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Inside This Issue

Task Force Formed
- Mary Quinn, Chair, Board of Trustees

During the Annual Meeting in May, the Board of Trustees put before the congregation a resolution that stated, "The congregation affirms that it invests the Board of Trustees with the authority to manage and administer all assets of the church. This resolution supercedes any conflicting resolutions." There was much discussion concerning this and a motion was made to postpone the vote until the Annual Meeting in May of 2007. A further motion was made directing the Board of Trustees to "form a committee to study this proposal, being sure to include all those who are in conflict with it."

At the June meeting of the Board, a Task Force was formed with Corrine Esneault (Chair), Steven Mead, Rich Vaughn, and Steve Lawrence as members. Their charge is as follows.

The purpose of the Task Force is to:

a) Provide answers to the congregation as to purpose and need for Resolution #2.
b) Study the impact of the proposed resolution #2 on all aspects of the congregation's operations, with particular attention to the Bergfried Corpus and other restricted funds.
c) Submit recommendations to the Board as to next steps.

Expected actions include:

• Investigate and document the history of previous Congregational resolutions and practices relating to the handling of restricted funds by Eliot members, committees, or the Eliot Board of Trustees, including concerns of the Bergfried Committee.
• Meet with and gather information from any committee that has a restricted funds corpus as to present handling of those funds.
• Review the current by-laws and governance structure of Eliot Chapel.
• Based on the above, recommend actions the congregation and/or Board of Trustees should take to ensure the on-going financial health of those Eliot assets. These actions should address the financial, legal, and governance structures relating to the Bergfried Committee. This recommendation must be 1) true to our governance structure and 2) true to the intent of established restricted funds.

Thanks - Partner Church
- Beth Rossow

The Partner Church Committee thanks all the people who contributed $2,231 to the scholarship fund. Your generosity will help several young people from our partner church in Transylvania to attend college or high school.

We would especially like to thank Josie F., who saved part of her allowance and contributed it to the scholarship fund.

Thanks - Room At The Inn
- Bill and Joan Clarke

Jim Robinson has been a driver and coordinator of Room At The Inn drivers for 8 years. His schedule now precludes continuing with this job, and so we extend to Jim a hearty "thank you" for all he has done. The RATI program depends on dedicated volunteers, like Jim, who has contributed hours of his time to help the homeless.

Thanks to everyone who responded to our last request for help. We still need hosts for the end of Aug. and Sep., and cooks for Sep. Sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board. If you are willing to help coordinate the drivers, contact Bill or Joan Clarke.

In the last six months, the churches in St. Louis County serving as night sites provided 5,024 beds for the homeless.

Welcome!
- Joan McCready, June 11, 2006

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.

Our family has been giving our time, talent and treasure to Eliot Chapel for twenty months.

We came to Eliot Chapel a year ago in the fall for our daughters. Both girls were expressing an interest in church, in religion, and in spiritual things. And both have thrived in the Religious Education programs for their age groups.

The theme of today's service is "Milestones Sunday." Breana - our younger - celebrates a special year of RE with her GATE partner, while Gretchen celebrates her milestone of high school graduation today.

Matthew and I have always been seekers. Being at Eliot has provided many opportunities for us. Together and separately, we've been involved in the New "U" class, the Welcoming Congregation group, the Five Questions class, a Covenant Group, several adult RE presentations, and Newcomer Dinners. Breana and I attended a Passover Seder this spring as a GATE activity. Both girls participated in the Youth Coffee House. I've taught an RE class, and I even survived being a chaperone for the high school youth at the winter Con.

Our path to Eliot would be another entire welcome - well, to be honest, it would be an entire sermon some Sunday. But we are here, and this is where we belong - for now. We hope your path will cross, and maybe even join, ours. Welcome.

Preservation Fund
Proposed Expenditure

This notice was posted on the church bulletin board in June, in accordance with the by-laws of Eliot Chapel, because of the recommendation and proposal to use monies from the Preservation Fund (current balance $176,000) as described below.

The Building & Grounds Committee has presented a proposal, which the Board of Trustees has approved, to enter into contracts for up to $17,900 for the following items:

• Replace Adams Hall carpet, which is damaged, frayed, and can no longer be cleaned properly
• Repaint Adams Hall, concomitant to the carpet replacement and to cover damage that has been caused
• Refurbish the sign at the Taylor/Argonne corner, which has deteriorated, and to add lighting
• Replace the wooden handrail in the sanctuary, which is inadequate, and add a matching handrail to help people with difficulty walking to get up the steps onto the chancel

Share Your Knowledge

The Neighborhood Association of Meacham Park is looking for volunteers to assist with the general education of Meacham Park residents this fall. The topics are: living will, home mortgage refinancing, home owner's insurance, home title search. Volunteers are expected to have current working experience with one or more of those topics. The format of educational meetings is that volunteers will give a brief overview of a topic, and answer questions from the audience of residents. If you are willing to contribute your expertise and time, please contact Robert Kokenyesi at .

Bridge

Eliot's August bridge game will take place on Sat., Aug. 26, at 7:00 p.m. in Adams Hall. To make reservations, contact Sue Webster. Couples and singles welcome.

Bring a Flower
- Lynn Murphy

For those planning to attend the service on Aug. 6, please bring a live flower to share. Thank you and hope to see you there.

Church Picnic

This year's church picnic and softball game will be a welcome back event the last Sunday in August [on September 24]. The FUN Committee has reserved ball field 4 and picnic spot 13 [ball field 5 and picnic spots 14-16] in Kirkwood Park for Aug. 27. We'll cook healthy hot dogs for you and accept donations for cold beverages. Fun games follow the summer service, then picnic time, and softball will start by noon. Watch for a map on the bulletin board. [The picnic was postponed due to forecasted rain.]

Music Committee Brunch
- Sue Stivers

The Music Committee will hold a planning meeting and brunch on Aug. 12 at 10:00 a.m. at Mary Taylor's home. RSVP to Sue Stivers or Jan Chamberlain if you can attend. Bring something to share. If you have not been on the committee and would like to serve the music program, please notify Jan or Sue. We welcome new members. The committee meets on the fourth Sunday of each month (unless holidays force a change) for about an hour after church to make plans, decisions, and eat.

Pan Flutes, Penguins, and Pathways
- Lynn Murphy

No, it's not a Dr. Seuss story line. But it is the unusual mixture we will have for our Labor Day weekend service on Sep. 2.

Let's enjoy our last summer service together exploring our first and seventh Unitarian principles, looking at love, pathways, and penguins. Everyone is invited to enjoy a family potpourri together in the sanctuary.

Nancy Collis and friends will serenade us with their pan pipes. So come hear and see
This unusual family potpourri--
Designed
With the old and young in mind.
Come smile, come sing--
It's our last summer "thing".

Principled Commitment
A UUA Committed Couples Enrichment Program

Love is usually credited as the basis for a healthy relationship, but other qualities are needed as well: humility, generosity, collaboration, and playfulness, to name several. These elements will be explored through a series of adult workshops offered this fall through our Adult Religious Education program. Eliot Chapel is one of 10 congregations piloting this new program for the UUA.

The 22-hour program is free and open to married or partnered couples - of all gender combinations - seeking to enhance good relationships; it is not designed to fix broken relationships. The series will begin with a workshop titled, "Intention." Other workshops will explore the concepts of humility, trust, dignity, generosity, connection, play, collaboration, commitment, love, and celebration.

An informational meeting will be held in Adams Hall on Sun., Sep. 10, from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. We will outline the curriculum, present the schedule for the workshops, and answer questions you may have.

Registration for the program is limited to ten couples, and advance registration is required. Childcare may be available upon request. If you have any questions prior to the meeting or wish to register, please contact Bruce and Trish Williams at .

Create a More Peaceful World

You are invited to join Karen Casey for her first lecture in St. Louis on Sun., Sep. 24, 7:00 p.m. at Eliot Unitarian Chapel

Karen will lecture on "Creating a More Peaceful Life Creates a More Peaceful World." Her lecture will be followed by a book signing.

Karen Casey has spoken on spirituality, relationships and personal growth issues for more than 20 years. She is the author of 17 books, all of which are devoted to the enhancement of one's personal/spiritual journey. She is well-known through Alcoholics Anonymous and A Course in Miracles (ACIM). Her first book, Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women, has sold more than 3 million copies. This event is sponsored by The St. Louis ACIM Leadership Council and Eliot Unitarian Chapel.

For further information contact Corinne Esneault at or http://www.liming.org/acim. Reservations are not required. A suggested donation of $20 is appreciated.

Women's Alliance

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

Tues., Aug. 15 - Holocaust Museum Visit. Meet at Eliot at 9:15 a.m. Leave at 9:30 a.m. Coordinator - Fran Ritzinger.

Tue., Aug. 22 - Tour Cahokia Courthouse. Meet at Eliot at 9:00 a.m. Leave at 9:15 a.m. Coordinator - Marilyn Fallert.

A Statewide UU Social Advocacy Network?
- Helen McIntosh for the Social Action Committee

The General Assembly of the UUA offered a smorgasbord of social justice information. I participated in a meeting with Caron Wells of the All Souls UU Church in Kansas City and Doris Ewing from the Springfield Church. Caron is helping to organize a statewide UU Advocacy Network. The goal is to find issues and positions that all congregations in the state can agree on so that we can present a united front in working for a more just society. Such networks already exist in other states. There are no tax status ramifications for work on issues.

We at Eliot Chapel have traditionally focused our social action on service and educational projects. Are we interested in working for systemic change as well as (1) helping the needy and (2) better understanding others' problems? Should work for social justice and systemic change come from our congregation as a whole or from motivated individuals within our congregation? We need to be pondering our values and how we live them as we think on this possibility.

As a first step, we need to form a statewide steering committee to clarify and make plans for what is both desirable and doable. Comments on the idea and offers to be on the steering committee should be addressed to .

Religious Education (RE) News
- Joan Casey, RE Director,

Teachers are needed to start the year. We still need one Nursery teacher at 11:00. It's important that we fill this slot before we start up in the fall. Nursery care is a year-long commitment. We also have several spring slots open for both hours. Please call or email me right away to fill the nursery slot or one of the spring positions.

Fall teachers should mark their calendars for our Teacher Orientation meeting on Mon., Aug. 28 at 7:00 p.m. You'll meet your teaching team and get your curricula and folders on that evening. Information about Teacher Orientation will be mailed out in early August along with class registrations. If you're not attending summer services or summer camp, we'll see you in the fall! Hope you're enjoying your summer.

Summer Scrip and Fair Trade Coffee Sales

Aug.13 is the next date for Scrip and Fair Trade Coffee sales. Make sure to stock up - don't be caught short! We will have extra bags of coffee available, but to ensure that you get what you want, email your order to by Aug. 7.

Regular weekly sales will resume Sep. 10.

Newsletter Deadlines

With the next issue of the newsletter, we will return to the regular bi-weekly schedule. [The next newsletter deadline is noon on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2006 for the issue dated September 2 to September 15, 2006.]

Who Are You?

We are updating the Program Guide. If you are a committee chair, please make sure that the office knows you will be chair for the coming year. Also, please take a minute to look over the description of your committee that appears in the guide and send any changes to Nancy at by Aug. 11.

Copies of the Program Guide are available in Visitors' Corner.

Reverends' Summer Calendar

Rev. Dr. Daniel Ó Connell is out of the office, on vacation and study leave; he will be back in the office and on a regular schedule Tues., Aug. 15.

Rev. Bonnie Vegiard will be on vacation the month of July and study leave from Aug. 14 through the 27th. She will resume her regular schedule on August 28th.

Summer Office Hours

The office closes at noon on Fridays for the months of June, July, and August. Sunday summer office hours are from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

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