Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto

Stewards Honor Roll

August 2007

Our Stewards of the Month for August are the team who brought us our new website! They have put in a lot of effort over many months, culminating in a very busy summer and leading to the beautiful results you can now see.

The new web site is the result of collaboration between Lynn Grant and Janice Bohman, our PR and Ad Committee, and Kathy Parmentier, the Web Manager.

The home page header was designed by Eric Gouldsberry of EGAD Designs. The wonderful look of the site is due to Lynn ’s design talent.

The new Hamaker Library On-line Catalog was the work of Rick Porter, and many data entry volunteers.

Edie Keating attended early meetings and worked on new pages for our Visitors section and for Children’s Ministry. Laura Coleman also contributed significantly to the new Children’s Ministry pages.

Meghan Ede was very helpful at several meetings during our first year with meeting facilitation and usability advice. Dick Duda organized the Financial Support section. Eric Bier helped translate Lynn ’s ideas into web format. Michael Plass helped with final debugging and with the server administration needed to make the site active. Many others made suggestions or worked on individual page content.

Finally, when the team hit some bumps along the way, Susan Owicki and John Pierce of the Conflict Resolution Team were indispensable in healing the bruises and keeping the process going.

Honor Roll

• Gail Claspell for coordinating THREE Adult Religious offerings this fall: two on Nonviolent Communication and one on class issues
• Kristi Iverson for working so hard at making our new interim Minister of Religious Education, Eva Ceskava, welcome and organizing all the events around her arrival Dave Weber for being such a solid presence for Children's Religious Education and the Worship Associates
• Edie Keating, especially for her recent work on Bring a Friend Sunday, the campfire night, and visitor-welcome training
• Jim Brice for our gardens (special thanks for the lovely pomegranate bush!), and now for passing on some of his "earth wisdom" to Howard Milligan
• Elton Bell, Richard Cassell, Bill McFadden, Jean McFadden, and other work day folk who got an "on demand" (that is, environmentally sustainable) hot water heater in the Fireside Room kitchen

...and thanks to staff Howard Milligan and Jeff Cashdollar, who have put in tremendous work getting our campus gorgeous for Hotel de Zink, and for all of us. Paint, extra-attentive cleaning, a newly painted and decorated unisex bathroom off the patio . . . As one person puts it, "the attention devoted to 'little things' makes the church into a cherished home that I delight to 'live in.'"

 

April 2007

Our Steward of the Monthfor April is Kristi Iverson!
For her leadership of the Transition Team and the Religious Educator Search Committee which has been well researched, thoughtful and reliable, and which she does with a warm and reassuring presence.

The Honor Roll:

• Our caring members who offer rides through the caring network: Hershey Julian, Phyllis Cassell, Fred Hawley, Jenise Fuess
• Our 60th anniversary Committee: Bill Landauer, Rae Bell, Jean McFadden, Jack Owiciki, Susan Plass
• Our publicity team Janice Bohman, Lynn Grant and Kathy Parmentier
• Laura Coleman, Janet Negley and Nancy Neff our curriculum volunteers who created the wonderful "Our Awesome Earth" curriculum for our children and youth this spring.
• Jack of All trades Edie Keating: keeping up the Directory on Thursday evenings, looking for volunteers, promoting our involvement in the coming Bay Area ad campaign, plus all her "regular" activities, such as heading up the annual canvass, Membership Committee,  and training with Rachel Vasliev to keep our connection to Hotel DeZink.
• Karen Saltzman and Tomas Moran for organizing the ongoing film series of the Peace Umbrella, which brings social justice-minded people through our doors and associates the UUCPA name with local peace and justice activities.
• Ben Hammett for co-leading our April Cool Deeds for Kids Event "Saving Shishmaref" and to all our helpers, Bruce Kochs, Dave Joki, Michael Keating and Kathrine Papp.
• Gerry Mack for his leadership and efforts with the Committee on Ministry.
• And of course our Ministers and Staff, who support our volunteers and are supported by them.

March 2007

Our Steward of the Month for March is Lisa Helmonds!
For her steady stewardship over many years including her contributions to the Auction, Committee on Ministry, Small Group Meetings, Ordinations, OWL and Fundraisers.

The Honor Roll:

• Edie Keating who fed everyone at the Parent Teacher Brunch.
• Edith Druik for providing rides for Caring Network.
• Kathy Parmentier and Susan Plass for great work keeping the website looking good.
• Greg Idzik-Meyer for chairing the Seek Committee and his facilities work, including plans for a new garden.
• John Pierce for doing a lot of week after week work on the pledge drive, and also as part of the conflict resolution team.
• Dick Duda for creating and updating the pledge drive progress “leaf-o-meters”.
• Edith Jacobi for good cheer and frequent offers to help with whatever.
• Lynn Grant for the baby shower, and to Lisa Helmonds and all those helping with the fun baby raffle.
• Laura Coleman for co-leading the MotherBlessing for Amy and Joy.
• Ben Hammet who has been such a champion of the environment, working hard on all Green issues and for editing our Life Span Religious Education Activities catalog four times a year.
• Kristi Iverson for chairing the PRE seek committee.
• John Dukovic for being such an erstwhile, flexible and excellent substitute teacher. (In February, he even managed to sub for two classes the same day, assisting the first with a Hinduism lesson and taking the second class on a field trip to the Humanist Community.
• Ila Keiper for giving helpful, prompt guidelines on unusual space requests and furthering UUCPA’s tradition of being a community resource for affordable space.

Thank you, each and every one!

 February 2007

Our Steward of the Month for February is Lucy Rector-Filppu! Lucy has served on the Children’s Religious Education Committee for three years now. A year ago she started the Parent Journeys group, and she recently created the family holiday potluck that brought together people of all generations for a great evening of singing, eating, and Christmas storytelling.

On the Honor Roll this month are:

• Rae and Elton Bell for organizing the Treasures Sale
• Alex Scott for orienting the term’s teachers
• Louise Hall and Glenda Jones for carefully and thoroughly proofing the Bulletin for over 10 years
• Edie Keating for her leadership of the pledge campaign
• John Pierce and Kathy Parmentier for their work on the canvass, including the support in writing, copying and mailing pledge brochures
• Edie Keating and Edith Jacobi for putting on the burrito dinner, and the 50-plus people who came – their appetites and good company made for a fun event
• Bonnie Packer, Sonya Raymakers, Brian Keating, Robert Neff, Susan Owicki, Ron Garcia, and others who helped with Food Abundance Pledge Drive Sunday – and special thanks to Susan Plass for many many yummy muffins
• Information Table coordinator and staffer Jack Thomas, and all the other invaluable Information Table greeters who contribute their efforts each month to meet newcomers to UUCPA and to inform them about the value of UUCPA: Jane Ardley, Betty Seike, Rick Porter, Ila Keiper, Carrie Hudiburgh and Josie Stultz
• Joy Morgenstern for organizing the Bake and Plant Sale to raise money to enroll in Palo Alto Green (it put us over the top with over $400 that day), helpers Ila Keiper, Barbara Schonborn and Nancy Westerfield, and everyone who baked goodies and contributed plants
• Consulting Minister Seek Committee members Kay Pauling, Greg Meyer, and Bryce Perry (along with Darcey and Amy) for finding Alicia! and Fred Buelow and Bill Hilton for quick follow-up work
• Janice Bohman for organizing the KQED fundraiser – we raised $1787, enough for two drive-time announcements about UUCPA!
• Janet Buelow for increasing her office-angel hours
• Rita Hays and Phyllis Cass el for joining the Caring Network
• Dave Tichane for joining the office angels
• and Susan Plass, Susan Kerby, and Beth Sherman for bringing desserts for the UUSC party.

Thank you, everyone!

January 2007

Our Steward of the Month for January is Eric Bier! Eric chairs the Program Council (he also chaired the Planning Council shortly before moving to Program), is one of the forces behind the Pagan roots group, and this year once again helped create the Winter Solstice service and directed the children in leading a winter holiday service. Thank you, Eric!

On the Honor Roll:

• For putting on a wonderful performance of Henry’s Beatitude Mass and other pieces to raise funds for the Opportunity Center: Justin Atkin, Karenlee Atkin, Richard Cassel, Chas Cassel, Litsie Indergand, Don Lorents, Martin Manley, Robert Neff, Jack Owicki, Susan Owicki, Kathy Lewis Parmentier, Pat Thomas, Tom Thomas, Mayo Tsuzuki, the UUCPA choir, and of course staff members Henry Mollicone and Veronika Agranov- Dafoe
• Lynn Grant, Eric Bier, Sally Ahnger, Edie Keating, and Nancy Neff for help with planning and putting on the Winter Solstice cermony, and David Joki for ushering beyond normal duties, including building and tending our fire
• Michael Plass for saving Darcey’s computer
• The Children’s Religious Education (CRE) winter curriculum team: Janet Negley, who worked with Darcey to write it, and also Jenise Fuess, Laura Coleman, Kay Pauling, Dave Weber, and Lucy Rector Filppu
• Kristi Iverson for a ton of great work as the chair of the MRE Transition Task Force
• Sally Ahnger for her utter aplomb and helpfulness as Board secretary
• Nancy Westerfield, for being such a great help to the office team, even after having moved on to a new position outside of UUCPA . . . Kathy Lewis Parmentier for stepping in to coordinate TWO Baby Cafes during Pat Thomas’s vacation
• Lauri Landauer for updating all CRE supply bins, relabeling, shopping, even testing markers
• Robin Wright and the rest of the CRE Supply and closet team, Jennifer Ramberg, Anne Lang Frahn and Terry Passarotti
• Bill Landauer for taking the initiative to start a new group at UUCPA, UUs for Ethical Treatment of Animals
• Edie Keating, David Tichane, and Leona Chu for putting together the teacher binders
• Coming of Age mentors Randy Helmonds, Chris Jacobi, Bryce Perry, Dora Fishman, and Karen Skold.

Thank you all!