B&G Work Party November 1st

B&G work party
9am until noon
Sat. November 1st

Our Building & Grounds (B&G) Team invites you to this event for companionship and care of our property.

Please dress appropriately and bring tools mentioned below, if possible. We had fun last time, even in the rain.

The B&G team welcomes you to lend a hand with the following outdoor jobs:

  • Remove 2 piles of small diameter deadwood from behind the Rod Stewart Building. This completes a  Fire Smart initiative, as was raising the forest canopy west of the lawn.

  • Disperse wood chips to the forest floor to make pathways and suppress invasive plants in the forested area. Wheelbarrows are needed for this as well as forks or shovels to load chips into them. We have some of these.

  • Blow leaves. (We have one, maybe 2, blowers).

  • Replace parking lot light fixtures with LED fixtures (a job for the fearless).

  • Remove small diameter branches from the forest floor.

  • Trim weeds on the property with our string weed whacker.

  • Mow the lawns one last time this season.

  • Make coffee and snacks for the hard working crew.

  • Do the good weather dance.

  • Anything else you see that needs doing.

We'd love to hear from you if you have a job you prefer.

~ Brian Welwood & Bob Vaughan (Co-Chairs of the B&G Team), and Brian McConnell (our Factotum)

"Musings for Mortals" Pop-Up Book Club

Musings for Mortals Pop-Up Book Club
after lunch (Noon - 1:30pm) on 4 Sundays:
Nov. 2, 9, 16 and 23

“Life is messy, and we know it will end and that’s okay.  Let me tell you why.”
 
With that surprising “teaser,” Sue was off and running on Sunday, October 5th with some practical life tips she gleaned from Meditations for Mortals, the new book by author, former Guardian columnist and recovering productivity guru Oliver Burkeman. (See the video of this service HERE).
 
Both Burkeman and Sue question assumptions a lot of us take for granted.  Like that we should all be striving, strenuously and pretty much endlessly, to realize our “full potential.” (Which you’ll recognize as rhyming with our UU tradition of celebrating our potential for growth – even transformation!)
 
The problem is, the not-so subtle message is we’re never quite cooked, and never will be.  It hints at the distasteful idea of “original sin” that some of us were raised with.  Let that go.  You needn’t earn or prove your worth.  You’re better to accept your humanity, and build from there. 
 
Feeling a load off already? That’s exactly the feeling Burkman – and Sue – intended!  ‘Cause here’s the thing.  Potential is infinite; time is not.  So let’s figure out how to make the best of the time we have, without making life feel like a burden. 
 
Start by asking yourself:  What if this is all easier than you think?  Maybe the secret of life isn’t to jam down even harder on the accelerator, but rather to ease up on the brake.  You might just get the same or better results with a lot less effort.

If you’re intrigued and want to keep the conversation going, Sue is offering a pop-up book club. Beginning November 2, after lunch, in the Sanctuary, Sue will host the first of four discussion groups about the book. One section per week, for four Sundays in a row.  Should be fun to share what works! 

Contact Janni or Sue if you’d like to be part of it. (Or just show up.)
 
PS.  Sue will have copies of Burkeman’s entertaining Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts available at the church on Thanksgiving Sunday.  Plenty of time to read the first week of Burkman’s 28 practical “musings” before November 2.  [Cost: $28.00 (including tax), which is 25% off the regular price.] 

Sad news regarding Wayne Hanna

On Thursday morning, October 2nd, Marga Hanna sadly shared that her husband, Wayne, has passed away.  They were on vacation in Germany visiting relatives and celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary when Wayne became unwell.  He had been in hospital for more than a week and Marga had been staying with family nearby.  We will let you know when details are available about a Celebration of Life service.

Job opening: Admin Position at South Fraser Unitarian

South Fraser Unitarian has asked us to help get the word out that they are looking for a part-time administrator skilled with WordPress, Google Workspace, MailChimp, Office Suite, Zoom and Social Media. 

This is a contract position with a three-month probationary period and annual evaluation and contract renewal, requiring thirty (30) hours monthly from September to June and ten (10) hours a month during July and August. The rate of pay ranges from $28 - $32 hourly depending on skills and experience.

This is an interesting and varied position for someone with the right skills and training. For further information and a full job description, please contact board@surreyunitarians.ca.

(Submitted by Linda Vance, our CUC liaison).

Thank you!

Special thanks to all who brought non-perishable food items on October 5th for use in Thanksgiving baskets for the North Shore Women’s Centre. They appreciated these donations when Julia Covell delivered the items to them on October 9th.

We are done with this collection for now — so please do not bring any additional items. But we will likely do another collection for them in December, so stay tuned!

October Outreach: The Edible Garden Project

Each month, 100% of our Sunday morning collection plate, unless otherwise noted, is donated to a registered charity whose mission is in line with our values. We call this “Outreach”.

During the month of October, we will collect donations for The Edible Garden Project (by the North Shore Neighbourhood House). The Edible Garden Project operates two farms on public park land and five volunteer-driven sharing garden sites on the North Shore. They grow and harvest fresh vegetables, partnering with local food security organizations to distribute them to those most in need in our community.

Donate to this collection anytime during October using any of the payment methods we accept, labeling your donation as being for “Outreach”, or putting your donation in the offering basket on a Sunday morning.

John Vaillant at Kay Meek Theatre Oct. 24th

Our Environmental Action Team invites you to join master storyteller John Vaillant at the Kay Meek Theatre for this fee event at 7:30pm on Friday, October 24th. (Tickets are free but you must pre-register at KAYMEEK.COM).

John Vaillant will share a compelling presentation on the risks we all face in this new century of fire - forests burning longer and with greater intensity than at any other time this planet has ever known.  Could a catastrophic fire threaten our community, and what plans and services are in place to help keep us safe?  

In the two years since the publication of his award-winning book, acclaimed author and journalist John Vaillant has dedicated much of his time explaining the real and growing risk of climate change. What he has been telling audiences around the world is that, however we prepare for conflagrations, the world burns differently now.

Representatives from the West Van Fire Department and North Shore Emergency Rescue will be available in the lobby to meet residents. Additionally, 32 Books and Gallery will host a book signing by John Valliant following his presentation.

More info & free tickets here.