All Souls Waccamaw Mission Statement:
The mission of All Souls Waccamaw is to be a community
that promotes Unitarian Universalist principals and that provides a progressive
alternative to traditional churches along the Grand Strand. Diversity enhances us, compassion guides us
and
our
convictions strengthen us.
Services held at
the Hampton Inn Broadway at the Beach off of Hwy 17, between 21st
Ave. and 29th Ave. N., Myrtle Beach
(Behind Aquarium)
Contents
Ø Don’s Corner
Ø Upcoming Services
Ø Committee Announcements
Ø Fellowship Notes
Ø Announcements
Ø Editors Notes
LINKS:
www.uua.org - Unitarian Universalist
Association
www.uuworld.org - liberal religion and life magazine
All Are
Welcome
All Souls Waccamaw is a voice for religious tolerance and a home for religious diversity in the Grand Strand area. We are members of the Unitarian Universalist Association .
We are an all-faith fellowship, which emphasizes an open mind, a caring heart, and service to others. All Souls Waccamaw welcomes participation in its services and activities by all persons without regard to gender, sexual orientation, age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, or race. While our heritage is of the Judeo-Christian tradition, we encourage the development of one's own sacred path in life.
We Grand Strand Unitarian Universalists have a keen sense of the world and an even keener sense of our own responsibility in it. Come and join us and find some questions you've never imagined. There's no dogma or creed. All that's needed is a good, healthy curiosity about the world.
Marriage
Ceremonies
Fred Anderson is a commissioned
Notary Public in South Carolina and thereby has the authority to perform
weddings according to the South Carolina Code of Laws.
The nuptial service he uses is based on the Handbook of Religious
Services, published by the UUA Church of the Larger Fellowship.
Participants are encouraged to create vows and choose readings that are
meaningful to them and to discuss the service with their own minister if they
are associated with Unitarian Universalism. He also performs interfaith and
civil ceremonies as requested.
Since All Souls Waccamaw doesn't have a church building, the participants need
to find a location for the ceremony, and Mr. Anderson will help in your
search for a site for your special day. He has performed weddings on the beach,
on the bluffs overlooking the Waccamaw River, in clubhouses, and in his home.
He may be contacted by telephone, (843) 237-8642, or by email at rhofred@msn.com.
*************************
Don's
Corner
In
this month’s “Corner”, I’d like to give credit to our members who have a task
to perform every single week
during the church year.
These
are not the only people in All Souls Waccamaw who work hard; but, these are
people who have be at Sunday Service (or prepare for Sunday Service) week after
week after week, or – if they must miss a week – find someone to cover.
Here,
in no particular order, are some of the “every week” people, and what they do
every week.
Kellie
Parker chairs the Pulpit Committee. Also on her committee is Trish
Gibson-Grossman. Kellie and Trish, every week, must line up a speaker. They
must extract a topic from that speaker, for the website and the bulletin; this
sometimes takes a number of emails, sometimes getting a response only at the
last possible moment. For “far out of town” speakers, they arrange housing. If
a speaker has a special request for music or for one or more readings, they try
to accommodate that request.
Sunny
Dunaway is Religious Education chair. With the help of her defacto committee
(the parents), as well as planning the lessons and activities for every Sunday,
she teaches the class, or gets someone to cover, every single Sunday. This task
is HUGE!
Fred
Anderson is the one-person Setup Committee. Sometimes with volunteer help, and
sometimes not, Fred comes early, hauls everything out of the storage closet and
into the meeting room, sets up the chalice/candle table, hangs the banner, and
distributes the hymn books. After service, he reverses the process.
Phyllis
Stewart is the Treasurer. Every week, she (or – rarely – a designated
substitute) collects the offering, counts the money, credits pledges’ for their
gifts, and deposits the money.
Phyllis
is also the self-designated “visitor table setup/teardown” person. She was
never appointed to this position, but she takes the initiative to do this every
single week (or gets somebody to cover.)
Rita
D’Ippolito is our Music Coordinator. Every single week, she must insure that
someone will be responsible for either playing the music selections (live) OR
bringing recordings of the music selections and playing them. For at least
those hymns that are sung without accompaniment, she must ensure that a
designated song leader will lead them. And, each and every week, she must
determine or designate, in advance, what the music selections are to be, and
advise the bulletin editor accordingly.
Thanks again
to the “every week people”!
Don
*********************
COMMITTEE
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
SPECIALVOLUNTEERS
NEEDED
The Fellowship needs a
volunteer to be responsible for pressing the All Souls Waccamaw banner as
needed (typically once every month or two or so). See a board member to
volunteer.
Social Action Committee has the following items:
Thank you to everyone who has signed up to work with Habitat for
Humanity. Our work date has been pushed back and is tentatively
scheduled for April 26, but it could change depending on weather conditions,
available workers, and supplies. Please continue to check the newsletter
and bulletin for updates. If you haven't signed up yet and would like to
do so or have questions, please contact me, Trish Gibson-Grossmann, at gibgross1@aol.com or 903-2765.
In addition, I continue to collect supplies for CASA. These should be every-day items such as
toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. for abused women and children.
I drop off these supplies on a regular basis.
Also, Rho Anderson routinely collects non-perishable food items
for Helping Hands. Please
continue to support these efforts!
Trish Gibson-Grossman, Chairperson.
R.E.
UPDATES
ATT: Parents
We are so happy our R.E. continues to grow each week, however, I am beginning to feel like the "Little
Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe"! In my case, it happens to be a small,
cramped, boardroom in The Hampton Inn with not enough chairs!
Here's the solution I have been forced to come up with: We need
to go outside.
So,
from this point on, I will make sure that the activity or lesson we will do in
R.E. can also be moved outside when attendance is high. This means, unless there is a blizzard or
pouring down rain, we will be going outside.
Please dress your child according to weather. If you happen to have an infant or young
toddler, please equip us with an easy umbrella stroller for your child. We will
not be able to carry babies outside.
I apologize for any inconvenient and hope going forward we can
come up with a more permanent solution to the problem.
Thank you,
Sunny Stultz-Dunaway
R.E. Director
Membership Committee
If you have
attended our services three or more times, and if you are in accord with the
Seven Principles, you are invited to become a member of All Souls
Waccamaw. All that’s required is that
you make a financial contribution of record and sign our membership book. If you are interested in membership, contact
Don Lacy. If you are not a member, you
are a friend of the congregation.
Friends may participate in all ASW activities, but may not vote at
congregation meetings.
Don
Lacy, Chairperson
FELLOWSHIP NOTES:
Healing Thoughts
For Janet as she recovers from a badly broken leg.
Religious
Education Note:
It's official! Our R.E. is on its way to becoming GREEN! I have signed our R.E. up with this wonderful
organization that will keep me updated on all the GREEN events and
activities for our Little Souls!
As we go forward, I am hoping to continue this message once we have a building
and classroom suitable for our kids. An all GREEN classroom would be a great
learning environment that will hopefully continue to educate our kids and help
them see our beautiful earth in a whole new way! Here is a letter we just
received from our new friends at
"GO GREEN
INITIATIVE"!
Dear Sunny Stultz-Dunaway,
Thank you for registering with the Go Green Initiative! All
Souls Waccamaw UU Church School is now among an elite group of schools in 46
U.S. states, Canada, Asia, Mexico, Europe and
Africa that are pioneers in creating environmentally responsible campuses.
If you have not already, please pay special attention to 4 parts
of our website:
"Go Green Planning Guide" link - a step-by-step
guide to custom designing a program that works for your school. "Press
Room": check the latest press releases and newsletters for information on
the national "Go Green Scene." "Online Store": we have a
wide assortment of items that will help you promote the Go Green Initiative to
students and teachers. "Join Our List Serve" link: you will receive
news flashes and the latest Go Green news.
We are so pleased to welcome you to the Go Green network! Do not
hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!
At your service,
Jill Buck, Founder and Executive Director
Go Green Initiative Association
www.gogreeninitiative.org
"All
schools prepare our children for the future, but Go Green schools prepare the
future for our children."
......So as we go forward, let's all show good examples of
keeping GREEN for our Little Souls!
-Sunny Stultz-Dunaway
R.E. Director
Sunday
Forum
The Sunday Morning Forum is now in session on Sunday mornings at
9:30am to 10:30am. We meet in the Board Room upstairs from where the
church service is held. This session we are working on is the
series "Spirit of Life" from the UUA. We plan to explore our
personal sense of the sacred, reflect on and share our spiritual journeys, and promote
the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We will also try
to recognize and claim our own internal experiences of wonder, awe, and
connection. The workshop is being conducted by Kellie Parker and Phyllis
Stewart.
ASSOCIATION SUNDAY
Earlier
this church year, All Souls Waccamaw participated in "Association Sunday".
We
had a special collection, largely to support an advertising campaign in Time magazine. Our
collection amounted to over $400, which was sent to the Unitarian Universalist
Association.
We
received a letter of gratitude from the UUA, thanking us for our contribution.
Similarly,
the Board of Directors thanks the Congregation for its generosity in supporting
this effort.
Don
Annual
Congregation Meeting
April 27
At the annual
meeting of the congregation, on April 27, three Board members will be elected:
Ø Vice President
– two year term
Ø Treasurer – two
year term
Ø Secretary – one
year term
If
you would like to be considered for one of these positions, please see a member
of the Nominating Committee: Norma Simpson, Sunny Dunaway, or Trish
Gibson-Grossman. (Board members must be members of the congregation.)
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING:
Wednesday, March 6
The meeting
will be held on March
6, 6:30 p.m. at
Stewarts' home.
Per
the Bylaws, all members are welcome to attend meetings of the Board of
Trustees.
Normally,
the dates, times, and locations of meetings are announced, well in
advance, in some combination of the Newsletter, the Website, and Sunday
Bulletins.
However,
this one was just scheduled a few days ago, and there is not time to use the
normal communication channels. Therefore, I am notifying the membership with
this letter, that there will be a Board Meeting
Thursday, 3/6, 6:30 at Stewarts'.
Here's
what's going on: All Souls Waccamaw was NOT awarded the Chalice Lighters'
Grant, this go-round, to help us lease a year-round, week-round facility.
Therefore, we need to quickly put in place a plan to try to find a (probably)
Sunday-only place for next year, a place that - in particular - better serves
the needs of our RE kids. The main agenda item, Thursday, will be to discuss
this matter, and other financial matters that pertain to next year. Time is of
the essence, hence the short lead-time from scheduling to meeting.
Directions
to Stewarts' are below.
Don
Directions to the Stewarts' home at 1716 Parsons
Way in the Southwood subdivision of Surfside
Beach:
Coming south on 17 by-pass from 501:
Take the first exit after 544. Turn left
at the Wicked Stick Golf Course (there is a light) and continue straight until
you come to a stop sign. Turn left at the stop sign (Southside Drive) and
continue until the next stop sign. Turn left again. Count 2 houses and turn
left onto Parsons Way. We are the first house on the right. (Big black garage
door)
Traveling north from Murrells Inlet on the by-pass:
Turn right at the Wicked Stick Golf
Course (like going to Ryan's or Wal-Mart). Go straight and follow the
directions above.
Coming west on 544 from Business 17:
Turn left into Southwood
right before the large billboard. Enter Southwood and
continue until the stop sign. Turn right and count 2 houses on the left. Turn
left onto Parsons Way. We are the first house on the right, with a big black
garage door.
Coming 544 from Conway:
Pass Wal-Mart and continue until you
pass the Holiday Kamper Sales. Get in the right lane
to turn. You will next see the entrance to Southwood.
Enter Southwood and continue until the stop sign.
Turn right and count 2 houses on the left. Turn left onto Parsons Way. We
are first house on the right with a big black garage door.
****************************
UPCOMING SERVICES:
March 9
Fred
Anderson
Speaker
Topic: "The Means to
the Best Ends of our Lives"
Living Will, Health Care Power of
Attorney, Advanced Medical Directive, EMSDNR, and Dead Will.
Do you know which of these you need? Do you really need any of them? Do
you want to die naturally or prolonged by machines? What documents will honor
your choice?
Remember - Karen Ann Quinlin and Terri Schiavo died young.
Fred retired to Pawleys’ Island in 2000
after 35 years of teaching social studies. Having been active in the Lancaster,
Pennsylvania Unitarian Universalist Church, he immediately became a volunteer
for All Souls Waccamaw. He has served on ASW's board every year and has served
on the Thomas Jefferson District Board for 4 years. Fred has been a lay speaker
at UU churches in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia, and has
presented workshops at Thomas Jefferson District conferences. He and Rho have 2
sons, 4 grandchildren, and 5 kayaks.
March 16
Rev. Elaine
Faithful
Visiting Minister
Topic: "Emily Dickinson"
Rev. Faithful is Executive Director of Operation Home of Mount Pleasant, a
nonprofit that provides handicapped access for homes in a three-county area.
She has a Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt University School of Divinity in
Nashville.
March 23
Elaine
Miller
Visiting Speaker
Topic: "A Course in Miracles”
2007 RE Egg Hunting
ASW LENDING LIBRARY – Contract Rho & Fred
Anderson at rhofred@msn.com or by phone at 237-8642
for a list of available books and tapes.
The service each week is recorded and transferred to audio CD.
These recordings are available in the ASW library. If you missed a
service and would like to hear it, please see Rho Anderson or Kellie Parker.
NOTARY SERVICE - If you have papers to be
notarized, contact Fred
Anderson and Gina Melnick, who are commissioned SC Notary Public. There is no charge for members and friends of
ASW. Fred also performs weddings and
funerals.
NAME TAGS
-If anyone needs a nametag please contact Don Lacy or look for the sign
up sheet at the service.
Horry County League of Women Voters, if you are interested in
meeting dates contact Phyllis Stewart.
FOOD BANK - Please remember your opportunity to be of service to the
community and bring food.
FOOD DRIVE - ASW will continue its tradition of
collecting money to provide food baskets for needy families through the MB Food
Bank. Please give your contributions to Alma Parrish at service.
EDITOR’S NOTES:
Remember any member may contribute
articles for the Newsletter. Please do
note hesitate to submit some great articles and shared moments of our UU
community, locally, nationally and worldwide.
Gina Melnick, Editor.
Old Age, I decided,
is a
gift.
I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the
person I have always wanted to be.
Oh, not
my body! I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles,
the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback
by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I
don't agonize over those things for long.
I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life,
my loving family for more hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged,
I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my
own friend.
I don't
chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for
buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I
am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.
I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they
understood the great freedom that comes with aging.
Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the
computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?
I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50's &
60's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.
I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging
body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite
the pitying glances from the on lookers.
They, too, will get old.
I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again,
some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the
important things.
Sure, over the years my heart has been broken.
How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child
suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But
broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion.
A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of
being imperfect.
I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my head
going bald, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves
on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before they
hair could turn silver or be bald.
As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what
other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even
earned
the right to be wrong.
So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me
free. I
like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but
while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or
worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day.
(If I feel like it)
MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S
STRAIGHT
FROM THE HEART!
MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RAINBOW OF SMILES ON YOUR FACE AND
IN YOUR
HEART FOREVER AND EVER!
FRIENDS FOREVER!
TJD News:
Welcome to UUF Rocky Mount, our newest affiliate
The UUA Board of
Trustees, at its January meeting, accepted the UU Fellowship of Rocky Mount, NC, as an affiliated
member congregation. We offer our congratulations to the Rocky Mount
fellowship, and say, "Welcome," as a full-fledged member of Thomas
Jefferson District.
6th Annual Gathering of the WCC
Don't miss the 6th annual Western Carolina Cluster
Gathering on March 22, hosted by UUC of Spartanburg. After breakfast and registrations
at 8:15 AM, we'll head into their new sanctuary at 9:00 to hear Gini Courter, moderator
for the UUA, deliver the Keynote Address. A Town Hall meeting with Gini is scheduled for 10:30 AM. It will be an
audience participation Q&A forum and promises to be both lively and
informative.
Lunch will served from 11:30 to
12:30, and then two session of Workshops will be held. See the schedule: Workshops.
Youth and Teens are invited to "Get in The Zone" for a variety of fun
activities and interesting workshops for those in grades 6 - 12+. Click
on Workshops above. These will begin at 12:45 PM.
The closing service will be led by
Rev. Meg Barnhouse and others. It will be a treat!
There's just no tellin' what she'll do up there!
Childcare for those younger than grade 6 will be
available from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Staff from the The Mountain Retreat & Learning Center will be present with a display table in
addition to their workshop AND they will be giving away, via a random drawing,
a FREE week-end for 2. Anyone who has been to CON, Elderhostel, weekend
retreat or camp KNOWS this is a real treat!
Interested? Can't wait to get
here? Great! We have a variety of registration methods and even
offer an early bird
discount for those whose registrations and payments are received by March 10,
2008. This year, you may
save paper, save transportation costs, save the mail-carrier from picking up
one more letter...just use
Online Registration and Payment. If you are one of those who are wary of paying online, no worry,
you can still register online and mail your payment. Or, if you prefer not to
use the Internet at all, you may print out a mail-in registration form here and
send it along with your payment.
Renaissance Module scheduled
This year's Renaissance Module, Worship for All Ages, will be held in First
UU Church of Richmond, April 11-13, 2008.
The Renaissance Program is a standardized training composed
of nine different 15-hour workshop modules that aim to provide training
and competency in:
Ø
Philosophy
of Religious Education,
Ø
Curriculum
Planning,
Ø
Teacher
Training,
Ø
Unitarian
Universalist Identity,
Ø
Worship
for All Ages,
Ø
RE
Program Administration,
Ø
Unitarian
Universalist History,
Ø
Ministry
with Youth, and Multiculturalism.
While the program is open to all who are interested, the UUA and
the Thomas Jefferson District RE Committee encourage RE professionals,
aspirants, and those actively involved in RE programs in UU congregations to
participate. There is an expectation of active involvement and attendance
to all module sessions.
You will find a brochure and a registration form at www.tjd.uua.org
*************************
Parenting without Religion
The Parenting
Beyond Belief seminar is coming to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of
Raleigh March 15. This unique half-day workshop offers encouragement and practical
solutions for secular parenting in a religious world. Author and educator, Dale
McGowan, will lead the workshop. He is the editor and co-author of Parenting
Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion. Newsweek
called the book "a compelling read."
To join other parents seeking information
on how to raise confident kids without theistic religion, go to www.ParentingBeyondBelief.com. Click on SEMINARS to register for
this event. Fees: $40 for one parent; $60 for partners. Seminar is 9 a.m.
to 12:30 p.m. in Founders Hall at UUFR; it is sponsored by UUFR Adult
Education. Go to www.uufr.org for directions to the church.
Childcare is available upon request.
If you have questions, contact Ellen
MacMillan at emacmillan@nc.rr.com
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Churches and Movies or Videos It's becoming more common. Pastors use portions of movies to
enhance sermon points. Sunday school teachers and childcare workers play a
full-length feature. Youth leaders show the latest videos. Educators use
movies to train and inspire. For all these activities, the Church Video License provides legal coverage for your
church. Most of us fast-forward right through that FBI warning at the
beginning of videos and DVDs. Ever wonder what it actually says? The Federal
Copyright Act of 1976 stipulates that pre-recorded videos are authorized for
personal home use only. Special
permission must be granted for any public performance...and that includes
churches. Violations can result in substantial fines, up to $30,000 per
infringement. CCLI has joined with Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC)
to form Christian Video Licensing International (CVLI), which provides Church
Video Licenses for churches and other ministry organizations who show
videos and DVDs in a public setting. The Family Values Producer Package
covers videos and movies focused on religious and family-based themes. The
Total Producer Package also covers many big-name studios like Universal
Pictures, Warner Brothers, Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone, Paramount, and
Fox. For information about the Church Video License, go to: Church Video License. To learn more about the Copyright Law (Title 17 of the US Code),
see a review that was written under the auspices of the National Council of
Churches at: Churches and Movies/Videos. **************************** |
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Keep your 501 (c) 3 and look good
doing it! |
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Our congregations are not likely to run afoul of the law, but in
a year heavy with political activities, some may get overly close to the
boundary of legality. If you are confused about what your congregation
may or may not do, the Washington Office for Advocacy has posted an online
resource to help. Check the Real Rules: Congregations and IRS
Guidelines on Advocacy, Lobbying, and Elections. Real Rules. There you will find answers to such
questions as:
and much, much more. |
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