yUUper Newsletter
Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
“We affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person.”
Sunday Mornings at 10:30
July 2015; Vol. 30, #7
BHK Building (700 Park Ave., Houghton). Enter on North Side, off Waterworks Drive
Rev. Gabi Bids Farewell
July Event Schedule
July 5: “Patriotism and Religion.”
Rhianna Williams will explore the history
and similarities between patriotism and
religion; two powerful ideas that bring
people together while also dividing them.
July 12 “Advanced Underwater
Sensing at the Great Lakes Research
Center,” New underwater sensing
capabilities at Michigan Tech's, Great
Lakes Research Center (GLRC) have
created new research opportunities
never before possible. We are now able
to "see with clarity" approximately a
football field on either side of our vessels
with advanced sonar systems.
July 19: Michaux Moore and Jack Jobst
will continue a discussion on Building
Your Own Theology. Potluck and
Book Sale Today.
Adopt-A-Highway Sets
July Pickup Dates
July 26: “Leadership: What does
leadership mean in the context of our
faith tradition and in its practice?”
Will Cantrell, former Board President
and a member of the Ministerial Search
Committee, will share pivotal questions
(and, maybe, answers) on leadership that
have occurred to him in the recent past.
Board meeting today in the KUUF
Office at 12:30. Everyone welcome.
Keweenaw UU Fellowship
Reverend Gabi Parks ends her interim
duties to applause and thanks from all.
She now prepares for her move to
State College, Pennsylvania and a new
Interim position.
“I was intimidated at first by the
Copper Country winter weather, but
everyone in KUUF has been wonderful,”
she told the well-wishers on Sunday,
June 21st, at her last service with us.
July 2015
The KUUF Picker-UUpers missed the
first Adopt-A-Highway date of 2015, but
we have another opportunity from July
11-19.
Susan Hooker has graciously
volunteered to be coordinator, and she
will distribute bags and vests on
Saturday, July 11th at 10 am—SE corner
of Econo parking lot in Houghton.
Those wishing to pick up on their
own should call Susan (370-3181) so
she can assign a highway section.
Vol. 30, #7
Page 2
‘There is Work to be Done’
Linda Belote Begins her Presidency
Thank you for electing me your KUUF
president for the next two years. I am
looking forward to
working with
everyone to make the
coming year one of
our best ever.
We have learned a
lot from Rev. Gabi, and
she has given us some challenges to
address.
Our new minister, Chris Rothbauer,
will begin his service with us in midAugust. In the meantime, Rhianna
Williams has already made plans for the
regular services, and Horst Schmidt has
set up the forums during July and early
August.
We are indeed, as Will Cantrell, my
predecessor is so fond of saying, “the
church that runs itself.”
In order to continue doing this well
we will need volunteers for three ad hoc
committees: 1) a 30th anniversary
committee to plan the celebration of
this event in September;
2) A Music Director evaluation
committee to have their work
completed by the end of October; and
3) An Installation/ Ordination
Committee to work with Chris in
planning for this major event. Chris has
asked Amlan Mukherjee to chair this
committee, and Amlan has agreed to do
so. If you are willing to serve on any of
these committees, let me know:
[email protected]
_ Linda
Poetry Book Now Available
Writer and KUUF member, Tom
Hoornstra, has announced that his
recent book of poetry, Song of Ascents, is
now available through Amazon.
Keweenaw UU Fellowship
Annual KUUF
Potluck Picnic
Set for August 30
Mark your calendars
for the KUUF Annual
Potluck Picnic, Sunday
August 30th, at the
Marsin Nature Retreat
Center (on Red Brick
Road, West of
Houghton).
Fellowship Members, friends, and
newcomers are welcome to join us for
an afternoon of food, friendship, games,
and music. Contact Rhianna Williams at
[email protected] for more
information or to volunteer with setup.
Deadline Set for August
Newsletter
Tuesday, July 21st, is the final day to
submit material for the next newsletter.
The staff, however, appreciates material
submitted earlier, if possible.
Marine Life Researcher to
Speak at July Forum
Guy Meadows, PhD Purdue, will speak
on “Advanced Underwater Sensing at
the Great Lakes Research Center” for
our July forum on the 12th.
Dr. Meadows’ teaching reaches
beyond the University setting to less
formal environments, and includes five
nationally televised documentaries for
the History and Discovery Channels.
Green Book Group Seeks Titles
Please submit to Linda Belote by July
15th your nominations for Fall books to
be read by Green Sanctuary Book
Group. [email protected] .
July 2015
Vol. 30, #7
Page 3
Remember to Collect a
Summer Water Sample
program. The book will be ready for
check-out in July
Bob Fiandt
Rev. Chris has asked everyone to save a
small amount of water for a fall service.
If possible, save a sample that has
meaning for you, such as salt water
from a wave you caught at the beach,
the well water from your summer
cottage, or a few drops from a California
tap.
KUUF Library
News
Recently Rev. Gabi
led a series of classes
on “Building Your
Own Theology,”
which is offered
occasionally.
Are you interested in learning more
about the program, to see if it is worth
your time when offered again? If so,
then our ibrary has the book for you:
Richard Gilbert’s Building Your Own
Theology.
Build Your Own Theology (BYOT) is a
workbook, with eight worksheets, so if
you want to actually use them, you
would need to photocopy the pages.
The goal of BYOT is to develop a
personal credo that you write for
yourself, as opposed to a creed, which is
written by someone else. Ideally, the
book is designed to be used in a group
setting, but it could be used by an
individual, with the understanding that
the person will not get the critical
feedback that he or she would
otherwise receive.
The book offers many creative
writing activities designed to help you
realize your credo. Participants write in
a notebook or journal, and keep adding
to it, revising over the course of the
Keweenaw UU Fellowship
Rev. Gabi welcomes back KUUF member,
Pete Ekstrom, who has been ill.
KUUF Annual Meeting
Election Results
KUUF members met on Sunday, June 7th
for the election of new officers.
President: Linda Belote
Vice President: Janeen Stephenson
(Note: The secretary has been elected to a one
year term to re-sync election of Secretary and
Treasurer in even years):
Secretary: Jenn Donovan
Board of Trustees:
Shirley Galbraith and
Amlan Mukherjee
Nominating Committee for the 2016
Annual meeting:
Harriet King
Melanie Watkins
July 2015
Vol. 30, #7
Page 4
“Ode to Rev. Gabi”
To honor our interim minister, Linda
Belote, Nanno Rose, Cindy Enderby, and
Carol Ekstrom wrote lyrics based on the
early 20th century pop tune, “Ka-ka-kaKaty.”
At the end of the June 21st service, the
final one Dr. Parks would lead for us,
with Alex playing the piano to keep
everyone in time, all in attendance sang
the song to her.
O Reverend Gabi, Dear
Doctor Gabi, You’re the
m-m-m-minister whom
we adore.
When you came to us,
Your spirit came through us.
We became UUs for eh-eh-eh-evermore.
O Reverend Gabi, dear Dr. Gabi,
O Reverend Gabi, dear Doctor Gabi,
Fun and wisdom mixed each Wa-Wa-WaWednesday morn.
Roy’s was your favorite,
Pastry, a big hit.
It’s where UU Kaffee-ka-ka-ka-latch was
born.
O Reverend Gabi, dear Doctor Gabi,
Seven principles exemplified in you.
You do remind us,
Of social justice,
And to our fa-fa-fa-fellowship be ever true.
O Reverend Gabi, dear Doctor Gabi,
K U U will long re-meh-eh-eh-ember you.
Our chalice lighter,
Narrative writer,
Please come to visit every ye-eh-eh-eh-ear
or two.
You taught us to ba-ba-ba-build theology.
We have no creed, so
We each wrote a credo,
Focused on our personal reality.
Keweenaw Unitarian
Universalist
Fellowship
PO Box 276
Houghton, MI 49931
Keweenaw UU Fellowship
July 2015
Vol. 30, #7