USH-Enews April 8, 2010 Print Only Edition

USH-Enews is a weekly email newsletter produced for members and friends of the Unitarian Society of Hartford. The USH web address is: http://www.ushartford.com/ Check at the end of this USH-Enews for information on submissions, subscriptions and escape from the mailing list or to find past issues of the weekly USH-Enews click here.

Sunday 11 April - What I Have Learned About Religion in 70 years - In Four Parts - Pulpit Guest, Roy Cook - More

Music - Aaron Copland is the composer of the day, at the speaker’s request, and this major musical figure of 20th century America will be well represented. The Choir sings “The Promise of Living,” the high point of Copland’s folk opera “The Tender Land,” and the Meeting House Quartet offers “At the River,” an adaptation of a beloved old hymn. Our newest soloist, baritone Garrett Matthews, sings a lively song in minstrel style, “Ching-a-Ring Chaw.” For the Entrance Voluntary and Postlude, since Copland never wrote organ music, Mark Child plays a pair of pieces by Copland’s student and dear friend Ned Rorem. All this music comes from truly American musical instincts and sources, and echoes Roy Cook's look at his religious journey over most of a century.

Spirit Play: Our Six Sources
Second & Third Grade: UU Superheroes: Malvena Reynolds
Fourth & Fifth Grade: Spirit of Adventure: Inventions
Sixth & Seventh Grade: Field Trip to the Berlin Mosque
Eighth Grade: Coming of Age
Youth Group Activities: Discussion

What You Can Do For USH

Please note, we are ending the stewardship campaign (see article). If you have not pledged, please do so as obvious budgetary issues must be addressed.

From the Editor: Suggestions for Contributors. Please note, next week's USH-Enews will be a two week issue.

This Week’s Feature Articles

Roy Cook, Pulpit Guest this week
Victor Lundy, Meeting House Architect
The Time is Now
Spring has Sprung

Victor Lundy, Meeting House Architect

Editor’s Note: This letter appeared in the 4/4/10 edition of Soundings, a newsletter of the Unitarian Church in Westport, copied here with permission of the Minister, Frank Hall. Patrice Fitzgerald, who called this to my attention, says their church looks like a slice of ours and was also designed by Victor Lundy.

March 29, 2010

Dear Friends,

In his poem, A Song for Occupations, Whitman declares:

All architecture is what you do to it when you look upon it, (Did you think it was in the white or gray stone? Or the lines of the arches and cornices?)

For more that two decades I was asked again and again, “Who was the architect of this amazing building?” I said, “ Victor Lundy,” an answer that fell flat because I had never met Victor; it was just a name without a face, without a real, living person behind it.

Finally, a few years ago, Jan Branunle showed me an article in the Boston Globe about three famous architects who were featured at a conference at Harvard, one of which was Victor. I made some calls and spoke with him from his home in Houston. He said, “My son lives in New York and we’re visiting next week for Thanksgiving, I’d love to visit the church and meet you.”

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I met Victor and his wife, Antsis, the day before Thanksgiving and we had an instant, mutual feeling of connection, in the Buber sense: “From moment to moment, from day to day, we search the eyes of others for that certain ‘Yes’”

Our tour of the building included a walk to the Memorial Garden, which was started sometime after the building was complete – it was not in the original plan. As we stood together on the hill Victor asked, “Is this just for members?” I answered, “It’s for members and architects.” He responded, “Really?” I assured him I was serious and he turned to Antsis and said, “What do you think?” She responded favorably.

The following spring we made arrangements for Victor to visit again, this time with Arnold Westwood, the minister who worked with Victor and Ken Lanouette, and Joe Wertheim to come up with an appropriate design in 1959. I asked Victor and Arnold to speak at a Sunday service and arranged a reunion with the folks who were here “in the beginning.”

Last week Victor returned with a federal government film crew and a producer who are working with him on a retrospective of his life’s work, the church being central to his enormous accomplishments. They set up in the sanctuary where they did long interviews with Victor, and with him and me, discussing the religious significance of the unique architecture. Our sense of connection and mutual respect deepened into a real bond.

Lory and I had dinner with Victor, the Lanouettes, and Wertheims – a poignant reunion, Antsis died four months ago and Victor is holding her cremains to be interred with his. At 87 he’s still working. He referred to the Memorial Garden plan, and the visits as a ‘homecoming.’ Now I can say that the architect was Victor Lundy, a special man.

With love,
Frank

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Edited Photo from Original by Anne Bailey

USH Unitarians are extraordinary people. Our own Roy Cook, guest speaker this week, was born in Nebraska. He studied architecture, played in the marching band, and met his future wife, Marion Miller at the University of Nebraska. After graduating in 1962, he spent three years as a Lieutenant in the Air Force. He and Marion were based in Hampton, Virginia, where they witnessed the civil rights movement first hand.

They chose the Hartford area off a map (being close enough for art and music day trips to New York and Boston) and moved here in 1965. He worked for several architecture firms designing and managing over 200 public school projects all over New England, as well as projects for Aetna and The Hartford insurance Companies.

In 1966 The Cooks became members of the our church. Both David and Jennifer were raised in the church. Roy has served on the Arts, Building and Grounds, and Capital Improvements, Society Council, and Trustees Committees. Some of his projects for the church include construction of the lower parking lot, bringing the church up to code with ADA laws, Fellowship Hall partitions and lighting and floor installation, Sanctuary center light, and the design of the tree of life sculpture on the wall of the memorial garden.

Given Roy's experience with our unique building, we decided to tell a bit about the architecture in our above the fold article. In addition, you can read about the building history. Just click here.

The Time is Now - The pledge drive officially ends tomorrow, April 9th. If you have not yet sent in your pledge card, please do so now so that the Finance Sub-Council can begin the budgeting process for the upcoming fiscal year. To date, we have raised $278,842. We are still waiting to hear from as many as 64 pledgers. In order to raise $345,000 to maintain current programs and staffing we will need all those who have not yet pledged and are able to do so, to make a pledge and consider an increase of 35% over last year’s pledge. While we know this is not possible for everyone, we hope you will consider what you can do and send in your pledge card now.

Feel free to contact any Stewardship Sub-council member with questions (Sue Kinney, Joe Rubin, Diane Cadrain, Nancy Mandly, Helen David and Martha Page). - Sue Kinney

Spring has Sprung - Wow! We made a joyful noise at the Meeting House on Easter Sunday — thanks to jazzy music, fabulous singing and inspiring words to live by.

Young people were a very important part of this service. Some carried in the annual banners celebrating joy, hope, life and spring. Others, fabulous musicians Anna Norland, trumpet, Joe Ganci, drums, and Conor Lyman, saxaphone, together with the more mature Mark Child, piano, and Melissa Paul, cantor, had us tapping and clapping to the rhythm of Jazz Alleluia, I’m Beginning to See the Light and When the Saints Come Marching In. And three precious very young ones were welcomed, adored and named.

Reverend BJ, who introduced herself to the many visiting relatives (including Olivia Meny’s great grandparents) as “the Easter bunny today, the minister on other Sundays,” said “We need a sense of deity to crack our hard crust.”

In her Time for All Ages, Reverend BJ told the story to the many children clustered around her on the Chancel floor of Jesus’ death, burial and the rolling away of the huge stone blocking his tomb. Later, she told the congregation that the mystery in this rolling away the stone story “inspires” her

“Why do we repeat stories?” she asked. We know the plot and what’s going to happen. Although our oft-repeated personal stories have themes, meaning and reflect how we see the world, they also reflect what we believe in or what we want to believe in. “Never underestimate the power of these stories,” Reverend BJ said.

“Religious stories are free and available to us every moment of the day.” They reflect eternal truth. Although the Easter story is very personal, “it is also a cosmic, universal story…The natural world is in this ancient story, and all that applies to the natural world applies to us.” The world is full of changes, Reverend BJ said. “Every day is a new scientific discovery…and changes offer wisdom,” she said.

As has become her tradition, Reverend BJ asked each of us to take a stone (albeit plastic) from a basket as we left the Sanctuary. We were asked to “go out into the natural world” with our stone, find a high place, turn around 360 degrees, notice how many choices, possibilities and directions there are, say “Everything is possible,” and throw our stone as far as we can. The stone is a “great big boulder that is keeping you in your tomb,” Reverend BJ said.

Other musical miracles (as they seem to those of us who can’t sing on key) were the Jenny Rebecca anthem sung by the Teresa Pelham, Shannen Hofheimer, Mark Child and Paul Hansen quartet, followed by Hold to God’s Unchangin’ Hand by the Melissa Paul, Shannen Hofheimer, Brian Webster and Garret Matthews quartet.

And a special thanks to new member Zean Gassmann who really took Reverend BJ’s invitation to add a little hilaritas to the Easter parade by dressing imaginatively. His wildly colorful and zany outfit, complete with tea bags hanging from his hat, put those of us who were satisfied with bright colored shirts or ties, rabbit ears or Easter bonnets to shame.

Happy spring! - Kayla Costenoble

What Else is Happening

Comfort Shawl Knitters will be meeting Sunday 4-11 from 9 AM to 10 AM under the stairs outside Fellowship Hall. Join us.

Social Justice Journeys (From the UUA) And from USH

Sign up early for the Peace Train going to the May 2nd NYC Rally for disarmament ! This will be an international rally for disarmament. More

Protecting the Freedom of the Press - Monday, April 12 at 7PM UCONN School of Law, Starr Hall Reading Room. Featuring John Nichols (Nation Magazine), Robert Corn-Revere (First Amendment attorney), moderated by Don Noel. For more information visit acluct.org. - Joan Kemble

In May, the UN will review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The nuclear weapons states have failed to meet their obligation to negotiate destroying the weapons under the NPT.

To stop this madness, many political leaders are calling for nuclear abolition now. There is no time to delay.

Sign the global petition to abolish nuclear weapons to be presented in May to the United Nations: Click here - Joan Kemble

Adult Programs
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Stop by the Programs table this Sunday during coffee hour and register for either or both of these two programs - Collage, Saturday, April 17 and Painting In The Park With Watercolors, Saturdays, May 8 - 29.

At the Book Cart, located next to the Programs Table, there are two copies of Dancing with the Sacred: Evolution, Ecology, and God by our own Karl Peters for purchase. Also, copies of A Chosen Faith by John A Buehrens and Forrest Church ($16) are available. For additional information, you may refer to the complete description of classes, programs, and events on the web.

Coming Events:

Collage with Paper and Found Objects, Saturdays, April 10 and 17, 10 AM - 2 PM. (More)

Our Chosen Faith, Wednesday, April 14, 7 PM. Join Rev. Jamestone for a discussion of Chapters 7 and 8 of Our Chosen Faith. If you have the book, please try to read the chapters before the class. This provocative handbook is a dialogue between two great Unitarian Universalist ministers based on the six sources of our living UU tradition. For more information about the program, go to the listing on the web.

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Painting in the Park with Watercolors

Saturdays, May 8, 15, 22, 29.
Time: 1:30 - 4:00 PM.
Fee: $5.00.

Have you wanted to learn how to paint what you see using watercolors? Did you take last year's watercolor class and would you like to continue? This is your chance to learn or improve on basic watercolor painting skills.

One of last year's participants wrote "I am currently participating in the watercolor class with Roy Cook - the cost was only $5 for three weeks of inspiration! What a joy to attend and great feelings of camaraderie! Low cost offerings like this with great bonding potential seem to be golden nuggets."

The first session will be in Fellowship Hall. The next three sessions, weather permitting, participants will meet at the Meeting House and then drive to Elizabeth Park. For the first session, bring a set of watercolor paints, brushes, water container, watercolor pad, and a photo you would like to copy and paint.

You can sign up at the Programs Table during Coffee Hour on Sundays or call Janice Newton 860-677-1121 or email at dcnewton(at symbol)snet.net

Please, if at all possible, register for programs in person during coffee hours on most Sundays. If you cannot register in person, please email Janice Newton dcnewton(at symbol)snet.net and note registration in the subject line, or call 860.677.1121 and leave a message (if we are not home) rather than calling the office. This procedure will be followed for all programs including Small Group Ministry. Your cooperation is deeply appreciated.

Coming soon…..a new class for those seeking peace and tranquility, gentle exercise for the body and mind, a time for moving and meditation. We will be offering a TaiChi class from 5:00PM to 6:00PM on Wednesdays during the month of May. More to follow.

Village Garden Project - Last year a few of us grew a garden with children at The Village for Children and Families (next door to USH) More

Kingian Non-Violence Training at USH - To be held Saturdays April 17 and 24 at USH. More

Our USH Community Numbers

* Sustaining: Members (229) Friends (9)

** Supporting: Members   (58) Friends (11)

*** Ministerial Exemptions:         0

Sub -Total: Members (287)    Friends (20)
****Total USH Community   307

*Sustaining members donate more than $250 per year per person, and are reported to UUA.
**Supporting members donate from zero to $249 per year per person.
***Exemptions: those who consult with minister and make a service pledge in lieu of financial donation.

**** The total USH community--those who consider USH to be their religious community when they have need of a religious community or minister.

Attendance for Sunday, April 4, 2010
Worship = 252
Average Attendance for March = 131
Religious Education Attendance = intergenerational
Average RE Attendance for March = 31
Visitor forms completed 4/4 = 0
Visitor forms completed March = 8
Offering for 4/4 = $4394.97 including $1078.97 for Horace Bushnell Food Pantry
Members Joining January: 3

Caring Network - Acceptance is such an important commodity, some have called it "the first law of personal growth." Acceptance is simply seeing something as it is and saying, "That is the way it is." And that is the way it is. Walter Cronkite A friend is a gift you give yourself. Robert Louis Stevenson - If you know of any member experiencing some difficulty, please contact Diana Heymann, Chair of the Caring Network heydiana(at symbol) comcast.net 860.461.0908 or call the office so we can provide some assistance.- before 10:30 on Sunday. A wide range of community services is also available to those in need by calling InfoLine at 211. Please contact Diana if you are able to volunteer your services.

Further Down The Road (About 30 Days)

Economic Conversation Planned - We will have an Economic Conversation on Sunday, May 2, after the service, to talk about the development of the 2010-2011 budget. Please join us to learn more and to provide feedback on the process.

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Green Topics - Did You Know? - You know those cookie bags and energy bar wrappers you can drop off at the green table or green sanctuary bulletin board to be recycled and make $ for USH? Now see what they are made into:for a limited time only between April 5th and April 29th, the largest selection of TerraCycle products ever will be available in every Walmart store across the country. Each “Earth Zone” display will feature over 60 TerraCycle products. Check them out and support this great program to use waste in a creative and productive way.

On the Calendar - Please notify Brian Mullen of all additions or changes to the calendar. Follow this link to all our scheduled events