Prairie UU Society, 2010 Whenona Drive, Madison WI 53711–4843 (608) 271-8218 admin@uuprairie.org Located off the south frontage road (West Beltline Hwy Rd.) near the Seminole Hwy exit. PRAIRIE FIRE July 21, 2006 "As the prairie stretches out until it becomes one with the sky, let us reach out to touch and be one with the natural world and with one another." (Bond of Union) Prairie Fire is the semi-monthly newsletter of Prairie Unitarian Universalist Society. The two most recent issues may be seen at http://uuprairie.org President: Mike Briggs (608) 835–0914 Editor: Dan Proud, admin@uuprairie.org; (608) 661–0776 PRAIRIE CALENDAR Sunday, July 23 *10:00 a.m. "Renewal" -Joint Service of area UU congregations to be held at Prairie 12:00 noon. Humanist Union potluck lunch followed by "A Humanist’s View of Kevin Phillips’ American Theocracy" presented by Doleta Chapru.   Tuesday, July 25 5:00 a.m. Prairie volunteers serve breakfast at Men's Shelter *2:00 p.m. Prairie Elders at Oakwood Village West   Wednesday, July 26 6:30 p.m. Midweek Meal @ Prairie   Sunday, July 30 *10:00 a.m. “Helping Clean Up New Orleans" presented by Tess Miller   Wednesday, August 2 6:30 p.m. Midweek Meal @ Prairie   Sunday, August 6 *10:00 a.m. “More Than Words" presented by Mary Mullen *11:45 a.m. Book Club potluck and discussion   Wednesday, August 9 6:30 p.m. Midweek Meal @ Prairie   Sunday, August 13 *10:00 a.m. “Summer Reads" presented by Rose Smith * Details follow in this issue NEXT PRAIRIE FIRE DEADLINE:  Sunday, August 6 DETAILS OF COMING PROGRAMS Sunday, July 23 Join us for a joint UU congregation service and potluck at Prairie on the 23rd.  Whereas in previous years this joint UU service and picnic was hosted by the Free Congregation of Sauk City at their historical building and expansive grounds, we may be starting a new tradition of trading this annual event around to each of the area UU’s.    This year, speakers from each of the 5 congregations will reflect briefly on the subject of “Renewal” from the point of view of their own congregation.  The invited congregations include the Free Congregation of Sauk City, the Unitarian Congregation of Rock County (Janesville), and the 3 Madison UU groups:  the James Reeb UU Congregation, First Unitarian Society, and of course, Prairie UU Society.  Afterward, get to know our fellow UU’s at the potluck.  Following the potluck, tours will be offered to Prairie’s land in Fitchburg.   Just in case you want to visit the land on your own either Sunday or any other time, here’s the way.  Right (south) on Seminole Highway.  Go about a mile to PD (McKee Road). Left on PD. Go about a mile to Fish Hatchery Road.  Left on Fish Hatchery for a very short distance to the first right, Glacial Valley Road.  Right on Glacier Valley Road for about half a mile to Gunflint Trail (first left).  Left on Gunflint Trail.  You’ll see Eagle School up on the left.  The empty land on the left just before Eagle School is Prairie’s land. Sunday, July 30   College student Tess Miller spent some time in the New Orleans this spring working on hurricane cleanup.  She will share her experiences through a Power Point presentation in the program entitled, “Helping Clean Up New Orleans.” As a younger person, Tess attended Prairie sometimes with her dad Reid Miller, who is a friend of Prairie.  Reid, who grew up in Louisiana, has recently dedicated a fair amount of time doing storytelling programs in the hurricane-affected area. Sunday, August 6   We’ve all heard the old saw, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” but is it for most of us?  Perhaps if the picture is a photo of family or friends or if it was taken by oneself or it’s a striking prize-winner of a photo.  But what if it’s just sort of run-of-the- mill?   Come to the August 6 service, “Beyond Words,” to learn how to see much more in a picture than a first glance will give you.  The presenter Mary Mullen promises that you will come away surprised and will forever after be able to access far more than before when you look at any picture.   What does a service like this have to do with Unitarian-Universalist principles?  Mary invokes the 4th UU principle:  “A free and responsible search for truth and meaning.”  And depending on the subject matter of the photos you will be working with, you may also tap into our “covenant to affirm and promote:  The inherent worth and dignity of every person; Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations; The goal of world peace, liberty, and justice for all; and Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”  Sunday, August 13 It’s become a tradition at Prairie for us to share our enthusiasm for books on a seasonal basis.  Think over what you’ve read recently and come prepared to talk for a minute or two about each of your recent favorite reads or perhaps a book you would simply recommend for summer reading no matter how long ago you read it.  We sit in a circle for this service and take turns telling about either fiction or nonfiction books we want to recommend. OUR SOCIETY PRAIRIE ELDERS MEET JULY 25 Time: Tuesday, July 25, 2:00-3:50 p.m. Place: Oakwood Village West, Oaks Building, Second Floor Exercise Room.   Discussion Topic:   Making the Best of Major Transitions.   For young people, obtaining a driver’s license is an exciting rite of passage.  Somehow the feeling is not the same when older people must relinquish that license, even when it means no longer paying for gas, car installment loans, insurance and antidotes for freeway stress.  At the upcoming meeting, we invite people to share personal vignettes about dealing with major life transitions, however you define them.  The humor that prevails at Prairie Elders meetings is surely a major factor in coping with such changes.       The Exercise Room will be open at 1:30 for those who wish to come early for casual conversation.  Participants are welcome to come and go as necessary for appointments, rides, chair attendants, etc.   Refreshments:  Please bring a handful of snacks to pass, if convenient.  Beverages are furnished.   About us:  Prairie Elders aims to provide good times and mutual support for Prairie UU members and friends over 65.  We also welcome other UUs who live in the facility where we meet.  For directions, rides, parking and further information please call Donna Murdoch 238-3802, Rosemary Dorney 238-4382 or Doleta Chapru 238-4970. BOOK CLUB MEETS AUGUST 6 The Prairie Book Club will meet after the Sunday program to discuss THE DESERT QUEEN: The extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia, by Janet Wallach. Gertrude Bell was the British woman who had a major hand in creating the modern state of Iraq. (464 pages) This book was recommended by Rose Smith. For some background, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Bell. A study guide is located at http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/desert_queen1.asp. NEWS FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY [Since this is the first newsletter issue in July, news from the G.A. may seem somewhat dated. But it is is the first report from a Prairie attendee, and perhaps will whet your appetite for the Sunday program coming later this summer. --Ed.] Greetings from General Assembly:  This year's  G.A in St. Louis was exciting, inspiring, a bit tiring, and huge!  2043 delegates plus 2001 non-delegates represented 601 United States and three Canadian congregations.  There were also representatives from Transylvania and Great Britain, plus 6 Association Trustees, and 4 Association representatives (UUUNO, UUSC, etc.)  There were approximately 65-69 people there from Madison (someone told me that Madison comprised 1 and a half percent of the total attendees. Three Prairie members were among the 40 people who availed themselves of the FUS chartered bus, which made for a pleasant trip with lots of singing on the trip home.  It was great to run into people we had known in Madison while at G.A.  Paul Daniels, formerly the interim minister at James Reeb, is now minister in Las Vegas, and will soon be leaving there for a new church in Rancho Mirage, California.  Also ran into Shana Goodwin, also formerly from Reeb, and now the minister at the First UU Church in Washington, DC. Sandy Ingham was there, and sent her regards to Prairie, and it was lovely having a couple of chances to spend time with Tom and Sheryll Robinson, now living in Carbondale.  We adopted the Statement of Conscience on Global Warming, and approved the Study Action Issue for the forthcoming term. Pat Watkins CHICAGO TRIP SEPTEMBER 30 Saturday, September 30: Save this date for Prairie's fundraising trip to Chicago's Field Museum for the exhibit "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs." There will be more information in later editions of the newsletter, or contact Pat Watkins. THE VIEW FROM MY BRANCH   This is my last month as your consulting minister.  I leave with great respect for Prairie in my heart, and lots of optimism about what is ahead for you.     As a final experiment,  I invite you to think about Prairie ten years from now.  Your personal needs have changed from what they are today, to what they will be.  The people around you have ebbed and flowed.  The Prairie Mission Statement has changed, as it should every to 3-5 years. (Last one was 1999--time for a new one!) The Bond of Union has remained the same:   "We, the members of Prairie, wish to associate ourselves together in a religious community which affirms that we share a common humanity, that we need one another, and that our futures are inescapably bound together. Together we would expand our intellectual horizons, enrich our sensory experiences, and deepen our emotional sensitivities. We would sharpen our ethical awareness and broaden our sense of social responsibility. We would stand tall in our quest for integrity of life, yet not at others' expense. As the prairie stretches out until it becomes one with the sky, let us reach out to touch and be one with the natural world, and with one another."   What is happening that will embody the best of Prairie now, and the best of how Prairie will be serving its members, the community, the world in 2016?  How have things changed?  What has stayed the same?  What changes do you want for the world?  How can you imagine them happening at Prairie, also?  How can everyone's needs be met?  How can everyone's ideas be heard and included?  Together --with as much care for another's vision as for your own--you can build the possible future at Prairie.   Lastly, we must say goodbye.  A minister and a congregation must make a clean break when they are done.  The UUMA guideline is for a congregation and departing minster to have no contact for 6 months if there is a new minister.  Whether you begin the congregational year with a new minister or not, I will be out of touch for a while.  We will need time to get used to life without a parish minister/ congregation relationship with each other.  That is a good thing.   We all live in this community and we will have future contact as fellow UU's, I am sure.   As I go, I give you the quote which most resonates with me when I undertake building possible tomorrows:   "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead, anthropologist   Salaam, Shalom, Namaste, Amen, Blessed Be, Farewell and Ho.   The Rev. Jody Whelden, Minister Prairie UU Society 2010 Whenona Drive, Madison, WI 53711 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION   SUMMER RE   This year's Summer Spree was another success. Ten of our RE students attended the 3-day event held at the Ruecking farm July 14-16. Despite the heat, everyone ventured outdoors to play Ultimate Frisbee, sit by the bonfire and cool off in the river. Thank you to our volunteers: Rick Ruecking, Rachel Long, Carl Wacker, Dirk and Susan Herr-Hoyman. And thank you to our carpoolers Yvonne Hiebert and Steve Vorass.   Each Sunday the RE bulletin board will have updates on current and future activities for our children. Parents and children will be advised on the activities for the day and if they will be upstairs or downstairs. We have two summer day care providers: Isha Shrestha and Erin Bermingham. They are available downstairs to take care of infants and toddlers.   So far this summer there have been age-appropriate activities planned for our RE children such as: craft making, face painting, movies, and playing outside. If you are interested in planning a summer activity for RE please let me know.   The RE committee is in the process of preparing the fall curriculum. Our theme will be UU Heritage and Beliefs. If you're interested in teaching classes, preschool through high school, please let me know or one of our committee members; we still have openings. There will be 2 teachers per classroom with activities divided up so you will be responsible for approximately 12 Sundays a year.   I hope you are all enjoying your summer. Take care and stay cool!   Rebecca Malke (YREC) youthcoordinator@uuprairie.org MEMBERSHIP The new directory is available. You can pick your copy up at church, or we will mail it to you. Please make the following corrections to the new directory: Barb Park: barpark@gmail.com Bob Park: loonfoot@gmail.com Please report any corrections to Dan Proud at 661-0776 or by e-mail to prouds@tds.net. LETTERS HELP WANTED ON ANTI-RACISM BOOK Hello! Three of us, Leon Spencer, the Rev. Chip Roush and myself, are writing a book on anti-racism efforts in the UUA, concentrating mainly between 1992 and 2005.  We would like your opinion!  We hope to present as many different perspectives on this effort as possible and to that end have reached out to many groups over the last 18 months.  We are making one last effort to get other opinions (and if you have already participated, encourage a friend!). We seek a range of stories and perspectives:  observers who can provide a personal perspective on a particular key event, supporters of the work to say why it was valuable to them, to their congregation and to the UUA; critics to say what harm was done and why they wished things had been otherwise.  Only in this way can we use the lessons of history to inform our future.  We also know you are busy, so we have tried to make this easier.  If you have an opinion on the UUA's efforts towards anti-racism, please consider addressing the following two questions: What one event, occasion, interaction, etc. stands out for you personally around this work and how did it affect you? A decade from now, what do you think you might tell a young person who asks you about this work and its significance? Please include full contact information so that we may be in touch with you. Send your submissions by July 31 to antiracism15@earthlink.net.  Andthanks for helping us tell this important story.  Rev. Leslie Takahashi Morris home office/mobile 434-409-2350 http://JourneyFromCalgary.blogspot.com/ HELP WANTED ON BOOK FOR JEWISH UUS Dear Friends and members of the UUA, While at the 2006 GA, after discovering there weren't any books in the UUA bookstore written by U-U Jews about Judaism or the Jewish experience, I found an interesting book titled Christian Voices in Unitarian-Universalism by Kathleen Rolenz.  After reading her enlightening book, I felt it was extremely important to have an additional book available called Jewish Voices in Unitarian- Universalism.    I am looking for people who self-identify as Jews to contribute their personal stories to this book.  I am looking for a diversity of experience and perspective.  If you identify as Jewish or "formerly Jewish" and you are a member of the UUA, I would greatly appreciate it if you could share your story in our book. The Web site for the project is: http://www.jewishvoicesinuuism.homestead.com/ I have no journalistic agenda except to share the wide range of diversity of our experience as Unitarian-Universalist Jews (or Jewish UUs, if you prefer), and I promise to honor the spirit of your work, whatever that may be. I believe this project will be a precious gift to many Jewish UU's who may find their voice in our shared experiences. Todah Robah (thank-you)!  In the spirit of our fourth source:  "Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to G-d's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves", Nancy Cronk http://www.jewishvoicesinuuism.homestead.com/ interfaithpeace@aol.com 303-766-3123 (office) Member, www.UUJA.org Author of Oranges and Olives: A Modern Interfaith Family Passover Haggadah  http://www.caringcorner.net/Icare.html UNITARIAN-UNIVERSALIST NEWS ESCAPE TO VERMONT September 22-24, 2006 Twelfth Annual B&B Weekend offered by the UU Church of Rutland, VT.  Enjoy the beauty of Vermont, UU hospitality, and a choice of guided activities:  hiking, canoeing, visiting the studios of local artists, touring historic sites and quaint towns, and much more.  Registration by August 1, $225 (single) and $425 (double).  After August 1, $275 (single) and $475 (double).  For more information contact uufoliagevermont@yahoo.com or (802) 438-2095. OTHER NEWS PROGRAM INVITATION CONTACT: Barb Sanford, publicity & events manager, 608/263-1692 X13 OR Joan Fischer, director of Academy Evenings, 608/263-1692 X16, jfischer@wisconsinacademy.org HEAD: Special Middle East Series Opens Academy Evening Season The cradle of civilization is now the world’s biggest tinderbox. On the fifth anniversary of 9/11, the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters will open its 2006/2007 Academy Evenings season in Madison’s Overture Center for the Arts with "Understanding the Middle East," a special five-part weekly series on issues pertaining to the Middle East. Noted theologian Martin E. Marty, Chevron executive Jan Kalicki, sociology professor Joe Elder, and a number of other experts will shed light on problems in the Middle East and examine possible solutions. Programs will take place at 7 pm Wednesdays, September 13 - October 11 at the Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State Street in Madison. All programs are free and open to the public. Free tickets are recommended to ensure seating and will be available beginning August 1 in the Wisconsin Academy’s James Watrous Gallery at Overture, third floor. Summer hours: Tues./Wed./Thurs. 11-5, Fri./Sat. 11-8, Sun. 1-5, closed Mondays. We regret that tickets cannot be mailed or reserved by phone except for attendees who reside outside of Dane County. They may order tickets from Barb Sanford, bsanford@wisconsinacademy.org, 608/263-1692 X13 (email preferred). Wednesday, September 13, Capitol Theater, 7-8:30 pm The Roots of Conflict--Joe Elder Joe Elder, a UW-Madison sociology professor who was born to American parents in Kurdish Iran, provides an overview of the region’s history and the root sources of conflict. What are the main differences between the major ethnic and religious groups? Do discrepancies between national boundary lines versus ethnic and religious affiliations make enduring conflict inevitable? Wednesday, September 20, Capitol Theater, 7-8:30 pm Rx for “Oil Addiction”: The Middle East and Energy Security--Jan H. Kalicki “The most serious challenge posed by the energy crisis is not high oil prices, low inventories, or the fact that consumers are using oil much faster than we find new resources. It is the damage oil dependence poses to international security.” So says Jan H. Kalicki, counselor for international strategy with the Chevron Corporation, senior scholar with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and co-editor of Energy and Security: Toward a New Foreign Policy Strategy (Wilson Center Press and Johns Hopkins University Press). What are the security consequences of growing oil imports from the Middle East? What should Americans rethink in terms of our energy and national security needs? Kalicki proposes ways to remedy our “addiction to oil” through a foreign policy strategy that encompasses both national and energy security. Wednesday, September 27, Capitol Theater, 7-8:30 pm The Dilemma of Fundamentalism--Martin E. Marty Professor and ordained minister Martin E. Marty (professor emeritus, University of Chicago Divinity School), one of the world’s most prominent theologians and a recipient of a National Humanities Medal, on the dilemma of fundamentalism as opposed to constructive religious practice, with an emphasis on how this problem pertains to the Middle East. Wednesday, October 4, Promenade Hall, 7-8:30 pm Beyond the U.S. Veil: Women in the Middle East--Mary Layoun How do women in the Middle East live or imagine their roles in society? What does "democracy" mean for them? UW-Madison's Mary Layoun, a professor of comparative literature with an emphasis on the history and culture of the Middle East, will draw upon recent works of nonfiction, fiction, film, and history to discuss the status and promise of women in the Middle East. Wednesday, October 11, Overture Lobby, 7-8:30 pm Paths to Peace--Nadav Shelef and Ali Abootalebi Nadav Shelef, a UW-Madison professor of Israel studies, and Ali Abootalebi, a political science professor at UW-Eau Claire, present their views on possible paths to peace in this embattled region. The "Understanding the Middle East" series is sponsored by the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation. The Wisconsin Academy thanks the foundation for its generous support. The nonprofit Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, founded in 1870, connects people and ideas from all areas of knowledge and all walks of life to advance thought and culture in our state. The Wisconsin Academy's many programs include an art gallery for Wisconsin artists; a quarterly magazine about Wisconsin thought and culture (Wisconsin People & Ideas); public forums such as the Academy Evenings series; and the “Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin,” a public policy program that brings citizens together with farmers, universities, state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, agribusiness leaders, and other stakeholders to shed light on a sector that is at the heart of Wisconsin’s identity and economy. For more information please visit www.wisconsinacademy.org. Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters 1922 University Avenue Madison, WI 53726 www.wisconsinacademy.org *********************************************************** JOURNEY THROUGH WHOLENESS (JTW) NEWS *********************************************************** NATIONAL CALL-IN DAYS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY: 1-866-808-0065 Last week, the House voted by an overwhelming margin (390-33) to pass, without amendment, The Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. While this brings us one step closer to renewing and restoring the Voting Rights Act (VRA), we are not there yet! If the VRA bill is to reach the president's desk for his signature by August, then the Senate must act quickly to pass S. 2703 without amendment. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to hold its "mark up" (or consideration) of S. 2703 this Wednesday and Thursday. This is a critical point in the Senate process, as Senators begin to debate whether the bill should be amended. But S. 2703 is a carefully crafted, bipartisan bill - and it must be passed without any amendments that would weaken the protections of the Voting Rights Act. This Wednesday and Thursday, join others around the country in making 3 toll-free calls to protect voting rights: Call the Capital switchboard toll-free at 1-866-808-0065 and ask for your Senator's office. Tell your senators that S. 2703 must be moved quickly and without amendment through the Judiciary Committee and through the full Senate before the August recess. Then, use the same toll-free number to call Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN). Urge him to use his position of leadership to ensure that S. 2703 passes the Senate - without amendment - before the August recess. Visit www.RenewtheVRA.org to learn more about S. 2703 and the Voting Rights Act. You can also find the senators for your state on this site. Victory! Marriage Amendment defeated in the House ********************************************************************** The House decisively rejected the Federal Marriage Amendment on a vote of 237-187-1, with 9 members not voting--47 votes short of the two-thirds required for passage!!! With this second decisive victory--following the Senate's 49-48 vote in June--the UUA closes its "Standing on the Side of Love 2006: No Discrimination in the CConstitution" Campaign. Our work now will turn to supporting UU advocacy efforts against state proposed amendments, as well as shift in our federal attention back to positive steps, such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). See http://www.uua.org/news/freedomtomarry/index.html for state information. Thanks to all UUs who participating in the effort to defeat the federal amendment. Job well done! Susan Leslie Director for Congregational Advocacy and Witness Unitarian Universalist Association 25 Beacon Street, Boston MA 02108 (617) 948-4607; sleslie@uua.org www.uua.org/justice Subscribe to SAC-News, Advocacy-News, JTW-News & SRI-News at www.uua.org/mailman/listinfo   PRAIRIE WEB SITES Society Home Page: prairie.madison.uua.org News Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/prairienews/ Views Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/prairieviews/ Social Action: socialaction.madisonwi.us Humanist Union: http://humanist.madisonwi.us Long Range Planning: www.execpc.com/~prairieu/planning