DON HEIGHTS UNITARIAN CONGREGATION
The Don Heights Bulletin
July/August 2009 Volume 54, Issue 11
Photo by Sharyn Devine
Photo by Sharyn Devine
Photo by Sharyn Devine
Above left and centre. Honoured for special contributions to Don Heights
Above. On June 7th, we held a New Member Recognition ceremony; Front Left to Right: Left. From May 29 to 31st, Singers of United Lands (SOUL) after the May 31st Sunday Service at Don Heights.
Photo by Sharyn Devine
July 5th at 10:30am
Sunday Services
Details on page 5
All About the International Association for Religious Freedom
Presenter: Beryl Hunter Service Leader: Liz Carmichael
July 26th at 10:30am
August 16th at 10:30am
Love, Trust, and Vulnerability
Service Leaders: Ellen Copeman, Sharyn Devine and Rob Mullen Music: Rob Mullen, Guitar and Vocals; Brenda Muller, Cello
Shovel Ready is not the Whole Story
Presenter: Patricia Moffat Service Leaders: Gert Montgomery and Grace Johanson
July 12th at 10:30am
Milne Hollow Stewardship Program August 2nd at 10:30am Presenters: Tom Brown, Linda Schofield, Rosemary Wood, Ruth Memories of Summer
Plumpton Service Leader: Tom Brown
August 23rd at 10:30am
Messages of Hope
Service Leader: Germaine Kovary
August 9th at 10:30am
July 19 at 10:30am
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August 30th at 10:30am
Being Present
Presenters: Margo Holland and Ellen Jamal
Why I Am a Unitarian
Service Leaders: Jeanne Lovell and Germaine Kovary
Straw Bale Buildings
Presenter: Lorna Weigand
Don Heights Bulletin, July/August, Volume 54, Issue 11
Don Heights Unitarian Congregation
President’s Thoughts
building and move into rental space while actively seeking opportunity and inspiration to lead us into the next phase of Don Heights congregational life. * Although Don Heights is no longer a property owner, members decisions contributed 10 floors of apartments to the housing stock in Toronto and we have funds to seed a future venture. An optimist would say this was a successful learning experience. A pessimist might say that mistakes had been made and that we should never try such a risky thing again.
18 Wynford Drive, Suite 102 Sunday Services Suite 103 Toronto, ON M3C 3S2 Phone: 416-444-8839 Email: office@donheights.ca Web: www.donheights.ca
A Worthy Past, A Worthy Future
Minister
Rev. Debra Faulk minister@donheights.ca
July: Vacation August: Study Leave
I have been reading books by Martin Seligman about optimism and am trying to apply his ideas to the future of the Don Heights Congregation. During the 1960’s, just after building our first church at Kennedy and Hwy 401, Don Heights numbers were at their highest. Creativity flourished and there was much involvement in social action. Part of our space was given over to a nursery for mentally challenged children. During this time we initiated Stratford Festival Unitarian weekends and offered packages to Unitarians across Canada and the U.S. This provided an opportunity for Unitarians to meet and greet each other. Our Arts Committee sponsored a number of events with well-known speakers which attracted many visitors to our church and brought us considerable press coverage. In 1985 a plan was embarked on to redevelop our property - we sold our air rights to the Co-operative Housing Federation thus enabling them to demolish our building and erect a 10-storey co-operative apartment building with space for Don Heights. The building was completed in 1991. However the building turned out to have some design and construction problems. Decisions were made to sell the
Board of Directors
President Lorna Weigand Treasurer Ruth Plumpton Secretary Jane Robson Past President Margo Holland
In my experience Unitarians tend to be optimists. We look to the fu tu re with e xc itemen t an d anticipation. However, I’m sure back in 1958-59 there were a few voices that doubted the decisions to build the first building. There was probably doubt about the wisdom of the decision to create the Bill White Co-op in 1990. Fortunately for Don Heights, the spirit of optimism prevailed then. The choice we have to make now, in 2009, is for optimism or pessimism. Will we be the little engine that could or will we give up and roll back down the hill? The past paints a picture for me of Don Heighters going out into the ‘wilds’ of Scarborough and successfully starting a Unitarian Congregation in 1954. The present and the future tells me that there is much optimism in the congregation about what we can do to sustain a thriving Unitarian presence for generations to come in the north east part of the city. I am trying to create an optimism mantra to help keep me focused on a purposeful future for Don Heights. “Optimistic, hopeful realism - Never give up dreaming.”
Lorna Weigand
Board Members
Barry Cartwright Ian Corlett Phyllis Eleazar Germaine Kovary Lidia Labate Linda Schofield
Caring Chair
Margo Holland
Lay Chaplains
Ingrid Desroches Margo Holland
Editorial Committee
Lidia Labate Judy Newman Sharyn Devine Mona Brown
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* Thanks to Vivian for the information gleaned from DH history on our website.
Don Heights Bulletin, July/August, Volume 54, Issue 11
Debra’s Deliberations
If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensities of the sea. ~ de Saint-Exupery This quote expresses the energy and intention that will need to be harnessed as we look toward the next congregational year. There is a clear message that the collective will is to grow. The congregation has put its money where our mouth is in supporting this initiative. There is the recognition that such an intention and initiative is the work of the whole. The Board may set a plan in motion; everyone will need to be a participant in the actualization. I am reminded of the cooperative way in which a flock of Canada geese achieves its goal of migration. As the journey begins one bird takes the point position flanked by others who also experience the added effort of flying at the front of the formation. The added effort involves setting direction, sticking one’s neck out, allowing others to lead and trust. The added effort of setting the direction includes observing progress as well. Adjusting direction to avoid turbulence if possible, knowing that some will be encountered, and not being daunted by its challenge. Setting direction needs to involve consultation and taking the pulse of the whole while listening and not being taken off track by a few. Sticking one’s neck into the unknown is never comfortable yet we know it is sometimes necessary. In doing so deliberation, discernment and
wisdom are needed. We will be called to try things we have never done before. As has been said, we cannot solve today’s problems with the solutions of the past. We are moving into adaptive change and this requires ingenuit y and vision and the willingness to be in the chaos for a time. The bird that flies the point position must recognize when a rest is needed. Sometimes it will mean stepping back, letting someone else take the lead for some part of the journey. It means that the rest of the flock recognizes the importance of the leader’s need for rejuvenation and that others are willing to step up. I first heard the idea of stepping up and stepping back in working with youth. This recognizes that some individuals regularly step forward with offers to volunteer with their thoughts, ideas and inputs. Others may take a little more time to find their voice or their niche and often are left out, not because of hesitation or unwillingness, rather because their own processing takes a different time frame. So the idea is that everyone steps up in their own time. Those who do so easily also sometimes need to step back to allow others to step forward. While the point position is a solo one, that position is flanked by others who take up similar amounts of wind resistance and direction setting. These positions begin the aerodynamics that support the whole ‘V’. Each buoys up those behind. Everyone honks support forward to maintain momentum and sustainability. Another aspect of the Canada goose attitude is that when one is tired or injured at least two accompany it to rest and recuperate. There is always a sense of shared endeavor and encouragement. Trust is required for anything of significance within the community to come to fruition. Trust in each other and trust in ourselves. Trust and conviction that what we have to offer the world is worthy of our effort, is worth sharing, that this community matters. Trust that there are others who “long for the endless immensities of the sea”, the longing to make a difference in the world, the longing for a just society. So as a great flock of Canada
geese let us gather our energy over the summer. Let us set plans and directions in place. Let us get our September honkers ready and let each of us commit to step up, step back, to be a visible “V” that welcomes others into that longing for justice and community. Let us prepare to soar. My summer plans include a blend of relaxation and education. June was Ministry Days and General Assembly; July Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba; August an intensive course on Adaptive Change followed by a staff position for the first Canadian Goldmine Leadership School for youth. Beginning in September I will try a new work strategy. Since it has been a struggle for me to take the two days off per week, that is stated in my contract, I will take one day per week for three weeks of the month then take the accumulated second day around my scheduled Sunday off. This will give me time to rejuvenate monthly and make plans that will assure I take this time for myself. May the summer bring rejuvenation to all. Namaste, Debra
BIRTHDAYS
Don Heights Bulletin, July/August, Volume 54, Issue 11
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A N N O U N C E M E N T S
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Visiting the Cradle of our Faith
Do you want to stretch your concept of who Unitarians and Universalists are? The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists is holding its biennial meeting this year in Kolasvar, Romania, from August 30 to September 6. It includes a pilgrimage to Deva, where Francis David, the first Unitarian minister, died in prison for his insistence on freedom of faith. While the business meetings are limited to delegates from member groups, there will be other programs, activities and opportunities for meeting people from around the world. You can find out more on the ICUU web-site, . This web-site, and the blog site are great places to find out more about our “cousins” in distant places. Ellen Campbell
Donation Statements Enclosed with Bulletin
Since we're almost half way through our financial year at Don Heights, it's a good time to confirm the status of donations year to date to ensure that my records match yours. The statement enclosed provides details of donations you made to Don Heights during the period January 1 to June 21. If you have made a pledge, that too will show on the statement. If you have made neither a pledge nor a donation, there will be no statement enclosed. If you notice any discrepancy between my records and yours, please let me know right away. Thanks so much,
Ruth Plumpton,
Clean up day at Don Heights on
Monday July 13 at 9:30 am.
Good Food Boxes
Contact for July is Pat Westcott . Cheques should be made payable to Pat Westcott. Order by noon of: Tuesday, July 7th. Payment would be appreciated by: Sunday, July 12th. Delivery will be: Thursday, July 16th. Contact for August is Grace Johansen . Cheques should be made payable to Grace Johansen. Order by noon of: Tuesday, August 11th. Payment would be appreciated by: Sunday, August 16th. Delivery will be: Thursday, August 20th.
As we are mindful of what happens to our environment, let's take some time today to come together and clean "our space". If we all put in some effort, it really won't be an onerous task and we can make it a fun time. We'll be cleaning rugs, washing windows, washing the kitchen floor, organizing cupboards, cleaning the fridge, etc. Please join us. Your helping hands are much appreciated. With care, Germaine Kovary
Rosemary Sheppard’s Suburban garden
Sunday, July 26 , after the service
Don Heighters and their friends are invited to bring their lunches and lawn chairs and dip their feet in the pond at Rosemary Sheppard’s suburban garden. Location: 291 Kingsdale Ave., Willowdale. Access from Bayview. Cancel if rain.
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Silent Meditation Retreat
October 16-18 at Scarborough Mission in Toronto Led by Rev. Wayne Walder. See www.nuuc.ca
SHARED MINISTRY
Administrative Tasks Performed By
Margo Holland
(usually 3rd Friday of the month)
Y Friday Youth
Admin/Information Team Leader Checks Incoming E-mail E-mail: office@donheights.ca Answers phone/distributes messages Opens/Distributes Incoming Mail Monthly Bulletins – Send info to newsletter@donheights.ca or leave printed items in Bulletin Submission Box at Church. Order of Service Preparation If someone is ill and you want to let the Caring Committee know about it Guest Package Preparation Office Supplies
The next meeting is on: Sept. 20, 2009 KAIROS led a discussion on human impact on the environment and how we can have an impact on Canada’s role in the renegotiation of the Kyoto Agreement in December 2009, in Copenhagen. The Y Friday Youth group is getting together in late June to discuss setting a focus for the group. Ian Corlett
Beryl Hunter Ruth Plumpton Lidia Labate and Judy Newman
Phyllis Eleazar or Sharyn Devine and Sunday Services Committee Margo Holland Liz Carmichael and Membership Committee Jane Robson
Don Heights Bulletin, July/August, Volume 54, Issue 11
SUNDAY SERVICES July
July 5th at 10:30am
SUNDAY SERVICES August
August 2nd at 10:30am
S u n d a y S e r v i c e
All About the International Association for Religious Freedom
Presenter: Beryl Hunter
The International Association for Religious Freedom, the oldest interfaith organization in the world, holds conferences in different parts of the world, where participants have the opportunity to learn about and experience other religions. Beryl will talk about her IARF experiences in Japan and India.
Memories of Summer
You are invited to come to Don Heights and share Memories of Summer: Bring in photos, poems, stories, campfire songs and CDs of your favourite summer songs (We’ll Sing in the Sunshine comes to mind).
August 9th at 10:30am
Why I Am a Unitarian
Presenter: Jeanne Lovell and Germaine Kovary
Interactive dialogue between a Unitarian of the early 1900’s and Unitarians of the early 2000’s.
July 12 at 10:30am
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August 16th at 10:30am
Milne Hollow Stewardship Program
Presenter: Tom Brown
Some Don Heighters are involved with a local community group in a City sponsored Stewardship program in Milne Hollow. The group meets once a week at the site in the Don Valley for a couple of hours. We pull out invasive plants, plant native species and help look after them untill they are established. Activities can include monitoring pollinators, water heights and chemistry, birds, wildlife, and attending training workshops provided by the city.
Shovel Ready is not the Whole Story
Presenter: Patricia Moffat
In the GTA older women whose lifelong employment has been combined with care for children and elders find themselves particularly hard hit by the cost of rental housing in the marketplace. Recent government housing initiatives are designed for short term job creation rather than addressing the overall need for affordable housing. Approaches such as retrofitting, supportive housing, universal design and rent subsidies lack the visibility and political support to address the needs of an aging population, let alone the plight of the homeless and the working poor. PATRICIA MOFFAT Patricia is a member of the Council of Older Womens Network (Ontario), incorporated in 1988 as “a voice for midlife and older women”. In 1997 OWN was instrumental in building a 142 unit Housing Co-op in the St. Lawrence Market area of Toronto. Patricia is chair of an OWN committee that will present a Public Forum on Housing on 4th October 2009 at the OISE Auditorium, in partnership with the Centre for Women’s Studies in Education at OISE, University of Toronto.
July 19th at 10:30am
Being Present
Presenters: Margo Holland and Ellen Jamal
As we rush through our life, we often miss the simple things that bring so much pleasure. Enjoy having your senses massaged during this experiential service, learning the gratification of being present to the gifts around us.
August 23rd at 10:30am
Messages of Hope
Presenter: Germaine Kovary
Strength, Love and Determination: for ourselves, our loved ones and for the planet. Let’s make this a time to share our stories and reflections.
July 26th at 10:30am
Love, Trust, and Vulnerability
Presenters: Ellen Copeman, Rob Mullen and Sharyn Devine
Sharyn, Ellen and Rob will share their personal feelings and ideas about learning to “Love again” after separation.
August 30th at 10:30am
Straw Bale Buildings
Presenter: Lorna Weigand An exploration of Straw Bale Construction with reference Music: Cello and Guitar to Everdale Farms and the Straw Bale work that is being Rob Mullen: Singer / Songwriter / guitarist – began entertaining as a lead guitar in the mid 60’s, touring done at Fleming College in Haliburton.
Canada and the USA with his band, The Spasstiks, which earned three Canadian gold records. Brenda Muller: Cello – was the Director of the June 2009 Blue Ridge Festival of Music, Poetry and Song in York Region,. Her excellence as a cellist and her original voice as poet and songwriter have been acclaimed nationally and internationally.
Our Unitarian National Identity.
You are invited to share your opinions and stories about your Unitarian involvement at http://canadian-unitariancouncil.pbwiki.com/Our-National-Identity.
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Don Heights Bulletin, July/August, Volume 54, Issue 11
G R A P E
THE DON HEIGHTS GRAPEVINE
Congratulations to our President, Lorna Weigand on her retirement from her position as Executive Director of Doorsteps Neighbourhood Services. There was an interesting article in the Toronto Star on June 15th about Lorna and her long campaign to bring in available and affordable after-school care for kids between the ages of 6 and 12. Bill Dibble is still in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie as he is having difficulty in walking unassisted. Our caring thoughts go out to Bill and the family. Thanks to Mary Frost for hosting a delightful Don Heights congregational picnic in her garden after the service on June 14th. The weather cooperated and we had a very pleasant afternoon.
S O C I A
SOCIAL ACTION
If you weren’t at our June meeting you missed a wonderful potluck. We had so much good food and enjoyed it so much, that the business meeting was late getting started. And then we had so much to discuss and enjoyed it so much that we never got around to watching the scheduled video, Darwin’s Nightmare. That video will be rescheduled for September. Some of the issues discussed at our last meeting include: LOFT – This is the parent group of SOS and we are now considered major donors through our contributions at coffee houses and other fund raising initiatives. Ellen and Tom are going to their AGM in June. Don Heights will be sponsoring a coffee house on Tuesday July 7 for the Pastors for Peace initiative. This year Murray Fulcher and Fred Roy will be accompanied by Rev. Debra on this interesting and important bus trip from Canada, through the US and arriving in Cuba with needed medical and other supplies. Tom Brown is organizing our part in The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup on September 19. We will be doing our magic on the St. Clair Ravine Park, east of Warden Ave. Talk to Tom if you want to participate. KAIROS – Many of us were inspired by Gail Turner’s message on the need for urgent action on climate change at our Sunday service on June 7. As a result, we had a letter writing campaign after the service on June 21. Sample letters were available to give inspiration.
held V A Celebration of the life of Hannes Hietala waslunch L in York Cemetery on June 6th, followed by a at the David Duncan House, hosted by his family. Friends from Northern Ontario and Surveying business acquaintances shared memories with the family of this well loved and respected man.
I N E
Ron Wilson attended the service at Don Heights on June 14 and brought greetings from Rev. Frances Deverell and the Ottawa congregation. "It was good to see old friends Christine and Mel Johnson from Victoria, and the Minister of the UU Church in Amsterdam, Holland at the service on June 21st. Also in attendance were Phyllis Britton and her daughter Pauli. It seems that they had been celebrating Phyllis' 85th birthday for days, both here and in Owen Sound!" middle of the service on June 14? A: To help celebrate the 1st birthday of the lst grandchild, Sydney, daughter of Andrea and Jeff. We wish Rev. Debra Faulk a good summer as she heads off to General Assembly in Salt Lake City, followed by a road trip with her daughter. Rosemary Wood
A C
Our sponsorship of a family from the refugee camps on the Iraq/Syria border was discussed. It is likely we will partner with a metro area Mennonite church. We need to know what kind of support this initiative will get from our congregation as it costs approximately $12,000 per person. The amount is a one-time cost, but is a substantial commitment for us to make. Tom Brown and Rev. Debra are involved in researching how this project will go forward. Other issues discussed at our meeting included: social justice videos to be shown at our meetings next year • possible Sunday service speakers on social action topics our continuing support of ACSA (Agincourt Community Services) • how we can participate in more multigenerational social action activities • Peter Singer’s recent book, The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty Just a reminder: If you’re traveling during the summer, pick up any free toiletries that come your way and bring them to Don Heights for our SOS partners. And also remember that we continue to collect used computer cartridges, cell phones, and eyeglasses. Look for the collection boxes on the Social Action table.
T• Q: Why did Germaine Kovary disappear in the I O N
Don Heights Library
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The Don Heights Library now has a copy of the DVD Milk, the Academy Award winning movie, starring Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, a gay activist who fought for gay rights and became California's first openly gay official.
Don Heights Bulletin, July/August, Volume 54, Issue 11
Mary Doucette
Quotes from books in the Don Heights Library
Natural Capitalism by Paul Hawken, page 5 “Capitalism, as practiced, is a financially profitable, nonsustainable aberration in human development. What might be called “industrial capitalism” does not fully conform to its own accounting principles. It liquidates its capital and calls it income. It neglects to assign any value to the largest stocks of capital it employs-the natural resources and living systems, as well as the social and cultural systems that are the basis of human capital. But this deficiency in business operations cannot be corrected simply by assigning monetary values to natural capital, for three reasons. First, many of the services we receive from living systems have no known substitutes at any price; for example, oxygen production by green plants…… Second, valuing natural capital is a difficult and imprecise exercise……[Third], just as technology cannot replace the planet’s life-support systems, so, too, are machines unable to provide a substitute for human intelligence, knowledge, wisdom organizational abilities, and culture.” Jim Mitchell
From May 29 to 31st Don
Heights hosted
Singers of United Lands
for a coffee house and Sunday Service at Don Heights.
C O M M
Photo by Sharyn Devine
Left to right: Steve (driver), Vivian White (host), Subi from South Korea, Rory from Chile, Sharyn Devine (host), Rev. Debra Faulk (host), Corrine from Kenya and Mārtinš from Latvia.
U N I T Y
Don Heights Book Club
Seaton Trail Hike
On May 26, Gary Carmichael (right) lead a walk on the Seaton Trail in Pickering.
Photos by Sharyn Devine
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Don Heights Bulletin, July/August, Volume 54, Issue 11
Sun.
5 Service-10:30am 6
Mon.
July 2009
Tues. Wed.
1 2 9 7 7:30 pm Buy a Bus Café Pastors for Peace
Good Food Box Order, payment by July 12
Thurs.
3
Fri.
4 11 10
Sat.
8
All about the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) Beryl Hunter
12 Service-10:30am 13 9:30 am
14
15
16
Pick up your Good Food Box(es)
17
18
Milne Hollow Stewardship Program
Tom Brown
Payment due for Good Food Boxes
Don Heights Clean Up Day
20 21 22
19
Service-10:30am
23
24
25
Being Present Margo Holland & Ellen Jamal 26 Service-10:30am Love, Trust and Vulnerability Ellen Copeman, Rob Mullen and Sharyn Devine
After the service
27
28
29
30
31
Rosemary Sheppard’s Suburban Garden
August 2009
Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri.
1
Sat.
Unicamp’s 40th Anniversary
2
Service-10:30am
3
4
5
6
7
8
Memories of Summer
9 Service-10:30am 10 11
Good Food Box Order, payment by August 16
12
13
14
15
Why I Am A Unitarian
Jeanne Lovell & Germaine Kovary 16 Service-10:30am 17
18
19
20
Pick up your Good Food Box(es)
21
22
Shovel Ready is not the Whole Story Patricia Moffat
Payment due for Good Food Boxes
23 Service-10:30am Messages of Hope
Germaine Kovary 30 Service-10:30am
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25
26
27
28
29
31
Straw Bale Buildings
Lorna Weigand August 30-Sept 5 Intl Council of UU—Kolasvar, Romania
Don Heights Bulletin, July/August, Volume 54, Issue 11