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Our
Society
New
Consulting Minister Chosen for Prairie
I
am pleased to announce that Rev. Jane Esbensen was approved as our
new consulting minister at the Parish meeting on August 15th. The
vote was 39 yes, 4 abstentions. Rev. Esbensen spoke Sunday on the
topic “To Do Good Is My Religion,” and had every one
present briefly tell what tradition they were raised in and one
positive thing that they brought with them into adulthood. Rev
Esbensen will be officially starting on September 1st and will have
regular office hours at Prairie. She will be joining us at our
retreat in September and will give her first Sunday morning program
on October 10th. We warmly welcome her to the Prairie fold.
Barbara
Park, Prairie UU President
273-8775
or barpark (at) gmail.com
Dear All,
 It is
with the greatest joy and strongest sense of responsibility that I
accept your invitation to be your newest consulting minister for this
coming year. I thank the Search Committee for selecting me, I thank the
Board for accepting this selection and I thank all of you for your vote
of confidence in who I am and in what we may create together this year
at Prairie. I look forward to getting to know you, each and everyone,
so I hope you accept my invitation to come by and see me when I have my
office hours, or that you know I am only a phone call away. Let the
year begin! Starting
September 1st,
my office hours at Prairie will be Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am to
3pm. Please free to call if you want to set up a particular day and
time to meet with me. Otherwise you can certainly drop in, but I cannot
guarantee that I'll always be available, so if it's important let's
arrange something ahead of time ---- if possible! Also, if there are
days and times that you need to meet with me that are not on Mondays
and Wednesdays, please let me know and I will do my very best to be
available to you. I hope you all know that you can contact me whenever
you need to or wish to. My cell phone is the best number to reach me:
608-770-5486.
Most
warmly,
Jane
WOW
News
WOW
is the Prairie Women's Group that meets once a month for breakfast
potluck and conversation, with the occasional project. In September
we will meet at the Prairie Retreat, Saturday, September 18th,
and the October meeting is October 2nd, back at Prairie, at 9
am.
Any questions or emails to add to the group call 276 8397
or email marysomers44 (at) charter.net
Mary
Somers, WOW coordinator
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Spanish
Speaker's Potluck
The
Spanish Speakers will hold their next potluck at Prairie on Tuesday,
August 31st at 6:30 pm. Any level of Spanish speaking
ability is welcome at these gatherings. Please call Rosemary Dorney
at 238-4382 for more information about the group or to arrange a
ride.
Prairie
Book Club Update
 The
Prairie Book Club meets monthly, after the Sunday Service at Prairie,
about 11:45 a.m..except for September when it meets at the Prairie
Retreat. Bring potluck food to share at the Sunday club meetings.
This is an open book club. You may come whether or not you have read
the book. For more information, contact Mary Mullen, 608.298.0843 or mmullen(at)
chorus.net.
Saturday,
September 18 - Mukiwa:
A White Boy in Africa,
by Peter Godwin
Sunday,
October 17 – Now and at the Hour, a novel by our own
former Prairie member Marty Drapkin. (Contact Erin Bosch to get a $6
copy from the author: 238-6285 or hillfarms2002@yahoo.com)
Mary
Mullen
Book
Club Coordinator
Summer
Reads Booklist
Here
is the list of books created from the “Summer Reads”
service. The list is organized by author, title, publisher and date,
and the name of the person who recommended it. Happy reading!
Fiction
Baldwin,
Shauna Singh, What
the Body Remembers,
Anchor, 2001 (Kate Liu)
Desai, Kiran, The
Inheritance of Loss,
Grove Press, 2006 (Rosemarie Lester)
Doerr, Harriet. Stones
for Ibarra,
Viking Press, 1978
Erdrich, Louise, The
Plague of Doves,
Harper, 2008 (Terri Prudlo)
Follett, Ken, Whiteout,
Dutton Adult, 2004 (Terri Prudlo)
Ford, Jamie, Hotel
on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,
Ballantine Books, 2009
Heinlein, Robert A., Spider Robinson,
Robert James, For
Us, The Living: A Comedy of Customs,
Pocket Books, 2004
Kroll, Steven, Howard
and Gracie's Luncheonette,
illustrated by Michael Sours, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1991
(Doleta Chapru)
Larsson, Stieg, The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,
Vintage, 2009 (Sandy Haspl)
Larsson, Stieg, The
Girl Who Played with Fire,
Vintage, 2010 (Sandy Haspl)
Larsson, Stieg, The
Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest,
Knopf, 2010 (Sandy Haspl)
Miller, Sue, While
I Was Gone,
Ballantine Books, 2000 (Paula Pachciarz)
Mistry, Rohinton, Family
Matters,
Knopf, 2002 (Ruth Calden)
Rash, Ron, Serena,
Ecco, 2008 (Pat Watkins)
Shute, Nevil, Pied
Piper,
House of Stratus, 2000 (Erin Bosch)
Smith, Betty, A
Tree Grows in Brooklyn,
Perennial - Modern Classics, 1943 (Rose Smith)
Tobin, Betsy, Ice
Land,
Plume, 2009, (Barbara Park)
Tyler, Anne, Celestial
Navigation,
Knopf, 1974
Nonfiction
Alexie, Sherman, The
Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian,
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2007 (Donna Murdoch)
Bishop,
Holley, Robbing
the Bees: A Biography of Honey--The Sweet Liquid Gold that Seduced
the World,
Free Press, 2005 (Ken Haydock)
Braestrup, Kate, Here
If You Need Me: A True Story,
Little, Brown and Company, 2007 (Gordon Cunningham)
Brown, Dee, The
Gentle Tamers: Women of the Old Wild West,
Univ. of Nebraska Press, 1958 (Marcia Johnson)
Brunton,
Paul, The
Search in Secret India
(Bob Rao)
Chernow, Ron, Alexander
Hamilton,
Penguin Press, 2004 (Sandy Haspl)
Epstein, Greg M., Good
Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe,
William Morrow, 2009 (Bob Park)
McKibben, Bill, Eaarth:
Making a Life on a Tough New Planet,
Times Books, 2010 (Galen Smith)
Mortenson,
Greg, Stones
into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan
and Pakistan,
Viking Adult, 2009 (Rose Smith) Page
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Orwell,
George, Homage
to Catalonia,
Mariner Books, 1980 (Ken Haydock)
Rashid, Mark, Considering
the Horse: Tales of Problems Solved and Lessons Learned,
Spring Creek Press, 1993 (Paula Pachciarz)
Yeager, Jeff, The
Cheapskate Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of Americans Living
Happily Below Their Means,
Broadway, 2010 (Dorothy Krause)
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 August 24th the topic is "Humor about Age and Aging." Bring an
aphorism, a clever literary quotation, a good joke, a funny
personal story, scientific findings about laughter, your own
witticisms or whatever you deem relevant. Michael Pritchard wrote
“You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old
because you stop laughing.” While neither Pritchard nor
contemporary scientists fully understand the physiology of laughter,
there are ample indications it is good for us. Prepare to have some
good guffaws.
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.
Bylaws
Task Force Starting Prairie is calling together a task
force to update our bylaws, and I have agreed to lead it. The first
step is to change the process by which the bylaws are amended. We will
rewrite the proposal put forward at our Spring Parish Meeting,
incorporating the changes suggested. After approval by the Board, the
proposed change will be voted on at our upcoming Fall Parish Meeting.
After that, the task force will work with the Board on developing
proposals for changes in the bylaws to reflect proposed changes in our
governance structure. If
any of you are interested in
serving on the Bylaws Task Force, please let me know. Your time
commitment this fall would be minimal. The more detailed (and
interesting if you like this sort of thing) work will likely be in the
winter and early spring, depending on the Board's readiness for us to
move ahead. Rachel
Long
Prairie
Fall Family Retreat!
The
Prairie Fall Family Retreat will be held at the Pine Lake Camp just
outside of Westfield, WI, from Friday, September 17th
through Sunday, September 19th. Both Prairie members and
friends are invited to attend. Registration forms are now available
–
as a pull-out in the printed Prairie Fire, an add-on to the online
Prairie Fire, or in paper form at Prairie on the greeting table.
Registration opens Sunday, August 22nd and closes Friday,
September 10th, so please get those forms in as soon as
possible! You can mail them to Robin Proud at the address listed on
the form, or mail or bring them to Prairie UU Society. Also - Please
save this Prairie Fire as it has a lot of information you will need!
If
you would like to have a look at the retreat site, you can visit
their website at http://www.pinelakecamp.org/.
As you go through the site, you can see more complete descriptions of
the lodging and other amenities.
Last
year there was some difficulty with finding the retreat site, both
due to arriving in the dark and a lack of good direction to the site.
Even those who used their GPS found the directions hard to follow! I
am offering here simple, turn-by-turn directions to get you there
with a minimum of stress: head north from Madison on 90-94 and get on
51 north near Portage. Take 51 north to exit 113. When you come down
the exit ramp, turn left at the bottom and go under the highway. Take
the first right turn onto Pioneer Park Road, which will lead you past
the famous Pioneer Restaurant. Follow Pioneer Park for 0.7 miles,
then turn right onto North Main Street (also labeled as county
highway CH and possibly also M.) After 0.8 miles, highway M will
turn off to the left, and you should
follow highway M.
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5
From
this turn, it is a little more than 6 miles to the turn-off for
Pine Lake Camp, which will be on the left. It should also be easier
to find the camp this year as we are coming earlier in the year and
should have the advantage of daylight later into the evening.
As
you get ready for the retreat, please keep in mind the following
things. Pine Lake is lovely but rustic and spread out a bit, so dress
for comfort and be prepared to do some walking around. The grounds
are not incredibly well lit at night – good for star gazing but
not so good for getting around – so bring a flashlight. Take
note on the registration form if the accommodations you have chosen
have linens provided or if you will need to bring your own. Look over
the program descriptions (later in this article) and see what you
would like to do and if you need to bring any supplies with you (such
as a musical instrument or a book for the book club).
Please
make note of Pine Lake's rules and regulations:
Parking
Please
park all vehicles in the designated parking areas (next to cabins or
in main parking lot). It is important that all roads in the main
camp are kept open and free of vehicles for all our guests and for
emergency vehicle access. Please observe the reserved signs which
designate parking for camp vehicles and accessible parking for the
disabled. A golf cart is available for use by adults in need of
mobile help (not to be used by children).
Emergencies
First
aid kits are located in the dining area at Amphlett Hall, at Oakwood
Center, the Rader Center, and in the office (located in the Nature
Center building). There is an automatic defibrillator located in the
office. Nick Coenen (camp director) is a certified first responder. A
response to a 911 call takes 3 minutes; an ambulance responds in 8
to 10 minutes.
Absolute
No’s
No
smoking and No alcohol.
Kids
Parents
are expected to know where their children (and their children’s
guests) are at all times. Groups of kids are not allowed to stay in a
room overnight without an adult present.
Housekeeping
We
are guests at this facility. Should you encounter any problems,
please come to Kate Liu, Robin Proud or Phyllis Long first to deal
with any incidents. Please clean up after yourself. Be sure to take
all of your “art projects” home with you; otherwise they
will be discarded. Due to health department regulations all
kitchenware is sanitized after each guest use. Please wash
kitchenware you have used (pots and pans, dishes, utensils, etc.) and
leave on the kitchen counter when you check out of your cabin, so the
camp staff can sanitize it for the incoming guests.
Program
Descriptions
Saturday
Night Dinner—Group
Cooking: set up, cooking, serving, clean up—(all done by
Prairie folks) Oakwood Center, 5:30 p.m.
Bollywood
Dancing -
John and Rebecca will teach Prairie folks how to dance like a
Bollywood star! A simple routine will be taught to some very lively
Bollywood music. Dances in Bollywood films are a synthesis of formal
and folk Indian traditional music and dance traditions, with the
infusion of Western techniques like disco. They have evolved as a
unique and energetic style. Since they are
group dances, they are often used as joyful exercise music. ( led by
Rebecca Malki-Eliganti and John Eliganti) Oakwood Center—1:00
p.m.
Kabaddi
–(not for very small children) Kabaddi, which means "holding
of breath" in Hindi, is a team contact sport that originated in
India. Two teams occupy opposite halves of a field and take turns
sending a "raider" into the other half in order to win
points by tagging members of the opposing team. During the "raid"
the person must hold his or her breath and chant "kabaddi,
kabaddi, kabaddi" during the whole raid. When they feel out of
breath they must return to their side before they lose air. Holding
of the breath is a crucial aspect of play. It is the national game of
Andhra Pradesh, India where John Eliganti is from. (led by Rebecca
Malki-Eliganti and John Eliganti) Oakwood Center—3:00 p.m.
The
Ping-Pong Tournament is
a laid-back and fun ongoing activity throughout the weekend. The
intent is to have people get to know each other by playing this game.
There will be three pools of various skill levels. You can include
yourself in the pool that you think will provide an even level of
competition for you. Looking at who is already listed in the various
pools might help you make that choice. You will arrange your own
times to play the other participants in your pool at your mutual
convenience. (led by Erin Bosch) Ping Pong Room, Amphlett Hall—All
day.
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Cross
Purposes--The
equipment needed for the game are a pencil or pen and a blank sheet
of paper for each player. It works best for 2 people but, up to 4 can
play using only the larger grids. The object of the game is to make
as many words of at least 3 letters as possible. The longer the word,
the bigger the point score. The game is expanded to include larger
grids, challenges, and more. (led by Dave Johnson) First floor
Conference Room, Rader Center—7:00 p.m.
 Storytime--I
will have a variety of children's books to choose from and stories
for all ages. What we choose will depend on those present. (led by
Rose Smith) Lower level lounge, Rader Center—10:00 a.m.
Nature
Walk---I will lead a walk for all ages through the woods down to the
lake. The emphasis will be on enjoying and exploring whatever nature
we find on land and in the water. (led by Galen Smith)Walk begins at
the Nature Center—1:00 p.m.
Let’s
Play Bridge—Do you like
to play contract bridge? Here is an opportunity to join others who
share your interest for an hour of fun. Even if you aren’t
that familiar with the game, but would like to learn, or brush up on
your skills you are welcome! (led by Phyllis Long) First floor
conference room, Rader Center—3:00 p.m.
Paper
Bag Crafts—Masks,
puppets, costumes, and more can emerge from simple paper bags. If
you have a supply of various sized paper bags that need to be used
(recycled into artwork), please let Aileen N. know and bring them
along. Ages 5-15 and up! (led by Aileen Nettleton) Craft
Center—4:00
p.m.
Folk
Dancing for Fun--All are
welcome to come dance to the music of our own Prairie folk band, play
along on a rhythm instrument or enjoy watching. Dancing will begin
with fun, easy mixers for all ages including babes in front packs and
toddlers-in-hand or riding piggy-back. Next will be easy novelty
dances for adults and for children who can understand instructions.
We will finish with circle dances of various speeds and cool down
with something gentle. All steps will be taught.(led by Doleta
Chapru) Oakwood Center—8:30 p.m.
Key
Log Ceremony--Before logging trucks were widely used, logs from
lumber camps were floated down rivers to the lumber mills. Sometimes
a log would get out of place and cause other logs to jam up. Removing
that log, called the key log, freed the other logs. Our key log
ceremony is about personal “log jams.” People may toss a
twig in the campfire to represent the removal of something that has
gotten in the way of personal progress. For example: passing an
important test, resolving a dispute, getting a job or finishing a
project that’s been bugging you for months. Some people briefly
describe their freed log jam. Some throw a twig on the fire silently.
Some simply enjoy the fire and celebrate others’ progress.
Perhaps this description will provide incentive to remove personal
key logs before the retreat.(led by Doleta Chapru) Outdoor Fire
Pit—10:00 a.m. Sunday.
 Book
Club--Newcomers as well as
regulars are invited to attend the Prairie book club meeting on
Saturday, September 18. You
need not have finished – or even started - the book, although
you’ll enjoy the discussion if you are familiar with it. Mukiwa: A
White Boy in Africa,
by Peter Godwin, is a memoir of a man who grew up in Rhodesia, now
Zimbabwe. His family was white, professional and middle class, but
also liberal. As a result, he had black friends and learned the local
language and got to know the bush. Yet he was caught up in the war
for independence and required to serve in the Rhodesian armed forces.
After the war he became a journalist, eventually fleeing the country
when his investigative reporting led to threats to his safety.
Published in 1996. 418 pages. Recommended by Rose Smith. (led by Mary
Mullen) Lower level lounge, Rader Center—9:00 a.m.
Making
Oobleck--In this messy session,
we'll make some strange concoctions and explore their surprising
properties. Whether you prefer to think of our activity as hands-on
experiments in polymerization and non-newtonian fluids, or whether
you prefer to think of it as weird, cool fun, we think you'll enjoy
mixing and playing with some strange stuff. Tactile fun for all
ages.(led by Kate Liu and Karen Deaton) Craft Center, 9:00 a.m.
Gentle
Yoga--A one hour session of yoga specifically geared to those who
prefer a gentle approach, for those who are new to yoga, recovering
or injured, or simply need a gentler approach. Please bring a yoga
mat (a number will be available to borrow) and dress in unbinding
layers for comfortable all over movement. Please consider bringing a
blanket to add warmth during final relaxation. Movement will be very
gentle, offering lots of options for comfort and pleasure in
movement.(led by Katherine Peterson) First floor lounge, Rader
Center,10:00 a.m.
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Restorative
Yoga--This one hour session is
specifically geared those with yoga experience that prefer the
pleasure of practicing stimulating movement (always with options for
comfort and ease) that transitions to a generous restorative finish.
Please dress in unbinding layers for comfortable all over movement.
We will begin with a slow flowing series to warm the body, moving to
sustained postures in standing, a transition to seated poses, and end
in a final relaxation with support, guided imagery, and gentle
music.(led by Katherine Peterson) First floor lounge, Rader Center,
1:00 p.m.
Coping
with Stress—Learn coping
techniques such as guided imagery, progressive relaxation and the
relaxation response. (led by Phyllis Long) First floor lounge, Rader
Center, 4:00 p.m.
A
Lesson in American Sign Language--Cheyenne
Hale, with the assistance of Karen Deaton, will teach participants
how to fingerspell along with some basic characters. Cheyenne has
been learning American Sign Language (ASL) in high school. Karen
learned fingerspelling and Signed English as a child and later
learned ASL while in graduate school. (led by Cheyenne Hale, with
Karen Deaton) First floor lounge, Rader Center, 2:00 p.m.
Paper
Fashion Fun (all ages)--Did you love to play with paper dolls as a
kid? Or are you now a kid who enjoys creating fashions? Designers of
all ages can use fancy papers, ribbons, fur, sequins, and more to
make all kinds of clothes and the paper people to wear them. No
experience or artistic talent needed as there will be stencils
available for those who want them.(led by Robin Proud)Craft Center,
11:00 a.m.
More
activities – descriptions to follow:
Friday
night bonfire and s'mores; Ethical Dilemmas discussion Friday 10:30
pm with Rick Ruecking; Low Ropes Course or Archery with camp director
Nick Coenen 9am Saturday; 2010 Ware Lecture with Rachel Long 9 am
Saturday; Girl Scout Games with Maya Urbanski 11am Saturday;
Children's Games with Rick Ruecking Saturday at 1; Humanist Union led
by Al Nettleton Saturday at 1; recorder lesson with Mary Frantz
Saturday at 1; Prairie visioning with Barbara Park Saturday at 3pm;
Spanish lesson with Marcia Johnson Saturday at 4; Talent Show led by
Dan Proud after dinner on Saturday.
If
you have any questions about the retreat, please contact one of us,
and we hope to see you there!
Phyllis
Long, Retreat Program Coordinator plong373 (at) gmail.com
Robin
Proud, Registrar derrproud (at) att.net
Kate
Liu, Prairie Administrator admin (at) uuprairie.org
Prairie
UU Society
2010
Whenona Dr.
Madison,
WI 53711
608-271-8218
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