Our association is fortunate to host Joyce Gilbert for an Odyssey presentation at the spring conference. Joyce is married to the Rev. Richard Gilbert, longtime minister of the First Unitarian Church in Rochester NY.

Joyce Timmerman descended from Palatine Germans who were drawn to the message of Universalist ministers in New York State after the French and Indian War. Growing up in the Universalist Church of Fort Plain NY, she met minister-to-be Dick Gilbert at Unirondack, the Universalist summer camp in the Adirondacks. Their paths continued to cross and merged 63 years ago.

Music in and beyond churches has always been central in her life. A founder of the UU Musicians Network (now AUUMM), she regarded that group as her third child—after sons Matthew and Douglas. Her theme? “Life is but a song to sing.”

The conference is scheduled for April 15^th through the 17^th online or in person at Wilmington, Delaware or Kingston, Massachusetts. You can register for the conference at the UURMaPA website <uurmapa.org>. The conference fee is $45 per individual and scholarships are available. For more information and program details, check the Activities page on our webpage: <uurmapa.org/activities>.

The Rev. Barbara Jean Kulcher

The Rev. Barbara Jean Kulcher died on February 20, 2024, at the age of 92 (1931–2024).

Barbara was born on June 26, 1931, in Winnipeg, Manitoba to James M. McClughan and Edna May McClughan. She was an only child and raised in the Anglican tradition. Her family frequently moved and for a while lived in a rural section of Ontario, Canada. Barbara did quite well in school, completed her high school education at a fundamentalist school in Saskatchewan (1948), and received her RN in psychiatric nursing in 1953.

She then took a position as the sole clinical person in an isolated power station in northern Manitoba. Over the years Barbara worked in orthopedics, obstetrics, and neurosurgery. She moved to Ontario with her husband and had four children before their separation.

While in Ontario, Barbara became active at the First Unitarian Hamilton, Ontario. She served the church, first as a church school director from (1965–1968) and then as a church administrator (1969–1974). As a church administrator, she served a key role in the life of the church as she bridged the gap between the departure of the minister Rev. Bob Hemstreet, and the development of the church into a dynamic fellowship. She worked closely with the church service committee to provide meaningful Sunday services which blended people from the church and the larger community with visiting UU ministers. She went beyond the role of administrator, initiated several groups in the church, and kept abreast with new RE developments.

Over years of growth and transformation into a warm, caring religious community, her function became more pastoral than administrative, and she was able to acknowledge her desire to serve as a minister. Unitarianism offered her a chance to grow, as she was exposed to an affirming, reconciling, religious experience. In 1979, she received her Master of Divinity from Bangor Theological Seminary.

Rev. Kulcher was ordained on September 28, 1980, by the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, Ontario. From 1980 to 1981, she served the UU Congregation of Jamestown NY, and then spent her predominant years as a chaplain at the following institutions: Ontario Correctional Institute, ON; Huronia Regional Center, ON; Hamilton Wentworth, ON; Toronto Jail, ON; Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital, ON; and Brantford Jail, ON. In a newspaper

article (Hamilton Spectator) in 1985, she was quoted as stating the importance of “befriending the forgotten and offering words of grace and hope to the frightened and often lonely inmates.”

Rev. Kulcher was a strong supporter of the denomination. She was extensively involved with the Canadian Unitarian Council, St. Lawrence UU District, the UU Women’s Federation, and Unicamp of Ontario (1977).

Barbara was famous for her pies, specifically apple and lemon meringue. She was an avid reader, enjoying history, historical fiction, and science fiction. She was a prolific writer, who spent many hours revising and perfecting her heartfelt and deeply engaging papers, articles, and sermons. She greatly valued the act of saying kind or funny things to bring a smile to someone’s face.

Barbara is survived by and loved and remembered by her four children: David Kulcher, Lisa Kulcher-Heaney (Kieran Heaney), Laurie Kulcher, and Kelly Kulcher (Lori Kulcher); six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

A graveside service took place on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, 170 Dundurn St S, Hamilton, ON L8P 4K3, Canada.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Peter’s Residence at Chedoke, 125 Redfern Ave, Hamilton, ON L9C 7W9, Canada.

Notes of condolences may be sent to lkheaney50@gmail.com.

Connections Coordinator

Job Description (approved by the Board on 2/14/24)

The Connections Coordinator’s duties include:

➢ Upon receipt of an Intent to Retire notice, send the new member(s) a welcoming email
A. to provide an overview of opportunities to connect with other UURMaPAns
B. to connect the New Member with their Area Connector (if identified)

➢ Annually, in July-September
A. Determine the willingness of current Area Connectors to continue service for upcoming year
B. (for Areas with no continuing Connector), send an All-Area-Member email soliciting interest in serving as Connector
C. Contact Open Special Interest Group Facilitators to determine identity of Facilitator for coming year (if any)
D. Send an UURMaPA-Announce notice soliciting interest in forming/facilitating new Special Interest Groups for the coming year

➢ Semi-Annually in October and April
A. Contact Peer Support Group Facilitators to determine
a. Identity of Group Members desiring to continue in the Group for the following six months
b. Identity of the Facilitator of each Continuing Group
c. Openness of each Continuing Group to welcome new Members
B. Send an UURMaPA-Announce notice
a. soliciting interest in entering or forming a Peer Support Group
b. publicizing all Open Special Interest Groups
C. Assign and introduce interested new Members to ongoing Groups.
D. Facilitate interested Members to form & launch new Groups

Geographical Areas of UURMaPA’s membership may be served by one or more Connector(s), whose duties include:
➢ Upon receipt of the Connection Coordinator’s welcome letter copy, make contact with each new Member.
➢ Annually, make contact with each ongoing Area Member
A. to ascertain accuracy of directory information and notify Membership Coordinator of updates
B. to assess/support Members’ interest in UURMaPA activities
(Most recent list of members living in each Area is available on website, www.uurmapa.org, under Publications/Directories/Area Connections Directory, password WISDOM.)
➢ Upon receipt of UURMaPA-Announce notice of an Area member’s death, make personal contact with survivor(s)
➢ Upon learning of the death of an Area Partner-Member, send notice to the Assistant Connections Chair.

Revised by the Board 4/12/16 and 9/14/16
Reviewed and approved by Art Severance, Connections Chair 2019-2021.
Revision proposed by Fritz Hudson, Connections Coordinator, January 17, 2024
Revised version approved by the Board, February 15, 2024

Anita Farber-Robertson

Spring 2024 Conference Odyssey

Our association is fortunate to host the Rev. Anita Farber-Robertson for an Odyssey presentation at the spring conference. She retired in 2020 after 40 years of active ministry, serving congregations in New England as a settled minister and as an Accredited Interim Minister.

She taught at Andover Newton Theological School as the adjunct Professor of Communication. She chaired the UUA’s Racial and Cultural Diversity Task Force with Leon Spencer from 1992–97. She authored two books: Learning While Leading, Increasing Your Effectiveness in Ministry (Alban Institute), and Called to Community: New Directions in Unitarian Universalist Ministry, with Dorothy Emerson. Both are available in paperback and Kindle through Amazon. She has a coaching/consulting practice for clergy and congregations.

The mother of two and stepmother of two, grandmother of their combined eight children, Anita lives by the sea in Swampscott MA, with her dog Tinker.

The conference is scheduled for April 15–17 online or in person at Wilmington DE or Kingston MA. You can register for the conference at the UURMaPA website <HERE>. The conference fee is $45 per individual and scholarships are available. For more information and program details, check the Activities section on our webpage <HERE>.

Feb 15, 2024

The Rev. Janne Eller-Isaacs

The Rev. Janne Eller-Isaacs died on February 14, 2024, at the age of 71 (1953-2024).

Janne is survived by her son Jonah; daughters: Jessie (Andy), and Hannah (Tim); grandchildren: Lewis, Mira, Levi, and Benjamin; brothers: David (Abby), Jim (Jeannie), John (Margy) as well as her beloved nephews and a niece. She was preceded in death by her husband Rob (2022).

Two memorial services are being planned. One on April 27, 2024 (time TBA) at the First Unitarian Portland, 1211 SW Main St. Portland OR; and the other at Unity Church-Unitarian, 733 Portland Ave., St. Paul MN at 3 pm on May 11, 2024.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Unity Church- Unitarian and the UUMA. UURMaPA will contribute to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.

Notes of condolences may be sent to Hannah Franco-Isaacs, 4770 NE Going St, Portland OR 97218.

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed. It will be published in an upcoming issue of Elderberries and posted on the UURMaPA website.If any readers would wish to contribute information or reminiscences, we would welcome them. Please send them to UURMaPA’s clergy obituary editor, Rev. Jay Atkinson – jayatk40@gmail.com.

Two “PODS” for UURMaPA’s Spring 2024 Conference (April 15–17)

For the spring 2024 UURMaPA conference, two in-person locations will be available for members to meet and enjoy the conference together. One location is in Kingston, Massachusetts and the other is in Wilmington, Delaware. When you register for the conference, you may express your desire to attend at one of these locations. Read below for details about each site.

In Kingston, the conference POD will be at the First Parish UU Church. The site is fully accessible, with plenty of off street parking. The church will be utilized for both large presentations and small breakout groups. There is an option of take-out meals at the church and/or opportunities to go to nearby restaurants. Plan on staying at least three nights and longer if you want to sight-see in the area.

On the Tuesday morning before the conference, a local historian will make a presentation about the history of the congregation, which was established in 1719, and lead a walking tour of the colonial, revolutionary and civil war burying ground.

Many attractions are only ten minutes away in Plymouth: Multiple and varied arts offerings, fine and casual dining, Plymouth Harbor and the Plymouth and Pawtuxet living history museum, Pilgrim Memorial Hall, a Plymouth and Patuxet Wampanoag Arts, Culture and History museum, and any number of shopping opportunities.

More information is available by visiting www.kingstonuu.org. The website has everything you need to know about the location and has a map, directions to the church, and pictures of the buildings. For general questions, logistics, lodging, parking, special needs, send a message to Tom Schade trschade@gmail.com or Sarah Person person.revsarah@gmail.com.

In Wilmington, the First Unitarian Church will host an in-person POD to interact with others around the country. The church will host for both large presentations and small breakout groups. The church has an audio-visual system for the major presentations, but you might need a laptop or tablet for use during the breakout sessions. The church has a strong wi-fi signal throughout the building.

Some shared meals will be at the church with opportunities to go to area restaurants. Coffee and tea will be available during the meetings. Snacks, wine and beer will be available for a nominal donation to cover our expenses.

The Rev. David More Maynard

The Rev. David More Maynard died on November 22, 2023, at the age of 77 (1945-2023).

David is survived by his wife, Jane; four brothers; four children; and five grandchildren. A memorial service was held on Friday, December 8, 2023, at the First Unitarian Church of Portland, 1211 SW Main St., Portland OR.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Compassion & Choices or SOLVE Oregon. Notes of condolences may be written here.

President’s Ponderings

Winter, 2024

There’s this odd moment in winter, almost at it’s midpoint, where we celebrate Groundhog Day. Many people, perhaps most of the hosts on morning talk shows, will await the verdict to be delivered by Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania, or Shubenacadie Sam up in Nova Scotia, or others of their kind in New York and Georgia and who knows where else. Whether or not these creatures “see” their shadow that morning tells us how much more “winter” we will experience.

And as usual, I expect it will be a mixed message. As it is with just about every other prognostication, the meaning is all up to interpretation. It will depend on where you awaken, and in what part of the country – whether the sun is shining or the morning sky is clouded. But as silly as all that Groundhog Day hoopla is, it reflects something deeply human. We want to know, with as much surety as possible, what is going to happen. Who will win the Super Bowl? How bad is it going to get in Washington? Will democracy survive? Will wars ever cease? What’s next for us?

We are always like this. We want to know, and we hope that the minutiae of weather lore or a statistical study or the latest polls will provide an answer. Sometimes we’ll grasp at anything that gives us a sense that we might actually be sure of something, even if we really don’t believe it. Early February also brings Candlemas, a cross-quarter day that falls between the Solstice and Equinox. It is a holiday that celebrates the beginning of spring – even if the temperature is frigid or ice covers the fields. One of the ancient names for this holiday is Imbolc, which means “in the belly.” And at this time of year the green and growing things are in the belly of the Great Mother, where they hide from our mundane, limited vision.

But as if sensed by a keener and wiser sight, all the stirrings of the season of growth to come — the quickening of life, the mystery of what is yet to be — are there. We are in what the ancient calendar called “fallow times.” Although concern for the fecundity of the fields and the birthing of lambs are far removed from our daily cares, there is something of value to us in marking and celebrating this “fallow time.”

What has this got to do with UURMaPA, you might well ask. As I reflected on those thoughts, I reflected about how “retirement” can so easily end up being month after month of “fallow times.” And that may not be the most healthful and helpful way for us to make our way through these elder years.

It’s often recommended as we retire that we find some meaningful way to contribute to society. I will confess that for a few years that felt to me like a big “ask.” We can’t all be like Jimmy Carter, who was a great exemplar of active service to the greater good. But we can do the smaller things that are of service to our families, to our local communities and organizations.

Even as we are living through some very challenging events in our country and our world, we can turn our thoughts and hearts to a greater sense of possibility. We can cautiously shake off hibernation, to emerge from comfortable burrows and warm caves. It is a time for new beginnings.

So as we welcome another season into our lives, I encourage you to think about where “service” might lead you this year. And in particular, I draw your attention to two particular opportunities right here in UURMaPA! Please read the “Help Wanted” ads in this Elderberries edition and if you can, spring into a new way of supporting your community.

Yours, in the faith, Susan Veronica Rak (retired but not retiring!)

Author: Jaco ten Hove

Nov 16, 2023

Joyce Gilbert