June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate LGBTQ people and stories. OUUC has been a proud Welcoming Congregation for decades, which is a status that can be earned from the UUA to show that a congregation is a welcoming place for LGBTQ people. We have proudly been a home for many LGBTQ people and shown up to advocate for LGBTQ justice and rights, as has Unitarian Universalism in general.

But one of the things we also know is that there is always more to understand and that our ongoing journey to be truly inclusive, anti-bias, and anti-oppression means that we stay open to learning more. Pride isn’t just a time to celebrate, it’s also a time to work for greater justice and inclusion. We can’t just put rainbows on everything, we have to also create a world where everyone can be safe and whole and loved.

So, here are a few things I’m going to ask you to do for Pride Month:

1. Learn more: Read, watch, listen, or any other way that works for you to engage with the stories, histories, and realities of queer people. You might start with A Queer History of the United States, but there are many resources.

2. Support LBGTQ people, artists, and activists directly, rather than corporations that slap rainbows on everything this month. You can find local trans artists and makers through Oly Trans Fam here or national queer-owned small businesses here or buy from other LGBTQ makers or support mutual aid requests for LBGTQ people.

3. Do what you can to support and protect LGBTQ rights and justice. This could be through advocacy, and there are some wonderful tips for how to frame our UU values while advocating for LGBTQ rights put together by Side with Love here. Or you might also give financial support to organizations that are responding a protecting LGBTQ rights, such as the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and others.

4. And join OUUC at Capital City Pride here in Olympia on Saturday June 29th and for the parade on Sunday June 30th. OUUC will have a booth on Saturday and will march together for the parade on Sunday. If you can join me for either of these please sign up on this Signup Genius or email me.

Pride is a celebration, and an affirmation. Together, let us celebrate the fabulousness of all of us being all of who we are, and let us affirm our UU values and the world of inclusion and justice that we want to create. Join me!

It is a long OUUC tradition to do a flower ceremony in June to mark the coming of Summer and the end of the congregational program year.

This year’s flower ceremony at OUUC will be in the service on Sunday, June 9 at 10 am.

If you plan to attend the service online, please find a flower or flowers to show on your camera. If you plan to attend onsite, please bring a flower (or several) with you.

The idea of flower ceremony is to celebrate our colorful diversity. In the ritual, we share the beauty of flowers and go home with a different flower than we came with.

Please plan to join this service filled with history and beauty.

https://www.ouuc.org/worship-and-music/worship/

See you there!

Rev. Mary

Minister@ouuc.org

After the service this Sunday (June 9), please plan to attend the OUUC annual congregational meeting. This is when members will be asked to vote to elect new members of the Board and Leadership Development Committee and vote on a budget for the next program year. The Board will provide finger food after the service so everyone can be fully present for the annual meeting.

While only members can vote, everyone is welcome to attend the meeting. If you are not sure if you are a voting member of OUUC, please speak to Rosie in the office window on Sunday morning.

If you are interested in all the details of the proposed budget, please view this recording of last Sunday's Budget Expo and ask any questions before the Congregational Meeting if possible.

More than a year and a half ago, we began the process of revisiting OUUC’s covenant, making some revisions to the current covenant and adding a behavioral covenant. Based on your feedback during congregational forums last Spring, the writing team made some revisions, and the Board of Trustees has made some decisions.

We’ve done a lot of talking and listening — now it’s time to vote. At the June 9 congregational meeting, members will be asked to vote on the proposed changes to the current covenant and the addition of a behavioral covenant.

On June 9, I will first ask you if you are ready to vote on the proposed changes. Your vote may be yes or no, but the first question is if you have the information that you need to vote. If the majority answer is yes, I will turn it over to Board President Arlene Colerick, to ask for the vote. If the answer is no, you are not ready to vote, I will ask you what you need to be ready to vote. We’ll have paper & pencils available for feedback.

You can find the proposed covenant changes and more history here.

One of the concerns expressed last Spring was about what would happen if someone didn’t follow the behavioral covenant. This is a concern about how we, as a community, handle accountability. The Board adopted a policy about addressing non-covenantal behavior, which you can find here. This is one of the ways we help maintain safety for everyone and stay in relationship even when we disagree. You will see that the first step, whenever possible, is to have a direct conversation.

If you have any questions about this proposal or the process, please contact me.

I hope you will lend your voice and vote to this project.

Rev. Mary

Minister@ouuc.org

Tonight will be our final community dinner before a summer break, and we will have Wrap Sandwiches (because that's a wrap!).

Volunteers are needed for help with cooking, set up, and clean up. If you can help, please contact Rev. Sara or show up early.

After-dinner options include the UU Buddhists' Sangha and Parents' Group, both at 6:30 PM.

In this week's Tiny Little News, hear about the annual congregational meeting and this week's events. No Tiny Little News next week, we'll be back in two!

Website: https://www.ouuc.org

Email: office@ouuc.org

Location: 2306 East End St NW, Olympia, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 634-2005

Office Hours

Tuesday - Thursday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sunday, 8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Staff Contacts

Rev. Mary Gear, Minister

Rev. Sara Lewis, Director of Community & Faith Development

Troy Fisher, Music Director

Isaac Jennings, Business Manager

Rosie Koppelman, Office Assistant

Teresa Madsen, Communications & Tech Coordinator

Marie Arensmeyer, Facilities Manager

Anissa Bentlemsani, Religious Education Assistant

Carbon Marshall, Tech Specialist