The 2024 UU Pride Celebrations were successful once again. There were the regular events but with a few changes from previous years.
For the second year, there was a joint Pride Worship Service with Christa Duvall of Pflag Canada and Elliot Duval of Trans*London. This year, on July 14, their BBQ on the Meeting House grounds was held after the “Stories of Pride” Worship Service.
From July 19 – 21, the UU Pride Booth was held in the Victoria Park Festival community tent. The Booth was set up by Ann Klinck, Lori Turner-Otte, Thomas Breault and Bill Ratcliffe. There was continued interest in our engaging booth with bead bracelet crafts, packaged flower seeds, tattoos & stickers, Rocket handouts, a QR code, several attractive informative UU points/ programs signs, and various UU pamphlets with Kay Rehbergen's colourful Pride sheet as a backdrop. Many volunteers staffed the booth for the three days. They included: Bev Ball; Jessica Conklin; Normand Corbel; Esther Dixon; Jeff Dixon; Brian Keith; Imran Khan; Ann Klinck; Kristin Kumpf; Raghul Ramakrishnan; Bill Ratcliffe; Jen Sadler; Laura Scott; Michael Somerton; Lori Turner-Otte; Judith Warren. The Booth was taken down in record time by Raghul Ramakrisnan, Imran Khan, Jen Sadler and Bill Ratcliffe. The Booth staff connected with many people who were interested in Unitarian Universalism. Many of those were probably Unitarian Universalist without knowing it!
For the first time, the briefer Pride Service before the Pride Parade, on July 21st, started at 10:00 am. The unusual early start was initiated to allow time for walkers in the Parade to gather in the staging area, before the 12:00 pm start. Twenty UUs walked in the Pride Parade with new white "Unitarian Universalist Answer the Call of Love" t-shirts along with the purple UFL t-shirts, waving Pride flags. Christina Dixon generously printed the new t-shirts at cost. The Rocket hand outs (over 700) continued to be well received. Lori Turner-Otte’s new music system provided rocking tunes. The “Ùnitarian Universalists Answer the Call of Love” banner was proudly carried in the Parade. For the first time refreshments were provided before and after the Parade. Linda Ratcliffe’s assorted muffins continue to be a hit. Organizing on Queen St. was a challenge this year due to several factors. The Pride Celebrations Committee (PCC) will strive to correct these problems next year.
Unitarian Universalists continue to be long time allies of the LGBTQIA+ community. Thank you to all who participated in the very successful 2024 UU Pride Celebrations. A special thank you goes out to the Board who has authorized funding of these valuable UU Pride Celebrations. Happy Pride!
Respectfully submitted,
Jeff Dixon; Ann Klinck, Bill Ratcliffe (Chair), Michael Somerton, and Lori Turner-Otte
2024 Pride Celebrations Committee.
A very special thanks to Normand Corbeil for the video and photos from pride!
Worship Leader: Alison Konrad
I’ll share details of some of the early history of Unitarian Universalism. The content will be familiar to some, but everyone might not remember key details. The purpose of this talk is to set up the foundation for “Building Your Own Theology,” a workshop series which Lori and Alison will offer this Fall on the first Sunday of each month for adult members, starting October 6, after the potluck lunch.
Note that this Sunday there will be a Potluck Lunch after the Service!!! Faith in a UU context is, what or whom, you put your trust in. Faith in building a vibrant, evolving, welcoming, authentic, progressive and beloved UU faith community of love is what matters. It is the main purpose for our Congregation to exist.
Questions:
Guest Minister: Rev. Linda Thomson
The Unitarian Fellowship of London is a unique community, a local expression of Unitarian Universalism. You know and love this community. But, what, at is most essential is it, or any other congregation?
Service leader: Lori Otte.
Beloved Community. What is it and how can we use its strength to work towards social justice. Relying heavily on the work of Martin Luther King.
A warm welcome is extended to men within our Congregation who would like to join other Unitarian Universalist men for food and conversation on Monday, September 16, at 1:00 pm., at the Family Circle Restaurant, at 147 Wellington St. London.
The UU Men's Lunch Group meets monthly for lunch, on the third Monday. The normal attendance is 6-8 men. A warm welcome awaits you. Tom Orchard, <tomjoyorchard@gmail.com> emails members of the group the week before the monthly lunch, to determine who will be attending. You may contact Tom Orchard or Bill Ratcliffe, wratcliffe@sympatico.ca, if you have any questions. Hope to see you at the next lunch.
The UFL Book Club has been around for 37 or 38 years, just slightly more than half of the ULF's existence. The UFL Book Club meets on the third Tuesday of the month from 2-4 pm. The UFL Book Club does not meet in July and August. Our next meeting, the first meeting of the UFL Book Club for our 2024-2025 year, will be on September 17, 2024, 2-4 pm, most likely in-person, at the UFL. Over the summer, in honour of the great Canadian author, Alice Munro, UFL Book Club members will be reading Alice Munro writings of their choice. We will then discuss these writings in September.
"I read all the time, and I'm often struck by something I'm reading." - Alice Munro
If you are interested in joining our Book Club please contact me, Alice Wehlau, the coordinator of the Book Club. I hope to hear from you.
