The Newsletter of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church Of Scituate
March 16, 2010
The Sloop’s Log
Flower Power Fundraiser  greater good of the land itself. With
I have left some brochures in the Sloop
Room for the Flower Power fundraiser.
Order forms are inside the brochure.
Feel free to browse through the
memory of Betty Eason
beautiful offerings and bring the
brochure to your workplace or
neighbors as well. Orders will be
delivered directly to the customer (for
March 28 to the Possibilities”
a flat $5 rate). I plan to place the order
with the Garden Supply Company
around April 5th and delivery will start
at the beginning of May. Great gift idea
for Mom's too!! First Parish makes 50%
of the sales!!
Vicki Davis
“Make Food, Not Lawn”
Guest Speaker: Joann Mirise
March 21, 2010
10:30 am
JoAnn Mirise explores the
importance of changing the way we
think about our homes and lawns and
yards – bringing the UU Seventh
Principle home, quite literally. She
discusses a holistic view of using land
that most efficiently and responsibly
provides for the needs of the
occupant, but also respects the
Church Service an emphasis on aesthetics (we do
Hospitality have neighbors), and practicality
(we’re busy), JoAnn demonstrates
how cultivating gardens, orchards
March 21 and ground cover, raising small
livestock, capturing and reusing
water, and composting is possible by
Greeters: Brian & Patty Sutton the average renter or homeowner at
Flowers: Yvonne Twomey in any scale.
Coffee Hour: Jorg & Karen Frey “Moving Beyond the
Homeless Shelter ~ Waking up
Guest Speaker: Nancy Banks
Greeter: Leigh Todd March 28
Flowers: Leigh Todd 10:30 am
Coffee Hour: Barbara Gifford
(See page 2 for more
information)
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 The Newsletter of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church Of Scituate

Ministerial MUUsings.... Minister

This past Sunday I experimented with the
worship service by showing on the large
screen TVpictures of trees during my
sermon on “The Tree of Life.” My intent
was to show images that are evocative of
the sermon and my hope was to enhance
the experience of the sermon. I asked for
feedback from you and most of your
comments were positive. But some said
that instead of complementing the
sermon it was distracting; others said the that are needed today. This Sunday’s
position of the TV did not allow for an
unobstructed view. Others do not like
the idea of a TV used during worship at
all.
I appreciate all these comments. My
thinking behind the use of visual images
is that it helps to reinforce the spoken
word. Also, some people learn visually
rather than aurally. More and more houses Banks has been an active UU for over 20
of worship are using video to enhance
worship, even theologically liberal ones.
Still, this is an experiment and I won’t be numerous church committees. She has
doing it every Sunday, but often enough
through the end of the church year to get Board of Directors. Banks was an elected
more comments from you. Please give
me, the Religious Services Committee or Boxborough school committees for three
the Committee on Ministry your
feedback. Thank you.
I will be off the next two Sundays. In
case of an emergency, please call Mary
McRae (545-2504) or Claire Sherman
(781-449-5286) and they will know where
to reach me.
Peace...
Rich
Joanne Fraser
Rev. Richard M. Stower
March 28 Special Guest Speaker
Church 781-545-3324
Home 781-544-3574
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. exhorted
Director of Religious
people "to stay awake, to adjust to new
Education
ideas ... and to face the challenge of
Jim FitzGerald 617-983-0619
change.” For many of us the challenge can
be daunting, but on Sunday, Mar. 28, we Parish Committee Co-Chair
will explore how we as a faith community Mary McRae 781-545-2504
can wake up to the possibilities of action Claire Sherman 781-449-5286
Church Office Administrator
service is titled “Moving Beyond the Christine Conway 781-834-2040
Homeless Shelter—Waking Up to the
Treasurer
Possibilities!" 
Judy Wolffer 781-544-0191
The service will be led by guest speaker
Nancy Banks, executive director Parish Committee Secretary
of UUMassAction, a state-based Janice Evans 781-545-5001
advocacy network that brings the moral Collector
voice of Unitarian Universalist (UU) values Vicki Davis 781-545-2369
to the public arena in Massachusetts.  Buildings and Grounds
Erica Boyle 781-545-3452
years and has served in her home
Frank Kilduff 781-545-9365
congregation, First Parish Church of Stow
and Acton, as president, chair of the Endowment
ministerial search committee and on Joanne Fraser 781-545-4571
Finance
also served on the Clara Barton District Sarah Murdock 781-545-8274
Leigh Todd 781-544-7767
member of the Acton and Acton-
Membership & Hospitality
years and worked as a project manager for Brit Davis 617-275-5700
Verizon for 22 years. Denominational Affairs/
If you’re looking for ideas on how you Social Justice
personally can effect change, or if you have Carol Sullivan-Hanley 781-545-9341
plenty of ideas but are looking for Public Relations
motivation to move beyond the idea stage, Katie Jacobsen 781-545-2504
come join us  Sunday Mar. 28.  Religious Education
Laura Carson- Laciner
From the Religious Services 781-544-0220
Jean Shildneck
Committee 617-275-5700
 
Religious Services
By popular demand we will be resuming lay Barbara Gifford 781-378-1617
prayers. I generally approach people to do Jane McGuinness 781-545-6394
this but if I have not talked to you and you Social Programs
would like to do it please let me or a Sue Duff 781-545-5604
member of the committee know. I can help Head Usher
with selecting a prayer. Jack Shaw 781-545-0547
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 The Newsletter of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church Of Scituate

Meditation IT'S TAX TIME!!

Anyone who needs a breakdown of their

pledges and or gift/donations given to
First Parish in the last half of 2009 please
contact me, and I will give you the
information I have in the membership
program we have been using since the
Who? Brian Sutton, a trained meditation guide and friend of First Parish. beginning of the church fiscal year
What? “Meditation: Finding Time to Put Down the Questions,” an starting 7/1/09.
introduction, with discussion.
When? If interested, write down one or two choices of times and days that Chris Berkeley sent out the last
statement at the end of the fiscal year
work for you. For this initial discussion I was thinking about a Sunday after
(6/30/09) and I have compiled the data
fellowship time, but I could do an evening if that works better. But I’m not free
since then. The program is not working
Thursdays or Saturdays.
as I would like but I can pull out the data
Where: Here at First Parish. you may need for your taxes. Let me
Why: Whether your new to meditation or tried some kind before, or you are know either by email
just curious, now is your chance. I think we all need a few minutes a day when (kenneth.davis10@comcast.net) or leave
we put down all of our projects. And encouragement helps! me a message at 781-545-2369. I'm sorry
Sign up sheet is located on the bulletin board in the Old Sloop Room. statements have not been issued on a
email brsutton@hotmail.com for more information. regular basis but hopefully once we get a
system that works better all that will be
improved.
~Brian

Vicki Davis, Collector for First Parish

Welcome Among Ourselves Thank You

We welcome Carmel DiPaola and Ali
Crohan Feeney as the newest members
of First Parish. Carmel and her
daughters Emily and Michaela have
attending First Parish for the past
couple of years. Carmel has ben active
this year working on the Religious
Education Committee. Ali and her
husband, Michael and daughter Moira
have ben coming to church service
since September. They previously
attended United First Parish in Quincy.
Michael couldn’t sign the book Sunday
because he was hosting the OWL class
at his house. We expect him to sign
the membership book soon.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery for Many thanks to Gail Anderson and Alan
Pam Molinari. She is at Brigham and Donaldson, with help from Laura Smith,
Women’s Hospital recovering from an for their heroic work on cleaning out the
appendectomy. kitchen cabinets. Some of the old pots
and pans will be given to Renewal
House. The shelter run by the UU Urban
ministry. Platters, with stories to tell,
are available for the taking on a card
Becoming a Member table in the Old Sloop Room.
For those of you who are newcomers to
First Parish in Scituate and have found
a spiritual home here. You are invited
to sign the Membership book so that
you can become an ‘official” member of
the church. In order to vote at the
Annual Meeting on May 16th, you must
sign in the book by March 17th.

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 The Newsletter of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church Of Scituate

LADIES SEWING CIRCLE  Book Group Selection

March ‘10
Some of you have expressed an interest in getting
Inheritance: A Novel
together to reform a sewing circle to make items to be
sold at the Snowflake Fair. Yvonne Twomey has offered by Lan Samantha Chang
space in her lovely home on the harbor complete with a
sewing machine and a beautiful view. I have the patterns
for the aprons Jean Strzelecki and Libby Burbank used to
make and we can also brainstorm on other projects as
well. The problem is finding a time convenient for us to
meet, whether it be a morning, afternoon or evening. If
you are interested in participating, please talk to Yvonne,
or me and we will come up with a plan. Please note that
sewing is not a requirement, we need people to cut, baste,
etc. Materials needed will be supplied by the Alliance
once we decide what we want to make!! In China in 1931, two sisters are coping with their grief in
Vicki Davis the aftermath of their mother's suicide. Cool, reserved
Junan makes dreamy Yinan her primary focus and anchor,
while their preoccupied father gambles away his fortune.
As part of a reconciliation of his debts, he promises Junan
in marriage to the young lieutenant Li-Ang. Although she
struggles to preserve her distance and her dignity, Junan
falls deeply in love with her new husband, but her
upbringing and her mother's influence render her cold and
possessive. When the young couple is separated during the
Japanese invasion, Junan sends Yinan to stay with her
husband, unconsciously setting in motion the betrayal that
will haunt their family for generations.
DATE:  Wednesday, March 24

TIME:    7:30 pm

LOCATION: Sloop Room

Date and place subject to last minute
changes. If you are not on the book group email list and
are planning to attend, please contact Chris Berkeley
@545-6901.

It’s Circle Dinner Time!

On April 10th at 5:30, First Parish Church will be hosting

its 7th Annual Circle Dinner to start off our canvass
campaign. Sign up sheets to volunteer to host appetizers or
dinner are on the bulletin board in the Old Sloop Room.
More information to come or contact Sue Duff at
781-545-5604.

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 The Newsletter of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church Of Scituate

5
First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church
330 First Parish Road
Scituate, MA 02066
781-545-3324
www.firstparishscituate.org
E-mail:firstparishscituate@verizon.net
Founded in London, 1616
Gathered in Scituate, 1634
(1909- 1994)
~ Eugene Ionesco
“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.”
Something to think about.......