SOUTH BAY UNITARIAN FELLOWSHIP

MEETINGS: 11:00 a.m. SUNDAYS at 2603 Mathews Avenue, Redondo Beach, CA

http://sbuf.org   sbuf@yahoo.com

SBUF  Telephone Information:  (310) 374-1451

President:  Penny Hendricks     Newsletter:  Penny Hendricks      Programs:  Penny Hendricks

 

 

March  2008  Newsletter

“Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other’s welfare, social justice can never be attained.”

                                                                               Helen Keller

                                             SUNDAY PROGRAMS

 

March 9 - WHAT'S NEXT IN THE RACE FOR PRESIDENT    Voters in the key states of Texas and Ohio went to the polls on Tuesday, March 4.  Primaries were also held in Vermont and Rhode Island.  What do the results mean for the Democratic and Republican races for the nomination? John Simpson will lead the discussion and moderate.

 March 16 - NUCLEAR  ENERGY: TIMELY ALTERNATIVE or TIME BOMB.    Peter Landecker will lead this program based on a recent panel discussion at the California Science Center.  Click here for more information. Nuclear fission reactors have long been controversial. Yet considering the current concern over global climate change, pollution, and energy shortages worldwide, is their role changing? What promise does nuclear fusion hold? What is the current science and strategy on nuclear waste containment?  Is nuclear power an ecological time bomb, or could it be part of our response to global climate change?  Beth Perkins will moderate.

 

March 23 - BRUNCH AND MEETING FOR ALL    This meeting has been canceled! Today we were going to focus on the “fellowship” of SBUF and share food in a casual setting.  We had originally planned to begin the brunch by 11:15 a.m.  There will be no formal service today.  While we are finishing our meal, there was supposed to have been a brief meeting.  It was to have included a simple reading of the minutes and a report from the treasurer.  This was to have been one of three meetings each year that is required by our “by-laws.”  Any questions?  Call Penny.

 

March 30 - OUR SPIRITUAL IMPERATIVE     Rev. John Morehouse returns to explore the third smooth stone of liberalism, the moral obligation to work towards justice.  John will also talk about the work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.  Rev. John Morehouse is currently the full time minister of Pacific Unitarian Church in Palos Verdes.  Rev. John will lead the program this morning.

    

                                                                                                                                                

 Coming up in April:

 Jon Dobrer returns on April 13th,  a discussion of  “Fair Game –My Life As a Spy; My Betrayal By the Whitehouse” (about Valerie Plame) on April 20th, and more from John Morehouse, April 27th.

              

 

                                                VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE

Opener

Date

Refreshments

 

Closer

John S.

  March 2

Penny Hendricks

 

Beth P.

Bob J.

  March 9

Carol Simpson

 

John S.

Les B./Beth

  March 16

Eric La Scala

 

?

Miles T.

  March 23

POTLUCK

 

Penny H.

Penny/Chuck

  March 30

Peter Landecker

 

Beth P.

John S.

  April 6

Davis Miller

 

Beth P.

Bob J.

  April 13

Beth Perkins

 

John S.

       *****ATTENTION: For Openers and Refreshment persons:  ***** 

OPENERS arrive at 10:30 a.m., unlock doors, cabinet, put out sign, start water, put on tablecloth, set up cups, coffee, etc. for the refreshments.  Please display the fellowship candle on the circular table.

REFRESHMENTS need to arrive by 11:00 a.m.  Please arrange a trade if you cannot attend or clean up on the day assigned.  When you bring refreshments, it is your turn to be responsible for the clean up of the entire refreshment table including the coffee water and supplies.  If you need help, just ask.  By the way, thank you very much!!! 

 

***************CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS*************

 

March 23 -  MEET AND MUNCH  --a potluck brunch at Mathews Cottage and a very brief required General Meeting.  Please come and enjoy!!!

 

April 4 -  BEACH CITIES SYMPHONY  Featuring Roberto Cani – Violin Soloist.  At the Marsee Auditorium at El Camino College.  Free admission and free parking. Please see http://www.beachcitiessymphony.org/index.htm#NextConcert for more information.

  

April 6 - The SBUF board will meet after fellowship on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

April 6 - The Concert Singers will perform on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. at the Westchester United Methodist Church, 8065 Emerson Avenue, Los Angeles. For more information, check out http://www.geocities.com/theconcertsingers/about.html and http://theconcertsingers.com/

   ***************Communications Corner***************************

In February, our fellowship lost a very dear member, Richard Lynn Johnson.  Rich was a member of this group for as long as I can remember.  He will be missed in many places where he spent his energy and his talents, but especially he is missed as an important part of the South Bay Unitarian Fellowship.

It was suggested by Bea Schwartz that those who want to, can make a donation (any amount) to: Tree People.  We will send the donations as a group, dedicated to Richard’s life, a tree or clump of trees will be planted.  The check can be made to Tree People, but mailed or given to John Simpson, the SBUF treasurer.  He has agreed to sending the donations. 

There were two very special memorial services held in Richard’s memory.  The sharing was very much appreciated by Rich’s very significant other, Lorna McClellan, and by his son, Eric Johnson and Richard’s sister Mona.

 

The following is a poem that was shared during the service at Mathews Cottage.

 e.e. cummings - i thank you God for most this amazing

 

i thank You God for most this amazing

day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

 

(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth

day of life and love and wings: and of the gay

great happening illimitably earth)

 

how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any-lifted from the no

of all nothing-human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

 

(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

SBUF Secretary   At the last SBUF Board Meeting, Les Berg was elected Secretary. For many years, Richard Johnson performed very well as Secretary. Richard will be missed.

 

SBUF PROGRAMS   If there is a particular topic you would like to see presented on a Sunday morning, or an organization you want to know more about, or a good book you would like to share, or any other ideas for Sunday morning programs, please call Penny Hendricks. Your input is valuable!  Thank you for your help.

WE ARE GLAD YOU ASKED!!!

How do I become a member of the South Bay Unitarian Fellowship??  Membership is open to all persons 15 years of age or older who sign a membership card expressing agreement with the purpose of the Fellowship.  Members become eligible to vote and hold office three months after signing membership cards.  Members are expected to participate in SBUF activities and to provide a helping hand and financial support when needed.

If you would like e-mail reminders when a new SBUF newsletter is placed on the web, please send a request to sbuf@yahoo.com

This page was last updated on March 22, 2008.

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