The Board in brief (Doug MacCleery)

At our regular meeting on January 4 , the Board passed a resolution to call a special congregation meeting for February 6 . At that meeting, two agenda items will be considered. One is a Capital Improvements resolution that would, among other things, authorize the Board of Trustees to: 1) establish a construction task force to complete necessity drawings and construction documents for the proposed addition to the Meeting House, 2) conduct bidding and permitting, 3) keep the Congregation informed on relevant construction details and estimated costs, and 4) when these tasks have been completed, to proceed with construction. The second agenda item would be to recommend that the Congregation approve the request of Steve Phinney, member of MVUC, that the ceremony to ordinate him into the UU ministry be conducted at MVUC this year (Steve received a Preliminary Fellowship in the UU Ministry in December).

The Board approved the following appointments to MVUC committees: Ron Brandt to the Administration and Program Council Committees, Al Erickson to the Endowment Committee, Marge Witting as Chair of the Finance Committee, and Nancy Barkume to the DRE Search Committee.

The Board approved a resolution adopting the recommendation of the RE Committee that the contract of the Interim DRE, Barbara Stoddard, be extended through June 30, 2006

Reports were received from the Minister, DRE, Business Administrator, Program Council and Treasurer.

For details, see the minutes, which will be posted in the Commons and on our website after approval at our next Board meeting.

From the Treasurer ... (Joan Wamsley)

The December 31, 2004, financial report shows:

Coming up in RE (Barbara Gay Stoddard)

RE Classes for all ages Preschool through Sr. Youth will be held on January 16 & 30 and February 6.

Sunday, Jan. 23 the RE program for grades Kindergarten through 8 grade will be a Chapel on Racial Justice.

During January our Preschoolers will be learning about helping others, and they’ll be wondering about the stars and the moon.

The final OWL Parent session will be held on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 4:00 pm.

ADULT RE: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – A mini-movie night series continues. Join us for a movie and discussion on Fridays - January 21, and 28 at 7:30 pm in the Commons. Jan. 21 – SALT OF THE EARTH – called by some “the only blacklisted American film” and written in 1953. Jan. 28 – UNCONSTITUTIONAL – a new documentary about the current roll back of civil liberties since 9/11. Films and discussions to be led (in order listed above) by Al Searle, and Bill Alsmeyer-Johnson.

Check out the Adult RE flyer in this issue of Stirrings. Sign up for classes in the Commons.

MVUC’s 50 Anniversary — time to start planning!

The second brainstorming and pre-planning meeting for MVUC’s 50 anniversary celebration (September 2005 through June 2006) will be held on Thursday, January 20, at 7 pm in the Commons. Everyone is invited to attend this meeting and help us determine what kind of events we should plan to mark our 50 year as a UU congregation. If you have ideas but can’t attend the meeting, email your thoughts to Linda Jemison, fifty (at) mvuc.org.

Could we really do it? (Ron Brandt)

Promoting UUism in the Baltimore Washington Region

MVUC members and friends who think we should be doing a better job of telling the public about Unitarian Universalism are invited to meet at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 18, in the Commons. We will hear about and discuss a preliminary plan for a collaborative project involving the 27 congregations in the Washington Baltimore area. Our congregation will be asked to approve participation in the plan at our Annual Meeting in April. For more information, or to get a copy of the plan, contact Ron Brandt. Copies will also be distributed at the meeting..

Save the date - February 12 (Bill Alsmeyer-Johnson)

The Reverend Dick Gilbert, author, UU Minister, denominational leader for Social Justice as the religious mission of Unitarian Universalists, will be presenting a forum on Social Justice on February 12th from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM. The Rev. Gilbert is author of Building Your Own Theology I & II, The Prophetic Imperative: Unitarian Universalist Foundations for a New Social Gospel, and others. Please feel free to contact Bill Alsmeyer-Johnson, Peter Bloom, Sally Joy Remington, or Rev. Lou if you have questions. We will soon be announcing specific details about the forum.

Wisdom Years (Bev Southerland)

Speaking to the Wisdom years members on Tuesday, January 25th, Gene Hastings will reprise his instructions and advice to "seniors" who are still driving their cars. The course he teaches at the Senior Center is helpful in reminding us HOW to drive more safely as we age. As usual, we'll be in Hollin Hall from 10:30 til Noon. Join us!

Transylvanian dinner (Lisa Gillispie)

Come enjoy Transylvanian food and learn about Romania and its famous Queen Marie at the annual Partner Church Dinner on Saturday, February 5 at 6:00 p.m. at MVUC. Come hear our own Gary Fitzpatrick, who will present "Queen Marie of Romania Illustrated" for your after-dinner entertainment. Dinner and program is $20.00 for adults, $10.00 ages 8-18, and children under 8 are free. Childcare will be provided. Proceeds will benefit MVUC's sister church in Szentháromság, Romania.

The Long Range Plan, the Capital Campaign, and the Building Program
What happens next? (Bill Clontz)

The start of a New Year is the right time to look at all the “moving pieces” that we have been working over the last few years, as they now come together – at last. You’ve been hearing about the capital campaign from our trusty co-chairs, Joanne Masterson and Ron Brandt, and from our BOT Chair, Karen Tyson. How does all this relate to the overall Long Range Plan, and what happens next with our buildings and facilities?

The Long Range Plan-As we make our decisions about our enhancements, the Long Range Plan process comes to a close. We made organizational and process changes over the preceding years, and last year did the major refurbishment work to the Mansion and other parts of the property. Now, with our new improvements at hand, we close the books on the LRP and disband the last of our LRP Task Forces, the Future Facilities Task Force, with our thanks for all their work and dedication.

The Capital Campaign - Our consultant estimated that we could expect to raise between $1.1M and $1.6M. We have raised about $1.3M, with expectation of some additional funds accruing in the coming months. We established a stretch goal of $2M, but not based on any analytical basis; we do have a solid basis to go forward, with thanks to those who worked the campaign and those who contributed. The Campaign closes this month, to be followed by a Building Program, led by a new Construction Task Force.

The Building Program - Following congregational approval, we take that last bend in the road – making our improvements a reality. We have been meeting with the architect to find ways to reduce costs and minimize borrowing. For example, we can make careful changes in materials and substantially reduce the parking area additions, steps that could save us approximately $200,000. We can also make optional during initial construction such items as the Gathering Room and finishing the basement. When the time comes, we can decide on these items, depending on our desires and financial posture. If low estimates hold, we should be able to do just about everything we wish. If the high estimates prove to be the case, we can examine our tradeoffs and financing then.

The next step is the Design Development Phase. This produces the drawing detail upon which a professional estimator can provide an accurate estimate, which also prepares us for discussions with contractors. Recently completed church projects in the area, similar to ours, indicate actual cost per square foot may be lower than our initial, deliberately conservative estimates. We are hopeful, but we will not measure this until we have completed the Design Development Phase. We have time to consider interior details and to continue fund raising, as the County license process is likely to take 14-18 months.

We are holding town meetings after both services on Sunday the 16th and the 30th of January to discuss the changes to the building program since we approved the basic designs at the Annual Meeting in April. Meetings will be held in Hollin Hall, beginning 15 minutes after the conclusion of each of the two Sunday services (approximately 10:45 and 12:15). The changes are few and the meeting should only require 15-20 minutes. Come on over and be informed before our Special Congregational Meeting on February 6. You may also find information on the MVUC web site - see the links on the Home Page to new information on the Building Program.

Upcoming Events, on and off the Hill

January:

16, after services
Building program Town Meeting
Hollin Hall Fireplace Room

18, 11:45 am
Good Companions: Linda Austin
Hollin Hall

18, 7:30 pm
Growth Planning
Meeting House Commons

20, 7 pm
50 Anniversary planning meeting
Meeting House Commons

22, 10 am
UUSJ Advocacy Training
Silver Spring UU

22, 2 pm
End of Life Choices meeting
Sherwood Hall Library

25, 10:30 am
Wisdom Years
Hollin Hall

30, after services
Building program Town Meeting
Hollin Hall Fireplace Room

February:

1, 11:45 am
Good Companions: Rev. Louis Schwebius
Hollin Hall

5, 6 pm
Partner Church Dinner
Meeting House

6, between services
Special Congregational Meeting
Remington Chapel

12, 9:30 am
Social Justice Forum
Meeting House

17, 4:30 pm
Transitional Housing meeting (UCM)
Belle View Baptist Church

Good Companions (Bev Southerland and Elaine Bronez)

11:45 to 12:45 - BYO lunch; program - 12:45 to 1:45 in Hollin Hall

JANUARY 18, 2005 - LINDA AUSTIN - A PARENT'S STORY

LINDA describes the last few decades as "a parent walking through the fog" when there was, first, the diagnosis and thereafter, the figuring out how to deal with her son's autism. Gradually, through effort and love and learning, there is a "happy ending" — so far.

At MVUC Linda has been chair of the Religious Education Committee, and with a degree in vocal music, she has enjoyed being in our choir for over ten years.

FEBRUARY 1, 2005 - REV. LOUIS SCHWEBIUS - FOUNTAIN HOUSE IS ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU

Before going into Parish Ministry, REV. LOU spent many years on the staff at Fountain House (FH) - a clubhouse/outreach center for mentally ill adults located in the "Hell's Kitchen" section of New York City. He counts his time with FH members as one of his greatest learning experiences.

Come and hear about a unique, innovative program and the amazing members and staff who have kept it going for more than 50 years! (Of special note, Rev. Lou first met his fiancée, Ji-Hae Park, at Fountain House, as she was on the staff when he began working there.)

Special collection for tsunami relief

In the wake of the catastrophic disasters caused by the earthquake and tsunami in South and Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and the Unitarian Universalist Association have joined forces to help bring humanitarian relief to the victims and their families.

MVUC will be taking up a special second collection at the January 16th service to contribute to the relief fund. If you are unable to attend the service that day, checks may be sent to the church made out to "MVUC" with "Tsunami Relief" in the memo line. Please speak to Rev. Lou if you have any questions or need further information.)

UCM — Volunteers needed (Kathie Watson)

United Community Ministries (UCM) has asked MVUC to help with meal preparation and childcare for the Transitional Housing monthly life-skills meeting at Belle View Baptist Church on Thursday, February 17. At the meeting, UCM staff help teach families long-term self-sufficiency skills, with a focus on parenting and fiscal responsibility. At least 5 volunteers are needed to help prepare, serve, and clean-up a dinner for approximately 60 people. The meal can be as simple as pasta, salad, bread, desserts, and drinks. The church has kitchen facilities, but most of the cooking should be done in advance. The time frame for preparing, serving, and cleaning up is from 4:30-7 pm. An additional 2-3 volunteers are needed to help UCM staff with childcare during the meeting, from 5:15-8:00 pm. Older teens and families may volunteer. If you are interested in helping with this endeavor, please contact Janice Fitzpatrick or Kathie Watson. Thank you!

Plan to attend Town Meetings January 16 and 30
and Special Congregational Meeting February 6!