Sunday, November 11, 2007 10:30 AM	Sunday, November 18, 2007 10:30 AM
Sermon	“Voices of The Greatest Generation” Rev. Tim Kutzmark Joined by Jack Goldberg, Dodie Marshall, Mike Modica, and Chris Richey	Thanksgiving Services Rev. Tim Kutzmark 9:00 AM and 10:45 AM (TWO SERVICES AT SPECIAL TIMES)
Children	Pre-k and up begin in Sanctuary, dismiss into Community Hall for multiage program. Playschool in Sawyer with Jennifer.  Our Whole Lives 6:30 - 9:00 Loring House No Senior High Youth Program	Intergenerational Services Playschool in Sawyer Youth Adult Committee 5 - 6:30 in Loring House Our Whole Lives 6:30 - 9:00 in Loring House Senior High Youth Program 6:30 - 8:30 Loring House
Ushers	Lynne Champion and Don Pearson	9:00 am  Needed 10:45 am Needed
Altar	John and Dodie Marshall	9:00 am Needed 10:45 am Needed
Refreshments	Sawyer Nursery School Board	9:00 am Susan Conley and Gretchen Latowsky 10:45 am Needed
Membership Table	Linda Deveau and Margaret Soli	9:00 am Eileen Cummings and Linda Deveau 10:45 am Eileen Cummings and Linda Deveau
Greeter	Ann Fisher and Iris Hardin	9:00 am Frank Fardy and Sharlene Reynolds Santo 10:45 am Eileen Cummings and Beverly Everett
Paper Recycler	Tim Kutzmark	Andy Friedmann

Sunday, November 11th - 10:30 AM

“Voices of The Greatest Generation”
Rev. Tim Kutzmark
joined by Jack Goldberg, Dodie Marshall, Mike Modica, and Chris Richey

This month is the 75th Anniversary of the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the U.S. Presidency.  On this Veterans Day weekend, join Rev. Tim and members of our UUCR World War II Generation as we celebrate the life and legacy of those who worked and sacrificed at a crucial moment in history.  We’ll listen to the voices of this essential generation and reflect on how they shaped our world.  Reflections will be offered by several members of the church who are part of The Greatest Generation.  Today we also celebrate “Sawyer Sunday,” and recognize our long-running church sponsored Sawyer Nursery School.

NOTE: If you are a newcomer to our church, please join Rev. Tim after the service today for a special newcomers tea and tour.  You’ll have a chance to ask questions, have a guided tour of our campus, and learn a little bit more about Unitarian Universalism. 

Sunday, November 18th - 9:00 AM and 10:45 AM

Thanksgiving Services
Rev. Tim Kutzmark
(TWO SERVICES AT SPECIAL TIMES)

Before the feasting and football games, take a moment to reflect together on the things for which we are grateful.  Join us as we celebrate together in ritual and song.  This interactive service is appropriate for young and old and in between.  "Guest at Your Table" boxes will also be distributed.  In the spirit of thanks and giving, we ask that each person bring a non-perishable food item for the Reading Food Bank.  Please choose an item from this list (there is no need for canned vegetables at this time):  The most needed items are:  laundry detergent, hand soap, toilet tissues, facial tissues, juice, juice boxes, cereal, granola bars, crackers, stew, chili, canned fruit, rice, pasta, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate.

SANCTUARY SEATING ALTERNATIVES

As part of the Sanctuary construction our narthex and atrium sound systems have been restored. We now have two quiet areas that restless people and their children may sit in and listen to the service without feeling they are disturbing others. Sit on the comfortable chairs, crawl on the carpet or rock gently on the tiles, we are just happy to have you with us.

A WAY TO BE GREEN TODAY - RECYCLE YOUR OOS COVER

Green Sanctuary and the Office have a gentle request.  If you return your beige Order of Service cover in good condition to a recycling box we can reuse it next week.  This is a simple and kind way to reduce the paper production from our church office. 

NEWCOMERS TEA AND TOUR

Join Rev. Tim after the service on Sunday, November 11th for a casual, comfortable chance to talk, ask questions, have a tour of the church campus, and learn a little bit more about Unitarian Universalism.  We’ll have snacks for adult and kids.  Nothing fancy.  Just friendly.  We hope to see you. (We'll meet at Tim's office after the service.)

Dear Friends:

As I write this to you on Tuesday morning, a chilly rain is falling, many of the trees are almost leaf-less, and the grey sky of November reminds me that beauty is sometimes subtle, frequently hidden, and often looks quite different than we would expect.

Last night, I saw such beauty.  Last night, our Governing Board met in their monthly meeting, and I again found myself amazed and thankful for the dedicated, wise, and time-generous folks who are leading us and guiding us through this exciting new time in the life of our congregation.  Their work is sometimes subtle (new policies and organizational structures that few of us notice), frequently hidden (monthly Monday night meetings are open to all, but how can they compete with the football game on TV for audience appeal?), and looks quite different than we would expect (the warmth and respect that infuses the room always reminds me that the art of church leadership is about relationships first, and product and results second.  Our current Governing Board culture understands and practices this!).

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am honored to work alongside such a fine group of church leaders.  As Thanksgiving approaches, I am honored to work alongside our church staff, who are generous with their skills, time, and talents.  As Thanksgiving approaches, I am honored to walk with you, in such a beautiful, vibrant, and varied church community of memory and hope.

As we enter this time of Thanksgiving, I hope each of us will find a moment, perhaps even a long moment, to reflect on the year we have been living, and on those moments and people that give us reason to be grateful.  Count them up.  No, really, count them up!  Amidst the pain and challenges we all face, I expect we might find some real moments of beauty that are quite subtle, often hidden.  Perhaps a time of November reflection will reveal something that looks quite different than we would expect.

See you on the path (and in church!),

Tim

PS: The text of my most recent sermons are available on-line at www.uureading.org.  I especially encourage everyone to take a moment and read “Where The Wild Things Are” from this past Sunday.  I share some thoughts about our present and future that warrant a few minutes of your time.

PPS: Please start out your Thanksgiving week by joining us on Sunday, November 18th for our Traditional Thanksgiving Services.  Note the TWO special times: 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM.  And please remember to bring a non-perishable item for the Reading Food Bank (canned vegetables are not needed at this time.  See above in the service description for a full list of what would be most appreciated).

PPPS: I will be traveling to Pittsburgh to spend Thanksgiving with my family.  I can be reached at the usual pastoral emergency number (781-718-8378) in case of a pastoral emergency.

Hi, Everyone:

I can’t quite believe it’s November and time for the Kris Kringle Fair, but here we are.  The leaves are finally falling and the air is pretty crisp.  It’s perfect timing for the Fair and especially for our first fair on the new church campus.  We will be using pretty much every inch of our buildings, thanks to the Fair Powerhouse Three – Sharyn Taitz, Ginny Beauregard, and Judy Bousquin.  They’ve been working pretty hard, as have many more of us, to get ready for Saturday.  If you haven’t worked at the fair before, come on down, we can always use an extra pair of hands.  If you haven’t ever been to the fair, then just come on down on Saturday and join in the fun.  We work hard to get ready, but when Fair day comes, we have a ball.  Join in.  You are SO welcome.  I promise.

You may remember me talking about the Governing Board Retreat back in the summer.  Well, we finally got us all together on September 22nd and we’ve come up with out goals for this church year.  I’ll share the topline goal, action areas, and some action steps here. If you want more (And of course, you will; this is so interesting!), just let me know and I’ll share the whole list of plans for this year. 

We’re trying to settle in to our new space and begin planning for the long term while we get our new ‘house’ in order.  It’s a big job to figure out how to use, enjoy, rent, and decorate our space. I’m not worried since we have lots of capable people working, but if you have questions and ideas about these things (or others), let me know and I’ll steer you to the group that figuring it out.  We’ll all need to bring our flexibility to table as we negotiate and work to accommodate as many wishes/needs as possible.

Please talk to me, or any Governing Board member, for more insight into our thinking about these goals.  And, as always, let us know if you are interested in helping us. 

You know how I feel by now…

The world needs us, and we need you.

Merry Kris Kringle!

Lorraine

Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading Governing Board’s Goals for 2007-2008

Overall Goal: Develop the policies, procedures and organizational structures necessary to support the transition of the UUCR to a program church.  Areas for 2007-2008 Action:

• Governance:  Review and make recommendations on the church’s governance structure and policies.
• Finance:   Review and revitalize the Finance Structures of the church.
• Marketing/PR:  Institutionalize the Marketing and Public Relations functions of the Church to grow the membership and reach out to the community.

Planning:

1. Adopt a comprehensive plan to lead the congregation in defining the future vision and direction of UUCR.

Action: Provide the Long Range Planning Committee with a charge to research and recommend a model for the next strategic planning effort.

2. Dedicate a block of time in 2007-2008 for a preliminary visioning and planning process for self-education.

Action: Decide on scheduling, amount of time to devote and
facilitation process (internal/external)

3. Deliberately evaluate the role of the Long Range Planning Committee in the governance structure and make changes as needed.

Action: Evaluate the LRP mission statement the Committee was asked to develop against the philosophy of the drafters of the revised governance structure.  Define the ongoing role of the LRP, if any, when not engaged in   formal congregational strategic planning.

Leadership Development Goals:

1.  Create a Lay Participation-Leadership Development Committee (LP-LD) that is charged with the mission of developing and implementing program(s) aimed at achieving “100% engagement” of members and friends in the life of UUCR.

2.  The Governing Board will receive and act upon any recommendations from the LP-LD Committee for changes in UUCR Policies and Procedures and/or By-Laws.

3.  The Governing Board will receive and act upon any recommendations from the LP-LD Committee for development of, or changes in, congregation wide practices which will help to foster a culture of “100% engagement.”

We welcome the following new members to our community:

Marsha Finkelstein - Sarah Ortins - Ben Oyer - Joe Ryan - Jim Claffey - Pat Claffey

MARSHA FINKELSTEIN

My name is Marsha Finkelstein and I have been a Unitarian since 2001.  Actually, I’m 3 things all rolled up into 1 – Jewish (by birth), Buddhist (by spiritual practice) and Unitarian by community and everything else.  So, that makes me a Jewda-Buddha-Tarian (ha ha ha)…  I’m originally from New York City and grew up in the Bronx where my parents still live. I’m the youngest of 7 children and have lived in Massachusetts for almost 8 years.  The first time I went to a Unitarian church was in 2001 after September 11th.  At the time I lived in Arlington, MA felt compelled to go somewhere to be with my community after the attacks.  Having grown up in New York City, as well as having worked down the street from the Twin Towers, it an especially sad time for me.  So when I saw that First Parish in Arlington was having a prayer/reflection evening, I thought it would a good idea to go.  My experience that day was very powerful (and healing) and a short while later I became a member, and remained one until I moved up to the North Shore in early 2006.  I then gave myself the task of “shopping” for a new UU church near my home and just couldn’t find the right fit.  I visited quite a few and until I “landed” at UUCR this past spring, I was ready to give up.  I liked the feel and people and the positive energy and enthusiasm I saw and was curious.  So, I came back several times and by early fall felt this was the place for me.  This comes at a good time where I’m through quite a bit of change, which includes starting my own business as a life coach, going back to school and also getting involved in church activities (singing in the choir and teaching an adult enrichment class for parents of teens).  I’m looking forward to making new friends and finding ways to share my gifts with this community.

SARAH ORTINS

My name is Sara Ortins.  I have been married for 4 ½ years to my husband, Marc.  We have a 3-year-old daughter Sophia and another little girl due to be born in early February 2008.  We moved to Reading just 2 years ago and we absolutely love our neighborhood and the Reading community.  I first attended a Unitarian service here in Reading a few years ago and was passionate about starting up a Mom's Group.  Thanks to much support from Tim, the group has gotten off to a wonderful start!  I've spent the majority of my life so far in Connecticut, moving to Massachusetts in 2003 after marrying my husband.  I was raised Roman Catholic, but chose a different religious path upon graduating college.  I received my Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut and returned to graduate school a few years later to receive my Master's Degree in Education.  I am currently at home with my daughter and work part-time as an executive assistant/coach for a CEO of a Boston-based company.  I enjoy reading, baking and spending time with my friends and family.

BEN OYER

I, Benjamin Oyer, have been with the church since May of 2006.  I was raised in a congregational UCC church in Andover which, according to a long-time member, was "home to everyone from Bible-thumping evangelicals to closet Unitarians."  I didn't attend any services for several years of young adulthood, until arguments with my Anglican friend (who is still a good friend) drove me to seek out a place that admitted it didn't hold all The Answers.  My mother recommended the very church she was raised in 50 years ago: the UUCR.  During one of my first visits, Dodie Marshall tapped me on the shoulder and said, "I knew your grandparents," and proceeded to introduce me to a few of the people she knows.  I have since become co-chair of Green Sanctuary and also Sunday usher coordinator.  I appreciate the environmentally-friendly, vegetarian-friendly, and intelligence-respecting atmosphere I find here.

JOE RYAN

My name is Joe Ryan. In short, I'm a creative, hands-on, jack of all trades who has an independent streak which I am now trying to channel into a loving community.  I love to travel. I've been as south in the world as New Zealand and as north as the Arctic Circle (3X) with many trips in the middle. My last trip was a hike of 954 miles on the Appalachian Trail this last summer.  It is the experiences of this trip which have brought me to the Unitarian Universalist Church.  I was raised in the Methodist religion with a little influence from the Catholic side of the family which tried to persuade me to the “right” side. I never bought into either religion. I started my career as an all-around machinist. I attended and eventually graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology where my major studies were Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. Along the way I've lived in Needham MA, Manteca CA (1 1/2 hrs east of San Francisco), and Newmarket VA (the heart of the Shenandoah Valley). My life’s path was to return me back here to Reading, MA where I have lived with my wife Andrea for the last 10 years.  Eight years ago I received the most cherished gift of my life, Juliana- my daughter. The future will bring a lot of changes for me and I look forward to making the Unitarian Universalist of Reading part of that change.

JIM CLAFFEY

My name is Jim Claffey and I was raised in neighboring Woburn. I earned a degree in Electrical Engineering at Umass Lowell. My wife, Pat, and I moved to Reading a little over a year ago from Groton, MA, with our two children, Meghan, who is a sophomore in College, and Daniel, a senior at Reading High. We discovered the UUCR this past spring.   I was raised a Catholic but had drifted away from the church. Finding the UUCR has been a pleasant surprise. We have been received by a welcoming church community. Not being very familiar with Unitarian Universalism we attended the new UU class and found out how much we agreed with its principles. I look forward to becoming a member.

PAT CLAFFEY

Hi, my name is Pat Claffey. I grew up primarily in Connecticut, the fourth of seven children.  I graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in accounting. I work full time as a senior accountant for Black Duck Software, located in Waltham, MA.  I have been married, for over 22 years, to my husband, Jim.  We have a daughter, Meghan and a son, Daniel, both of whom keep me very busy.  As a child, my family and I occasionally attended the Methodist church. I never felt a connection to my religion. When Jim and I moved here, a little over a year ago, we made the decision to find a church and a community that we could feel comfortable in and truly feel a part of.  Ever since we started coming to the UUCR we have loved it. We are very happy and excited about becoming members of the church and the UUCR community.  Besides family and work I enjoy nature and animals, especially dogs. I enjoy walking and playing with my dog, Makena. My other interests are baking, travel and, when time permits, watching movies.

Do you remember the re-usable canvas grocery bag fundraiser we ran last spring?  We do!  Thank you so much for your support.  We raised $127 from canvas bag sales and used that money to purchase 192 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) which we donated to the Reading Food Pantry.  A great deal, by the way.  Thank you all our Green Sanctuary bargain hunters!  And a big thanks to all the RE teachers and kids who created our beautiful bags.  One person DID make a difference after all!

This work represents a Green Sanctuary Environmental Justice project because we provided the upfront investment on an energy saving method for people who might not have been able to afford it themselves.  CFLs are considerably more expensive than standard incandescent bulbs but are much less expensive to run because they use so much less electricity and last far longer.  Consider switching the incandescent bulbs in your home to CFLs.  Your wallet, the environment and many future generations of people will thank you for it.  And we thank you, for being a part of our Green Sanctuary.

1. CFLs contain mercury so please dispose of them at the Reading DPW M-F, 9-5.
2. CFLs contain far less mercury than the amount emitted by power plants to produce the extra electricity needed for incandescent bulbs.

GUEST AT YOUR TABLE BOXES/UUSC HOLIDAY CARDS—Nov. 18

“Advancing workers’ rights and a living wage…Defending the rights of people affected by disasters…Promoting the right to safe, affordable water…Protecting civil liberties and democratic processes.” How can you help people here and abroad in all these ways, through our own UU Service Committee, as we enter the season of giving and thanksgiving?

Take home a Guest at Your Table box from the church service on Nov. 18. Invite the guests into your thoughts as you fill the box with coins, bills, or a check: Viola, who—with support from the UUA-UUSC Gulf Coast Relief Fund—works every day so everyone, regardless of color or class, has the right to come home in New Orleans. Angel, making the right to safe, affordable, accessible water a reality in his neighborhood in Ecuador. Mary, a child laborer in Kenya, getting education and an apprenticeship through a UUSC partner, the Rock Women’s Group. Members of Appeal for Redress, a UUSC program partner helping to defend the right of U.S. military personnel to freedom of speech.  Please return your box to the church service on January 13. (If you donate by check, please make it out to “UUSC.”)

Purchase UUSC holiday cards at the Social Action table at coffee hour starting on Nov. 18. Send “Kids and Globe,” “Candle,” “People of Peace,” or “Celebrate the Season” (image of a gorgeous holiday quilt) to friends and family and know that your purchase touches other lives as well. To preview the cards, visit www.uusc.org.

THANK YOU…

to all who donated to the Mission of Deeds linen drive on Oct. 28. Many individuals and families in need will benefit with sheets, warm blankets and comforters, pillows, dishes, pots and pans, and more.
If you missed the collection, please call Mission of Deeds at 781-944-9797 to arrange drop-off or pick-up.

UNIQUE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN LAWRENCE

Jericho Road, which matches individuals who’d like to volunteer their professional skills with the needs of charitable organizations in Lawrence, has new requests from clients. Volunteer assignments are typically short, oftentimes can be done from  home, are customized to fit the volunteer’s schedule, and are monitored by the Jericho Road director to ensure that volunteers have a satisfying experience. To learn more Jericho Road and/or any of these opportunities, contact Joan Kulash (978-604-8803).

• Web professionals
• Boys and Girls Club seeks help in improving the functionality of its web site and the image it projects.
• C.L.A.S.S. (which helps individuals with disabilities integrate into their communities) seeks someone to give their web site a new look and to make it accessible to people with disabilities (such as visual impairment).
• Marketing professionals
• Boys and Girls Club seeks (1) a review of all existing promotional materials and recommendations for updates and revisions and (2) requires assistance in developing a marketing plan to secure corporate partnerships.
• Fundraising professionals
• Community Service Center (which serves the Latino community through referrals and direct intervention) needs a seasoned fundraiser to put together a fundraising plan for them.
• Pregnancy Care Center seeks advice on how to set up a planned giving program and a major donor initiative.
• IT professionals
• Boys and Girls Club needs help to assess existing technology and develop a technology strategic plan to enhance functionality.
• Office space designer
• Essex Art Center (which organizes gallery exhibitions and is heavily involved in community outreach and art courses for all ages) seeks someone to make their current space more efficient as they expand.

“AMADEUS”—TO BENEFIT UU URBAN MINISTRY

Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9 and 10, at 8 p.m., the Follen Players of Follen Community Church present Amadeus, Peter Shaffer's award-winning play about the last months of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's life. The play is a darker work than the movie -- a psychologically enthralling and sometimes darkly humorous meditation on genius versus mediocrity, and on the apparent randomness with which God doles out both talent and good health. A donation of $15 per ticket is suggested; all proceeds benefit the UU Urban Ministry.   Follen Community Church is located at 755 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington. For tickets and information, call 781-862-3805, ext. 205.

KEEP THOSE DONATIONS COMING!

You’ve been bringing in lots of great donations and you can continue to do so through Friday.  However, items that arrive late on Friday evening may have to be saved until next year.  We ask for you to be considerate of hard-working fair staffers and to please try to have your donations to the church in time for the workers to sort, price and display your items.  Bringing clean, ready-for-display items will help tremendously.  Please do not leave items in common areas.  Deliver your items to the appropriate buildings and rooms.  There are plenty of signs around to help direct you to the correct locations.

PARKING

The shuttle service from Parker Middle School will begin at 8:00 am.  We remind you to please leave the nearby on-street parking spaces for our fair-going guests.  The parking lot will be roped off from the church-to-Loring crosswalk back.  If you are dropping off items for Snack Bar, just drive in as far as you can, briefly park at the ropes/tape, bring your donations in the side door of Fellowship Hall, and then move your car.

EARLY SHOPPING

Volunteers who are working a 9:00am shift are welcome to do early shopping from 8:00 – 9:00, AT THE DISCRETION OF EACH INDIVIDUAL TABLE MANAGER.  The table managers will have their early-shopping policies posted for you at the tables.

CASH 

Small bills good.  Change good. Large bills bad.  Enough said.

WORKERS

If you are working a shift at the fair, (you all are, aren’t you?), be sure to arrive at your table/area a 5 -10 minutes early so you can receive your nametag, catch up on pricing policies or be instructed in any other procedures related to your area.  Festive, holiday dress is encouraged, although not required.  At the very least, look for some red or green in your wardrobe.  Let’s fill the place with holiday colors.  We should all be conscious of the fact that our buildings and campus will be new to any folks from outside the church.  Although there will be plenty of directional signage, shoppers may still get lost.  We should all be on the lookout for people who look lost.  Familiarize yourself with the basic layout of the fair so you can guide others to their destinations.  (You’ll find a directory inside the fair programs.) 

FOOT TRAFFIC PATTERNS

Please be aware that there are a couple restrictions that we are making on certain doors so as to improve the flow of foot traffic.  Although all doors will be open as fire exits, please note the following:

• The main sanctuary entrance on Woburn Street will not be used as a fair entrance.  Fair-goers will be directed to use the Summer Ave entrances.
• As tempting as it may be for us to use the convenient side door of Fellowship Hall that faces Loring House, that door will be closed to all fair-goers and workers.  This is necessary to do because of the traffic flow coming from the kitchen serving window.  We don’t want to be knocking down patrons who are walking from the serving window with a tray full of food.  Really, really.  We know you’ll be tempted.  Try to resist.
• Although the Toys & Kids’ Books Table in Loring Room 205 may still be accessed from the Loring front door, we are encouraging and directing toy shoppers to use the fire exit stairway from the back of Loring House.  That leads directly up to Room 205, which is the only second floor room that’s being used.
  

REMINDERS AND LAST MINUTE TABLE NOTES

• Kids Only Store:
  Don’t forget that you can send your children to do their holiday shopping at the Kids Only Store in Sawyer on the second floor.  Everything at the table will be priced under a dollar.  Ellen Childress and her helpers will assist your young shoppers in finding the perfect gifts for their families or friends or themselves. 
• New Books Table
  The New Books Table is located in the sanctuary and will offer many selections from the UUA Bookstore and the Beacon Press Publishers.  Be sure to stop in and see the terrific choices that John MacDonald has to offer.
• Silent Auction
  just a couple reminders about Silent Auction:
  

  Please remember that if your donation is deemed to not be appropriate for this area, it will be lovingly redirected to the Potpourri Table or to Attic Treasures.

  ****Please bring items in their original packaging if at all possible.

  ****Paper shopping bags and boxes are needed.

  ****If you can, include helpful information, such as a brief description of your item and its original dollar value.

  ****BIDDING WILL CLOSE AT 1:00pm ON SATURDAY.  Plan your bidding accordingly.

• Boutique
  If you are leaving off hand-made items, please let us know who you are and offer us a suggested selling price.  If you want your donations back if they don’t sell, please let us know that, too.
• Raffles
  The list of raffle items is now complete and it includes:

Hand-stitched "Green Sanctuary Quilt" for a queen-size bed, made by UUCR quilters. 

iPod Nano audio and video player, donated by Bev Everett and John Sullivan.

The Dragon of your Dream, donated by Sharyn Taitz.

Basket of Fine Wines:  up to 18 bottles, donated by some of the most educated palates in the church.  List of donors and descriptions of their wines will be included in the prize.

• Plants
  We especially need more INDOOR plants to sell.  If you can donate large, medium, or small plants, we’d love any and all.  Also, rooted clippings, dried flowers, bittersweet, etc. Please label with plant names and care instructions.

IT’S GOING TO BE A GREAT FAIR!
Let’s hope for beautiful weather!  Cross your fingers; do a weather dance; pray; meditate; request; plead; bribe; arrange sticks; draw patterns in the sand; tell the cows to stay standing; or whatever works for you, but all of our collective energies will certainly combine to make the fair a fabulous success, no matter what weather befalls us.

THANKS to all 200+ of you who are working at the fair and also to the 300+ of you who will shop at the fair.  We are extremely grateful

Your Fair Tri-Chairs,

Ginny Beauregard
Judy Bousquin
Sharyn Taitz

Church School and Events

Sunday, November 11

• Pre-k through Grade 6 begin in Sanctuary.
• Multiage Church School Program in Community Hall.
• Playschool with Jennifer in Sawyer.
• Our Whole Lives 6:30 - 9:00 in Loring House.
• NO SHYP.

Sunday, November 18

• Pre-k and up are in Sanctuary for Intergenerational Services.
• Playschool in Sawyer.
• Youth Adult Committee 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. in Loring.
• SHYP 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Loring House.
• O.W.L. 6:30 - 9 p.m. in Loring House.

MULTI-AGE CURRICULUM FOR NOVEMBER 11TH

The RE Committee is hosting the second multi-age curriculum activity of the church year on Sunday, November 11th.  Children will start in the sanctuary and then will be dismissed to church school until 11:45 am. In recognition of the Veteran's Day holiday, veterans from our church community will speak with the students about life in the military.  They will shares memories about the challenges of spending extended periods of time away from home and loved ones.  What did they eat?, where did they sleep?, what was it like?  After this dialog with veterans the students will prepare a Care Package that will be sent to our troops overseas.  The package will include cards made by the children during the hour and non-perishable items.  All children and other interested church members and friends are encouraged to bring non-perishable items to Community Hall on Sunday, November 11th before church  for inclusion in the Care Package.  Suggested items might include warm socks, soaps, shampoos, books, magazines, non-perishable food items etc.

WELCOME NEWEST RELIGIOUS EDUCATION STAFF MEMBER!

Jennifer DeSantis is joining our staff as the Infant Care Provider on Sunday mornings in Sawyer House. Jennifer will be caring for our youngest on the first floor of Sawyer House. Her hours are Sundays 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. Jennifer has a wonderful presence and a background in professional child care. We are so fortunate to have her at the church! Please stop by Sawyer to say hello and meet our newest Religious Education Staff member!
Valerie Robison was hired at the end of last year as the Religious Education Assistant. Valerie has met several class coordinators and teachers this year and she looks forward to becoming a prominent support person for our Religious Education program. Valerie works typically on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Religious Education office, Room 202, in Loring House.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION TIDBIT

Religious Education in Grade 4 recently involved learning about Islam and the holiday of Ramadan.  They created a class covenant, an agreement on how we will treat one another in the classroom.  On Sunday, October 28th they learned about the United Nations and UNICEF and on Nov. 4 there was a very interesting and tasty treat on the classroom table!
Grade 7 also learned about Islam as they begin their wonderful traveling year learning about different faiths and religions. This year each family will present a religion or spiritual discipline to the class. What a wonderful way for parents and youth to learn together! The religions will include Catholicism, Quakerism, Paganism, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Baha'i faith and possibly some others.

SPOOKTACULAR HAUNTED HALLOWEEN THANKS!

Many thanks to the Coming of Age Class for a fantastically scary Haunted House! These ghosts and goblins lightly scared, mediumly scared and terrifically scared many Halloween visitors. There were tours all night long through their gruesome Loring House. The crowds could not be satisfied with only one trip!  In Community Hall the Senior High Youth Program did a wonderful job hosting the vibrant and well attended Halloween Party! There was face painting, (and head painting), donut eating, mummy making, pumpkin carving, cookie decorating and a candy corn guessing contest. Can you believe that Brian Conry guessed the EXACT amount of candy corn in the box? Wow!  It was a great way to spend the Saturday night before Halloween. Well done everyone!

CALLING ALL YOUR HIDDEN BIBLES

All past 6th grade families please check your homes for copies of the Bible that we have been using in the 6th grade. New copies were purchased because we were down to ONE copy from an initial purchase of 10 years ago. The Bible is the New Revised Edition. We would appreciate everyone taking a look in those old corners and tucked away places for our 6th grade Bibles! Thank you!

NEW HIGH SCHOOL - OUR WHOLE LIVES SEXUALITY AND OUR FAITH – COURSE TO BE OFFERED

Announcing the debut of the High School Our Whole Lives – Sexuality and Our Faith Course at the UUCR.  Thanks to the leadership and enthusiasm of Rob Craig-Comin and Susanne Sullivan, we’ve been able to make this offering to the Youth of UUCR.  This course offers a wonderful opportunity for both veteran OWL participants and newcomers to explore the important issues of sexuality at a particularly relevant stage in their lives.  This will also offer the opportunity to further strengthen the youth community within our church, by providing a forum for discussion and support around the really tough and real circumstances that come with the blossoming of sexuality.  The youth community in our church is thriving.  Giving them the tools to support themselves can only strengthen them and our community as a whole.  This course will be offered to 12 youth from January through March as a series of one per month sleepovers.  The evening of Sunday, December 2nd, we will be holding a parent orientation meeting.  This meeting is mandatory for the parents of all youth who plan to attend.  The orientation is designed to provide parents with an overview of the course, an introduction to the facilitators and Andy Furst, and give you the opportunity to ask questions.  Please contact Andy Furst ( 978-276-0212) to RSVP for the orientation or if you have questions.

OUR WONDERFUL NEW BABY!

The Our Whole Lives Program has a wonderful addition - A delightful Japanese Baby Girl! For many years we were able to rent a "Baby-Think-It-Over from Planned Parenthood. Sadly this program was not available a few years ago. We did borrow the Baby purchased by the Mass Bay District Religious Education Team but found it to be lacking in some of the most valuable aspects that we had come to enjoy and need.

After much conversation among the O.W.L. facilitators and sharing information with the Youth Adult Committee, the decision was made to purchase our own Baby. WOW! What an amazing Baby it is! The current 8th grade O.W.L. Facilitators and O.W.L. coordinator are just getting acquainted with her now. We look forward to many years of her helping our young people understand, although briefly, some basic sense of what caring for a real baby would entail. She cries, registers all rough handling, has an accurate length and weight and affords our youth and their families the opportunity to experience some of the challenges and disruptions to their daily lives as "parents" of a baby! Thank you to Donna Colebrook for all her hard work in making this great addition a reality!

KRIS KRINGLE KIDS FAIR

What is white and powdery, filled with laughter and produces 200 cookies?  The SHYP youth in the new kitchen baking cookies for the Annual Kid's Fair!  The Senior High Youth Program, with the leadership of Betsy MacKenzie and support of her Mom, Martha Moore, are running the Kid's Fair this year on November 10 in Sawyer House from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.!  There will be face painting, cookie decorating (thus the 200 super scrumptious cookies!), bead table, lollipop pull, basketball toss, stocking pull (which I learned is not really about pulling a stocking) and more! We hope to see most of you there on Saturday!  We have a few more slots to fill for helpers so if you are in grades 6, 7 or 8 and have not signed up to help at the Fair, we would love to have you!  You can contact Aileen Dashurova, DRE (781-944-0494).  See you at the Fair.