Newsletter

A man goes to the doctor. The doctor says he has good news and bad news. The man asks for the good news. The doctor says, "You have 24 hours to live." The man says, "That's the good news!?!? What could possibly be the bad news?" The doctor says, "I tried to call you yesterday..."

Last year the congregation passed a deficit budget, but this is the first year the Lead Minister is responsible for submitting a budget to the Finance Committee and Board.

It is clear to me that we need (1) to be extra careful not to further deplete our reserves without an action plan to prevent this from happening in future budget years (or we risk insolvency), and (2) to either scale down the budget by the adjusted revenue shortfall, raise the equivalent in new revenues, or come up with an alternative budget.

I've come up with two plans for next year's budget: one assumes a degree of scarcity, the other, a degree of generosity. Both plans consider taking some money from the Bergfried corpus to cover existing debt service of $15,200. This allocation would require a congregational vote to overturn a previous congregational resolution prohibiting spending of this fund.

Plan A involves cuts of $38,000: this means eliminating a half-time staff position, giving up contract piano accompanists, forgoing sound system improvements, omitting certain other staff hours, and reducing the paper newsletter to once a month. We'd need more office volunteers. These cuts would produce a balanced budget for 2004-05, but it is not the direction I think we want to go.

Plan B means following the lead of our neighbor, 1st Unitarian, and asking you to commit to an extra $5 per week in addition to your pledge for next year. Five bucks is two lattes or one video rental a week. If 200 people and/or families would agree, we could count on an additional $52,000, which would more than cover the shortfall, and provide funds for a consultant.

Outside the regular operating budget, I am proposing we allocate $10,000 to cover the cost of bringing in an outside fund-raising consultant next year, since despite our excellent volunteer attempts, we need professional assistance for our revenue generating efforts. I have been in conversation with several UU senior ministers about the success they have had with this.

We face some difficult decisions about our short-term future. I believe we can turn things around, but it will take all of us working together to make our dreams come true. Eliot Chapel has so many great things going for it, it would be a shame to let a little money get in the way.

Ultimately you, the congregation will determine what the budget will be. What do you think?

Are You Finding or Creating?
-- Susan Maginn, Intern Minister

Some people have a tag at the end of their email messages. It could be their contact information or a blurb about their company. A friend of mine, who happens to be a UU minister, has a quote at the end of every message. "We are given life to find its meaning."

As we have exchanged many emails, I have often read this and I must say, I don't agree. Here's why. I have a tough time believing that there is inherent meaning in life. Inherent being the key word here because there is lots of meaning in life, lots of meaningful experiences, the more the merrier as far as I am concerned. But the meaning in those meaningful experiences is the meaning that we create.

I have seen, as we all have, so many examples of injustice and tragedy that I cannot sit back and say that there is inherent meaning in one friend's suicide or another friend's twins who probably won't see their 4th birthday. To say there is inherent meaning in tragedy is to say that such tragedies are predestined or even deserved.

If we have the strength to see meaning in such tragedy, then we are all the stronger for it. Our ability to see meaning in the direst of circumstances can be that cord that connects us to life, to hope. The ability to create meaning is like a spiritual exercise program; practice, practice, practice, building more and more strength. Our meanings are our creation and when the canvas is full of the many colors of our meanings, our life is revealed.

We are given life to create its meaning.

Dear Eliot Chapel Members and Friends,
-- Strategic Plan Task Force: Boyd Jones, Suzanne LeLaurin, Jim Lyon, Rev. Daniel Ó Connell, Mary Quinn, Larry Reutter, Dave Roundy, Elisa Voss

In order to obtain broad congregational input to our ongoing strategic planning efforts, we are reaching out to our members and friends with a survey. Your input is critical to the successful development of an Operational Plan for the next 5 years at Eliot Chapel.

This strategic planning survey is comprised of 10 questions organized around four interrelated core concepts: community, free religious thought, spiritual growth and social justice. It should take less than 10 minutes of your time to respond to the survey.

Just go to SurveyMonkey.com fill out the survey. This method gives us an automatic tabulation of the responses saving many "work hours" for other valuable activities. Please take the time to do this now, so we can have a preliminary report ready for the congregational meeting on May 23. Your responses are anonymous.

If there are multiple members of your household who want to answer the survey, you may enter the web site more than once from the same computer. But no "stuffing the ballot box", please!

If you do not have access to the internet, copies of the survey are available outside Joy's office and, when completed, should be left in designated the box If you have questions about the survey, please contact Boyd Jones, at boydbarb@charter.net.

The Strategic Plan Task Force's output is only as good as your input. Thank you in advance.

About Us

Bought!

At a Sheriff's Auction in Hermann on May 6, Suzanne LeLaurin, next year's Board Chair, was the successful bidder [for Eliot Chapel] on the property located at 1528 Highway 100. This piece of land, about 7/8 of an acre with an aging and unoccupied house, is adjacent to the Chapel's Bergfried property and will provide a driveway that is much safer than the existing entrance/exit. A task force of two Board members, two Bergfried Committee members, and three other members has been formed, to determine, within 60 days, whether to maintain or raze the existing house, which has a number of known code violations.

Youth Conference a Big Success
-- Scott Elliott, Youth Program Director

A big round of applause to our wonderful youth who planned and organized this event. Our guests enjoyed interesting workshops and social action.

The youth visited an area nursing home and read poetry to the residents. Another group of youth went door-to-door collecting food from our generous neighbors for Operation Food Search.

Every one of our youth helped, whether it was to take out the trash, clean up, or just stop having fun with friends and get to work.

Many thanks to our generous adult volunteers who gave up their time and opened their homes. We are most grateful.

Eliot Youth Feed The Homeless

Operation Food Search reports that 300 pounds of food was collected by volunteers attending CONnect-a-CON, the Spring Youth Conference hosted by Eliot Chapel, the weekend of Apr. 30 through May 2. This was one of the social action events conducted by Eliot youth in the 8th through 12 grades. It is estimated that this food will provide 200 meals to the area homeless. Margaret Stretch, a senior at Kirkwood High, was in charge of the door-to-door collections in the neighborhoods around Eliot Chapel.

Welcome!
-- Dottie Brenner - November 23, 2003

Each Sunday, a member of the Eliot community delivers the Sunday Morning Welcome. They share a personal story about how they came to be at Eliot Chapel, or what is meaningful here for them, or how they are living their faith.

First, what my beliefs are now as a Unitarian. They weren't the same 47 years ago when I joined.

Open heart, open mind
Be as non-judgmental as possible for others and for yourself.
Have confidence in yourself and others
Just as in science experiments - we have a theory that is tested and the data analyzed but we never come out with a perfect answer - only a workable theory.

This search will never end. It will go on to infinity.

This is my God. I stand in awe of the endless journey. I like to call it 2 to the power of (not squared) but infinity.

How did I come to these beliefs?

My mother was very loving. She believed in bringing out the best in people by better communication. My father was very scientifically oriented and talked almost every day about evolution and how it was a workable theory. I was raised in a liberal Baptist church in Washington D. C. Until the age of 12, I never missed a day of Sunday school. After 12, I sang in the church every Sunday night in the junior choir until I went to college.

I evolved from this church. In high school, the math, science, and literature of Shakespeare, Shaw, Thoreau, and Emerson had more and deeper meaning than some of the things I had heard at Sunday School. In college under graduate school, the major in psychology and minor in science added to this evolvement that begin with the Baptist Church - open heart - open mind. In grad school my courses in social work and teaching further enriched my beliefs about being non judgmental. I also just happened to read Huston Smith's Religions of the World. There are other view points. While attending this same grad school, a welcome party was held in which they informed us of the community resources including the Ethical Society and Unitarian Church. After 2-3 years of attending the First Unitarian Church I met John Brenner, who along with his two brothers had attended the Ethical Society Sunday school and the Boy Scout troop held there - both led by the same man. The Ethical Society is not that different from Unitarian churches. We married. Our son attended the Sunday school at First Church and Eliot for 17 or 18 yrs.

My further development in MY Unitarian beliefs was enhanced not only by Dr. Clark, Rev. Robinson and Dr. Ó Connell, but by teaching Sunday school at First Church and Eliot Chapel, and by reading the books in the small Sunday school library at First Church while I organized them.

Shortly before John Robinson left I listened intently to a sermon that I would call "I Stand in Awe of Where the Quest for the Unanswerable Question Will Lead Us." That really impressed me.

This faith has stood the test of fire recently in conflicts within my past immediate family and extended family. It helped a lot in my mental conflicts to write this.

Perhaps through these beliefs which I share with others we will never have a perfect world but one better than we could have imagined. These are my beliefs now. They will change and refine in completely my own way until I die. This is what Unitarianism encourages me to do. To me this is Unitarianism.

Congratulations

To To Missy and Anthony Castro, and big sister Zoe, on the birth of Zinnia Rose, born on Apr. 3, 2004.

Thanks!

To the Meacham Park Housing Ministry who participated in an ecumenical coalition to rehabilitate some of the houses in Meacham Park: Ellen Adkins (fund raising), Marge Bergfeld (landscaping coordinator), Lee Streett (volunteer coordinator), Robert Baker, Jan and Dan Baldenweck, Neil Bauer, Bill Erdman, Tom Gayer, Gary Gray, Katie Heath, Jerry Higginbotham, Jan Huneke, Christi Maginn, Kelsey Maginn, Marilyn Marcus, Josie McDonald, Bob Meihaus, Luis Ortiz, Alice Partain, Linda Polcyn, Chuck Schuder, Rachel Spann, Dotty Storer, Brent Vaughn, and Rich Vaughn.

Volunteer Opportunities

Don't Be Shy!
-- Joan Casey, RE Director, and the RE Committee

On May 23, we'll wrap up teacher recruitment for 2004-5. Although we'd love to have all the teaching spots filled for both fall and spring, we need to fill the last few spots for fall. Here's what is available for the Fall Semester:

9:15 - One Intermediate teacher (2 & 3 year olds). The curriculum is "Celebrating Me & My World," with simple lessons that help our littlest Eliot friends learn about themselves and their relationships.
9:15 - Two Pre-Kindergarten teachers (4 year olds). Join veteran teacher Rich Vaughn to teach "We Are Many, We Are One," a curriculum that focuses on our UU values.
10:45 - One Pre-Kindergarten teacher. (See curriculum info above.)
10:45 - Two 2nd/3rd grade teachers. The Fall Pillar is UU Identity and Jewish/Christian Heritage.
10:45 Two GATE teachers (6th grade). Join Dave Day, our fabulous GATE Coordinator, and Jim Hunstein, GATE teacher extraordinaire, for an experience you won't want to miss.

We also have 30 spring teaching slots left to fill if you can't help out in the fall. Please don't be shy. If you can't sign up in person, give me a call (314) 821-0911 or email me.

Events

Raising a UU Child

We will be meeting Sun. May 23, at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Hilary Babcock to discuss how to incorporate UU rituals at home: finding table graces, bedtime prayers, and chalice images for your family. Please contact Hilary Babcock for directions. See you there!

Corps Of Discovery Celebration

In honor of the 200th anniversary of Lewis and Clark's camping near Bergfried , the Bergfried Committee has authorized an official bicentennial event on Fri., May 28. A bonfire, weenie-roast, burger grill, catfish fishing, and general cultural gathering will commence about 6:00 p.m. on Eliot's property at Bergfried, under the railroad bridge on the banks of the scenic Gasconade River. Come out and celebrate a moment in history, and stay for the Memorial Day Bergfried campout. For more information, contact Jim Hershey.

Bergfried Family Weekend
-- Mark Nissen, Kate Magrath

On Sun., May 30 a worship service will be held at Bergfried , Eliot's primitive campground 9 miles past Hermann on route 100 on the bank of the Gasconade River near the May 28, 1804 campsite of the Corps of Discovery. Services and a RE class are at 11:00 a.m. followed by a potluck picnic. This service is part of the Memorial Day family encampment from Fri., May 28 through Monday the 31st. We are having a cookout on Saturday near our "Lewis and Clark Spring" and hope to see you there. Others have planned a wide variety of off-site events in conjunction with the 1804 trip reenactment and historical commemoration. Bergfried is only 80 miles from Eliot, suitable for a day trip to visit and explore.

Attention Eliot Leaders!

We will have a Leadership Seminar on Jun. 5, from 9:00 - noon, at Eliot Chapel. All are welcome. Chairpersons of committees, Board members, and members of special task forces are particularly encouraged to attend. We will look at what's coming up for Eliot next year, and will hear from the Strategic Planning Committee.

Library Committee Meeting

An extremely important meeting is scheduled for Jun. 6 after second service. All present and prospective members are urged to attend. Next year's calendar, duties and responsibilities all need to be planned and "manned". If you need more information, contact Irmgard Voss.

Madrigal 2004
-- Lydia Hopkins, Chair

Madrigal 2004 is looking for interested participants to join the committee. Many hands make light work and we need your ideas and energy. Please come to our first meeting on Sun., Jun. 6 at noon to see if this committee is for you. For almost 30 years, the Madrigal has been a valuable fund-raiser for Eliot and an excellent opportunity to serve the church by volunteering at the event. This year's Madrigal is scheduled for Dec. 2, 3, 4.

Women's Alliance

The Women's Alliance meets on the first, third, and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 9:30 to 11:45 a.m.

Tues., May 25 - Spring Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Wear a festive spring hat. If you haven't signed up, contact Maryann Mace.

Tues., Jun. 1 - The Botany of Desire: A Plant's Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan. Leader, Dottie Brenner.

News

Youth News

Scott Elliott will not be returning next year as Youth Program Director due to his school demands. We expect to hire Susan Maginn as our Interim Youth Programs Director. Susan has been a wonderful intern this year, and we are happy to have this chance to keep her at Eliot. We thank Scott for all his efforts this year and wish him good luck in his future! Contact Rev. Bonnie Vegiard at with any questions.

Religious Education News
-- Joan Casey, RE Director, , and the RE Committee

Here's what the rest of the year looks like for RE:

May 30 - Intergenerational Animal Blessing service at 10:00 a.m. only. The nursery is open as usual and there will be pre-school childcare for children under 5 in room 107. Older children and youth will attend the service with their families.
June 6 - Children K - 5 will meet in Children's Chapel for the beginning of the service and then have classes as usual. All other classes will meet as usual.
June 13 - Last day of the regular church year. Children K-5 will start in the service and will then be dismissed to go to their classes. There will be GATE recognition at the 9:15 a.m. worship service, followed by the GATE closing ceremony in Children's Chapel, and then brunch. There will be Senior High Graduation recognition at the 10:45 a.m. service.

Finally, registration for Summer Camp needs to be in by Jun. 30. Our focus is on Islam. We're looking forward to learning about this faith and having lots of fun in the process. Forms for both the Summer RE (yellow) and Summer Camp (blue) are available in my office or at the table in visitors' corner.

Music Notes
-- Jan Chamberlin, Music Director,

Coming up:

May 23
Jon Whiting plays jazz vibraphone; 9:15 choir sings The Wind of Life by Strommen; 10:45 choir sings Seeds Grow to Plants by Rutter.

May 30 10:00 a.m. Animal Blessing, Marilyn Maguire and Jan Chamberlin sing Rossini's Duet for Two Cats and lead folk sing-a-longs.

Tulsa Choirs A "Hit"
On May 1, the Tulsa UU youth choirs sang at Eliot Chapel to a full house of Youth Con attendees and about 60 adults. Their hour-long program varied from gospel, to classical with some pop in between. It was inspiring to see so many teenage boys participating! Thanks to our Music Committee who served the 74 travelers a home-made Italian dinner at the Kirkwood Community Center. We hope they come back again!

Planning Next Year Already?!
How are we doing? The music program at Eliot Chapel is fueled by volunteers and supported by an active Music Committee, with Mary Taylor as chair. It is important for us to have feedback from the congregation so that we know if we are providing a meaningful, satisfying, musical experience. We're looking for comments as well as constructive suggestions. Please contact Mary to let us know how we're doing.

Sound Tech Training
During the church year, I voluntarily act as "sound tech" in addition to my music duties. I will be gone several weeks this summer, so this responsibility must be shared. A few people have expressed interest in learning the system and I will be holding a training session Sat., May 29 from 10:00 a.m. until noon. Trained, reliable sound techs may be called upon to work during the church year. If you would like to be included in this group please let me know.

Housekeeping

Pet Etiquette

Our annual Memorial Day Animal Blessing Service will be held on May 30, at 10:00 a.m. (one service only.)

Please do not assume that all animals enjoy one another's company or that all people want your pet near them. The balcony will be reserved for people who want to enjoy the service but do not want to sit with the animals.

The following guidelines have been established to make this an enjoyable experience for all.

Be in control of your pet at all times.
Dogs must be leashed and all other animals must be in appropriate carriers.
Walk your dog outdoors before entering the sanctuary.
Inside the sanctuary, sit with dogs on the south side, cats on the north side, other animals center.
Please clean up after your pet both inside and outside the sanctuary.

Late Arrivals

In the past, children, musicians, and late arrivals have used the south transept doors (the doors at the side leading to Adams Hall) to enter and exit the chapel after the service begins. Because of the layout of the Sanctuary, the only area that is accessible to people with mobility problems is this area. The parade of people through there during the service can be distracting. In deference to people who are sitting in the south transept, if you arrive late or must leave during a service, please use the rear doors to the sanctuary. The south transept doors should only be used before and after services. Thank you.

Library Reminder

Library patrons are reminded to sign out books borrowed from the Dubois and Barbara C. Nutt Children's Libraries. Use as many lines on the card as necessary to include your name and current phone number. The Library collections are the love, labor, and property of the Eliot Chapel community and it is important that you help us keep our collection available for everyone. The end of the church year will be here soon! So please take a few moments to gather up and return any library books you have been enjoying for over a month!

Committees

If your committee or group will continue to meet throughout the summer, please ensure that a room request form indicates that your meetings are "starting" in July (or August.)

Book Fair 2005

Please hold all Book Fair donations until the end of July, while the Library Committee and Women's Alliance recuperate from this year's successful event! When doing your spring cleaning and summer weeding just set those books aside and wait for our announcement! Thank you for your support and helpful cooperation.

Pledge Statements

Although Eliot's fiscal year does not end until Jun. 30, pledge statements will be sent the first week of June to enable those who have unpaid balances to know how much is remaining.

Over the next few months, people will be completing this year's (2003-4) pledge and others have started paying next year's (2004-5). We thank you for indicating the pledge year - or month - in the memo line of your checks, so that we may apply your payments correctly.

Reminder: 2004-5 is the last year of the three-year capital campaign.

Committee Expenses

As we get ready to end the fiscal year, please ensure that any requests for reimbursement are submitted for any outstanding expense. As a reminder, check request forms are in the black boxes on Joy's or JoAnn's door. Receipts must be attached and the request must be signed by an authorized signer (usually the chair of the committee for which the expense was incurred.)

Protecting Your Privacy

As a general policy, in order to protect the privacy of our Members and Friends, Eliot Chapel staff will no longer give out non-staff phone numbers or addresses over the phone. Eliot Members and friends are encouraged to get a phone directory from the church office during regular hours if they don't already have one.

Where Are You?

One of our usual summer activities is preparation of a new member/friend directory. If you have moved and/or changed your telephone number during the past year, or if you will be moving before September, please ensure we have your correct address. (If you are receiving this newsletter by mail, we at least have your current address.)

Also, several years ago, we started an email directory in the member/friend area of the Eliot web site. [For security, this area is password protected.] If you chose to be listed, please take a minute to check your listing on the web site. (Although the web directory and the email list are maintained separately, if you are not receiving weekly email announcements, that may mean that we don't have your current email address.) If your email address on the web site needs updating, please send an email with subject line "email address" to with your name, old email address and new email address.

You may also update your home address, telephone, or email address by completing a form in visitors' corner and dropping it off in the church office.

Summer Stuff

Reverends' Summer Calendar

Rev. Dr. Daniel Ó Connell will be out of the office, on vacation and study leave, from Thu., Jul.1 through Mon., Aug. 16. He will be back in the office and on a regular schedule Tues., Aug. 17, 2004.

Rev. Bonnie Vegiard will be on vacation from Wed., Jul. 7 through Sat., Jul. 31, back at Eliot for Summer Camp from Aug. 2 through Aug. 6, then on study leave from Sat., Aug. 7 through Sat., Aug. 21.

Office Hours

The office will close at noon on Fridays during June, July, and August. Summer office hours may be changed further after the congregation approves a budget.

Newsletter Deadlines

The summer newsletter deadlines published in the last issue of the newsletter and below may be adjusted after the budget is approved.

Deadline	For Issue Dated
May 12	May 22 - June 4
May 26	June 5 - June 18
June 9	June 19 - July 30
July 21	July 31 - Sep. 3

Services

Summer services begin on June 20, Father's Day, with one service at 10:00 a.m.

SUNDAY, MAY 23 - 9:15 & 10:45 A.M.

Something Wonderful, Right Away
Rev. Dr. Daniel Ó Connell, Lead Minister

As individuals and as a larger religious community, we are doing wonderful things. We wonder about how volunteering ourselves can deepen our spirituality. We wonder if we can do more; we wonder if we can open up the welcome table to newcomers; We wonder where we're going and where we've been.
We'll take a look back, and ahead, and celebrate

Annual Meeting Starts after the second service.

SUNDAY, MAY 30 - One service at 10:00 A.M.

Animal Blessings
Rev. Dr. Susan Videen, Eliot Community Minister

Our annual Memorial Day Blessing of the Animals Service.
Please note "Pet Etiquette".

THE NEXT NEWSLETTER DEADLINE IS
Noon on Wednesday, May 26, 2004
For the issue dated June 5 to June 18

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Last modified: 5/20/04

May 22 - June 4, 2004