Friday, April 25, 2014

UPDATE: Annual Report Now Available!

The 2013-2014 Annual Report is now ready for your pick-up! Find a copy at the Literature Table in Fellowship Hall this Sunday, May 4th just in time for the Annual Meeting. The Annual Report is also available online in PDF at the church web site under "Quick Links," or save time by clicking here.

UPDATE: The Proposed Fiscal Year 2015 Budget section of the Annual Report (pages six through 11) has been revised. Please check the cover of your Annual Report (whether hard copy or electronic) to see if it features the words "Updated April 30, 2014," and if not, consider getting a new copy. Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience.

Don't Forget: May 4th Service and Annual Meeting

In order to offer a meeting more convenient for a larger percentage of our members, there will be only one Sunday worship service at 10:00 a.m. on May 4th, followed by the Annual Meeting. Matt Sheppard and Kent Conrad, our several music groups, and the congregants’ own robust singing of hymns will make this a special Music Service and celebration of the church's many musical offerings.

All members of our faith community are welcome to participate in the annual congregational meeting; however, only voting members will be able to vote on agenda items. Extended childcare will be available for the duration of the Annual Meeting.

Hope to see you there!

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Good Food and Good Company: Don't Miss These Circle Supper Potlucks

Our first two Circle Supper potlucks are right around the corner! Be sure to sign up for one using the sheets on the Minister’s Office door and enjoy the hospitality of your fellow UUs. Choose from an 11:00 a.m. brunch with Carol Osgood or a 6:00 p.m. dinner with Sylvia and Brian McDermott. Bring a dish to share for these much-loved annual events this Saturday, April 26th.

Three other Circle Supper potlucks are scheduled for later in this spring season. Choose from:
  • Dinner with David Prochaska & Kathleen Holden at 6:00 p.m. Friday, May 16th
  • Dinner with Cindy & Michael Loui at 6:00 p.m. Friday, May 16th
  • Lunch with Dave & Anne Sharpe at 12:45 p.m. Sunday, May 18th

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Service Auction 2014 Items Still Available!

Did you miss the service auction on Saturday, April 12th? No worries! You still have the opportunity to purchase those items that did not sell out. Want to ride in a Ferrari, feast on pancakes, visit Childers' Cedar Gulch, play cards with friends, or purchase day lilies right from a local grower? 

Please click this link to view the complete list of unsold items, which is also available directly from the home page of the church's web site under "Quick Links." There are some great items still available! You get to have fun and help the church meet its budget needs for the next year. If you are interested in purchasing something, please e-mail auction@uucuc.org and either Jody Hanger or Chris Hannauer will be happy to hook you up.

Nominating Committee: The Congregation’s Ultimate Power

Unitarian Universalists take democracy seriously: Our fifth principle is “the right of conscience and use of the democratic process within our congregations…” We exercise this most notably in electing certain members to represent us – e.g., Board of Trustees officers. And we are clear about which powers we delegate to the officers (with congregational oversight, of course), and which powers we reserves for ourselves.

Every year, we elect three members of the Nominating Committee to be responsible for developing a slate of officers for the next Annual Meeting. The congregation reserves the right to make additional nominations from the floor. The congregation does not give the Nominating Committee itself the power to name their own successors. This is the membership’s ultimate power to ensure that any voting member can serve.

So, who is on the Nominating Committee, and what do they do? The 6-member Nominating Committee has two separate groups; one is the three third-year Trustees of the Board (this year, Tanja Hodges, Sara Jones, and David Sharpe), people who were elected by the congregation three years prior; and three members elected by the congregation to serve a one-year term (currently David Barr, Bill Childers, and Lynn Wiley).

Each year, the Nominating Committee develops a list of voting members who they think would do a good job of representing the congregation in various positions. The Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Clerk, Board Trustees, and the Moderator may be the most obvious, but a position that has the potential to be critically important is service on the Mediation Committee (which fortunately has little to do most of the time). And the Trustees of the Trust Fund are elected to manage the considerable assets in our Trust Fund (usually with little fan-fare).

For the past few years, in addition to the positions listed above and in our Bylaws, the Nominating Committee has also nominated members to serve on next year’s Nominating Committee, all of whom were approved by the congregation. But this has been an expedience, and is not a power delegated to it. It is preferable for our membership to take the initiative, although the Nominating Committee can facilitate it.

So, please consider becoming a nominee for next year’s Nominating Committee. Also, talk with other members of the congregation about being a nominee. Notify the Nominating Committee (send an e-mail to David Sharpe at dmsharpe@siu.edu) that you will put your hat in the ring. Ask others to do the same. The Nominating Committee will verify that all nominees are current voting members, as required by the Bylaws. And the Nominating Committee will put all names received by this Monday, April 21st on the ballot for the Sunday, May 4th Annual Meeting.

April Shared Offering: CASA

The mission of Champaign County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is “Speaking up for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the court system.” CASA is a not-for-profit organization that trains and monitors volunteers who advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children. CASA is also the Guardian ad Litem for children in the foster care system in Champaign County, and provides an attorney for every child.

In Champaign County, almost 400 children are currently in foster care because of caregiver abuse or neglect. The needs of an individual child can easily fall through the cracks in this overburdened foster care system. These children are the most vulnerable segment of our society. They have been hurt by the people they trust the most. They are traumatized and frightened. They range in age from birth to 18 years, with about 35% under age 6. These children really need someone to speak on their behalf. This is where CASA comes in.

CASA’s service is unique and crucial. The CASA program was designed by a judge who saw that these children needed individual attention that only trained volunteers could provide. Also, judges needed access to better information for making life-shaping placement decisions. Without CASA, judges have very little information on which to base these monumental decisions concerning children’s lives and whether or not families will stay together. CASA advocates gather information about everyone involved in the child’s life and report to the judges, giving judges valuable insights which allow them to make the best possible permanent placements.

CASA not only responds to the immediate crisis of abuse, but also provides caring support and advocacy throughout the foster care experience. For many abused children, a CASA advocate is the one constant, caring adult in their life. In addition to working toward finding safe, permanent homes for these children, CASA strives to help them access community resources that can provide the support they need to succeed in school, raise their self-esteem, and create hope for a brighter future.

Guardian ad Litem contracts from the County fund one-quarter of CASA’s budget. The remainder comes from donations and grants which must be continually renewed.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

The 2014 Service Auction is Here!

Come one, come all to the 31st annual UU Service Auction! This year's theme is "Feeling GrUUvy," so get out your bell bottoms and Birkenstocks! Appetizers, silent auction, toy sale, and live music all start at 4:30 p.m. this Saturday, April 12th. Dinner is at 6 p.m. and the live auction will start around 7 p.m. 

Open the Auction Catalog PDF under Quick Links on the church web site's home page for a preview of available items so you can plan your evening. You may also just click here. This is the biggest party and fundraiser of our church year, so come and have fun! 

Dinner tickets are available at the door, and there will be plenty to do for the kids, too.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Two-Year Initiative Proposals Are In!

The church is getting ready to select a topic for the next two- year congregation-wide social action initiative.

As you know, in 2011-2013, the church took on an initiative to address the problem of Hunger in our Community. A huge percentage of the congregation became involved in various facets of the project. Energizing the congregation to work together on a particular social action theme turned out to be extremely powerful and gratifying, and a great deal of good work was done.

Since the first initiative was such a big success, we are excited about embarking on the next project. We have received proposals for initiatives on four different topics. On the home page of the church web site, under the bottom center section titled Quick Links, you will find a PDF containing descriptions of each proposal. Please read them and think about which theme you would like to choose.

There will be a primary vote on Sunday, April 13th to select the top two proposals. At the congregational meeting on Sunday, May 4th, the final vote for the next two-year initiative will be taken. All of the topics are worthy of our hard work and dedication, and it will be difficult to choose just one. Of course, regardless of the outcome, none of us will abandon our favorite charities with which we are deeply involved. Participating in the church initiative is an opportunity to learn more about our community’s needs and how we may be of further service.

CROP Hunger Walk 2014

CROP Hunger Walk is a community-wide fundraising effort to help hungry people around the world and at home. It takes place this Sunday, April 6th at 1:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Champaign.

Of the funds raised, 75% goes overseas where the need is greatest and is used largely for clean water and seeds. Twenty-five percent is used locally for the Eastern Illinois Food Bank, the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, the TIMES Center, and the Wesley Evening Food Pantry.

Join us and help fight hunger one step at a time! Check out the C-U CROP Hunger Walk 2014 web site and look for the “UU Walkers.” Find out how you can help at to the Social Action table after Sunday services or contact Sandy Hannum at smhannum@gmail.com.