Author: Jaco ten Hove

The Creative Sageing Award is given to a UURMaPA member for their outstanding service and creativity in pursuing new or continued ventures after retirement and building on one’s experience in creative ways. This might involve, for example, mentoring, public service, fostering spiritual growth, writing/publishing, creating and or participating in community and denominational service projects and organizations. 

The 2026 Creative Sageing Award was presented to Betty Stapleford in recognition of her persistent volunteer service on behalf of immigrants and marginalized people during her years of active ministry and retirement in Southern California.

Betty initially embraced Unitarian Universalism in the 1960s in Atlanta, GA, because UUs were walking their talk concerning racial justice and civil rights. This established a trajectory of championing those experiencing social injustice throughout her ministerial career. About 15 years ago, when Betty was serving as minister at the UU Fellowship of the Conejo Valley near Thousand Oaks CA, some members of the congregation initiated a project to transport visitors to the Adelanto Detention Center, which houses immigrants in the Mojave Desert over two hours away. Many family members of those detained had no way to travel to the facility.  

Betty was moved by the plight of people held in detention not because they were criminals but because they lacked the necessary papers. She began driving people out to Adelanto each month to visit detainees and support their family members in doing so. The project now also posts bond, when possible, or provides assistance when people are released from detention. After release or deportation, some former detainees have kept in touch with Betty, whom some of the younger ones call “Ma.”

Betty is active in other service organizations in her area northwest of Los Angeles, including Ventura County CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice), working for racial justice and affordable housing, as well as 805 UndocuFund, and IOOVC, committed to getting ICE out of Ventura County. She has regularly attended, and sometimes spoken at press conferences and immigration rallies—and even made sure to be there in a wheelchair when she had a broken foot.

After retiring from ministerial leadership at the Conejo Valley congregation, Betty served the UU Church of the Verdugo Hills in La Crescenta and then as the affiliate Community Minister for Social Justice at the UU Church of Santa Paula, whose Social Concerns Action Committee has continued to increase its activity with food banks and other programs for this diverse community. She regularly drove for the Adelanto project in the years leading up to the COVID epidemic, during which the 1400-person Detention Center emptied out. After the COVID hiatus, she has resumed her monthly trips out to Adelanto.  

“Visiting can be heartbreaking, hearing stories of how detainees got there,” she observes.  “Many are asylum seekers. Medical care and food are terrible; all creature comforts are missing. At least we can offer compassion and listening ears—and see what’s going on at the Center.”

The churches in Betty’s community have become central to resistance and to supporting one another. At age 83, Betty continues her lifelong commitment to advancing justice through continuing visitation to the Adelanto Detention Center and to advocacy for immigrant justice in Ventura County in the face of increasing anti-immigrant activities by the federal government. For consistently walking her talk and living out her UU values and commitments, we are pleased to honor Betty Stapleford with our 2026 Creative Sageing Award. 

Award Recipients receive a $500 honorarium from UURMaPA. We encourage all UURMaPA members to consider who you might want to suggest for these awards in the future, possibly including yourself. UURMaPA is a talented group of retired ministers and partners. There are many individuals within our membership who are worthy of recognition, but too often organizations fail to recognize their valuable participants. 

Over the years, the Unitarian Universalist Retired Ministers and Partners Association has instituted these awards in order to highlight the contributions of our members to UURMaPA and to the larger world. We invite you to go to our website to read about past award recipients.

Respectfully submitted by Charles J. Stephens, UURMaPA Vice-President

The Unsung UURMaPAn Award is given to a UURMAPA member who has not been recognized for their vital contributions to UURMaPA or for their generous service to others. The award honors a volunteer who has made an extraordinary contribution to our association, working behind the scenes during their retirement. The successful nominee will not have been recognized in this way elsewhere.

The 2026 Unsung UURMaPan Award was presented to Sonya Sukalski…

…for sustained, steady leadership, compassionate service, and tireless behind-the-scenes commitment. After retiring from active ministry in 2022, Sonya joined UURMaPA through friends and small groups. She quickly moved from participant to dedicated volunteer: coordinating connecting rooms for the spring and fall 2023 conferences, guiding Odyssey presenters in spring 2024, serving as convener for the fall 2024 conference, and sharing convener duties for both the spring and fall 2025 conferences.

Along the way, she recruited and trained facilitators, kept plans, presenters, timelines, and deadlines on track, and shaped team culture—always opening meetings with check-ins and helping create virtual relationship guidelines that strengthened the planning team.

When her husband, Mitch, faced two rounds of leukemia treatment and bone marrow transplants, first in the fall of 2024 and then in the fall of 2025, Sonya’s resilience and devotion never wavered. Even while balancing caregiving and urgent medical demands, she continued to contribute—transitioning into the pod connector role last fall—and remained a calm, steady presence who kept people connected and supported.

Sonya’s work exemplifies the spirit of this award: humble, essential service; leadership through listening; and a generosity that kept UURMaPA gatherings running smoothly and compassionately. 

Award Recipients receive a $500 honorarium from UURMaPA. We encourage all UURMaPA members to consider who you might want to suggest for these awards in the future, possibly including yourself. UURMaPA is a talented group of retired ministers and partners. There are many individuals within our membership who are worthy of recognition, but too often organizations fail to recognize their valuable participants. 

Over the years, the Unitarian Universalist Retired Ministers and Partners Association has instituted these awards in order to highlight the contributions of our members to UURMaPA and to the larger world. We invite you to go to our website to read about past award recipients.

Respectfully submitted by Charles J. Stephens, UURMaPA Vice-President

The Creative Sageing Award is given to a UURMaPA member for their outstanding service and creativity in pursuing new or continued ventures after retirement and building on one’s experience in creative ways. This might involve, for example, mentoring, public service, fostering spiritual growth, writing/publishing, creating and or participating in community and denominational service projects and organizations. 

The 2026 Creative Sageing Award was presented to Betty Stapleford in recognition of her persistent volunteer service on behalf of immigrants and marginalized people during her years of active ministry and retirement in Southern California.

Betty initially embraced Unitarian Universalism in the 1960s in Atlanta, GA, because UUs were walking their talk concerning racial justice and civil rights. This established a trajectory of championing those experiencing social injustice throughout her ministerial career. About 15 years ago, when Betty was serving as minister at the UU Fellowship of the Conejo Valley near Thousand Oaks CA, some members of the congregation initiated a project to transport visitors to the Adelanto Detention Center, which houses immigrants in the Mojave Desert over two hours away. Many family members of those detained had no way to travel to the facility.  

Betty was moved by the plight of people held in detention not because they were criminals but because they lacked the necessary papers. She began driving people out to Adelanto each month to visit detainees and support their family members in doing so. The project now also posts bond, when possible, or provides assistance when people are released from detention. After release or deportation, some former detainees have kept in touch with Betty, whom some of the younger ones call “Ma.”

Betty is active in other service organizations in her area northwest of Los Angeles, including Ventura County CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice), working for racial justice and affordable housing, as well as 805 UndocuFund, and IOOVC, committed to getting ICE out of Ventura County. She has regularly attended, and sometimes spoken at press conferences and immigration rallies—and even made sure to be there in a wheelchair when she had a broken foot.

After retiring from ministerial leadership at the Conejo Valley congregation, Betty served the UU Church of the Verdugo Hills in La Crescenta and then as the affiliate Community Minister for Social Justice at the UU Church of Santa Paula, whose Social Concerns Action Committee has continued to increase its activity with food banks and other programs for this diverse community. She regularly drove for the Adelanto project in the years leading up to the COVID epidemic, during which the 1400-person Detention Center emptied out. After the COVID hiatus, she has resumed her monthly trips out to Adelanto.  

“Visiting can be heartbreaking, hearing stories of how detainees got there,” she observes.  “Many are asylum seekers. Medical care and food are terrible; all creature comforts are missing. At least we can offer compassion and listening ears—and see what’s going on at the Center.”

The churches in Betty’s community have become central to resistance and to supporting one another. At age 83, Betty continues her lifelong commitment to advancing justice through continuing visitation to the Adelanto Detention Center and to advocacy for immigrant justice in Ventura County in the face of increasing anti-immigrant activities by the federal government. For consistently walking her talk and living out her UU values and commitments, we are pleased to honor Betty Stapleford with our 2026 Creative Sageing Award. 

Award Recipients receive a $500 honorarium from UURMaPA. We encourage all UURMaPA members to consider who you might want to suggest for these awards in the future, possibly including yourself. UURMaPA is a talented group of retired ministers and partners. There are many individuals within our membership who are worthy of recognition, but too often organizations fail to recognize their valuable participants. 

Over the years, the Unitarian Universalist Retired Ministers and Partners Association has instituted these awards in order to highlight the contributions of our members to UURMaPA and to the larger world. We invite you to go to our website to read about past award recipients.

Respectfully submitted by Charles J. Stephens, UURMaPA Vice-President

Approved by the Board April 21, 2026

Rationale: This role serves as a vital link between the UURMaPA Board and the Conference Planning team, which organizes an annual fall conference. It ensures that planning, content, and execution align with UURMaPA’s goals, budget, and policies. Additionally, it involves balancing proactive support for the Conference Planning Team with respect for the Board’s authority.

Since the fall of 2020, UURMaPA conferences have been held virtually on Zoom, with in-person pods in different regions across the continent. The fall conferences usually feature a theme presenter, presentations by UUA, UUMA, and UUSC representatives, opening and closing worship services, a remembrance service, odyssey presentations by a minister and a partner, and small group connecting rooms.

As a member of the UURMaPA Board, the Conference Coordinator attends monthly Board meetings (conducted online via Zoom and, if necessary, in person at an annual retreat), participates in decision-making, and takes on other duties as needed. Submits monthly reports to the Board and keeps the Conference Convener(s) informed about relevant Board activities.

Expectations: The Conference Coordinator is responsible for these tasks:

• Schedule conference dates at least two years ahead and ensure they do not coincide with major religious or secular holidays.
• Recruit a Conference Convener or conveners and work with them to update the Conference Planning Team job descriptions as needed. Also, assist in recruiting retired ministers and partners to join the team.
• Prepare projected income and expenses for the conferences and, in consultation with the UURMaPA Treasurer and Conference Convener(s), set the registration fee. Conferences must cover their costs through registration fees unless special circumstances allow for grants. Expenses for board members are charged to the Board rather than the conference budget. Obtain UURMaPA Board approval for any additional resources needed. After each conference, prepare a detailed income and expense report to share with the Conference Planning Team and the UURMaPA Board.
• Provide support for the Convener(s) and attend Conference Planning Team meetings as needed.
• Identify potential themes and theme presenters for the upcoming conference in collaboration with UURMaPA Board members and Convener(s).
• Create a preliminary schedule for fall conferences in coordination with the UURMaPA Board and the Conference Convener(s).
• Review the Conference Administrative Schedule and Timeline document with the Conference Convener(s) and ensure the Conference Planning Team is informed of tasks and deadlines.
• As Registrar, determine the appropriate times to open and close online registrations, manage different discount codes, inform those requesting a registration scholarship and those who have not yet attended a virtual conference about which code to use when registering, notify the Vice President and Passages Coordinator about the discount codes needed for inviting newly retired ministers and survivors, consistently review registrations, and regularly update the Planning Team and UURMaPA Board members.
• Send thank-you notes to planning team members and arrange for $25.00 InSpirit gift certificates for all Conference Planning Team members and Odyssey presenters following each conference.
• Be available after completing the term(s) on the Board to answer questions related to UURMaPA virtual conferences, if needed.
• If a new Tech Professional is needed, work with the UURMaPA Board to identify qualified candidates, conduct interviews, and recommend a finalist.

Compiled by Barbro Hansson, February 2025; Revised March 2026

Desired Learning Opportunities 

From Janet Tillman, UURMAPA Connections Coordinator

UURMAPA members were asked about the learning opportunities they would like to see available through UURMaPA’s Skill-Sharing Network. To date, the responses to this question are:

• Learn from others about maintaining a web site and presence on social media. I am working with a group of individuals who are working to preserve the oldest Universalist Church building in Canada. I see this as an opportunity to promote Universalism’s theology… including an annual Universalist re-union in Nova Scotia Canada.
• Explore with others about the direct line between Unitarian Universalism and the European Enlightenment. I see a theological thread that helps me to have optimism for our future.

As you can see, the sky is the limit regarding knowledge/skills to share and people’s desire for learning opportunities. 

• Is it possible that a facilitator (or co-facilitators) would be interested in a time-limited series of discussions about the direct line between Unitarian Universalism and the European Enlightenment? Groups of this nature could be an abbreviated version of a focused-interest group. Those not wishing to commit to an on-going general or focused-interest group may prefer a 6-8 session format exploring a particular topic.
• Is there someone out there who can share their skills maintaining a website as well as a presence on social media? 

If you can provide the requested skills noted above, or you have a skill to share or would like to add your desired learning opportunity to the Skill-Sharing Network, contact me at connections@uurmapa.org. 

“Perhaps the secret of living well is not in having all the answers but in pursuing unanswerable questions in good company.” -Rachel Naomi Remen

See also:

Skill-Sharing Network: What is it and how does it work?
Current Skills Being Offered 

Current Skills Being Offered 

From Janet Tillman, UURMAPA Connections Coordinator

Noted below are amazing skills offered by four generous UURMaPA members. Check these out to see if any are of interest to you. 

1. Beginning Spanish II – Jeff Jones

We have had a great start for the Beginning Spanish I classes via Zoom offered by Jeff Jones. 

Full Disclosure: I am one of eight ministers and partners in Jeff’s eight-week Beginning Spanish I class that began on April 2. I am thoroughly enjoying the class due to Jeff’s dynamic (yet gentle) teaching style. He is patient, has a great sense of humor, and knows his Spanish! I think everyone in the current class would agree that this is a terrific way to learn Spanish. Each class is interactive and great fun. 

Good News! There are three openings for Beginning Spanish II that starts Thursday, June 4 and ends on Thursday, July 23. The classes are from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. EDT. The classes require about 4 hours of homework per week. If you are interested, please contact Jeff at jeffjonesuu@aol.comby May 15. 

FYI: Part 3 will be in September – October and Part 4 will be in January – February 2027. 

Contact Jeff now while there are three spots available!

2. Composting/Recycling – Jaco ten Hove 
If you’re tossing out your household kitchen waste—such as coffee grounds, vegetable cuttings, eggshells—and you’re not recycling yard waste, such as leaves and grass clippings, you’re likely wasting all the good stuff! According to Jaco, all these items, which might otherwise end up in a landfill, can be productive in your compost bin. As an experienced (and certified!) Master Composter/ Recycler, Jaco can offer counsel and coaching on composting and recycling from general guidelines and pep talks to specific habits and routines that improve the odds for keeping your waste out of landfills. Join Jaco in his new Waste Diversion ministry. Contact Jaco at jbthishere@gmail.com for more information and/or to ask questions. 

3. Appreciating Technology + Tips on Maintaining an Old Building – Norm Horofker 
Norm is a retired mechanical engineer with plant management experience. He is happy to share his optimism for appreciating the present and the amazing future of technology. Norm also have experience maintaining old buildings. Contact Norm at nhorofker@aol.com to begin a conversation about technology or that old building you are maintaining. 

4. Sustainable Investing – Jim Zacharias
Are you invested in oil? Do your investments include tobacco and guns? Most of us simply don’t know where our money is invested. Many funds are not transparent about the screens they use to choose investments. As a result, we may unknowingly support industries and practices that go against our values. Jim believes there is a way forward. In his retirement Jim explored how to live sustainably — without worrying that his money is working against what he holds sacred. That search has been worthwhile, and Jim is glad to share what he has learned. If this resonates with you, Jim welcomes a conversation and wants to hear your story. You can contact Jim at jzacharias1@gmail.com or give him a call at 505-463-3128. 

If you are interested in learning the above skills or have questions about the skill being offered, contact the person offering the skill for more details.

I love those connections that make this big old world feel like a little village. – Gina Bellman

See also:
Skill-Sharing Network: What is it and how does it work?
Desired Learning Opportunities