April is Earth Month! Check out EcoSolution’s online resources for ways to move on a path to more sustainable living.
A great, big thank you to all activity leaders and all who participated in the Congregational Weekend, April 24 – 26. Thanks to Scott Dahlin for organizing the hotdog cookout on Friday that served over 120 people and to Katherine Acenas for helping us play silly games afterwards.
The rain on Saturday did not deter us from doing some work – and play. Thank you to the leaders in the day’s activities: Patti Hubbard led a crew to make chili and cornbread; Sue and Rich Freeman had their gang working on the grounds; Kathy Johnson and Kathy Orms pulled weeds in the rain garden with their group for Eco Solutions; Tom Ricono had everyone cleaning the foyer and Fellowship Hall; and a group of folks decorated and wrote cards for the Care Team with Chris Kelsey and Loretta Arnn. There were also fun activities for the kids: Pam Lepley helped little ones create flower pots and make care bags for our home-based members and Don Kautz showed his gang how to make bird houses, go on a scavenger hunt, and paint rocks!
We celebrated New Member Sunday by welcoming our newest members during the service and eating chili lunch together afterwards. The meat chili was deliciously donated by “Chef” Drake Dennis. Thank you to Caron Armstrong for shepherding this process and providing such a warm welcome to our Fellowship.
In Gratitude,
Your UU Membership Team: Katherine Acenas, Edie Barrett, Pat Bartholomew, Susan Campbell, Dorothy O’Beirne, Armand Perez, Mary Lou Rix, Jane Rogers, Donna Von Bargen, and Caron Armstrong
Help Needed
Friday, March 17 2-4:30pm
Saturday, March 18, 8am-1pm
CLICK HERE to sign up.
After many years of service, our beloved wooden playground equipment has reached the end of its safe lifespan. Can you help prepare the way for new playground possibilities? The old wooden equipment needs to be removed before it creates a real hazard in our big backyard.
We need a team of folks who can help dismantle, load up, haul away, and unload these two large wooden structures. CLICK HERE to sign up.
The work will be done Friday, March 17 and Saturday, March 18
Pam will be available to help direct on Friday. Dedicated longtime member and volunteer Herman S. will be available, along with Pam, on Saturday with his truck/trailer for hauling to the Hanes Mill Road Solid Waste Disposal Facility at 325 W Hanes Mill Road in Winston-Salem.
Snacks and drinks will be provided both days.
Bring work gloves to protect your hands and email Pam if you have a chainsaw or truck, as an extra one of either may come in handy.
Please sign up in advance to help. We need to know that we have enough volunteers to get the job done to make it a go. CLICK HERE to sign up.
ALSO
If you’re interested in knowing more about or participating in an emerging group to address the needs of the Fellowship playground, email playground@uufws.org.
Participants will collaborate with leaders and staff to address immediate needs, and anyone who has skill or interest in exploring the possibilities for an updated, safe, accessible (and fun!) playground is welcome.
The Governance Committee has unveiled a new web page in order to help unravel the mysteries surrounding what the heck “governance” really means. What’s the difference between a committee and a team? Which teams support which staff members? Check out this new page to help you sort it all out. Simply go to the website and look for “Governance” under the “About” tab. Or, click here!
My favorite part of our mission statement is to “Care for Each Other.” Members of our Care Team show up to provide for others, just as they have been provided for themselves. My favorite columnist, Sharon Randall, said it best when describing a time in her childhood when her family received the Care they needed.
Quoted with permission:
“Some good and caring people from our church came to our door with a ham and a tin of cookies. After they left, my mother handed me a cookie. Life, she said, is a bank. Sometimes you put in. Other times you take out. Either way, it’s all the same bank. You need to remember how hard it is to receive, because someday you’ll do the giving.”
Patricia Ricono
care@uufws.org
A message from member, Bob Holm:
So, who are the ROMEOs?
At my former UU church in Wilmington, a group of retired “old” men from church enjoyed eating lunch together at a restaurant, every other Thursday or so. The men were called the ROMEOS (Retired Old Men Eating Out)!
This is how it works… every two weeks, a group of guys goes to a restaurant to eat and talk and chat and debate and laugh about whatever they want to, all to enjoy getting to know each other better.
If this sounds like something you’d like to do, please let me know in response here via email (raholm1@gmail.com), or at church. I’ll plan our first lunch get-together, with y‘alls help.
You will find Jessica and me at church Sunday. I’ll once again be wearing a lanyard from my former church in Wilmington, and my shiny new badge from our new church. Easy to find me around the welcome table in the lobby before, and then around after the service… if you are curious about the ROMEOs, please stop on by. The first
Our 1st ROMEO meeting is planned for:
Thursday, October 6th, 12:00 noon. BTW, if you know a nice restaurant or two for lunch in the area, please let me know. We moved here in January, and I’m sure there are many “mighty fine” restaurants for lunch here (but, less seafood)!
Thanks for your help, to make the ROMEOs something new for the guys at UUFWS!
See ya’ Sunday, Bob Holm
Email me at raholm1@gmail.com. Thanks, y’all!
2022 Pride was a grand success!
Diversity and Inclusion were on glorious display this past Saturday, including our Fellowship! Loads of Unitarian Universalists showed up to march in or watch the Parade, and to take part in the Festival activities.
Special Thank You to all the volunteers who set up, took down, and staffed the Fellowship’s booth throughout the event!
Since last summer, the Governance Systems Task Force (GSTF) and Reverend Ed Brock, have been working together with the Board, staff, and volunteer committee/team leaders to jointly review our policies to clarify responsibility and authority for decision making, with a goal of empowering staff and volunteers to more effectively carry out our mission. Over the past months the GSTF has communicated our progress and solicited feedback through three Town Halls, the UU Forum, meetings with committee Chairs and staff, and regular updates through our newsletter, emails and Board notes.
Recently, Rev. Ed and staff met to discuss staff responsibilities, specifically which staff will support each team and group. Committees support the work of governance and assessment (led by the Board), and teams and groups support the day-to-day programming and operations (led by the Minister and Staff). Our staff embrace this opportunity and look forward to supporting their assigned teams.
The chart below lists all of our committees and teams, as well as many of our groups. Here you will find which staff person will support each team or group, as well as which committees will support the work of the Board of Trustees.
For most of our volunteers, these changes will not affect the volunteer work you are already doing. However, you may start to see the positive impact our staff liaisons will have as they bring a professional level of planning and goal setting to our group work. Our staff are the go-to persons for any questions or needs your group may have.
Wish you were more engaged? Contact Membership Manager Caron Armstrong and she can help you find a committee, team or group that’s a good fit for you.
We are continuing to work together with staff, committees and teams to lay the groundwork for a healthier and more impactful congregation, one poised for growth. We welcome your feedback.
For a printable copy, please email GSTF@uufws.org.
A Celebration of Life service for Herman Ernest Schmid Jr, “Ernie”, has been rescheduled for Saturday, August 6th at 1:30pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Winston-Salem. The family looks forward to joining friends to celebrate Ernie’s life. Donna Schmid should be attending. Stories and memories are appreciated and can be shared at his Caring Bridge page: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ernieschmid or emailed to herman.schmid@gmail.com
The EcoSolutions Team announced at the April 24th worship service that the Fellowship has surpassed our goal to reduce energy sector greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030, meeting the first goal in our Climate Resolution! In 2019, our last full year before the pandemic, we were 48% under our 2016 level. This reduction is primarily a result of the installation of solar panels, but other actions included switching to LED bulbs throughout the building, installing LED lights in our parking lot, monitoring building maintenance and other energy saving decisions. We strive to purchase the latest energy saving technology available to us when we upgrade our cooling and heating equipment. And we continue to look at ways to make our building energy efficient, such as installing additional insulation and reducing leaks around windows and doors.
Our EcoSolutions Team is continually striving to educate the Fellowship and take action both at the Fellowship and in the community. To become involved and receive notices about our quarterly meetings, send your name and email address to eco@uufws.org.
Below is our entire Climate Resolution, approved by our congregation on May 23, 2021.
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Climate Resolution
Approved May 23, 2021
Protecting and preserving the earth is a key tenet of the Fellowship’s mission. To achieve this mission it is essential for us to work within the Fellowship and in collaboration with others in the broader community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In keeping with the City of Winston Salem, Forsyth County, the Unitarian Universalist Association and the global Paris Climate Agreement, the UU Fellowship of Winston-Salem resolves to:
1. Reduce the Fellowship’s energy sector greenhouse gas emissions by 45% or greater from 2005 levels by 2030.
2. Utilize 70% clean renewable energy by 2030.
3. Achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
4. Advocate for achieving these goals individually and throughout the community.
5. Work in partnership with vulnerable or marginalized communities that disproportionately experience and confront the realities of the climate crisis.
6. Provide climate-focused educational and spiritual content during worship services, religious education and congregational life to inspire members to act in their personal lives to reduce their carbon footprint and consider the earth in their decision making.
7. Institute a process whereby the carbon footprint and/or environmental impact, if any, is factored into Board, staff and committee decision making, so that we may fulfill our mission to protect and preserve the earth and reach our sustainability goals. Establish a working group to integrate this process into the Strategic Plan along with a system of monitoring and reporting.
