“Away, away, from men and towns,
To the wild wood and the downs, —
To the silent wilderness,
Where the soul need not repress its music.”
—Percy Bysshe Shelley
I am out exploring parts of the wild woods and downs this month and writing this column on the shores of the Oregon coast. Audrey and I are traveling in our RV up the California, Oregon and Washington coasts. We had planned to travel inland as well, but drought and lightning storms have changed those plans. The many fires burning in all three of these states have caused us to stay hugging the coast on our journey. A strong reminder of our UU Seventh Principle: respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
During our travels along the California Coast we stayed overnight parked amongst a grove of Redwoods. I was amazed to see that even the mighty Redwood tree starts out as a tender green shoot sprouting from its massive trunk.
With time and nurturing all things can grow.
I truly believe that with time and nurturing we will continue to grow our OCUUC membership, facilities and spiritual community.
Linda Spery and the Sanctuary Committee are making great progress on the plans for the proposed church sanctuary. You are all invited to learn more about this by attending the sanctuary information update which will be held after the church service on September 2.
The Buildings and Grounds committee have been hard at work on many projects including refurbishing the large meeting room located on the mezzanine level above suite 4. Once completed, this space will be used for non-profit meeting rentals.
After almost twenty years of good and hard use, our purple chairs are being retired. The new chairs for Daniel’s Hall, the Victoria Room and the Administrative waiting area will be delivered in September.
In conjunction with the Long Beach UU church, a number of our congregants our working on a candidate’s forum for the upcoming 48th Congressional District election. Another way we are making a positive impact in our community.
With the love and nurturing of all our members and friends, OCUUC will continue to thrive and mature. Just like the Redwoods, one of nature’s most majestic specimens.
With love and best regards,
Debra Quam
President@ocuuc.org