Volume 17, Number 6 – December 2015
We Are a Welcoming Congregation
President’s Report
Events in my personal life have caused be to put some of my duties as president aside for the past three months. Slowly emerging from that private mist has been helped by recent work with several of my fellow NUUF members including our board members who met with me today to enthusiastically resume our efforts toward progress. The minutes of today's meeting will be posted on our web site soon, and Candy will be sending the minutes out to all members.
Among our topics dealt with today (11/30) was the proposal to purchase a digital piano with over 700 voices and multiple functions only a keyboard player can describe. Board policy requires the following of a competitive bid process for a purchase of this magnitude (possibly the largest equipment purchase the fellowship has ever made). Cost is currently estimated to be between three and four thousand dollars. I have volunteered to get the necessary quotations from at least three different vendors for presentation to the board. Approvals for this purchase have already come from the Music Committee and the Spirituality Committee. After the board meets later in December, we will plan a special meeting for the full membership to vote on whether to use funds for this purchase. You will be given more information as it is gathered. Stay tuned.
The board also authorized investing our building fund of $10,000 into an interest-bearing account with UUA. Interest earned will be used to increase endowment funds while keeping the building funds liquid for emergency repairs of the building.
Our final major topic was a review of the notes on our October 24 all day workshop and the activities that were planned for our future. The board moved to support those plans and work with those committed to accomplishing them. See today's minutes for more detail.
Thank you to all who participate in making this fellowship the kind of family it is. In particular, I'd like to acknowledge all our committee members and our board members who accept their responsibility to be contributors to what U.U. is. You keep us functioning as a community.
Upcoming Services
Other Upcoming services:
No Service on Sunday 12/13
Instead we will have our
HOLIDAY SERVICE
SATURDAY December 12th
4:00 with a potluck supper to follow at 5:00 pm
Back to Sunday Services
Dec 27th
End of the Year Service
2016
Sunday January 10th
Ernie St. Germain
SAVE THE DATES
NUUF Events at the Fellowship
Women’s Group Meeting is on Tuesday December, 15th at 10:00 A. M at the home of Bev Strauss 7355 Timber Lane, Minocqua. Directions to her home will be sent out later. The discussion topic will be "What does Christmas mean to you." Any questions, call Mary Ann Fields, 715 385 2975.
Men’s Group Meeting is on Tuesday, Dec. 8th at 6:00 PM at the Fellowship. All are welcome. Bring a dish to pass and the beverage of your choice.
Adult Religious Education is on alternate Sundays at 10 AM. Current topic is "Exploring the Roots of Religion”
HOLIDAY SERVICE
Saturday December 12th
4:00 Service
Potluck supper to follow at 5:00.
Circle Dinners
Joan Hauer has an update. I have one circle signed up; about eight people. If you are interested, send an email (hauerj@frontier.com) and you will be added to the list. We have not had them at the fellowship for a few years. The purpose is to have an intimate enough group to get to know others, particularly those we don't know well, have a shared meal and enjoy. Below are the proposed guidelines (not set in stone):
1. Select a weekend and times. It's helpful if you have two optional times, such as a Friday or Saturday evening (avoid concerts or programs), or Saturday evening and Sunday after church (avoid Packer games).
2. Solicit hosts who are available on one or both of those times, and how many people they can serve (6 - 10). Hosts usually provide one of the dishes or the wine and desert, depending on how many guests they have and therefore how many dishes will be brought by the guests.
3. Solicit guests and the times they can attend. Both singles and couples are invited. You can have an odd number at a dinner. Specifically call and invite folks who have visited a few times but maybe didn't sign up as they may not feel comfortable inviting themselves.
4. Match them up. The first time it is good if you can match them with nearby hosts but after that you have to mix them up or they will always be with the same people. Try to include newer members with longer-term members. If there is someone who cannot drive, try to put them with someone who can pick them up. It doesn't have to be with the same person who always brings them to church. (Check with the driving guests first.)
5. Send emails to hosts and guests and let the host contact the guests about time, what to bring, and directions.
We have really enjoyed these dinners at all of the UU congregations we have attended as we get a longer time than coffee hour to get to know each other and often find new areas of common interest that we didn't know about. When we were very new at NUUF, The Strausses invited us to their home in Phelps and we had a great time. I think we will find it is a good community-building activity. Big events at the fellowship are fun, too, but we tend to group up with our friends and don't find new connections with other members that are less-well-known to us. Good luck and thanks for volunteering to do this - Sherry Zoars
Wade Fernandez concert
Saturday December 12th, 7pm
There is still some room at Tara and Jerry's
For reservations email jerryw@earlham.edu
Notes from UUA
This holiday season, give beautifully rendered and ethically made cards to family, friends, and members of your congregation or spiritual community. Here are three designs for celebrating Winter Solstice, generosity, and Chanukah. We wish everyone a holiday season filled with joy, kindness, and connection. Click here for more details to access the UUA Bookstore.
REMINDER
If you know someone who is interested in joining the Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, please contact Candy Sorensen at: sorencan@yahoo.com or call 715-892-2997
Milestones
Paul Braunstein 12-03
Dawn Holt 12-06
Natalia Graf 12-08
Julie Wambach 12-12
Julie White 12-14
Cathy Peterson 12-14
Guthrie Linder 12-15
Diane Reupert 12-19
Laurie Figueroa 12-20
Bob and Marilyn Feser 12-22
Suzy Foster 12-27
Marilyn Hendry 12-27
Dan Padberg & Sally O'Brien 12-30
Dana Collins 12-30
Peter Frost 12-31
NUUF GALLERY
Artwork Request
There is still space in the NUUF Gallery for more artwork. There is no AGE restriction on the artwork. Children’s work is also welcome. To display artwork in the NUUF Gallery or elsewhere in the building, you need to complete a waiver form. That way we can keep track of everyone’s work. For more information, please contact Sharon reillyhi@earthlink.net.
NUUF and NEWSLETTER INFORMATION - From the Newsletter Editor:
This is a friendly reminder that all NUUF newsletter items are due by the 27th of the month. If you have news about upcoming events in Oct, Nov & December please forward those to me as early as possible (reillyhi@earthlink.net)
For distribution of announcements between newsletters or email/address corrections, contact Candy Sorensen at sorencan@yahoo.com or Robert Hanson, President, president@nuuf.com
