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 August 11, 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, August 13 *10:00 a.m. "Whatever the Weather" musicale led by Doleta Chapru Wednesday, August 16 6:30 p.m. Midweek Meal @ Prairie Sunday, August 20 *10:00 a.m. "Making Memorials Meaningful", featuring a panel of Prairie people Tuesday, August 22 *2:00 p.m. Prairie Elders meet at Oakwood West. Wednesday, August 23 6:30 p.m. Midweek Meal @ Prairie Thursday, August 24 *7:00 p.m. Prairie Film Group views "Brazil". Sunday, August 27 *10:00 a.m. "Ingathering" led by Barbara Chatterton Wednesday, August 30 6:30 p.m. Midweek Meal @ Prairie *7:00 p.m. Building Progress Meeting (* = Details follow in this issue) NEXT PRAIRIE FIRE DEADLINE: Sunday, August 20 DETAILS OF COMING PROGRAMS Sunday, August 13 Don your Hawaiian shirts, sun dresses, rain hat or winter parkas and join us for a "Whatever the Weather" singalong and musicale. Enjoy a program for all ages featuring many of Prairie's talented singers, instrumentalists, and maybe even dancers! Sunday, August 20 A recent New York Times article headline reads, “It’s My Funeral and I’ll Serve Ice Cream If I Want To.” This article highlights a trend in how some people may wish to have their lives celebrated in the ceremony that marks the end of life. They want something personally meaningful, not a dour service that makes a person wonder if the minister ever met the deceased or had even a smidgen of an idea about the feelings of the people left behind. Like me, you may have attended dissatisfying services like that, that left you feeling either cold or angry or both, and you never want to experience another one like it. Now you can “do your part” to prevent such meaningless services. Come to this Sunday’s service to hear a panel of Prairie members share some of their experiences with memorial services and address the subject of creating a meaningful service. As usual, you will also have a chance to share your own thoughts. Sunday, August 27 We gather together to reconnect and share our summer travels and experiences by bringing some of the waters from places exotic and domestic to mingle together in a common bowl. Please bring a small container of water and a few sentences describing your summer experiences. This day also marks the kickoff of the Religious Education year which is described elsewhere in this issue. SOCIETY NEWS GATHERING TO REVIEW PROGRESS ON PRAIRIE'S NEW BUILDING Prairie's Capital Fundraising Committee has scheduled an informational meeting for friends and members to share the progress that has been made with fundraising for Prairie's new home, and to brainstorm on where we go from here. Members of First Unitarian Society and of Reeb are especially welcome. The model of the new building will be available for inspection and the Building Committee hopes that any comments or suggestions you may have will be written on paper that will be provided. This is your chance to hear all the facts that we have, and to learn what you can do to help transfer Prairie's RE Program into a superior learning environment. The Building Progress Review takes place at Prairie at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 30, immediately after the Wednesday evening potluck supper. Friends, well-wishers, members--all will be welcome to both. PRAIRIE ELDERS MEET AUGUST 22 Prairie Elders Meeting: Tuesday, August 22, 2:00-3:50 p.m., Oakwood Village West, Oaks Building, Second Floor Exercise Room. Topic: Two Truths and One Fib. Tall tale tellers, this is your time to shine. Come armed with two truths about yourself and one convincing fib. With participants’ rich personal histories and gift for swapping tales, guessing the lie should be a fascinating challenge. As the summer ends, we look to our aim of providing “good times.” Guaranteed to produce hearty guffaws, this parlor game comes to us from the Sylvia Beach Hotel, Newport Beach, Oregon, via Rose Smith. This would be a good meeting for newcomers or for onlookers who simply enjoy being among a group of supportive friends. 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 (not available in August), Rose Smith 233-3363 or Doleta Chapru 238-4970. WHAT'S NEW AT PRAIRIE As people attend events at Prairie, they will notice the new communication center in the foyer. This desk/cabinet is the result of my personal challenge, as expressed at the recent Prairie Board retreat, to enhance communication between Prairie folk at all levels. It not only will serve as a place to display information about Prairie and UU'ism, but it also contains a desk where folks will be encouraged to leave messages for one another. Since we all thrive on hearing kind words about the efforts we make, I would like to personally encourage folks to stop off at the desk and pick up one of the feedback forms to make a comment about some of the good things you observe happening to make Prairie an exceptional place to invest oneself. Also, if anything rubs you the wrong way, please bring it to our attention so we are able to give it appropriate attention. On the provided forms, to help both the writer and the receiver determine the best way to direct comments, there are check boxes for various roles, positions and committees. Note that they are there only as suggestions and you are welcome to ask your note to be directed to other people as well. Of course, you're also welcome to use whatever is handy to write on when you think of something you'd like to share... including napkins. As a co-coordinator of the Program Committee, I would personally love to hear comments, good or bad, about any aspect of Prairie programming that you might choose to make. Over time I've had ideas for programs that I would have liked to suggest, except that there really wasn't a convenient way to make them. That is, to a large degree, what is at the root of both my participation on the Program Committee and my desire to set up this center for all of us. So, please, help make it an effective communication tool. If you notice something that needs attention about the property, if you want to give kudos to an RE teacher, would like to give feedback to a program presenter or participant, have a question or comment related to any committee work, or any number of a variety of possible issues, positive or negative, please take a moment to leave a note. Feel free to make it anonymous if you prefer. Dorothy Krause OTHER FURNITURE NEWS I'd like to give away a very nice, moden Danish desk with keyboard pullout. It is too big for me: 63" wide, 30" deep and 28" high--for a donation to Prairie. Call Rosemarie at 255-7039 or e-mail rklester (at) wisc.edu. PLAYREADERS Prairie Playreaders is looking for hosts to hold playreading get-togethers. Hosts get to choose the play being read. Comedy, tragedy, drama, all are welcome. You can also provide a treat to entice readers, of course. Please contact Susan Hagstrom at (1) 238-4970; (2) SusanTanyaAmI (at) aol.com or hagstst@dhfs.state.wi.us or hagstst@yahoo.com; (3) 916 Shorewood Blvd, Madison, WI 53705 if you would like to host a playreading, and let her know which month (or date) would be preferable to you. When I get a list, perhaps we can have an organizing potluck in late August to finalize a schedule. Susan Hagstrom NEW PRAIRIE FILM GROUP Brazil, the 1985 dark, “retro-futuristic,” comedy directed by Monty Python member Terry Gilliam will be shown at Prairie, Thursday, August 24, at 7:00 p.m. Pizza will be provided. Bring your favorite beverage and interest in seeing a great film (writers were Gilliam, Tom Stoppard and Charles McKeown). Afterwards there will be discussion of what we have seen and whether we should form a regular Prairie film group. Al Nettleton SPANISH SPEAKERS ON VACATION Spanish Speakers potluck and discussion will take the month of August off. The next meeting will be September 21, 6:30 p.m. at the home of Mary and Andy Somers, 4467 Crescent Rd., Fitchburg, 276-8397. Rosemary Dorney RELIGIOUS EDUCATION THE LAST DAYS OF SUMMER I'm sure all of our RE children are holding on to the last threads of freedom before school starts, but the future is still bright--the beginning of the RE year is almost here! It's going to be another great year. We will begin August 27 with the Water Communion. As always, we will take the water you collected from your summer travels, or the kitchen sink (!) and place them in our communion bowl. If you haven't collected any water there's still time. After the ceremony, we will have getting-to-know-you games outside. September 3 will kick off the RE school year. We still have two openings for teachers, so if you would like to be a teacher and make a difference in the lives of our children let me know. For anyone who is interested, the curricula have arrived. If you would like to view the lessons before the first day of class, contact me or one of the RE Committee members. This year's theme is UU Heritage and Principles. The RE Committee and I have chosen curricula and workbooks that will closely reflect the UU principles as well as the principles of Prairie UU Society. Our goal is to see more connection between our RE program and the congregation. I hope that all of us, whether we are teaching or not, will help educate our children and make this another successful year. I look forward to hearing about your summer adventures! Rebecca Malke youthcoordinator@uuprairie.org (608) 695-3435 UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST NEWS SAUK CITY UU SERVICE AUGUST 20 The Free Congregation of Sauk County announces its August 20 Sunday service at 10:00 a.m.: “Neither Dead nor German: Free Thought Today and Tomorrow” with Michael Whaley. We tend to speak about our Free Congregation “Freethinker heritage” in the respectful tones reserved for the dead, and as if it were something encapsulated in the past and of a particular ethnic, in this case, German, nature. In Michael’s talk, and in the discussion to follow, we will visit the American roots of Free Thought, especially its often overlooked contribution to the founding of this country, and consider how and why a revitalized Free Thought movement is essential not only to the continuing American experiment in democracy but to the survival and prosperity of the Free Congregation’s Free Thought tradition. Crucially, we will explore how we can revitalize it while embracing Unitarian Universalism and strengthening our commitment to ONE Congregation – our own unique manifestation of e pluribus unum! OTHER NEWS ALLIED DRIVE MARCH FOR PEACE Come march against crime in this community, for it could be yours. Let your voices be heard. When: Saturday, August 12, 2006 at 6:00 p.m. Where: Boys and Girls Club parking lot, Allied Drive neighborhood For questions or to volunteer, call Chaplain Alice Howard at 217-1109. ALLIED DRIVE COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ON NAZI RALLY PLANNED No Nazis in Madison is teaming up with Move Forward Not Out to sponsor a community discussion on Tuesday, August 15 at 7 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club, 4619 Jenewein Road. This meeting will link the fight against racism with the fight for justice. The focus will be on counterplans to the upcoming Nazi demonstration August 26 in Madison, and the ongoing fight against racism and for justice in our city.