Uniter, Upcoming Events

Events

UUCSS snow policy is that if Montgomery County Schools evening events are cancelled, then UUCSS evening events are cancelled.

Monday Night Yoga
Dates: Monday nights throughout the year
Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Place: Community Hall
Contact: Jane Jackson
This is an ongoing class at the beginner/ advanced beginner level. New students, including beginners, may join at any time. Class is taught by Jane Jackson, with occasional guest appearances by John Acton. Jane and John are members of UUCSS and graduates of the Willow Street Yoga Center yoga teacher training program. Class is offered on a dana (donation) basis. You do not need to be a church member to participate. For more information and schedule updates, see www.brahmaviharayoga.com .

Committee Celebration
Date: Sunday, Novmber 23
Time: Between services
Place: Community Hall
Contact: Phyllis Ryder
Join us to thank our many hard-working and vital church committees. Much of the lifework of this church happens behind the scenes, in groups who help us coordinate and carry out our mission and vision. Come to celebrate, thank, and talk with people about what they do and why they love doing it. Come to see if there is any chocolate. (If you’re an 11:15 service person, mark your calendars now to come early and join us during this coffee hour event.)

Women’s Book Group
Date: Monday, November 24
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Deb Weiner’s house
Contact: Please call Deb for directions
All interested readers, including new and old UUCSS members, are welcome to join our informal discussion group. We meet the fourth Monday of the month. This month we’ll discuss Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder. There will be no meeting in December. The book under discussion for January 26, 2009, is Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortensen and David Relin.

Thank you to Cathy and Arlene for Over 20 Years of Service!
Date:Sunday, December 14
Time: Between services
Place: Community Hall
Contact: Phyllis Ryder
Next month Cathy Johnson celebrates 25 years of coordinating with Shepherd’s Table, where our church serves dinner for homeless men and women once a month. Arlene Weiss completes over 20 years of coordinating with SOME; we bring casseroles and fruit and other needed items once a month for them to serve to individuals who need a healthy meal. We want to thank Cathy and Arlene for their dedication. Please help us send a big shout-out to Cathy and Arlene for their dedication. (If you’re an 11:15 service person, mark your calendars now to come early and join us during this coffee hour event)

Musical Notes

The UUCSS Music Committee presents CELEBRATING AFRICA
Saturday, November 8 & Sunday, November 9
Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring (UUCSS)
10309 New Hampshire Avenue , Silver Spring, MD 20903

WORKSHOPS for all ages (Saturday 11/8, 1:30-3:00 and 3:30-5:00)

• MASTER CLASSES (Sunday 11/9, 3:00-4:30)
• GALA CONCERT/DANCE PARTY (Saturday 11/8, 8-11 pm)

Guest Artists

T. Ebow Ansah is a standard bearer of West African highlife music and an internationally recognized guitarist, singer, ethnomusicologist, and poet. His compositions are deeply rooted in African traditions, with lyrics that draw on social and political issues and the common joys of life. A founding member of the celebrated Afro-Caribbean band, Osibisa, and composer of the inspirational song, Woyaya, Ebow is highly sought-after as a clinician and performer.

Jojo Kuo is a veteran jazz, Afro pop, and World beat drummer/producer who is known globally for his extraordinary talent. He has collaborated with renowned artists such as Manu Dibango, Fela Kuti, Peter Gabriel, Bela Fleck, Harry Belafonte, Papa Wemba, Mory Kante, and Richard Bona. Jojo's creative talents have contributed directly to the success of many African hits, most notably Mory Kante's Yeke Yeke, which sold over a million records worldwide. (www.myspace.com/jojokuomusic).

Nana Frimpong was introduced to the colorful traditional ceremonies of the Ashanti people in his native Ghana at an early age. By the time he was 10 years old, Nana had become a fixture in the folklore group at the palace of his hometown in Effiduase, Ghana where his grandfather was a revered traditional ruler. Nana uses his musical talents to convey messages of social and spiritual interaction between self and soul, self and others, self and ancestors, and self and God.

Workshops For All Ages
(Saturday, 1:30-3:00 and 3:30-5:00)

Prior musical experience is not required for workshops. Instruments will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own.

 Rhythms of Life (with Ebow Ansah)

• 1:30-3:00: For teens & adults
• 3:30-5:00: For children (grades 2-5)

These workshops will weave together traditional music, moral tales, and drama to stretch your imagination and open your heart to the rich wisdom of African culture.

Exploring African Rhythms (with Jojo Kuo)

• 1:30-3:00: For children (grades 2-5)
• 3:30-5:00: For teens & adults

In the first workshop, children will learn how African rhythmic patterns are developed, beginning with the heartbeat, and adding new elements to create a joyful and powerful group sound. In the teen/adult workshop, we will learn a basic rhythm from Mali, then travel around Africa to explore how the rhythm shifts, while the pattern remains the same. We'll also look for this pattern in blues, rock, and jazz.

Master Classes
(Sunday, 3:00-4:30 pm)

Master classes are designed for experienced musicians. They will include demonstrations, hands-on participation, and discussions of the music industry. Bring your instruments!

Highlife Guitar (with Ebow Ansah)

Highlife music was one of the first fusions of African roots and Western music and ruled dance floors across much of West Africa in the 1960s. As a founding member of Osibisa, Ebow Ansah helped to launch the world music phenomenon. Come learn this beautiful, melodic style from one of the masters!

Afrobeat for the Rhythm Section (with Jojo Kuo)

Participants in this master class will learn how traditional African rhythms can be used to energize many forms of popular music, including rock and jazz. Although it is designed primarily for drummers and bass players, other musicians are welcome. Bring a hand drum, snare drum, or bass.

Workshops: $15 each ($10 seniors/students)
Master Classes: $50 each ($40 students/seniors)
Concert: $20 ($15 seniors/students; children under 10 free)
Day Pass (2 Workshops & Concert): $40 ($30 seniors/students)
Master Class/Concert Combo: $60 ($50 seniors/students)
Weekend Pass (2 Workshops, Concert, 1 Master Class): $80 ($70 seniors/students)

Pre-registration preferred, walk-ins are welcome

UUCSS Children's Choir Winter 2008 Season
Calling all kids ages 5-12! Come join us to learn songs for worship and fun. We will be preparing for the Holiday Intergenerational Service on December 21 (this year it will be a sunset service because of Solstice) and Christmas Eve, Dec. 24th at 7:00pm. The Children's choir meets every semester 5-6 weeks before each performance. The first rehearsal will be on Tuesday, November 11th at 5:30pm. All kids who enjoy singing are welcome! Don't be shy. Please contact Michael Holmes, UUCSS music director, in advance at musicdirector@uucss.org.

Elsewhere

Unitarians for Social Justice
Nov. 1 Gathering, 8:30 a.m. – 12:45 pm
At River Road UU Church, Bethesda, MD
Keynote speaker Pam Sparr of All Souls will address effective steps congregations can take toward environmental justice and capture the inspiration of Van Jones at General Assembly to place racial and economic justices at the core of our efforts to address environmental concerns. She will also conduct a follow-up workshop. This program will also feature speakers on Fairfax’s summer interships for youth, Rockville’s GLBT program, and the Network of Spiritual Progressives’ new Marshall Plan. Optional stay for lunch, UUSJ Board meeting. For reservations, information, call 301-588-1951.

Spark! Program
Wed., Nov. 12, 7:15 p.m.
Washington Ethical Society (WES)
Join WES for a discussion that touches every aspect of life in the National Capital Area. Among the speakers will be the executive director of IMPACT Silver Spring; the former president of Neighbors, Inc., an activist citizen group celebrating 50 years of building integrated neighborhoods; and a scholar on the issues of race, class, and architecture. Join in the celebration and the reception following the program. Adults, $15; seniors and students, $10. WES is the newest member of the UU family and is located at 7750 Sixteenth St., N.W., (between Kalmia and Jonquil with on-street parking).

Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland
Register Now for UULM-MD's Annual Meeting
Expanding UU Influence in Maryland: Visions for Legislative Action in 2009 will be held Saturday, November 15, 2008, from 9:00am-1:00pm at UUCSS. Featured speakers will be state senators Richard Madaleno and Paul Pinsky, and state delegates Ben Barnes, Heather Mizeur, and Doyle Niemann. They will discuss the impact of the 2008 national elections and the Maryland slots referendum on our three priority issues--health care, global warming, and marriage equality. Time will also be dedicated to organizing and mobilizing our task forces for work in the 2009 General Assembly session.

Holiday UU Shopping Reminders
The holidays are almost upon us! If you have intended to revise your gift-giving habits in pusuit of simpler, more meaningful holidays, consider some of these ideas:

• Shop for cards and gifts through the UU Service Committee (https://secure.uusc.org/store). Proceeds benefit their work on behalf of human rights around the world.
• Check out the books, jewelry, and other items at our own UUCSS Book and Chalice shop during coffee hour.
• For an even bigger selection of UU related items, visit the UUA bookstore ( http://www.uuabookstore.org) or UniUniques ( http://www.uniuniques.com ).

Travel Opportunities for UUs to Visit Turkey
The Neighbourhood Unitarian Congregation in Toronto, Canada, has organized “A Unitarian Odyssey to Mystic Turkey” next spring. The Rev. Wayne Walder will lead the trip and Worldwide Quest in Toronto has arranged all hotels, guides, and transportation in Turkey. The tour will run from April 29 – May 4, starting in Ankara and journey to the “wild lunar landscapes” of Cappadocia in the heart of ancient Turkey, to the calcium pools in Pamukkale, the ruins at Ephesus, the city of Troy, and Istanbul. The group will visit the site of the Council of Nicaea where the ‘Unitarians’ lost out to the ‘Trinitarians’ in 325 AD. There will be an optional add-on or an independent trip for a week on the Mediterranean in Kas, on the Turkish Riviera, from May 4 – 11. Sign up for these trips either alone or together by December 15 by contacting Beverly Carr at bgcarr@rogers.com. For more details about the trips, see www.nuuc.ca.

Updated 11-05-08

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