BUUF News – August 2010

Contents

EverGreene

Reverend Elizabeth Greene

Rev. Greene is on summer break. She will return to the pulpit in September and her column will resume in September's issue.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Debra Smith

All governing bodies have to make hard choices. In its most recent meeting, the BUUF board confronted one of the hardest: to cut staff salaries and work hours significantly, with unavoidable cuts to services that you have come to expect from the fellowship. This decision was unlike the equally momentous yet happy decisions that have confronted previous boards about whether to commit to buying property or building additional buildings—decisions that, like this one, challenged us to articulate our vision of what we wanted to become. This decision reflected an awareness that our current vision is overreaching, if only temporarily, the resources of our community.

I have been a member since 1994. Never before have we had to accommodate this reality so starkly. We have always found other alternatives: renting to a school, or conducting a supplementary fund drive. But not this time. This time we have determined that it is best to bring our expenses in line with our pledge commitments. And then take a good, hard look at how we can improve our programs and ministry in order to build a firmer foundation from which we can grow.

While the decision was painful, the process of confronting the fallout need not be. Rather than trying to make decisions without the benefit of true knowledge of staff duties, the board delegated to the Personnel Committee the duty to work with staff to implement the cuts. In a different model, the board might have made strategic cuts it felt was in the best interest of the Fellowship. But we alone do not hold such wisdom; it resides among the people doing the work. So instead, we identified the amount of staff services that the current level of pledging would support. This alone was no small task, and involved hours and hours of analysis by the people in our congregation experienced in finance and management with which we are blessed.

We are confident that this decision-making process will result in a more sustainable way to weather the economic conditions that are affecting so many of us. We are working out a path to become an even more vibrant, dynamic community—one that is ready to call a minister to help us manifest our Seven Principles in the world.

After implementing this budget, whereby we live within our means, we will look toward a reduce-the-debt campaign to eliminate the mortgage on the Chelan property within three years time. This will free up $20,000 per year—approximately the amount we have had to cut from personnel compensation this year. You will have the opportunity to learn more about all of this when we meet in September in general session to ratify the budget.

I am pleased to say that the board is continuing to evolve toward this collaborative discourse and governance style, whereby the board sets policy and performance expectations, and then pushes implementation to the appropriate areas of expertise. This mode acknowledges that members of committees are actually engaging in forms of ministry. Members have expertise to offer, and they want to make real contributions to the mission of our fellowship. Good governance happens when those in charge have the humility to actively encourage every member to fulfill the ministry he or she is called to do. May it be so.

RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION

Summertime in Children's Religious Exploration!

Summer Religious Exploration/Education at the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship runs between June 13 and September 5, inclusive. Children ages 0-2 years will be in the nursery for nursery care. Children ages 3-5 will be in the Sophia Fahs Preschool/Kindergarten room, the first room in the north wing, for their guided activities. Children who are entering 1st through 6th grade will meet in the Olympia Brown room in the north wing to enjoy our We Are All Connected curriculum which is all about exploring our interconnected web of life through butterflies and creepy crawlies.

Children will participate in the first part of the service with their families and then recess to the religious exploration classes as the congregation "sings them out". Please make sure to accompany and sign your children in on the attendance sheets in the classrooms so that we may get to know them. Youth, grades 7 through 12, do not meet formally during the summer. Youth are welcome to attend the service.

For more information about Religious Exploration for children and youth at the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship please see the Newcomer Information packet on the greeter's table, the Religious Education/Exploration prospectus (available in late summer) located in the BUUF Information Rack, on our web site or contact Emmie Schlobohm, Director of Religious Exploration, at 658-1710.

COMMITTEES

Interiors

Interiors Committee

The next time you are in the building, take a look at the Fellowship Hall floor. It was stripped and resealed in mid-June. Barry Hope did a wonderful job refinishing it. If you a have a chance, thank him.

This is a good to time to mention that to keep the floor 'looking good' we need to remember to lift our chairs and tables while moving them and avoid entirely dragging them across the floor. We appreciate your help in sustaining the longevity of the floor.

In September, check out the north vestibules for our new 'community bulletin boards'.

If you would like to help Interiors with our projects please contact Erin Logan at 336-4960 or .

Festivities for the Upcoming Year

Your Festivities Committee has been hard at work creating BUUF Community Fun Nights for the second Saturday of each month, usually a potluck and usually with no charge. We want to have fun, enjoy a meal together, have a spiritual experience, and get to know each other better. So, mark your calendar now and plan to come join the fun.

We will be asking groups to sponsor each event. We want to create a spiritual atmosphere where all are welcome. We want to attract families, singles, single parents, couples, and everyone else! We plan to provide child care. We especially want to encourage newcomers to attend, helping them to get to know everyone.

A View From The Bridge

Jolene Schow

What is this thing called the Bridge Event Center (BEC)?

In 2005, after 3 years of research & input from the Fellowship, BEC was born. The goal was to market our building and grounds to outside users in order to supplement BUUF programs & service to the community.

Resources were developed to coordinate these events: nine trained staff, Check Lists, Policies & Procedures to increase safety, ensure courtesy to our neighbors, reduce impact & risk to our building, grounds and Fellowship, demonstrate "green practices", and utilize the "communication loop" within BUUF.

In 2008, due to BUUF's growth to a midsized congregation, BUUF's over-extended infrastructure was unable to handle the increasing number of internal Fellowship events. As a result, BEC was asked to expand our role to assist with BUUF events. Currently, all BUUF events requiring anything more than simple meeting space are being referred to BEC for coordination.

How can the Bridge Event Center help you? Our BEC Event Coordinators, Cathy Carmen & Karen Raese can help you learn the new scheduling procedure, find BUUF's "communication loop", clarify tasks, use applicable Policies and Procedures and train volunteers as needed.

For more information check out www.bridgeeventcenter.com or find us on Facebook. We hope you'll "become a fan."

SOCIAL JUSTICE

August Plate Offering: Boys and Girls Club

The plate offering for August goes to the reading program at our neighbors, the Ada County Boys and Girls Club of Garden City. Last year, some retired community members, including several BUUFers, started the Book Club at the Boys and Girls Club. Volunteers read a story to the participants who range in age from 6 to 12, and each participant gets a sticker to put on a bookmark. After receiving 10 stickers, the child chooses a book to take home from the library of donated books. This year, volunteers would like the children to receive a new book of their choice. Additionally, a weekly "Listening Dogs" program was started with trained therapy dogs who like to "listen" to kids read aloud. Studies have shown that kids who read to dogs improve reading skills significantly. The Listening Dogs at the Boys and Girls Club have yearly administrative costs that need to be funded to continue the program. Twenty-five percent of the non-pledged donations in the offering plate will go to the Ada County Boys and Girls Club of Garden City. If you would like all of your donation to go to the Boys and Girls Club, simply write "outreach" on the memo portion of your check.

Help Build a House for Habitat for Humanity

BUUF needs to provide 10 workers on Saturday, August 14 from 7:00 AM to 2:30 PM to help build a house for Habitat for Humanity. We also need someone to provide lunch for about 25 workers.

If you can help out, please contact Wanda or Bryan Jennings at or 362-7563.

Thanks for your Generosity!

Our June offertory recipient, the Rainbow Spiritual Retreat and the Rainbow Outreach Committee (formerly the Welcoming Congregation Committee) extend their heartfelt gratitude for the generosity of BUUF's members and friends who donated $432.91 to the Retreat.

"The Rainbow Spiritual Retreat is an interfaith summer camp for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families and allies," said director Becky McGavin. "It provides campers four days of water sports, workshops, crafts and interdenominational worship at a nominal cost in an atmosphere that is free from the fear of intimidation or harassment."

The offertory proceeds from BUUF were used to provide scholarships to individuals and/or families who otherwise could not afford to participate.

BUUF Events & Activities

All Church Bar-B-Que

Rev. Elizabeth Greene & Bob Wallace

Join in the fun at this year's all church bar-b-que. They provide barbecued pork, chicken, hot dogs, garden burgers, and buns, and you bring dessert, side dich, or salad, plus your dinnerware and something to drink. All are welcome and a good time is had by all.

Save the date: Saturday, September 18, 4 to 6 pm, at 1140 Santa Maria Drive in Boise.

They love to have kids and youth attend, just asking parents/guardians to keep an eye of offspring. Let them know if you anticipate a problem with stairs. No need to RSVP, just show up. Y'all come!

Photos for the Membership Directory

You recognize that name, but can't remember what the person looks like. Or you talked with someone, remember the face, but can't recall the name. The next edition of the membership directory will have photos to help you resolve those situations. First, though, we need to get the pictures. If you have a favorite portrait or snapshot that you would like to see in the directory, please email it to together with your name. If it is a family picture, please identify all the people in it. We just ask that the face (or all the faces) be large enough (in the picture) to be easily seen.

If you have a picture on paper, let us know and we can arrange to get it from you, scan it, and return it to you ASAP.

If you don't have a picture, we'll be glad to take one before or after the Sunday service; just let us know.

Who Do You Love? Who Looks After You?

Jeanette Ross

Asked to name the Canadian they most admire, in a recent poll, the populace of our northern neighbor did not mention a celebrity performer or pundit, not a prince, provincial governor nor a queen. They agreed upon, wait for it, the man who brought them socialized medicine, Tommy Douglas.

Questioned further, few would aver that their medical system is perfect. Would they trade their system for that of their powerful neighbor? Not even. Gene Barrett provided the humanists with this insight and more, on the larger topic of heroes in health care. He also provided insightful statistics and the disappointment, among many medical professionals, in the lack of interest in a single payer system for the United States.

Our August meeting will plan the upcoming year. All interested in conversation regarding the human capacity to act in its own behalf are invited to bring ideas. We will meet at our new regular time, 11am August 8 and each subsequent second Sunday, in the library. For more information contact Rick Groff or Jeanette Ross.

Sage Energy

The BUUF Senior Sages meet on 2nd and 4th Thursdays at 9:30am for a no-host breakfast and friendly conversation at the Kopper Kitchen (2661 Airport Way). Newcomers are always welcome! Watch the Sunday announcements for our Aug. 12 meeting; on Aug. 26, Rebecca Jacobsen will talk about Europe's efforts toward a sustainable energy future, after her graduate study in Denmark. Contact Tom von Alten at or 378-1217 for more information, if you have an idea for a program, or if you'd like to be on our email reminder list.

The Other Book Club

August - No meeting scheduled. Summer Siesta

September 12 - We will be discussing Half the Sky by Nicholars Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn. We will gather at the home of Kathleen McGown, 3496 Holl Dr., Eagle at 7 P.M. 939-7215

October 10 - We will be discussing The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba. We will gather at the home of Carol Wilke, 5186 E. Trail Wind Dr., Boise. 761-1769.

November 14 - We will be discussing The Women by T.C. Boyle. We will gather at the home of Verna Roberts.

Books for December, January and February are Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky, Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry and The Lonely Polgamist by Brady Udall.

Happy Reading!

Go Green! Sign Up for BUUF Newsletter Electronic Version

Now you can help BUUF save resources, time and money by signing up to receive your monthly newsletter electronically. The secret bonus is, by viewing the newsletter PDF version online, you get COLOR photos and graphics!

To switch on an electronic subscription and stop receiving a paper copy of BUUF's newsletter, simply send an e-mail to

Every month, you will receive an e-mail telling you when the newsletter is available that contains a link to the newsletter PDF version on BUUF's website.

Green Sanctuary Savings

Want to save money on ink? Use Century Gothic font. Century Gothic uses roughly 30% less ink than Arial when printed on paper.

Want to use fewer sheets of paper? Use narrower margins. And print on both sides of the paper.

Want to re-use paper? Consider printing on the back of some paper you were going to recycle.

Partner Church News: Travelers to Mészkõ

Gwyn Reid

Alan and Mary Schwartzman, and Ed and Irene Rush are home from their trip to visit our partner congregation in Mészkõ, Transylvania. BUUF friend Michael Weiss, who is serving as a Peace Corps volunteer, returned to Albania. We are grateful to them for helping us keep our connection vital and strong. The travelers took with them a quilt created by the BUUF QUUIlters as a gift from the women of our fellowship to the Mészkõ congregation. Here is an excerpt from the letter accompanying the gift:

"The women of Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship are pleased to send a message of welcome and hope to our partner church at Mészkõ through this sampler quilt. These quilt squares were inspired by the lives of American farm women in the 1920's, centered on love of family and care for animals, and inspired by star-lit nights and the beauty of nature.

We made these blocks in the colors of the Idaho landscape, including the tans and browns of our desert lands, the green of new plant shoots, the orange and rust tones of autumn leaves, the blue of the daytime sky and the black of a moonless night, the lavender and red of Idaho wildflowers, and the azure of our mountain lakes."

A special Sunday Service will be scheduled this fall for the travelers to share about this important part of our international ministry.

Next Meeting of Partner Church Committee: Monday, August 2, 2010 at BUUF at 5:30 p.m.