2005 DISTRICT AWARD WINNERS

2005 DISTRICT AWARD WINNERS - Congratulations!

Awards were presented at a luncheon as part of the District 2005 Annual Meeting on Saturday, April 30, 2005. Nominations for all but one award come from individuals within the District. Nominations for the June Z. Gillespie Award come from members of the District Board.

[Text is from the presentations of awards at the District 2005 Annual Meeting]

THE WINFRED LATIMER NORMAN AWARD
Janice Marie Johnson and Rori Kanter

- for Extraordinary Commitment and Service in the Area of Social and Racial Justice

Rori Kanter (left) and Janice Marie Johnson accepting
their awards from Jerry Davidoff

The members of the Anti-Racism and Diversity Committee of Metro NY District (ARDC) know that former co-chairs Janice Marie Johnson and Rori Kanter are more than well-deserving of this award. These two women had provided leadership on the District level by working tirelessly for several years even before becoming Committee co-chairs for three years, ending in June 2004. They continue to serve on ARDC’s Executive Team along with Co-Chairs Carl Heath and Hope Johnson. Under their leadership they have raised the consciousness of the impact of racism and the power of anti-racism throughout the District and moved us far beyond black and white, to the deeper understanding of multiculturalism, cross-culturalism and anti-oppression. Their commitment to youth and young adults is clear.

Through their leadership ARDC has become a well-respected model of what dismantling racism can look like as a committee on a district level. As a result of this ARDC has been appointed as a JUUST Change Anti-Oppression Consultancy Consultant for the UUA.

Janice and Rori have focused on the renewal and articulation of the vision of justice transformation. ARDC has been instrumental in strengthening relations with the UUA in terms of moving the long and hard work of justice formation forward. In addition, they have intentionally provided leadership development within ARDC. Without question, they model the best of the collaborative effort, working together in an accountable relationship with each other. The love, support and respect that they offer each other is strong. And they are not afraid to ask those tough, heart-rending questions of each other and of others.

They represent our ideals and values in the areas of social action and racial concerns within our District and beyond. It is with great pride that we present Janice Marie Johnson and Rori Kanter with the 2005 Winifred Latimer Norman Award.

Well-deserved. – Rev. Hope Johnson

THE UNSUNG UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST AWARD
Nino Luciano

- for Significant and Continuing Contributions to Unitarian Universalism Without Regard for Recognition

On behalf of Nino Luciano, Midge Jones (left)
accepting the award from Richard Bock.

The Unsung UU award is made to an individual who makes a solid and continuing contribution to the work of her or his congregation or to the District, without consideration of recognition, and is generally not well known throughout the District. The recipient of this award is the District's nominee for the UUA's annual Unsung Unitarian Universalist Award. The recipient of this years Metro NY District Unsung UU Award goes to Nino Luciano, a long-time member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Shelter Rock.

Nino’s list of accomplishments is long indeed. Here are some highlights:

Nino has served on the Board of Trustees, the building and grounds committee, organized the “couples club” and taught in the R.E. program. Nino has also served on the Board of Governors of the Veatch Program.

He has been involved in the planning and building of Hadley House, a senior residence, the building of a barn and an RE Wing at the Plandome location, and low-cost community housing. When the congregation was building at their new site, Nino proposed a highly successful minority training program for women and people of color. When Hurricane Andrew hit Florida in 1993, causing massive destruction, Nino went to Florida with the construction management trainees and some members of our congregation to help work on the massive reconstruction that was necessary.

In 1973 Nino proposed another wonderful program, the Student Activity Fund. Now funded by the Veatch Program, students receive a stipend so they can spend their summers in social service instead of other less meaningful employment.

In his early private life, Nino had been an opera singer, and became a valued member of our choir and music committee. In 1985 Nino initiated an opera program featuring soloists from the New York City Opera Co. Opera night has become one of the highlights of the year at our church, raising money for women’s literacy programs.

We congratulate Nino on his many accomplishments, noting that many of his works will live on into the future of his congregation and his community. – Kris Henrickson

THE JUNE Z. GILLESPIE AWARD
The Rev. Forrest Church

- for Developing Awareness Within One's Congregation of Denominational Affairs at the District or National Level Through Personal Action and Encouragement

Well, Forrest, ..for many years I have watched the development of you and your career and I must say you have turned out very nicely. You do us proud! Minister of one of our very largest congregations, author of 22 books, editor, famous and much-sought-after speaker, participant in betterment of your community – all these speak to the person you have become.

I confess that the first book of yours that I read was the one about your father because my late husband and I had been admirers of him. The second book I read was “Our Chosen Faith” because I was Metro District President and wanted as much background as possible to explain what we are about as UUs. From then on, however, I've read what you write just because I find it interesting.

I have one more caveat prior to awarding you the June Z. Gillespie Award. It is this: Some seven years ago, Mary Summerlin completed her term as President of our congregation and I deemed it appropriate that I purchase for her a Forrest Church book. This I did and took it with me to numerous Metro meetings in the hope/expectation that I might see you there and could have you autograph it for her. Well, you and I and the book never quite made it to the same meetings although I'm sure you were many places that the book and I were not. I have the book with me today and as soon as you have autographed it for Mary, You may have your award!

I am most proud to have you be the recipient of the award the Metro Board chose to initiate in my name. – June Gillespie

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Carol Haag

- for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Lifespan Religious Education

Carol’s passion for religious education is reflected in those whom she taught – the hundreds and hundreds of children and youth whose life she has enriched through her calling. Her passion is reflected in those whom she led – the religious education teachers she has touched in her own congregations of Princeton and Summit and her fellow professionals – the directors and ministers of religious education who respect and honor her for her leadership as reflected in one colleague's words: “She is the DRE's DRE.”

Carol’s commitment to professional excellence is well known. To quote: “Working with Carol in our LREDA chapter is truly inspiring for all of us. She is constantly challenging us to go a step further – to approach our work with renewed hearts and uncompromising intent. She both loves us as we are and holds us to a high standard of performance.”

At her retirement Carol wrote: “I tried to create loving, caring communities. I tried to give children and adults support for ethical living and for experiencing the joys of service. I tried to teach the unity in human religious explorations and to provide the mystery and beauty of worship. I have nurtured the growth of spiritual explorations and expressions in the churches I served, and within the movement as a whole.”

She did more than try. She made a huge difference in the lives of our children, in our lives. – Fred Schoeps

THE MENDON W. SMITH AWARD
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Somerset Hills (North Branch NJ)

- for Demonstrating Outstanding Dedication to to Unitarian Universalist Purposes and Principles and to the Strengthening of Our Liberal Religious Faith

Members of the UU Congregation of Somerset Hills accepting

their award from Kim Andersen (right).

This year, the Mendon W. Smith award is given to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Somerset Hills (North Branch NJ). This congregation, only several years old, embodies all of the values of the Mendon W. Smith award: creative programming, community outreach, leadership development, and more. The energy and dedication needed to simply have services every Sunday when you don’t yet have a permanent home is daunting enough; Somerset Hills manages to do that and so much more.

Somerset Hills sponsors Interfaith Dinners, collects and delivers food and goods to the needy through The Giving Network, participates in District lay leadership training, and sponsors monthly films on social justice. Because of the efforts of one persistent youngster, Somerset Hills will sponsor a booth at the Special Olympics this year. These are just a few examples of the way in which this congregation makes the world a better place. We are pleased to honor the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Somerset Hills for their many outstanding achievements. – Kim Andersen

2005 DISTRICT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS WINNERS - Congratulations!

Three District youth received scholarships of $500 each at the District Annual Meeting on Saturday, April 30, 2005. The District Scholarship Committee considers students who manifest their Unitarian Universalist values in service to a local congregation, the UU movement, and the larger community. Breadth or depth of contributions, leadership or initiative, and responsible commitment are determining qualities. The applicant should be enrolled or about to enroll in a college, university, or other post high school educational program.

Emily Conger

Emily Conger, who has been a Unitarian Universalist since she was five and was an active member of YRUU, is finishing her third year at Rutgers University with a major in Women's and Gender Studies. She has dedicated her time in college to doing social justice work and activism to live out her Unitarian Universalist values. Emily served as the co-president of the Bisexual Gay Lesbian Alliance at Rutgers University, chair of the University-wide Queer Caucus, and a facilitator in Peer Educators on Sexuality and Queer Issues. She volunteers at the Women's Center, is a Sexual Health Advocate, facilitates workshops at the Bridging the Gap diversity retreat, and will be teaching a class of first-year students in the fall. Emily has demonstrated her continued commitment to UUism through serving on the Board of Trustees for UUMAC, attending General Assembly as a Montclair delegate for the past five years, acting as the youth ambassador on a trip to Transylvania, and helping to spark a UU Campus Ministry at Rutgers.

Anna Henschel

Anna Henschel has been on the district Youth Adult Committee for three years, serving as co-chair for two of those years, and webmaster throughout. She is a life long Unitarian Universalist from New York City and attends the All Souls congregation, where she is a member of the Youth Group, teaches Sunday School and has served as a youth delegate to General Assembly. Anna has been an active participant, leader and organizer at youth conferences and will be trained to lead Spirituality Development Conferences at the Continental Training at Murray Grove in May. She will be graduating High School in June and going to either Bard College in New York or Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.

Emily Stevens

Emily Stevens is an active member of the South Nassau Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Freeport, NY, which she has been attending for 14 years. She has served as the Youth Trustee on the Board and was on the Interim Search Committee in 2004. She helped create and launch the Interfaith Community Outreach Program (ICOP) at her congregation, which focuses on preventing gang violence, helping local day laborers, stopping child labor, and assisting the elderly. At school, Emily is the Director of Community Service for the National Honor Society. She has spent the last 3 summers volunteering over 500 hours at a camp for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities. She plans to study special education or speech pathology at Geneseo State College next year. Emily would like to thank her congregation and strong youth program for their years of support.