Space for Saskatchewan Queer and Trans Youth

Congratulations from Unitarians to UR Pride on the opening of “Space for Saskatchewan Queer and Trans Youth” at 2139 Albert St, Regina. Unitarian Jane Knox visited the opening April 30th.

enVISION THE FUTURE WITH US!

A vision is what we aspire to achieve in the future … what might that look like for the Unitarian Fellowship of Regina? Well, only you can decide that! We are a democratic group, and we need all our voices to envision our future. Join Fellowship members and friends from across southern Saskatchewan to set a strong direction for our future. Lunch will be served.

See you Saturday April 6!

What is a VISION? … it’s our dream!

• describes the future we are ultimately working towards
• highlights what makes us different and why it matters
• inspires us to do great things  
• one clear, inspirational sentence

To inspire you to greater creativity, here are a few sample vision statements:

• Oxfam: A just world without poverty.
• Ducks Unlimited: Wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.
• Glide (San Francisco, CA): To create a radically inclusive, just and loving community mobilized to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization.
• Amnesty International: A world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments.
• Special Olympics: To transform communities by inspiring people throughout the world to open their minds, accept and include people with intellectual disabilities and thereby anyone who is perceived as different.

Ceiling Repairs to the Lower Hall

The ceiling of the lower hall has been scheduled for repairs after several instances of plaster dropping to the floor. The work is important for safety reasons, as well as overall appearance. There will be several steps in the process, with the first steps taking place on Sunday, October 21st. For full details, see here.

Volunteers will be needed Sunday, October 21st at 12:00 pm for several prep jobs. PLEASE CONTACT US INDICATE YOUR AVAILABILITY FOR THE VOLUNTEER JOBS.

Most work will take place Monday to Friday and will be done by three contractors:  Superior Drywall, Patty’s Painting and Klein’s Electric. Chris Soucie, one of our members, works for Klein Electric and will be doing the work at a reduced rate.

While we have worked hard to set up a schedule that is realistic and achievable, unexpected events can occur.

We anticipate that the painting will be complete by November 2nd or 3rd.  Regular activities for our Fellowship will still take place on October 21, 28 and November 4.

Rentals will still take place on the weekends only.

Special Meeting – Ceiling Repair Authorization

Sunday, September 16, 2018, 11:45 AM

Recently another large chunk of the ceiling in the lower hall fell to the floor. Because we use this space ourselves and frequently rent it to others (including groups serving young children), it is essential that we complete repairs as soon as possible to ensure the safety of all.
Quotes indicate the ceiling repairs will cost about $8,500. The repair will include installing metal strapping to keep current plaster in place, lower electrical, add new ceiling of gypsum wallboard, paint, and taxes. Our Bylaws require that spending greater than $1,000 that is not in the approved budget requires approval by members. The Board has called a Special Meeting of Members on September 16, 2018 to authorize spending on required ceiling repairs.
The Board also will launch a Fundraising Campaign in the near future. In addition, the Board directed a long-term Building Maintenance Plan be prepared with the aim of keeping the building safe and in good operating condition for the use of the Fellowship and the community. This long-term plan will enable future budgets to include amounts sufficient for larger repairs when they can be anticipated, recognizing that emergency repairs may still be required periodically.
We are responsible to keep our building safe as a vibrant space for fellowship, reflection, and spiritual exploration. We also want the building to be warmly welcoming as a gathering place for the community whether for private ceremonies or public events. Your support will be appreciated as we work to ensure the building continues to meet the community’s needs.

Pride Parade

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Join us as we participate in the annual Pride Parade to show our support to the LGBTQ community in Regina. We’ll bring our banner – be sure to join us and have your turn.
We will meet at the corner of Rose Street and 13th Avenue around 11:30 am. Bring your sun hats and hopefully we can convince the sun to show up and stay!!
The Regina Pride Statement of Support tells us that: The most important element for participants to remember is that the Pride Parade is not an opportunity to market their brand or product to thousands of spectators, but rather an opportunity to express their support, solidarity and inclusivity in a public manner. While we recognize that many businesses wish to achieve both through their participation, we encourage all entries to think seriously about their motivation to be involved in this event, and to treat it as more than “just another marketing opportunity”.

Regina Multi-Faith Forum Members Work Together to Bring Syrian Family to Regina

The Regina Multi-Faith Forum (RMFF) is pleased to welcome to Regina, the Syrian refugee family that was jointly sponsored by members of the Forum’s diverse faith traditions: Unitarian, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist and others. It has been a long haul; but the family: Grandparents, their daughter and her two children are finally here, to the relief of all concerned.

The sponsorship project was initiated over 15 months ago, when the worsening Syrian crisis became apparent. The intent behind the project was to show to the wider community that people from diverse religious backgrounds can work together for a common humanitarian and compassionate cause. Members initially did fund raising, then broke into committees for planning welcoming, health, housing, education, transportation and cultural support. While travel was unfortunately interrupted as the first Federal Government refugee numbers were met, the work of RMFF members continued, and with the Archdiocese of Regina as sponsorship agreement holder, “our family “left a refugee camp in Lebanon where they were living, and arrived in Regina December 16, 2016 where they are getting settled with support from members of the RMFF.

The family has lived through an extreme situation, and is seeking a quiet time for settling. RMFF members plan a celebration in January at the Beth Jacob Synagogue where the family will be welcomed by the RMFF community, and others, with media invited to attend. By that time, we hope our five special people may feel more easily able to express the experience of their arrival and new home in Regina.  While planning for financial and social support for a year was a challenge, members from diverse faith traditions worked together for a common cause, a satisfying experience for all.

The Unitarian Fellowship of Regina raised approximately $3,500 for the project over a six-month period, and several members of the Social Action Committee have been involved with education, housing and health supports.  We’ve learned along the way that a smart-phone app called Google Translate is one way to communicate with people who have limited English.  Thanks to Hilary Craig and her many contacts in our city, we now have good links to the English Additional Language (EAL) community and multi-cultural translators.

Summer Services & Picnic

Each summer we meet most Sundays for much more casual gatherings. We talk about books, or music, or gather for a picnic at a member’s home, sharing sun, games, swimming and good food. Events are always announced in the newsletter.