UUFC Board President’s Letter March 3, 2022

Dear UU members and friends,

While Mother Earth begins to awaken from her winter slumber, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, one crisis, covid, is transitioning from an out of control, dangerous disease, to a more manageable assault on humanity. Now a new crisis is underway in Ukraine. As the Russian military invasion destroys lives, infrastructure and personal property, the people of Ukraine are mounting a courageous defense of their homeland.

Our UU values of peace and democracy bring us in solidarity with the Ukrainians.

One way our UU can support the families fleeing the violence is to donate to Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen, which is already feeding Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Checks can be made payable to UUFC with the name of the charity noted at the bottom. Please send checks to UU Fellowship of Columbus, P.O. Box 698, Fortson, GA, 31808-0698.

UU News

• Hurray for the new pulpit donated by Ed and Sidney Wilson.  It is beautiful and was underwraps, just waiting for service last Sunday, February 27, to be dedicated to the Fellowship.  Thank you Ed and Sidney.

• On occasion there are people who need a ride to our Sunday Service.  If you would like to be on a list of rotating volunteers to pick someone up for service, then return them afterwards, please contact Joyce Hickson.

• Ron Ussery, along with an assisting licensed electrician, has been busy continuing improvements around Grace Fellowship Hall:  new LED lights at various places; electrical outlets and switches on the walls coming into the main hall; rerouting the cables that used to sit on top of the dais to underneath; installing a heater in the main office to reduce energy usage when only one person is present; and installing wire shelves in the decorations storage room to better control what we have stored for the holidays. 

•  Bill and David continue to improve the sound and visual capture of our Services.   Bill spends an inordinate amount of time enhancing the various audio and visual feeds to give us outstanding YouTubes of Services.  

• The Design Team has arranged a circle within Grace Fellowship Hall  that will provide a multipurpose area for Buddhist Studies, Meditation, Wednesday Night Discussion Group, and the Women’s Book Club.  A very unique rug is planned for the center of  the circle.  Also, the library is to be spruced up with a lamp, new lighting, a new rug and some very comfortable chairs.

• Good news:  Whittaker Locke will be attending the UUA General Assembly, June 22 – 26, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. This is really a wonderful adventure for Whittaker and we can look forward to his presentation after he returns.

• We will be getting a new addition to the Grace Fellowship Hall: a Eufy vacuum robot. The Usserys brought theirs in to show the Board how well it cleaned. We were so amazed that we decided to purchase one. It was incredible how much dust was gathered and thus a no-brainer to make our main hall cleaner and healthier by reducing the reservoir of potential allergens.  

• I was contacted by Yamona Pierce, Founder of the Hamilton Hood Foundation, which seeks to preserve the historic Pierce Chapel African American Cemetery and to uplift the cultural traditions and historical journeys of African American communities in Harris County, Georgia. The cemetery is located in the woods across Pierce Chapel Road from the Pierce United Methodist Church. It has long been neglected and was damaged by the utility company’s heavy equipment. An archaeology company working with the Foundation has already discovered at least 500 graves, some dating to 1843, hidden by leaves and tree branches. Yamona, who lives in Wash. D.C., will contact our UU when cleanup work begins on the cemetery. We could help with removing leaves and tree branches.

• There will be a brief Business Meeting after Service Sunday, March 13, to fill the Board Trustee position vacated by Elise Leonard.  Nominations must be sent to Brenda Stevens before March 13. Nominees must be members in good standing for at least one year prior to the election.

Our congregation is slowly coming out of Covid isolation, and our various groups and activities are enjoying coming together. Please continue to follow healthy protocols and join us when you can. Let’s support each other and keep the Ukrainians in our thoughts and/or prayers.

For the people of Ukraine and of Russia: 

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” 

by Jimi Hendrix 

In Fellowship,

Hal Midgette

UUFC Board President