the Catalyst - uuftc.org · the Catalyst Volume 26/Issue 6 - OUR 25th YEAR! June 2016 In This Issue Buy a Tree ... always enjoys a good story (most often she hears them from Skyline

A beacon of liberal religion in the foothills

Unitarian Universal ist Fel lowship o f T u o l u m n e C o u n t y

19518 Hess Ave Sonora, CA 95370 209/533-8883 www.uuftc.org

the Catalyst Volume 26/Issue 6 - OUR 25th YEAR! June 2016

Buy a Tree - Plant a TreeIn This Issue• Buy a Tree - Plant a Tree• GIFT Campaign• Theme: Mystery & Freedom• Jun 5 – Mystery & Freedom• Jun 12 – Mystery & Surprise• Jun 19 – Race Matters• Jun 26 – Surprise Again• Jul 5 - The State of our Democracy• President Dusty Taylor - Mystery & Freedom of Being on Our Own• Rev. Sonya - Exploring Mystery & Freedom in Partnership/ Balzás Scholar• Chef Dave - Nanaimo Bars• Social Justice - Valuing Others in Community• MLFP - Fill the Bag!• UUFTC Calendar/Readings• Planned Giving Program• Seasonal Improvements/ Facilities Use/Lost & Found/Quick Links• Jun 3 - Transylvanian Unitarian Partnerships• Jun 3 - Datk - Between Regions & Cultures• Jun 4 - Historic Columbia• Jun 4 - Lambert Yard Sale• Jun 7 - South County Tour• Jun 8 - Murphys/Ironstone• Jun 9 - Social Justice Mtg• Jun 9 - Open Mic Night• Jun 10 - Movie Night• Jun 11 - Major Family Brunch• Jun 16 - Ladies Lunch• Jun 24 - TGIP• Jun 28 - Book Club• Meditation/People/Birthdays/ Ride Share

the Catalyst page 1 of 10 Jun 2016

Help Keep our Oak Grove Healthy Live Oaks, Valley Oaks, Black Oaks, at least one each Oracle Oak and Blue Oak, and other hybridized oaks, as well as a few pine trees – blanket our beautiful 2 ½ acres – this is why we purchased the Fellowship House property! But what’s happening to them? You may have noticed the colorful plastic ribbons around dozens of the

trees at our Oak Grove. We have discovered an infestation of three different kinds of beetles that are aggressively attacking our oaks.

Many of our oaks grow in groups of three to ten trees. They usually form a circle, having grown from shoots at the base of a stump left after the tree was logged some sixty years ago. The stumps rotted away years ago, leaving the small, newer trees with an inadequate and unstable root sys-tem. Like many of our neighbors, we’ve lost trees from these clumps at a rate of about 1 per year. But this year, the fourth of severe drought, we’ve lost three trees, while a neighbor has lost two. Of course, as with all trees in the Mother Lode, the drought has put our beautiful oaks under a great deal of stress. [Con’t page 7]

GIFT - Generously Investing For Tomorrow2016 - 2017 Pledge Campaign FinishesAn Urgent Message From Our TreasurerThe 2016-17 Pledge Campaign ended on May 29 and we are short approximately $11,500 of our Op-erating Budget goal. That said we think/hope there are some pledges that will still come in. Some folks are traveling and other realities of life get in the way. SO, we are optimistic in believing that we will come close to meeting the target of $51,500 in pledges for our $60,000 Operating Budget. The budget to be pre-sented on at our Annual Meeting, June 5, will reflect whatever we have by that point and it will likely show a deficit. If you haven’t sent your pledge in, please do so – or let Treasurer Janet Telford know what you intend to pledge – 928-5874. She has to get all this information ready to present to you at the Annual Meeting so time is short! [Con’t page 8]

Theme - Mystery & FreedomEach month we get a discussion material and other resources from the Touchstones Journal. Each issue has a theme. The Program Committee reviews this and sets the themes for the follow-ing year. This month theme is ‘mystery and freedom.’ Several contributors have given us their ‘take’ on this topic in this issue.

Generously Investing For Tomorrow

A ‘pilgrimage’ is a journey of spiritual significance. Rev. Sonya will share reflections on her journeys to Transylvania and Poland where Unitarianism started in the 1500s. Rev. Major speaks about his walks toward freedom both here in the US this year, and previously.UUFTC is hosting Rev. László “Laht-si” Major and his family in Sonora June 3-12.[See Story p. 4.Rev. László studied sociology at Sapientia Hungarian University and then joined the Protestant Institute of Theology in Kolozsvár. Since 2011 he has served as as-sistant minister in the Unitarian Congregation of Datk, while completing a master’s degree in theology, and at the same time a master’s in pastoral care at Babes-Bolyai University.

As parish minister for this congregation of 350 - in a “Unitarian village” of 500 people – Rev. László has organized programs for different age groups. He started a church choir, a women’s association, and a children’s summer camp (there are 50 children in their congregation). He has also initiated cultural events and social gatherings. In addition, László is assisting with the renovation and en-largement of their community house.László says, “During my scholarship I would like to further study the pastoral care of families and the relationship between health, illness and faith. I am particularly interested in how I could put the theories related to these subjects into practice in congregational life.”Back in Transylvania, László’s wife, Orsi, is an English teacher. They are here with their 3-year-old daughter, Bori, for a one-week visit at UUFTC this month. At home they often take short trips or walks in nature, or visit historical places in Transylvania. [Look at the announcements in the side-bar to the left and you’ll see more of these activities planned to show the history and culture of the Mother Lode to the Mayors. This will give us opportunities to get to know them. Please join us!]

In this election year, racial fears and hatred are being stirred up viciously. At the same time, events have demonstrated the perva-siveness of systemic racism in this country, racism that tears at the fabric of our society. Unitarian Universalists have a long history of confronting racism; what can we do today to continue that proud history?Minister Emeritus, Rev. Craig retired from our congregation is 2011,

then returned for a year while we were in transition hiring Rev. Sonya. We love that he still returns periodically to preach to us at UUFTC.Rev. Peter Morales, President of the UUA, has a pastoral statement on the issue at http://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/pastoral-message-movement-black-lives

Jun 19 - Race Matters with UUFTC’s Minister Emeritus, Rev. Craig Scott10:00 a.m. Sonora, Fellowship House, 19518 Hess Ave.

Our Douglas Flat folks have not given your editor any information about their services this month. So why don’t you just go anyway? And be prepared to have a good service as always!

Jun 12 - Mystery and Surprise!10:30 a.m. Douglas Flat, Schoolhouse, 1358 Main St.

Jun 5 - Paths of Mystery and Freedom with Rev. László Major, and Rev. Sony Sukalski10:00 a.m. Sonora, Fellowship House, 19518 Hess Ave.

Everyone is welcome! Stay and socialize at the potluck afterwards - bring something to share.

ANNUAL MEETING will be right after the service

Bring your Green Bags for the MLFP [See p.6]


Jun 26 - Surprise Again!10:30 a.m. Douglas Flat, Schoolhouse, 1358 Main St.

We can’t tell you, because we don’t know. Just show up! It’ll be Great!

Everyone is welcome, UUs and non-UUs! Stay and socialize at the potluck afterwards - bring something to share.

Skyline Discussion Group

Friday, Jun 3 3:30 p.m.

Skyline Place12877 Sylva Lane, Sonora

Datk in Transylvania

Transylvanian Unitarianism Partnerships

Rev. László Major from Datk in Transylvania will join us for a discussion of Tran-sylvanian Unitarianism, and partner church relationships between North American UUs and Unitarians and Univer-salists around the world. Rev. Sonya Sukalski will be interested to hear of previ-ous connections with far flung Unitarians from some of our founders in the group as well.Rev. Sonya Sukalski comes once a month to Skyline, and always enjoys a good story (most often she hears them from Skyline residents), loves learning about religious history and free thinkers, and looks forward to meeting new Skyline residents and people not living at Skyline interested in the topic. Skyline events are held there for the benefit of our UU elders and founders, and are open to all, regardless of faith or where you live.

Rev. Sonya at [email protected] or 533-8883

Mystery & Freedom ©<a href=’http://www.123rf.com/profile_frenta’>frenta / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

Erase Racism ©<a href=’http://www.123rf.com/profile_klublub’>klublub / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

“What?” Poster ©<a href=’http://www.123rf.com/profile_arturkurjan’>arturkurjan / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

It’s A Mystery ©<a href=’http://www.123rf.com/profile_icreative3d’>icreative3d / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

Preview of Next Month Sunday, Jul 3, Sonora: The State of Our DemocracyRev. Sonya Sukalski will will talk about the democratic process and trace some of its origins as our UU 5th principle.


President’s Message

Dusty TaylorThe Mystery & Freedom of Being on Our OwnWow, it is June already and we have been back at Fellowship House a full month now! It is good to be “home”! Summer is usually a little quieter than spring and fall, but we do have several events planned. We will likely hold some smaller FUUndraisers to supplement our May pledge drive.

How appropriate that June is the month where we explore Mystery. As I write this mes-sage the success of our pledge drive is still a mystery – and we do not yet know how that will affect our planning for 2016/17. Hopefully we will raise enough to sustain the basic operating expenses we’ll incur and be able to meet our bills and obligations, while still having a little left for our wonderful programs and speakers. As I mentioned last month, our continued survival depends on all of you and on your continued pledges! We do not get any money to cover our operating expenses from anyone outside of UUFTC, it’s just us!

If you haven’t yet filled out a Pledge Card, contact our Treasurer, Janet Telford, 928-5874, or [email protected] and she’ll get one to you. It depends upon all of us to keep the Fellowship operating, so GIFT generously!

As I mentioned above we are exploring “Mystery” this month. What is mystery? Web-ster defines mystery as “something that is difficult to understand or explain.” Mysteries can be puzzles, enigmas, conundrums, riddles, secrets, or problems. What is a mystery to you? Come join us this month and explore this concept with us.

We’ll also be looking at “Freedom.” Webster describes freedom as “…the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.” We have certainly seen much of that occurring around the political debates and campaigns that are filling the air waves. It will be interesting to see how Rev. Sonya addresses both subjects in the same sermon.

Right after the service on June 5 we will be conducting our Annual Congregational Meet-ing. We’ll have new Board Members and a new Nominating Committee to elect, and the finalized budget to present. Remember, you must be a member to vote – so join NOW! Of course, after the meeting we will have our regular celebratory potluck – we UUs do like to eat!

It looks to be a fun filled summer, and I look forward to sharing it with all of you as we enjoy our lovely oak grove. Blessings to all of you and have a wonderful summer. PS: I am also looking forward to hearing about everyone’s vacations or summer exploits.

Feedback? Please call me at 484-1110 or use my new email (strictly for UUFTC com-munications) at [email protected].

“The answer is never the answer. What’s really interesting is the mystery. If you seek the mystery instead of the answer, you’ll always be seeking. I’ve never seen anybody really find the answer. They think they have, so they stop thinking. But the job is to seek mystery, evoke mystery, plant a garden in which strange plants grow and mysteries bloom. The need for mystery is greater than the need for an answer.” ………-- Ken Kesey

Datk - Between Regions & Cultures

Friday, Jun 35:30 p.m. Eat

6:30 p.m. Slide Show Fellowship House

with Rev. László MajorDatk (pronounced Duck) is a vil-lage of 500 people in Transylva-nia, Romania, with a Hungarian Unitarian Congregation of 350 members. This part of the coun-try is inhabited by Hungarians, Romanians and Saxon-Germans. In this presentation besides the natural beauty of the landscape, you will see the life of the con-gregation with its successes and challenges as well.

If you are interested to see what a Unitarian Church looks like in Transylvania, how people sharing the same faith live their lives, join us on a journey across the ocean.

Potluck Dinner begins 5:30 p.m. (bring something to share)László’s slide show: 6:30 p.m.

Info: Rev. Sonya, 533-8883 or [email protected]


HistoricColumbia

Saturday, Jun 412:00 - 3:30 p.m. Columbia State Park 11255 Jackson St, Columbia

Picnic & Tour!Bring a picnic and join the Major family from Datk in Romania for lunch and a tour of Columbia State Park by Rachel and Roy Phillips.

Roy and Rachel have been docents for years and know lots of the interesting nooks, crannies and stories from the “Gem of the Southern Mines.”

We’ll meet at the Gazebo for a picnic lunch. RSVP for info on where to park & what to bring: Rachel Phillips, 962-0805 or [email protected]

LambertCenter

Saturday, Jun 4Yard Sale

347 W. Jackson St, Sonora

The Center will be holding a yard sale at their facility all day, Saturday, June 4. Go check it out and help support our many friends there!

Lambert SOS for Volunteers!We UUs volunteer on Sunday afternoons to staff the Center so that it can stay open. But our friend Peggy Kingman announces that volunteers are needed during the week from noon to 4:00 p.m. If you can help out - even just as little as 1 day/month - contact: Lambert Center 532-8109, or Teri Olsson for info: 586-5017, [email protected]

Feedback? Please contact me at [email protected] or 533-8883.

Exploring Mystery & Freedom in Partnership

Rev. Sonya SukalskiThis month we host László and Orsi Major and their daughter Bori – László is finishing his year at Starr King School for the Minis-try doing graduate study in pastoral and family care. Rev. László’s church in Datk (pronounced “Duck”), Romania, is interested in hav-ing a partner relationship with a North American church, and I am interested in hearing from you about whether you and UUFTC are interested in this. Partnerships give individuals and congregations the opportunity to grow in how we understand and employ our religious

values in the interdependent web. Partners write, video conference, email and keep in touch through social media to build friendships that can last a lifetime and cross borders. These relationships weave together the lives and stories of people who share UU values of freedom of conscience, tolerance for others, a reasoned approach, and a willingness to grow in our religious understandings. We would need someone to step forward to spearhead such a relationship and assemble a steering committee for the partner church relationship to move forward with the idea. Besides keeping in touch, we might plan a trip to visit Datk, or bring some of the folks in Datk here!

When I joined my first UU church in New Mexico, I read the book “For Faith or Freedom” by Universalist historian Charles Howe about Unitarian beginnings around the world. Soon after I was asked to be a contact for partner churches in my district. This connec-tion to people whose ancestors have kept the faith for over 400 years gripped my spirit, and led me twice to visit Fenyokut-Palpataka near the pottery village known as Ko-rond in Transylvania. As with any relationship between two different people or two dif-ferent groups of people, there is a good amount of mystery to the unfolding path before them. Our life together in community in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, the relation-ship between the Sonora and Douglas Flat groups, and our connection to groups beyond our faith are also sometimes mysterious paths we take in search of deeper connection, more authentic relationship, and creating meaning. In New Mexico, we discovered that some in our congregation were able to grow in care and concern for our geographically closer neighbors by getting to know Unitarians half way around the world in Transylva-nia.

June 3-11 you have the opportunity to get to know László (or Laci -“Laht-see”) and Orsi (“Ur-shee), and their daughter Bori because they will be spending the week with us. The Majors speak excellent English. Several folks have offered to show them around – some opportunities are open to all, and there are times when you can volunteer to share a favorite place or meal with them [See sidbar to left]. Judy Young has volunteered to have the Majors stay at her house in Twain Harte, and has even lent them her car! Some of you have had the experience of traveling far from home and being welcomed by the locals – seeing a beloved landscape through a new friend’s eyes, or sitting down to a home cooked meal can be a profound way to find new threads in our common humanity. Contact me at (510) 886-5931 if you want to invite the Majors for a meal, there are openings for dinner on Saturday the 4th, lunch and dinner on Thursday the 9th (before the coffee house at Sonora Joes), as well as lunch on Friday the 10th. I hope many will come for brunch on Saturday the 11th for Brunch at the Fellowship House to say good-bye!

And, contact me at (510) 886-5931 if you are that special person willing to form a steering committee to investigate partner church relationships!

Balázs Scholar Here in June[Each year the Starr King School for the Ministry brings a Unitarian minister from Transylvania to Berkeley for advanced studies under the Balázs Scholars Program.]UUFTC is again hosting this year’s scholar, László “Laht-si” Ma-jor and his family June 3-12, 2016. Read the service description for Sunday, Peruse the announcements in the sidebar on the left for the many chances to interact with the Majors. If you would also like to show them your favorite spot in our scenic area, con-tact Rev. Sonya, 533-8883, [email protected]. Orsi , Bori & LRev. László Major


South CountyTour & DinnerTuesday, Jun 7

10:00 a.m. Yosemite Gateway

Museum

18990 CA Hwy 120, Groveland

Join our guests the Major family as we take them on a tour of our locales. We start at Yosemite Gateway Mu-seum to learn about Big Oak Flat and Groveland, then on to visit with Monty Thorn-burg in Coulterville. We’ll repair to everyone’s favor-ite restaurant, Old Priest Station Café for a no-host meal with the Groveland area folks.Carol Arechiga & Jerry Fuselein are coordinating with our Southern contingent so contact them for more info at 962-5529.

Murphys & Ironstone Vineyard

Wednesday, Jun 811:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Meet at Fellowship House18915 Mono Way, Sonora

Join hosts Bob and Carole Roszkowski and the Major family for a trip to Murphys and Ironstone Vineyards for a leisurely afternoon gander at the attractions and gardens with the Major familyContact Carole for more info at 408-266-5070.

Nanaimo Bars ½ sheet (12”X18”)Layer 1: 10 oz. Butter, melted ⅞ c. Cocoa powder (extra brute, if available) ½ c. Sugar 4 ea. Eggs, room tempWhisk together until smooth. Add eggs last.

2 ½ cups Coconut, shredded, sweetened 5 cups Graham crumbs 11/3 cups Walnuts, toasted, choppedCombine in a large bowl. Stir in chocolate mixture. Press evenly into oiled ½ sheet. Chill.

Layer 2: 8 oz. White chocolate, melted 8 oz. Butter, soft 1# Powdered sugar 1 ½ t. Vanilla extract or paste ¼ t. SaltWhip butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt together until smooth. Stir in chocolate. Spread over base smooth as possible. Chill.

Layer 3: 14 oz. Bittersweet chocolate (60 to 80%) 6 oz. Butter, unsalted

Melt together over very low heat or double boiler, stir until smooth. Spread over butter-cream. Chill. Cut into small bars. (12X8=96 pieces)

More info? Contact Dave Ingram at 928-1306 or [email protected] or visit Chef Dave’s website at www.ChefDaveCooks.com.

Hospitality Corner

Chef Dave IngramThis recipe for bars is more of a confection that is rich with chocolate, coconut, butter, nuts, and …oh, did I say chocolate? This popular bar originated in Nanaimo, British Columbia and many folks have come up with their own versions. Mine uses a white chocolate butter cream filling instead of the original powdered custard mix - yummm! This recipe makes a large party-size batch, but they freeze well too! 1/2 a recipe will fit in a 9” X 13” pan

“We must be willing to fail and to appreciate the truth that often ‘Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived.” ………-- M. Scott Peck

Valuing Others in Community Teri Olsson, Co-Chair of UUFTC’s Social Justice Committee

The Indigenous Aboriginal activist, Lilla Watson, said, “If you’ve come to help me you are wasting your time; but if your liberation is bound with mine let us work together.” This quote was the focus of the UU Justice Ministry of California’s (http://uujmca.org/) Spring Training that Linda DuTemple and I attended in April. In last month’s Catalyst I described that many social justice groups are struggling because they operate from a “dominant paradigm” which divides the world into “us and them”. [Con’t next page]


Social Justice

Thursday, Jun 94:00 p.m.

Schnoog’s Cafe

1005 Mono Way, SonoraWe meet on the 2nd Thurs-day of the month.

Come join us for fellowship and lively discussion as we plan our next project(s).

Teri Olsson for info: 586-5017, [email protected]

Open Mic Night

Thursday, Jun 96:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Sonora Joe’s Coffeehouse

140 S. Washington Street, Sonora

Local Artists Strut Their Stuff!

Join Maggie White as she hosts the Major family at this cool downtown venue for some bluesy fun!Info: Maggie White, 536-4919

Mother Lode Food Project

Fill the Bag!!

Valuing... [Con’t from p. 6]

Motivated through fear or anger we engage this paradigm in our brains with thoughts like “the other people: poor, homeless or victimized”. While this model is often used, many times without good results, I promised last month to describe a paradigm shift that would take us from “painting by number to achieving a full-color masterpiece!” Evan Junker, the training presenter, explained that the work of UU Justice Ministry is rooted in the ‘Beloved Community,’ a distinct shift from the “us and them” concept. Beloved Community was popularized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. based on the work of theologian and philosopher Josiah Royce. Mr. Junker described a goal of UUJM-CA to build a world where racism, bigotry, militarism and poverty are not tolerated. To do this we must work together, discovering how our identities shape the way we are. To quote from the UUJM-CA’s web site: “It’s about challenging ourselves, our comfort zones and our biases. It’s about being self-aware when things trip us up like thinking we know best all the time.”The Beloved Community is achieved through building one-to-one relationships in our congregations and with others in our local communities. It requires a commitment to participate with other through experiences of loss, pain, joy and wonder. We share the truth about our lives and know that our truth is heard and understood. I took from this training how important it is to have a spirit base, receiving every person as a “gift from the Spirit” where a place is made for each person. The UUJM-CA web site had an in-depth description by Mr. Junker entitled, “Beloved Community: How, What and Why of Our Work”. He leads a program called “Congregational Discernment and Engagement” which assesses the current status of a congregation’s social justice program, helping to make it more spiritually grounded. It also helps to identify opportunities within our community. Our Fellowship already has a unique, built-in opportunity within our com-munity - our collaboration with the MLK, Jr. Committee is an excellent chance to begin building Beloved Community. Together we can start a conversation that could lead to our becoming a stronger presence for Justice in Tuolumne County!

Questions about any of this, or what our Social Justice Committee is all about? Contact me at 586-5017 or [email protected].

Last month the Mother Lode Food Project collected 3,501 pounds of food and a $50 cash donation. Most of the MLFP donated food goes to needy children, seniors and vets. Of the children served, 20% are pre-diabetic and 33% are obese. Yes, astonishing figures and ones that are not unique to our county!With these figures in mind the Food Bank is refining its efforts not only to end hunger for our needy neighbors, but also to create health. While the local food banks generally praise the MLFP for the healthy food that is donated, we want to support these efforts to foster good health by encouraging you to keep this focus in mind as you shop. Although we report our total pounds collected, our first concern is good, healthy food, not total poundage. We report poundage totals as a gauge of our efforts, but healthy food is the priority.

What We NeedSome of the most needed items are: • Cereal • Dried Beans • Hearty Soups • Pinto Beans • Canned Meat • Canned Corn • Canned Fruit • Brown Rice • Cooking Oil • Long Grain White Rice • Canned Tuna • Plain Stewed Tomatoes • Canned Beans • Choose Your Favorite

You are making a difference in the lives of our neighbors – one green bag at a time!! Thank you. Remember to bring your bags back to the June 5 service filled with these and other good foods

Need more green bags? More Info: Linda DuTemple 928-4364 or [email protected]


Movie Night Friday, Jun 10

5:30 p.m. Food 6:00 p.m. Movie Fellowship House

The Tibetan Book of

the Dead[2003 Not Rated, 90 mins]

We’re repeating last month’s movie!

“You’ll feel instantly at peace with this chronicle of one of the most unique books of Buddhist spirituality, narrated by singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. Sit back and explore the rites pre-scribed by the text and see how they’re applied by people around the world. Two parts -- “A Way of Life” and “The Great Lib-eration” -- are included.“ [from Netflix]

Bring nibblies to share. Info: Dave Ingram at 928-1306 or [email protected]

Buy - Plant... [Con’t from p. 1]Thus conditions are perfect for these critters to invade. Our Facilities Manager, Craig Mineweaser, is working with an arborist to develop a long range plan for caring for our trees. Craig says, “Because of the weak root structure of these second growth oaks, we have already lost about a dozen trees in the eight years that we’ve called this our home. This primarily happens in the spring, when the ground is saturated. We have been watching a couple that we found to be infected with Oak Bark Beetle last fall, but during our examination this spring we found two other kinds of beetles have joined this one and are spreading to other weakened trees at an alarming rate.” This has happened because our trees had been neglected before we purchased the property in 2008. Since then we’ve been pruning and taking care of the ones that drop, but have not been able to mount a full-scale tree care program. Now, with the infestation, we are being forced to.We have marked 33 trees with colored for immediate removal or treatment so far, and we’ve only examined the trees closest to our structures and driveways – what we call the “inner circle.” We will combat the beetles by completely removing the trees that have been attacked – this means completely without a leaf left! There seems to be about seven of these in the inner circle. The rest of this group of dangerously weakened oaks (from rotted roots) will be dropped on the ground, cut into burnable lengths, and offered for sale as firewood (including the limb wood.) We will chip the smaller branches and leaves and spread them on site in a one-day operation to help rebuild our soil. There are about 26 trees, in various diameters, in this group. At the same time, a few of the remaining marked trees will be injected and/or sprayed in an attempt to save them. We have indentified about $10,000 worth of work needed on this inner circle area of trees to keep our buildings safe, and hopefully arrest the spread of the beetles.

Buy a TreeMoving forward we will continue to work with our arborist to inspect every tree on the property – there are hundreds – and set up a schedule for their care. And yes, we will have to remove more as we continue the long-overdue stewardship of our Oak Grove. We would lilke to cover at least some of these costs by the sale of firewood from the trees we cut. Remember, with this group of trees, it is only the roots that are bad. We are not selling any infested trees. We will start with $50/mini-pickup bed load of logs we’ve cut to burnable length. You can cut the branches off the limbs and throw them in your $50 load too. As noted, we’ll keep the small stuff to chip.

Plant a TreeAs we continue forward and develop our property, we will also plant new trees to replace some of what we are losing. This will also be expensive, (this cost is not included in the figure above) and will take place over a long period of time. We will need donations and volunteer help to plant these and we hope to do a few every year. However, until we have a Site Development Plan that has been reviewed and approved, we will want to be very judicious in how many of these we put. Once a tree is estab-lished, it doesn’t take kindly to being moved. We are a long way from designing or ap-proving a Site Development Plan [See “Legacy” story on page 9], so for the next few years, you’ll only see a couple new trees per year appear. So if you need firewood, or you’d like to make a donation to cover some of the costs of this massive, ongoing project, call Craig Mineweaser, Facilities Mgr., 928-5900. Help keep our Oak grove healthy and beautiful!

Professionals Helping UsSeveral of you have asked me who is assisting us. These thee companies are doing a great job on this project!Arborist and Tree Injections: Calaveras Tree Care – Nate Berner 404-4341Tree Spray for Seasonal Treatment: Anchor Pest Control – Don Wolf 536-1981Tree Cutting & Trimming: Out On a Limb Tree Service – Jeremy Watkins 614-2714Help LineWe’re not the only property owners dealing with dead and dying trees. If you are, here’s an information hot line: 533 - 6394 overseen by members of the radio amateur civil emergency service - they partnered with the county during the Rim Fire. Volunteers will coordinate/direct issues such as tree mortality, what projects are being coordinated by county for tree removal or inspection, etc.


Pledge... [Con’t from p. 1]As of May 29, the conclusion of the cam-paign, 33 UUFTC Members and Friends have submitted their pledges. Last year we had 48 at this time. But many of you have stepped up to the plate, increas-ing your pledges by the 10% we needed, however we are still $11,620 short of our goal.

If you want to give, but haven’t sent your pledge in yet, or you’ve lost your card, or whatever, call Janet, 928-5874.

Major Family Brunch

Saturday, Jun 1110:00 a.m. - Noon Fellowship House Oaks

The Major family, Rev. László, and Orsi Major, and daughter Broi, have been with us for over a week, but now it’s time to say goodbye. If it’s nice we’ll be outside in the Oak Grove.

Come say your farewells to the family, trade stories - and pos-sibly contact information!

If you’re new to UUFTC, we especially want you to join us! Bring a brunchable item and a beverage to share. Everyone’s welcome!

No need to RSVP – just show up! Info: Chef Dave Ingram at 928-1306 or [email protected]

Ladies’ Lunch Bunch

Thursday, Jun 16Noon

Columbia Kate’s Teahouse

22727 Columbia St, ColumbiaUU ladies, their guests, and friends will again join togeth-er for this monthly lunch.

PLEASE call Peg Sheldon, 586-9182 by Wednesday, 6/15 to reserve your seat!

UUFTC June 2016 Calendar This newsletter lists events and happening around the Fellowship each month. But want to view it in calendar format? Check out our online calendar at our website: http://www.uuftc.org/calendar. You can also pick up an “Activities List” at the Welcome Table of each Sunday service in Sonora. Then, pick out something you like and get involved!!

Here is the June book list for our theme of “Mystery.”

God Revised; How Religion Must Evolve in a Scientific Age by Galen Gugenrich

Predatory Mission by Judith Campbell A fictional mystery written by a UU about a Unitarian mystery solver, Rev. Olympia Brown

Living With a Wild God; A Nonbeliever’s Search for the Truth about Everything by Barbara Ehrenreich Wizard

The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla by Marc Seifer

It is also worthwhile to search the offerings of www.uuabookstore.org for any monthly theme!

Selected Readings for “Mystery and Freedom”

“Every religion is the product of the conceptual mind attempting to describe the mystery.” ………-- Ram Dass

the Catalyst Editor Says GoodbyeFor six or seven years your editor Craig Mineweaser has been bringing you the news each month that he thought you wanted to read. He took over this job from long-time member Lloyd Kramer, who had been editor for many, many years longer still. Craig says, “Lloyd did such a wonderful job, it was with some trepidation that I tried to fol-low in his footsteps. Lloyd made me a better writer (of course, my wife Janet, who has worked professionallly as an editor for years, also REALLY helped!!) But I took this job because I wanted to communicate with each and every one of you, and get to know you all better. And, how wonderful, I’ve been able to do that! “It has been very gratifying and I have had a lot of fun doing this. But now it is time for a new person, with new ideas to take the helm.” Stay tuned to see how the Catalyst evolves.

Goodbye Editor


TGIPFriday, Jun 24

5:30 p.m. Fellowship House PatioThe shade cloth is up! The patio is cool! Come join us for post-work week fun and fellowhip!If you’re new to UUFTC, we especially want you to join us! Bring a favorite dish and a beverage to share. Everyone’s welcome!No need to RSVP – just show up! Info: Chef Dave Ingram at 928-1306 or [email protected]

No GuiltBook Club

Tuesday, Jun 287:00 p.m.

Fellowship House

© 2016 by Goodreads Inc., pub 1997 by Noonday Press

Narcissus & Goldmund by Hermann Hesse

“[This book] “tells the story of two medieval men whose charac-ters are diametrically opposite: Narcissus, an ascetic monk firm in his religious commitment, and Goldmund, a romantic youth hungry for knowledge and world-ly experience. First published in 1930, the novel remains a moving and pointed exploration of the conflict between the life of the spirit and the life of the flesh. It is a theme that transcends all time.” [Source: Goodreads.com]

You can download it on Kindle, or order it from the library or Mountain Bookshop. Everyone is welcome! If you’ve read the book, great; if not that’s great too since it’s No Guilt!

We now have a list of books we’ll be reading for the next several months.

Info Laurie Bailie at 533-2584 or lasnuffy1@gmail

UUFTC’s Planned Giving Program

Leave a Legacy to YOUR Fellowship!Ensure that the light of liberal religion stays lit!At a Sunday service in May, Rev. Sonya asked you to wander around the grounds casting lettuce seeds - seeds of growth, seeds of enrich-ment. She asked us to envision the future of UUFTC and think about what role we each wanted to play in

making our future happen. The occasion was the start of our annual Pledge Campaign for Operating Funds - you know, pay the mortgage, the untili-ties, and pay for our minister and our programs. [See story p.1] But she was also asking us to envision some longer range goals, such as what would life be like at Fellowship House if

we had a large building in which we could hold services year- round? So, we’ve placed poles and rib-bons in our Fellowship House backyard to represent a very sketchy 5,000 sf facility. Why would we do this now? We haven’t yet had a capital campaign - which is one of the first steps in building a building. But we bought this property eight years ago with the idea that we wanted to build here - to have a home of our own., a PLACE for UUFTC. Whoa, stop worrying, this is NOT a building design! It’s just meant to get us dream-ing about what life would be like if we had a building on our site. The process would be that we do a Site Development Plan, which is a plan that shows where parking, utilities, buildings and everything else would be located, and we all agree on this. Then we go through a building design process to which we all contribute. And at the same time we have a Capital Campaign, once we see how many dollars we need. So don’t worry, you haven’t been left out of any decision-making process.To the contrary, we are raising these ideas now and asking you to dream about them because in just seven short years we will OWN this property. Yes, the entire 2 1/2 acres will be ours! The board, and many of you, would like to build a nest egg large enough to begin construction in 2023 (or earlier) - but what do we/you want? Now is the time to start planning for this and we soon want to start a Capital Campaign, but to do this we have to start building our dream together, finding out what our wants and needs are.In the eight years since we purchased the property, we weathered the recession, and, thanks to the generous legacy of two former members, Charlotte White and Betty Ann Prescott, we were able to protect our nest egg, which itself was formed as a legacy from our founders! To continue the legacy, please consider including UUFTC in your will. So come dream with us! The Fellowship needs to begin envisioning and discussing what we want our future to be like at Fellowhip House and what physical presence we want in our community. Call our Treasurer Janet Telford, 928-5874 for basic information on how to painlessly include UUFTC in your will, living trust or other instrument. There is no obligation to have a conversation! Tell us your vision of how you want to help keep the beacon of liberal religion alive in the Foothills!

Outline of a Structure. Here’s how much room a 50’x60’ structure would take in our backyard. The 10ft high corner stakes have pink ribbon at their top. No building has been designed yet! This is just meant to get you to start dreaming about possiblities. Also notice the new path up the hill from our parking area.

the Catalyst appears on our website each month. When each new issue is posted, notification of its availability is sent to all subscribers via email. We do not share our list of addresses.

Craig Mineweaser, Editor 209/928-5900 and Laurie Livingston, Web Design [email protected] [email protected]

______________________________________

Rev. Sonya Sukalski, Minister 209/533-8883 Church OfficeRev. Craig Scott, Minister Emeritus


[Here are some ‘URLs’ (website addresses) that provide important additional information about us. Type them into your browser and check out all things UU! -- the editors]

Quicklinks

The shade cloth is up over the seating area! This year we installed about 1,000 sf in our backyard, some of it in double layers. It will keep you cool when you are there for a service or other event.Also check out the landscaping improvements: four different types of shade-tolerant Azaleas are planted behind the patio retaining wall! We also planted a few Coral Bells amongst them. The sprin-klers and planter beds have been reworked in this area, and new mulch has been placed. The Rock Roses in the adjacent bed may have to be replaced soon too – all because of our wonderful shade cloth! Work continues in cleaning up the weeds and put more gravel on the driveways. Also notice the new walking path that’s in progress from the Overflow Parking Lot up to the backside of the patio. You don’t have to walk through weeds anymore!

Also, notice the new arrangements for disabled parking at the top of the drive by the house. Three tandem stalls on the concrete pad in front of the house are reserved for people with disabilities, but no sticker is required. The former graveled parking area at the top left of the drive has been converted to a drop-off and turn-around space, so that if you have a disabled passenger, you can drop them off and then go park your vehicle in one of our designated parking areas.

UU Fellowship of Tuolumne Countywww.uuftc.org

Pacific Central Districtwww.pcd-uua.org

UU World Magazinewww.uuworld.org

UUFTC Calendarwww.uuftc.org/calendar

UU Association of Congregationswww.uua.org

UU Service Committeewww.uusc.org

Meditation Returns!Tuesdays

9:00 - 10:0 a.m. Fellowship House

Under the OaksMarilyn Waggoner and Hoyt Cory have returned moving meditation, or Hei Gung – a Cantonese form of Qi Gong to our Oak Grove. It consists of very gentle quiet movements done standing mostly in one place. No special equipment or clothing is required. All ages are welcome. No experience is necessary. No fee requirede!

Member Birthdays

These members celebrate birth-days this month. Wish them a happy day!

Laurie BailieMarguerite Close

Trudy CraigChel OldhamIrene Patton

Ronda TamerlaneDusty Taylor

Monty ThornburgArlene Weissman

Ride Share?From time to time, we get calls from people requesting a ride to our services. If you are will-ing to give rides occasionally contact:Laurie Bailie, 533-2584, or [email protected] or Janet Telford, 928-5874, or [email protected]

Last month we told you about UUPS DropBox [That’s Unitarian Universalist Parcel Ser-vice] that is in the bookshelf in the living room of Fellowship House.

Items that you want to exchange with other UUs, or items you that you want to give away are to be placed here. And we said we’d put ‘Lost & Found’ items there too. Well, turns out its not big enough! So, for items you’ve left at UU Events, look on the shelf in the coat closet in this same room. See the blue bin in the photo? Your items will either be there, or on the shelf. BUT, don’t wait too long. We have limited space, and new inventory is constantly appearing, so if you haven’t picked up your stuff in three months, we’ll likely donate it to a local charity.

So reclaim your items next time you’re at Fellowship House. Info: Facilities Manager, Craig Mineweaser, 928-5900, [email protected]

Still Lost & Not Yet Found?

Facilities UseFellowship House & GroundsTo avoid overlap, and allow use by outside groups, all uses of our Fellowship House, are to be scheduled with the keeper of our calendar, Janet Telford at 928-5874 or [email protected] calling, check our Church Calendar at www.uuftc.org/calendar for availability. Our facili-ties are also used for weddings, memorial services, and other meetings by outside groups. If you would like to use our Fellowship House or grounds for an event, please contact our Facilities Man-ager, Craig Mineweaser at 928-5900 or [email protected]

Seasonal Improvements at Fellowship House

Documents

the Catalyst - uuftc.org · the Catalyst Volume 26/Issue 6 - OUR 25th YEAR! June 2016 In This Issue Buy a Tree ... always enjoys a good story (most often she hears them from Skyline