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Inside This Issue

Thank You!!!
- Rev. Bonnie Vegiard, Program Minister

As our 2007 pledge drive kicks off, I want to be sure to say, "thank you!" to each and every member of our Eliot Chapel community. It is because of your enthusiasm, your questions, your spiritual values, your participation, and your commitment that this community is so diverse and vital. I am so pleased to be a part of it! Here are some of the innovative and inviting activities already this year:

• dedication of 13 children at our Circle of Life service,
• a hugely successful father-toddler retreat (How deeply our fathers feel their roles!),
• over 20 singles at a kick-off lunch for singles' activities,
• a Covenant Group pot-luck and "trial" session where 50 of us had a great meal and 13 people got to see what being in a Covenant Group was like,
• worship services led by four UU ministers who were guests in our pulpit and are part of our Eliot Community,
• a guest Rabbi to give his views on Biblical texts,
• the always popular chili-and-games night,
• letter-writing to legislators about human justice issues,
• 200 UU Youth at Eliot for the weekend!

Eliot Chapel, a community that gathers to foster free religious thought, nurture spiritual growth, and act for social justice!

Come, Come
Whoever you are - Wander, worshiper, lover of leaving.
Ours is no caravan of despair,
Come, yet again, come.

- Susan Maginn, Membership Coordinator

I am very fond of these lyrics from a UU hymn. It sounds so sweet when it is sung in a round.

In recent weeks I am reminded of these words as I have heard from newcomers to Eliot and to Unitarian Universalism. These are people who are excited to have found Eliot and are eager to find out more. However, they are not sure how to take the first step. A couple of people have learned about Eliot online, know they are interested, but haven't visited yet because they are not sure if they would be welcome to a Sunday worship service!

So let's be clear. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to look at the calendar and attend anything that is of interest. There is a booklet called the Information Guide, which can be found in Visitors' Corner. The Information Guide describes the many programs, committees and classes at Eliot. If you have any questions about anything in the calendar, there is a more in depth description in the Information Guide along with a contact person whom you could call.

And we welcome anyone who comes through the door on Sunday morning. We even hope you'll stay long enough for coffee and conversation and that you'll want to keep coming back.

Come, yet again, come.

Task Force Findings Revealed!
- Corinne Esneault, Chair - Asset Management Task Force

The Asset Management Task Force was formed as a result of the May 2006congregational meeting's discussion of proposed Resolution 2:

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.

Eliot Chapel members Corinne Esneault, Steve Lawrence, and Rich Vaughn were charged with the task of fully exploring the need for this resolution, and its impact on all aspects of congregation's operations with particular attention to the Bergfried Corpus and other restricted funds. The recommendations which resulted from this research were to be 1) true to Eliot Chapel's current governance structure and 2) true to the intent of established restricted funds.

The three of us embarked on an incredible journey, with energy, innocence, and enthusiasm. From October, 2006 through February, we investigated Bergfried's documents, prior Board resolutions, Board meeting minutes, and interviewed 33 Eliot Chapel members who are currently involved or had been involved with management of Eliot's assets and specifically, Bergfried. Through all of the interviews one common denominator came forth: we have to move forward, put the past behind us, and do what is best to help Eliot Chapel and Bergfried.

The Task Force's report was presented to the Board of Trustees at their Feb. 20 meeting. Findings and recommendations from the report had also been shared with the Bergfried Committee on Sun., Feb. 18. Each group unanimously embraced and approved the five recommendations contained within the report.

Of primary importance - it was recommended that Resolution 2 was not necessary. The Eliot Unitarian Chapel By-Laws and nonprofit governance for the State of Missouri define clear authority: the Board of Trustees is responsible for the management and administration of all assets of Eliot in accordance with donors' requests and prior congregational approved resolutions.

There are four other recommendations which address the re-energizing and re-organizing of the Bergfried Committee, the function of Eliot Chapel's "major" asset committees, improving Board members' orientation to Bergfried, and the review of the Bergfried Corpus Policy statement, which was approved by the congregation in May 1998.

Immediately, an ad hoc committee, headed by Corinne Esneault and consisting of representatives from the Board of Trustees and the Bergfried Committee, will be reviewing the 1998 Bergfried Policy Statement, which established Bergfried's $100,000 corpus and procedures for its utilization. A lot has changed at Eliot Chapel over the past nine years. Our goal is a review which ensures the Bergfried Corpus policy is structured in a way that truly meets its original intent: to have a corpus which pays for the expense of maintaining and growing Bergfried, that it is designed in accordance with Eliot Chapel's current policy governance model, and that revenues generated from the corpus and property management of Bergfried are utilized in a way which meet both the needs of Bergfried and Eliot Chapel. If changes are needed in this policy, recommendations will be presented to the Board of Trustees in April and the congregation at large in May.

That's it in a nutshell! We welcome your suggestions and feedback. More details on the Task Force's report and recommendations will be in upcoming newsletters.

Room at the Inn
- Sue Blandford

Please check the bulletin board and volunteer to host a night at Room At The Inn. We have several empty slots in March, April, and May. Two hosts arrive at 5:30 p.m. on a Thursday evening and help the guests get settled on the lower level. Most of the guests (no more than 10) are homeless women and children who spend up to a month in the program. After a dinner, prepared by other Eliot volunteers, guests begin to settle in for the evening, usually going to sleep early. Hosts arise at 5:30 a.m., waking the guests and helping prepare a simple breakfast of coffee and cereal. Drivers arrive at 6:30 a.m. to take the guests back to the shelter. Hosts are free to leave after cleaning up, about 7:00 a.m. Many volunteers are needed to carry on this outreach program. Thanks for your help.

Fast for Darfur
- Matt Koch

For those of you who grew up Christian or are Christian Unitarians, it is the season of Lent. Lent is the season of sacrifice. The Genocide in Darfur continues and the government of Sudan continues to block international involvement. Your support is needed to stop the needless killing, rape, and devastation of the Sudanese people. This March, UUSC asks you to sacrifice for Darfur. Pledge to not go out to eat or to fast one day in March, to better understand what the Sudanese refugees are dealing with daily. When you make this pledge we will give you one day's ration of food to use as you wish. We only ask that you donate the money you saved by not eating out or fasting. We will collect these donations on Mar. 11h and 18th in Adams Hall and pass out the food rations. All donations will be given to the UUSC Darfur Relief Fund. Please join us in supporting the worth and dignity of every person.

igive.com

Here's an easy way raise funds for Eliot Chapel. Register Eliot Unitarian Chapel as your "cause" at the web site www.igive.com, and then begin all your on-line shopping from the igive.com site. Each and every time you shop at the igive.com mall stores, if you start from the igive.com web page, Eliot will earn a percentage of the sale, at no cost to you!

Merchants include Dell Computer, Barnes & Noble, Lands' End, Macy's, PetsMart and Petco, Sears, Thrifty Car Rental, Travelocity - hundreds more, selling almost anything you could imagine.

If you are already registered with igive.com and are supporting another cause, consider changing to Eliot - even temporarily. If you have questions about igive.com, please feel free to ask JoAnn or Nancy in the office. Thank you and happy shopping!

Peter Cottontail Shops Fair Trade

Our coffee of the month for March is East Timor Maubesse, a medium-dark roast with woody, cocoa, and vanilla flavors with a mild acidity. It's available for $10 per bag. We'll also have the usual Eliot Label coffees, regular and decaf, beans and ground.

The Easter Bunny loves to deliver Fair Trade chocolate. Please stock up after either service. We usually have very dark chocolate, dark chocolate with almonds, milk chocolate, dark with cocoa nibs, dark with espresso beans, and mint chocolate. Yum!!

Book Fair 2007

In Adams Hall

Fri., Mar. 9 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.*
Sat. Mar. 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Sun. Mar. 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

*Admission Friday only: $3/person or $5/family

Singles Lunch

Eliot Singles group will meet for lunch at 12:30 p.m. the 2nd Sunday of every month (next, Mar. 11) at Culpepper's Restaurant in Kirkwood. Anyone interested in finding out more about Eliot Singles is welcome to join us. You can meet with us in Visitor's Corner in Adams Hall after the 2nd service or at the restaurant. Contact Cara Sanning if you have any questions.

Clear Your Mind

Time for another Meditation Retreat at Eliot Chapel! Mark your calendars for the morning of Sat., Mar. 24, for a mindful getaway from the stress and strain of icy winter weather. We'll enjoy the usual quietude of sitting in the sanctuary listening to words of wisdom from around the world. Then we'll experience some new spiritual disciplines; we hope to include pilates, drumming, and maybe a "right brain" drawing class. Details will follow. Hope to see you there! Questions? Email Judy Highfill at for more info.

Sausage Getaway
- Mark A. Nissen

This year's version of the FUN Committee's Road Trip is Wurstfest in Hermann. The Hermann Chamber of Commerce sponsors this event, held Mar. 24th and 25th this year. Join Hermann's "Best of the Wurst Fest" with an overnight stay, perhaps at Eliot's Bergfried campground. Event tickets are required but an overnight campout and activities at Bergfried are FREE. The FUN committee will have field games and hiking. Camp there overnight and enjoy an evening campfire. There is an inclement weather shelter available.

More information about Hermann and the Wurstfest can be found at www.hermannmo.com and details about Bergfried can be obtained at the Bergfried page.

We also need volunteers for this event at Bergfried and others coming up. Please join the FUN Committee if you can lead games, care for children, or float on a raft. It's never complicated and it's always FUN.

Exploring Masculine Spirituality
- Rev. Dr. Daniel Ó Connell, Lead Minister

Tentative Dates: Sat., Mar. 24, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.; Tue., Mar. 27, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.; Sat., Apr. 7, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Using myth, personal stories, images symbols, Zen koans, and guided meditation, this class explores a perspective on what liberal religious masculinity might mean.

Snacks provided, please bring a lunch. Cost of the class is $20, payable at the class to Eliot Unitarian Chapel. Tuition waived upon request.

This particular class offering is limited to men. This class is a field test for a curriculum written by Rev. Dr. Daniel Ó Connell. It will be led by two men from Eliot. More information on the curriculum can be found at: http://revdanielsabbatical.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-its-going-what-its-about.html.

Join the Bridge Table
- Sue Webster

Eliot Bridge will be Sat., Mar. 31, at 7:00 p.m. in Adams Hall. Please make your reservation with Sue Webster the Sunday before the game. Couples and singles are welcome. Come and enjoy a friendly bridge game!

So, Sit, and have a Nice Matzo

Doors open at 5:00 p.m. for the 5:30 p.m. event in Adams Hall. For those wishing to help with set-up at 4:00 p.m., please contact Larry Ross at Sign up sheets are on the bulletin board. Everyone will be asked to bring a salad, a main course, or desert for eight people. Since this is a restrictive dietary event (no shell fish, pig products, or leavened baked goods), recipes will be available. Please request one in your e-mail. The Seder Committee looks forward to seeing you.

Women's Weekend
Apr. 28 & 29

A registration form was included in the paper (and PDF) versions of this newsletter and is available on-line at the Women's Weekend web page.

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.

Tue., Mar. 20 - "Diversity in St. Louis - Not Just a Black and White Issue," Suzanne LeLaurin. Coordinator - Julie Triplett.

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

Right now, we're in the midst of our annual canvass. Most of us will be attending parties and pledging what we can to keep our faith community financially alive and healthy. It makes me think about ways our kids can also contribute to the well-being of Eliot Chapel. As your family makes its pledge for the 2007-2008 church year, you might want to consider discussing ways your children can also participate. Some examples of a child's pledge are:

• I will be respectful of my teachers and friends in class,
• I will refrain from running in Adams Hall,
• I will be friendly to any visitors to my class,
• I will help my parents greet on Sunday mornings.

Music Notes
-- Jan Chamberlin, Music Director,

Coming up:
Mar. 11 - Bill Miller will perform the preludes and interludes; the 9:30 choir will sing Ave Verum Corpus by Mozart; the 11:00 choir will sing Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life by Gordon Young.
Mar. 18 - the 9:30 choir will sing Where Do We Come From? by Brian Tate; the 11:00 choir will sing For the Beauty of the Earth by John Rutter. At the Family Service in Adams Hall, Irene Henry will play the preludes, and the Chalice Choir will sing De Colores.

The Laclede String Quartet will present the winners of their "Kids Competition" in concert at Eliot Chapel on Sun. Mar. 11 at 3:00 p.m. Come hear some remarkable young artists! All are welcome to this free concert.

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