50 Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105 Tel: (860) 233-9897 / FAX 233-1333 Email: firstunitarian@ushartford.com Reverend Barbara Jamestone, PhD

Home Page- Link Central Questions and Comments	USH-Enews July 1, 2010 Jump to: Sunday Service; Calendar; What's Happening; Feature Articles; External Events; Further Down the Road; Social Justice Journeys; Green Topics ; A Matter of Opinion Text only Printer Friendly Format
	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. Office hours: Rev. Jamestone: Phone: 860 233-9897; Email: RevBJ@USHartford.com - Rev. BJ office hours by appointment. Remembering Rosie At USH As a member, I hope to see a larger, thriving Unitarian Society of Hartford in the years to come, an oasis of solace for the soul, a known hub of good community works, and a dependable point of departure for the ongoing spiritual quest. On most days, I feel it is a privilege to work for this community that I love. I strive to be counted upon to respond to our members with compassion and dispatch.  We joke in the office about an inadvertent phrase published in the newsletter early in Brian’s and my time of working together.  We had all been interviewed and it was determined that “relations is good” in the office.  We like it that way.  I want to continue feeling that relations is good in the office. - Rosie Rindfleisch Our Fond Farewell - Of course there was no Order of Service on Sunday June 27.  Rosie was no longer available to produce it.  “Our” Rosie Rindfleisch died on June 24 at a too-young 63, and the morning regular service and the afternoon Service of Memory and Hope helped us cope with this large loss.  (Are there drops of water on your computer screen?  I weep as I write.)   The morning service, billed as the second in a two-part sermon on leisure, originally was titled  “The Human Need for Unscheduled Time.” Worship Associate Carol Davidson amended it to “The Human Need for Unscheduled Time to Mourn.”  She described the Meeting House as a “refuge for minds in search of truth” where we gather because of our “need to connect and to participate.”   Reverend BJ and Carol alternated in reading Ecclesiastes’  oft-quoted “For Everything There is a Season” with its appropriate “a time to be born, and a time to die…a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”   Reverend BJ reminded us that the Sunday before she had described leisure as a spiritual practice  a “state of mind.”  This Sunday, she said, she wanted to “experience with you some unscheduled time and allow our inner selves to wander where they wish.”  In true leisure, she said, we are free of self-consciousness.  There is no constant supervision of our work-a-day self and there is an “openness to witness the beauty of our mind.”   We were asked to think about what’s around us, behind us, inside us,  beneath us, to see, sense and hear.  We were asked to look at the “Life Together; Lovely Indeed” banner hanging in the Chancel. Designed by Rosie and Diane Cadrain, its 34 squares of flowers were made by members of the USH congregation, and it was put together in quilt fashion by Rosie to welcome new minister BJ to the USH.   Reverend BJ instructed us “to tune in with our senses to every single thing in the room, visible and invisible.”  So we did, for five minutes.   During the service, the black memorial candle was lit to remember Rosie.  When members came forward to light individual candles of remembrance, I am sure they lit many for Rosie.  Reverend BJ explained to guests and visitors that today’s service is unusual and they could probably feel the “palpable sadness in this room today.” We Are Family   We learned a lot about Rosie from her obituary and from her memorial service in the hot packed Sanctuary on Sunday afternoon. (Obits and memorial services continue to remind me how much we didn’t know about someone.)   Rosie loved sports.  She played basketball and softball in school and was on a corporate fast-pitch women’s softball team.  She loved skiing, traveling, pottery, photography and the UConn women’s basketball team.  And she was a superb quilter.  Her life-long interest in crafts led her to the prestigious training program at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.  As a result, she became Gallery Manager at the Farmington Valley Arts Center in Avon for seven years.  After which she  served nine years as Administrative Assistant at our USH.    Several USH members delivered eulogies.  Marye Gail Harrison spoke for the congregation.  “We at the USH thought we were the center of Rosie’s life and attention—that’s how she made us feel… She worked like a can of WD40  (a lubricant) in this church.  She smoothed things out, oiled the squeaky wheel and doors, greased the skids…  She never confronted anyone with their weakness…Oh, she might roll her eyes a bit, but rarely spoke against anyone….She’d take care of the small stuff that made the big stuff happen more easily.”   We always knew we had a strong, hard-working staff here at the Unitarian Society of Hartford.  What we learned from them during the memorial service was how close they are.  They are a family.   Gail Syring, Director of Religious Education, remembered the office staff’s answer to Reverend BJ’s question some four years ago about their feelings about the USH.  Their joking response, given by Rosie:  “Relations is good in the office.”  Gail called Rosie “a calm voice of reason” and said “Our relations will continue to be good in the office; they will never be the same.”   Peter Magistri, USH sexton for many years, said Rosie believed in brevity, so he would be brief.  “It was a challenge to make Rosie laugh…She was a loving, thoughtful person who became my friend.”   This friendship-beyond-the-office theme was continued by Business Manager Brian Mullen.  Rosie, he said, was one of the reasons he remains at the Meeting House.  Rosie and her husband Don “have become my friends.”  When Brian and his long-time partner were married here last year, Rosie, who was in the hospital with a high fever, made it to the wedding   Rosie’s husband Don thanked the more than 140 people who sent cards, letters and emails to her during the last week of her life. He read some of the words from them used to describe her:  “smiling face, special, warm, loving, caring, kind, gracious, creative, sense of style, elegant, compassionate… You make everyone feel comfortable, appreciated and accepted.”   We knew Rosie was creative.  There was the flower banner.  There were those lovely Orders of Service. Full-color reproductions of four OOS she created for Sunday services were reproduced inside the brochure for her Service of Memory and Hope.     For the April 12, 2009 OOS cover, a Celebration of Earth Day, Rosie created a pastoral scene with water, trees, stones. On April 19, 2009, Hilaritas—A Celebration of Easter, Rosie reproduced a page from the Hymnal with music from the “Jazz Alleluia.”  The August 31, 2008 OOS cover showed a blazing red hot sun beating down on the Meeting House for the music and poetry presented by USH members Edith Savage and Maggie Green.  For the March 29,2009 OOS welcoming pulpit guest Heidi Hadselli’s talk on Doing Dialog—Living Life Together, Rosie created a circle of people in many colors.   One of Rosie’s cousins called her a “spit fire” and the “best worm digger (for fishing) you ever met.”  In her family, he said, ”a great deal was expected of them.”  John Stowe remembered working  with Don Rindfleisch to get a tractor working and seeing Rosie’s face “radiant with joy” as she drove the tractor.     We received some other messages from USH members about the impression Rosie made on their lives.  Although they were not part of Sunday’s services, it seems appropriate to include them here.   Bill La-Porte Bryan wrote:  There are two things I remember most about listening to Rosie at her desk—wisdom and patience.  Her deep, instinctive wisdom to know what and what not to say when she was on the phone and her patience to listen.  These made her a dear friend and  a perfect cog in the USH wheel.   David Newton wrote:  Did you notice a week ago Sunday (June 20) when BJ announced Rosie was hospitalized and near death, when we did the candles of memory and hope part of the service, there were so many lit that we very nearly had a bonfire?  That will certainly stick in my mind.   Mike Roy wrote: Before my first cancer surgery last year, Rosie gave me a book that was meaningful to her, “Stillness Speaks.”  In a chapter on Death and the Eternal, I found passages that really spoke to me:  “Most people turn away from death in fear…When you see and accept the impermanent nature of all life forms, a strange sense of peace comes upon you.”   It is now comforting to me that Rosie experienced the same sense of peace in her dying days.   The reception following the service gave us the chance to meet Rosie’s wonderful family (including two adorable grand kids), to view countless scenes from her life, to break bread together (read:  tray after tray of fruit, sandwiches, sweets and bowl after bowl of ice cold and very welcome punch) and to continue celebrating her life. - Kayla Costenoble
	Worshipping Together Since 1830 One Service 10:30 AM Sunday - 4 July - Our kick-off Sunday couplet will be on July 4th when the sermon offered by Reverend BJ will explore our relationships with our congregation.  After the service, everyone is invited to a potluck picnic at BJ’s house!  The Worship Arts Sub-Council will provide food for the grill, so bring your favorite salad, side dish, beverage or dessert and join the fun and fellowship! Music - REflections on Children's Programming Summer Program - This Sunday, July 4th, our Green Crafting: Protect the Environment while Having Fun! program will continue with a gardening project.  Kids can help plant a sensory garden in one of our bays outside of the classroom. Grab a shovel and lend a green thumb! - Gail M. Syring, DRE What Else is Happening Attention Young Adults! July 2 TGIF - If you are 18 to 35 (or thereabouts!)   please plan to come to the minister’s house for a “TGIF” “Thank God It’s Friday” gathering. Wine, beer, and soft drinks provided. Bring your favorite snack or appetizer at 6:30 PM, and stay as long as you like! If you are NOT 18 to 35, please contact someone you know who IS, and tell them about this chance to make connection with UUs who share similar life issues.  (Please rsvp  revbj at USHARTFORD dot COM  and  we’ll prepare libations accordingly!) - Rev BJ 4th of July Potluck Picnic - Please join us for a relaxing afternoon of food and games!!!   When? Immediately following the service on 7/4/10 at the Minister’s House (7 Kenwood Circle, Bloomfield).  We will carpool from the meeting house.  Directions will be provided Sunday.   Please bring a salad, side dish or dessert and beverages to share.  Please bring serving utensils for your food contributions.  We will have hot dogs, hamburgers and veggie burgers!   Please bring a blanket or chairs to sit in the shade. If you have lawn games that you are fond of we would love for you to bring them.   If anyone has a grill and a way to get it to BJ’s house, please call Liz Garmise at 860-295-8849 (it will sure make cooking those burgers and dogs easier!). Everyone is welcome.  It would help in planning if you let us know in advance that you will participate (just drop a note telling us you plan to attend; dcnewton@ushartford.com), though you will be welcomed in any event if you decide to come later.   Looking forward to seeing you then! - Liz Garmise, Worship Arts Sub-Council Meditation to Continue - Every Wednesday evening, continuing through the summer, we have the opportunity to meditate together. Occasionally, I am asked the question, why meditate? The following video lets us peek in on an interview with Norman Fischer from the PBS program, Religion and Ethics. He articulates so well the healing component of meditation, along with other benefits. It also gives a visual of what to expect if you are new to meditation. Our format is very similar to the session he leads. Please feel free to join us any wednesday evening, no matter your level of experience with meditation. Open to all. We meet from 5:45- 7pm. - Jan BennettAdult Programs - We wish to thank all of you who planned and participated in the successful 2009-2010 Fall and Winter/Spring Programs for Adults and Families. More Social Justice Journeys (From the UUA) And from USH Looking for volunteers for Habitat for Humanity in July More  IASC Caring Network - Rule 1, Don't hurt yourself and don't hurt others. Rule 2, Take care of yourself so you may help take care of others. - 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. Green Topics - Did You Know? - Green Table Summer Hours: 3rd Sunday of the Month (7/18, 8/15). Stock up on your environmentally friendly cleaning and paper goods. Please don't take a vacation from doing what's right for mother earth. Further Down The Road (About 30 Days) On the Calendar - Please notify Brian Mullen of all additions or changes to the calendar. Follow this link to all our scheduled events A Matter of Opinion External Events and Educational Notes Sheenu to Teach Course - Some may remember a summer service presented by Amrutur Srinivasan (Sheenu) some time ago. He will be teaching a course at Middlesex Community College this fall, Indian Philosophy & Religion PHL 199 - Topics in Philosophy - to be held on Tuesdays from 12:30 - 3:15 PM. The fees are $430 for the course. Questions may be directed to John Shafer 860.343.5811 ALS Walk Saturday 25th September More	From the Editor: Suggestions for Contributors. This Week’s Feature Articles Remembering Rosie Joe Rubin At Large Administration Budget for next year adopted - Update Highlights of the Last Board Meeting USH Budget Update - Thanks to the hard work and efforts of staff and volunteer leaders, we have a budget for the 2010 - 2011 church year that was adopted at the June 15 Board of Directors meeting! When the budget process began earlier this year, the Finance Sub-Council, working with the Business Manager,  determined that $345,000 was needed for this year's canvass in order to achieve a flat budget with consistent staffing  for this upcoming year.   As you all know, the final stewardship total came in at significantly less than the goal, with an anticipated large budget deficit to address. Because of excellent expense  management and steady pledge collection, however, we are now expecting a surplus in this year's budget, which mitigates the size of the deficit for the upcoming budget. The principle used to address the deficit, as indicated in the last economic conversation, was to apply reductions to each budget area commensurate with the size each area represents in the budget.  In other words, since compensation represents approximately 70% of the budget, compensation was "assigned" 70% of the deficit reduction target.  Similarly, more than 20% of the remaining deficit was "assigned" to administration costs. Budgeting is rarely easy or fun.  Staff and leadership worked very hard within the deficit constraints and proposed changes to the staff configuration and administration costs to achieve a recommendation that resulted in a balanced budget. That recommendation was accepted by the Finance Sub-Council  and passed unanimously by the Board. It is noteworthy that the adopted budget does not require any unpaid staff leaves or church closures.  In addition, the budget retains our full obligation to both the District and UUA dues and it reduces by $3,000 the amount expected from the endowment for the annual operating budget.   It's a good and healthy situation to enter the church year with a workable financial document in place.  We believe the budget is both fair and conservative and I am truly grateful for the level of support and cooperation that were the hallmarks of its development.  Of course, if there are any questions about the budget, I will be happy to discuss them with you.  Just call me at 860-597-2612 or write to martha1551@att.net. - Martha Page, Treasurer Highlights from the June 15 Board of Director’s Meeting - At the June 15 Board meeting, the board conducted the following business:   -  clarified and approved the term limits for the newly elected Board. - passed the 2010-11 budget that includes reducing the dependence on the Endowment (Endowment contribution to budget reduced from $53,000 to $50,000, a trend we need to continue), payment of Fair Share dues, and funds to support the new membership  initiative under way. (See related article re budget.) -  approved policy for Music Program fundraising. -  directed the Treasurer and Finance Sub-Council to develop policy to cover all fundraising activities and amount, if any, to be contributed to USH general fund. -  welcomed new Board members Liz Garmise as Treasurer and Don Riechler as representative from Council on Community Within and said farewell and thank you to departing members Martha Page (Treasurer), Bill LaPorte-Bryan (Council on Community Within), and Carolyn Cartland (President). Effective July 1, your new Board will be comprised of the following USH members: President: Sue Kinney President-elect: Cedric Woods Treasurer: Liz Garmise Secretary: Meredith Vasta Council on Spiritual Life: Karl Peters Council on Social Justice: Bill Young Council on Community Within: Don Reichler Council on Administration: Joe Rubin   It has been an honor and a privilege to serve our USH community. Thank you for the opportunity. - Carolyn Cartland, President USH Unitarians are Remarkable People - From time to time, as many of you know, we look at ourselves, examples in many different ways of most remarkable people. We continue that effort now with a few words about some of our recently elected leaders. Joe Rubin, At Large, Administration. has been a member of USH for over 25 years. Over that time, he has been a religious education teacher for 20 years, member and chair of the Religious Education Sub-Council, member and Chair of the Stewardship Sub-Council, member of the Welcome Team, Search Committee member, participant in Building the World we Dream About and Kingian Nonviolence Seminar. He is married to Diane Cadrain, and there three daughters grew up at USH. Joe is an Associate Attorney General for the State of Connecticut, and enjoys biking hiking, photography and dogs. (Mostly quoted from the Annual Report) Memorial Gardens - Do You Enjoy Gardening?  A little help is needed. More
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