact Kim Hartman, director of religious education, for details.
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Sign Up Now for Fall Youth Programs
Sign Up is now open for the Our Whole Lives, Coming of Age: UU Identity and Coming of Age Mentorship programs. Click here for more information on these programs. Please contact Kim Hartman, director of religious education, by June 10 to add your child's name to the sign up list.
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Summer Religious Education Safety Guidelines
It is finally nice enough outside for our children to have classes outside! We also have free play on the playground after classes. We take the safety of your child very seriously. There are a few suggestions for your child’s safety that need to be addressed. Shoes: Tennis shoes or sandals with an ankle strap are preferred, flip flops are strongly discouraged. This will prevent injuries such as burns on the slide, splinters on the bridge and tree house/fort, reactions to insects that may be stepped on, and debris that may be in the gravel. Sunscreen: If your child is sensitive to the sun, please apply sunscreen before attending service. Allergies: If your child has environmental allergies or reactions to bee stings, please be sure to bring the needed medications. We cannot administer medications. Insects and Wildlife: Injury to insects and wildlife is discouraged. If a child comes across anything that may injure them they should alert an adult. (In the past we had ground bees) Safety on the playground Rules:
1) Do not leave the playground without a parent or guardian signing you out.
2) If a child needs to go to the restroom she or he must be escorted by a teacher/room assistant.
3) Do not throw gravel on the slide or other children.
4) Only 3 children on the tire swing at a time. Feet must be inside the tire to prevent injury if the tire hits the pole that holds it up.
5) Feet must stay on the bridge. It is unsafe to climb on the side rails.
6) Climbing on top of the tree house/fort is not permitted. Children may enter the tree house/fort and look over the edges.
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| Justice Action Ministries
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Justice Action Ministry Facilitators
Tuesday, June 12 at 4:30 pm
JAM Facilitators (formerly Social Justice Core Team) will continue our conversation about how we will be engaging with our new role in overseeing and supporting JAMs (formerly known as Action Teams) in their work. This is an open meeting so anyone who wants to help with this work is welcome to attend. We will be focusing on the financial piece of our support for JAMs, since the Fellowship is updating general financial procedures, and our team will play a part in that. We also need to discuss our future plan for officer roles, communication, and coaching for JAMs. Questions can be directed to Penny Robinson at pennyrobinson1@gmail.com.
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The Senior Social group meets Tuesday, June 12 at noon. We will meet in City Park by the Dallas Anderson sculpture. If it rains, meet at the Fellowship. Bring your lunch and we will share stories and fellowship.
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Young Adult Happy Hour
Tuesday, June 26th at 5:00 pm
Pullmans 619 S. Olde Oneida Street, Appleton
Unwind and connect with others in their 20s and 30s, and especially if you don’t have kids. Come for a quick drink, or stay and watch the live music starting at 6:00 pm. Contact Cristi Burrill at cristina.burrill@gmail.com with questions.
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Breakfast on the Farm
Saturday, July 14 (Rain date July 21)
9:00 a.m.-1:00 pm Join Suzanne & Mark Marnocha on their farmette for a morning of food, fun and games! Breakfast will include scrambled egg casseroles (eggs from their chickens), sausage/bacon, french toast casserole and coffee. Activities will include hayrides, outdoor games, feeding the chickens and more. Please bring chairs and either fruit, juice or a bread item to share. Sign up by July 1st by emailing Cyndi Polakowski at cyndi@fvuuf.org or at the Sign Up Spot in the Fellowship Lobby. There is a maximum of 50 people, so sign up early! Contact Marie Luna at marie@fvuuf.org if you are able to help set up and/or clean up.
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Save the Date!
Multigenerational UU Camping Trip
Hartman Creek; August 24-26
Interested adults, couples, or families with kids or youth please email Anne Sieck anne.sieck@oshkosh.k12.wi.us or Theresa Spoehr cmtheresa@gmail.com for more information as we gather it.
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A note from our Business Administrator: Contribution statements detailing your contribution activity for the current fiscal year were mailed out on June 7. Look for them to arrive in your mailbox in the next few days. These contribution statements reflect all contributions received in our office from July 1, 2017 through May 31, 2018. With the current fiscal year coming to an end on June 30, 2018, we ask that everyone take a look at your current pledge and payments toward it to be sure it is up-to-date. All contribution payments received in the office or postmarked June 30th will be applied in the 2017-2018 fiscal year. All payments received after June 30th, and marked as 2017-2018 pledge will be applied as completion of the 2017-2018 pledge in the next fiscal year. If you find you will be unable to fulfill your 2017-2018 pledge, note any discrepancies or have any questions please contact me at the Fellowship office 920.731.0849 or Phyllis@fvuuf.org. Thank you for your continued financial support of the Fellowship! ~Phyllis Schmitt
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Oshkosh Wellspring Wednesday Survey
The Oshkosh Wellspring leadership team put together a survey about the Oshkosh Wellspring Wednesday program to get feedback on the 2017-2018 program year, as well as obtain input about potential programming for 2018-2019. You can find the survey by clicking here. Your input is very important to ensure that the Oshkosh Wellspring programs reflect what YOU would like to see! The survey will be open until June 22nd, so please click the link above and submit your feedback soon. Thank you for your time! We look forward to hearing from you.
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The Goals of Art at the Fellowship
The Art Committee is currently rewriting its vision and goals and would like input from Fellowship members. This Sunday we will be asking for your ideas on how we can make art at the Fellowship more inclusive, reach a broader audience, use it to provide meaningful interaction on social issues or any other suggestions you have for the place of art in the life of the Fellowship. Also, if you would like to participate in the Art Committee, we are looking for more members and fresh new ideas. If you won’t be at church this weekend, please email your ideas to Mary Gerlach at gerlachmz@new.rr.com. Thanks!
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Rev. Christina's Community Office Hours
June – 7 (bonus additional session since one was missed in April due to illness) Caramel Crisp – 200 City Center D, Oshkosh
Community Office Hours will take a hiatus for the remainder of the summer.
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Rev. Christina’s Community Office Hours were a success!
This year as I was trying to get to know this community, I offered weekly Community Office Hours on Thursday afternoons at rotating coffee shop locations around the Fox Valley. I offered about 27 of these (off when I was away or sick), and all but two had people come visit me! I had a few repeat visitors, but mostly different people every time. Sometimes one visitor came, often two or three, and a few times even five or six stopped by! We had no agenda, and had all kinds of interesting conversations getting to know each other, talking about books, theology, the Fellowship, and life. My favorite week was when two Fellowship members who didn’t know each other prior to meeting at the coffee shop, ended the time by setting up a time to go golf together! This week is the end of my Community Office Hours for this program year; I’ll be taking a hiatus during the summer. Starting next fall, I plan to offer them again twice a month, with a new format: once a month morning (8-10:00 am), and once a month late afternoon (2-4:00 pm). I will continue to rotate around the Fox Valley to come closer to you, and these different times will hopefully provide a better chance that these times work for your schedule. These will continue to be drop-in, no need to come the whole time, no RSVP required. The conversation topic will be guided by whoever shows up! I hope to see you at one of these in the coming program year… -Rev. Christina
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Black Lives Matter Lending Library
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle
Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement
by Angela Y. Davis • Newly collected essays, interviews, and speeches that illuminate the connections between struggles against state violence and oppression throughout history and around the world.
• Facing a world of outrageous injustice, Davis challenges us to imagine and build the movement for human liberation, and in doing so reminds us that “freedom is a constant struggle”.
• Vintage Angela: insightful, curious, observant, and brilliant, asking and answering questions about events in this new century that look surprisingly similar to the last century. —Mumia Abu-Jamal
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| Click here for the current financial report. Click here for the current Governing Board meeting agenda.
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Thank you for reading The Weekly Scroll, and pardon any typos.
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| Quick Links
Joys and Concerns
As your faith community, we want to celebrate your joys with you and support you through times of concern. To share a joy or concern with our ministers and/or at services, please email Rev. Leah at leah@fvuuf.org. To be added to the Joys and Concerns email list, contact Cyndi Polakowski at cyndi@fvuuf.org.
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Weekly CalendarSaturday, June 9
6:30am Joyful Mind Zen Sangha
7:00pm UU Dance Group
Sunday, June 10
10:00am Worship Service 6:00pm Smiling Dandelion Sangha Monday, June 11
9:00am Goddess Group Tuesday, June 12 6:30pm Joyful Mind Zen Sangha
Friday, June 15 10:00am Photography as a Spiritual Practice Saturday, June 16 6:30am Joyful Mind Zen Sangha
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Book Club Books First Monday Book Club
Contact Chris Wales at kcrark@new.rr.com for the current book. UU Book Club
June: Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil by Lezley McSpadden
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