UUSisterhood Events for 2021-2022

Date: Friday October 15, 2021

Time: 6:00 PM

Location: Church Garden - in person event with a Zoom link if you wish to participate remotely.

Event: Carve Your Own Pumpkin. Bring a pumpkin of any size, knife or Carving Tools and scoop for seeds. We will have spaced tables set up for you to create a ghoulish, sweet, funny, or other creative decoration. We will gather the seeds to roast for future potluck munchies.

Bring a snack to share

Hosts: Lee Bona and Eileen McMahon

 

Date: Friday November 21, 2021

Time: 6:00 PM

Location: At church or Zoom (subject to church use protocols). If in person bring a potluck item to share.

Event: Favorite Family Holiday Recipes. Just in time for the Holidays, this event will mimic a Food Network Demonstration. If you have a favorite recipe and wish to do a demo contact our Host. Based on the success of our covid dessert cookbook last year, we welcome submission via e-mail of your favorite holiday recipes to include in our next Sisterhood Cookbook

Host: Jeanine Beratta

 

 Date: Friday, December 17, 2021

Time: 6:00PM

Location: At church or Zoom (subject to church use protocols) If in person bring a potluck item to share.

Event: Our Much Beloved Winter Solstice Celebration. For many years a Committee of Sisters has put together a creative service full of rituals and meaningful readings, bringing together our special sisterhood in celebration of the winter season.

Hosts: Lee Bona and the Winter Solstice Committee

 

Date: Friday, January 21, 2022

Time: 6:00PM

Location: At church or Zoom (subject to church use protocols). If in person bring a potluck item to share.

Event: Literary Night. A perennial favorite. We share short readings from our favorite books, make recommendations for a good read, often play a word game and bring used copies of real books to pass on.

Host: Lorna Pezarelli

 

 Date: Friday, February 18, 2022

Time: 6:00PM

Location: At church or Zoom (subject to church use protocols). If in person bring a potluck item to share.

Event: A Play Reading. Our Host will select a play and will gather volunteer readers and make assignments.  This will be a Readers Theatre Style, i.e., no need to memorize lines! And of course, an audience is crucial, so this will be a fun and interesting night for all.

Hosts: Jan Stewart

 

Date: Friday, March 18, 2022

Time: 6:00PM

Location: At church in Unity Hall with social distancing and adherence to in church protocols. 

Event: Walk The Labyrinth. Our Host and helpers will set up the lovely large canvas labyrinth from All Souls Church. You will be invited to walk the path of contemplation on your own time.

Hosts: Marjorie Connolly.

 

Date: Friday, April 15, 2022

Time: 6:00PM

Event: To Be Determined. Your Host will plan an event and notify us all.

Hosts: Cara Sanford

Date: May 2022. TBD

Time:

Event: May is the potential for our Annual Retreat in Maine. This is subject to availability of the Franciscan Guesthouse and covid situation. If held our Retreat includes special sisterhood community events, walks to the town and along the beach, games and communal meals. A wonderful time.

Hosts: Linda Wyatt, Lorna Pezarelli, Programs and

Wendy Innis and Carol Gregory Reservations.

 

Date: Friday, June 17, 2022

Time: 6:00PM

Location: At church or Zoom (subject to church use protocols) If in person bring a potluck item to share.

Event: Our Summer Solstice Celebration. Newer than Winter in planning tradition, but no less special, a Committee of Sisters will put together a creative summer service full of ritual, readings and meaning, bringing together our special sisterhood in celebration of this season.

Hosts: Wendy Innis and the Summer Solstice Committee

 

 

 

UU Sisterhood Events in 2019-2020

 

The lovely ladies of the UU Sisterhood had a challenging year but survived and thrived in spite of the COVID-19 trials. Our Sisterhood is a loving community of friendship within the church.

We kicked off our first two monthly potlucks, while still having in person meetings with an engaging talk in January about methods and attitudes for “Decluttering” from three of our sisters, complete with helpful resources. February was one of our perennial favorites, “Literary Night”, our sharing recommendations for good books.  We probably never realized how important and useful these two topics would become to us in the upcoming months.

By March we were in pandemic lockdown, questioning the need to cancel our Annual Retreat in Maine and watching the news and dealing with the first throws of isolation.

However, the resiliency of the Sisters helped us to adapt. And by early Spring we were organized!

Sisters volunteered to make and distribute face masks and nurse’s caps, created a “Sister Share” site through the church web page for exchange of needed goods, volunteered with food bank distributions, helped the Visiting Nurses Association with creating PPE packages, and coordinated socially distant small group walking dates and locations and backyard garden meet-ups.

And the Sisterhood went online. Three times a week Zoom meetings were scheduled for check-ins and mutual support. Many Sisters related that these meetings were a lifeline to push back loneliness and isolation and they developed deeper relationships’ of caring and friendship.  Book Club met on-line and MaJongg went virtual.

We continued our tradition of Monthly Potlucks with Zoom, albeit, without the community meal, but fun nevertheless. We discussed the Black Lives Matter movement and expectant changes for the future. We held our ”Downton Abbey Tea”, (without the need to polish the church’s silver tea service). One of the suggestions from the Tea event resulted in our fabulous dowloadable “Dessert Cookbook”  with amazing recipes contributed by many Sisters and even a section from the UUGuys .

As we learned to navigate the features of Zoom, several times we vicariously Zoom traveled to far away places with Sister traveler guides, including time in Eastport ME with interviews with some of the residents. We talked about Mystery Writers and other of our favorite series authors. On a lighter note we had a “Games Night: The Questions”  trivia contest and a “Jokes Night”. New this year was our night of ‘Five Minute Lectures”- on a variety of topics some educational, some humorous, and some touching.

So many of our traditions went on hold: Our Retreat, Dominoes, Bridge, Nursing Home Caroling, etc. But one tradition that still went on strong was our “Winter Solstice Celebration”. This beautiful and moving Zoom adaptation of worship/poetry ended our year with remembrances and hope for the coming year,

A grateful thanks to all the wonderful volunteer coordinators, and enthusiastic participants, who made all these events possible.

UU SISTERHOOD Monthly Pot Luck Dinners and Activities 2019-2020

 Monthly Pot Lucks

 
 

All potlucks are in the dining room/Bancroft room at 6:00pm, unless otherwise indicated. Bring a dish to share and a favorite beverage. All women of the church are welcome.

Friday, October 18, 2019  Back by popular demand!! “Just Talk”  A night of deeper conversation around the subject and emotion of Gratitude and what it means to us our daily life. A chance to share the stories of our life and actively listen to another.  No coordinators needed- you know what to do!

 

Friday, November 22, 2019  “Games Night”  Bring a board game you like to share. We will have on hand DIXIT, Balderdash and a few others. We welcome other games to introduce to the group, new or something from your childhood that brings back memories. Will include an introductory lesson in Mah Jongg by Jan Stewart and friends to encourage a new group. Coordinator: Lee Reid

Friday, December 20, 2019  “Annual Winter Solstice Celebration”  Come and share in this wonderful Sisterhood Tradition of stories, poems, music and holiday fare. Coordinators: Lee Bona, Mora McAvey and friends.

Friday, January 17, 2020 “DeClutter Advice from the Experts”  Three Sisters who are going through the experience of saying goodbye. They will help you understand the experience of decluttering and motivate you to lighten your life. Coordinators: Sue Stafford, Kate Sheehan, and Mora McAvey.

Friday, February 21, 2020  “Literary Night” One of our perennial favorites. We talk books, ideas, make-up words (sometimes funny or embarrassing)- great fun.  Bring a book recommendation and an excerpt or character description for one of your current or favorite reads. Bring any books you wish to pass on. Coordinator: Lorna Pezanelli

Friday, March 20,, 2020 “Art Night for Fun” We will have two workshop areas:

1. “Finger Paint Like a Kid Again” led by Cara Stanford. Have fun, be creative and feel young and free spirited. All supplies provided but RSVP to Cara at least one week in advance to let her know you would like to participate. carasanford@comcast.net

2. “Watercolor for Beginners” Popular activity at our last retreat, the sisters taking classes at the New England School of Fine Arts will walk you through the steps of creating a lovely painting. Bring a photo or use one of theirs.  

FYI See section on April Art and Craft Show and Sale…teachers/coordinators will help you get your project ready for display!

Friday, April 17, 2020 “Downton Abbey Tea Party” Save your Easter Bonnet from Easter Sunday on the 12th and wear it to our English Style Tea Party for our Pot Luck. We’ll take First U’s Silver Service out of the closet and brew up the taste of the Empire. Try having fun buying or baking up something good from an episode of the British Baking TV Series. Scones, anyone?  Coordinators: Madeline Silva and Lorna Pezanelli.

May, 15, 2020 “IMPROV Night” Coordinator, Kris Johnson will bring us a fun idea to use our dramatic talents to light up the First U Sisterhood stage. Maybe a play reading, maybe a joke night, maybe a night of “Jeopardy” or maybe even something completely different. Not want to act- audience and applause necessary, too.

Friday, June 19, 2020               “Impromptu Meet and Eat”

Friday,  July 17, 2020                “Impromptu Meet and Eat”

Friday,  August 21, 2020          “Impromptu Meet and Eat”

 

  Field Trips

Connecticut Art Trail 

Coordinator Bonnie Prescott has planned an exciting adventure into the World of ART with 3 tours of Connecticut’s many museums and historic sites. First Trip is Saturday November 9^th   2019 in the greater Hartford area. See map and info on Kiosk. If you wish to attend contact Bonnie ASAP via e-mail at bandwprescott@charter.net  no later than October 26.  Cost is $25.00 for admission to all museums for one full year. Purchase at first museum stop. Subsequent trips based on dates of interest.

Caroling in Area Nursing Homes

Coordinator Gini Johnson has graciously agreed to organize us again for our annual trip to area nursing homes to sing Christmas songs for the residents. After church on  Sunday December 15th,  this rewarding trip is fun and very worthwhile. We will have a light lunch and vocal warm-ups after the service and set-up carpools. Everybody can sing these familiar songs- don’t be shy. More details in December. Confirm attendance with Gini at ginijo@aol.com

Pickety Place Lunch and Store Visit

“Since 1786 our quaint little red cottage has graced the hills of southern New Hampshire, seemingly untouched by time. The enchanting cottage was chosen by Elizabeth Orton Jones as the model for her illustrations in Little Red Riding Hood (Little Golden Books, 1948). Today it is a mecca for gardeners, foodies and anyone looking for inspiration and relaxation.” https://www.pickityplace.com/pages/see-pickity. Date TO BE DETERMINED Includes lunch and shopping.  Coordinators: Lorna Pezanelli and Rosel Patton

New York City Trip to the Big Apple

Coordinator Jeanine Beratta is seeking a small group of helpers to plan this day long trip. Selection of transportation mode, dates, site visit options, etc. will be decided. If you know and love NYC join her team in this decision/planning process. Contact Jeanine at jberatta@gmail.com

Make and Bottle Our “Spicey Sisters” Spaghetti Sauce

Our sisterhood funds need replenishing for honoraria, scholarship and retreat expenses. Coordinator Madeline Silva is seeking small group of interested cooks to help make decisions for this fundraiser re: volumes, labeling, recipe, date options, manufacturing and sales within our church community. This includes a Saturday field trip to F1 Foods (copacker) in West Bridgewater, to produce our product. Contact Madeline at avlismom@aol.com

Hodges Village Dam Hike - Spring 2020

Cancelled last year because of rain, Coordinator Mary Newth has rescheduled for this year. Suitable for all level of walkers, it’s a year-round outdoor recreation area in Oxford MA https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/  Date: TO BE DETERMINED.  Includes lunch nearby. Confirm to Mary at m.newth@yahoo.com

 

Saturday, August, 22, 2020 “Sisterhood Olympics”

Held at Madeline’s Lake House in Salem NH, this all day event includes challenging the champions from the last Olympics to: Frying Pan Toss, Rubber Duck Golf, Broom and Egg Dump, Seed Spitting and more. Includes swimming, kayaking, leisurely boat ride and pot luck BBQ and time to relax under an umbrella. More details in early summer. Confirm your attendance by August 14^th to Madeline at avlismom@aol.com

 

  Special Events

April 2020 - Sisterhood Sponsored Arts and Craft Show and Sale

We have booked the Merritt Gallery for April through June for another showcase of Sisters and Friends Arts and Crafts Show and Sale. We encourage participation for any media (painting, photography, quilting  and other needlework, sculpture, jewelry making, woodworking, etc) that highlights the  Creativity of Women of the Church. Details re: the expectations and submission process available in March. Deadline for entry and delivery of objects by March 20^th.

New Years Eve Party at the Church  December 31, 2019

Bring in the new year with your friends at First U. The UUGuys plan and sponsor a night of music to dance and sing along, potluck eatables and a BYOB bar. Sisters have been invited to share in the festivities. Party starts at 9 to Midnight. Watch newsletter for more details.