| CUC 2010 in Victoria
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CUC Annual Conference and Meeting 2010
Victoria in May… an appealing venue for the CUC’s Annual Conference and Meeting 2010.
How shall we live? Each of our Unitarian principles embodies an answer to this, the theme question of the conference. Come to Victoria in May for discussion and more answers…and much more. Come to attend the world premier of Missa Brevis Pro Serveto (more on this below), come for fellowship, come for intellectual and spiritual stimulation, come for entertainment, come, well, come to be in Victoria in May!
Without doubt, the unique item on our ACM program is the world premier of what we believe to be the first Unitarian Latin mass. The massed choirs of the First Unitarian Church of Victoria, the North Shore Unitarian Church, and the conference choir, supported by a small orchestra, will perform Missa Brevis Pro Serveto. The English and Latin texts were written by Rev. Frances Dearman, and the music is being composed by Tobin Stokes, who was recently the Composer in Residence with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. In asking the question, “Quomodo vivamus?” (“How shall we live?”), the mass inspired our conference theme.
How shall we live? We know that we should and must live an ever greener lifestyle. We are recognizing this imperative by endeavouring to make ACM 2010 the greenest conference yet and a model for those that follow. One of our plans towards this end is to videotape the worship service, the ingathering, the keynote speech and the confluence lecture. These videos will be available for viewing on the CUC website after the conference. Venues are in close proximity, so vehicle use will be minimized. Paper use will be minimized; recycling will be maximized; and food choices will be “greener”.
Our Host Committee is also very excited about our keynote speaker. Dr. Paul Bramadat is the Director of the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria. He is a knowledgeable and engaging speaker and, incidentally, is the son of our recently resigned, now Minister Emerita, Rev. Jane Bramadat.
It is customary for CUC annual conferences to have a specific social responsibility thrust. We are joining the fight against global poverty by promoting micro-loans to low-income entrepreneurs through Kiva.org. Thanks to an anonymous donor, we will give each registrant a $25 certificate that they may use as a micro-loan to the Kiva-sponsored project of their choice. We will also be directing our worship service offerings to specific local, national and international organizations.
The children will also explore “How shall we live?”…with each other, and with the animals and plants around us. They'll explore the woods and the seashore, play with food, share stories and create art in a spirited time of learning and sharing.
We promise excellent workshops, great entertainment, fellowship, good food, and programs for youth. There’s so much more to say about ACM 2010 than space permits. For more details, click the link to visit the CUC-ACM website: http://cuc.ca/conference/2010/index.htm.
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| Summer Thrift Sale
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We are starting to plan for the 2010 Thrift Sale. After much discussion, we have decided to limit the sale to summer Sunday sales only. The public sale, usually held the weekend after Labour Day, will not take place this year. The tremendous amount of work involved brought in less money than the summer Sundays and put a strain on our valiant, aging volunteers. These recommendations were approved by Board of Trustees.
We are reducing our departments to Classy Clothes, Treasure Trove & Collectables, Electricals, and Books. From past sales these departments have been our biggest money earners and we hope this trend continues.
Now we need to make our summer Sunday sales even more attractive to the congregation and thus even more financially productive than in 2009. For further information, email Denise Nereida or phone her at 604.731.7660, or email Julie Cowie or phone 604.267.1627.
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| UCV in the news: Should the public fund religious schools?
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Vancouver Sun religion columnist Douglas Todd published a two-part article on the question of whether taxpayers should fund religious schools, in which he referred to Rev. Epperson's sermon and strongly-held views on the subject. Click the links to read the articles.
Should the public fund religious schools?
Religious and public schools: Closing the gap
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| Unitarian in the news: Turkey dinner at UU church
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JD Salinger's only social outing was turkey dinner at the UU church.
JD Salinger's last words to the media
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