Conference Topics of Interest

Topics of Interest Up for Discussion at Spring 2024 Conference

The spring 2024 conference will feature small break-out sessions in which specified topics of interest will be addressed by the group. The break-out sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, April 17 at 4 pm, Eastern. You can choose which discussion you will join at that time. Learn more about the conference and register by visiting https://uurmapa.org/activities/ Below are the titles of each group and some information about the leader of each session.

1. S O S: Climate Change Seeks Leaders

We have the skills and the conviction of our Seventh Principle to make a difference for life and welfare on our planet. Let’s share what we know and what we hope to accomplish. The leader is Lucy Hitchcock, who retired in a sustainable community in Salem, Oregon. Her spiritual disciplines are planting trees and native plants, organizing and advocating for climate mitigation and justice, and making personal habit changes to benefit Nature.

2. As the partner of a retired minister, how do I fit into congregational life?

The role of a minister’s partner is determined by the partner, of course. Some choose to involved in parish life, others may not. Does this dynamic change in retirement? The leader is Barry Finkelstein, the partner of Rev. Roberta Finkelstein, who retired almost two years ago. Barry has had a charmed life as a minister’s partner throughout Roberta’s more than thirty years in ministry, in various settings. His current roles include playing upright bass and accordion in bands at two churches, serving as a volunteer greeter, and working very part time as a stewardship consultant.

3. Good Grief

An open forum to share grief stories and support one another in bereavement. Grief is a life-long presence and represents the love we have for our partner who has died. The leader is Duane Fickeisen, who grieves the loss of his spouse 3½ years ago. He facilitates a monthly virtual support group for UURMaPA members who are grieving the loss of a spouse and has offered a class in grief and the holidays at First Unitarian Church (Portland, OR) where he is a member. His recent sermon on grief is here: https://dfickeisen.wordpress.com/2024/02/12/good-grief-embracing-grief-and-the-trouble-with-not-doing-so/

4. Challenges of Caregiving

Are you a caregiver for a partner, extended family member, friend? Join us for a conversation about caregiver challenges, concerns, ideas, and resources. Learn about our monthly UURMaPA Caregivers Group. The leader is Makanah Morriss, who retired in 2006 and enjoys the country life near Lynchburg, VA with horses, dogs, cats and partner, Bob. She is a member of the UU Congregation of Lynchburg. Makanah and Sylvia Howe began the UURMaPA Caregivers Group in 2019.

5. Writing as Spiritual Practice…and self care.

The leader is Judy Campbell, a semi-retired community minister, author, and crazy cat lady, living, literally, on the coast of southeastern Massachusetts. Still (gratefully) writing poems and mysteries, and leading writing workshops and retreats. And coordinating an in-person UURMaPA retreat pod in Kingston, Massachusetts.

6. Housing Alternatives for Seniors: Cohousing

The leader is Jaco ten Hove, who, with his spouse Barbara, has enjoyed living in Bellingham WA Cohousing (begun in 2000) since retiring seven years ago. With 35 households and lots of “noble chores,” it has been a boon through the pandemic and beyond. That and other modes of non-silo living are worth considering, as we shall endeavor to do in this conversation.

7. Issues of Aging for LGBTQ+ people

The leader is Brendan Hadash, who has been retired since 2013 and helps with various committees at St. Johnsbury, Vermont where he is minister emeritus. He has been with his spouse Alan for more than 40 years.

8. As a retired minister, how do I still contribute to Unitarian Universalism?

The leader is Roberta Finkelstein, who retired almost two years ago, and after some fits and starts, has found happiness sitting in the pews in Arlington, VA, where she volunteers at the Sunday Welcome Table and helps with the food pantry.

9. The Soul of Aging

Come experience a sample of the curriculum “The Soul of Aging,” in which we will creatively approach the art of aging intentionally and the many soulful invitations our maturing years offer us—to understand, surrender to, and be transformed by the aging process.

The leaders are the Rev. Shay MacKay and the Rev. Diana McLean, a Unitarian Universalist clergy couple based in Minneapolis. Their entrepreneurial ministry, Sacred Depths LLC, exists to help individuals deepened their connection to the sacred through creativity and contemplation. You can find them at www.sacreddepths.com.

10. Informal Socializing

If none of the above scintillating topics push your buttons, you can join Barbro’s Meet ‘n’ Greet. This is a chance to chat and hang out with your colleagues and perhaps make a new acquaintance. Hosted by Barbro Hansson, the convenor of the conference planning team.

Dec. 21, 2013

Jan 18, 2024

Nov 16, 2023

Joyce Gilbert

Spring 2024 Conference Odyssey

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.