UUFA Greensheet

UUFA This Week:
TUESDAY EVENING – CHOIR!  7pm

Choir has resumed and welcomes singers of all level and voice part high school age and up. We meet 7:00 pm-8:00 pm on Tuesdays and sing one Sunday a month during the 11:00 am service.  We sing all kinds of music from contemporary songs to classical, songs focusing on social justice and our relationship with the Earth.

For folks with kiddos let us know if having childcare provided would make the in you being able to participate or not. Email our Choir Director Megan Cameron at mccpurple@yahoo.com

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29th WORK DAY & FUN!  All Welcome!

Come join us whenever you can during our work day, starting at 11am and ending at 4pm or later. Every little bit helps. We’ll have work equipment, but of course if you have smallish tools for doing the following types of work, please bring them! Staple guns, weed wackers, buckets, rags, are especially useful. Possible projects: Reupholstering downstairs chairs. Wash sanctuary chairs. New straps for round table(s). Clean lower level and organize closets. Trim brush along parking lot retaining wall. Close and drain sanctuary fountain. Clean and paint cabinets in Ploghoft room. Weatherstrip entry doors by piano, under back stairs, and kitchen.

SUNDAY 10:00am MONTHLY MORNING MEDITATIONS  

Starting this coming Sunday, September 30th, join us every final Sunday of the month for a morning meditation before service from 10:00 am – 10:30 am. Newcomers welcome. Many thanks to Katie Evans for spearheading this offering.

SUNDAY 11:00am SERVICE & 10:30am Coffee & Community 
September 30th Service –
Food Insecurity:  Locally and Globally  

According to the Food Aid Foundation, 795 million people worldwide do not have enough food to lead a healthy active life, that is 1 in 9 people.  What is being done to deal with food insecurity locally and globally? Come to the UUFA service on Sunday, September 30, 2018, to learn more about how you can help feed the hungry here in Athens County and abroad. Presented by Charlie Barman. (robocall Katie)

Charlie Barman, Professor Emeritus from Indiana University now residing in Athens County, has served on the Board of Directors and volunteered for the Athens County Food Pantry for the past 7 years.  By working with this organization and meeting the grateful recipients each week, he has become knowledgeable about the need in this area and committed to providing assistance.

SUNDAY 11am  – RE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN

Join us for our three-week special Religious Explorations (RE) Unit by Natalie Barman
Sundays:  September 23, 30, & Oct 7

Helping Others Have Enough Food.  The children are learning about the needs of people around the world and how the donations to the CROP Hunger Walk help support them. We are restarting the local collection of canned and packages food to be given to the Athens County Food Pantry.

Please help spread the word about this three-week special unit for children that dovetails with both the September 30th Food Insecurity service for adults, and the October 7th Crop Hunger Walk for families. New children and new families are most welcome to participate.

CROP HUNGER WALK 2018 – October 7th, 2pm

CROP Hunger Walks are community-wide events sponsored by Church World Service and organized by religious groups, businesses, schools and others to raise funds to end hunger in the U.S. and around the world.  UUFA has been involved in the CROP Hunger Walk for a number of years.  We hope that families will join the walk together.  You may walk as far or little as you want.  Kids, of all ages, can ride bikes, scooters or roller skate.  More details to come, or see https://www.crophungerwalk.org/athensoh

FUTURE SUNDAYS:

animal blessingOctober 7th- Animal Blessing- Join us as we celebrate and bless our furry, scaly or feathery friends. You are invited to bring your friends with you as long as they are are on a leash or safely contained and can handle new people, a new place and other animals. We’ll hold service in the outdoor sanctuary, weather permitting. Coffee and community at 10:30 am, service at 11:00 am. (service leader Katie)

October 14th – Rev. Don Rollins will join us this second Sunday of the month for a service that will include information on how UUFA friends might become members of the fellowship. We’ll also have our usual Second Sunday Potluck right after the service. Please bring a dish to share. Stay tuned for more information about October 14th.

October 21st – Drums & Masks: All Hallows Eve.  Our Religious Explorations children and adults will guide us in this musical, rhythmic, and artistic adventure. If you have a drum, you’re welcome and encouraged to bring it along. We’ll be making personalized masks for ourselves in this intergenerational extravaganza, which will include displays of our children’s many talents. Stay tuned for more information as our planning continues.

FOCUS ON MEMBERS – Fred Snell

Fred Snell is one of the many bright spots of our congregation. He has served both officially and unofficially as our sexton, always caring for our building and grounds. His forestry expertise saved us umpteen dollars when the emerald ash borer killed the ash trees on our property. He and his large collection of tools and superb problem-solving mind have been spotted doing all manner of tasks all over our building. Below is a summary of last years’ accomplishments, both by Fred and by many others. Thank you to everyone who participated helping our fellowship building and grounds.


UUFA Facilities Related Projects Completed Sept. 2017 to Sept. 2018
Replaced leaking hose faucet on north side of building.   Moved paver bricks from parking lot and constructed pad at the hose faucet to improve footing.
Removed dead ash tree adjacent to playground apparatus.
Planted and fenced new shade trees to the south and west of building.  These trees are intended to replace the ash trees that had been killed by the emerald ash borer.   The ash trees had provided important shade and aesthetic beauty for the grounds.   Many of the new trees are thriving but will need ongoing care, primarily deer browse protection, to achieve maximum growth rates and optimal shaping.
Poured permanent 6 inch reinforced concrete pad for dumpster and recycling bins.   Relocation of the dumpster and bins was essential to limit the damage to the handicapped parking pad.  Poured concrete at sewer riser to replace the asphalt surface which we had removed to allow for locating and inspecting the sewer cleanout.
Trimmed trees along main service power line and power line to security light.
Removed 3 dead trees adjacent to parking lot.
Constructed shelf for gable vent fan and winter cover for gable vent.  Cleaned loft.
Replaced fireplace screen.
Contracted with Greenleaf Landscape Services of Marietta for snow removal services.
Pressure washed and resealed wooden steps in the northeast corner of the building.
Improved drainage at the lot entry pad to reduce stone washout during heavy rains.  We had plenty of heavy rains this year!
Spread 20 tons #57 limestone to maintain parking lot and Camden’s Sanctuary trails.
Planted and cared for Fellowship vegetable gardens.
Installed new weatherstripping on one entry door in large RE room.   New weatherstripping is needed for the second RE room door as well as doors in the kitchen and next to the piano in the sanctuary.
UUFA RE & PROGRAMMING MEETING:

All are welcome to attend the next UUFA joint Religious Explorations & Programming Committee meeting, The meeting, SURPRISE!, will be online on the SECOND Thursday of October. Join us at 7pm via ZOOM. Email wendasheard@yahoo.com in advance for the Zoom log-in info. The programming committee intends to meet every month of the second Thursday at 7pm, with alternating in-person and online Zoom meetings.

UUFA BOARD MEETING

All are welcome to attend our next UUFA Board Meeting on the weekend of October 12th-14th when Rev Don Rollins is with us. Stay tuned for exact day and time.

UUFA & THE WIDER COMMUNITY 

(A column about how our efforts, our pledges, our building, and our donations support the wider community—submissions welcome!)  Thanks to the UUFA board and all members for allowing the League of Women Voters of Athens County to borrow our portable speaker system for a Candidates’ Afternoon in Coolville on October 7th and a Candidates’ Night in Glouster on October 17th.

TREASURER’S REPORT 

We’re making progress on figuring out a way for UUFA fellowship members and friends to donate stocks, bonds, and mutual funds to the UUFA fellowship via a brokerage firm, thus avoiding capital gains tax, and thus stretching dollars further for the benefit of UUFA and our wider community. Many thanks to financial planner Mike Carpenter for being willing to set up an account for our purpose.

UUFA TRIVIA

Last year our Fellowship received a $800 refund for real estate taxes paid over the past four years on one of our two parcels of real estate. To receive the refund, we had to gather evidence that we own that second parcel for religious purposes. That second parcel includes our outdoor worship space, the grove. Here’s the text of the affidavit that artist John Spofforth signed to help us obtain the refund.

“In 1986, I built The Window, which is the brick sculpture located in the grove of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens. The Window was intended for fellowship use, both for religious purposes and for fellowship meetings. I am also the artist who built the brickwork on the fellowship’s building, and who built the fellowship’s brick columbarium.”   Thank you, John!

HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR THE GREENSHEET

Please email items to wendasheard@yahoo.com and put “Greensheet” in the subject line. New ideas, new columns, announcements, artwork, photographs, biographies, joys, sorrows, birthdays, anniversaries, and whatnot all welcome for possible inclusion in the Greensheet. Deadline for each week: noon on Tuesday. Thanks!

FROM OUR BULLETIN BOARD: 

Our very own Fred Snell is inviting folks to his home for a Solar Open House as part of a larger effort. Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 6th, 10am-1pm. Thank you, Fred!