April 2009 Channing Channel Channing Unitarian Universalist Church 405-340-1213 President s Corner Board of Trustees Proposes Bylaw Revisions Make Sure You Are Informed Mark your calendars now because on Sunday, May 17 th, we will hold our year end Congregational meeting. Our most important business to discuss and vote on, besides voting on the proposed budget and the slate of Executive Officers and Trustees for the next fiscal year, will be some major revisions to the Bylaws, the document which contains the principles upon which we operate at Channing. Note: Amending the bylaws requires 2/3 of those members present and voting. Before you can understand why the Board is proposing changes to the bylaws, you need to understand the bylaws as they are written currently (see table summary). Even long time members are encouraged to familiarize yourself with the contents of this important document. Below is a high level summary of bylaw revisions being proposed by the Board in May: Raising the quorum of members from 25% to 50% who shall be present at congregational meetings. WHY? Not enough members present to make a quorum means no business (requiring a vote) can be conducted. Also, with a small church membership, it would require only a handful of people to be present and voting to make major changes that could affect the entire congregation. Increased duties of the president-elect to coordinating the work of the committees and act as liaison between the Board and the Committee Chairs WHY? To strengthen the Board s commitment to support the work of the committees; currently president-elect only presides at meetings at which the president cannot be present. President: Virginia Daniel President-elect: Pat Hervey Past President: Cheryl Barr Secretary: Melody Joyce Treasurer: Liz Duncan Trustees: Gene Douglas, Dorothy Driver, Harriette Porter, Dana Spears, Katherine Williams, Val Zemke Decreasing the number of trustees on the Board from 6 to 4 and reducing the terms of office from 3 to 2 years for all trustees and executive officers WHY? Makes it easier to find volunteers for these important positions. Secretary position no longer a voting member of the Board WHY? To give the trustees one more possible vote than the executive officers to keep the executive officers in check. No longer having an immediate past president on the Board WHY? Size of current board is too large for the size of our church. The Board is in full support of these changes. Be an informed member. If you have any questions or want to see the entire copy of the Bylaws, contact me or Pat Hervey, your soon-tobe Board president. We will post the bylaws document showing the proposed revisions on the bulletin board on May 1 st or earlier. Thank you for the trust you have given me and the other Board members this year. We hope we have lived up to your expectations this past year. Sincerely, Virginia Daniel, President
Page 2 Channing Channel Brief Summary of the Bylaws of Channing Unitarian Universalist Church Article I: Name of our religious society is Channing Unitarian Universalist Church of Edmond, Oklahoma, Inc. Article II: Purpose of this church is to foster liberal religious beliefs and practices in our community Article III: Membership Sixty days after joining this church, a member shall be eligible to vote at any congregational meeting. Membership implies support of our purpose. Membership is, without reservation, open to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, gender, affectional or sexual orientation, religion or national origin Article IV: Denominational Affiliation Member of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Article V: Meetings Two regularly scheduled congregational business meetings held each year. Special meetings can be held provisions of notice and requirements for quorum. The main purpose of the May meeting is to elect officers and members of the Board. The main purpose of the December meeting is to elect members of the Nominating Committee. The congregation must be given proper notice of these and other business matters to be discussed. Article VI: Officers and Members of the Board of Trustees: Main requirement is to have been a member of the church for a minimum of one year. Section 1. The executive committee consists of the president, president-elect, immediate past president, secretary and treasurer. Section 2. The duties of the officers; Section 3. (Except for secretary and treasurer which are one year positions). The board of trustees has three year terms of office on a rotating basis and the requirement to meet monthly. All meetings are open to the members of the congregation. Article VII: Nominating Committee Composition (3 Members) selection criteria, terms of office (1 year and no more than 3 consecutive years) and the duties of this committee which is to fill the vacancies on the Executive Committee Board of Trustees or other positions to be filled. Article VIII: Committee on Ministry Composition (3 members), selection criteria, terms of office (staggered 3 year terms) and duties of this committee who is responsible to the congregation, the ministers, and the church in general. Must be a member of the congregation for 90 days at the time of ratification. Article IX: Committees The president, in consultation with the Board, shall appoint chairs of all standing and ad hoc committees, with the exception of the two committees in the above articles. Article X: Minister How to call a minister to serve the church and their duties and responsibilities, 3 month notice requirement for resignation and majority vote of congregation necessary to dismiss. Article XI: Fiscal Year Starts July 1 and ends June 30 th. Article XII: Amendments Bylaws may be amended or replaced at any called congregational meeting by two-thirds vote of those present and voting. Article XIII: Dissolution It would be the Board s responsibility to carry out dissolution duties if we so chose to dissolve our church.
Channing Channel Page 3 Groups Writers Covenant Group Channing Writers will meet April 6 at Catherine s home at 7:00 pm. Important meeting, please be there. Contact Dorothy 840-1188 Women s Luncheon Group Meets the second Tuesday, April 14 th, at 11:30 am at Mimi s Restaurant on Memorial. All are welcome! Lucy Almitra 216-5888 lamitra@cox.net Stitchers Will meet April 11, 2:00 pm at the home of Pat Hervey. Contact her for information. Theater Group On April 10, we see Carpenter Square s Production of The Left Hand Singing, a play which focuses on the disappearance of three college students who traveled to Mississippi in 1964 to register black voters. Contact Pat Hervey for information. Choir Meets at Channing on Thursday nights from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Lunch Bunch Meets at 12:30. Location TBA. Info:Gene 391-3902. GAIA Circle Will meet at 6 pm on Sunday April 19 for a potluck dinner and program. The program will be on Spirit, one of the five elements GAIA Circle is studying this year. Presenters will be Lucy Almitra, Catherine Sullivan and Angela Brown. For more information contact Angela Brown at 206-7852. Harvest Health Will meet at 4 pm on Sunday, April 12 and April 26 at the home of Angela Brown. We will prepare a recipe and share the nutritional and historical information of our Food Topic. For more information contact Angela Brown at 206-7852 CUUPS The next CUPPS gathering will be Sunday, May 3 rd to celebrate Beltane (May Day). Labyrinth Study Group The April Labyrinth walk will be held April 20 from 6-8 pm. No experience is needed. Someone is always there to introduce you to this ancient form of walking meditation, and it s a wonderful break from a hectic schedule. The Church is located at 305 East Hurd in Edmond. Long Range Planning to Continue, with Your Help The Long Range Planning Committee is ready for the next step in the planning process. In last month s Channing Channel our President reported to you the results of the work that the congregation did at the January congregational meeting. The committee will ask you to take a brief survey during our Soup Sunday meal April 5 th. If you cannot attend, you will have a chance to respond by e- mail We have listed the items that were mentioned most often in that January meeting. We will ask each of you to select five items that you consider are the most urgently needed and to prioritize them. It is our hope that we can then combine these responses, placing them on a ten-year timeline for accomplishment. Results will be presented at the Congregational meeting in May. Literary Group will meet April 28 th at the home of Katherine Williams (285-4166) to discuss Fire in Beulah by Rilla Askew.
Page 4 April Sermon Topics April 5: Elouise Bell Sermon Title: THE MOST BELOVED UNITARIAN In her message, Elouise presents her candidate for Most Beloved Unitarian. She has chosen the adjective carefully, speaking of the Unitarian who has been most loved rather than the most famous or most influential (though her candidate was, in fact, both). Two clues are all she s giving us ahead of time: her MBU was an American, and, in keeping with this month s theme, exceptionally creative. April 12: Scot Harvey Sermon title: Easter Sunday In what ways can Easter lead us to renewal? Join Scot Harvey who will discuss the Easter Story within the larger context of humanity s desire for getting a fresh start. Humans have always needed new beginnings and we are no different. April 19: Donna Compton Sermon Title: Square Pegs in Round Holes Why Creationism is Dead and Deadly Wrong! The current take of Christian fundamentalism on the Genesis story of Creation is not only wrong in light of our modern understanding of the universe, it is dead and deadly wrong in its interpretation of the text itself. Making a beautifully creative, symbolic story into an exercise in straight-jacket literalism is not helping anyone. Some conservative Christians are actually coming to an understanding of this and they are voices crying the wilderness. Someone needs to be crying in the wilderness. April 26: James White Sermon Title: Barriers to Creativity The sermon is about things that hinder our creativity. There are things that try to put us in a box and limit what we are capable of. We need to deal with these things in order to be the creative person that we can be. Channing Channel Guest Speaker Bios Elouise Bell: Elouise Bell received an M.A. from Brigham Young University and taught on the English and Honors faculty there for thirty five years. On sabbaticals, she taught at the University of Arizona, the University of Massachusetss, Berzenyi College in Hungary and, after retirement, at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina. For many years, she was popular public speaker throughout the Intermountain West. She has published two volumes of essays, Only When I Laugh and Madame Ridiculous and Lady Sublime and currently welcomes brave Channingites to read her online blog. (Bellabellsoundings.blogspot.com/). Scot Harvey Scot earned his Master of Divinity from Phillips Theological Seminary in 2000. During the week, he works as an engineering supervision and on weekends he preaches at several congregations across the state. Donna Compton Donna holds a Masters of Divinity from Phillips University. She provided regular pulpit supply for Channing Church from 1996 to 1999 and has been an occasional speaker since then. She served on the Executive Committee of Disciples Peace Fellowship for 10 years. She is currently serving as a chaplain at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital. James White James is originally from upstate New York, but moved to Oklahoma when he joined the Army in 1991. After several years divided between the military, school at OSU, and working with people with developmental disabilities, he decided to pursue the chaplaincy. In September 2007 he moved his family back to Stillwater, and did his first year of seminary at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago. He has since transferred to Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, and is working on his M.Div. James and his wife Kristin are members of the UU Church of Stillwater, where James is in charge of the teen group and helps with the marketing program.
Channing Channel HELP NEEDED Channing needs a Publicity Chairperson. Duties include the following: 1. Promote church activities by providing articles to newspapers, such as the Edmond Sun and the Edmond section of the Oklahoman. List with online sources, especially music events. 2. If desired, place ads in church sections of local papers. 3. Oversee the web site by reminding the web master of any needed updates. 4. Maintain contact with the newsletter editor(s) to be sure the newsletter meets our needs. 5. Arrange for yard signs for special events if requested. If you would like to help our church by chairing this important committee, or if you are just interested in helping with a few of these duties, please contact Pat Hervey. HOPE CENTER Remember to bring canned and staple food items, baby food and diapers, and household products for the Food for Hope basket in the foyer. Each month Elouise Bell delivers these items to the Edmond Hope Center. In this time of economic crisis they are receiving ever greater numbers of requests for assistance. Let us do what we can even in this small way. Also welcome are sample sized bath and hair products which you may bring back from a trip. Page 5 ADULT FORUM This month we continue our exploration of UU Spirituality with the series Spirit of Life, built on the words of the hymn by that name which we sing each Sunday in church. April 5 Roots Hold Me Close: Tradition, Teachers, and Spiritual Formation April 12 Wings Set Me Free: Hopes, Dreams and Expanding Vision. April 19 Come to Us. Closing and Continuing On. Each session is self-contained and there is no preparation, so join us at 9:45 am Sunday morning, even if you have not attended other sessions. Come at 9:30 for coffee and conversation. Community Action Corner Spring and time to get back in shape. There are several Charity Walks and Events: April 18 Oklahoma Heart Assoc. Walk Bricktown Ballpark April 22 is Earth Day internationally, see more below April 25 OKC Multiple Sclerosis Walk OKC Zoo, Edmond walk in fall. May 9 Asthma Walk OKC Zoo May 30 Nat l Juvenile Diabetes Research Walk OSU-OKC Campus June 27 Gay Pride Festival and Parade CROP Walk scheduled for October 4, will soon be needing help addressing postcards to sponsors, churches, if you can help, please tell Sharon or Harriette. Earth Day officially Wed. April 22. OKC has declared April 22-26 Earth Week. On Earth Day, the 22 nd, there will be free transportation on all bus and trolley routes in OKC, Norman, and Edmond 5:30 am-7:30 pm. April 25 th, Sat. Earth Rest at Martin Park 10:00 am 5:00 pm with education booths, free seminars and kids stuff all day. Hazardous waste recycle on ammo, tires, and computers for OKC residents only Sat. 4/25 9:00am 1:00pm at the Fair Grounds. Bring your water bill to prove residency. AND THE BIG PARTY A Party for the Planet at the OKC Zoo from 11:00 am 3:00pm Sunday April 26. Free Zoo Admission. Google Earth Day Celebrations OKC for more info.
MEMBERSHIP We will be having New Member recognition on Sunday, April 19. If you attended the New to UU/Path to Membership class or have been thinking about joining Channing you may talk to Harriette Porter, or to Pat Hervey, or Virginia Daniel. We re on the Web! Visit us at: www.channinguuc.org PLEASE PLEDGE The annual pledge dinner is coming up Saturday, April 25 th (see Melody s delightfully creative flyer). It is usually an enjoyable evening with entertaining singing, fellowship and wonderful food. We will have sign-up sheets starting next Sunday, so please be on the lookout for those. (If you cannot attend but would still like to pledge, please see either Liz Duncan or me.) The annual pledge dinner is a time for members and friends to make a commitment to the health and prosperity of the church. As many of you know, money is not the only pledge we take. A pledge of time and/or a special service is always welcome. We have a unique community, and I would like to see it grow and expand. Even though we are small yet mighty, we really do need everyone to pitch in and help. We cannot afford (literally) to sit back and let a few people provide this great community for us; we all, ALL have to be involved in some way. So please come and pledge with us on April 25 th. Hope to see you there! Sharon Huey Finance Chair Channing UU Church P.O. Box 2382 Edmond, OK. 73083-2382