There are a lot of things about fathers that rise to our awareness at this time of year; some are more favorable than others and some are inspiring in their own right.

We will take time on this Sunday to reflect a bit on the past and how fathers fulfilled some of the expectations thrust upon them as elements of parenting; and we will also look to the future and what new expectations might legitimately be added to the list of a "father's duties".

Michael Walker will assist with the service, and the Bell Choir will perform special music.

There is no program, just community and sunshine! Come and enjoy the day with friends after attending the last choir Sunday of the church year.

Blood Centers of the Pacific will have their donor van parked on Franklin Street from 9 am to 2 pm Sunday.

Eat a good breakfast and come early.

Each registered donor will receive an All Star t-shirt and will be entered into a city-wide raffle to win 2 tickets to the All Star Game on July 10th!

from Thad Smith for the Board of Trustees

On behalf of the Congregation, the Board of Trustees honored Wally Cleland with the 2007 Anne Dillon Award at a presentation during last Sunday's Annual Meeting.

The award recognizes an unsung hero in the community who embodies the spirit of Anne, a behind-the-scenes worker whose extensive quiet contributions to the Society made a great positive impact.

The Faithful Fools are looking for a volunteer with experience facilitating group discussions and some knowledge of the Christian Bible to lead a weekly Thursday morning Bible Study for the summer.

Participants in the group, which has been meeting for 25 years, drop by with varying degrees of regularity. They include people who are housed, marginally sheltered or living outdoors; people of different races, ages, and ethnicities; people who are deeply religious, spiritual seekers, curious, openly hostile to "organized" religion and everything else you can imagine.

It's an awful lot of fun providing people with a forum for seeing themselves in the continuum of humanity in a setting where everyone has a voice.

If you are interested, contact Denis Paul at (510) 285-7843 or Rev. Kay Jorgensen at 474-0508 for an interview.

For those who want to complete gourd projects they started or begin new ones, this is your opportunity! For those who didn't participate and are interested, now is a good time to join in the fun.

The first two-day workshop will start on Saturday June 30th from 10 am to 6 pm and continue on Sunday. A materials fee of $45 will be charged.

Email Uvonne for details.

Trustees elected were: Matt Fuller, Carol Johnson, Michael McGirr, Stephen Schwichow, Claire Weber, and Sonnie Willis. Nominating Committee members are: Shirley Gibson, Janet Hewins, Nicolette Toussaint, and Galen Workman.

Following the Annual Meeting the incoming Board met to elect the Board officers. Jane Park was elected Moderator; Linda Enger, Vice Moderator; Carrie Steere-Salazar, Secretary; and Thad Smith, Treasurer.

The proposed Bylaw amendment removing the requirement for an annual audit of the Society's finances was referred back to the Board with the request that the Board come back with a regular, if not annual, audit requirement. The Congregation also authorized a financial review for the 2006-7 fiscal year.

Did you miss the Annual Meeting of the Membership? Besides a wonderful lunch and program, the Annual Report offered members a sweeping view of the activities of the entire Congregation. It's an amazing read! We are indebted to Thomas Walsh for superb editing skills which united reports from 50 sources into a seamless presentation and to Sonnie Willis for the beautiful photograph on the cover. If you missed the annual meeting, pick up your copy from the church office on Sunday.

She shares her complete essay with us in the link below.

The staff is asking Members and friends to complete payment on 2006-7 pledges (or pre-pay for next year!) this month.

Traditionally, summer months have cash-flow crunches because people are on vacation and not coming to church with their checks. Please ease the expected crunch by mailing a pledge payment for the summer months.

If we don't get $20,000 in the next two weeks, staff will need to reduce expenditures on budgeted items until the money comes in.

Very often friends say that they missed participating in an event because no one told them it was important. Sure there notices in the newsletter, order of service, and The Flame, but no one told them it was important.

So, let me tell you my opinion: your significant donation to the Unitarian Universalist Bay Area Marketing Campaign is one of the most important actions you can take this year. Your decision not to give also has an important impact.

Rev. Stewart calls our liberal religion "salvific". He believes that our community literally saves people spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

I agree with him, and I have personally contributed to the marketing campaign.

We know that few people are aware of Unitarian Universalism. Many of us say that we would have joined years ago, if we had only known that a spiritual home like this existed.

This Fall Bay Area Unitarian Universalists are spending a lot of money to tell people about our faith. The length and breadth of that campaign will depend 100% on how much money we raise from ourselves. The number of people who will learn that our community exists will depend on your donation.

Will you donate $100, $500, $5000, more, or whatever you can to help a fellow Bay Area resident find our community? Will you give generously to this Capital Campaign with a Heart?

As a lifelong Unitarian Universalist I was not brought up on religious guilt. But, I am shameless in sharing the urgency I feel about this campaign. So, will you give (or re-give) NOW if you consider that 35 people from the Oakland congregation have given to the campaign, 41 from San Mateo, 47 from San Jose, and 120 from Berkeley? Thus far only 34 people from our Society have made a donation.

With your dollars the fall campaign will last a bit longer and reach a bit further. Your gift of what you can truly, in-your-heart-know-you-can-afford, will make a difference.

Please send in your check today or donate online right now. This is important.