B.U.U.F. Adult Education

BUUF Adult Education Program, Spring 2009

Life-long Learning
Spiritual Growth
Building Community

We are pleased to present a wide variety of offerings this spring. The complete course descriptions with contact information, schedules, and a registration form are included in the printer-friendly (PDF) version of the program catalog, or, browse the offerings by the titles below.

Registration forms (and payment by check) can be deposit in the "drop box" at the Adult RE table in the north vestibule or mailed to BUUF, attention Adult RE). You may register for more than one class. Your registration will be confirmed with a call to remind you of the start date for the classes or workshops you have selected. If the class is full, we will contact you and refund the fee.

Contact the office or Adult Education chair Mike Philley (378-1714 or ) for more information about events.

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[+] Social Justice Empowerment Workshop

Organized by the Social Action Committee, this workshop is for members and friends of BUUF to assess the quality of our social justice program. We will consider what we are doing as a religious community to create a more just and caring world.

We will meet in small groups to discuss what we like about the current social justice program and what we would like to see improved. In the second part of the workshop, we will consider four or five crucial issues, which if properly addressed will lead to a more effective social justice program. Experienced UUA social justice empowerment facilitators will use a variety of methods to help us develop an action plan for implementing the recommendations that come out of our process together. The workshop will close with a brief worship service.

UUA facilitators: Ralph Galen, Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Andover, Massachusetts, and Pam Kelly, former director of the Unitarian Universalistsfor a Just Economic Community (UUJEC) and former social justice chair at All Souls UU Church in Greenfield, Massachusetts.

Schedule and location: Friday, February 27, 7-9:30 p.m.; Saturday, February 28, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (lunch provided); Sanctuary and designated meeting rooms

Registration fee: None (a goodwill offering will be collected)


[+]Alabaster Village: A Book Discussion Group

Participants in this book discussion will explore Alabaster Village, Christine (Balazs) Morgan's first-hand account of life in Mészkõ, Transylvania. For seven years in the 1930s, Christine and her husband, Reverend Ferenc Balazs, lived in Mészkõ where Ferenc served the Unitarian church and tried (in spite of financial, political, and health difficulties) to better the circumstances of his congregation. BUUF has been partnered with the congregation of the Unitarian church in Mészkõ for the past 15 years.

The latest printing of Alabaster Village includes a complete translation in Hungarian by Reverend József Kászoni. Our discussion of this beautifully written book will be augmented by other writings by Christine and Ferenc. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the lives of two people who have inspired generations of Unitarians in Transylvania and Hungary.

Leader: Gwyn Reid
Schedule and location: Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m., March 3, 10, 17; Junior High room
Registration fee: $10 (or $25 with book); a limited number of copies will be available to borrow
Maximum enrollment: 12


[+]Beginner's Jung for All Ages & Stages: An Introduction to the Psychology of C.G. Jung

From archetype to extravert and introvert, from anima and animus to synchronicity, from personal to collective unconscious, from shadow to Self, from exploration of alchemy to dreams, fairytales, and myths, many of the ideas of C.G. Jung have filtered into our everyday awareness. These four classes offer participants the opportunity to deepen their familiarity with the terminology and meaning within Jung's psychology in an experiential setting. Although limited interaction will be invited, participants are advised that these are explorative classes, not therapy sessions as such.

The approach will be wholistic, reflecting Jung's appreciation for the values not only of thinking, but also its complement, feeling, as well as the intuitive and sensate functions. The goal of a life, for Jung, is to become whole or complete, not perfect. Learning to recognize and integrate aspects of oneself beyond the awareness and identity of the ego is a lifelong endeavor. Jung called this process "individuation," and we will explore the dynamics and challenges for individuals, as well as touch upon the implications for the collective and culture in which we live.

Recommended reading for this class might well include Jung's autobiography, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, and a work that he edited before his death in 1961, Man and His Symbols. For those who pre-register, some additional materials will be made available before the classes begin.

Leader: Scott Hyder, Jungian Analyst, graduate of The C.G. Jung Institute, Zurich, Switzerland
Schedule and location: Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m., April 21, 28, May 5, 12; Junior High room
Registration fee: $20 (BUUF and Idaho Friends of Jung, partners in community educational outreach, will share proceeds equally)


[+]Native Americans: Past, Present, Future

This class will include presentations, group discussion, displays of Native American items, some film and music, and will close with a friendship dance. The purpose of the class is not to provide a romantic view of Native Americans. Instead, it will convey a realistic and respectful perspective acknowledging the massive social problems faced by Native American communities, as well as the resiliency, creativity, and spirituality that enables these communities to persevere.

Session 1: 1491 A.D.—A survey of the remarkable civilizations, flora and fauna on the continent before its "discovery." Where did Native Americans come from?

Session 2: The Vanishing American—An overview of the tragic history of our original inhabitants between 1492-1900, causing their numbers to plummet by 95%. What happened to the Native Americans?

Session 3: Indian Giver—A discussion of the great number of contributions of Native Americans; i.e., art, medicine, food, ecology and government, spirituality. What have we learned from them? How are we indebted to them?

Session 4: Living Together—How do we understand our commonalities and live together in light of our treaty obligations and the "invisibility" of Native Americans? How shall we live with our Native American neighbors?

Leaders: Sheryl and Bruce Dowlin have been advocates for Native Americans for 20 years in Minnesota and serve on the Idaho Indian Education Advisory Board
Schedule and location: Thursdays, 7-9 p.m.; April 9, 16, 23; Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Junior High room and BUUF courtyar
Registration fee: $10


[+]The Second Journey: A Pathway to Aging Intentionally

Participants in this workshop will explore the vast array of paths that are available to us in later life—the "golden years," "second journey," or "elderhood." Many of us have already arrived at what has been referred to as the tsunami of oldsters/boomers on the horizon. Rather than settle for a stereotypical "old age" lifestyle marked by gradual decline in health and vitality, we may choose instead to explore new options for personal growth and well being.

Whether what we pursue is called "deliberate," "conscious," or "spiritual" aging, we can look forward to a myriad of choices. Within an interactive workshop setting, we will discuss and share individual views, experiences, and our responses to the phenomenal diversity revealed in the "aging movement" around the world. Our exploration will be informed by the presenter's almost full time investigation of these phenomena over the past five years or so.

Week 1: What is this movement all about anyway?

Week 2: Explore the several approaches from foundation to current form.

Week 3: Life review, resources, and sources of information and inspiration.

Leader: Ken Pyburn, Advisory Council Co-chair, Second Journey (www.SecondJourney.org)
Schedule and location: Mondays, 7-9 p.m., March 23, 30, April 6; Senior High room
Registration Fee: $10
Maximum enrollment: 16


[+]Reading Poetry Like Your Life Depended On It

Ink runs from the corners of my mouth.
There is no happiness like mine.
I have been eating poetry.
   —Mark Strand

Perhaps you remember the poem by Archibald MacLeish, "Ars Poetica," where he admonishes all English teachers: "A poem should not mean/But be." And then your English teacher proceeded to interpret the meanings of all the poems you read that year. Why do we read poetry? If you would be interested in discussing this question, or if you would like to be among people learning to enrich their experience of reading poetry, then you will want to attend this one-day workshop, facilitated by two teachers and lovers of poetry. We will explore poetic forms, language, word choice and (yes) meanings. The class will be held at the Fellowship on Saturday, March 7, from 9:00 a.m. until noon, after which we will share a potluck lunch and read (or eat) poetry to our hearts' content.

The workshop will also serve to prepare us for a new Chalice Circle we are launching at BUUF: the People's Poetry Project. This will be a series of monthly salons/poetry readings focused on a single, specific poet each month, and selected by you—the people. So, to put us in the mood, and to encourage us to brush up on our Poetry 101 skills, plan to attend this workshop, and to sign up for the salons.

Leaders: Debra Smith and Kim Philley
Schedule and location: Saturday, March 7, 9 a.m. to 12 noon; Junior High room
Registration fee: $10
Maximum enrollment: 20


[+]All You Ever Wanted to Know About Chocolate!

Calling all chocolate lovers! Join us for a delightful social evening of sampling handcrafted chocolates from The Chocolat Bar and enjoying selected red wines! Learn about the colorful history of the chocolate industry dating back to pre-colonial times. Chris and Kristi Preston of Boise's The Chocolat Bar will discuss the process and art of fine chocolate making and sample a variety of chocolates, including single origin. They will also tell us about the recent expansion of organic and "single origin" chocolate in the marketplace, a trend that carries both positive and negative consequences for the developing nations where most of the world's production of cacao beans occurs.

Leaders: Chris Preston and Kristi Echols-Preston, Chocolatiers, The Chocolat Bar, 206 N. 9th St.
Schedule and location: Wednesday, April 1, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.; North Wing classrooms
Registration fee: $25 (covers cost of wine and chocolate)
Maximum enrollment: 25

[+]Rhythms of the Natural Voice

Singer Eliana Gilad knows all about sound and rhythm—and she knows how to combine these to bring relaxation and promote healing. To quote from Gilad's website:

"Voices of Eden music has been researched by Dr. Masaru Emoto of What the Bleep Do We Know!? fame, as well as in an Israeli neonatal ward (50% Jewish/50% Arab) by physicians who discovered that the music lowers blood pressure and heart rate, in addition to increasing mental focus and improving the quality of sleep."

This class will use Ms. Gilad's CD, Rhythms of the Natural Voice, with exercises and meditations suggested by the accompanying workbook. In working with the CD, the leader of this class experienced deep relaxation, and got rid of a bad headache in the process!

Leader: Lynne Tolk
Schedule and location: Mondays, 7-9 p.m., February 9, 16, 23; Junior High room
Registration fee: $10


[+] Travels in Borneo: Ancestral Lands in Peril

Borneo, the world's third largest island, is a mosaic of ancient rainforests, exotic plants and animals, myriad ethnic groups and languages, coastal cities with luxury hotels and shopping arcades, and widespread ecological degradation due to uncontrolled logging and explosive growth of palm oil plantations.

In June 2008, Mike Philley returned from five weeks in Borneo as a volunteer with the Borneo Project, a Berkeley-based NGO that works with local partners to protect the rights of indigenous communities to their ancestral lands. Using colorful images, Mike will speak about his experiences in Borneo as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1970s and describe the present efforts of the Borneo Project to empower indigenous communities through legal aid in the courts and schools for native children.

Borneo indigenous handicrafts will be displayed, and several copies of a beautiful, award-winning photographic book, Nomads of the Dawn, will be available for purchase.

Leader: Mike Philley
Schedule and location: Friday evening, 7-9 p.m., January 30, North Wing classrooms
Registration fee: $10 (as a donation to the Borneo Project: www.borneoproject.org). Those who registered before this presentation was rescheduled from November 14 to January 30 will be honored at the door.


[+] Low Carbon Diet: A Green Sanctuary Project

You, too, can join the fight against global warming by going on a low carbon diet. Using the Low Carbon Diet workbook, this interactive class will guide discussions and actions that enable you to help the environment while in most cases saving you money. You will be part of a peer group of people, organized by BUUF's Green Sanctuary Team, who are interested in reducing their carbon footprint. Below is an excerpt from the book:

This "30 Day Program to Lose 5000 Pounds" is a fun, accessible, easy to use guide that will show you, step-by-step, how to dramatically reduce your CO2 output in just a month's time.

Grounded in over two decades of environmental behavior change research, this illustrated workbook offers much more than a list of eco-friendly actions. It walks you through every step of the process, from calculating your current CO2 "footprint" to tracking your progress.

By making simple changes to actions you take every day, you'll learn how to reduce your annual household CO2 output by at least 15%. And, for those who are more ambitious, you'll discover how you can become "carbon neutral" and help your workplace, local schools, and community do the same. You'll learn how to:

  • Calculate your CO2 footprint with our easy-to-use "carbon calculator"
  • Create "cool household systems" that save the Earth while saving you money
  • Take on "cool lifestyle practices" that reduce CO2 emissions without cramping your style
  • Purchase carbon offsets to become "carbon neutral"
  • Form a Low Carbon Diet "EcoTeam" with friends, colleagues, co-workers or your faith community

Leaders: David Woito and co-leader, BUUF Green Sanctuary Team
Schedule and location: Thursdays, 7-9 p.m., February 19, 26, March 5, 12; Senior High room
Registration fee: $15 (includes cost of Low Carbon Diet workbook)


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