June 2006

Metro NY Minute -- June 2006

Upcoming Workshops and Meetings

Visit the District's Calendar and Events page for these and other events:

Young Religious UU (YRUU) Con UU Dig It: Sponsored by and held at the UU Fellowship at Stony Brook, Stony Brook NY, June 9-11. Click here for flyer and registration information.

Religious Educators Retreat: June 11-14 at Grove Hall, Ocean Grove NJ. For information, contact Louan Minzner.

UU University: A Gathering of Leaders Before General Assembly,: Sponsored by the UUA, June 20-21, St Louis MO. Click here

for flyer.

UUA General Assembly: June 21- 25, St Louis MO. Registration in advance through June 10..

Religious Education Week: Sponsored by the Southeast Chapter of the Liberal Religious Educators Association, July 2-7, at the Mountain Retreat & Learning Centers, Highlands NC.

Ferry Beach Religious Education Week: July 8-14, at Ferry Beach, Saco ME

Star Island Religious Education Week: July 15-22, at Star Island off the coast at Rye NH.

UU Mid-Atlantic Community Family Camp: July 16-22, at DeSales University, Central Valley PA. Click here

for brochure and registration form.

Eagles Leadership School: Sponsored by the St. Lawrence and Ohio-Meadville districts, July 23-29, Geneva NY. For a brochure, click here

; for an application, click here

. For information, contact Lynn Sohn

Unilead Lay Leadership School: July 30-Augusts 5, at the Kirkridge Retreat and Conference Center, Bangor PA. For information, contact Laura Shemick.

New Director of Religious Education Workshop: Sponsored by the District, August 1-2, at Murray Grove Retreat and Conference Center, Lanoka Harbor NJ. For information, contact Andrea Lerner.

UU Identity Renaissance Module: Sponsored by the District, August 2-4, at Murray Grove Retreat and Conference Center, Lanoka Harbor NJ. For information, contact Andrea Lerner.

Elementary OWL Training: Sponsored by the District, August 4-6, at Murray Grove Retreat and Conference Center, Lanoka Harbor NJ. For information, contact Andrea Lerner.

Junior/Senior OWL Training: Sponsored by the District, August 4-6, at Murray Grove Retreat and Conference Center, Lanoka Harbor NJ. For information, contact Andrea Lerner.

Sophia Fahs Camp: Sponsored for the Long Island Area Council, August 13-18, at Shelter Island NY. For information, contact Bernie Kaplan.

Junior High Retreat: Sponsored by the District Junior Youth Steering Committee, September 16-17, at Harriman State Park, Bear Mountain NY. For information, contact Peter Green.

Did You Know . . . ?

. . . The District is sponsoring three events at the 2006 General Assembly, including a District Ingathering, a workshop on the District's Chalice Lighters program, and a workshop on the social justice ministry at the Unitarian Church in Westport (CT).

. . . The Rev. Calvin Dame will join the District as Interim Congregational Services Consultant beginning July 1. Rev. Dame succeeds the Rev. Harry Green, who is retiring from District service.

. . . The Spring 2006 Call has so far raised just over $13,000 to benefit the UU Congregation of Central Nassau (Garden City NY) in efforts to make the congregation's building handicapped accessible. The Fall 2006 Call will benefit the Gulf Coast UU Church and other UU congregations in the general Gulf Coast area; the Spring 2007 Call will benefit the First Unitarian Society of Plainfield (NJ). An update from Bill and Rickey Slezak, District Chalice Lighters Coordinators.

More Good Stuff to Check Out!

RE-Sources for religious education leaders

Job opportunities around the District

SmallTalk for small congregations

Action Alerts from the UUA Washington Office for Advocacy

InterConnections for lay leaders

UUA Monthly Mailing to all congregations

UUWorld.org, UUA's online magazine

UUA News Clips for newsletter editors (Word document)

. . . The UUA Health Insurance Plan has been approved by the UUA Board of Trustees for congregation, District, and UUA employees working more than 1,000 hours per year, to take effect January 1, 2007. Once 500 people are enrolled, final steps will be taken to implement the plan. Open enrollment runs from May 1 to October 15. Complete information -- including benefits offered, a premium calculator, and an application -- is available at www.uua.org/leaders/insurance. District Compensation Consultant Lynn Dash is available to answer questions, or contact Jim Sargent, UUA Health Plan Communications Coordinator. Packets will be mailed to congregations in May.

. . . Delegates to the 2006 General Assembly can support an Action of Immediate Witness (AIW) endorsing UUA-participation in a "Declaration of Peace" campaign -- a national, multi-organization effort to end the war in Iraq. Delegate signatures are needed to get the AIW on the agenda at General Assembly.

. . . The First Unitarian Society of Weschester (Hastings-on-Hudson NY) is displaying art that Society children have created during the year. Each piece in the exhibit, titled We Believe, is based on the UU Principles. Following an opening reception, young performers aged 8-16 showcased their talents in piano, flute, violin, and voice.

. . . The UU Congregation at Shelter Rock (Manhasset NY) passed a resolution of conscience protesting the war in Iraq at a congregational meeting in February. "As a people of faith, we raise our voice in protest against the unjust and immoral war in Iraq," reads the resolution.

. . . The First UU Church of Essex County (Orange NJ) will honor on June 11 former member Norbert Capek, originator of the Flower Communion service -- a tradition at many UU congregations. June 24 marks the 83rd anniversary of the original Flower Communion service held at the Congregation of Liberal Religious Fellowship in Prague, Czechoslovakia, a congregation Capek organzed in the early 1920s.

. . . The UU Congregation of the Catskills (Kingston NY) has introduced an Amateur Scientists Group to study and discuss topics from a wide variety of scientific disciplines.

. . . Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth is available from Rodale Press at half off the $21.95 cover price to all UU congregations buying 10 or more copies. For more information, contact Kevin Cooper, Sales.

. . . Ways to the Spirit '06

is a weekend spiritual retreat at Murray Grove Retreat and Conference Center, Lanoka Harbor NJ, on July 28-30 led by the Rev. Craig Hirshberg and the Rev. Charles Stephens. All are welcome. For more information contact Craig Hirshberg (908- 832-0219).

. . . Junior High Our Whole Lives (OWL)

will be offered at the Fourth Universalist Society (Manhattan) on Sundays, September 10 - February 11, from 2-4 p.m. in a joint effort with the First Unitarian Society of Rockland County (Pomona NY). Other congregations are invited to participate. For more information or to register, contact Laura Beth Brown, DRE, Fourth Universalist Society (Manhattan), at 212-595-1658 x.52.

Milestones and Transitionss

Having served in an acting capacity, Nancy Torres-Vignola is now Director of Religious Education at the UU Church at Washington Crossing (Titusville NY)

The Unitarian Church of Staten Island (NY) welcomes Patricia Murphy as Director of Religious Education.

The UU Congregation of Central Nassau (Garden City NY) voted unanimously on April 30 to call the Rev. Hope Johnson to be the congregation's settled Minister.

The Rev. Anthony Johnson has been appointed Affiliated Community Minister at the Community Church of New York UU (Manhattan)..

On May 7, the Rev. Margaret Haynes Allen was called as Associate Minister to serve the Unitarian Church in Westport.

On April 30, the Rev. Barbara Fast, former Associate Minister of the Unitarian Church in Westport, was called as Settled Minister for the Westminster Unitarian Church in East Greenwich RI.

On April 30, the Rev. Manish Mishra, current Interim Associate Minister of the Unitarian Church in Westport, was called as settled Minister for the Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg FL.