The Clarion deadline coincides with the monthly Friendship Potluck Luncheons on the third Sunday of the month. Submissions can be in writing, on disk, faxed (773-5018) or e-mail at newsletter@uugreenfield.org.

Past issues of The Clarion can be found by clicking here.

May 2004 Clarion Headlines:

• Caring Coordinator for May
• From the Minister
• Board Notes
• Annual Reports Due
• Notes from the DRE
• First Annual Spring/Summer Swap
• Wheel of Life
• Youth, Young Adult Film Series
• New Member Breakfasts
• Membership Committee Meeting
• Sunday Morning Discussion Group
• Tag Sale Cancelled
• Connect-Commune-Pray
• Kitchen Cleanup
• Music for All Souls
• Emily Dickinson Poetry Walk
• As the End of the Year Approaches
• Worship Committee Planning Session
• Important Meeting for Committee Representatives
• Church Picnic and Annual Meeting
• Top Ten Reasons for Attending Work o' the Weavers
• Critical Mass Sought for All Souls Concerts
• Policy Toward Disruptive Behavior

The Caring Coordinator for May is Anne Hare.

From the Minister
During the April 16-18 weekend, over seven hundred people made use of our sanctuary for a splendid array of events. The canvass dessert, Coffee & Soul, the youth overnight, the Young Adult service, and Greenfield Harmony’s concert danced through, each with its own music. Morning, afternoon, evening, the dark of night: I observed our sanctuary playing host to spirits of all sort.

I found myself reflecting on our pews. Some were already out; then they were removed in large number. Then they all went back in. Their structure was critiqued. Their aging cushions were debated. They were cleaned and polished.

How would you feel if we arranged them as the diagram indicates? How about a new feel to the worship space? Other ideas? The Worship Committee meets May 16. Come and offer your thoughts and concerns!

Peace -
Jon Rehmus

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Board Notes
Next meeting date: Tuesday, May 18, 7 p.m., at the church. Contact any Board member (listed on the back of The Clarion) with your concerns or suggestions. Here are some of the highlights from our April meeting and other developments:

1. Please note our May meeting has been advanced by one weeek. This will allow the Pledge and Finance Committee extra time to tally the numbers and formulate a recommended ‘04-’05 budget for presentation to the Board on May 18. Ordinarily, the Board’s review in conjunction with representation from the Finance Committee is a line by line examination which consumes most of the meeting time. Consequently, the recommended budget for the June annual meeting should not suffer from a lack of consideration.

2. During the April meeting the Treasurer presented "good numbers" . Returns from current year pledges, almost 60% of the budget annual income, have pulled just slightly ahead of the quota amount due at the end of March. Three months (April, May, June) will deliver the approximately $12.5k to meet the budget projection. So now I have the temerity to paraphrase the W.W. II war bonds sales slogen of "Keep ‘em Flying" into the pledge slogan of "Keep on Giving".

3. A Policy Committee report recommended that a through-going survey of membership releigious and social attitudes be conducted in the ‘04-’05 church year. Also recommended to the Trustees, consideration of their commitment to the various church social programs; questions of endorsement: greater or lesser program development, greater or lesser funding support, and what would the Ways and Means Committee be the means/methods of achieving any new goals.

4. Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light delivered on its promised energy audit in early April. Be assured, the inspection was thoroughly professional going from the cellar to the bell tower. A written report, documented with photos, is forthcoming. Advanced word confirms what some may have already expected, is we should seek to install a new boiler system in the next year or two.

5. Now for a couple of good news items: Another "Official Irmarie Jones Tag Sale" is scheduled for Saturday, May 8th, at 9 a.m. The Second Annual Church Clean-Up Festival, mostly the front and both sides,(one hour and done) is scheduled for Sunday noon on May 8th. Finally, all members are cordially invited to both events!!!!!!!!!!

David Bigda, Chair of the Board of Trustees

Annual Reports Due in Early June, Sooner if Possible
Please remember we like to have the Annual Reports completed the week-end before Annual Meeting so people have time to read them before the meeting. It would be appreciated if all reports can be given to Diane Dix by June so there is time to edit, copy and collate. Thanks.

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Notes from the DRE
On a recent Sunday morning, we came downstairs to find that someone had smashed in one of the Nature Room windows. As happens so often in our community, this crisis brought out the best in us. The Nature Room teachers quickly and cheerfully set up a temporary classroom in the Parish Hall. Our Heroes of the morning became Superheroes indeed – cleaning up the mess, administering first aid and even temporarily patching up the broken window with Plexiglas quickly fetched from home! Various members of the Youth group pitched in to help as well. A few weeks later, a large rock was thrown through the back windshield of our Youth Director’s car while she chaperoned an overnight at our church. And once again, while it was upsetting to be the victim of vandalism, it was wonderful to see how our community pulled together as volunteers went outside and cleaned up her car.

It’s unlikely that the people responsible for either of these acts of vandalism will ever be caught. But if they are caught, I hope they will be sent to Community Justice (also known as Reinventing Justice). In Community Justice, vandals have the chance to learn about the impact of their actions. Perhaps our Sunday School teachers would explain how they had to suddenly adjust a lesson plan that they had carefully prepared. Perhaps some of the children would tell how it felt to see shards of glass all over their classroom and some of their projects damaged. Perhaps the Youth and the Youth Director would talk about what it felt like to ask themselves if they had been targeted and to wonder why.

After explaining how these actions impacted us, the Community Justice group would ask us to come up with an appropriate sentence. You know what I’d say? I’d invite these people to our church. I’d invite them to spend a morning in the Nature Room, maybe learn about what the kids had been working on. I’d like these people to join us for a service and for Coffee Hour, too – to get to know the people behind the building that they damaged. I’d also invite them to one of our Youth Group activities, maybe come to one of our GLBTQ events, an anti-racism workshop, a mid-week music or Coffee & Soul, or one of the many peace and social justice events that we host. I’d also let these people know that they could find an AA meeting here each and every Wednesday night.

Our church is, indeed, a sacred space. But not because we worship there or because our sanctuary is particularly holy. Our church is sacred because it serves the community, because it furthers the cause of peace and justice, and because of the bonds that are fostered inside of it. A bit of vandalism can’t diminish any of that. But if the vandals were caught, perhaps we would have an opportunity to share some of that sacredness with someone in need.

In Peace & Hope –
Eve

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Due to popular demand:
The RE Committee will be holding its
First Annual Spring/Summer Swap!
Sunday, May 16, immediately after 
the Friendship Luncheon

Bring your children’s outgrown Spring and Summer gear (clothing, shoes, swimwear – good condition only) and take home (hopefully) some that your children can use.

Wheel of Life
Maureen Moore is recovering from another hospitalization. Get well soon!

Congratulations to Loren Kramer who was the big winner on Saturday, April 24, in the drawing of names of people who pledged to the station that day. Loren won a canoe trip with WFCR’s naturalist Laurie Sanders and dinner at the Whately Inn.

Several people from All Souls Church participated in the March for Women’s Lives in Washington, D.C. on April 25: Lynn Nichols and Don Krüger, the Kennedy-Hill family, Jean Cummings and her daughter Kathy, Anne Hare, Marilyn Christian, Molly Chambers and Diane Smith.

Meanwhile, Chris Grinnell and Jon Rehmus took part in the local demonstration on the Greenfield Common and were quoted extensively in The Recorder.

Eve Brown-Waite has taken an indefinite leave from her studies to become a UU minister.

Thanks to Carol Flandreu who wrote a wonderful "My Turn" piece for The Recorder in response to an article in which someone was quoted as saying that Greenfield lacks enough musical and other events. Carol’s piece highlighted the music happening here at All Souls and music and arts in the community. Jon Rehmus was told recently that Franklin County has among the highest number of artists per capita in the nation.

Youth, Young Adult Film Series
Sunday, May 9. Please join us after church for a fun afternoon. Bring a beverage to share and suggestions for the future movies. Lunch will be provided. Call Martha Elliott (774-5601) for more information.

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New Member Sunday: June 6
Become a member of All Souls! The first Sunday service in June celebrates those newly joining the church, and this service is proceeded by two Sunday, 8:30 – 10:00 AM orientations. A light breakfast is served, and the sessions are a great way to get to know our community and tradition in detail. Please confirm with Jon Rehmus (624-3025) or Susan Fentin (369-0001) if you plan to attend the breakfasts and to sign the membership book on June.

A response to Mel! Join discussion leader Dan Tinen for weekly adult discussion. We are reading and discussing the wonderful collaboration of a Biblical archaeologist and a Biblical text scholar, Excavating Jesus, by J. D. Crossan and Jonathan Reed. Newcomers welcome! Please note: no discussion May 2 due to May Day.

Connect – Commune – Pray
Wednesdays, May 7 & 21; 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Meets in the Minister’s Study
Join minister Jon Rehmus and a small group of All Souls community members for a brief period of reflection, sharing, and prayer every other week. We meet in the minister’s study, and all are welcome without regard to religious belief. One need only bring an open heart! If you don’t wish to attend, but have someone in mind – perhaps yourself – for whom prayers are desired, feel free to call or approach Jon in this regard.

Kitchen Clean Up
See Irmarie Jones if you might be able to help with kitchen clean-up sometime in May. Projects include clean out the refrigerator, organizing the cupboards, cleaning the ovens, etc. A couple of people have already said they will volunteer, but it takes six to eight.

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Music for All Souls
Special Mother's Day Show - Buy 3 tickets and bring Mom for free!
On Sunday May 9th at 3:00 pm, the Brazilian pianist Luiz Simas will present a solo piano concert entitled " From Chorinhos to Bossa-Nova: The Brazialian Piano Music Tradition" at All Souls Unitarian Church in Greenfield. Mr.Simas is widely regarded as one of the finest Brazilian pianists living in the United States today. Mr. Simas has toured extensively throughout the world, and came to America in 1989 from his native Rio de Janerio. He was recently a featured performer at the 2003 Oslo Jazz Festival in Norway and the Hartford International Jazz Festival. In March 2003, he gave a sold out performance at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall. His compositions have been recorded by both American and Brazilian artists.

Mr. Simas is especially regarded for his original "chorinhos" compositions for solo piano. Chorinho" is a style of Brazilian music which evolved around the turn of the century, and is in some ways akin to American ragtime. Its roots can be traced to European classical music (Chopin, Bach) and African-Brazilian rhythms. Ernesto Nazareth was one of the most important early chorinhos composer and pianist. Later on, the great Pixinguinha and others also composed chorinhos for other instruments.

Emily Dickinson Poetry Walk
Saturday, May 15; 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.; Amherst
A trip down the Valley to honor the great poet: a carpool group will leave All Souls at 12:20. Each spring as the gardens bloom, the Dickinson House in Amherst offers a free walking tour punctuated by verse (read in period dress!). It winds up with a visit to her grave followed by an open house. Come hear this unique voice in its setting and to see Amherst from a 19^th Century perspective. Contact Jon Rehmus for details.

As the End of the Year Approaches…
As the sun warms our hearts and our gardens, as we take to bike rides and walks, time slips away. The church year always seems to end in a rush! Thus, please take the time now to note some important upcoming events in May and June:

Worship Committee Planning Session: May 16
New members are welcome to this meeting where we critique this past year’s services and plan for 2004-05. We will meet over lunch (provided) after church.

IMPORTANT MEETING FOR COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES
Sunday, June 6 from noon - 1:00 p.m.
Come to a brief, after-service meeting with Jon and Board member Angel Russek to get program and calendar coordination underway for the 04-05 church year. With so many wonderful efforts underway at All Souls, let's check in now to pave the way towards a successful year!

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Church Picnic and Annual Membership Meeting: June 19 & 21
The Annual Church Picnic will be held on Father’s Day, June 20, at the Northfield Mountain Recreation Area. We will have the pavilion on a scenic bank of the Connecticut River. The Annual Meeting will be held the following Monday evening. Stay tuned for details on both events!!

Top Ten Reasons for Attending the May 15th Celebration of Peace and Justice Starring Work o' the Weavers at All Souls

10. You’re looking for a fun family evening out.
9. You know the words to the songs (trust me — you do!)
8. Toni Eaton loved the show! (ask her about it)
7. Pete Seeger loved the show! (but don’t call him)
6. Dan Tinen used to perform with the group’s leader.
5. Dan will be signing autographs after the show (just kidding)
4. You believe that the folk music boom of the 50s and 60s never really died.
3. You wake up every morning singing "Wimoweh".
2. You want to learn more about the peace and justice work being done in the Pioneer Valley (groups will be tabling downstairs).
1. You want to annoy John Ashcroft by attending a peace and justice event.

You gotta be there! Saturday, May 15th, 7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.) Buy tickets from Diane Dix through the church (773-5018) or online at www.uugreenfield.org/coffeeandsoul

On Saturday, May 8, at 9 PM, tune in to Valley Folk on WFCR, 88.5 FM, and listen to Susan Forbes Hanson’s interview with members of the Work o’ the Weavers.

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Critical Mass Sought for All Souls Concerts
There are many ways we are asked to support All Souls Church but, by far, the easiest and most enjoyable way to do this is to support our wonderful music programs — by attending them, talking about them, and bringing friends and family. We have such a magnificent performance space in the sanctuary, especially since we acquired the concert grand piano. But the sanctuary feels very empty unless we have a good-sized core audience.

On April 17, we sold all 300 tickets to the Coffee & Soul concert featuring Slaid Cleaves and Tracy Grammer. Imagine, a line of people on the sidewalk past the Garden Theater! Such excitement in Greenfield. Most of the staff sat up in the balcony so we wouldn’t exceed the fire cod

This month the "Work o’ the Weavers" and the emphasis of social justice and civil liberties issues in the ‘40s and ‘50s and how they are so similar to the current climate is a "must see." We will have representatives from different peace and justice groups displaying there. Don’t let them outnumber the audience!

Luiz Simas is another internationally known artist who is coming from NYC and Carnegie Hall to All Souls Church. How can we pass on this opportunity? In New York we’d be paying $25+ to attend. Here we charge so little. We feel music is a part of our overall ministry and we want to make it accessible to everyone. This is our newest series and needs a lot of nurturing in its infancy. I has great potential.

These are programs we can be very proud of. They also are a possible source of significant revenue for the church. We have so many needs, a new boiler, handicapped accessibility, stained glass repair, window replacements downstairs, to name a few. How can you help us achieve these goals? Help us fill the seats.

Mid-Week Music isn’t a fundraiser, necessarily, but thanks to donations and grants it is self-supporting. It is a sweet experience each week. The musicians share their talents for a small stipend and give great pleasure to the audience. Our average attendance this spring is about 70. I have come to have very tender feelings for some of the members of our weekly audience. Every week we host a group from the Green River House and a home-schooled boy has been attending with his mother for several years. There is a nice couple who donated enough to be listed as a sponsor of the fall series. My current favorites are a couple whom I intentionally sit behind because I love watching their interactions. He is gray-haired, in a wheel-chair, and sits in the center aisle and his wife sits at the end of the pew. I wish I could create an accurate mental picture for you of them, holding hands, sometimes turning to each other to share a smile of approval.

That is pure music ministry. "If music be the food of love, play on!" (Shakespeare)— Diane Dix

Adopted by the Board of Trustees
All Soul's Unitarian Universalist Church, Greenfield, MA

While openness to a wide variety of individuals is one of the prime values held by our congregation and expressed in our denomination's purposes and principles, we affirm the belief that our congregation must maintain a secure atmosphere where such openness can exist. When any person's physical and/or emotional well-being or freedom to safely express his or her beliefs or opinions is threatened, the source of this threat must be addressed firmly and promptly, even if this ultimately requires the expulsion of the offending person or persons.

There have been times when the disruptive behavior of an individual within the church building has led members to voice their concerns about one or more of the following:

A. Perceived threats to the safety of any adult or child;

B. The disruption of church activities;

C. Diminishment of the appeal of the church to its potential and existing membership.

The following shall be the policy of All Soul's Unitarian Universalist Church in dealing with these issues:

1. A Grievance Committee (the "Committee") shall be established by the Board of Trustees, in the manner and staffed by those persons, as designated by the Board.

2. If an immediate response to a disruptive behavior is required, this will be undertaken by the Minister and/or the leader of the group involved. This may include asking the offending person or persons to leave, or suspending the meeting or activity until such a time as it can safely be resumed. If further assistance is required the Police Department may be called. Anytime any of these actions are undertaken, the Committee must be notified. A follow-up letter detailing what steps must be taken before returning to the activities involved will be sent by the Minister and/or the leader of the group involved to the offending party or parties. The offending person may appeal the foregoing to the Committee pursuant to the following section.

3. Situations not requiring immediate response, and all appeals from actions taken in the preceding section, will be referred to the Committee. The Committee will respond in terms of their own judgment observing the following:

1. The Committee will respond to problems as they arise. There will be no attempt to define "acceptable" behavior in advance.
2. Persons identified as disruptive will be dealt with as individuals; stereotypes will be avoided.
3. The Committee will collect all necessary information.
4. To aid in evaluating the problem, the following points will be considered:

   DANGEROUSNESS - Is the individual the source of a threat or perceived threat to persons or property?

   DISRUPTIVENESS - How much interference with church functions is going on?

   OFFENSIVENESS - How likely is it that prospective or existing members will be driven away?

5. To determine the necessary response, the following points will be considered:

   CAUSES - Why is the disruption occurring? Is it a conflict between the individual and others in the church? Is it due to a professionally diagnosed condition of mental illness?

   HISTORY - What is the frequency and degree of disruption caused in the past?

   PROBABILITY OF CHANGE - How likely is it that the problem behavior will diminish in the future?

6. The Committee will decide on the necessary response on a case-by-case basis. However, the following two levels of response are recommended:

LEVEL ONE - One or more members of the Committee meet with the offending individual to communicate the concern.

LEVEL TWO -The offending individual is excluded from the church and/or specific church activities for a limited period of time, with reasons and the conditions of return made clear.

4. Any action taken under item f. may be appealed to the Board of Trustees. Pending such appeal, the action of the Committee shall remain in effect. In addition to the responses set forth in LEVEL ONE and LEVEL TWO above, the Committee may recommend to the Board, and the Board may determine, that the offending person be permanently excluded from the church premises and all church activities. If it is decided that expulsion will take place, a letter will be sent by the Board explaining the expulsion.

5. The Committee shall maintain a confidential file of all matters pertaining to disruptive persons under these rules.

All Soul's Unitarian Universalist Church strives to be an inclusive community, affirming our differences in beliefs, opinions and life experiences. However, concern for the safety and well-being of the congregation as a whole must be given priority over the privileges and inclusion of the individual. To the degree the disruptive behavior compromises the health of this congregation, our actions as people of faith must reflect this emphasis on security.

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