How does the technology of imagination play a pivotal role in our ability to persevere?
Guest Speaker Joepsh Hall
Coffee hour will be hosted by artists Paul and Petra as they close their exhibit, Paint or Dye.
RJ Task Force members will have a table at a coffee hour this Sunday to talk about the Bethel AME Church Reparations Project. They will have the book Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair by Kwon and Thompson available. We have also planned discussions on sequential parts of the book on This Sunday. You can contact RacialJustice@first-unitarian-pgh.org to sign up. Click here to learn more.
News and Updates
*Rev. Kate is on vacation from Feb. 16 - February 25. In case of emergency, please contact Board President Raeann Olander, raeann.olander@gmail.com
*Kris Rust is taking a personal leave of absence from March 20 to August 20. While he is getting a well-deserved break, the choir will be directed by Lee Saville-Iksic and Rev. Deryck Tines.
Sewing Circle
The Sewing Circle continues to make pillowcases for Children’s Hospital. In our February meeting, we counted our pile of complete pillowcases. The pile comes to fifty complete cases. There are cases in the hands of some of our sewing circle that we can add to our pile when they are delivered. For sure, we will have sixty pillow cases in the pile after our March meeting - March 14. Can we get to 100 pillowcases by the end of July? That is the question. We will keep working on this. The next three dates are March 14, April 11, and May 9. (the second Thursday of the month). We meet at Stunden Studios at 10:30 am.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
From your Art Committee
This Saturday, February 24, at 10:30 am, we are hosting an artist talk in the Undercroft Gallery; Petra Fallaux and Paul Rosenblatt will be talking about their work. Petra is not only an artist but has been (among other things) an art curator. Paul is a practicing architect here in Pittsburgh, a serious painter has most recently a student of collage. They are co-owners of Springboard Design, an architectural firm here in Pittsburgh. Come and hear them talk about how they came to do their artwork and the decisions they make as they are developing works of art. Paul and Petra are hosting coffee hour this Sunday, 2/25, as we close their exhibition, Paint or Dye.
The exhibit opening in the Undercroft Gallery on Sunday, March 7, is Pittsburgh NOW, A Blueprint for Feminist Action. Pat Ulbrich is curating a collection of her work on the women’s movement in our region. I saw a show that Pat put together several years ago, and it was very exciting. Pat will be hosting a reception for the opening of this exhibit on Sunday, March 3. She also will be talking to the Women’s Alliance about the Exhibit and the women who made history in our region at their meeting on Thursday, March 7. More information will be coming on this exhibit opening in next week’s newsletter.
Rev. Kate’s Khasi Hills Video Showing
If you haven’t seen the endearing video that Rev. Kate put together about her October trip to our Khasi Hills India partners, stop by the Schweitzer Room after church on Sunday, March 3, 11:30-12:30. The Khasi Hills Team will be showing the 12-minute video on a continuous basis with some Indian snacks. Then head down to social hour to check out the Khasi Hills display and sign a greeting card. These activities are the launch of Share the Plate month to fund the two teachers we sponsor. If you want to see the video on your own, CLICK HERE for the article that contains the video link. Rev. Kate’s trip was at the invitation of our Khasi Hills partners to be an honored guest at the closing ceremony of the death anniversary of Rev. Annie Margaret Barr, founder of the school we have sponsored since 2003.
Pizza Party Social For UU Middle Schoolers Date: Sunday, March 3 @ 5PM-7PM in the Schweitzer Room
The RE Team is hosting a pizza social for the First UU Middle School Youth on Sunday, March 3 from 5PM-7PM. The purpose of this social gathering is to facilitate an opportunity for fellowship and commarderie amongst this age group. We will serve pizza and play games.
Join Us for Peek Game Night!
Get ready to join the fun and excitement at Peek Game Night!
We had so much fun last year; let's do it again! Mark your calendars for March 16 at 6 pm as we bring you a game that's fun for all, from 2 to 102! Peek is a First Unitarian Church favorite, where everyone has loads of fun, makes friends, and goes home with a prize. This event is open to all, so bring your friends.
We are asking everyone to bring a small item (prize) from home in an opaque bag. It should be something that you would like to win as a prize and must fit under a chair. Some ideas could be a small toy or game, a nonperishable food, a book -- whatever you have to pass along that you think someone would enjoy.
We will be serving pizza. Please bring some snacks, a simple side dish, or dessert to share if you can. Suggested donation of $5 per person to help cover the cost of pizza and drinks.
Please RSVP by March 13 so we can plan accordingly.
Don't miss out on the fun; we can't wait to see you there!
FIRST CHURCH HUMANIST GROUP
WILL YOU COMMIT CRIMES IN THE FUTURE? Courts in the US are adopting Risk Assessment algorithms in various phases of trials and in the execution of sentencing. This algorithm will take in information about someone and then spit out a score meant to represent how likely it is that similar people will commit crimes in the future. How should these algorithms be used, if they should be used at all? What does it take to demonstrate that these algorithms are or are not discriminating on the basis of race, gender, or some other protected class? Justin Shin is a current Ph.D. student in the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh. His main interests center around Mathematics and Science in Law. Currently, he is working on causal modeling in discrimination law and the history of conversion therapy." HumanistGroup@first-unitarian-pgh.org.
OMBUDSMAN
Need an answer to a question and don’t know who to ask? Want to pass along some feedback and not sure who to contact? Reach out to your Board Ombudsman Ebe Emmons. Ebe will coordinate with staff, committees, and the board to get an answer or pass along feedback. Ebe can be reached atfirstuupghombudsman@gmail.com
