February 2015 Beacon - Unitarian Universalist Society of Cleveland

The Beacon
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
1
Minister’s Column
President’s Column & 2-3
Announcements
Religious Education 4-5
Stewardship News & 6-10
UUSC News/Events
UUSC Calendar
Birthdays
11
A M ONTHLY N EWSLETTER
OF
THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
SOCIETY OF CLEVELAND
V o l um e 6 6 , I s s ue 7
F e br ua r y 1 , 2 01 5
NOTES FROM OUR MINISTER
12
Surely as cometh the Winter, I know there are
Spring Violets under the snow. - Robert H.
Newell.
February seems a brutal month in the winters
of the Midwest. The charm of newly fallen
snow has worn off weeks ago, and yet the
temperatures are not yet warm enough to melt
away the snow that lies everywhere,
sometimes packed like ice where we walk,
sometimes dirty and gray where we drive.
Happily, February is the shortest month of our
calendar, and soon we will be able to see the
brave first sprigs of green growing up through
the snow.
The things that grow need a fallow period, too.
The freezing of the soil allows the bulbs of
tulips and other flowers to rest and with the
warming of the soil, they begin to awaken. So
while many of us do not experience the cold of
February perhaps we can do as the tulip bulb
does, learn to rely on the cold.
Make it a practice to find the beautiful and the
remarkable in the harsh landscape of February.
See if you can catch the very first beginnings of
Spring.
As you’ll see further in this month’s Beacon,
we’re having our annual stewardship
campaign in February and March with dinners
and conversations. Vice President Nina has
been very busy with the help of many other
hands, getting our church ready for the Spring;
our front walkway will be fixed for one thing.
Last month we got to welcome three new
members to our Society, and our members
have been active in Social Justice. This month
there’ll be an opportunity on February 3rd
to go en masse to a Greater Cleveland
Congregations event. We’ll be car-pooling,
and the caravan will leave the Society at 6.
Spring isn’t here just yet. Those Spring Violets
that Mr. Newell tells about are not yet peeping
out from under the snow, but they will.
Take heart in this, the brutish month of
February. Better times are on their way.
In Faith,
Rev. Joe
T he U n i ta r i a n U n i v e r s a l i s t S o c i e ty o f C l e v e l a nd
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FROM OUR PRESIDENT
Greetings UUSC Members and Friends,
Last March our community lost a long-time member and dear friend, Betty Lau. A few weeks
ago the Society received a gift of $1000 from her estate. The board has voted to use this gift to
establish a leadership development fund in her name. Her presence is deeply missed, but we
hope that this can provide a small reminder of all of the time, creativity, wisdom, and friendship
she gave to the Society while she was still with us.
District Assembly is March 27-28 in Niagara Falls, NY. We can send 4 voting delegates. Rev. Joe
will be attending and may be able to carpool. If you are interested in attending, the Betty Lau
leadership development fund can be used to assist with the cost of registration, housing, and
transportation. Please contact Rev. Joe for more information.
Finally, I must apologize for my very short article this month. As you may have already heard, I
broke my ankle while attempting to walk to my car in an icy parking lot. If you need to get in
touch with me, the best option is to email me at [email protected] or call my cell phone
at 330-338-8026. And please remember to be careful this winter!
Barbie Jones, President, UUSC Board of Trustees
TREASURER’S REPORT
I don’t have pledge numbers for you this month, because of all the end of the year flurry, but look
for updates in the next Beacon. The special collection for Edwin’s Restaurant in December raised
$318 and we raised $161 for the Home Repair Resource Center in January.
The past couple of months, I have been working with the Stewardship team (Peggy Lagodny and
Mariamne Ingalls), Steve Doell, Glenn Solomon, and Rev. Joe to figure out how to best monitor and
guide the financial health of the
Society. We have been meeting to talk about both the big
picture and the nitty-gritty of our finances. For this group, Rina Shere, DLFD, and Rev. Joe have
been facilitating the adult Religious Education curriculum, Wi$dom Path. It’s very interesting and
helping all of us look at money from practical, value-driven, and spiritual aspects. What’s your
relationship with money? I hope you will consider taking this class.
As always, keep those pledges coming in to support the life and work of our community, and
please don’t hesitate to come to me with any questions or concerns about our finances.
Dana Bjorklund, Treasurer
T he U n i ta r i a n U n i v e r s a l i s t S o c i e ty o f C l e v e l a nd
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UUSC JANUARY WORSHIP SERVICES
Theme for the Month of January—Justice
January 4th—Bending the Arc of the Universe
Toward Justice
Worship Leaders: Rev. Joe Cherry and
Linda Coulter
January 11th—Teaming Up to Make It Better
Worship Leaders: Rev. Joe Cherry and
Linda Coulter
Rev. Theodore Parker, born in 1810, was perhaps the most influential American Unitarian
minister who ever lived. He was renowned as
a great preacher; and together with Ralph
Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller, led the
Transcendentalist movement. He was a major
anti-slavery leader of his time, and his example
has inspired generations of radical activists.
Join us as we explore his life and writings, and
his influence on such greats as Abraham Lincoln and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 18th—The Moral Life of Animation
Worship Leader: Rev. Joe Cherry and
Rina Shere, DLFD
January 25th— Everybody’s Fight:
Selma Alabama 1965
Worship Leader: Rina Shere, DLFD
Viola Liuzzo was the only white women killed
during the fateful week of the historic march
from Selma to Birmingham, Alabama in
1965. How do our individual acts of courage
carry social movements forward? What price
do we pay for acting on our convictions? What
elements of our Unitarian Universalist theology
provide us with courage to act on our ethical
and theological convictions? We will explore
these questions as we learn about the life and
death of one Freedom Marcher.
“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”
― Benjamin Franklin
T he U n i ta r i a n U n i v e r s a l i s t S o c i e ty o f C l e v e l a n d
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RE V UU W F E B R U A R Y 2015
February 2015 REvUUw and Sunday Calendar
Sunday, February 1
Sunday, February 8
Sunday, February 15
Sunday, February 22
Sunday, March 1
Regular Religious Education
Regular Religious Education
Regular Religious Education
Chinese New Year celebration
Regular Religious Education
Sunday, February 1st from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Shine and Shadow Support Group (formerly the Living
and Losing group): Join us for this ongoing support group for people facing loss and change. We will
meet in the UUSC library. Newcomers welcome.
Tuesday, February 3rd from 7:00 – 9:00 Greater Cleveland Congregations General Assembly
meeting at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church: Join us for this Public Action meeting to transform
the Criminal Justice System. At this meeting GCC will publicly state our recommendations for the
Consent Decree between the Department of Justice and the City of Cleveland in regards to changes
in the Cleveland Police Department. U.S. Attorney Dettelbach will be in attendance to hear our
recommendations. The Society has pledged that 10 members will be present for the meeting.
Rev. Joe and Rina Shere will each be carpooling folks who need a ride in their vans. We will meet
in the Society parking lot at 6 p.m.
Sunday, February 8th 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. Beloved Conversations cohort 1 and 2 meeting
This meeting is to begin crafting statement about the goals of our group. This statement would be
shared with the larger congregation and would serve to continue to hold us accountable to responding to the very real dynamic of racism in our world. Please R.S.V.P. if you plan to attend as lunch will
be provided. We will meet in the UUSC library. Please let Rina know if you need childcare.
Saturday, February 14th 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Young Adult/Adult Our Whole Lives workshop
Boundaries and Boundary Violations. Sexual assault, rape and other abuses of sexuality are far too
prevalent in our communities. These sexual boundaries violations – dishonoring the self-worth and
dignity of both victim and perpetrator, and using sexuality as a tool to humiliate, disgrace and wield
power over another person – stand in contrast to our Unitarian Universalist values. This workshop
helps participants identify situations of abuse, assault and rape; and understand some of the
emotional consequences for those involved.
T he U n i ta r i a n U n i v e r s a l i s t S o c i e ty o f C l e v e l a n d
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RE V UU W F E B R U A R Y 2015
UUSC Scholarships for General Assembly and District Assembly
The Society has a limited amount of scholarship funding for leadership development this year. We
will be accepting scholarship applications from active members who are interested in financial help
to attend the Ohio Meadville District Assembly March 27-29 in Niagara Falls, NY or General Assembly in Portland, OR June 24- 28th. Please see Rina Shere for scholarship applications.
In faith,
Rina
UUSC B O O K C L U B
MEETS
M A R C H 24, 2015
The next meeting of the UU Society book club will be Tuesday, March 24 at 7:00 pm at the home of
Sue McKimm. The book is "The Dinner". It is a "darkly suspenseful, highly controversial tale of two
families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives—all over the course of one meal.
It's a summer's evening in Amsterdam, and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner.
Between mouthfuls of food and over the scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum
of polite discourse. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every
forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened.
Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single
horrific act; an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable, insulated
worlds of their families. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches
on their children. As civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple show just how far they are
prepared to go to protect those they love.
Skewering everything from parenting values to pretentious menus to political convictions, this
novel reveals the dark side of genteel society and asks what each of us would do in the face of
unimaginable tragedy."
The book club is an open group for those who love to read. Read the book
ahead of time and come ready to discuss. Let Sue know you're coming,
please.
T he U n i ta r i a n U n i v e r s a l i s t S o c i e ty o f C l e v e l a n d
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S T E W A R D S H I P C A M PA I G N
Stewardship Campaign Starts in February
The UUSC Stewardship Campaign, where we pledge financial resources to the Society, will run
from February through mid-March. The Stewardship Team is planning a series of dinners, and
we’ve asked several members to host them. Over the next couple weeks, each member and friend
will receive an invitation to a dinner. Please RSVP, and if you can’t come to a particular dinner
we’ll give you some alternate dates.
These are not potlucks, so all you need to do is show up. We will gather, relax, chat about the Society, why we pledge and our hopes and ideas for our future. You can submit your sealed pledge
at the dinner, or later, as you choose.
A quote that has inspired our Team this year is: “Giving is a response from a growing awareness
of spirit in our lives.” As Sue McKimm offered from the pulpit last month: “The Society adds a lot
of value to my world, and I want to do what I can to make it sustainable.” We want to continue to
build, grow and sustain from a good place inside ourselves. And we look forward to what will
come out of meeting together, and growing our deeper bonds of community.
See you at dinner!
If you have any questions, please ask one of us!
Mariamne Ingalls, Peggy Lagodny, Sue McKimm and Rev. Joe
Stewardship and Finance Council Update
Rev. Joe and Mariamne Ingalls, here. It’s time to update you on both the activities of the Stewardship Team and related activities around the Society’s finances.
First, the Stewardship Team updates. In 2014 our Board asked the Stewardship Team to adapt and
grow into a year-round effort. Co-chairs Mariamne Ingalls and Peggy Lagodny were asked to consider, too, that we no longer had a finance committee. We, along with Susan McKimm and Ben Miladin ran last year’s pledge campaign. Since then:

In late summer, Peggy and Mariamne met with Rev. Joe to orient him to our current stewardship process
T he U n i ta r i a n U n i v e r s a l i s t S o c i e ty o f C l e v e l a n d
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S T E W A R D S H I P C A M PA I G N

In Fall, 2014, Mariamne and Peggy attended a stewardship workshop at an Ohio-Meadville
district meeting. Out of that workshop, we started discussing with Rev. Joe and Rina Shere the
possibility of using the UUA’s Wi$dom Path curriculum, which is sometimes called “The
O.W.L. for money.”

During the 2014-15 pledge campaign and since, the Team has been working to consider and
expand the Society’s definition of stewardship, to include all the things we as congregants do
to sustain the Society, including our volunteer work, etc.

With the help and suggestions of all involved, held two meetings with Dana, our treasurer,
Karin our immediate past treasurer, our bookkeeper and Rev. Joe, to review our current
financial status.
Out of those meetings, came a recommendation for a Finance Council: a structure to help the Board
and the Society look at our financial health. The idea is that together, we collaborate from our various
roles, to help the Board and Society plan for a sustainable future. It’s made up of four components /
roles:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Our treasurer, Dana Bjorklund, who will focus on budget
Stewardship Co-chairs, Peggy Lagodny and Mariamne Ingalls
Investments person, Steve Doell
Legacy gifts person, Glenn Solomon
Rev. Joe also attends and contributes. Peggy Lagodny and Rev. Joe serve as links between the
Finance Council and Board.
In January, Rina Shere, Director of Lifespan Faith Development and the members of the Finance
Council started working through the Wi$dom Path curriculum. Our expectation is that the Wi$dom
Path curriculum will be offered to the congregation as a whole, in the near future.
As the Stewardship Team starts the new pledge campaign for 2014 – 15, we hope you will reflect
upon and share your hopes and ideas for a sustainable and flourishing future with us and each other.
Our community gains strength through these conversations!
Please contact any of us to learn more.
Rev. Joe and Mariamne Ingalls
T he U n i ta r i a n U n i v e r s a l i s t S o c i e ty o f C l e v e l a n d
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UUSC N E W S / A N N O U N C E M E N T S
First Sunday Potluck—February 1: First Sunday Potluck will be Sunday afternoon, February 1st in
the Fellowship Hall immediately following service. If you don’t bring a dish, the cost is $3 per
person or $5 per family. First time guests are free.
What Makes for Peace? - February 1: Join Dietz Ziechmann and friends in the Dao Study Group
this afternoon at 1:30 PM in the sanctuary following the potluck luncheon and services to discuss
the topic of “What Makes for Peace?”
Men’s Annual Superbowl Party—February 1: The Men’s Annual Superbowl Party will be held at
Ryan Sullivan’s pad in Shaker Heights (corner of Fairhill and North Moreland). The festivities
begin at 5:00 PM this afternoon, with game time at approximately 6:30 PM. Bring your own beer or
drink and a snack to share. Glenn Altschuld will again graciously prepare his famous chili (both for
vegetarians and carnivores). There will be the usual wagering and immature behavior in a PC free
zone. It’s always lots of fun and we look forward to seeing you there. Contact Ryan Sullivan at 216798-8292 or [email protected] for further details.
Shamanic Journeying Circle— February 8: The next Shamanic Journey Circle will be held on
Sunday, February 8th at 3:00—5:00 p.m. at the Society in the sanctuary. This circle is offered to
provide an opportunity to explore Shamanic Journeying in a comfortable group for meditation, self
-healing and personal or spiritual development. Donations are gratefully accepted to help defray
facilities rental, etc. The circle is facilitated by Neal Szpatura and Michelle Gilbert. Class size is
limited. RSVP to Neal Szpatura at 216-371-3433 or email [email protected].
Daytimers Meetings
Your kind attention please! The Daytimers would like to announce a new meeting time. We will
start this week meeting from 3-5 PM every Wednesday. We are moving to accommodate the busy
schedules of our regular attendees, and with the hope of attracting an even bigger crowd to our
Mid-Week Adult Religious Education Program.
This week we will explore the question “What are you curious about?” and we will try to focus our
efforts in the direction of those curiosities. A quick survey of this week’s group who met for lunch
yielded answers such as “How does the Media affect our young people,” and “Industrial Design.”
Who knows what wide and varied topics might come up if you also participate.
If you can’t make next Wednesday’s meeting, worry not! You can always contact Rev. Joe,
([email protected]) and he will carry your answers to the meeting on your behalf.
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UUSC N E W S / A N N O U N C E M E N T S
February Movie Nights
Intergenerational Movie Night—February 15: Intergenerational movie night is Sunday,
February 15 at 4:00 pm. The movie is “The Incredibles”, which is an animated movie about two
hours long. After a string of
lawsuits forces a family of superheroes to rein in their powers and
go into hiding in suburbia, a mysterious source asks the out-of-shape patriarch, Mr. Incredible, for
help -- but it's a trap. We will have pizza. Please note the earlier time to accommodate family
schedules. All are welcome, and kids need to have an adult along who is responsible for them.
Adult Discussion and Movie Night—February 22: Sunday, February 22 is adult discussion and
movie night at 5:00 pm. The movie is “The Day After Tomorrow”, which is an action movie from
2004. After years of unabated global warming, the greenhouse effect is wreaking havoc all over
the globe in the form of catastrophic hurricanes, tornadoes, tidal waves, floods and, most
ominously, the beginning of the next Ice Age. Paleoclimatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) tries to
save the world while also shepherding to safety his son Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal), who was in New
York when the city was overwhelmed by the beginnings of the new big freeze. We will have pizza.
UUSC Board Meeting Minutes: To receive the minutes from Board
Meetings via email, please contact the Society’s Office.
Have an Announcement?: If you have an item for the bulletin or The
Beacon, mail, email or fax your announcement to the Society by
Wednesday morning to be included on Sunday. Pulpit announcements
can be placed in the green “Announcements To Be Read” folder on the
wall in the Office up to 15 minutes before the start of the service. Please
indicate how you want your item announced.
On Facebook?
If so, check out the Society’s Facebook page. A link to it
can be found on our website at www.uucleveland.org.
UUSC Podcast
Listen to Sunday services online, and more.
Visit: http://uucleveland.podbean.com.
Wheelchair Available
The Society has a wheelchair available for use during
congregational events.
T h e U n i ta r i a n U n i v e r s a l i s t S o c i e ty o f C l e v e l a nd
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“My idea of good company...is the company of clever, well-informed people, who
have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.'
'You are mistaken,' said he gently, 'that is not good company, that is the best.”
― Jane Austen, Persuasion
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February 2015
Sunday Worship Service
Musical Prelude at 10:45 a.m.
Service at 11:00 a.m.
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
12
13
14
12:30 pm
1st Sun Potluck
1 pm Shine &
Shadow
2 pm The Dao
5 pm Men’s
Superbowl Par.
8
12:15—1:15
pm Beloved
Conv. Cohort 1
and 2 Meeting
3—5:00 pm
Shamanic
Journeying Cir.
15
7-9:00 pm
9
GCC General
Assembly Mtg
at Olivet Baptist Church
3-5:00 pm
Daytimers
Meeting
10
11
5:00 pm
Movie Night—
The Day After
Tomorrow”
OWL
Boundaries &
Boundary
Violations
Daytimers Mtg
7 pm Board
Meeting
16
17
4:00 pm
Intergenerational Movie
Night—The
Incredibles
22
10-12 Noon
3-5:00 pm
18
3-5:00 pm
Daytimers
Meeting
19
20
21
26
27
28
7:15 pm RE
Com. Meeting
23
24
25
3-5:00 pm
Daytimers
Meeting
THE UNITARIAN
UNIVERSALIST
SOCIETY
OF CLEVELAND
2728 Lancashire Road
Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44106
Phone: 216-932-1898
Fax: 216-932-1516
Email: [email protected]
www.uucleveland.org
The Rev. Joseph Cherry
Minister
Office Hours: 9:30 a.m.—2:00 p.m.
Tuesday—Thursday
Message phone: 216-264-9832
Rina Shere
Director of Lifespan Faith Development
Wed. &Thurs. 9:30 a.m.—230 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Friday—By Appointment
Shirley Nelson
Administrator/Beacon Editor
Tues. 9:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m.
Wed. 9:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m.
Thurs. 9:30 a.m.—3:30 p.m.
Diane Spiegler
Bookkeeper
UUSC DEADLINES:
Beacon Articles: Deadline for March is February 23rd.
Order of Service/Announcements:
Wednesday a.m. before the Sunday Service
Board Reports: Thursday a.m. before the Board Meeting on
Wednesday evening of the following week.
Amy Collins
Commissioned Lay Leader
Warren Ronney
Custodian
Barbara Boyd
Choir Director
Rev. Peggy C. Clason
Minister Emerita
Birthdays and Anniversaries
This is only a partial list, to make it complete, send your special dates
to the Office at [email protected] or just call and leave a message
on the machine. Thanks!!
February
Barbara Boyd
14
UUSC Board of Trustees *
Barbie Jones
President
Nina McLellan Vice President
Maureen Meslovich Secretary
Dana Bjorklund
Treasurer
Peggy Lagodny
Kristen Liviskie
Board Meetings are held on the 2nd
Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m.
Last month we missed a birthday! Our custodian, Warren Ronney,
celebrated his birthday on January 31st.

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