USH-Enews for May 31, 2007 Print Only Edition

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Link to various "normal" newsletters.

Marj Davis seated at the freshly reassembled Hamilton Vocalion Reed Organ in the Chapel on May 15th, moving day for the 1889 instrument. See story

The 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. And, to read the monthly Meetinghouse Messenger (newsletter) on line, or past issues of the weekly USH-Enews click here.

Office hours: M-F 9-3 (excluding W 10 -11); Rev. Jamestone: Phone: 860 233-9897; Email: RevBJ@USHartford.com - Rev. BJ office hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday by appointment.

Once in a Blue Moon ... is a common way of saying not very often, but what exactly is a Blue Moon? Two full moons in a single month (May 2 and May 31). On average, there will be 41 months that have two Full Moons in every century, so you could say that once in a Blue Moon actually means once every two-and-a-half years.

Sunday - 3 June - Envisioning the Congregation We May Become - Building the world we dream about. From the vantage point of today and USH's long history, President-elect Bill Young and Rev. Jamestone tell the stories of our journey and what may be ahead.

Music: Offertory Anthem: Two Unitarian Universalist hymns: Th'Almighty spake and Gabriel sped -- Oliver Holden, 1793
Sweet By-and-By -- Joseph Philbrick Webster 1895.

On the organ: Vom Himmel hock, da komm' ich her," by Johann Pachelbel
Postlude : Adagio in Db by Franz Liszt John tells us, "Those titles represent both the old and the newer styles of organ music that may have been used in church settings.

RE - Join us in thanks to the many volunteers who make the Religious Education program a rich experience for the children of our Meeting House. The Children’s Message will be devoted to the children and those who care for them on Sunday. Classes will resume this Sunday for the last class of the school year. The Flower Communion service on June 10th will be intergenerational, and the summer program will begin on June 17th.

The Annual Meeting is Sunday, June 3rd following the 11 AM service. Get some soup from the youth group and come along.

From the Editor: If you look at the organ, under the organ as it is assembled and made ready for action, or in the Courant, you will find we have remarkable members.

This Week’s Feature Articles

USH receives an 1889 Hamilton Vocalion Reed Organ from Marj Davis, wife of Karl Peters. - After a period of careful preparation, May 15th was moving day for the 1889 Hamilton Vocalion Reed Organ from the Wallingford home, the dining room to be exact, of Marj's late brother Norman A. Hall. Moving required that this intricate instrument be disassembled into large parts and, as it

turned out, removed through a window, as the doors were too narrow to permit passage for some of the large and fragile parts.

Paul Carry of Troy, New York, an organist and expert in such matters had spent the previous evening preparing the wood parts

for the move. This included using a large number of rubber bands among other techniques to hold all the parts in proper array for the move.

Marj's Brother Norman had purchased the organ in 1990 and had it assembled in his home. Many years before as a youth he had learned to play the organ during his high school years, taking lessons from the organist at the First Baptist Church in Wallingford.

Living in the home of his parents after they had passed away, he had no greater need for the dining room than to use it to house the sizable organ rather than the conventional dining room table. And that is where he played the organ during his later years.

Marj offered to donate the organ to USH, and Karl offered to pay the substantial costs of moving, disassembly and reassembly for which we and those who will follow us for years to come will be grateful.

Upon arrival at the Meeting House, there was a good deal of head wagging as it became apparent that the large "chunks" were too wide to fit through the doors from the Ambulatory to the Chapel. It worked out that it was possible to maneuver the pieces

through the odd shaped door at the north side of the Chapel, and that with about a hair's additional space available. Karl

Peters, Stu Spence and David Newton spent the afternoon doing some of the more tedious reassembly of key linkages in the back of the instrument. Subsequently Stu Spence and Ed Sax connected the blower so those who understand how to play it could test the organ and adjustments could be done before calling in the expert, Paul Carey for further work, if necessary.

The organ was originally constructed in Canada. As part of its long history, it was used at Christ the King Roman Catholic Church in Bethlehem NH, and in 1971 was moved to Camp Duncan, the home of the Bretton Woods Boy Singers for their 61st season. Prior to its installation in Wallingford, it was located in a residence in Quebec, Canada. Unlike any other Reed Organs in the US, this type is unique because it currently runs on an air pressure system. It still has the hardware from the original water powered gravity return pressure system, the common way of running such organs years ago. There is still such an organ in England that runs on water power.

Some of the history of the organ is recorded on a piece of paper glued to the back.

At the top of this page you can see Marj sitting at the keyboard of the organ now restored to its elegant case with the "under the hood" parts reassembled in working order. - DCN

It was the size of Sid Garvais' living room in Windsor that helped launch Common Cause in Connecticut more than 30 year ago.

And on Tuesday, the now 82-year-old's volunteer efforts to establish the nonprofit, nonpartisan citizen's lobbying organization in the Nutmeg State, and his retirement from his volunteer job with the group, were the reasons for a politically charged party.

"They wanted to establish a chapter of Common Cause in the state and needed a big room for the first meeting, so I offered our living room," said Garvais about the state chapter's beginnings in 1971.

"I think there were more causes when I got started," said Garvais, a former insurance executive, about the organization charged with promoting open, honest and accountable government. "But the Common Cause is still a valuable tool."

The retirement party at the Pond House in West Hartford attracted a who's-who of state and legislative officials, including Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who, as a law student in the early 1970s, helped organize the state chapter.

"He is quite a guy, although he looks like a skeleton," Garvais said, chuckling, about the AG's signature super-svelte look. "Every time we do see each other, he reminds me of how long it has been since we first worked together to get Common Cause going."

Although he is retired from both his professional and volunteer posts and is recovering from some health issues, Garvais, who now lives in Bloomfield, came off looking like a party animal at his soiree as he serenaded partygoers with 45 minutes of his best piano playing.

"Sid is Common Cause Connecticut," said Common Cause Connecticut's executive director, Andy Sauer, who helped plan the party. "His life exemplified the phrase `one person can make a difference."

In A Different Light - With BRIAN SMITH A New, Occasional Feature In Java That Highlights People With Unusual Interests Outside The Office

As a litigator, Brian Smith likely has been tempted to start a sword fight or two in the courtroom. And odds are pretty good that he'd win (although it probably wouldn't go over well with too many judges.)

The soft-spoken Smith, a partner at Robinson & Cole of Hartford and chairman of the law firm's land-use group, took a fencing course at the age of 16 while spending a year in Scotland, where his father was teaching. He competed on the fencing team during his four years at Colgate University, going to national tournaments three times, the last time as a first-year law associate.

"It's really a cross between chess and ballet," says Smith, who also plays clarinet every summer in the Glastonbury Town Band.

Smith coached the fencing teams at Skidmore College and the University of Oregon and taught theatrical fencing, or stage combat, in Skidmore's theatrical department, choreographing fencing scenes in "Twelfth Night" and "Hamlet." Remember those poison-tipped foils?

Having trained under a U.S. Olympic coach and a member of the Scottish National Fencing Team, Smith, 52, has many competitions and achievements under his belt, but what clearly means more to him is the teaching he does now at his 10-year-old daughter's school. For the past three years, Smith has taught fencing classes to about a dozen kids at the East Hartford-Glastonbury Magnet School, using the equipment and some of the 40 or so foils and epees he owns.

"The most fun part about this is exposing kids to the sport," he says. "It's definitely different from what kids usually spend their time doing."- Teresa M. Pelham, Special to the Courant

What Else is Happening & Announcements

Luncheon At Rockledge - June 7 Join Alliance friends for lunch at the Rockledge Restaurant, 289 South Main Street, West Hartford, on Thursday June 7. We will carpool from the Meeting House about 12:40 or you can meet us at Rockledge for lunch at 1:00. Reservations required, so sign up on the Alliance bulletin board or contact Louise Schmoll, 242-2953, no later than Monday, June 4.

GHICEJ LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES: for June More

Women’s Alliance Unitarian Society of Hartford - The Educational Grant Committee of the Women’s Alliance is pleased to report that in May 2007 it awarded small financial grants to three women associated with USH. The grants are meant to assist in meeting educational expenses and totaled $600. They are the result of funds earned in sales of baked goods and calendars and also from member donations. The Women’s Alliance has been providing similar financial help to worthy women for many years.

CHILDREN’S ART DISPLAY. Our current art exhibit is contributed by artists in our Religious Education program. Artists and/or parents may pick up the work following the 11:00 AM service on Sunday, June 10, when the show will come down.

Adult Programs: - Space Available in August Small Group Ministry - We are registering for Small Group Ministry in August (5 openings). The July session is full. The group will meet on Thursday evening each week for four consecutive weeks. Margaret Leicach will facilitate the group, starting on August 2. It will convene at
the Meeting House in air-conditioned space. You may sign up by contacting the church office."

Dinner Movie Series Continues with Prairie Home Companion June 8 - "An unabashed love letter to the way things used to be." Metromix.com

Photo

“A Prairie Home Companion” on Friday, June 8, will be the final feature in this year’s Dinner and a Movie series. The movie “combines Altman's cinematic style and intelligence and love of improvisation and Keillor's songs and storytelling. . . . The film uses the musicians and crew and stage setting of the actual radio show, heard on public radio stations coast to coast for the past quarter-century (and which, in real life, continues to broadcast).” With a star-studded cast starring Garrison Keillor, the final film directed by Robert Altman captured the hearts of many critics and viewers.

"A Prairie Home Companion is as heartwarming as a plate of Powdermilk Biscuits, as unexpected as a slice of rhubarb pie and as wistful as a chorus of Red River Valley." Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Reservations may be made at the coffee hour registration table or by calling the USH office at 233-9897 by Monday, June 4. Please indicate if you prefer a vegetarian menu when reserving. Movie fans will gather at 5:30 PM for popcorn and drinks; dinner (mid-Western menu), the movie, and optional discussion will follow. As always, those with some extra time to help set up (before 5:30) are cheerfully welcomed.

Calling All Movie Fans! Nominations for 2007-8 Dinner and Movie Series
Why don’t they ever show any movies I like at the Dinner and Movie Series? Nominations for films for the 2007- 8 series may be sent to pickmovies(at symbol)ushartford.com or put in the Adult Programs mailbox in the USH office. Voting will take place in the summer.

Caring Network - In giving you are throwing a bridge across the chasm of your solitude. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Wisdom of the Sands, translated from French by Stuart Gilbert - You are the ears of the Caring Network. Tell Janice Newton 677-1121 when you learn of our members enduring the stresses of life so we can reach out to those in need. - Offer your services. A wide range of community services are available to help you. Call InfoLine at 211.

Friday, June 1
6:00 – 8:00 pm Ember Days, Emerson
7:00 pm Rental, Chapel

Saturday, June 2
6:00 – 8:00 pm Ember Days, Emerson

Sunday, June 3
8:00 am Music Rehearsal, Sanctuary
9:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, CHAPEL
10:00 am Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
10:00 am Youth Group Soup Making, Kitchen
10:00 am Children’s Choir, Chapel
10:00 am Disabilities, Library
10:00 am Welcoming Congregation, Murray
10:00 am Coming of Age, Fuller
10:15 am Music Rehearsal, Sanctuary
10:30 am Chalice Choir, Chapel
11:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, SANCTUARY
12:00 noon Annual Meeting, Sanctuary
12:00 pm Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
3:00 pm Rental, Chapel

Monday, June 4
6:30 pm Survivors of Incest Anonymous, Murray

Tuesday, June 5
6:30 pm Stewardship, Servetus
8:00 pm AA, Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, June 6
10:00 – 11:00 am Staff Meeting, Minister’s Study (OFFICE CLOSED)
6:00 pm Dharma Gathering, Emerson
6:30 pm Tai Chi, Fellowship Hall
7:30 pm Choir, Sanctuary

Thursday, June 7
10:00 am Women’s Alliance Cabinet, Library
1:00 pm Women’s Alliance Luncheon, West Hartford

Friday, June 8
7:00 pm Rental, Library

Saturday, June 9
9:30 am Rental, Chapel

Sunday, June 10
8:00 am Music Rehearsal, Chapel
9:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, CHAPEL
10:00 am Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
10:00 am Building and Grounds, Murray
10:00 am Council on Social Justice, Library
10:00 am Children’s Choir, Chapel
10:15 am Music Rehearsal, Sanctuary
11:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, SANCTUARY
12:00 noon Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
3:00 pm Rental, Chapel
7:00 pm Rental, Chapel

Italicized entries are non-USH events.

Please notify the office of all additions or changes to the calendar. To get on the calendar, call 233.9897 More general calendar information covering several months may be found here.

A Matter of Opinion: (space for comment on USH issues from members and friends) - Editor retains the right to make minor changes – letters should be issue oriented)

Moved and Challenged - I was both moved and challenged by the installation service, which really affirmed my identity as a UU! The blending of Northern and Southern culture, first experienced during a three-year military stint in Washington, was a harbinger of good things to come at the Unitarian Society of Hartford. Many, many thanks to Rev. BJ for sharing her heritage with us "desiccated Unitarians!" - John Barlow

Large-Screen TV Needed - I am writing to you as the Acting President of Soromundi Commons Resident Council, the tenant association. Our building is a “supportive housing” apartment building. Most of our residents are low-income, disabled, or elderly. One floor is a shelter for homeless women.

Once a week, we have movie night, but our large-screen TV is broken, and we need to replace it. Does one of our church members have a used (but still working) large screen TV that they would like to donate to us? - Aloha pumehana (warm aloha), Alani

The Humanist Association of Connecticut - Social dinner at Lemon Grass Restaurant, So. Main St, West Hartford May 31 ( Thursday) at 7 PM.

Where: Lemongrass, 7 South Main Street, West Hartford CT 06107 860-233-4405

Event Description: Enjoy the discussion over dinner with other humanists!

This month our Hartford-area dinner will be at Lemongrass, a Thai restaurant in West Hartford. There's ample free parking near the restaurant, as well as an inexpensive lot behind it. We've moved the event to Thursday as organizer Carol has several other events the preceding evening that she wants to attend. So join us and find out what she actually decided to do: knitting or comedy! - Ed Savage

Did You Know? - Excerpts from, The Solution is You, by Laurie David - Support local and organic farmers. Worldwatch Institute estimates that the ingredients for the average American meal travel more than 1,500 miles from farm to fork! Think Tom and Joan ;)