Got stuff? Load up your car with the wonderful treasures you no longer need and come to our parking lot Saturday, 10/11 from 9-2.

The Refugee Resettlement Committee is busy taking our Iraqi family of eight to medical appointments. Jennifer Newman, Judy Antoine and Vicky Schipper will be meeting with the family's social worker at the Center for New Americans as we move through this hectic and complex phase of settling them in Syracuse.

September ends in a mood of high national anxiety and uncertainty. As I write, the presidential race is extremely close, and the economy is a wreck.

September was busy as I, the RE committee, and our guides, worked to get the RE program year off to a start. We had a very good guide training that included a short story telling workshop.

As many of you are aware, on Sunday morning, July 27^th, a man entered the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee intent upon killing parishioners until he himself was killed. Two congregation members were fatally shot, and several were wounded, before the man was restrained by those around him.

September is upon us. School is about to begin. Some of us breathe a sigh of relief over that and some of us just are not quite ready. But come what may it is fairly certain that we will be shifting from a summertime routine to a fall routine.

We have a very exciting year planned to help explore our spiritual, social, and educational desires. We have a vibrant committee and always welcome more committee members, ideas and facilitators. Please send your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . Here are the courses we've scheduled so far:

First let me say how much I enjoyed my first year on the Board of Trustees under the highly capable leadership of Fred Fisk. Fred’s skills in developing an atmosphere of cohesiveness and congeniality will be missed; so too will Fred’s biweekly column in our newsletter. Thanks to Fred for carrying forward the high standard set by May Memorial’s distinguished list of past presidents.

As you travel this summer, whether near or far, please collect a small container of water to bring to our ingathering service on the Sunday after Labor Day (9/7). The waters we bring will contribute to the UU ritual of the Water Ceremony. It is a fitting transition from one season to the next, and a way of reconnecting with the Society after our summer wanderings.

I guess this is my valedictory column as president of May Memorial. By the time you read this, I expect the presidency will be in the able hands of my successor as I become a “past president,” joining the ranks of my predecessors who hold this delightful honorific with no specific responsibilities. Yahoo!

Recently I have been toying with the idea of shifting the name of what it is I oversee here at May. I am the director of religious education, but what if it were religious exploration?

“The sweet June days are come again.” Green is my favorite color, and green is everywhere! I love the long days, the warmth (without it being too hot), the profuse flowers, and line-dried clothes.

It has been an odd winter, frustrating to winter enthusiasts. March is a transitional month, with the sort of late-winter “storm events” that remind me of the child’s verse “The March wind doth blow, and we shall have snow, and what will the robin do then?...”

The canvass is well under way. By now, you and your canvasser may have talked about May Memorial — what it means to you, its future prospects, and the shared obligation of members to sustain and promote the church’s mission with their dollars.

I recently became the co-chair of the Building and Grounds Committee. What I “knew” all along has become painfully clear to me now: Our beautiful building is aging. It needs maintenance. In order to maintain and improve May Memorial, the physical structure, we need to give it our loving care, both our sweat equity and our cash. In a word, our stewardship.

The Post-Standard has the real scoop on Rev. Jean in the 1/31 issue. It's a good interview with things you probably don't know about her.

The New Year is upon us and, at least for me, it is a time full of reflection and of possibility.

We are well into the “giving” season, and I hope you are planning to include May Memorial in your holiday “giving” plans.

Earlier in the year our religious education classes worked with the story “Supriya’s Bowl,” a tale from the Buddhist tradition.

It's not too late to join our fall Adult Education classes, where you'll find a wide variety of enrichment opportunites.

As you read this our fall session will be ending. After Thanksgiving we will be starting our Seven Weeks of Unity. This is our mid year part of the Sunday morning RE where we focus on our Unitarian Universalist identity.

A matter of balance

As leader of this congregation, I’m constantly learning about the need for balance. I believe part of my duty is to help manage the tensions that arise between strong convictions that are not always exerting pressure in the same direction.

Well some RE years start off at a clip and some years start off at a roar. This year is one of the latter.

Listen to highlights from our Sunday services on our podcast page, where you'll find our new minister's latest sermons, Joe Cleveland's August folk music service and lots more.

By the time you read this, Labor Day will be here. Families with children will be in full swing getting ready for the return to school. And most of us will be trying to keep that list of what we need to do to prep for winter from nagging us as we try to squeeze a little more summer out of life.

Defining ourselves

Many Unitarian Universalists seem to have an abiding desire to define and redefine themselves and their religious project.

Whether you are new or old here, please wear your name tag on Sundays and at MMUUS events. When you wear your name tag, you are saying something about yourself beyond your name.

The 2006 – 07 fiscal year ended with a deficit $21,085.19 less than the budgeted deficit of $38,000.00. Thank you for your generous support!

A “Green” project of the SJC

Be the first in your pew to sport our new reusable cloth canvas grocery bags and help eliminate plastic bag proliferation.

Notes from Rev. Jean...

June marks the end of the regular “church year” for most UUs. June also brings our annual UU Ministry Days and General Assembly. This is one of those Junes when it’s a challenge for me to get away for GA. Yet, each time I attend, I am glad I did.

Raises $3,022

The biennial MMUUS Book and CD Sale generated $3,022, a large majority of it from non-MMUUS shoppers. In addition to earning money for the church operating budget, we had a wonderful community experience and contributed to Green Sanctuary by recycling books and media items.

Great news. At the April 22nd congregational meeting, a large turnout of members voted by an overwhelming majority (96.2%) to call the Rev. Jean L. Wahlstrom as our next settled minister, and she has accepted our offer.

Relive the fun of this Adirondack adventure (or find out what you missed) with our Garnet Hill photo gallery.

That was some common-sense advice passed on at a recent day-long “Growth Workshop” for congregations in the St. Lawrence UU District. I was lucky enough to attend, along with Therese Hogle, Lee Ann McKinney and Mardie Ninno.

Our new website is finally here, with a new look, new features and new content. You'll find the latest news and events, a calendar, a photo gallery, audio podcasts of sermons and other highlights of our services, and more.

January and February are months when ministers like to give sermons in a series, to probe into subjects a little deeper. This year I am going to be talking about literature. The book I would urge everyone to read is this year’s Syracuse Reads selection: Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner.”

A marble tablet honoring Syracuse abolitionist and MMUUS namesake Samuel J. May was rededicated 12/30 after being installed on the side of our building, overlooking the memorial garden.

Securing the future of May Memorial is important to me. Sure, May was around for more than 150 years before I showed up, and I expect it will manage to survive somehow after I’m gone. Yet sometimes I wonder: Will the fantastic, fractious fellowship of the UU faithful at May really survive?

Global Warming and Climate Change

Did you know...

• that US citizens use 25% of the world's fossil fuels but we’re only 5% of the world's population?
• that Italians use 22% of the energy that the U.S. uses... and seem to have a “good life”?

As you read this, the fall session of our RE program is coming to a close. November 19th is the last Sunday of our fall session. It has been a good start to the year.

We have been working to get everyone registered for our RE program. This year we are not charging a registration fee, following a decision by the Board last year. However, it is still important to register so that we will have your contact information.

A resolution to end sanctioned tortured was passed by an overwhelming majority of MMUUS members present at a Sept. 24 meeting.

WHEREAS acts of torture violate United States criminal laws, specifically the federal Anti-Torture Statute, 18 U.S.C. 2340 and the federal War Crimes Act of 1996; they violate international treaties to which the United States is a party, including the Geneva Conventions, the Convention Against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and furthermore, torture is particularly alien to the principle of respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person, a principle that is central to Unitarian Universalist religious beliefs; and