Fall news from UUWR

Core Group Meeting Summary

UUW&R Core Group met via video conference this past week and began making plans for 2024's virtual General Assembly. Rather than focus on exhibiting, we discussed applying to present a workshop and possibly running some ads for our curricula and books elsewhere. We also welcomed Pauline Jackson as a new Core Group member! She'll be working on future newsletters. We set up working teams to finalize budget for 2024, review bylaws, plan facilitator training sessions for Cakes for the Queen of Heaven curriculum, and enhance networking among our regional UU women's retreat groups.

Upcoming Events‍

Planning ahead for Yule‍

Last week, Patricia Hyams, whom I know through UU Women's Connection in the midwest, was telling me about a set of Calling the Directions she'd written. I asked her if‍ she'd be willing to share them. She not only said yes, she offered the entire Yule ritual, which was then posted on the Connection website. Here is a brief excerpt of the Directions:

Spirit of the West
Season of Autumn; Evening.
Wash us with your cleansing waters on this longest night of the year.
Great oceans, mountain streams, country creeks, water from our tap –
Be an oasis of reflection and rest to us in the middle of our frenetic world,
as we reflect on the year that has passed.
Let us relax into your embrace of unconditional love and acceptance
as a lotus opens to the moon.
We ask you to join our circle here tonight
as we celebrate the longest night of the year.
Welcome Spirit of the West.

UU Womens Connection Rituals page

UUWR Workshop at SWUUWCon‍

SWUUWCon 2024 will be held at Camp Allen, west of Houston, Texas February 9-11, 2024. Registration will be up soon. UUWR will represent with a vendor table and a workshop:

Creating Connections through UU Women's Groups

We’ll review UU women's groups and gatherings worldwide, engage in group sharing of connection stories, and leave with a list of resources to take home.

Gretchen Ohmann is a long-time UU, involved in UU women's groups since the 90s. Co-convener of Continental UU Women and Religion, she has experienced profound connections through women’s gatherings and circles of varied types in many places.  

Christine Smith and her husband are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary this year and live in New Orleans with two elderly dogs. Both their children are grown and they have an empty nest! She has been a Goddess woman for 35 years and a UU for 25. Her favorite thing in the world is bringing women together and creating sacred space for healing and fellowship.‍

4th International Convocation of UU Women

SAVE THE DATE!  September 5–8, 2024

FOURTH CONVOCATION OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST WOMEN
AND PEOPLE OF PROGRESSIVE FAITHS

“Weaving a Tapestry of Peace and New Perspectives”
Connect – Collaborate – Create

Cluj-Napoca/Kolozsvár, Transylvania, Romania

Come join women and supporters of gender equity from around the world in the historic Unitarian region of Transylvania. The gathering, organized by the International Convocation of Unitarian Universalist Women in partnership with the Hungarian Unitarian Church and UNOSZ (the National Organization of Unitarian Women of Romania) will focus on the theme of peace within ourselves and in our communities as we develop intergenerational perspectives to build a better future for humanity and the planet.

       The event will feature:

• International expert speakers
• Workshops and creative expression
• Chalice circles
• Social events for fun and fellowship
• Visit to House of Religious Freedom

Travel extension: Join a guided tour of the beautiful Transylvania region, an important place in Unitarian history where the Edict of Torda, an unprecedented decree of religious freedom, was declared in 1568.

More information on the ICUUW website.

UUWR and Giving Tuesday

UUWR Celebrates GivingTuesday, joining millions around the world participating in the global generosity movement on November 28, 2023

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and their world. GivingTuesday will kick off the generosity season this year by inspiring people to give back on November 28, 2023, and throughout the year.

We've received word of a matching grant up to $500. Double your impact by making a donation to UUW&R on Giving Tuesday.

What does your donation fund? UUW&R is the ONLY source for our foundational UU women's spirituality curricula like Cakes for the Queen of Heaven and Rise Up and Call Her Name.

We have exclusive rights to much of the music in the Store and republication permission for more classic UU feminist works.

Our goal is to begin building infrastructure to support the bookstore and the painstaking work of restoring and re-publishing these classics and offering them at an affordable price and in new digital formats.

The UUWR bookstore is our main source of income. When the bookstore travels to events, the expenses are borne by our volunteers. This isn't a sustainable model, so we're asking for help.

Countless hours also go into maintaining and presenting online archives and resources. UUW&R has been entrusted with herstorical documents from many of the district chapters that no longer exist. These are an essential part of the herstory of the feminist movement within UUism. It is OUR herstory.

Offering the Bookstore at UU women's retreats and other events helps us network and keep connections among our organizations alive.

UUWR could do so much more if we were well-funded. Will you consider giving this year on Giving Tuesday?

Donate

A note about what you buy from UUW&R: Some creators have donated their works to the organization. Others still receive royalties based on sales. So, buying anything from the UUW&R Store supports both UUWR's ability to keep these resources available, and supports the creators!

You can contribute‍ to our herstory

We recently received a gift of an original set of the Rise Up curricula and tapes! The photo shows the difference between that one and the current version. This copy of the original will go to our HEResies archives at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago. Thanks to Alison Rognas of UU Fellowship of Boca Raton Florida!

This lovely gift was the result of a conversation on the Facebook Cakes for the Queen of Heaven Facilitators group. There is also a group for Rise Up Facilitators.

UUWR is also interested in your stories, photos, and of course any archives of what once were the district UUWR groups. Contact info@uuwr.org.

SALE $3 off digital music‍

Until 31 October, $3 off digital downloads of music with the code 3offMP3‍

We open the circle...‍

... moving on the Wheel of the Year towards the darker months, with these words from the Archives, Prairie Star Women Newsletter Winter 1991-92. Read the rest of the issue on JStor or on UUWR website.

THE HIDDEN DARKNESS
by Magenta 1991

Do you watch stars?
    The sky darkens so the stars may shine.
        Do you drink tea?
            Water darkens as tea steeps.
                Do you eat bread?
                    Dough darkens to become bread.
                        Do you love poetry?
                            The page darkens as I write.
                                Tea, bread, ink, sky
                                      Welcome, darkness, welcome.

We welcome all those who identify as women, expansively defined as anyone who feels comfortable in woman-focused space.
‍

Unitarian Universalist Women & Religion
A UUA Related Organization
c/o Co-Convener Gretchen Ohmann
P.O. Box 1021
Benton Harbor, MI 49023-1021
info@uuwr.org

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