A Memorial Service will be held for Betty Steel on Monday, July 9, 10:00 A.M. in the Chalice UU Chapel, 2324 Miller Ave., Escondido CA. Rev. Jim Grant will be officiating.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Betty Steel (nee Margaret Elizabeth Stickney) was born in Lynn, MA on Valentine’s Day, 1915-a true gift of love. She spent her youth in Buffalo, NY. Upon graduating from Western Reserve University with a BS in elementary education she began her teaching career in Wooster, Ohio, and later taught at the University of Chicago Nursery School.

She first met Bob Steel the man who would become the ‘love of her life’ in 1930 while vacationing with her family in ‘Greyrock’ in Ontario, Canada. Both families spent summers at family homes in Canada and shared many family activities-dinners, water sports and performing plays. It would take 9 years for Bob to meet his Dad’s requirements before they could marry. The requirements were to graduate from college, obtain a job, and save a years salary which was $1,000 in 1939. Both Betty and Bob felt the wait was worth it and on August 19, 1939 they were married in the backyard of a family home in Orchard Park, NY. They moved to the Chicago area and stayed there for the next 38 years.

Betty and Bob were proud parents of three girls, Peg born in October of 1943, Marcia followed Peg in 1950 and then Ginny in 1953. After the birth of their Daughters, Betty dedicated her life to her family and children.

Bob and Betty traveled widely as part of Bob’s business including a trip to Europe aboard the Queen Elizabeth First visiting London, Amsterdam, Hamburg, England, Scotland and Paris. They later vacationed throughout Europe. They also traveled in Canada and the United States, including trips throughout the Southwest United States collecting Native American art.

Betty and Bob moved to Rancho Bernardo in 1978 and enjoyed a long and happy retirement. Bob died July, 2003. Sometime later About one year later Betty moved to Casa de las Campanas where she lived until her death June 29, 2007.

Betty was a kind, loving, generous person. She was always willing to open her home to new church members and neighbors or anyone in need. She and Bob had a deep sense of social responsibility and were very active in the Unitarian Church on various committees including the caring and welcoming committees.

Betty had wide-ranging interests. She loved playing bridge and at one point had at least 3 different groups. She had a “green thumb,” growing healthy, beautiful plants and flowers.

Betty loved chocolate in any form as well as ice cream. She loved the color blue.

But most of all she loved her family. She loved being a Mother, Grandmother, and Great Grandmother. She took great delight in her grandson, Scott’s, athletic and scholastic accomplishments.

For more information contact:

Colleen Wells
Administrator
Chalice Unitarian Universalist Congregation
(760) 737-0393

I really enjoyed working Chalice’s booth at the Rancho Bernardo Street Fair. Aside from having the pleasure of the company of some of the members of this congregation, and aside from the delicious bratwurst I indulged in from one of the food booths, it was the first time I worked a booth to support something that was so deeply meaningful for me. I have worked a lot of booths at fairs or festivals. I have worked booths for nonprofit organizations and for profit organizations. I have attempted to sell products or services and/or raise money or awareness for my organization. But after talking to a couple of people who came to the booth for information, I realized it was the first time I was not working that booth at all for me.

Sure, I hope that the membership of Chalice grows, but one of the things that I really understood after talking to some of these people was that we were at this fair in part for them. We were there so more people would be able to learn about something for which they have been searching. We were there so more people would learn about a community of seekers who can provide a tolerant, loving, compassionate and justice’ seeking vision to match their vision of the world.

I have been to other fairs where people from various religious institutions or organizations were trying to induce people to hear their message. On my way to the fair I, too, thought, “Oh, I am not so sure this is what I want to do.” I, too, have been challenged by that type of engagement in the past. But aside from the fact that it was something that I believed in, which obviously was going to have an effect on my feelings, the message being delivered at this booth was about inclusiveness not exclusiveness. I was asked about how welcoming we were and I was so happy to have a clear and resounding answer to that question. Personally, as a UU with a strong belief in our message, I appreciate all those who worked the booth and attended the fair, and I am grateful that I was so confident in communicating the welcoming message of Chalice.

Peace,

David

Dear Friends,

Because Chalice follows the fiscal year, our new year begins on July 1st. One way we transition into this New Year is with new leadership on the Board. These new leaders bring fresh ideas and renewed energy to our already energized congregation. As we welcome our new board members we need to say good-bye and thank you to those whose service on the Board is ending. It is not really a “good-bye” since we know they already serve in other areas of church leadership. Thank you John Schulz past president, Andi Stout treasurer, Deb Coon Board member, for your ideas, time and energy. We will miss you. And welcome to Jim Idell vice president and president elect, Jo Lindstrom treasurer, and our new trustees, Callie Leef and Anne McKeirnan.

The continuing board members are me, Deb Hall, president, Al Weiss past president, Patty Carlisle secretary, and trustees Gary Cagle, Rob Molek, Michele Nelson and Ralph Peters. All of us, together, will oversee the business of Chalice for the upcoming year.

Now you might think that the Board is the most important group in the church. After all, it is “the Board.” And while, yes, it is important, it is no more or less important than any of the committees or groups that exist within Chalice. It is our collective energy and ideas that fuel Chalice. We really and truly would not be who we are or where we are without each and every one of us.

This past year has been phenomenal. Our committees have matured from being totally inward looking to being just as concerned about outreach as inreach. With our transition from a pastoral to a program size congregation, we have chosen to become a teaching congregation with the addition of David Miller, our ministerial intern turned summer minister. His energy and gifts have brought added spice to Chalice along with a supportive ministerial presence. And because of Edith Gordon’s, vision we now have a Pastoral Care Team to aid and support our ministers and provide pastoral care to those among us who need it. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who made 2006-07 such a successful year.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see how this upcoming year unfolds!

Yours in the Faith We Share,

Debbie

by Stuart Holmes

To quote myself during a recent Time With Children, “Summer is like a giant banana split. You can’t wait for it to get here, but by the time you’re halfway through you’ve really had enough!” Hopefully no one will feel that way about RE during this summer!

The summer season began on June 17th with “Tie Dying Fun” led by Paul Dulany. Be sure to look for smartly tie-dye-clad RE students throughout the summer! Special thanks to Paul for securing the special dyes and treatments, and Debbie Hall for her donation of the white T-shirts!

Upcoming events in July and August include hiking at the San Miguel River Park near Lake Hodges, spending a day in the science lab, and there’s bound to be a watermelon, water-balloon packed picnic in store, as well. Check the weekly announcements or your email for the most up-to-date information on these and other events. Got any ideas you want to share? Don’t hesitate to let me know.

This year, on July 5th the RE committee will hold a mini retreat at Chalice to map out the program for the coming school year. As always, we strive to meet the diverse needs and interests of the students and their parents. If you have concerns or input you’d like us to consider as we plan, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

We are excited to be introducing the “Center Quest” program for the coming year. “Center Quest” is both a curriculum and a methodology that gives anyone the tools to become an engaging and effective teacher. Special training for teachers is required for the program to ensure its success. Several volunteers from Chalice will attend a training this summer, in July, at the Palomar UU Fellowship to help get our year started. A training session led by Liz Jones of First Church will follow for all our volunteer teachers on September 21st and 22nd. The benefits of this training will last for years to come. Once again we will need a full slate of volunteers to make the RE program a success in the next year. I encourage anyone even remotely interested in teaching RE (or anything else for that matter) to set aside these dates and contact me right away!

by Patty Carlisle

With 62 voting members in attendance at the meeting and sixteen Absentee Ballots submitted, the following actions were taken:   

• Candidates Evelyn Englander and Mark Stutzman, Susan Spoto, and Paula Gonzales were elected to the Nominating Committee by majority vote.
• The “Reality” Budget was unanimously approved.
• The Social Action Committee’s proposal for a series of workshops to continue our Welcoming Congregation process – “Weaving the Tapestry of Inclusiveness” – was unanimously approved.
• Congratulations to our new Board members Vice President Jim Idell, Treasurer Jo Lindstrom, and Trustees Anne McKiernan, Callie Leef, and Michele Nelson, all unanimously elected!

by Patty Carlisle

David Miller said he has been enjoying and learning from his pastoral care duties: he has been participating in a lot of committee work (RE and its evolving program, Intern and Membership Committees, and the Committee on Ministry,) and has preached in Temecula.  He will be gone August 8-13 for his 30th high school reunion and August 15-18 for the UUA Western Regional Subcommittee on Candidacy.

Jim Schnelker spoke about the treatment of termites found in the minister’s office.  The company who did the original termite work (X-Termite) came out and treated this new infestation under our 2-year contract agreement with them.  He also told the Board that the County came out to inspect the property and was not pleased with the addition of yurts and the electricity run to them.  We will have to get a building permit and have new plans drawn up to reflect the changes.
  
Don Diver announced that he is stepping down as chairperson of the Personnel Committee after 6 years of service.  Board members expressed their appreciation for his devoted service.  If any member is interested in serving on this worthwhile committee, please contact Don or any Board member.
  
Don Diver also presented the results of the COM’s ministerial survey.  It was agreed by the Board that it would be posted on the members-only portion of the Chalice website.

Another of my articles was published. The talk was called “Why Liberal Churches are Growing” but I like my title better. The characteristics apply to almost any congregation whether liberal or conservative.

We can learn a great deal from conservative churches. Please abandon your stereotype that they are mindless automatons who just attend and throw money at their congregation. It’s insulting and ignorant on our part.

Like any organization, they are doing something right when that many people feel that they are being ministered to effectively. Read the article.

Through the vagaries of chance, I got the opportunity to present at one of the workshops on organizing newsworthy justice events. One of the other speakers talked about social justice while I talked about PR. We each gave a short talk and then followed up with about 30 minutes of questions. The following is from my notes.

My name is Dean Goddette and I am chair of Outreach at Chalice Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Escondido, California. Just north of San Diego, Escondido is one of the most conservative cities in the state with a record of making it illegal for landlords to rent to illegal immigrants, to force the closure of emergency homeless shelters because they attact drug addicts, thieves and illegal immigrants. And besides, as one city councilor put it, “The bible says that the poor will always be with us. ”

In the midst of this, in fact, probably because of this, we have doubled in size from about 90 members to 193 members in about 5 years.  We are one of the fastest growing congregations in California.

And it’s not by advertising. If you leave here with one message it is that it is what you do as individuals that drives inreach and outreach and congregational growth.

For you outreach and PR people, a few questions:

• How many have a listing in your local paper’s church directory?
• How many of you know who the religion editor or writer at your local paper?
• How many have written up a news story with pictures and provided it to the religion writer?

Newspaper reporters are almost always starved for copy. They have careers and they want to move up the ladder. Several stories that we started with a local paper “graduated” to the larger regional paper. The local reporters become a resource for you as to what is newsworthy. As you develop a relationship, you don’t have to write everything up, you can pitch them a story on the phone and they will say yea or nay.

My Outreach co-chair has focussed on PR and has a list of all the papers and newspaper reporters. He contacts them on a regular basis. But be aware that reporters have a nose for BS. You need to actually be presenting them with news.

For those of you in social action or justice, you are the ones who can lead your congregation and provide newsworthy events for outreach. They can’t make stuff up. So the more authentic the event the better.

Goooooood morning. It’s 7:30AM on Thursday. It is the calm before the storm. As I was sitting in the war room / web center / communications center at GA, I felt the strong urge that I should be smoking a cigarette along with my coffee, diet Coke and cold pizza.

People have been drifting in and I am only starting to remember their names. The two Lances (Lance 1 and Lance 2, also known as Thing1 and Thing2 or T1 and T2) have been getting things ready for streaming video. they’ve been working on it all week so right now it seems to involve sitting at a computer and working very very intently.  

We started the coffee going and soon after the hotel staff came by with buckets of coffee. We were chatting and Janet says, “Oh! You’re Dean Goddette!” Not quite sure how to take that but it turns out that Janet is Janet Hayes teh UUA Public Relations Director. She had seen one of my posts on PR-L.  “I wanted to ask you to tell that story at my workshop but I thought it was rude to ask someone only a week before the session.” After more coffee, she reminded me of what I had posted (ok, it was early) and I said I would be glad to do it. When is the session? “Oh, it’s at 10:30, so now I feel really bad asking you to do it two hours before the workshop.”

I’m glad to do it. As a matter of fact, I have to head out now to get ready. I probably should have eaten something…

I really enjoyed working Chalice’s booth at the Rancho Bernardo Street Fair. Aside from having the pleasure of the company of some of the members of this congregation, and aside from the delicious bratwurst I indulged in from one of the food booths, it was the first time I worked a booth to support something that was so deeply meaningful for me.  I have worked a lot of booths at fairs or festivals.  I have worked booths for nonprofit organizations and for profit organizations.  I have attempted to sell products or services and/or raise money or awareness for my organization.  But after talking to a couple of people who came to the booth for information, I realized it was the first time I was not working that booth at all for me. 

Sure, I hope that the membership of Chalice grows, but one of the things that I really understood after talking to some of these people was that we were at this fair in part for them.  We were there so more people would be able to learn about something for which they have been searching.  We were there so more people would learn about a community of seekers who can provide a tolerant, loving, compassionate and justice’ seeking vision to match their vision of the world.

I have been to other fairs where people from various religious institutions or organizations were trying to induce people to hear their message.  On my way to the fair I, too, thought, “Oh, I am not so sure this is what I want to do.”  I, too, have been challenged by that type of engagement in the past.  But aside from the fact that it was something that I believed in, which obviously was going to have an effect on my feelings, the message being delivered at this booth was about inclusiveness not exclusiveness.  I was asked about how welcoming we were and I was so happy to have a clear and resounding answer to that question. 

Personally, as a UU with a strong belief in our message, I appreciate all those who worked the booth and attended the fair, and I am grateful that I was so confident in communicating the welcoming message of Chalice.       

Peace,               

David