Flowers: The flowers this Sunday are given in loving memory of longstanding FRS members Caroline and Allen Dodge by their sons John and David.

Ushers: Lisa and Mei Li Johnson.

Coffee Hour Hosts: Virginia Hallman, John Harwood, Judith and Steve Grohe, and Lydia Grew.

Collection for Cause: One half of the loose plate contributions for May will go the Turning Point Summer Camp Program.

This will be my last sermon of the current season; on June 8 we will hear from our "Up and Coming UUs" group, and on June 15, our closing Sunday, our ministerial intern, Christina Sillari, will preach her parting sermon.

Flowers: The flowers this Sunday are given by Robin Lawson and Lynn Kettleson in loving memory of Courtenay Kettleson Martin, who took special joy in the beauty of spring.

Ushers: Elena and Keith Hogan.

Coffee Hour Hosts: Paul and Cecilia Healy, Nancy Herbison-Evans, Pamela Herman, and Andrea Healy.

FRS Current Events Forum: 9:30 in Lower Meetinghouse Conference Room.

Collection for Cause: One half of the loose plate contributions for June will go to the Hugh Doyle Center, conceived as a satellite office of the Pettengill House, serving the city of Newburyport. It offers school-linked programs, social services, food vouchers, and more. Additionally, it consolidates and makes more effective use of church and community resources dispersed throughout the city.

There will be a pot luck dinner at 6:00 p.m. in the Lower Parish Hall; bring a dish to serve six or so and share the plenty. Child care will be available.

Meeting Warrant
Article 1: To act upon the reports of the officers and committees.

Article 2: To act upon the 2008-2009 budget recommended by the Parish Committee.

Article 3: To act upon the recommendation of the Nominating Committee for the election of officers and chairpersons.

Article 4: To act upon the recommendation of the Parish Committee to remove certain inactive members from membership of the First Religious Society.

Article 5: To act upon any other business that may legally come before the Parish.

Although one of our larger fundraisers, this event also seems to be the place to catch up with friends and enjoy a meal and community. The Greek Church was, once again, the venue for our auction. We are nearly at capacity for that hall!

Thanks!
. . . to Anne Verret-Speck and her helpers, David Sayles and Tim Downs at the bars. Very knowledgeable sommeliers. . . . to our auctioneers Nancy Crochiere, David Turner, Chris Snow, Bill Heenehan, and John Mercer for the spirited auctioning of services and items. . . . to KC Swallow as our MC this year. . . . to our young volunteers and runners: Leila Bisgrove, Rob Staples, Jack Dyer, Kit Dyer, Liam Wilbur, and Lindsay Ford. . . . to Candace and Peter Erickson who donated the beer and to Walter Clay and Julia Farwell-Clay who donated the wine.	. . . to Marna Badavas and her crew for The Back of the Room activities. Although a very difficult job, the process appeared seamless and smooth. . . . to Jon Roberts for the bountiful and delicious desserts, and to Cecilia Healy and her crew for the professional distribution of same. . . . Frank D'Amato, Elaina Sayles's father, and his very large truck were time and energy savers this year. One trip from the FRS to the Greek church with all the auction items. . . . to all the people who helped Allyson Lawless set up the Silent Auction, a daunting task considering the number of items this year.
and to Linda Tulley for her celebrated organizational skills.

"Carry Out Cafe" was our caterer this year, first time, and we hope you enjoyed their dinner. Based on the smiles and laughter, we think everyone had a good time, left with the items they wanted, and enjoyed our beloved community.

• Our earnest thoughts of health and comfort to Maura Perkins, who underwent surgery last Thursday at Beth Israel Hospital for ovarian cancer. She will likely be going home for recovery this coming Monday. She will be beginning chemotherapy shortly. The best place to send cards would be to her home: Maura Perkins, 353 Elm Street, Concord, MA 01742. Email can work, too - perkinsmaura@comcast.net.

• Joyous, even uproarious, good wishes to Betty Gillette, who will turn 95 on May 30, but probably didn't want us to say so. See the recent Newburyport News article about her.

The books may be found in the FRSUU section of our lending library, in the lower meeting house.

From Community Action of Newburyport
Dear Church Members,

The board of directors and staff of Community Service are very pleased to receive your generous donation of $1,251.50 from the February weekly offering. We are grateful for your support of our mission to help people in need in our community. We will use the money from this offering for food, clothing, and other needs as they arise throughout the summer months.

Thank you so much for remembering our organization and the people we serve.

Sincerely, Betty Leary, General Secretary

From the UUA
Dear Friends, We are deeply grateful for your congregation's contributions in support of the Association's first annual Association Sunday. We've received your congregation's check for $532.00, as well as other individual contributions. Your participation on this celebratory day exemplifies your commitment to Unitarian Universalism, and proves that we are indeed better together.

This year, we were thrilled to unveil our unprecedented national marketing in TIME Magazine. Half of your gift to Association Sunday 2007 will support this marketing initiative, enabling us to grow in numbers by letting the world know who we are and how to find us. One quarter of your contribution will also be channeled back to your district, to be distributed to individual congregations for local growth and outreach projects. But, we recognize that to grow our faith we must grow more than just in numbers. That is why one quarter of your gift will support UU ministers of color and the congregations that call them.

Your gift will transform our communities as we prepare to welcome new visitors with open hearts. It will increase our pride in our rich and vibrant tradition and give our liberal religious values a louder voice in the public square at a time when they are sorely needed.

On behalf of President Sinkford, the Board, the staff, and the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, I thank you again for your profound generosity.

In faith, Rev. Terry Sweetser, Senior Advisor to the President & Vice President for Stewardship and Development

Ministry is an amazing interdependent process. My ministry at FRS and my ministerial formation could not have happened without you. I am interested in hearing from you what it was like for you to have a ministerial intern at FRS and also sharing my FRS experience with you.

Hazel was a hard worker and determined to make a living in ministry. After serving the Danvers Community Church for several years, she was unable to find a permanent ministry position. Discouraged, she wrote, "I know there is prejudice regarding women, usually found among the women and not the men. I have found, however, if they were willing to give us the chance, we usually make good and a very happy relationship ensues. Of course we often have to take parishes the men will not consider because of smallness of salary, but I believe it is the service that counts and not the salary." Hazel served as a missionary in Japan from 1918 to 1923, where she worked as a member of the Universalist missionary staff in the Sunday schools and the Blackmer Girls Home. After her return home, she went on an extensive tour speaking about the work Universalists were doing in Japan. Hazel was very active in denominational work. She was president of the Women's National Missionary Association from 1929 to 1933. She also held various offices in the Women's Universalist Missionary Society of Massachusetts and Maine from 1934 to 1939. She moved to Maine in 1943, and although she was minister to the Rumford parish for only three years, she did pulpit supply there for another eight years. She was also president of the Rumford, Maine Minister's Association. Kirk was interested in other Universalist women ministers and corresponded with many. Hazel Kirk died April 27, 1957 in Casco, Maine, where she had been living with her friend Gladys H. Wright. The following quote is from The Bulletin of the Women's National Missionary Association, November 1922.

"Because we believe with all our hearts that only religious ideals can make a worthwhile civilization, we want to plant those ideals in the heart and soul of people. Just as one never knows what great leader may sit before him or her in the guise of a little child, so we who work in a small way never know but that one of our hearers may be a chosen one to lead people out of darkness into light. Such a thought glorifies all the common tasks and makes one determined to put his or her very best into each service however insignificant it may seem to be and how meager the results appear. We are "like the grass-blade," which helps the meadow to be a meadow and our mission is to be as good grass-blades as possible." - Hazel Ida Kirk

Walking the Labyrinth
Friday May 30, 2:30 - 3:30pm, rain date June 6
Led by John Burciaga
Meet in the FRS courtyard
There are several labyrinths in the greater Newburyport area, but the Rev. John Burciaga has offered the opportunity for us to walk the labyrinth in his backyard. He will give a short history of labyrinths and directions for the walk which may be as serious or playful as you want.

Hampton Falls Summer Schedule
June 15	Rev. Henry J. Stonie	Affiliate Minister, First Congregational Society Unitarian, Hampton Falls
June 22	Rev. Pamela Barz	UU Chaplain at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
June 29	Rev. Deborah Knowlton	First Congregational Church UCC, Hampton, NH
July 6	Rev. Janet H. Bowering	Minister Emerita, UU Church, Haverhill, MA
July 13	Rev. Bertrand H. Steeves	Minister Emeritus, First Religious Society, Newburyport, MA
July 20	Rev. Kenneth Clarke	First UU Church, Peterboro, NH
July 27	Rev. Susan Thomas	UU Intern, Lynn, MA
August 3	Rev. David Blanchard	Minister Emeritus, North Parish UU Church, North Andover, MA
August 10	Rev. Holly Bayllies	First UU Church, Wakefield, MA
August 17	Rev. Connie Pirnie Sternberg	Minister Emerita, UU Meetinghouse, East Manchester, CT
August 24	Rev. Harold Babcock	First Religious Society UU, Newburyport, MA
August 31	Rev. Joseph Bassett	Minister Emeritus, First Church UU, Weston, MA

The First Congregational Society (Unitarian) is a separate church from the First Religious Society. While our own minister and minister emeritus are among the speakers and many of the other speakers will be familiar to FRS members, the forum is an open pulpit and thus will likely include a broad range of views.

The church is on Route 88, just past Applecrest Farms: take Route 95 North to Route 107 East to Route 1 North. Go through Seabrook to Hampton Falls. Turn left on Route 88 at the center of Hampton Falls. Go about 3 miles down Route 88 to the church just past Applecrest on the right. Parking is in the rear of the building.

Musical talent wanted! If you play any wind or string instrument or like to sing solos, you can enhance the summer Hampton Falls services musically. There is even a small honorarium. If interested, get in touch with former FRS music director Barbara Owen at (978) 465-2068 or owenbar@juno.com.

Please donate to the UUSC-UUA Cyclone Nargis Relief fund:

• on the web at http://www.uusc.org/info/support_cyclonenargis.html

• or by mail to Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, UUSC-UUA Cyclone Nargis Relief Fund, P.O. Box 845259, Boston, MA 02284-5259

The A2U2 Zen Community meets each Tuesday evening, except for major holidays, in the sanctuary of Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church.