Heirloom
Monthly newsletter for members and friends of Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church
Heritage UU Church
2710 Newtown Road
Cincinnati, OH 45244
Phone: 513.231.8634
Fax: 513.231.6438
www.huuc.net
[email protected]
Minister
Rev. Bill Gupton
Phone: 513.233.0643
[email protected]
Wednesday is Rev. Bill’s day off
Friday is his sermon-writing day
October 2013
Assistant Minister for Religious
Education
Rev. Leslie Woodward
Phone: 937.478.1031
[email protected]
Music Director
Matthew Quick
Phone: 205.821.4217
matthew.glenn.quick@
gmail.com
Minister Emeritus
Rev. Doak Mansfield
Church Administrator
Denise Martinez
Phone: 513.231.8634
[email protected]
Office hours:
Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday, Friday: 11-2
Board President
Reese Johnson
Phone: 513.259.8650
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Melissa Dunlap
[email protected]!
Next deadline: October 25 by
5 p.m.
Minister Emerita
Rev. Elinor Artman
Upcoming Worship Services
Sunday, Oct. 6: “LGBT and the Search
for Truth and Meaning”
Our fourth Unitarian Universalist principle
encourages us to engage in a “free and responsible
search for truth and meaning.” The experience of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in
this search can offer lessons for us all – LGBT and
straight allies alike. A member of our Heritage
Church Welcoming Congregation Committee (a
group whose work in our church began now more
than a decade ago) will offer today’s reflection.
Sunday, Oct. 13: “Building a Church”
Rev. Bill Gupton
This morning we celebrate the renovations to our
church building, reflect upon their meaning in the
ongoing growth and development of our
congregation, and give thanks for the blessing of
this beloved community. Please bring a dish to
share at our very first potluck lunch with our new
kitchen! There will also be a New Member
Ceremony this morning; those who would like to
become members of the church today should
contact Rev. Bill at [email protected].
Sundays, 10:30-11:45 a.m
Sunday, Oct. 20: “Been a Long UU
Time”
Various Church Members
What’s it like to have been a lifelong Unitarian
Universalist? What’s it like to have been a UU for
several decades, in different UU congregations and
locations? Five Heritage members who fit these
descriptions will share their experiences and
insights with all of us today.
Sunday, Oct. 27: “Bury Me Green”
Rev. Bill Gupton
On his first pilgrimage to Boston as a young(er)
Unitarian Universalist minister, Rev. Bill was
fascinated – and delighted – to discover a pine tree
growing out of the grave of Henry David Thoreau.
During his first sabbatical several years ago, Bill
began researching “green burial” and natural
cemeteries. This morning he will talk frankly about
a subject few of us find comfortable, share why he
has chosen to be buried naturally, and debunk
many of the myths of the modern American funeral
industry.
Sunday, Nov. 3: “We Remember Them”
Rev. Bill Gupton
Our annual All Souls Sunday service is an
opportunity for individuals, and the community, to
honor and remember those in our lives whom we
have lost in the past 12 months. This year, far too
many among us have lost parents, partners,
siblings, loved ones and friends. Today we lift up
their memories, as we celebrate their lives and what
they have meant to us.
You are encouraged to bring a photograph and/or
keepsake of your loved one to be placed on altars
that will be located throughout the sanctuary this
morning. If you would like your loved one’s name
to be read aloud during the ceremony of
remembrance, please send it to Rev. Bill at
[email protected].
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On the
Path
by Rev. Bill Gupton
Ah, the best laid plans! So
here we are, at the
beginning of October, and
we’ve still not officially
moved into our new kitchen, nursery, preschool
room or bathroom. There’s still minor work being
done in the sanctuary. Construction, in a word,
continues.
Not to be deterred, however, this thriving
congregation also continues its mission, as well as
its programs and its growth. Intrepid Sunday
School teachers offer our children love, challenging
topics and fun activities in, shall we say, less-thanideal space (including a tent?!?…). A Get
Acquainted Dinner happens (thank you, Ann
Jarboe and the Membership Committee!) – even
without a functioning kitchen. Folks show up for
work days, for Chalice Circles, for adult religious
education. The Choir is singing and the preacher is
preaching. Treasured annual events like the
Women’s Retreat and the Labyrinth Arts Festival
remind us that all is well. After all, what’s a little
dust and disruption, anyway?
At the Church Council meeting last month, the
Board of Trustees shared with committee chairs and
volunteer leaders our goals for the 2013-14 church
year. Each summer, the Board and the ministers
gather for a retreat to focus our collective energies
on a vision for the coming year. With renovation
(almost) behind us now, it is our collective intention
to seek justice in a more focused way than ever
before. The portion of our “shared ministry goals”
that addresses this vision reads like this:
“Embodying the UUA’s Standing on the Side of
Love campaign, we will foster active involvement
in participatory social justice work and radical
hospitality within our church.”
I salute the Board for leading us on this new path.
Our congregational mission has long been to
“celebrate life, create community, and seek justice” –
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and we have done a pretty good job at the first two
of those ideals. But social action – justice work – has
not been an emphasis for the Heritage community.
This year, we plan to change that! At the worship
service on Sept. 15, Board members and other
leaders showed up in their bright yellow “Standing
on the Side of Love” T-shirts as I announced our
first large-scale social justice day. On Saturday, Nov.
2, we hope and expect that dozens of HUUC’ers will
caravan to Columbus for a full day of justice work
that will include meeting other UUs from around
Ohio, networking and planning social action,
breaking bread together – and then joining a large
rally on the steps of the state capitol.
In the two weeks since that Sunday service, some
amazing things have been happening. A Cincinnatibased UU “Justice Choir” is forming, so that folks
can not only stand, but sing on the side of love next
month. More than 50 people from Heritage (yes, you
read that right!) placed orders for their own
“Standing on the Side of Love” shirt – many with
the intention of wearing those shirts to create a sea
of yellow at the UU Justice Ohio event in Columbus
on Nov. 2. (If you haven’t already registered to
participate, please do so soon at http://
ohiomeadville.org/uujo – then let me know that
you’re planning to attend; we will be arranging
carpools.) The day’s schedule may be found at
http://ohiomeadville.org/uujo/?page_id=600.
As the fall gives way to winter, I will be steering us
toward ways we can get involved, at the grassroots
level, in the fight for marriage equality in Ohio.
There will be an Allies for Racial Equality antiracism conference and training at First Unitarian
Church in Cleveland the weekend of March 14-16. I
am working on arrangements for a long-discussed
but never fulfilled dream of taking HUUC
volunteers on a "mission trip" to help others in a
part of the country where our help can go a long
way; I anticipate this trip taking place in the spring
or early summer. All year long, there will be
opportunities to work on immigration reform
through the UU Council of Cincinnati and the
Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati.
Other events, programs, and immediate witness
opportunities will, of course, also present
themselves, for sadly, our world has no shortage of
injustice.
But don’t forget that there is a second component to
our Standing on the Side of Love goal: radical
hospitality within our own church community.
Someone recently asked me what is meant by that
phrase, “radical hospitality.” To me, it means being
welcoming to and inclusive of those who make us
uncomfortable. It’s one thing (too easy, in fact) to
welcome and include people with whom we are
comfortable. It’s something altogether different –
truly a spiritual practice – to welcome and include
those who make us un-comfortable. Yet it is only
when we can do this, that we are truly living our
Universalist faith.
How might this look? It might be something like
sitting down, at a potluck lunch, with that person
with whom we have had a conflict. It might mean
walking toward, rather than away from, someone
who has always rubbed us the wrong way. It might
be making a place in our community for someone
who has been deeply wounded by life, and whose
experiences or manner are very different from ours.
It might mean stopping ourselves, when we
discover we are about to criticize someone else, or
judge them.
This year, let us look for opportunities to practice
radical hospitality. Let us commit to seeking out,
and participating in, group and congregation-wide
social justice efforts. Let us take the next step in our
development as a community of faith – our next
step on the path – as together we move into a new era
at Heritage Church. And let us remember to do all
of this, in the spirit of love that defines this special
community.
Namaste,
Rev. Bill
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A Message
from Our
Board
President
by Reese Johnson
It feels really good to be back together.
Reconnecting with folks I haven’t seen in a while
reminds me how important those people and those
relationships are to me. And while the fluidity of
summer is wonderful, I must admit that I like the
structure that the school (and church) year brings to
our routines!
Speaking of routines… our various committees are
up and running and have probably gotten together
at least once or twice already. However, it is not too
late; if you are looking for a way to actively engage
with our community, please contact me, Rev. Bill, or
Rev. Leslie, and we’d be happy to help you find a
place that fits your interests, talents and time. We
are also very lucky to have Chris Sofge, who has
volunteered to be our inaugural “Talent Scout.”
Chris is really pumped about connecting people to
opportunities across our church – so give it some
thought! Serving on a committee, or teaching in the
R.E. program is such a rewarding way to be “all in”
with respect to our community.
Another part of our annual early fall routine is our
Church Council meeting, which was held on Sept.
15 (see details on page 7). That day we offered
church leaders, and by extension to the whole
church, the shared ministry goals that the Board of
Trustees, in partnership with our Ministers, had
developed at our August retreat. They are:
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2.
Embodying the UUA’s “Standing on the Side
of Love" campaign, we will foster:
• Active involvement in participatory social
justice work, and;
• Radical hospitality within our church
Adopt comprehensive church safety policies.
With respect to our first goal, I hope that lifting up
this ideal will challenge or inspire you to get
involved in social action work in the larger
community, as well as to practice radical hospitality
within our four walls. Get your yellow “Standing
on the Side of Love” T-shirt and be ready to join us
at the next event.
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together – very nicely – and I cannot wait for our
first potluck together to celebrate our new kitchen
(and both my daughter Meredith and I can’t wait to
be in the new preschool room!). The project
schedule is very dynamic, so keep an eye out for
HUUCannc emails to keep up to date on the latest
status.
Take care,
Reese Johnson
Capital Campaign
Contributions
Please make your contributions by check for the
Capital Campaign payable to “The First
Universalist Society.” That is our incorporated name
(since the mid-19th century), and also the name of
the bank account for the campaign. For questions
regarding payments, please contact Bob Booth,
Receivables Treasurer.
Newcomers Invited to
Get Acquainted
Newcomers to the Heritage community are invited
to be our guest at the fall Get Acquainted Dinner on
Saturday evening, Oct. 5. Whether you’ve been
coming to church for a week or two or a few
months, this is your opportunity to meet other
newcomers, get to know some of our church
leaders, and enjoy food and fellowship in a casual,
informal setting. The evening begins with
appetizers and drinks at 6 p.m., followed by dinner
at 6:30 in the Great Hall. Child care is available
upon request. To RSVP, please contact Ann Jarboe at
[email protected].
It’s Finally Time to
Celebrate!
At long last, our renovation project is complete. Or
almost complete. Or pretty darn near complete.
Regardless, we’re planning to celebrate our success
on Sunday, Oct. 13, and the party wouldn’t be
complete without you!
Please join us for a special worship service at 10:30
a.m. in the sanctuary, followed by the first potluck
lunch we’ve enjoyed in the church in a loooong
time. We’ll celebrate our new kitchen, our new
sanctuary, our new nursery and preschool room,
even our new bathroom! Be sure to bring a dish to
share, plus plenty of room in your stomach and
room in your open heart, as together our
community moves forward into the future.
Childcare will be provided.
For those who are interested in learning more about
Unitarian Universalism and Heritage Church, an
informal, optional “UU 101” session will follow
dinner, led by Rev. Bill Gupton. Bill will answer
your questions, offer an introductory overview of
UUism, and help orient you to Heritage Church.
And finally – speaking of walls – our construction
project is almost done! It’s been a long summer for
our contractor and for our in-house project
manager, Susan Conley (who all along has been
juggling so many things between here and Dayton
and West Virginia). But at last, things are coming
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Art Reigns at Heritage October 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Virginia Cox - “Boy at Fountain Square”
Kim Hunker - Photograph
The Labyrinth Art Festival (LAF) is coming! Thirty
fine artists will be selling their works. If you are
longing for stained glass, mosaics, jewelry, woodturned bowls and pens, pottery, photography,
watercolors, notecards, weavings, purses, tie-dyes,
embroidery, pine needle baskets or marble cheese
boards … Heritage is the place to be the second
Saturday in October.
Live and lively music will be provided by Suzanne
Bona (flute), Mimi Sinclair (violin), Pete Boylan
(guitar), Matt Quick (piano), Les Tacy (instruments
and vocal), and The Tye-Dye Band.
In addition to fine art, the Batavia Farmer’s Market
will offer honey, beef jerky, homemade pies and
candies, popcorn, pumpkins and gourds in their
outdoor booth. Eban Bakery will have gluten-free
items as well. Each vendor is contributing to the
LAF raffle.
The Labyrinth Arts Festival will be featured on
WVXU on Sunday, Oct. 6 between 7-8 p.m. LAF
will also be on Anderson Community TV daily in
October.
June Ludwick - Basket
Volunteers are needed for Friday, Oct. 11 (in the
evening) and throughout the festival on Oct. 12. See
Connie Booth to identify your preferred “job.”
The admission fee is $3 for people over 12 years old.
Admission fees are optional for volunteers.
Vegetarian and meaty chili will be sold to be
enjoyed on-site or to take home. Homemade cookies
and Laffy Taffy will also be available.
“Art on the Spot” will provide first-hand
experiences for small groups. Henna hand-painting
(10:00 a.m.), decorative photo frames (noon) and
sand bowls (2:00 p.m.) are the choices. Registration
will be at the admission table. There is a $10 fee for
each session.
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Get a preview of the artists at:
www.labyrinthartsfestival.org
www.facebook.com/LabyrinthArtsFestival
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Explorers
Scenes from the R.E. scavenger hunt
Children’s Religious Education Is Now in Full Swing!
by Rev. Leslie Woodward
By the time you read this, our Religious Education
program will be in full swing. We’re excited about
the many ways our children will be learning about
our Unitarian Universalist faith and values this
year!
As you might have heard, this autumn we are using
online curriculum resources provided through the
UUA’s “Tapestry of Faith” project. This is exciting
not only because the curricula offer many different
activities and options for our R.E. teachers, but also
because it provides an easy way for parents and
guardians to learn about what our children are
doing in their R.E. classes.
You can go to the website at any time and download
an individual lesson plan or even an entire program
if you like. Here are the links for the programs we
are using in our elementary-school-age classes.
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Kindergarten & 1st Grade — Wonderful Welcome
http://www.uua.org/re/tapestry/children/welcome/
(Note: this is a change from our previously
announced curriculum for this age group)
2nd & 3rd Grades — Faithful Journeys
http://www.uua.org/re/tapestry/children/journeys/
4th & 5th Grades — Toolbox of Faith
http://www.uua.org/re/tapestry/children/toolbox/
In addition, every lesson has a “Taking It Home”
component – a handout that provides background
information for parents, and suggestions for
exploring the topic at home with your children.
Doesn’t that sound wonderful?
Finally, to keep with our practice of asking R.E.
teachers to commit to only two Sundays each
month, the R.E. Committee has decided to schedule
special R.E. Community Days – Sundays when our
regular teachers are off and other adults fill in. On
Community Days, we'll have all the children
together (preschool through fifth grade) doing
activities appropriate for a larger, multi-age group.
The only way we can offer this solution is if YOU
volunteer for one of our Community Days in R.E. This is a great way to get involved in R.E. without
committing to be a regular teacher or assistant.
Here are our Community Day dates. Please send
me an email or use the Sign Up Genius link below to
volunteer today!!
October 27
December 1
December 29
To sign up, go to:
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/
10C0D4BAEAB28A3FD0-recommunity It’s going to be a great autumn! Won’t you join us?
Faithfully,
Leslie Woodward
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Talking with
Children
about Death
by Rev. Leslie Woodward
When my grandmother was
a little girl, birth and death
were part of everyday life. Babies were born in their
parents’ bedrooms. Elders and the infirm were
cared for and died at home, and after death were
typically “laid out” in the front room of the house.
Children watched and listened and, as they grew,
came to understand both birth and death as natural
and inevitable.
Today nearly 70% of Americans die in a hospital,
nursing home, or long-term-care facility – all places
where visits by children are often restricted or
discouraged. As a hospice chaplain, I’m often told
that young children or grandchildren are no longer
brought to visit the dying. Typically the child’s
caregiver states that they want to shield them from
unpleasant sights and smells or that they wish the
child to remember their loved one “the way she or
he was before they got sick.”
Despite our efforts to protect them, children learn
about death in many ways. Horrific events all over
the world appear on the news, often with children
among the wounded or killed. While we can restrict
television viewing or quickly change the radio
station, our children will likely hear about events
like the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting or
the next great tragedy from their peers. Sometimes
child-oriented television programming like Sesame
Street and Mr. Rogers touches on both natural and
tragic deaths. And occasionally death is implied in
programs like My Little Pony or Spiderman.
As parents and guardians of young souls, I suggest
that we accept our authority to discuss death and
other tragedies with our children. It’s important that
our children know that it is okay to discuss every
subject, even those that are difficult and painful.
One of the most holy times in many Unitarian
Universalist church services is the time we call
Candles of Community. Speaking our joys and
sorrows, big and small, allows us to share tiny
glimpses of our lives with our church family.
Allowing our children to hear our delights and our
burdens can provide an entry into discussing
challenging topics later at home.
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If you have concerns about talking with children
about death or other difficult subjects, please know
that I can provide a listening ear and/or helpful
resources. Our children may ask us hard questions
and we may struggle with our answers. But opening
the door to these discussions is better than allowing
a child to believe these topics are taboo – or perhaps
worse, that they are left to figure things out for
themselves without our guidance.
Faithfully,
Leslie Woodward
Notes from the Music
Committee
We are taking note of folks who are interested in
sharing their musical talents during the worship
service, particularly on days when the choir is not
singing. Would you like to sing with the House
Band on occasion, sing in an ensemble, play an
instrument either alone or with others, drum along
with the choir or other talent? Would your child
enjoy playing at church?
To become involved, please get in touch with Music
Director Matt Quick, or Music Committee members
Leila Saxena, Ellie Lamb, Kay Inskeep, Frank
Collins, Robin Skiff or Connie Booth (chair).
Save the Date:
Outdoor Workday
Scheduled
Saturday, Oct. 19 at 9:00 a.m. (rain date Oct. 26)
Thank you for bringing water to our
Ingathering Service on Sept. 8th
Have you moved?
An unusually large number of Heritage Church
members have moved in recent months. If you are
among them, please contact both the church office
([email protected]) and Rev. Bill ([email protected])
with your new address, new phone number if any,
and other updated contact information.
If you are among those half-dozen or so members
whom we are sad to have learned have moved out
of the area, please also include in your email an
indication of whether or not you wish to remain an
official, supporting member of Heritage Church.
Finally, whether you’ve moved to California or just
to Clifton, we wish you well, and would love to stay
in touch!
In the interest of safety, the dead trees behind the
church are being taken down by a professional tree
service. The trees scheduled to come down are in
the woods near the labyrinth and outdoor chapel.
After the trees are felled, the rest of the job is up to
us. We are looking for folks with chain saws –
especially those willing to use them to help cut the
logs to lengths that can be moved – and persons to
help move wood and clean up. A chipper will be
rented and the resulting chips will be put on
pathways. Older teens and adults are welcome to
work.
We anticipate this taking a while (10 trees in all need
to come down), and we may be working for several
hours. Come for the day or a few hours. We
welcome your help.
A light lunch will be available, as will the coffee pot
and juices throughout the day. Contact Bob or
Connie Booth with questions, at 231-7758 or
[email protected]
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Ready to Join
Heritage?
Report on Our Fall Council Meeting
Been coming to church for a while? Feeling more
and more at home at Heritage? Maybe it’s time to
take the next step!
The fall meeting of the Church Council was held on Sunday, Sept. 15. Council meetings are held twice a
year with the goal of facilitating communication among committees and working groups within the church
community. All members and friends of the church are invited to attend these open meetings.
On Sunday, Oct. 13, we will welcome the next
group of church members into our Heritage
community. Becoming a member is easy – simply
by expressing, in writing, your desire to join
HUUC, and by making a commitment of volunteer
and financial support to help Heritage fulfill its
mission to “celebrate life, create community and
seek justice,” you can join our growing
congregation of more than 150 adult church
members.
The meeting began with a chalice lighting and reading by Rev. Bill. Then, each committee or working group
gave a brief report of their work. This gives everyone in attendance an opportunity to understand the
“bigger picture” of church life and administration.
If you’re not sure, or have questions about church
membership, there are a couple of ways to get them
answered. Feel free to contact our minister, Rev. Bill
Gupton, our Board President, Reese Johnson, or any
of the staff or officials listed on the first page of this
Heirloom. You are also invited to the “UU 101”
session following the Get Acquainted Dinner on
Saturday night, Oct. 5 (see article elsewhere in this
newsletter).
Immigration Rally on
October 5
Join hundreds of community members for an
important statewide immigration rally in
Springfield on Oct. 5. Participants will gather
outside House Speaker John Boehner’s office to
urge the Speaker to call a vote on immigration
reform.
This is the second rally of its type. The first had
approximately 800 people, including a small but
visible UU contingent; please wear your yellow
“Standing on the Side of Love” shirt and show your
support!
Gather in Springfield at the Clark State Parking lot
at S. Fountain Ave. and Jefferson St. (near the
Performing Arts Center) on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 3
p.m. The rally will then march to Speaker
Boehner’s office at Springfield City Hall (76 E. High
St., Springfield, OH 45502)
by Ann Roberts
There was an exciting presentation by Chris Sofge, who outlined her vision for a “Talent Scout” process to
connect groups with volunteer needs to folks in the church people community who might have talents or
interests with which those would fit. Chris is currently looking for a few people who would be willing to
join her in this important work.
This year’s “shared ministry goals” were also outlined. The Board of Trustees and Ministers developed
these goals at the Board Retreat in August. Each committee chair or group leader was asked to take these
goals to their team and discuss how they can support the 2013-2014 goals:
1.
Embodying the UUA’s “Standing on the Side of Love” campaign, we will foster:
•
Active involvement in participatory social justice work, and;
•
Radical hospitality within our church
2.
Adopt comprehensive church safety policies
.
Rev. Bill reflected on the first goal later that morning in the worship service. He encouraged all of us to get
involved in social action outside the walls of Heritage. Board members and others wore “Standing on the
Side of Love” T-shirts to demonstrate their commitment to this important work. The Board hopes we will
all wear these highly visible shirts as we work together on issues in our community that align with our UU
principles. (If you still need to get a shirt, you can order them from www.sslonlinestore.com.)
If you’re interested or have skills to support the goal on safety policies, please contact Rev. Leslie, as a task
force to work on that goal will be forming in the near future.
It was a very productive and informative Council Meeting. Our next one will be Sunday, Jan. 26, at 8:30 a.m.
All are welcome to attend.
Have Yellow Shirt, Will Travel!
Plan now to be part of the big Heritage team participating in UU Justice Ohio’s
day of social action in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 2. Unitarian Universalists
from all over the state will gather at First UU Church in Columbus to build
connections, learn about UU social justice opportunities, eat lunch together, and
hear from speakers in a program running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Then – whether you already have one of those fabulous yellow T-shirts or not
(you can order one when registering, or pick one up at the event) – we’ll join hundreds of folks at the state
capitol to Stand on the Side of Love and protest Ohio’s proposed “Stand Your Ground” law, witness against
capital punishment and mass incarcerations, and more. Register now at https://ohiomeadville.wufoo.com/
forms/m7a4z7 to become part of what we anticipate will be a very large Heritage team. (See Rev. Bill’s “On
the Path” column elsewhere in this newsletter.)
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity. Be part of the solution to some of our society’s moral and ethical
dilemmas. Meet and get to know a diverse group of other UUs as well as folks from other like-minded
groups such as the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, the ACLU, Nuns on the Bus, the NAACP and the Amos
Project. Be inspired by (or sing with) a large, yellow-shirt clad UU choir on the steps of the Statehouse.
Carpool with friends – new and old – from Heritage. In short, make a day of it. A memorable day.
That’s Saturday, Nov. 2 – Heritage’s fall Day of (Social) Action, as part of UU Justice Ohio (http://
ohiomeadville.org/uujo)!
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Adult Religious Education Fall Courses
Biblical Literacy (facilitated by Bob Lamb)
Classes held Wednesday evenings in October
Dates: Oct. 2; Oct. 9; Oct. 16; Oct. 23; Oct. 30
Time: 7 p.m.
No matter what you think of it, the Bible is one of the most important books in the history of humanity. Here is your chance to learn something about it! Block out
the five Wednesday nights in October at 7 p.m. for “Biblical Literacy Part I: The Ancient Stories You Have to Know.” Bob Lamb will lead you through a thorough
discussion of the oldest biblical stories, emphasizing their literary, spiritual and political implications. Ideal for people with or without prior exposure to the Bible.
Makeup sessions may be available if there is a conflict. Teens welcome and encouraged to attend. Let Bob know if you need childcare. The first session will be
called "What is this thing called the Bible?" starting on Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. at church. Deepening Your UU Faith (facilitated by Rev. Bill Gupton)
Classes held on Sunday afternoons in the fall
Dates: Oct. 13; Oct. 20; Oct. 27; Nov. 3
Time: 4-5:30 p.m.
Participants will be invited to explore their beliefs (and those of others), examine spiritual practices, and learn more about Unitarian Universalism. Think of this as
a “200-level” UU course (note: There will also be “UU 101” held on Saturday, Oct. 5; see article elsewhere in this newsletter). Though this course will take place on
four our consecutive Sundays, drop-in attendance is welcome. We will meet in the Youth Room just off the Great Hall; you are asked to enter and exit through the back
door of the church so as to respect the VoG meeting taking place in the front half of the church). Childcare will be offered if requested at least w week in advance.
50 Spiritual Classics
Classes held on various Sundays and Wednesdays throughout the year
Oct. 6: Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Ken Wilber’s A Theory of Everything
Time: 7 p.m. Jonathan Livingston Seagull: Yes, that Jonathan Livingston Seagull! The one you probably did or heard as a book report in junior
high school. A slim novel steeped in religious allegory, it’s been a favorite for two generations now. For many Americans, this is
the first spiritual book they read on their own.
A Theory of Everything: Ken Wilber, the famed American neo-Platonist, seeks to integrate the realms of body, mind, soul and
spirit, and then to demonstrates how these models can be applied to real-world problems. Dave Sellers says hopefully someone
can come and do justice to this book and explain it to him because this one just left him baffled, whimpering and yearning to
reread Jonathan Livingston Seagull! It’s a worldwide classic. Not for the faint of heart.
Oct. 20: Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life and Ram Dass’ Be Here Now
Time: 7 p.m.
Purpose Driven Life: This best-selling book by Pastor Rick Warren offers readers a personal spiritual journey in modern American Christianity, presenting what
Warren says are God's five purposes for humanity in this life. The book describes itself as “a blueprint for Christian living in the 21st Century ... using about 350
references to the Bible, maybe 1200 Biblical verses and quotes to challenge the conventional definitions of contemporary Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship,
Ministry, and Evangelism.” It’s the most famous minister in America's most famous book.
Be Here Now: This seminal 1971 book on yoga, meditation and Hinduism recounts a Harvard psychologist/professor's journey across India with his spiritual
teacher in search of wisdom. Ram Dass is infamous for bringing LSD usage into spiritual practice in the U.S. (along with Timothy Leary), and in this book he
details his anxiety over the failure of drugs to answer the spiritual questions he later finds in Hinduism. Be Here Now has rightfully called “a, if not the, countercultural bible of the 70s.”
November and December ‘Classics’:
Black Elk Speaks and Daniel C. Matt’s The Essential Kabbalah (Wednesday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m.)
Carlos Castaneda’s Journey to Ixtlan and G.K. Chesteron’s, St. Francis of Assisi (Wednesday, Nov, 20, 7 p.m.)
A Course in Miracles and Mother Teresa’s A Simple Path (Sunday, Dec. 1, 7 p. m)
Neale Donald Walsch’s Conversations with God and St. Augustine’s Confessions (Wednesday, Dec. 11, 7 p.m.)
(Continued on next page.)
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(Adult R.E. continued.)
TRANS, a documentary
Film and conversation facilitated
by Cori Yeager
Date: Sunday, Nov. 24
Time: 7 p.m.
TRANS is an extraordinary
documentary feature about men
and women, and all the
variations in between. It’s also
about the transgender community, perhaps the most
misunderstood and mistreated minority in America
and around the world. Inspired by the incredible
story of Dr. Christine McGinn and her work as a
transgender surgeon, TRANS provides an up-close
and very personal vision of the lives, loves and
challenges of a remarkable cast of characters of all
ages and from all walks of life.
Sharing Our Church
Space On Sunday
Afternoons
Our active congregation is experiencing some space
challenges, and much effort has been put into
creating a safe, inviting and welcoming home for
different groups and interest constituencies at
Heritage Church. One of the groups that uses our
building has a need for – and deserves – a certain
level of privacy, respect and anonymity, which the
church is more than happy to offer and provide.
Varities of Gender (VoG) meets the second, fourth
and any fifth Sundays of the month in the Heritage
Room. On the second and fourth Sundays, they
meet from 4:30-6:00 p.m. We are asking any person
attending an adult Religious Education class, piano
lessons with Matt Quick, a chalice group, or any
other meeting using the church during those times
(and the 15 minutes or so immediately before and
after) to please enter and exit the building using the
back door and back parking lot. Also, on any fifth
Sundays, the VoG group will have the entire
building reserved between 4:15 and 8:15 for a
private gathering.
We realize this schedule might be confusing to
remember, so there will be signs placed on the front
doors of the church and on the Heritage Room door.
The simplest approach is this: If you see a VoG sign
on the front doors, remember to use the back door
and honor the privacy and anonymity of that group.
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Moonstruck Babes
by Babes with Books
It must be attributable to the full moon experienced
at our last meeting, but the Babes with Books have
our activities mapped out through our February
meeting as follows: Our Oct. 16 meeting will
discuss The Immortal Life of
Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca
Skloot. This real life story will
“stay with you,” according to a
Babe who has already read it.
The family of the title character
has also been in the news
recently.
On Nov. 20 we discuss Let the Great World Spin, by
Colum McCann. Dec. 18 is our annual holiday
party/potluck/movie. We will watch the comedy
Paul. By Jan. 15 we are back to books, discussing Sara’s
Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay. The meeting on Feb. 19
will review Blue Asylum, by Kathy Hepinstall.
So now it’s just up to us to read, party and enjoy. All
women (both members and friends) are invited to
attend each meeting from 7-9 p.m. in the Heritage
Room, whether you’ve read the book or not.
Big Turpin-Anderson
Football Game on Oct. 11
Volunteers are needed to help staff the parking lot
for the cross-town Turpin-Anderson football game
on Friday night, Oct. 11. The church charges fans to
park in our lot for Turpin home games, and this is
the biggest game of them all! It should be a good
fundraiser for our congregation. To participate,
contact Rev. Bill at [email protected].
Please Donate Blood at
HUUC
on Oct. 16
Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church is hosting a
blood drive on Wednesday, October 16th, from 3:00
to 8:00 PM. The church is at 2710 Newtown Road,
Cincinnati, OH. If you or a family member has ever
needed blood, or WILL EVER need blood, maybe
after an accident or due to an illness, please consider
donating blood. How many chances do we get to
actually save a life?
Interfaith Hospitality
Network
Interfaith Hospitality Network needs your help.
According to an interview on WVXU (91.7):
One of the fastest growing segments of the homeless
population is families with children. In Greater
Cincinnati this July the number of families seeking
shelter through the Central Access Point Hotline,
513-381-SAFE (7233), was up thirty-one percent from
July last year. During the recent recession many parents
have become homeless suddenly and unexpectedly, and
now struggle to take care of their children while trying to
get back on their feet. (Hear the on-line interview with
the Executive Director of IHN at www.wvxu.org.)
As part of our social outreach to the Cincinnati
Community, Heritage along with other UU
churches, is hosting some of these families
overnight at First Unitarian. Our next volunteer
hosting day is Oct. 15. Overnight volunteers are still
needed to spend the night. Food providers are also
needed for a Dec. 17 event.
This social outreach program is a great family
activity. If you are interested in volunteering,
contact Rae Jane Araujo
([email protected]).
Inter Parish Ministry
Offers Hunger Facts
There is a very real “meal gap” in our country. Did
you know that according to Feeding America, 16.4%
of Americans are food-insecure? Food insecure
means not being able to afford enough food and
thus having to miss one or more meals during each
week.
In the Inter Parish Ministry service area of Hamilton
County, 18.5% of the residents are included in this
group. Clermont County’s number is somewhat
lower but still significant at 12.7%. What is most
startling is that more than 50,000 children in these
two counties live in families who do not have
enough food.
Your continued support through food drives, the
Cookie Caper, and donations will allow IPM to
reach these individuals and help close the meal gap.
To schedule an appointment, go to
www.hoxworth.org/groups/heritage, or call
Hoxworth at 513-451-0910.
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Days for Girls
Heritage volunteers assembling kits
Heritage Women Provide Much-Needed Supplies to 75 Zambian Girls
by Barb Barnes with input from Joann Meyer; photo provided by Julie Kane
It was just a pipe dream at last year’s Clara Barton
Guild holiday dinner. However, under the guiding
hand of Joann Meyer, a core of 12 devoted Heritage
women and many last-minute assistants expended a
minimum of 520 “woman-hours” to produce 75
sanitary kits under the auspices of the Days for Girls
organization over the course of this past spring and
summer.
What exactly are the benefits of this project?
According to the Days for Girls website:
What if not having sanitary supplies meant DAYS
without school, DAYS without income, DAYS without
leaving the house? [In some parts of the world,] girls use
leaves, mattress stuffing, newspaper, cornhusks, rocks,
anything they can find...but still miss up to two months
of school every year. Worse, girls are often exploited in
exchange for hygiene. It turns out this issue is a
surprising but instrumental key to social change for
women all over the world. The poverty cycle can be
broken when girls stay in school.
The efforts of these Heritage women provided a
tangible strike at the cycle of poverty for 75 girls in
Zambia, southern Africa, with the creation of
complicated kits consisting of 32 component parts.
Each kit included a drawstring bag, two shields,
eight liners, two zip-lock bags, one pair of panties
and one washcloth. Four component parts could be
purchased outright, however, the rest had to be
produced from scratch.
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This meant purchasing appropriate fabric, thread,
needles, zip-locks, panties, washcloths, washing,
drying the fabric, cutting out the pattern and then
sewing the components together – all via the able
hands of the devoted core of a dozen volunteers
(Barb Barnes, Stephanie Danner, Gretchen Ellison,
Mary Pat Genz, Julie Kane, Joann Meyer, Regina
Pugh, Ann Raub, Julia Sandman, Tracy Jo Small,
Robin Wickett and Sue Yux).
At least four “cut up” parties were held in which the
component part patterns were traced and the fabric
cut (some in the group became “tessellating
specialists”). Then the sewers retired to their homes
to crank out the required 75 bags, 150 shields and
600 liners. Naturally some of the sewers became
specialists in one or more of these tasks; some
described the work as “almost Zen-like meditation.”
Rae Jane Araujo donated more than $50 worth of
panties. Our dedicated outreach collection in April
garnered $578 – all but $6.51 of which was used for
materials and shipping.
Having completed this project, are our good works
done? No! Emboldened by our successful
completion of this gargantuan project, the group is
expanding its efforts this winter by making little
dresses for girls in Africa who have none. See
www.littledressesforafrica.org for more information.
This project will be followed by another Days for
Girls project. Contact Joann Meyer if you would like
to participate.
Finally a packing party was held where each kit was
assembled for shipping to the Days for Girls
headquarters and final distribution to girls in
Zambia. Hopefully, in the future we can share
photos of the actual girls who received these kits.
At least 15 women participated in the packing
event, many of them new to the project (see picture).
Participation in this worthy effort was not limited to
those who shopped, washed and dried, cut, sewed
or packed, however. Stephanie Danner, Gretchen
Elliston, Julie Kane, Ann Raub, Tracy Jo Small and
Sue Yux donated many yards of cloth to the project.
For more information about Days for Girls visit:
www.daysforgirls.org
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Ribbons, Not Walls
Fabric art calls attention to needs of immigrants
Ribbons, Not Walls will be displayed at Northern Hills UU Fellowship
Photo credit: Ribbons, Not Walls
Ribbons Not Walls is a collaborative art work
consisting of two dozen fabric arts panels in various
media (quilting, batik, trapunto, photo collage,
fabric painting, etc.) on themes related to immigrant
rights and culture, created by more than 40 UU and
humanist artists from around the country.
Individual panels were on display at UU
congregations, UUA district meetings, and several
humanist gatherings in five states during the spring
of 2013. The entire work had its first showing at the
HUUmanists booth at the UUA General Assembly
this June in Louisville.
Locally, Ribbons Not Walls will be displayed at
Northern Hills UU Fellowship on Sunday, Oct. 27
from 10:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The Sunday morning
guest speaker that day will be the creator of Ribbons
Not Walls, Rev. Roger Brewin.
This project began when over 400 HUUmanists and
other UUs responded to the banning of textbooks
and supplemental readings by Hispanic authors in
public schools in Arizona after the state outlawed the
teaching of "Ethnic Studies.”
HEIRLOOM
Each participant "smUUggled" a banned book into
the state during the Phoenix UUA General
Assembly in 2012. The 400+ books were publicly
displayed for a week at GA, then used to create a
community library at the Puente organization
headquarters (a local GA partner). This year a
similar 150-volume library was donated by
HUUmanists to the Americana Center in Louisville,
which offers extensive services to approximately 20
immigrant groups.
At the same time, UU and humanist artists were
encouraged to create yard-long fabric panels
reflecting cover art or narrative themes from some
of the books, or celebrating other immigration
reform projects carried out by churches, fellowships,
and humanist meetings. Some come from artists
whose work on fabric spans decades; the oldest
contributor is 94 (other examples of her work
include wall hangings in the meeting hall of Berrien
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in St. Joseph/
Benton Harbor, Mich.) The youngest solo
contributor is 14; her painted panel of a border wall
on hilly terrain between the U.S. and Mexico is one
of the more dramatic pieces. A Navigator (coed, inclusive) Scout group from the
UU congregation in Palatine, Ill., contributed several
panels, including group work by younger
children. Of special interest are two primitive style
folk art panels stitched by Linda Lee, lead artist on
the famed Lake Apopka Farm Worker Memorial
Quilts, which have appeared in public venues,
union rallies and social justice events throughout
the South. To see more photos of the panels and part of
the display in Louisville, Like
Ribbons, Not Walls on Facebook
or visit: www.ribbonsnotwalls.org
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From Our Archives
The Origins of Our Church (Part 1 of 2)
by Mike Roberts
Most of our regular attendees are well aware that our congregation was
established as The First Universalist Society of Cincinnati in 1827. At that time,
the city was on the frontier of a westward-expanding population. Universalists
and Unitarians alike were leaving the comfort of East Coast and New England
homes to come to a rough-and-tumble city on the banks of the Ohio River.
They brought their religious beliefs with them. In that same year, 1827, our congregation raised the funds to build a two-story
stone structure on Elm Street between Third and Fourth Streets to serve as their
church. Both members and itinerant ministers served as preachers for the
congregation until early 1829, when the son-in-law of Universalist leader
Hosea Ballou arrived in town to assume the pulpit. His name was Josiah
Waldo. His salary was solely based on donations from the membership, so he
supplemented that income by serving as an itinerant preacher himself, visiting
many small villages in Ohio and Indiana to preach the Universalist message. The common understanding of history might lead us to believe that our
country was founded on great religious tolerance and freedom – but such was
not the case in the Cincinnati of 1827! The Universalist belief in universal
salvation incurred the wrath of many other denominations, especially the
abundant Presbyterians found in Cincinnati. Presbyterian leader Joshua Wilson
often invited those of the liberal faiths to his house of worship, only to
excoriate them from the pulpit. HEIRLOOM
In 1830, Wilson moved into a house directly across the street from our
Universalist Church to keep an eye on the “Devil’s disciples.” In 1830, frequent
attacks on the church were noted, including stones being thrown through the
windows. Eventually, a culprit was apprehended – the 17-year-old son of
Joshua Wilson. Both 1831 and 1832 proved to be disastrous years for the residents of
Cincinnati. Severe flooding brought great damage to the waterfront. A fire
destroyed 20 buildings in the Fourth Street neighborhood. All this was
followed by a widespread cholera epidemic. One of the victims of the cholera
was Josiah Waldo’s wife; the illness led Waldo to relinquish his pastorate with
the church and take his very ill wife back to New England. Waldo’s greatest
legacy was helping to establish a regular Universalist newspaper called The
Sentinel of the West. Along with several other church leaders, Waldo had started
The Sentinel as a method of spreading the liberal church doctrine in the area.
The newspaper was to serve the community for many decades, eventually
evolving into the Cincinnati Times Star. The difficult times in the city affected the church as a whole. Membership
dwindled, attacks from the more traditional churches were frequent and
unabated, and in 1832 the church sold its small building. The demise of the
First Universalist Society of Cincinnati seemed imminent. But the congregation
held on by a thread until its next great leader rode into town on his horse. His
name was George Rogers. We will explore his story in Part 2. Look for it in the
November Heirloom!
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Calendar of Events: October 2013
Tuesday Oct. 1, 2013
Tuesday Oct. 8, 2013
Wednesday Oct. 16, 2013
Thursday Oct. 24, 2013
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Ahn's of Anderson Taekwondo
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Men’s Chalice Circle
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Ahn's of Anderson Taekwondo
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Tuesday Chalice Circle
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Ahn's of Anderson Taekwondo
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Choir Rehearsal
Wednesday Oct. 2, 2013
Wednesday Oct. 9, 2013
3:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Hoxworth Blood Drive
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Babes with Books
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Biblical Literacy
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Women’s Evening Spirituality
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Biblical Literacy
7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Games Night at Peg Fay-Feder’s
house
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Biblical Literacy
Thursday Oct. 3, 2013
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Ahn's of Anderson Taekwondo
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Convo Planning Meeting
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Choir Rehearsal
Saturday Oct. 5, 2013
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ahn's of Anderson Taekwondo
1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Piano Lessons
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Get Acquainted Dinner
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
UU 101
Sunday Oct. 6, 2013
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Choir Rehearsal
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Religious Education Classes
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Sunday Service
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Music Committee
4:00 PM- 5:30 PM
Women’s Chalice Circle
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
50 Classics
Monday Oct. 7, 2013
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Monday Night Chalice Circle
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Worship Committee
Thursday Oct. 10, 2013
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Ahn's of Anderson Taekwondo
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Choir Rehearsal
Friday Oct. 11, 2013
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
LAF Event Setup
6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Turpin Football Parking
Saturday Oct. 12, 2013
7:00 AM -8:00 AM
LAF Artist Arrival
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Labyrinth Arts Festival!
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
LAF Clean-up
Sunday Oct. 13, 2013
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Religious Education Classes
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Sunday Service
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Building Celebration and Potluck
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Deepening Your UU Faith
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Varieties of Gender
Monday Oct. 14, 2013
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Board of Trustees
Tuesday Oct. 15, 2013
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Ahn's of Anderson Taekwondo
Thursday Oct. 17, 2013
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Ahn's of Anderson Taekwondo
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Choir Rehearsal
Saturday Oct. 19, 2013
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Outdoor Work Day
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ahn's of Anderson Taekwondo
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Thrift Consignment Shop Tour
Luncheon
1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Piano Lessons
Sunday Oct. 20, 2013
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Choir Rehearsal
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Religious Education Classes
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Sunday Service
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Deepening Your UU Faith
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
50 Classics
Friday Oct. 25, 2013
6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Turpin Football Parking
Saturday Oct. 26, 2013
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ahn's of Anderson Taekwondo
1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Piano Lessons
Sunday Oct. 27, 2013
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Religious Education Classes
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Sunday Service
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Senior High Youth Group
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Deepening Your UU Faith
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Varieties of Gender
Monday Oct. 28, 2013
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Women’s Spirituality Group
Tuesday Oct. 29, 2013
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Ahn's of Anderson Taekwondo
Wednesday Oct. 30, 2013
Monday Oct. 21, 2013
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Monday Night Chalice Circle
7:15 PM - 9:00 PM
Committee on Ministry
Tuesday Oct. 22, 2013
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Ahn's of Anderson Taekwondo
7:15 PM - 8:45 PM
Caregivers Support Group
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Biblical Literacy
Thursday Oct. 31, 2013
Halloween
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
AARP Tax -Aide District Meeting
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Ahn's of Anderson Taekwondo
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Choir Rehearsal
Wednesday Oct. 23, 2013
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Biblical Literacy
Get the full HUUC Calendar
anywhere, anytime online at:
www.huuc.net/calendar.htm
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