BUUF News – January 2008

Contents

EverGreene

Reverend Elizabeth Greene

It's hard to believe, but this is my last BUUF News column until August, 2008!

As many of you know, I will be on sabbatical from mid-January to August 1, 2008, retreating and reflecting up a storm. I will visit friends in the Northeast in January, ending that part with a retreat on Cape Cod. My husband Bob and I will be gone a couple of weeks in March, at a yoga retreat in Mexico, visiting people on either end. I will spend a month on retreat at St. Gertrude's Monastery in Cottonwood, Idaho, and I will travel to Transylvania to visit our partner church. Between these retreats, I will be at home, practicing meditation, art, feng shui, piano and public invisibility.

I will send an interesting picture of myself to the church very regularly, so you remember what I look like!

There will be wonderful speakers in the pulpit, and organizational/pastoral matters will be handled fabulously by the Sabbatical Task Force, the Board, the Congregational Care Team, the Committee on Ministry, and lots of others.

This is your chance! What and who is the Boise UU Fellowship at heart, separate from the minister (who, after all, is transient, however many decades I spend here). How welcoming, embracing and open will you be to newcomers? How kindly, direct, loving and generous will you be to each other, without any sort of ministerial "nagging?" How creative and constructive and committed will you be when it comes to giving of your time, energy and money?

I have nary a concern about how well things will go in my absence. I know you, and I know your hearts and minds grow toward the light (always acknowledging shadow, of course!). I love you, and have faith that our long-term, very human relationship will always be filled with affection and honesty.

What a gift, this period of reflection and renewal. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Em-bracing the Journey

Emmie Schlobohm, Board President

Happy and Joyous New Year!

I hope you had a warm and wonderful holiday season. Now that the new year is upon us, there's plenty of opportunities to roll up our sleeves, do the good work our community is capable of, and make a difference in our beloved community and beyond!

Our strategic plan process has reached its next phase with the Board and the Strategic Planning Task Force participating in a dynamic brainstorming session thoughtfully led by Lise Stewart. On January 24, there'll be an opportunity for all leadership council leads, committee chairs and committee members, and any other interested folks to participate in the next phase. To find out more about this, look for the article in this very newsletter brought to you by Chip Cole and the Strategic Planning Task Force.

A small, but committed group of concerned community members are organizing a symposium on vital issues surrounding the war in Iraq to be held at our fellowship on January 13. A special congregational meeting will be held on Sunday, January 27 to discuss and vote to determine what, if any, position or action BUUF will take on the war in Iraq. Again, more information can be found within the pages of this newsletter.

The Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is a place of commitment, passion and intense caring for each other and our greater community and I'm thrilled to be here with all of you in this place, at this time, on this amazing journey!

Dialogue with the Board: How'd It Turn Out?

Thirty-three members and friends participated in the November 18 Dialogue with the Board. Participants included seven Board members, two staff, and ten committee chairs. The Dialogue provided an opportunity for brainstorming about concerns and questions and for small group discussions with opportunities to report back on possible action steps. Conversation was energetic, constructive, and very creative!

Communications and bureaucracy issues within our growing congregation ranked top among concerns that also included amenities (chancel, coffee, kitchen, etc), congregational/community demographics, deeper involvement of youth and families in social action, and parking. Detailed comments, concerns, and suggestions from the Dialogue have been captured, are being discussed by the Board, and will be integrated into the Strategic Planning process beginning in January.

Additional Board Dialogues will be scheduled in upcoming months to continue to strengthen communication and sharing among Board members and congregants. Please join in the Strategic Planning process AND attend Dialogues with the Board to have maximum input in our community decision-making. Your input and ideas are needed, welcomed, and valued. For more information on the Dialogues, please contact Sue Philley 340-9450 or Dale Winke 375-7726.

RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION

REport from the South Hallway

Cathy Carmen, Co-DRE

"And now let us welcome the new year, full of things that have never been." - Rainer Maria Rilke

This time of year always gives me pause...After the holidays with their many and sometimes frantic festivities, January reminds me of the calm following the storm. January can offer us a time to re-group and re-consider aspects of our lives that get lost in "the headlong rush of our days"—to quote Elizabeth! So here are some of my thoughts...

We here in the RE Program would like to remind BUUF families that the best (and most appropriate) religious educators our children can have are first and foremost their parents. While we have wonderful opportunities for learning for all ages; preschool through high school here, we humbly recognize that the time we spend here together at BUUF is small compared to the day to day contact and life lessons our children learn at home with their families. Since our UU faith has no set dogma per se to pass along to our children, it is really up to parents to identify and teach what they believe. Now, this is where our RE Program can assist families by providing ideas, resources, classes and a community in which to breath life into those values. So instead of being "the UU experts" we see our role as partnering with parents cooperatively to offer religious exploration/education for all in a meaningful, age-appropriate manner. Thus, we call upon parents and the entire BUUF community to assist in the raising of our youth together—no small task to be sure!

Karen and I have a library of resources available to any interested families. Some titles include:

Parents as Spiritual Guides by Roberta and Christopher Nelson

Full Circle—Fifteen Ways to Grow Lifelong UUs by Kate Tweedie Erslev

10 Principles for Spiritual Parenting; Nurturing Your Child's Soul by Mim Doe with Marsha Walch, Ph.D.

Please contact us if interested in exploring more. And, have a most wonderful start to 2008!

Smoothing Out The Bumps

Karen Raese, Co-DRE

What makes the Children's RE program run smoothly? Many volunteers make our RE program run smoothly! One area that is not running as effortlessly as it could is the recruitment of adult helpers (or assistants) for RE classes. Are you willing to be an adult helper? All parents of children in the RE program are required to assist periodically but other adults in our "village" are needed too. Please take a few moments to sign up to assist the teacher/guide in one of our elementary RE classes and join the fun. Sign up sheets are outside each classroom door and indicate which dates are available. Include your phone number and the RE committee will remind you. Thank you.

Many Thanks

Thanks to all who helped with Deck the Halls—A Season of Lights. Saturday's event was a joyful gathering of about 100 participants! This New Year will find our committee busy planning for our future sponsored events and the growth in the Children's RE programs. We welcome additional members for the celebrations we sponsor, Sunday RE coordination and monthly meetings. If you would like more information about joining us, contact a committee member or call Angie at 336-0738, .

Thirty-eight Chalice Lighters Needed!

Karen Raese, Co DRE

Do your children like to light the chalice? Do you have a child who is at least five and would like to light the chalice for the first time? If the answer is "yes" to either question, please indicate your child's interest by signing the Chalice Lighting clipboard in the Information Rack in the north vestibule. We need chalice lighters every Sunday- that is 38 through the end of the year. A member of the Sunday Services committee will contact you to make arrangements.

Where Are We Going?

Karen Raese, Co DRE

Where are we going? The Elementary side of Children's Religious Education took a wonderful spin in December through the winter holidays. It was a journey worth taking as they explored various seasons of light around the world. January brings the classes back to their peace and social justice curriculum where they will continue discussing the themes of promoting peace and justice within themselves, the nature of conflict and creative conflict resolution. February will find us collaborating with the Social Action committee as we work together to learn about hunger in our own community. Children's RE will join the congregation in a food drive—one that we hope will make a very significant contribution to the Idaho Foodbank.

COMMITTEES

Planning Process Proceeds

"Nobody plans to fail, but many fail to plan." This cliché—a staple of insurance salesmen—is all too true. At BUUF, our insurance policy has been a "strategic plan" that guides our major decisions. Our last plan, adopted in 2003, led us to several accomplishments:

- construction of our classroom wings and a remodeled sanctuary;

- expansion of our music program, with a professional music director and a congregational choir;

- a thriving adult "RE" program, often attended by adults who've never heard of BUUF, plus events for the entire Treasure Valley, such as the Korten and Tarnas lectures;

- an expanded social outreach program; and

- a restructured committee infrastructure.

Our next strategic plan is well underway. For the past year, BUUFs "Strategic Planning Task Force" has been gathering historical data, reviewing surveys of our congregation, and hosting focus groups to help the Board set goals for the next five years. This planning process entered the home stretch with a meeting December 6, where proposed goals were discussed with the BUUF Board.

The next step will be a meeting January 24, where the BUUF Board and the Strategic Planning Task Force will meet with Council Leads, BUUF Committee Chairs, and all committee members who wish to attend. If you are not currently a committee member but have an interest in being part of this process, you are welcome to attend. This January 24 meeting (from 6 - 9 pm, at BUUF) will introduce the proposed goals and seek feedback from the many volunteers who keep BUUF running. We will also discuss the critical "objectives" necessary to achieve our goals. As these goals and objective are refined, we will seek involvement from the congregation, and expect to report our plans at the BUUF Annual Meeting on May 18.

Find Out What's Going On At BUUF!

Want to read the meeting notes from your favorite committee? Well, now you can! In the office area you will find a notebook with the notes. They may also be on-line soon. In the spirit of greater transparency and communication, we are asking committees to send their committee minutes, meeting notes and/or agendas to Gerry Morris at the BUUF office. Please date these and include what will be coming up at your next meeting. All of BUUF's meetings are open and we want to encourage folks to attend meetings in which they are interested and to read about what went on at the meetings as well as plan ahead for the next meeting. Check it out!

Congregational Care Team Report

Barry Hope

Making it through the holidays is an achievement. Lift your arm and pat yourself on the back. The prospecting of another year begins. Gold nuggets and precious gems abound; we can just pick them up. They're scattered throughout the weeks of 2008.

The Congregational Care Team discussed examples of trust within the congregation at our Life Skills training. In order to unify and respect one another during Elizabeth's sabbatical and always, there is a need to research some of the components of BUUF interaction. As our fellowship continues to grow stronger, we're exploring outreach in such a variety of ways.

The final tally of new CCT folks is still a bit uncertain. February's newsletter will list the total roster of CCT.

Season's gratings can host a plethora of stress. Please call a CCT member if you're feeling blue or a bit overcome by all of the fanfare. Names and numbers of CCT folks are on a poster across from Gerry's desk in the church office. If you need immediate assistance, please call Sandra Layser or Mary Osterman, the team coordinators. You can reach Sandy at 376-8579 or Mary at 385-9950.

Certainly this New Year contains much promise for all. We will miss you, Elizabeth. August is but a light-year away.

Mészkõ Partner Church News

Cynthia Alleman

Planning is underway by the Partner Church Committee for March classes on our Transylvanian heritage. Three evening sessions and Saturday cooking and art workshops will be offered. If you want to learn more about Meszko, Unitarian history, and past history and current issues affecting the Transylvanian region of Romania, think about joining us this spring. The highlight of these events will be a performance of "Letters from Christine" by Deb Smith on the evening of March 15, complemented by desserts.

Look for Miriam Woito's article in this newsletter with information about the May / June 2007 pilgrimage to Transylvania and Romania.

Robert Balint, the minister in Meszko has created a website telling of the happenings with our partner church: http://uninaplo.unitarius-halo.net/angol/alabaster/. This is a great way to stay connected with our friends.

You are welcome to join us in the BUUF library at 4:30 p.m., the second Tuesday of each month.

Never Fear! The Membership Committee is here!

A large, stronger than ever team of twelve is implementing great programs to assist YOU, be you newcomer or standing member! So go ahead, invite a friend to church! Go ahead, step a little deeper into your faith tradition! We offer you these opportunities and events:

Welcome Chat - An informal conversation, designed to let our guests tell us about themselves and share their stories and to ask questions. Every Sunday after the second service, except for First Sundays when we have an Orientation.

Orientation - A get-together where people can find out more about BUUF and how they can participate. Monthly, after the potluck.

New UU Series - Newly refined and slim-lined into three sessions and one great fireside chat with our minister, Elizabeth Greene: a structured introduction to what it is to be a UU.

And, introducing... a "ReNew UU" series! A pilot program still in the making, to revitalize you and your fellow members and friends!

Monthly, you can find out more about an aspect of your Membership Committee, right here in the newsletter. For more information about any of it, contact Jay Wechselberger.

Like to Do Interior Design—Join Us

A team is forming to enhance gracious amenities at BUUF. What ideas do you have for that? Aesthetically pleasing temporary decorations, new tablecloths, more attractive coffee service, fresh flowers, decorations for the chancel on Sunday mornings, other enhancements, Sunday morning refreshments, or ??? We¹d like to hear from you! Better yet, join the team and/or attend the first meeting January 15 at the Fellowship at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Sue Philley 208-340-9450; email .

News from the Stacks

Our Library now has a shelf of "family" books. These volumes feature authors who are expert in child-rearing with emphasis on instilling responsibility and being earth stewards, handling special-needs issues, family dynamics, and activities and stories of interest to all family members. Please come in and explore our new category. Also, from This Day In Unitarian Universalist History by Frank Schulman, comes this interesting entry:

"On January 3, 1841, Herman Melville sailed out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, as a crew member of the whaling vessel "Acushnet" commencing the two-year tour of the Pacific that resulted in the novel Moby Dick. He was a member of All Souls' Church in New York City." Forrest Church is now the Minister of Public Theology at All Souls. Schulman's book can be found on our Reference shelf and is full of fascinating information.

Ombuds Team

In an organization as large as ours there will be times when folks do not agree with each other. We need a process to help us through these times. The BUUF Board has decided to create an OMBUDS TEAM to deal with issues that may arise. If you have had Conflict Management Training you would be well qualified to apply for this team. To apply please contact Wanda Jennings at 362-7563 or desertfox4@cableone.net by January 15.

Nurturing the Ethic of Generosity

The newly formed stewardship committee adopted as its mission "to nurture a congregational ethic of generosity as a reflection of our congregation's priorities." Many think that the term "stewardship" is a coy substitute for the word "fundraising," a veneer to make the chore of seeking pledges to support church operations sound less secular.

You won't find such cynics among members of the committee. We see stewardship as guiding the congregation's spiritual growth around the concept of generosity, of challenging and engaging the congregation about how we collectively practice our values and fulfill our mission. This has led us to reflect on our own attitudes towards money and materialism in our lives, and we want to inspire similar reflections among you.

But, we at BUUF have the potential to do so much more to fulfill our internal and external missions. We have begun to give one-quarter of our plate collection to charities. This is wonderful and recognizes the bounty most of us have and can share.

But, why not give away all of the collection like some congregations? Why not have a line-item in our budget to be given to charity like others? These are just samples of what generous congregations can do.

We have learned that when stewardship, defined as fostering the means to fulfill our mission, is a core of congregational life, the community grows in joy, spirit and possibility. That is what we are finding - joy, spirit and possibility - as members of the stewardship committee. We would love to have more of you join us in the journey. We meet at 7 p.m. the first Monday of each month. You are all invited to try us out.

During Elizabeth's Sabbatical...

Please remove Elizabeth Greene from all of your e-mail distribution lists and put her on your "do not call" list from January 15 through August first as she takes her well-deserved sabbatical. She will not be doing any church business during this time.

SOCIAL ACTION — BUUF Works!

Betsy Dunklin, chair, stewardship committee

Those of you who attended services December 9 found an insert in the order of service called BUUF Works! that contained short stories on social action and generosity. This twice-a-month publication is a joint effort of the stewardship and social action committees designed to inspire the spiritual practice of generous giving of time and money among members of our congregation . Many thanks to the talented Julie Fanselow and Mason Morfitt who designed and edited the first edition.

The first issue of BUUF Works! surprised us because, by gathering in one place news about the volunteer and fundraising efforts of some of our members, we learned we are more generous than we realized. For example, we learned that Charlotte Tompkins raised more than $1000 in pledges for CROP Walk, an interfaith effort to end hunger. Go Charlotte!

Social Action Happenings

Rick Groff

Want to make new connections at BUUF and participate in social action? Here are two ways: join us for the Martin Luther King Day march January 21 (See the related article for specifics.) and sort food at the Idaho Food Bank.

February will be hunger action month. We will be recruiting two groups of 25 to sort food at the Idaho Food Bank Saturday morning, February 9 from 9-12, and Tuesday evening, February 26 from 6:30 until 8:30. Seven-year-olds through fourth graders must be accompanied by an adult. Hopefully, seven-year-olds will be sorting next to seventy-somethings. Our social justice offering for February will go the Idaho Food Bank. In addition, we are planning for a food drive which will involve the whole congregation and generate a lot of food.

Watch for and support legislation that would provide a significant grocery tax credit for low income families this year during the Idaho legislative session.

Join us for meetings of the Social Action Team the first Sunday of the month in the library at 8:30 a.m.

BUUF's Social Action Outreach for January

The First Annual Idaho Green Expo is the recipient of our January Social Action Outreach offering. One-quarter of this month's unpledged offerings will go toward helping fund a booth for us and for another non-profit organization. If you write "outreach" on the memo of your check 100% will go to the Green Expo.

March with BUUF on King Day

Julie Fanselow

"We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality."- Martin Luther King Jr.

Monday, January 21, is Martin Luther King Jr.-Idaho Human Rights Day. Join your friends from BUUF as we march with hundreds of others from the Boise State University Student Union Building to the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial.

The procession starts at 10:45 a.m. at the Boise State SUB. Look for the BUUF banner. If you have time to come early and hear the St. Paul's Children's Choir, then join us at 10 a.m. in the Hatch Ballroom.

Bring back your Guest at Your Table Boxes

Our Guest at Your Table program ends in January. Please bring back your boxes or envelopes on Sundays, January 6 and 13. Children may return their boxes in RE and adults may leave their boxes at the tables in the foyers. Our 5th/6th grade RE class will count the contributions. If possible write a check for the money you have collected in the box made out to UUSC. Also, don't forget to fill out the form on the box so our congregation will get credit for your donation. A total donation of $10 for students, $20 for seniors, $40 for 1 adult, $75 for 2 adults, also gives you a membership in the UUSC.

Contributions of $100 or more are matched by the Unitarian Universalist Church at Shelter Rock. We are hoping our congregation will increase its membership in UUSC therefore supporting its good human rights work around the world. Questions call Rhonda or Howard Schaff 338-3270.

BUUF ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

Pilgrimage to Mészkõ and Our Partner Church

You are invited friends, family, and members of BUUF to join the pilgrimage to Transylvania. The journey begins on May 30. The all inclusive trip is organized by the national UU Partner Church Committee; we will be well taken care of. Come adventure with Elizabeth Greene, Miriam and David Woito and other BUUFers to celebrate with our family in Meszko, explore Transylvania, and discover Moldavia.

See the full trip itinerary for more detail. Contact Miriam Woito at or 890 6074 for more information. Please join us!

Seven (or more) Characters In Search of a Self-Description

Rick Groff and Jeanette Ross

Heretic, Infidel, Heathen, Apostate: What kind of a nonbeliever are you, anyway? Furthermore, who decides what 'atheist' means? Prefer the more generic freethinker, or simply free spirit? Dunno, so call me an agnostic?

The humanists of BUUF will consider language that establishes and maintains borders. Our homework is to consider characterizing labels related to faith. Can you describe yourself in one word? Sentence? Do labels lock us in, lead us astray as they comfort and reassure us.

Join us on the second Sunday of January, the 13th, 11am, in the middle classroom of the north wing. For questions call or email Jeanette ( ; 378-1217) or Rick ( ); contact Rick to get on the reminder list.

The Luckiest People

Debbie Espen

I get it now. Elizabeth preached on it back in September but it still didn't click. Until now.

She explained her previous aversion to the words of the song People, (wondrously sung by Barbra Streisand): People who need people are the luckiest people in the world. Like Elizabeth, I too felt the lyrics to be, well, needy. But I (and Elizabeth) liked Streisand's voice so much that it didn't matter. Goodness knows none of us wants to be perceived as needy.

But Elizabeth includes the lines each Sunday, "Grant us the wisdom to know how much we need each other." Huh.

It's all about being human. We are social animals. We do need each other. And whaddaya know, because we need each other we are, indeed, lucky. Why? Because having the need met is so gosh-darned wonderful.

Until I started getting that need fulfilled here at BUUF I hadn't realized how lonely and, yes, needy, I was. The more I allowed myself to get involved, to open myself to others, to help and to be helped, the luckier I felt. And the icing on the cake is the Chalice Circles.

Chalice Circles are for all of you lucky needy people out there. Chalice Circles give us the opportunity to make connections, to build friendships, to bond, to share, to laugh and to grow together. It's lucky to need these people, because the rewards to the human soul and life are so wonderful.

Don't be afraid to admit your need. And don't be afraid to look into participating in a Chalice Circle. We who are already in a group will feel lucky to be able to need you.

Some Chalice Circles currently at BUUF:

• Curious Explorers meets First Sundays at BUUF, 12:30. Contact Wanda Jennings, 362-7563, . New members welcome!
• Phoenix Rising: Health & Healing meets second Sundays at BUUF, 1pm. Contact Mitchel Bethel, 695-7412, . New members welcome!
• Saturday Morning Group meets third Saturdays, 10 am. Contact Julie Fanselow, 859-9006,
• Single Parents meets the second, third and fourth Sundays at BUUF, after 11am service. Contact Lisa Johnson, 484-1797, New members welcome!
• Thursday Evening Group meets firth Thursdays, 7pm. Contact Jay Wechselberger, 871-3765, .
• Optimystics meets second and fourth Tuesdays, 7pm. Contact Jay Wechselberger (see above)
• Men's Group meets first and third Tuesdays, 7pm. Contact Lee Stigile, 921-8433, . New members welcome!
• Everyday Spirituality meets second and fourth Sundays at BUUF, 1pm. Contact Carol Wechselberger, 871-2061, or Debbie Espen, . New members welcome!

More groups form as needed. If you would like to facilitate a group contact Wanda Jennings (info above).

Other Book Club

Join the Other Bookclub for some great discussions of recent literature:

January 13 at 7pm, discussion of Eat, Pray, Love: One woman's search for everything across Italy, India and Malaysia by Elizabeth Gilbert at Harriet Shaklee's house, 906 Marshall Street in Boise, 371-3634.

The February book will be The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, meeting the second Sunday of February, place to be announced.

Dessert Raffle at the January 6 Potluck

There will be a raffle for a delicious Queen of Sheba Cake at the January 6 potluck. A Queen of Sheba Cake is made with several formulas (or formulae)of chocolate, coffee, butter, eggs, ground toasted almonds and other usual cake ingredients. It is iced with melted semisweet chocolate that has been blended with coffee and butter. YUM!! Tickets will be $1 each or 3 for $2. Plan to buy a few tickets—you may be the lucky person to enjoy this dessert at the potluck and/or at home. Proceeds will go into a fund to renew the kitchen.

New BUUF Directory

The next edition of the BUUF Directory of Members and Friends is almost done!  A draft copy will be available for preview on Sunday, December 30 in the south vestibule and on Sunday, January 6 in the BUUF office.

Please take a minute and check the entry for your family for correct information.  This is especially important if you have moved in the past year.

If you are new to the BUUF community and are not included in the directory and would like to be, please complete the form which is by the directory.

Remember, children must be registered for Children's Religious Exploration to be included. Questions, call Gerry at the BUUF office, 658-1710.

Calling All Geeks!

Help! Our BUUF office needs people with geekitude! We need several folks who can be available to help with computer issues for in the office. If you are able to help us, please give your name to Gerry in the office and also contact Wanda Jennings at 362-7563 or .

BOGIE??????? BACALL??????

Who knows who will show up at BUUF's CASABLANCA themed auction—Saturday February 9.

Come one, come all to our biggest fundraiser.

There will be yummy "hearty hors d'oeuvres" with a Moroccan flair (NOT dinner) and a costume contest

Be prepared to bid on wonderful items at both the silent and live AUCTION. So far we have a spa package worth about $300, Reel Theater tickets worth $70 and clothing repair services (which is invaluable), among other items...Credit cards, checks and cash will be accepted for payment.

Remember—this will come just in time for Valentine's Day!

For further information or to help, please call Claudia Fernsworth at 853-1526.

New UU Class: The Short Version!

Yes, we will have another New UU course in the Spring, but in the meantime, for those of you impatient to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and about BUUF, this one session class is your opportunity. Because this is a one session event, this is ideal for those of you who are unable to attend the four-session New UU Course.

As part of the class we will be showing the new DVD from the UUA, Voices of a Liberal Faith. The class will also provide an opportunity for sharing and getting to know one another.

Whether you are new to BUUF and to Unitarian Universalism, or have been around awhile, you are welcome to attend and participate.

The class will take place following the potluck on January 7. Look for details in the Order of Service on that day. Questions? Contact Jay Wechselberger, 871-3765 or .

Y'all Come to the Hallelujah Hootenanny!

We're plannin' a real fun entertainment for the evening of Saddiday night, January 12, beginnin' at 6 o'clock. That's the night before that right honorable Elizabeth plans her "git out of Dodge" sermon that marks the beginning of a long-deserved what they call sabbatical. We'll git the bar-b-que loaded up with ribs and chicken, and ya'll can plan on bringin' yer best baked beans, or slaw, or cornbread. We're fixin' to have a saloon, and the place will be fixed up real pretty-like, with tablecloths and shiny spittoons. Dusty and Lefty will regale us with their humor, and we'll be singin' around the campfire all the good ol' songs we all knowed from the trail. Some our best singers, yodelers, and musicians 'll be on hand to show off their talents, too. The sheriff will be there, just in case anyone is thinkin' of tiein' the knot, or if things get out of hand with the pokes. Take yer weekly bath, and git into yer finery, but ya hafta check yer guns at the cloak room, cuz we don't want no trouble.

We'll need plenty a hands to hep us with the heavy liftin' so if you're itchin' fer a job to do, why don't you give that right fine gentleman, Bruce Dowlin a jingle at 375-1137, or that sweet little lady, Debra Smith at 724-7262. We aim to send Elizabeth off in a style befitting a proud, upstanding group of cultured folks such as yerselves.

UPDATE: Get your Western wear out of the closet and polish your cowboy boots because Bruce has commitments from a lot of talented folks, so plan on coming for dinner, and staying for the program. Advance tickets will be sold during Sunday services prior to January 12, for a nominal charge to cover costs: $4.00 per person, $10.00 per family. Tickets will be sold the evening of the dinner/music program for $6.00 and $12.00 respectively. We'll we recruiting volunteer cooks to bring their favorite coleslaw, beans, or cornbread—enough to feed around sixteen people. Look for us in our cowboy hats and be ready to saddle up!

Sages Search for Identity

Tom von Alten

The Senior Sages meet at 9:30am on the second or fourth Thursday of the month at the Kopper Kitchen (2661 Airport Way) for a no-host breakfast, with lively presentations and discussion. This month, on January 10, Al Null describes his investigation of racial beliefs, attitudes, and terrorism going back to our Civil War, motivated by a disturbing discovery he made after his father's death.

Then on January 24, we consider Latino, Hispanic, Chicano, what's in a name? Who are we? Marydee Gutierrez talks about immigration law, gangs, the Mexican mafia, and all those "other" Americans.

All are welcome. Call Tom von Alten, 378-1217, for more information, or to be added to our reminder list.

PNWD and UUA

PNWD Annual General Meeting

Blessing The World

February 29 - March 2, Hotel Murano Tacoma, Tacoma, WA

Join your fellow Unitarian Universalist's from the Pacific Northwest District, who will gather in late winter to consider the choices we all confront in our daily lives: how can we bless the world with our shared and individual gifts? How do our choices bless, or curse, the world we all share?

The setting is downtown Tacoma, Washington, in a part of the city that has seen a renaissance over the past few years. Our featured speaker will be the Reverend Rebecca Parker, who serves as president of the Starr King School for the Ministry (Elizabeth Greene's alma mater) and is the author of several noted books.

There will be conversation, fellowship, and inspiration available to all. We hope you can join us. Find out more from the PNWD website.

BUUF Needs Delegates to the Annual General Meeting in Tacoma

The Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship hosted the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in February, 2007 and if you were lucky enough to attend you know what an inspiring meeting it was. BUUF needs delegates to represent us at this important meeting in Tacoma February 29-March 2nd.

In order to encourage Leadership Development we have a goal of sending 12 people to this meeting and we will pay a portion of your registration. If you would like to be a attend please contact Wanda Jennings at 362-7563 or before January 15th.

AGM Volunteer Update

Leap over the holidays and start planning to attend the February 29 (Leap Day!) - March 2, 2008, Annual General Meeting in Tacoma. Registration materials should be in your congregations now. When you know that you will register, consider signing up to give 2 hours or a bit more to help other UU's find their way and enjoy their stay. Tasks include: registration, assisting with workshops, helping in the bookstore and with other scheduled activities. Those willing to work at least 6 hours overall, for instance helping with 3 workshops or 3 shifts in the bookstore, will receive a $69 rebate of the $185 registration fee. Please let Mary Watson ( ) or Joan Benderson ( ) know as soon as you have made your plans.

From the Leadership Council—Save the Date

The PNWD Spring Leadership Council will be held in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday, May, 3, 2008. The Rev. Dan Hotchkiss, Senior Consultant with The Alban Institute, will be presenting the topic "Ministry Together: Governance in UU Congregations". Check the PNWD calendar for an informational flyer.

Winter Eliot

Got plans for New Year's Eve? Come to Eliot Institute this year! Eliot is a conference and a camp all in one. Winter Eliot, a 5-day session at Seabeck Conference Center on the Hood Canal in NW Washington, is a restful, stimulating, affordable, catered vacation for yourself or the whole family. More info at www.eliotinstitute.org

WIDER COMMUNITY

The First Annual Idaho Green Expo

Boise Centre on the Grove May 17-18, 2008

The Idaho Green Expo is coming to Boise next May and our congregation has the opportunity to take a special role in making it a success. The Expo will be a free, two day event that will showcase environmentally friendly products and services, and provide information that will help people to lead healthier and more sustainable lives.

The Idaho Green Expo will be a celebration, but one with a serious purpose: to accelerate the emergence of a new green economy - an economy that is sustainable, healthy, ethical and earth friendly. It will unite green businesses, social and environmental groups, visionary thinkers, and thousands of community members in a lively exchange of ideas, commerce, and community building.

Please help us to spread the word about this important event. If you work for a business or organization that would like to promote sustainability in Idaho, the Expo is looking for Sponsors and Exhibitors for the event. If you are interested in volunteering, we have the need for volunteers in a wide variety of fields.

Several members of our Green Sanctuary Committee have been instrumental in bringing this event to Idaho. We hope that by having a strong participation in the Expo, we can help our Green Sanctuary Certification process as well as the Green movement here in Idaho! Please take a look at the Idaho Green Expo website for all of the details.