Summit 
Building Dedication:
Widening Our Circle 

All Summitarians, young and old alike, are encouraged to attend this historic ceremony as we formally dedicate Summit’s first home. Rev. Bill Sinkord, President of the UUA, will be the featured speaker. Music aplenty, including our fine choir. Finger food and an open house to follow.

Now that the twelve days of Christmas have past, it’s time to entertain ten compelling reasons for attending Summit’s grand Building Dedication on Saturday, January 13, 2007 at 3:45 p.m.
     This will be an utterly singular event, for never before in Summit’s nearly 19-year history has this Unitarian Universalist flock occupied its own sacred site. Milestones like this are rare and precious, not to be missed. 
     If you’ve chosen to support Summit with your time, talents and resources over the years or even just recently, you deserve to reap the fruits of your devotion. Because of you and you and you, plus several generous outside gifters, this January dedication event has been made possible. Your long-held dreams have become a robust reality! A mentor once said: “The people shape a building and, after that, the building shapes the people.” Well, folks, both processes have been occurring since our move to Cottonwood last June…abundant shaping and being shaped!
     All card-carrying Summitarians need to be present and accounted for in order to kindly welcome visitors (perhaps 20% of attendees will be first-timers) from UU-ville at large, plus Santeeans, including the mayor’s office. It’s our home; so let’s display deep hospitality through greeting guests with vibrant worship, genuine warmth, tasty food, and a cordial open house.
     Rev. Ned Wight, Summit’s first and only settled minister, toiled long and hard for this special day to occur, so he’s coming all the way from New York to join in the celebration.
     Our respective matriarch and patriarch, Dolores Moore and Bob Moore, will share memories from the summit of their hearts.
Countless Summitarians, spearheaded by our superlative President Rex Graham, have been laboring tirelessly, on Summit’s behalf, for this event to happen in a festive and dignified manner. We thank them by showing up.
     Rev. Bill Sinkford, the President of the UUA, will be our featured speaker. He can’t possibly attend every Building Dedication across the land, but Sinkford has eagerly chosen to grace us with his presence. I reckon our President appreciates the significance of this passage in the larger hope of liberal religion.
     Every congregation in our San Diego Cluster has lately enjoyed a similar building celebration. January 13, 2007 will mark Summit’s turn to shine, at long last, and our sister-brother congregations couldn’t be happier. They’ll be present to cheer Summit on, and enjoy our “pretty” site fast becoming “beautiful” through hearty use and conscious care.
     Some of our own young people, who were literally born into the Summit clan, will be speaking, singing, or simply squealing with delight; for they know, first-hand, the unspeakable joy of possessing their own rooms in our common home.
     After our December outbursts of resplendent joy, January can descend into a pit of dormancy even despond–not so, this time around. January 13th will furnish a night of nights in which to gush with pride: not only at the spectacle of our physical environs, aesthetically remodeled and repaired, following our flood…but also at the vitality of our Summit fellowship. Summit exudes a choir bursting in numbers, confidence, and energy; an RE program growing in depth and breadth; a social action enterprise that is healthy and vital–in sum, a beloved community with a civic circumference, as you confidently stride toward the selection of your new settled minister in March.
     Yes, to be sure, Summit’s first home will be preaching silently on January 13th, but it will also be shaking palpably with ebullience and gratitude.
     So, in the light of the aforementioned 10 suggestions (we can’t major in commandments, can we, although January 13th comes mighty close to a command performance!), I urge you to arrive early, for the house will be packed, and to stay late, long enough to bask in the splendor of this momentous passage.
     Or, in the jargon of our Summit youngsters: “Be there or be square!”  In faith, hope, and love…

Rev. Tom Owen-Towle 

Parking Notes: Plans are in full-swing to make our Building Dedication Service a memorable occasion.  In order to have things run smoothly, we anticipate our largest attendance yet.  Please arrange amongst one another to carpool and arrive early.  There will be up to 12 parking spots set aside in the Summit lot for handicapped and special needs, spaces for visiting ministers and a few for dropping off carpool passengers.  Additional parking is available in two lots on the southeast corner of Mission Gorge Rd. and Cottonwood Ave. We urge you to use these as street parking may be less available on a Saturday. Teresa Palombo can be contacted by phone or email or in person should you have parking needs or concerns; 619-596-8105 / tsppalombo92071@yahoo.com.

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Upcoming Sunday Services
10:00 a.m.

• January 7: “The Pursuit of Self-Care”  
  Rev. Tom Owen-Towle
  There is no finer New Year’s resolve than pledging to take good care of our single, precious selves.  Carol Straubinger will be our pianist.  Dorothy Greene will be honored.  Bring your Guest At Your Table boxes today.
• January 14:  "Rosa Parks: The Woman Who Changed a Nation"    
  Rev. Tom Owen-Towle
  The story of Rosa Parks is a stunningly rich one that directly helped set Martin Luther King, Jr.’s career into motion. Elaine Harper and Richard Wilkie will furnish the music.
• January 21: "Inspiration from Spoon River Anthology"  
  Barbara Gates and Carol Rawlins
  The poetry of Edgar Lee Master’s Spoon River Anthology presents characters and situation that can provoke us to hold our own lives up to the light, and reflect. Barbara will direct a readers’ theater cast of dozens of Summitarians. Jeff and Lisa Garvey and Laurel Bernstein will provide music.
• January 28:  "Banana Peels, Visionaries, and Dancers"
  Rev. Tom Owen-Towle
  This will be my only sermon on what it means for Summitarians to create and sustain your mission as a shared ministry. Hopefully, my notes will prove useful as you prepare to dance into the future with your new minister. Ed Henry will be our musician.
• February 4:  "The Bridge Called Respect"    
  Rev. Tom Owen-Towle
  I will focus upon how women and men can create greater gender justice and joy in their daily lives. Pat Metzgar will portray Rev. Olympia Brown, and Ed Davis will be our pianist.

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WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO IN CHILDREN’S R.E.

• LIGHT ONE CANDLE: Twenty Summit children graced our new stage on December 17 with the presentation of “Light One Candle,” a Hanukkah play written for us by Summit member Laura Preble. It was both humorous and meaningful, and we won’t soon forget Justin Weedman as Judah Maccabee; Trevor Chapman as Antiochus; Lucy Gates as Menelaus; Jessica Biggart, Corinne Chapman, Lucy Slagle, Taylor Weedman and Ryan Beauchamp as the five soldiers; Ernesto Slagle and Alex Poirier as the two police officers; Mallory Orr, Zak Braunwarth, Gabbey Lacono and Jack Gates as the four friends; Nick Orr and William Braymen as the menorah masters; and Maya Braunwarth, Zachary Lacono, Kayla Poirier and Isabella Steussy as the human candles. The rousing song (“Light One Candle” by Peter Yarrow) wonderfully led by the children at the end of the play is still running through my head. Very special thanks to the many adults and children who made this program happen.
• YOUTH AT SUMMIT: Our high school group has completed eight of the ten sessions of “Living in UU Ville,” and will complete the last two in January. In between now and then they will have another meeting to share and discuss some of their favorite music.
• AND SERVICE BE OUR PRAYER: Guest at Your Table -- Please bring your Guest at Your Table boxes to the January 7 service. We will be joining more than 700 UU congregations as well as the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee in this project, collecting money which will be used to advance human rights in the United States and around the world.
• UU Kids Can: Please continue to bring your recyclable cans and stash them in the new marked container in the R.E. activity area. Thanks!
• WE STILL NEED PHOTOS OF SUMMITARIANS (all ages) at work and at play, recent and not, for a paper wall quilt in the R.E. wing that will highlight the UU children’s affirmation. The photos will be glued, so won’t be returnable. Please bring them to the marked box on the R.E. piano. Thanks!

MANY THANKS to our December volunteers: Elizabeth Braymen, Neal Biggart, Ed Henry, Lulu Lacono, Erica Braymen, Diane Slagle, Jack Slagle, and M.C. Patton.

Connie Henry, D.R.E.  
(619) 460-4794 / conniehenry@cox.net
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Welcome to The Bulletin Board!

For important tidbits we don’t want to miss.

Scene at Summit

• We will have a meditation/prayer session from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. each Sunday morning before the service begins, and Wednesday Mornings At 8:30
  
• Hiking Summitarians!
   The weather is once again favorable to getting out and about.  For those interested in hiking to the summit of Cowles Mountain, meet in the parking lot at Navajo Rd. and Golfcrest on Wed. mornings at 8:30 a.m.
  

 
Social Action Corner
Service Is Our Prayer

• Helping Others In East County
  A big thank you to the many Summitarians who made Christmas much brighter for our adopted Crisis House family. Thanks, also, to Rene Schad for coordinating the gift collection this year.
• Helping Others Beyond Our Borders
  Please bring in your Guest-at-Your-Table boxes on Sunday, January 7.  Look for the collection box in the greeting area. Thank you for your support of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee’s projects.
• The Constant Gardener reports that $88 was sent to Mercy Corps for refuge aid in Darfur this month, Thanks to the generous Summitarians, who pinned dollars to Summit’s Giving Tree, and to Summit friends in WA who contributed by check.
• Congratulations
  Kudos to Tyra Myles for her work and leadership on the Teen Relationship Violence (TRV) program, “You Decide,” which teams up incarcerated teens with teens from area high schools. The program’s participants have spoken to over 500 of their peers about the dangers of teen relationship violence.  This effort was part of an initiative led by public television station KPBS to raise awareness about teen relationship violence, a growing problem in the San Diego area and has received national recognition.
• How can you help Summit’s efforts in social action?
  Financial:
  Our next “Helping Others in East County” collection will be on January 13 at our Dedication Service in support of the Youth Resource Project. This project’s goal is to develop a youth leadership program addressing underage drinking and substance abuse in Santee through education and advocating changes in government policies.
  People Power:
  As part of our goal to establish an Amnesty International chapter at Summit Fellowship, we will be screening a video on the human right abuses occurring in Darfur at 7 pm on Tuesday, February 27th.  Please mark you calendars and stay tuned for more information. Contact Viraj Ward if you have any questions.

This March, Summitarians will be asked to volunteer for the Interfaith Shelter Network. We will again be teaming with St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church to provide shelter and meals to homeless individuals and families as they strive to re-enter the work force and become self-sufficient. Please contact Vic White if you are willing to lend a hand.

Please join us for the next Social Action Committee meeting on
Sunday, January 21, 8:30 a.m., in the conference room.

 

—ATTENTION—
Editor’s Corner
The Scene at Summit’s February 2007 edition deadline will be:
Jan. 22 Deadline/
Jan. 25 Mailing
Linda Peck, editor

 

The Honoring/Memorial Fund has been established to accept contributions to celebrate moments in our lives such as weddings and to commemorate deaths of loved ones.  Rod and Barbara Orth started this fund and they are hoping it becomes a tradition. For more info, contact the Summit office at 619-562-0833. The Summit Caring Committee oversees the distribution of these funds where they might be needed.

Adult Religious Exploration (A.R.E.) Summit Seminars take place on the third Tuesday of the month, 7 to 8:30 pm, in our conference room, 8778 Cottonwood Ave., Santee, CA.  For information call Richard Wilkie, 619-443-3543.

• Jan. 16, Dr. Norm Dessel: “You and Solar Electric: All You Need to Know.”  Dr. Dessel is a Professor in physics, San Diego State University, and author of nonfiction books on science for the lay person.
• Feb. 20, Dr. Miles Beauchamp: “How Do We Communicate as Unitarian Universalists.”  Dr. Beauchamp is an Assistant Professor at Alliant International University, and a member of the Core Adjunct Faculty at National University, Dept. of Communications, School of Arts and Sciences.
• Mar. 20, Dr. Mark Wheeler: “Reason, Truth, and the Unity of Experience.”  Dr. Wheeler is an Associate Professor of Philosophy, San Diego State University.
• Apr. 17, Dr. Edward O. Henry: “What Really Happened in Salem in 1692.”  Dr. Henry is a Professor of Anthropology, San Diego State University.
• May 15, Dr. Joe Braunwarth: “Sex Sells: The Depiction of Women in Advertising.”  Dr. Braunwarth is a Professor of Political Science at Grossmont College.
• June 19, 2007, Richard Wilkie and Elaine Harper on the topic: “Moral Persuasion in Traditional American Folk Song.”

 

Please make the following changes to your Aug. 2006 Summit Directory:

1. Chris Smith’s new email is chris@mindful-listening.com.
   Friend, Jan Crosby, is in her new location:
   126 Graylawn Ave., Apt. B
   Petaluma, CA 94952
   707-778-8336
   
2. Lynn Nelson’s new address:
   717 Bird St., #A
   Prescott, AZ 86301
   928-443-1381
   lynnnelson4@juno.com

 
Bob Moore's History of Summit UU  Fellowship!
Its title is "The View From the Summit" and it’s a very readable trip down Bob Moore’s memory lane. This 100-plus page history of our fellowship is illustrated with photos of our members and friends from way back when, and from more recent days as well. You’ll learn about the very small beginnings of our fellowship, how we first moved into the Lodge, how we hired our first minister. Chapter titles include “Summitarian Characters”, “Traditions, Symbols, and Such,” and “The Reverend Ned.” Order one copy for $13, or two for $25! To pre-order, just write your check, note in the memo line “summit book” and put it in the offering plate or mail it to the Summit office!

Resource to Create a More Accessible Congregation
The UU World magazine is available for free from Identity-based Ministries for anyone who cannot read the regular print magazine.  Call or email us at:
access@uua.org / 617-948-6451
  Also, these “talking books” are available on 4-track cassettes:
A Chosen Faith
Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide
Day of Promise
Order info is available in the office (see flyer), email: rpierson@mabcommunity.org, or 617-972-9117.
Information from the Larger UU Community and the UUA
Summit UU Fellowship PMB 44
2295 Needham Rd.
El Cajon, CA 92020

Hear the roar! Feel the mist!
See the mighty Falls! July 15-17, 2007
Come experience the wonder of Niagara Falls while being taken care of like royalty. The UU Church of Niagara is conducting a four day UU Niagara Experience which is a lifetime opportunity to encounter the Falls up close, even safely riding beneath a tethered balloon. Spend four days with us exploring the rich historical and natural wonders around the Falls. For information visit our web site : http://www.uunex.net/
Email:  info@uunex.net
Telephone:  716-791-4453

Within the Congregation

• CIRCLE DINNER, JANUARY 27
  On Saturday, January 27, at 6:30 p.m. we will have our first Summit circle dinner of 2007. What's a circle dinner? This is a gathering of 6 to 8 adult Summitarians at the home of one of their fellow Summitarians. The host supplies the main dish and contacts the guests to let them know where to report for dinner and to coordinate what side dish, salad, dessert, etc. they would like to bring.
   Besides enjoying a delicious meal and a convivial evening, you have a chance to become better acquainted. Please sign up in the greeting room with Suzanne McQuaide or email, suzanne-m@cox.net. New Members, we want you!

It is beyond doubt that a church building preaches silently.
          Arthur Foote, Unitarian Universalist minister

We are saddened to let the friends of Mary and Henry Blue know that Henry has passed away.  He died peacefully Dec. 19 at Kaiser Hospital. Henry had been a Summit member and served on the board of directors.. Our prayers are with Mary, also a former member, and their family. 

Remember Gwen and Ron Curry in your thoughts and prayers, as Ron’s mother is in the hospital with pneumonia.

Our snow-birds, Gloria & Fred Gelineau are back in their west coast home: 2788 Lobelia Rd.
Alpine, CA 91901
619-659-8284

Flowers for Sunday Services
 The flowers at our Sunday services always add a soft spirit to the room.  If you would be interested in commemorating a personal special occasion or honoring a loved one by providing a flower arrangement for a particular Sunday, contact Barbara Orth (619-583-3405) or Vivienne Jacobson (619-469-4945).  You and your occasion will be mentioned in that Sunday’s order of service.      Thank you!

Refreshments Anyone?
 We all enjoy having coffee as we fellowship in the Greeting Room after service.  Janet Dixon is our stalwart coffee maker on most Sundays and has done this for a number of years.  She would like to ask if there is anyone who would like to share this service with her on more than an occasional basis?  If you are looking for a way to support Summit’s endeavors, this could be your chance!  Please call Janet at 619-465-1160 to let her know you can help.

UU Audition Notice
 Seeking UU actors to take part in a Sunday Worship Service performance of “Spoon River Anthology,” to be performed January 21, 2007.  No acting experience necessary!  SRA is a collection of poignant poems/monologues about life and death, love and loss.  Jeff and Lisa Garvey are developing the score and Barb Gates is directing.  We need all ages and types.  Rehearsals will be held to a minimum (around 4 or so) and are during those two weeks prior to the performance.  It’s going to be great FUN.  Again, no acting experience necessary.  Please call Barb to sign on:  619-442-5195

Lunch Bunch
All Summitarians who would like more fellowship and food after Sunday services are welcome to meet with the Lunch Bunch. On January 7 we will eat at Mimi’s Café, 9812 Mission Gorge Road, Santee, phone 562-2644. January 14 will find us at Applebee’s, 107 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon, phone 593-3066. On the 21st, we'll be at Olive Garden, 9800 Mission Gorge Road, Santee, phone 562-1622, and on the 28th at Michael’s Grill, 9621 Mission Gorge Road, Santee, phone 258-2110.
If you intend to join us, please print your name on the sign-up sheet during the coffee hour so we can phone ahead for reservations.

Freethinkers
Freethinkers meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month in the Children’s Religious Exploration area 7:00 PM.
  -- Jan 2 (yes, it is awfully soon after the holidays). We will view a DVD from the recent series Bill Moyers on Faith and Reason (Our thanks to Dolores and Bob Moore for its purchase). Segment One: Mary Gordon, author, explores the negative implications of what she sees as two converging influences in modern society: fundamentalism and consumerism, and tells about having grown up seeking martyrdom. Segment Two: Colin McGinn, philosopher, discusses his adoption of atheism, and his belief that rational criticism is healthy for religion. Does science have a monopoloy on reason? McGinn says reason is the foundation of morality as well.
  -- Jan 16: Salman Rushdie, Islamic literary sentinel, discusses tension between moderate and radical Islam and the need to hold the line on fundamentalism even when it leads to personal risk. He reads from his The Satanic Verses.

Caring Committee
Summit’s Caring Committee is responsible for providing transportation for those members who are unable to drive and need help getting to our Sunday service, meetings or medical appointments.  At present, the need is modest, so volunteers should not be overtaxed.
 If you are willing and able to help occasionally, please let us know.  We’ll try very hard to make it convenient for you.  Please contact Rod Orth at 619-583-3405.

Ministerial Search Committee
Toni Rogers (Chair)      Pat Bryning    Wendell Rawlins          Mark Wheeler          Gwen Baldwin     Ferne Gaarder    Pierre Vaughn
Summit has received nine profiles of ministerial candidates at this time. Possibly, we may receive a few more.   The committee reviewed all of the profiles, then selected those candidates who seemed congruent with Summit and called them to exchange packets.  Ministerial packets resemble an expanded resume and portfolio.   They give a fairly comprehensive picture of the candidate.    After reviewing the packets, we scheduled a series of telephone interviews.  At the conclusion of the telephone interviews, extensive reference checks will be conducted and three candidates will be invited to “pre-candidate” with the Ministerial Search Committee.
    Pre-candidating entails the ministerial candidate spending the greater part of a weekend with the committee for more in-depth mutual interviewing.  At the conclusion of the weekend, the committee will observe the candidate delivering a sermon at a “neutral pulpit”.   Neutral pulpits will be at UU congregations outside of the San Diego cluster.   Following the pre-candidating weekends, a final candidate will be chosen and presented to Summit during Candidating Week – March 18-25, 2007.
   We need your good thoughts, positive affirmations, prayers, stones in the water, candle lighting and/or whatever you do to help make dreams come true.  Thank you and stay tuned…..

Membership News 
 On December 10, 2006 , we welcomed into our beloved community the following members: Elizabeth and Chris Braymen, Karl Dege, Guenter Esslinger, Marjorie and Donald McWhorter, and Claudette Wear. In addition, Frank Placone-Willey, (former Intern, husband of Pilar , facilitator at our numerous Four Agreement sessions, leader of our meditation sessions and invaluable as one of our set up persons when we were at the Lodge), has informed us he is transferring his membership from First Church to Summit. With their multiple skills and talents, we look forward to our new members’ participation as we continue to build Summit into a dynamic and vibrant community. Our membership now stands at 129 members!
 The membership committee is in the process of changing our name tags from the silver colored engraved pins to clear plastic badges that are worn with a clasp. Summit will have a Summit Logo on their name tag to distinguish them from visitors and friends who will (not) have a logo on their name tag. Thus, members will be able to identify returning visitors and friends and greet them accordingly. A visitor who returns a second time will have a name tag waiting for them. The name tags should be returned to the red name badge holder after Sunday Services and other events. If you wish to continue wearing your present engraved name badge please continue to do so, however, only the clear plastic badges will be kept in the red name badge holder. Please let Elaine Harper know if you wish to have a new plastic name tag made for you.

 Patti Robison-Heyer is doing a wonderful job in seeking and training greeters and ushers for Sunday Services and other events such as our Building Dedication Service in January. If you wish to volunteer for one of these assignments, please contact Patti. The greeters’ tables for visitors are being moved to the corner of the patio to relieve the congestion at the front door of our greeting room. Our visitors and friends appreciate the warm friendly environment we are creating at Summit and the membership committee appreciates the support of each and every member.
Thank you.   Joan Chan & Elaine Harper
Co-Chairpersons, Membership Committee

Salon Update
 Now that we have recovered from the flood and our sanctuary, greeting room and kitchenette are looking so great, it is time to consider how we can make best use of the Salon space. Before anything can be done, however, we need to clean it out! A committee has been formed to facilitate these activities.
 We will be starting with the list of ideas generated from LaMar's recent survey of community members. Our goals are to: 1) clean out the salon, 2) determine a long range plan, and 3) have the salon in active use within the next few months. Please contact any of the following committee members with ideas, suggestions, or offers to help clean! Debbie Wingard (chair), Mark Bryning, Connie Henry, Suzanne McQuaide, LaMar Rogers and John McQuaide.
From the Organization Committee for Dedication Day . . .

Having Another Look at Our Purposes and Principles
  -- Who: All interested laity and religious professionals are enthusiastically invited to participate in an open hearing and discussion with the UUA’s Commission on Appraisal.
  -- When: Saturday morning, January 20, 2007, from 10:00 a.m.–Noon. Light refreshments provided.
  -- Where: Bard Hall at First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego, (619-298-9978)  4190 Front Street in Hillcrest across from the UCSD Medical Center
  -- What: The focus of this hearing will be the Commission’s current study topic: a thorough review of the wellspring of our liberal religion–namely our Unitarian Universalist Purposes and Principles (Article II of the UUA By-Laws). They were initially adopted in 1985, and an obligatory review is overdue.

A Note from Our Librarian. . .
 We are eliminating paper back books for the library.  We will keep them in boxes in the office storage room if anyone is interested in picking up something to read.

Your Gratitude?
 Have you ever had someone help you out and offered them a couple of bucks for their trouble to have them decline?  Well, if that happens consider making a Service Donation to Summit in the helpers name.  Summitarians have been doing this for years but not many of the new comers have heard about it.  You can donate at the service or drop it in the mail to the office.

From the Finance Committee . . .
Now that Summit is located in Santee, the Finance Committee has decided to do our banking locally.  At the time we established the new checking account, we also set up an account strictly for the Capital Campaign.  This will make it easier to account for all Capital funds, both incoming and out-going.  We would like to ask everyone that contributes to the Capital Campaign to write a separate check for those donations (and still note on the check in the memo line “Capital Campaign”) and not combine the Annual Commitment (also note this on the check) with it in the same check.  If you have questions, please contact Lisa Garvey at burnsgarvey@cox.net or Linda Peck at the Summit office, 619-562-0833. Thank you.