Local UU News 1999-2000

October 2000

A Chance to Help 

A First Church family is looking for an adult to work with their 3 year old autistic son in a home-based behavior modification program. Training is provided. Background in special education or psychology a plus, but main criteria are a love of children and a kind, friendly and patient nature. Hours are needed for Monday afternoon, Wednesday morning, Friday morning or afternoon, and weekends.

First UU Parents' Group to Sponsor Music Class 

On Monday, October 23rd from 6:30-8 p.m. the UU Parents' Group will be sponsoring a music class for both parents and children. This is an interactive class that will be led by Debbie Groves, so dress yourselves and your children comfortably. The class will be held in Howson Hall at the First UU Church.

If you will be attending this class, please RSVP to Kellena Page with the number and ages of children that will be attending so that Debbie can determine the best musical content for the class. You can send an email  to kellena.page@sun.com.

CLASS CONTENT: The music class will consist of 35-45 minutes of singing/clapping games, playing rhythm instruments, dancing, playing with our voices, chanting, marching and "shaking all about" (Remember the Hokey-Pokey?!). Then, after a 15-minute break to take children to childcare, the group will reconvene with Debbie for Q&A and general discussion. In order to cover the cost of childcare, there will be a charge of $4 per each child that will be going into childcare during the Q&A part of the class.

THINGS TO BRING: Bring yourselves and your children AND any rhythm instruments you might have, such as maracas, tambourines, drums, claves (rhythm sticks), triangles, bells, rainsticks, shakers...... (please no PITCHED instruments like flutes, little keyboards or xylophones, etc.)

Fall Leadership Conference "Livin' La Vida UU" 

The Rev. Dr. Tony Larson, infamous for his "UU Revivals" will be the keynote speaker at the annual Fall Leadership Conference being held this year at First Unitarian Church, Dallas, November 10-12. The weekend promises to be full of inspirational messages, workshops on all aspects of the church, fellowship, and fun.

The conference brochure (available in the church office) or on the Dallas First website http://www.dallasuu.org)  contains descriptions of the workshops, hotel information, and a registration form. For more information contact Steve Lewis at First U, Dallas, at firstuch@dallasuu.org. Or Sue Boon at suebooneuu@juno.com.

Women in Their Natural State 

The 2001 Southwest UU Women's Retreat will be held in Little Rock, Arkansas on February 9-11, 2001. They have selected the Arkansas 4-H Center, nestled in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, just 10 miles west of Little Rock. The facility is fully handicapped accessible, and transportation from the Little Rock International Airport will be provided. Registration forms will be available in December, 2000. Check the link for the retreat on the UUCLR website

July 2000

Silent Auction and Swing Dance 

Mark your calendar now for the First UU all-church Silent Auction and Swing Dance, Friday, July 28th from 7pm until 10pm. This VoYAGer sponsored "fun"-raiser is sure to knock your socks off.

Start off the evening with swing dance lessons by Jack Mack of the Dancing Rainbow, followed by two hours of swing music to dance and woo your date by. Mingle through the silent auction and don't forget to bid on your favorite items. From hot tub parties to dinner parties, legal services to babysitting services there will be something for everyone.

Tickets for the event will be $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Children's tickets will be $5. The price of the ticket includes heavy hors d'oeuvres, a drink ticket and swing dance lessons. This fabulous event will be fun for the whole family and will take place at the church. You can purchase your advance tickets during the month of July before or after church in the gallery. If you would like more information contact auction coordinator, Sherri Mackey, at 249-6237. If you would like to donate an item, call Molly Alexander at 281-5865.

First UU Parents' Group to Discuss Power Struggles:

The new FUUCA Parents' Group is hosting Carla Harringer, a certified Redirecting Children's Behavior ("RCB") instructor at 10:00 am on Sunday, July 9th in Howson Hall at the First UU Church, to talk for an hour about the perennial favorite - "Power Struggles."

RCB is based on Adlerian psychology. Its goal is to provide a positive and loving atmosphere to win cooperation, and create more closeness with children by offering a safe environment with responsive loving care and opportunities to build self-sufficiency and self-worth.

All are invited, so plan to come and hear useful and usable information for parents of kids of all ages. Light refreshments will be served. A $5-$10 donation per family is requested and free childcare is available in the nursery and toddler rooms. Please contact Kellena Page at 250-2341 or kellena.page@central.sun.com if you need more information.

The Babysitting Co-op is Up and Running!

The First UU Church Parents' Group has created a babysitting co-op for parents who are members or friends of the First UU Church. The purpose of this co-op is for parents to exchange babysitting hours for free time and peace of mind. If you would like more information, contact Kellena Page at 250-2341 or kellena.page@central.sun.com. The more that join, the better. Parents with children of all ages are welcome.

May 2000

Robert Fulgham's ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN
Conceived and Adapted by Ernest Zulia
Music and Lyrics by David Caldwell

"Heartwarming, charming, funny and touching. The stories are about all of us" --- National Public Radio

"A lighthearted, beautifully styled dramatization of Fulghum's writings. --- Syracuse Herald Journal

"A refreshingly intimate combination of theatre and storytelling. Gentle...funny...joyous. Sparks of recognition ignited the audience." --- Chicago Sun-Times

Robert Fulgham's ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN in two special Mother's Day weekend performances only --- Friday evening, May 12, at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday afternoon May 14, at 3:00 p.m. at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin, 4700 Grover, Austin, Texas, 78757 by First Unitarian Universalist's Muuses drama group directed by award-winning playwright, P. Paulette MacDougal. Tickets in advance: $8.00; at the door: $10.00. For reserve ticket sales, call 891-5393.

The spirited and heartwarming play, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten," is the centerpiece of a special Mothers' Day weekend event offered to the public by Muuses, the drama group of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin. Based upon Robert Fulghum's best-selling books, the play takes a funny, joyous and insightful look at what is profound in everyday life.

With a cast of 20, plus musicians, the play celebrates our very existence, from the whimsy of childhood to the wisdom of old age. A combination of drama, story-telling and musical revue, the play includes many delightful stories featuring such colorful characters as a "mother of the bride" who brilliantly orchestrates the perfect wedding until the bowling ball of fate rolls down the aisle, teenagers who trade stories about their revulsion at the gunk at the bottom of the kitchen sink, a neighbor lady who walks into a spider web setting off reflections about the mythology of spiders in our culture, a young child's powerhold over adults' travel schedule when she refuses to use the potty in a timely fashion, an ordinary man with a passion for the music of Beethoven who wishes to conduct his Ninth Symphony with full orchestra, another man whose dreams of flying carry him 11,000 feet over Los Angeles...in an aluminum lawn chair lifted by surplus weather balloons, and more.

This full-length comedy/drama with music was written by Ernest Zulia with music and lyrics by David Caldwell. This production is directed by award-winning playwright, P. Paulette MacDougal.

Bio for Playwright Paullette MacDougal:

P. Paullette MacDougal has been an award-winning playwright, film maker and author. Two of her plays are currently in production: "Waiting for MacArthur," is running for six weeks in Phoenix, AZ, and "BackTalk," a solo performance play co-authored with Joan Weimer, author of the book by the same title, has recently played in Connecticut, North Carolina, New Jersey, and will be performed in Houston in April.

One of her comedies, "Two Husbands in Heaven," won a national playwriting competition in Las Vegas, NV and has been published by Dramatic Publishing Co. in Chicago. Two of her plays, "Eureka," (written with noted children's author Charlotte Pomerantz) and "Ripenings," were performed in Lincoln Center, New York City. Some of her other plays have been performed throughout the U.S and in Great Britain and Ireland.

A native of the Midwest, Paullette moved to Austin with her husband three years ago from the New York area where she taught cinema studies at Drew University and was active in musical theater. She has an M.F.A. from Columbia University.

She is a core member and president of the board of Austin Script Works, an organization devoted to the development of new plays, and a member of The Dramatists Guild.

Her current project is directing "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten," based upon Robert Fulghum's best-selling books. This comdey/drama with music is the centerpiece of a special Mothers' Day weekend event offered to the public by Muuses, the drama group of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin.

End of the Month Party for all Austin UUs. Date: June 24th Time: 7:00 PM Bring: A snack and drinks to share, and your bathing suit!!! To Do: Socialize, swim and just have fun. Location: At the home of Barbara and George Denny. 4301 County Road 272, Leander TX 78641-2231 Phone: 259-1596

This is a monthly event at First Church and the Denny's want to invite us all. Some of us went last year and it is a beautiful drive and we had a great visit.

April 2000

End of the Month Party for all Austin UU's.

Date: June 24th Time: 7:00 PM Bring: A snack and drinks to share, and your bathing suit!!! To Do: Socialize, swim and just have fun. Location: At the home of Barbara and George Denny. 4301 County Road 272, Leander TX 78641-2231 Phone: 259-1596

This is a monthly event at First Church and the Denny's want to invite us all. Some of us went last year and it is a beautiful drive and we had a great visit.

October 1999

Picnic for UUs of Austin

Mark your calendars for Sunday afternoon, October 10th, 2 - 6 p.m. for the first ever joint UU Potluck Picnic! Everyone is invited: members, families, friends, and visitors. The potluck picnic will be held in the Blue Valley recreational area at the Travis Country subdivision in southwest Austin, just off MoPac and Southwest Parkway. Pick up the picnic flyer with a map at church on Sunday.

The purpose of this picnic is to give the three UU groups an opportunity to meet, mingle, and make friends. Other joint fellowship activities and social action projects will be offered in the future.

The Travis County recreational area has a covered pavilion with restrooms, picnic tables, a large grassy area with lots of trees and a pond, an enclosed playground for small children, a basketball court, a volleyball area, and six tennis courts. (If there is enough interest, lifeguards will be hired for the swimming pool. So, make sure you let your contact person know when you sign up, if anyone in your party wants to swim.)

Please bring food to share and your own lawn chair or blanket. In addition, each person should provide his or her own plate, cup, and eating utensils.

If you are planning to attend, please contact your church's representative. Tell your representative how many will be in your group and if anyone is interested in swimming.

We're counting on you to help make our first joint social event a success. See you on Sunday, October 10th!

First UU Church - Larry Vaughn
Live Oak UU Church - Jennifer Swan
UU Fellowship - Pat Pore

New Ministers and Staff for First UU

First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin is pleased to welcome new interim co-ministers. Rev. Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley comes to the church from New York City where she served as the Associate Minister at the Community Church of New York. Rev. Clyde Grubbs, a life long Unitarian Universalist (UU), has been a part-time minister for several UU congregations in the Montreal area. The two will serve the Austin church for at least a year, beginning September 12th, while the church conducts a nationwide search for a new settled minister. First Church's former minister of half-dozen years, Rev. Bill Zelazny, has accepted a district executive level position with the denomination in Rhode Island.

The new co-ministers will join other recent staff additions. David Marks began his new role as the church's Religious Education Director last month. David most recently served as a church music director in Longview, Texas. David takes over for interim RE Director and church member Ian Forslund who guided the program during it's extensive RE Director search process. First UU Austin's music tradition has been entrusted to new Music Director Brent Baldwin, a doctoral candidate in choral music at the University of Texas. Longtime Music Director and church member Janet McGaughey is retiring and choir director Robert Galvan has resigned to pursue other interests.

Rev. Deborah Pope-Lance to Lead Workshops