Posts from March 2021
Big Brother Should Not Be Allowed to Watch You
I propose the formation of a cabinet-level Department of Privacy. There are all manner of intrusive and even perilous electronics impinging on our lives, and it’s getting worse. Elon Musk’s Tesla 3 cars are being investigated for the cameras that are already installed in the rearview mirrors, and which will soon be turned on–focused on the driver and passengers! Facebook and the others assure us that they are only gathering unidentifiable market research (and targeting of ads). The auto insurance companies are giving…
Henny DuBois
Our dear friend Henny DuBois passed away Monday night, March 22, from natural causes. Henny survived COVID this past December, proving how strong-willed she was. She was 90. Henny was a devoted member of UUCE for decades, leading the Food Pantry collections, Aesthetics Team, and more. She was a programmer, mother of five, gardener, photographer and theater/museum patron, as well as a dear friend to many. A full obituary and plans for a memorial will follow. Messages may be sent…
March ET Update
The current members of the Executive Team are: Mike Moutrie, Martha Pignataro, Mary Harlos, Steve Askins, and our minister Rev. Leland Bond-Upson and church administrator Mila Brinker. To learn more about the Executive Team and what we do, visit our Executive Team page. Actions Building Maintenance The team approved an expense of $1000 for installation of hard-wired electrical outlets to projectors in Fellowship Hall and the sanctuary. This eliminates extension cords and improves safety. This also includes installing a stronger…
Here Comes the Sun
It was a year ago this week that the United States joined the countries that were restricting ordinary human socializing on account of COVID-19. I had been visiting in Hawaii for a couple weeks and was preparing to return to Elgin when I heard that Gov. Newsome of California was ordering everyone in the Bay Area to quarantine. Then I heard that Gov. Pritzker was considering something like that, and suddenly realized there wasn’t much point in going back to…
Have You Heard of AMUUSE?
Mary Harlos suggested we share this Did You Know… Did you know AMUUSE, is a singles group for Midwest Unitarian Universalists and friends? They have weekend camps and summer camps away during normal times but right now they have zoom programs. Mary says it is easy to get on their mailing list and then have access to all their events. Mary has found them to be warm and welcoming, a nice way for singles to expand friendships! Visit their website…
Ministerial Search Committee Update
Dear Friends, In October, the UUCE Board of Trustees began a process of reaching out to congregational members to gather input on desired qualities and potential candidate names to have serve on the upcoming Ministerial Search Committee. After tallying names mentioned in that round of surveys, the Board arrived upon a list of the top 14 candidates. Because volunteering for this committee will require a significant commitment of time and energy, those candidates were then contacted by Board members in…
March Board Update
Visit our Board of Trustees page to meet our current BoT leadership. Budget Financial Committee meeting notes reviewed. Summary of Actual vs. Budget reviewed. Pledge income has caught up with budgeted amount as of February reporting. Projections at the moment show that we could have a surplus on the current year budget, but this is based on rolling over a surplus from the prioryear. Discussion of staff wages and recommendations from the FC. We should aim to provide COLA raises…
It was 56 Years Ago Today
Fifty-six years ago this week, the Rev. James Reeb was clubbed by a Klansman on a street in Selma, Alabama. My future friend, Rev. Clark Olsen was walking on one side of Jim, and Rev. Orloff Miller was walking in the middle, with Reeb on the outside, curbside. They had finished dinner at an integrated café, were returning to the church where Dr. King would soon be speaking. Three men came out of a bar across the street and approached…
Executive Team Update
The ET plans to begin sharing key topics and decisions from our monthly meetings. To learn more about the Executive Team and what we do, visit our Church Leadership page. Current Members The current members of The Executive Team (ET) are; Steve Askins, Mila Brinker, Mary Harlos, Mike Moutrie, Martha Pignataro, and Reverend Leland Bond-Upson. Our two most recent members; Steve and Mary, have only been on the team for a few months, but they bring fresh energy to the…
UUCE Book Group Update
For their March 29 meeting the Book Group is reading “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead, winner of two consecutive Pulitzer Prizes. On April 26 they’ll discuss Pulitzer winner “The Overstory” by Richard Powers, and on May 31 they’ll travel back to 1918 for Willa Cather’s “My Antonia”. The UUCE Book Group has been meeting once a month continuously since 1993 to discuss a wide range of books, both fiction and non-fiction. For the duration of the pandemic, meetings are…
Is Dr. Seuss is a Victim of ‘Cancel Culture’?
Dr. Seuss is a victim of ‘cancel culture,’ say a lot of people in the past three days since the announcement that after a year of study, six of Seuss’ books will not be reprinted due to portrayals that are ‘hurtful and wrong.’ The six books are And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street, McElligot’s Pool, If I Ran the Zoo, On Beyond Zebra, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer. I happen to own the first three,…
FINCA
This month’s Share the Plate recipient is: Foundation for International Community Assistance FINCA is a trusted partner in catalyzing economic growth and alleviating poverty. UUCE has been a steadfast supporter of FINCA since 2007, supporting six Village Banks on three continents. By enabling access to microloans, UUCE has empowered thousands of low-income clients to build more resilient lives. Poverty’s many challenges are interconnected, and so are the solutions. FINCA International, a Washington, DC-based not-for-profit organization, is working to advance market-based…