The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica

Featured Articles - November, 2008

Commitment Sunday is November 16 — Come Help us Build

Commitment Sunday begins the yearly pledge campaign. The theme this year is “Come help us build” our congregation. This is the year we begin the process of selecting a new permanent minister, and, it is easy to forget, a new minister is selecting us. An effective minister will be attracted to an effective congregation — one that has the resources and will to carry out our and our new minister’s plans. These decisions, by the new minister and by us, will be monumental in determining the qualities of our church for possibly decades to come. Please make your pledge with this in mind — we are investing in our future.

As a professional sociologist, one of my research interests was the “free-rider” problem. A pure “public good” is one whose enjoyment cannot be limited to those who pay for it and whose quality is not diminished by increases in the number of people who consume it. Because of long-standing policies our church is a public good; you can participate for years without contributing a dime. The dilemma faced by the church and other providers of public goods, such as public radio and TV, is that there is a perverse incentive not to contribute and to nevertheless enjoy the public good. Because we have decided not to have a membership fee we must depend on the “warm glow” that we experience in paying our fair share and perhaps on public esteem as well.

— Phil Bonacich, Stewardship Committee

Are Our Building Funds Safe?

Some people have asked how recent national financial problems affect the church building program. All church funds, including the building fund, are in secure cash instruments guaranteed by the FDIC. This conservative approach means we miss out on stock market booms, but are not directly affected by declines. Indeed the recent decline in construction activity in Southern California has reduced the pressure that has in the past driven up construction costs in our area. The church now projects that when the landscaping phase is finished we will have approximately $950,000 available for further construction. How this is spent will be the subject of future congregational discussion and vote. The building committee will work with the church architect to present options and their costs so that the congregation can make an informed decision. We expect that the congregation will prefer a safe approach that doesn't risk the project exceeding its resources. In any case, if the congregation decides to spend the bulk of available funds on improvements to Forbes Hall, the improvements will be dramatic. $950,000 is still a lot of money. As for the ongoing landscaping, we hope to have it complete in a few weeks. Perhaps by the time you read this people are able to park on rough asphalt at the back of the cottage. When the backyard work is finished the asphalt will receive its top layer and have stripes painted. After the landscaping is complete there will be a period with no construction activity while the church makes detailed plans for the next step. If Forbes is to be closed to church use, it is important that it be closed for as short a time as possible.We don't want to start anything without a firm contract and timetable for its completion. We also want to make sure there is as much congregational involvement as possible. The building committee hasn't been talking about Forbes much lately because, frankly, we have been working flat out on the landscaping. That phase will end soon.

— Tom Hamilton, New Building Committee

Dining for Dollars Time is Here

Dear SM UUs, the time’s almost here
For the most fun fundraiser we have all year.
Dining for Dollars is our auction, silent,
For events that you host in your home, park, or tent.

You’ll help church and community in many ways,
While making new friends with the money you raise.
A dinner, an outing, a brunch, or a tea,
Options are endless. Oh golly! Oh gee!

When you get the question, “Can you participate?
Be a host or a hostess?” Step up to the plate!
Your guest list can be very long — or quite small,
However you fancy to answer the call.

Your committee is working so diligently to lead.
We’ll be contacting you to join in the deed:
Sue Moore, Natalie Kahn and Gerrie Lambson,
plus Rebecca Crawford, and Beverly Alison.

Our chair, Melanie Sharp, heads up this great corp,
So call her today; to open the door.
You choose the month and the time and the day,
We’ll schedule your D4$ event how you say.

We’re already phoning UU members and friends,
We’ll phone in November, but that will soon end.
Please sign up. UUCCSM needs you, no lie.
The auction’s in February. Time is short, and does fly!

— Natalie Kahn and Melanie Sharp

Vote No on Prop. 8 -- Three Months of UUCCSM Grassroots Activism

Everyone who has the power to vote on November 4, please do so and remember to vote no on Proposition 8. In a couple of days we will know the outcome of this outrageous proposition that would take away our GLBT friends’ right to marry.

Kris Langabeer and I began our journey to work on the campaign through the church back in August. Since then our community has pulled together and really shown our true colors as people committed to marriage equality.We thank everyone who did in-person volunteer recruitment, donated money, staffed our table at church, posted yard signs, stuck bumper stickers to their cars, displayed window signs, provided food for the phone banks, made calls at the phone banks, donated cell phones, and talked to all their friends and family about voting no on Proposition 8.

Here are some of the folks who stepped up to help. Inevitably there are omissions, especially of people who donated money to the campaign, grabbed a yard sign or put a window sign in their house. But we decided to charge ahead and try to list the individuals who donated many hours of their time and participated as grassroots activists in this campaign:

Kris and I have had a wonderful time in solidarity with everyone in our community.

— Bronwen Jones

Clergy Calls for "No" Vote on Prop. 8

The Clergy Phone Bank was held at the Los Angeles No on Prop. 8 campaign headquarters in West Hollywood. Twenty-three clergy made Voter I.D. calls. The Revs. Roberta Haskin and Ricky Hoyt participated. This was the first of many clergy phone banks that are happening across the state. LA Daily News, USC News, KCET and CBS covered the event.

Voter Guide for 2008 Propositions

The UU Legislative Ministry, California, has coordinated input to help us sort out the pros and cons of the complex ballot measures to be decided November 4th. Please visit uulmca.org. The Rev. Lindi Ramsden writes, “We don’t pretend to represent the views of all UUs, but do our best to weigh the pros and cons in light of our principles, whenever possible consulting UUs with experience in the field in question.” She adds, “This past year, while trying to discourage people from signing petitions to stop marriage equality, we got to see the paid signature gathering process up close and personal. It was sobering. Many people have little idea what they are signing. Seeing parental notification on the ballot for the third time (Prop 4) is a reminder that wealthy donors can continue to buy access to our decision making pro c e s s, causing a seve re drain on the resources of the community. Ever wonder why there aren’t donation limits to ballot measures?

Letters

The purpose of this note is to encourage everyone to vote no on proposition 8. Many members of our church have helped with the phone banks Wednesdays in the cottage, by placing yard signs and window posters at their homes and apartments, and by talking with their friends, families and coworkers. I particularly want to thank Kris Langabeer, Debbie Menzies, and Bronwen Jones for spearheading this issue at church. Without their leadership we would be much less galvanized on this issue. I also want to thank the many other behind-the-scenes volunteers.

— Michael Young

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