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Our
Society
Results
of the Spring Parish Meeting, Sunday, May 16th
The
Spring Parish meeting very productive, and
was completed in under 1-1/2 hours. We heard brief updates on a
number of issues, and more discussion on a proposed bylaws change,
and the proposed 2010-11 budget. We elected a new slate of officers.
The full minutes will be available shortly, but for now, here are the
highlights.
Our
new slate of officers is as follows:
President - Barb Park
VP -
Rick Ruecking
(secretary - on hold - duties to be done by
administrator, Kate Liu)
Treasurer - Amy Armstrong
Youth member
- unfilled
Committee
Chairs:
Communications - Dorothy Krause
Denominational Affairs
- Christina Klock
Finance – Kathy Converse
Hospitality &
Membership - Dan Proud
Housing and Property - Al Nettleton
(Long
Range Planning - on hold)
Program - Nick Abts
Religious
Education - Robin Proud
Social Action - Elizabeth Macasaet
These
officers and committee chairs will officially take their new
positions after the joint board meeting on June 6th.
A bylaws
change was proposed that would change how we change our bylaws. Any
proposed change to the bylaws would need to be published 60 days
before a parish meeting, to provide ample time for input, but could
not be amended on the floor of the meeting; it would need to be an up
or down vote only. There was
overwhelming support for the concept of having bylaws changes voted
up or down without amendments from
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the
floor, but strong support for including specific opportunities for
members to discuss and potentially amend any proposal, including a
congregational meeting. Questions were also raised about whether the
deadline for the draft to be published should be changed. It
was ultimately decided to send
this issue back to the board for refinement.
Our finance
chair, Barbara Park, led the presentation of the 2010-2011 budget.
Due to the down economy we are still somewhat short on pledges, and
some cuts were made to the budget to reduce the amount of money drawn
from the reserves. We are offering a 10 month contract for a minister
instead of a full year, and slightly reduced the amount offered for
health insurance from the UUA's guidelines, though still offering
what the board felt was a reasonable amount for our area. Some new
fundraisers will be coming up, such as a once-a-month after service
lunch and some raffles. The budget includes taking $16,000 from our
reserves to balance the budget, but as Barbara pointed out, we
planned to take out $10,000 for this past budget year and ended up
not needing to use it. We are in a good financial position to help
our members weather this economic down time and feel confident that
we are making prudent use of our reserves in this case.
Full
text of the minutes will be made available at Prairie soon; in the
mean time if you have any questions, please fell free to contact us.
Rachel
Long, President
Kate
Liu, Congregational Administrator
WOW
to Meet 
Prairie's
Women's group, also known as WOW, meets monthly for breakfast potluck
and conversation and an occasional project. We will meet next on
Saturday, June 5th, at 9:00 am. Please bring a dish to pass and enjoy
the great food and conversation.
Memorial
Service Planned for Mary Lou Diehl
The memorial service for long-time Prairie member Mary Lou Diehl will
be
held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 30, at Prairie. You are invited to
join the family after the service for a potluck meal and music in the
backyard of Mary Lou’s home, 5729 Elder Place. You are
encouraged to car pool, as street parking is limited. You may bring
an instrument, in case the band invites others to join in.
Prairie
Book Club Update
Prairie's
book club meets once a month after service to discuss a book over
potluck lunch. This is an open book club, and you are welcome to come
even if you haven't read the book. Here's what the book club is
reading up through July:
For
Sunday, May 30 -
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by Betty Smith (fiction, 528 pages) – Rarely does the book
club
read a “classic.” This month’s book is an
exception. First published in 1943, it is a bildungsroman
or
coming of age story. The novel takes place in the first 2 decades of
the 1900s in Brooklyn, NY and follows Francie Nolan and her
3-generation Austrian/Irish-American family who are struggling
against poverty. The main metaphor of the book is the Tree of Heaven,
an Asian import now considered invasive that is common in vacant lots
in New York City. Suggested by Barbara Park.
For
Sunday, June 27 - Elegance
of the Hedgehog
by Muriel Barbery (French fiction, 320
pages) Told through 2 narrators – concierge Renée
Michel (in first person) and an intellectually precocious girl named
Paloma Josse, (through her journals) - it features erudite
characters. It is full of allusions to literary works, music,
films, and paintings. Themes relate to philosophy, class
consciousness, and personal conflict. Suggested by Rose Smith and Al
Nettleton.
For
Sunday, July 18 - (Date may be
changed) Roads
to Quoz: An
American Mosey by
William Least Heat-Moon (608 pages) is about a series of short trips
– total of 16,000 miles - rather than one long trip as
Heat-Moon’s other books were. In this book he covers
Maine’s
North Woods by car, a trip along the coast from Baltimore to Florida
by boat, one in Idaho’s Bitterroot Mountains by rail bike
(bike
fitted out to cruise along
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abandoned
railroad tracks), and others. “Wherever he is,
Heat-Moon’s
thought is often tethered to questions of sustainability and
equitability…deep ecology.” It’s a long
book, and
you may choose to read it over the summer while on a trip or while
trapped at home. Feel free to select whatever trips appeal to you.
Suggested by Al Nettleton.
Mary
Mullen
Book
Club Coordinator
Prairie
Elders meetings
Prairie
Elders is a group of over-65 Prairie members who meet once a month
(generally on the 4th Tuesday) at Oakwood, in the Nakoma room, for
conversation and mutual support. New members are always welcome.
Topics alternate between general interest and more personal items.
For May 25th the topic is "Housing Transitions." When, why
and where do we choose to move if we can no longer stay alone in our
home? What are good outside sources of information and advice? When
do alternatives to moving make sense? Some of us have made
transitions, some are pondering them and others have current or
prospective help at home. Let’s share what we know.
All
meetings begin with informal conversation at 1:30 pm, followed by
discussion beginning at 2:00 pm. If possible, please bring some
snacks to share and your own beverage cup. For more information about
the group or to arrange a ride, please call one of the following:
Donna Murdoch 238-3802, Gordon Cunningham 230-3367, Rosemary Dorney
238-4382 or Rose Smith 233-3363.
Membership
News
-
The
new member
orientation, originally scheduled for May 23, 25, and 27, has been
postponed. Stay tuned for more information.
-
New
Prairie phone
directories will be available shortly! They will be distributed
primarily through Prairie News, though if you want a paper copy you can
order one, and Kate Liu, our administrator, will send it to you or set
it aside for you to pick up at Prairie. If you need a large-print
version, you can also let Kate know that when you place your order.
Contact Kate by email at admin (at) uuprairie.org or by phone at
271-8218.
Looking
Ahead: Prairie Fall Family Retreat!
Please
set aside the weekend of September 17-19 for the annual Prairie
family retreat at Pine Lake Camp in Westfield, Wisconsin. Once
again, Phyllis Long will be serving as Program Coordinator. If you
are interested in offering a program, please let her know. It would
be helpful, if you want to offer a program, to let her know when you
will arrive at Pine Lake and how long you plan to stay, and to tell
her if you will need any special materials. We will also need people
who would be willing to devote an hour or so to child care, as we
expect some babies and toddlers. You can contact her by email
plong373 (at) gmail.com, or call 608-325-7397. Of course, you can
also let her know Sunday morning! We hope to have the program mostly
put together by mid-July, and registration will open in early August.
If
you have any questions about the retreat, please contact Phyllis or
Kate Liu (Prairie's
administrator.)
Phyllis
Long, Retreat Program Coordinator
Kate
Liu, Prairie Administrator admin (at) uuprairie.org
Spanish
Speaker's Potluck
The
Spanish Speakers potluck group has been going strong since 1986! Any
level of Spanish speaking ability is welcome to join these
once-a-month potlucks. For June, we will meet on the 21st at the home of Kate
Tucker, 4504 Camden Rd. For directions, please
call Kate at 221 2168; for information about the group or to arrange
for a ride, please call Rosemary Dorney at 238-4382.
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Humanist
Union News: John Rummel Photography Presentation June 6
We
are in for a treat the afternoon of Sunday June 6th when talented
local amateur photographer John Rummel will present a photographic
slide show at Prairie that he calls "The Capitol and the Moon, a
Modern Stonehenge". All are invited to the 11:45 - 12:30 potluck
followed by John's 12:30 - 1:30 pm presentation. The event is
sponsored by the Humanist Union, and will take the place of our usual
monthly meeting and discussion.
A wealth of examples of
John's photography can be seen on his website at http://webpages.charter.net/darksky25/index.html,
where his special interest in photography of the night sky will be
obvious. John works at James Madison Memorial High School and is an
ardent supporter of the planetarium program there.
Bob
Park
Humanist
Union
 Housing
and Property News
There
was a successful work day at Prairie on Saturday, May 15. There was
weed pulling, stump removal, and shrub trimming by
Bob
Cape, Galen Smith, Bob Park, Barb Park, Toby Wacker, Paula Pachciarz,
Gordon Cunningham, Kim Troug, and John Eliganti. Thanks to each of
you for all you did during the Prairie Work Day last
Saturday. Thanks to each of you for helping to make Prairie a more
attractive and inviting place.
Al
Nettleton
H&P
Chair
Social
Action Notes
The Social
Action Committee is collecting new, clean, white cotton socks for the
No More Deaths humanitarian aid group based in the Tucson UU Church.
The No More Deaths group is frequently in need of socks to dress
blistered and bleeding feet of immigrants making the dangerous crossing
through the desert. Prairie members and friends who summer in Wisconsin
and winter in Arizona will deliver the socks this fall. There is a
basket in the foyer to accept your donations. Thank you for your
support of this initiative. Mary
Somers Social
Action Chair
Interfaith
Hospitality Network
Occasionally,
I like to remind Prairie folks of our connection to the Interfaith
Hospitality Network (IHN). Homeless families are housed at Midvale
Lutheran Church (ML) four times a year and Prairie is a buddy church
to ML. Our volunteers go to ML to serve breakfast or dinner, stay
overnight, or provide food. IHN has stressed that it is important
that volunteers receive some training, and a tour is part of that. I
have already been trained, but I will be happy to go to the tour with
any of you who would like to explore volunteering for this very
worthwhile organization. Either of these upcoming dates would work,
so please contact me if you are interested: Wednesday, May 26 or
Tuesday, June 15.
Here
is a story that illustrates the great work being done by IHN and its
umbrella organization The Road Home:
Nine-year-old
Antony has learning and emotional disabilities. While his family was
homeless, he fell far behind in his reading level and his behavior
was out of control. He could not get along with his family or other
children, had little opportunity for fun, and was frequently in
trouble at school. Over the last six months, since they have been in
an apartment, Antony’s family has worked closely with The
Road
Home, an in-home family counseling program, his school and an
after-school daycare to help him succeed. Because of this stability
and collaboration, Antony is now reading at grade level, behaving
well and getting along with his peers. He is
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reaping
the benefits through rewards for good behavior, a reading award at
school, and– perhaps most important– invitations to
play
at the homes of the new friends he’s made and the chance to
have them over to his home, to play in his very own bedroom.
Please
contact me if you would be interested in getting involved with
Prairie's commitment.
Erin
Bosch, IHN Coordinator for Prairie
238-6285
Rev.
Ralph's Ruminations
 What
Kind of Growth for Prairie?
For
those who attended the Sunday Service on May 16th
it was
indeed a celebration of Transitions. It included a time of saying
“Hello and Welcome!” to infant child, Vivian Perrin
Thayer, and an opportunity for wishing a “ Fare Thee
Well”
to young adult, Madelline Arnold, as she will be leaving the Prairie
community to begin attending Carleton College in the Fall. What do
these kinds of events mean to our understanding of Prairie and to its
identity? What kind of Growth does it mean to have a new child in the
community and to send off a graduating young person to young
adulthood? As an intergenerational community Prairie must continue to
ask the hard questions about where it wants to go, and why and how we
need to consider these questions for the long range health of the
congregation.
As
your Consulting Minister I have raised these questions in previously
written “Rev Ralph’s Ruminations” in both
explicit
and implicit terms. To be a healthy congregation is to develop
responses that are sound and reasonable. To be healthy is to be
vigorous and vital, to have strength, and to use these qualities in
taking action. When a congregation sees clearly its place and
possibilities and understands its mission and purpose, it will make
decisions that serve itself and its community well. Such a
congregation will continue growing because of its health. Such a
congregation is ready to serve people who need Unitarian
Universalism.
Congregational
health and well-being are topics of much interest to most Unitarian
Universalist
congregations
because there has been substantial or some growth in a few (less than
100) but most (approx. 900) have experienced a decline in growth in
the past 30 years. Since health and growth are related, growth should
be a topic of equal interest and study. Since I began serving as
Prairie’s Consulting Minister we have seen membership
increase
slightly since we listed our certified membership in 2008 as: 94. In
2009-2010 we are listed as having a certified membership as: 106. The
actual number of pledging units is less.
 Here
is my concluding message for Prairie as I end my service as
Consulting Minister. Prairie has shown some signs of growth in
managing conflict and building consensus for making major decisions.
Prairie has seen a slight increase in the number of families with
children attending our Religious Education program. Prairie has found
and fostered a sense of renewed energy in the way it has embraced the
Green Sanctuary program. Prairie has moved (albeit slightly) from a
“lay-led” identity to one of a “shared
ministry”
identity with the addition of having a Consulting Minister.
These
are observable signs of Prairie’s growth in past 5 years.
However they are young and tender green shoots of growth. How will
Prairie tend to them? If you wish to be a part of a healthy and vital
religious community it is your task to select those efforts which
best match your skills, talents, and yes, your financial gifts, to
support the mission and ministries of the congregation, to water and
nurture their energy, perhaps even to prevent their being trampled,
and to honor their new place in the life of Prairie UU Society.
It
has been a deep privilege and honor to have served Prairie these past
four years.
Grateful
for the opportunity to have journeyed with you,
Rev.
Ralph
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UU
& Wider Community News
PFLAG
Conference
"Dear
Friends of Marriage Equality: Please join us on August 13-14 in
beautiful Decorah, Iowa, for what promises to be an outstanding
conference, bringing together a wide variety of individuals and
organizations from throughout the Upper Midwest to strategize on
"Achieving Marriage Equality in the Heartland" using
lessons from Iowa's experience. Save the date! We'll be sending out
registration information soon."
The
PFLAG Northeast Iowa Conference Committee
For
further information, contact Bill Musser at billmusser@hotmail.com
First
Unitarian Society presents "The Joy of Living: an introduction
to the practice and science of meditation" FUS
is please to present a talk with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Dr.
Richard J. Davidson at 7pm on Friday June 4th. Tickets are $10 and
are available for purchase at the FUS meeting house, or though their
website, www.fusmadison.org
Prairie
UU Society
2010
Whenona Dr.
Madison,
WI 53711
608-271-8218
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