Volume 2019 Number 5
Kukui Lamalama
Aloha all. This year has seen exciting changes for the church and for me personally. The two most significant changes in our church are that we realized our goal of church renovations to achieve more rental income and Rev. T.J. FitzGerald accepted the call to be our settled minister!!! All positive emojis here to be imagined. Mahalo nui loa to all the teams that have made this all happen. The Future Shapers team got everyone to identify our dreams and goals several years ago. Last year we came to a consensus to stay in our church building since it made economic sense IF we used our building more efficiently to bring in revenue. Then we allocated $100,000 to remodel the first, second and third floors for three residences and moved the nursery to a safer location on the first floor. We even got a grant to make another needed half bathroom on the first floor. Dan and Sue Carpenter were extraordinary in the remodeling leadership department. They were upstairs almost daily, saving us lots of $$$. Many people put in volunteer part-time and full-time work on the third floor, especially Al Rowland, Kay Armstrong and Pierre Kleiber. The stars were definitely aligned for us and our beloved minister. We are humbled and grateful that we chose each other. I still don’t quite know how we were so fortunate but why analyze? Just appreciate. I expect we will have a beautiful installation ceremony in the Fall. I have enjoyed being President of the Board for two and half years. There was a huge learning curve for me. Board members have been wonderful to work with and always supportive and helpful. We truly are a caring community. Next year I will spend less time and thought on church business and more time with my two new granddaughters. If the Pali Hwy opens again, I will bring all four of my grandkids to church more often. I am more than lucky. I feel truly blessed. Until- Nancy Schildt
President's Report
The Magazine of the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu May 2019
On Saturday evening, May 11, our church hosted the reunion concert of Side by Side, a folk duo hailing from the DC area. Doris Justus moved to Honolulu 4 years ago and joined the Kakaako Chalice Circle. She has sung at church events several times. Her singing partner of 30 years, Sean McGhee, decided to come visit her in Honolulu so we decided to stage their reunion concert. Sixty audience members enjoyed their wonderful folk harmonies for two hours. Sean sounds alot like John Denver and Doris' soprano voice blends beautifully with him. We old folk who have wonderful memories of the folk music era were in heaven. The Kakaako Chalice Circle made this great event happen. Thank you to Nancy and Mike Young, Junko and Dave Davis, John Hoffstetter, Aimee Mayeda, Harmony Bentosino, Catherine Graham, and if course, Doris Justus. Submitted by Catherine Graham
Articles (from members or other UU leaders) submitted to the church magazine will be selected on the basis of their informative and/or inspirational nature or value to the life and ministry of this congregation. The editor has the authority to make the decision to not include a submission. Print versions of the magazine will be limited to selected 4 (or 8 back to back) pages.
Our Annual Meeting, held on May 19th, was highly successful! See our full Annual Report for all changes to elected positions and reports from all the committees. This information will soon be on-line in the members section of our website, or you may obtain a hard copy from the office or in the Red Binder in the Harper Room. Next year: Carla Allison will be President Jim Cooper will be Vice-President Rachel Compton will be Director Our Covenant of Right Relations Number One was changed to read as follows: We realize and acknowledge the impact we have on others and are accountable for repairing microaggressions when they occur. When our impact is hurtful in a group setting, we repair publicly. Thank you to the ADORE group and Jill Rabinov for helping us understand the importance of being more accountable for our actions.
Index
"Barack Obama Made in Hawaii"
Side by Side: Doris Justus and Sean McGhee
Annual Meeting A Success!
Side by Side Concert 2 Annual Meeting News 3 Jubilee Trainers and "Barack Obama Made in Hawaii" 3 Gallery on the Pali - Reception 4 Gallery on the Pali - New Exhibition 5 Chalice Circles 6 Work Party News 6 Mililani Covenant Group 7 FUCH Writers Group 7
Side by Side Reunion Concert
Editorial Policy
A reception was held on May 5th at the Gallery on the Pali for artist Lauryn Assata Ford. Photos Courtesy of David Friedman
Gallery on the Pali Reception: Lauryn Assata Ford
May 12, 2018 Graduations Congratulations to Rabinah!!
Gallery on the Pali - New Exhibition: Opposites III
The exhibition will run May 19, 2019, through Thursday, June 21 at Gallery on the Pali, located at the First Unitarian Church, 2500 Pali Highway. ABOUT THE EXHIBIT: Artist Lynne Boyer says, "This exhibit is the third of the series “Opposites” shows at the Gallery of the Pali, comprising my plein-air paintings from two opposing sides of the Earth – Hawaii and Hungary. For this exhibition, ”Opposites III”, I selected some of my more recent works that focus on a looser plein-air style than some of my older works. This style is expressed by the generous application of thick paint and gestural strokes. With these paintings, I also closely examine the values, colors, and light of a scene to effectively reflect them on the canvas. The Hungary paintings are from my favorite time of the year there when all the fall colors are on full display. Here in Hawaii, my subjects are the beautiful beaches of our Island State. This year, I am playing more with capturing a moment of time in a bustling city street scene or a crowded beach, preserving the fluidity of the scene. Besides the works teaming with life, this exhibit includes pieces depicting peaceful country scenes, such as landscapes from the wine country near the beautiful Lake Balaton in Hungary, or the serene charm and power of the surf rolling in and crashing upon the lava rocks at Three Tables on Oahu’s North Shore. Creating artwork that gives back the feeling of a sense of place or moment in time is a very fulfilling and rewarding experience for me, and I am hoping that you will find pleasure in viewing the pieces exhibited here. For more information, please call the First Unitarian Church Office at (808) 595-4047 or e-mail Gallery@UnitariansofHI.org On the web @ Unitariansofhi.org/exhibits Gallery Hours (Closed Monday and Saturday): Tuesday through Friday 9 am - 2 pm, and Sundays 9 am to 1 pm.
The Mililani Covenant Group (L to R): Karen Valasek, Veronica Morgan, Troy Underbrink, Mauricio Underbrink, Richard Valasek, Joanna Bressler, Matt Geyer, Nick Korenkiewicz, Carol Amos, Cley Smith. Missing from the photo: Adrien Condon, Sue Greene, Grace Hamann, Charlotte Morgan. (Photo by C.B. Morgan)
Learn the Skills of Deep Listening
Work Party News
Current Locations, Dates & Times: Hawaii Kai: 2nd & 4th Mondays @ 6:30 - 8:30 pm Kaimuki: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Kailua: 2nd & 4th Saturdays @ 3:00 - 5:00 pm Kaka’ako: 2nd & 4th Mondays @ 6:30 -- 8:30 pm Pali: 1st & 3rd Mondays @ 6:30 -- 8:30 pm
FUCH Writers Group
The Mililani Covenant Group
Important Changes The FUCH Writers Group (FWG) facilitated by Mike Compton announces a very important schedule change. Starting in June, 2019, the FWG will meet on the first and third Sunday of the month. The meeting will still start at 11:30 am and continue to 1:30 pm. The format will remain the same: during the first part, participants will read their writings and then there will be an impromptu writing session centering on a designated topic. All are invited to come to one or both Sundays. Come when you can. Come when it is convenient. Come when you are able. The meetings are held in Mike’s Place on the Second Floor of the Church. See you on June 2, 2019
If you are ready to experience being listened to and connecting with others in a way you may yet to have experienced in your life, join a Chalice Circle. Groups of 5-12 people meet twice a month for two hours to explore preselected topics using the deep listening/deep sharing format, each guided by a trained facilitator. Always open for new members, there’s a Chalice Circle waiting for you! For more information contact Carla Allison, cbm@hawaii.rr.com, 396-1488.
Our next Work Party is scheduled for Saturday, June 15th from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Please join us even if you can spare only an hour or so. The church hires yard and cleaning services, but there are many tasks for which volunteers are needed to keep our church home clean and in good repair. Your reward for participating is a sense of providing stewardship in the company of other church volunteers. Refreshments and fellowship are guaranteed. If you have questions or suggestions about work parties, please contact Al Rowland at 988-4426.
While the Mililani Group started out as a Chalice Circle in 2017, it has subsequently morphed into a Covenant Group. The Covenant Group still engages in Chalice lighting, check-in, active listening and is guided by the topics provided by the Chalice Circle Team. The Covenant Group, however, does one round of active listening and then after the extinguishing of the Chalice has a pot luck where discussion and socializing takes place. This year, the group, facilitated by Troy Underbrink is meeting in the home shared by Karen and Richard Valasek and Sue Greene and has participants from Aiea, the North Shore, Kailua and of course, Mililani. Just like the Chalice Circles, the Mililani Covenant Group provides a safe, welcoming place where Church Members and Friends may have meaningful conversations, revel in hearty friendships and of course, enjoy delicious food. (Charlotte Morgan)
First Unitarian Church of Honolulu A Welcoming Unitarian Universalist Church
Submission Deadline: The deadline for both hard and electronic copy for the Magazine is noon on the third Sunday of the month. Bring hard copy submissions to the church office; email electronic copy to: Magazine@unitariansofhi.org Section Word Limits: Please limit your copy to 100 - 200 words. N.B. The editors may edit any submission for content, length, and/or clarity. Mailing Policy: All members and friends with email addresses registered on our website will receive an email notification when the newsletter is uploaded and ready to view. If a member does not have an email address, paper copies of the Magazine are available at the church for Oahu-based members. The Magazine will be mailed to any member or friend upon request and following payment of the subscription fee. Mail Subscriptions: The Magazine subscription fee is $20.00 per year payable in advance . The subscription year runs January to December. New subscriptions will be prorated on a quarterly basis. Publisher: Nancy Schildt Editor and Composition: Jane Raissle Distribution: Suzette Tom
Publication Information
Return Service Requested 2500 Pali Highway Honolulu, HI 96817 Phone: (808) 595-4047 Office Hours: Tuesday - Friday 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Web: www.unitariansofhi.org Twitter: UUHonolulu Facebook: First Unitarian Church of Honolulu
