UUFSM Memories: Social Justice Activities
Science Fair: UUFSM presents Joseph Priestley Awards
Date and time:
Saturday, 4 February 2012 - 1:00pm - 5:30pm 
UUFSM is a religion of both reverence and reason. In support of that, we award the Joseph Priestley Cash Award (Junior and Senior categories) to the students whose science fair project in chemistry has the best potential to improve quality of life or shows great promise.
This year’s Science Fair will be held Saturday, February 4, 2012 at Great Mills High School. Judging takes place from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The public is invited to view the projects from 1:00 to 3:30 in the afternoon. The awards ceremony begins at 3:30.
The Science Fair is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their interest in science and their understanding of scientific methods. Participation will develop skills in critical thinking, scientific literacy, and communication. A successful science project clearly reveals that science is more than a body of knowledge; it is a way of thinking and a way of understanding. These skills and processes help prepare students for a changing and challenging future.
About Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley was born in England in 1733. He was a Unitarian minister and a noted teacher, and wrote articles on a wide variety of subjects. He stressed the importance of education and of independent inquiry. “Through [science]," he wrote, "the security and happiness of mankind are daily improved.” A friend of Benjamin Franklin, Priestley moved to the United States of America in 1794. His sermons in Philadelphia did much to spread Unitarianism before he settled in Northumberland, PA, where he died ten years later. (See http://www.josephpriestleyhouse.org/ for more information.) The UU Joseph Priestley District encompasses southern Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and northern Virginia.
Fellowship recognized as 2011 UUSC Honor Congregation
The UU Fellowship of Southern Maryland has beeen recognized as an Honor Congregation by UUA for our "support of the Annual Program Fund."
Also, the UU Service Committee recognized the Fellowship as a "Vision of Justice" Congregation, which means between 50% and 74% of our members are also members of UUSC. We also donate as individuals to "Guest at Your Table" project (GAYT) every year.
The certificates have been given to our historian for inclusion in our memory books, so look for them there.
| Year |
Honor Level |
% of Members | GAYT |  |
| 2011 | Vision of Justice Society | 50-74% | ||
| 2010 | Vision of Justice Society | 50-74% | $855 | |
| 2009 | Vision of Justice Society | 66 % | $575 | |
| 2008* | Spirit of Justice Society | >75 % | ||
| 2007 | Vision of Justice Society | 50 % | ||
| 2006 | Vision of Justice Society | 50 % | ||
| 2005 | Vision of Justice Society | 50 % | ||
| 2004 | Creating Justice Society | 48 % | $889 | |
| 2003 | Creating Justice Society | 38 % | $845 | |
| 2002 | Supporters of UUSC | 24 % | $741 | |
| 2001 | Creating Justice Society | 36 % | $560 |
* In 2008, we were one of five congregations in the country to become part of the Helen Fogg Society, made up of congregations who donate $25 per member to UUSC.
UUFSM Donates $4000 to Charities in 2010-2011
All the cash from our weekly offerings goes to charity; we also collect for UUSC’s Guest at Your Table. Our goal is to tithe by donating an amount equal to 10% of our pledged income. For the fourth year in a row, we exceeded our goal!
We also collected coats, provided Christmas presents for a local family, and continued to work on the garden at the Three Oaks Center.
Charities in 2010–2011 were St. Mary’s Animal Welfare League, Pajama Connection, UUA-UUSC Japan Relief Fund, Save the Children, Three Oaks Garden, Manengouba Foundation, H.O.P.E. Food Pantry, Heifer International, Guest at Your Table, WARM: Wrapping Arms 'Round Many, St Mary's Caring Soup Kitchen, Pakistan Flood Relief Fund, and the Joseph Priestley Science Fair Awards (created and sponsored by UUFSM).
Film Screening: Blue Gold - World Water Wars
Date and time:
Thursday, 12 May 2011 - 7:00pm - 9:00pm | Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| waterwars1.pdf | 182.13 KB |
As part of UUFSM's 40/40 Earth Day Challenge we will be showing the film Blue Gold, World Water Wars at the Lexington Park library on Thursday, 12 May at 7 PM. This 90-minute documentary by Sam Bozzo, based on the book by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke, sheds light on the world's rapidly approaching water crisis and suggests that wars of the future will be fought over water. Numerous examples of people fighting for their basic right to water, from court cases to violent revolutions to U.N. conventions, are presented. The film posits that past civilizations have collapsed from poor water management and asks: Will ours survive?
Spread the word: Tell your friends! Tell your neighbors! Post it on Facebook.
Garden featured in Three Oaks Newsletter
Charity:
Landscaping and Gardening Fund 
The September 2010 edition of the Three Oaks Newsletter features a picture of the garden that UUFSMers have been working on these last two years, along with the caption: "With the help of some of the members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Southern Maryland, Three Oaks is again enjoying home grown fruits and vegetables, as prepared by Chef Julius."
A big round of applause to all the coordinators and dedicated dirt diggers who have helped make this happen, especially Mary Flood, Ethan Romans, Corinne Stubbs, Jim Stubbs, and Katy Boyd! Way to Go!!!
Presentation of the Three Oaks Garden Sign
Charity:
Landscaping and Gardening Fund The UU Fellowship of Southern Maryland presented a hand-carved wooden sign to the Three Oaks Shelter for their garden on Friday, July 2, at 7 p.m. The Shelter is located at 46905 Lei Drive in Lexington Park, near the Three Notch Theater (the old library).
The garden is already producing zuchinni, eggplant, and peppers. Watermelon and cantaloupe are growing nicely and the tomatoes should be ripe soon.
Three Oaks Garden planted
After several delays due to scheduling conflicts and weather, we successfully planted the Three Oaks Garden. On Monday, May 10 a few people showed up to rototill and add peat moss to the garden. On Tuesday, we bought plants from the Amish store in Loveville on Route 5: eggplant, collard greens, cucumbers, zucchini, watermelon, musk melon, tomatos, peppers, chives, onions, and a few marigolds to look pretty.
Herbs were donated by the Funny Farm, a store at 21057 Point Lookout Rd in Callaway. Many thanks!
On Thursday evening (13 May 2010), eight people from the Fellowship and four people from Three Oaks got everything in the ground, watered, and mulched. It was a lot quicker than last year, since the garden was ready to go! Three Oaks has a new nozzle for their garden hose, so keeping the plants well watered will be easier.
We'll be visiting every two weeks or so to weed. Please come and help on those days! (TBA)
Let's all hope for a bountiful harvest!
Fellowship is 2009 UUSC Honor Congregation
The UU Fellowship of Southern Maryland became a UUSC Honor Congregation for at least the sixth consecutive year. (We're still looking for records before 2004.) The UU Service Committee honors congregations where more than a quarter of the members contribute to UUSC. In 2009, two-thirds of Fellowship members were members of UUSC. We also donated $775 as individuals to "Guest at Your Table" project. Way to go, UUFSMers!
| Year |
Honor Level |
% of Members |
| 2009 | Vision of Justice Society | 66 % |
| 2008* | Spirit of Justice Society | >75 % |
| 2007 | Vision of Justice Society | 50 % |
| 2006 | Vision of Justice Society | 50 % |
| 2005 | Vision of Justice Society | 50 % |
| 2004 | Creating Justice Society | > 25 % |
* In 2008, we were one of five congregations in the country to become part of the Helen Fogg Society, made up of congregations who donate $25 per member to UUSC.
Loving Hearts, Helping Hands in December
The people of the Fellowship gave generously to families from the community at Christmas. We collected $865 and used that to purchase two bicycles, safety helmets, a computer, books, and other gifts in time for the holidays.
People also gave to our December Charity: The HOPE Food Pantry. Even though we missed a Sunday because of the snow, we still collected $285 and some food.
Our charitable outreach for 2009-2010 is already nearly $2000. Way to go, UUFSMers! Your generosity is helping us to fulfill our mission of "working together in service to all"!
UUFSM Mentioned in JPD Newsletter
UUFSM was featured in "News You Can Use" from the Joseph Priestley District in July 2009.
text of article
The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Southern Maryland is one of five congregations worldwide to receive the Helen Fogg Chalice Award, which recognizes exceptional support of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). The award is named for Helen Fogg, who was the director of UUSC's Overseas Programs in the late 1950s and established a children's home in Czechoslovakia and a teacher education program in Cambodia.
"Many of our members have contributed to the UUSC on their own for years," said Vincenza Cumbo, the Fellowship's Social Justice coordinator. "We realized we could do more by working together, and so the Fellowship made a donation from our general operating fund."
The gift to the Service Committee is just one part of the Fellowship's commitment to charitable giving. "Many of us also volunteer time with local organizations, and we hold holiday gift drives and collect food," said Cumbo. In February the Fellowship donated more than 100 pounds of food to the Hope Food Pantry, and the Youth Group donated baked goods and fresh fruit to the Three Oaks Center, a local homeless shelter.
The Fellowship also sends all non-pledge donations collected during the Sunday offering to charity. "Two years ago, we made a commitment to tithe by donating an amount equal to 10% of our congregational pledged income each year," Cumbo added. "Some of us weren't sure we would reach that goal, but it seems the more we give away, the more people are willing to give." Since 2007, cash donations to the Sunday collection plates have nearly tripled, and in church year 2008-2009, the tithing goal of 10% was reached after only 10 months.
The UU Fellowship of Southern Maryland meets at 10:30am on Sunday mornings at 21095 Chancellor's Run Road in Great Mills, MD. Their website is www.uufsm.org.
