The Catalyst 1 February 2017 Vol. 1

In This Issue February’s Theme: Courage

Feb. 4: Chocolate Lovers’

Hoedown

Feb. 5: Sonora Service –

Courage for the Journey

Feb. 5: Green Bag pick up

Feb. 9: Social Justice Mtg.

Feb. 10: Movie Night:

Citizen King: American

Experience

Feb. 12: Douglas Flat

Service - First Annual

Evolution Week Service

Feb. 16: UU Program

Committee Meeting

Minister’s Column

Feb. 17: Skyline

Discussion about Courage

Hospitality Corner

Feb. 20: Marguerite

Johnson Memorial Service

Chocolate Lovers’ Hoedown

Mark your calendars for February 4th

Here are ways you can help:

We need homemade chocolate items

to auction off.

If you have a skill that could be

auctioned off (lead a hike, teach an art

class, provide dinner for 4-6 at

someone’s home, a couple hours of yard work, you

get the idea) let Rachael know.

Donate a bottle of your favorite premium wine to the Wine

bucket for auction.

SELL TICKETS Please help us double our success from

last year. It will take all of us to do it.

Thanks, Rachel Contact me at 962-0805, 505-2541 or

rhphillips9001@att.net .

Courage for the Journey – With Rev. Robert Klein

Sunday, Feb. 5, 10:00 a.m. Sonora Library

As we face a near future even more challenging than many

UUs had hoped, we will need courage to maintain hope

and faith for the journey. Together we stand far stronger

than we could alone. Let us reach out to join together for

the days to come and the journey ahead.

Rev. Bob Klein grew up in the Chicago area and was

educated in the mid-west. After receiving his Master of

Divinity, he entered United Methodist Ministry. Life later led him to become a UU

minister. Having served in several UU churches, he is now the settled minister at the 1st

Unitarian Universalist Church of Stockton, where he has served since August 2013.

The Catalyst 2 February 2017 Vol. 1

GREEN BAGS – Mother Lode Food Project

Next green bag pick up: Sunday, February 5. Refrigerator magnets and Project information will

be available at every Sunday service. For more information call Linda at 928-4364 or email:

lindaldu@comcast.net.

SOCIAL JUSTICE MEETING

Our UUFTC Social Justice Committee is looking forward to some changes this New Year. We

welcome anyone who would like to become a member. Meetings are on the second Thursday of

the month, 4:00 at Schnoogs. Next meeting February 9th.

Movie Night – Friday, February 10th – 5:30 Potluck/ 6:00 Movie

Citizen King: American Experience We were unable to watch this wonderful film last month due to technical difficulties

and were fortunate to get it again for February.

CITIZEN KING, a two-hour documentary from acclaimed filmmakers Orlando Bagwell and

Noland Walker, explores the last five years in the life of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther

King Jr. Personal recollections and eyewitness accounts of friends, movement associates,

journalists, law enforcement officers, and historians illuminate this little-known chapter in the

story of America's most influential moral leader in the 20th century.

A little-known chapter of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s, during which he spoke out against the

Vietnam War and became an advocate for all of America's have-nots, regardless of race. Much is

known of his tireless efforts as a civil rights leader, but this film focuses on King's later work --

which actually caused some to accuse him of abandoning his original mission.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

Winston Churchill

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Douglas Flat Service – February 12th, 10:30

Douglas Flat Schoolhouse, 1358 Main St.

Among many of the great Unitarian thinkers is Charles Darwin. Each year on his birthday, The

Clergy Letter Project promotes Evolution Weekend nationwide. The Unitarian Universalist Meeting

at Douglas Flat joins them this year with our First Annual Evolution Week Service! Drawing on

material from the Clergy Letter Project and the National Center for Science Education, John

Kramer will explore the facts and feelings behind the social-political controversy over the

teaching of Evolution in schools -this ties in with UUFTC's February theme of Courage in a

surprising way. Come to find out how!

Minister’s Column – Rev. Sonya Sukalski

Love makes us human, courage makes us extraordinary. Faryal Khan Kharal

This quote comes from our Touchstone’s Journal on Courage. I didn’t find

Faryal Khan Kharal when I Googled her, but the truth of her statement

resonates in my heart regardless of who she is, or the path in life she has

walked, or whether she identifies as a “he,” a “she,” or “they.” When

courage builds on love, it is truly extraordinary! In pondering a message

for you all this day of inauguration, I hope you will know that this comes from love.

I want to tell you about something I love these days which takes some courage to say more

publicly. In these postmodern times that often seem “post-truth,” I am having a harder and

harder time listening to “the news.” There was a moment when I was driving back from Nevada

last winter after my third trip to Reno to get out the vote in the primary. I had just lead a team of

10 to support the caucus process. No one in Reno could be found to run the caucus, so 2 locals,

and 9 people from Northern California came together to ensure a fair voting process. As I drove

home, I couldn’t find news of how the Nevada caucus had gone. I heard one sentence – that

Program Committee Meeting

All are welcome to attend the UU Program Committee meeting, Friday, Feb. 16, at

Fellowship House. We'll start at 6 p.m. with a shared potluck supper followed by the

meeting which will start about 6:30. This group, together with Rev. Sukalski, is responsible

for the Sonora Sunday Services and the Adult Programs, currently the Listening Hearts

Covenant Group. Contact Janet Telford, 928-5874, jtelford829@gmail.com for more

information.

The Catalyst 4 February 2017 Vol. 1

Hillary Clinton had won, with no details about the turn out, or percentages of votes, and then the

newscaster turned back to covering what the latest outrage of Donald Trump had been. The NPR

station continued with non-stop coverage that made me more and more outraged. While there

are smart and good people in the mainstream media, getting to the truth of what has happened

and what it means has gotten harder and harder. The two factors I know of that have created the

mainstream media monster many of us confront every day but are stymied to do anything about,

are the effects of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and the elimination of the Fairness

Doctrine in August of 2011.

The airwaves belong to us all, just as the air and water should. It used to be that the FCC

gave broadcast licenses under the conditions that broadcasters actively seek out the truth of a

given issue, report different sides of it, and allow anyone attacked to defend themselves. With

elimination of the Fairness Doctrine, we have seen more of a “he said, she said” kind of reporting

flourish with broadcasters acting simply as stenographers and leaving the viewers or listeners up

to their own devices to figure out the truth. This was aided greatly by the communications and

media lobby’s efforts to pass the Telecommunications Act that fueled telecommunications

mergers on an unprecedented scale to the point that we have 6 telecommunications companies

controlling the vast majority of the messaging we get about the world each day. If you get your

news from Viacom, News Corporation, Comcast, CBS, Time Warner and Disney, chances are you

will not get different stories, values, or messages from what a giant corporation wants you to

hear. I will leave it to you to decide what you think about these regulations and whether they are

good or bad for the American people and US politics. In my frustration with the messages and

stories I was getting through TV, the radio, and newspapers, I turned to alternative sources on

the internet. Now, certainly one has to be a discerning consumer on the internet – there is no

question about that. But given the above, one has be discerning to not fall victim to corporate

propaganda in the news arena in general.

In my quest I found a news organization that doesn’t take advertising, and is funded by

viewers. Through broadcasting on You Tube, and using Twitter for feedback, this organization is

able to broadcast and have real time feedback from the viewers every weekday from 3-5 pm. The

main broadcaster is Cenk Uygur (Jenk You-gur), and the organization is called The Young Turks

(tytnetwork.com). This is not your average news. The broadcasters don’t hold back about their

opinions about what is happening, and their language is neither sanitized of swear words, or

falsely objective. They try to own and name their biases, and I find the emotional honesty about

the news to reinforce my sanity (I’m often not the only one who reacts as they do), and to refresh

my sense of “the way things are.” This way of getting your news may not be for everyone, but

often when I turn on the mainstream media, I find the niggling frustration I experienced before

easier to identify as propaganda, and I can name it and let it go.

The Catalyst 5 February 2017 Vol. 1

It takes a little courage to tell you about the journey I have had in finding news that

doesn’t seem like baloney on a regular basis. I’m sure you will let me know where I am wrong.

And that is a good thing – it’s what the viewers do every day on TYT, and they often make

excellent points from which I learn. A free exchange of ideas is not only what Unitarian

Universalism is built on, it is what our country thrives on when we are at our best. May it always

be so.

These links give a little background on the issues mentioned above.

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/34789-democracy-in-peril-twenty-years-of-media-

consolidation-under-the-telecommunications-act

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/everything-you-need-to-know-about-

the-fairness-doctrine-in-one-post/2011/08/23/gIQAN8CXZJ_blog.html?utm_term=.bd6fd4de9589

Celebration of Marguerite Johnson’s Life

February 20, 10:30 am, Skyline Place

Marguerite Johnson was a force of nature, and made significant

contributions to community endeavors both in Sonora and the bay

area. We will celebrate her life with Skyline residents who knew

her and UUFTC members and founders.

The family plans to do a more inclusive memorial service later, so

this one will be smaller, just for our UU Fellowship, and her

friends at Skyline since space is limited.

Discussion about Courage February 17, 3:30 pm Skyline Place

The Unitarian Universalist group takes up February’s topic, Courage – we will

discuss the Touchstone’s Journal articles on Courage with Rev. Sonya Sukalski.

February Birthdays

Judy Schroeter * Linda DuTemple

The Catalyst 6 February 2017 Vol. 1

Hospitality Corner February 2017 This is a recipe for a dish featured at our Chocolate Lover's Hoedown!

Eggplant Caponata - serves 6-10 as an appetizer

Ingredients

3 cups olive oil

2 lb. eggplant, cut into 1″ cubes

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 rib celery, roughly chopped

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to

taste

3 tbsp. tomato paste

1 cup crushed canned tomatoes

6 oz. green olives, pitted and roughly

chopped

1⁄2 cup white wine vinegar 1⁄2 cup golden raisins 1⁄4 cup salt-packed capers, rinsed and

drained

3 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. finely grated unsweetened

chocolate 1⁄2 cup finely shredded basil

2 tbsp. pine nuts

Instructions Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add eggplant and fry,

tossing occasionally, until browned, 3–4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggplant to a

large bowl; set aside. Pour off all but 1⁄4 cup oil, and reserve for another use. Return skillet to heat,

add onions and celery, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring often, until beginning to

brown, 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until

caramelized and almost evaporated, 1–2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and continue cooking

for 10 minutes. Stir in olives, vinegar, raisins, capers, sugar, and chocolate, and cook, stirring

occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Transfer to bowl with eggplant, along with basil

and pine nuts, and mix together. Season with salt and pepper, and let cool to room temperature

before serving with crackers, crostini, or a rustic bread.

UUFTC: 19518 Hess Ave Sonora, CA 95370 / (209) 533-8883

Quick links: UU Fellowship of Tuolumne County/ www.uuftc.org ; Pacific Central District/ www.pcd-uua.org

UU World Magazine/ www.uuworld.org ; UUFTC Calendar/ www.uuftc.org/calendar

UU Service Committee/ www.uusc.org UU Association of Congregations/ www.uua.org

the Catalyst appears on our website each month. When each new issue is posted, notification of its availability is sent to all

subscribers via email. We do not share our list of addresses.

Linda DuTemple, Editor 209/928-4364 lindaldu@comcast.net

Laurie Livingston, Web Design

______________________________________

Rev. Sonya Sukalski, Minister / Rev. Craig Scott, Minister Emeritus

209/533-8883 Church Office

The Catalyst 7 February 2017 Vol. 1

UUFTC Gallery

Truffle Making

Truffle box construction

The Catalyst 8 February 2017 Vol. 1

UUFTC Sunday Service-January 15

the Catalyst 1 February 2017 Vol. 2

In This Issue February’s Theme: Courage

Feb. 16: Ladies Lunch

Bunch – Columbia Kate’s

Feb. 17: UU Program

Committee Meeting

Feb. 17: Skyline discussion

on Courage

Feb. 18: Listening Hearts at

Fellowship House, 11:30

Feb. 18: Introduction to

UUFTC 5-7 p.m.

Feb. 19: Sonora Service:

Whose American Dream?

Feb. 19: UU Adventurer’s

Hike 1:00

Feb. 20: Marguerite

Johnson Memorial Service

Feb. 24: TGIP

Feb. 26: Douglas Flat

Service on this month’s

theme: Courage

Whose American Dream? With Rev. Sonya Sukalski

Sunday, Feb.19, 10:00 a.m. Sonora Library

Courage may well be one of the important things that lie

between you and me. Courage may be what lies between

what we love and what we hate. This Black History Month

we take up the theme of courage inspired by the struggle of

African Americans. From abolitionists to black activists in

the civil and voting rights movements, to children trying to

learn about a parent's too early death, Rev. Sonya Sukalski

and worship associate Monty Thornburg will share stories

you will want to know!

We will be welcoming new members during Sunday’s

service.

Celebration

of Marguerite Johnson’s Life

February 20, 10:30 am, Skyline Place

Marguerite Johnson was a force of nature,

and made significant contributions to

community endeavors both in Sonora and

the bay area. We will celebrate her life

with Skyline residents who knew her and

UUFTC members and founders.

The family plans to do a more inclusive memorial service

later, so this one will be smaller, just for our UU Fellowship,

and her friends at Skyline since space is limited.

the Catalyst 2 February 2017 Vol. 2

Ladies Lunch Bunch

February 16, 11:30 at Columbia Kate’s Teahouse

22727 Columbia St, Columbia, CA 95310

UU women, their guests and friends will gather together

for this monthly luncheon. All are welcome. Please call

Peg Sheldon, 586-9182, by Tuesday, Feb. 14, for a

reservation.

We'd like to honor Black History Month this year with

books that not only explore aspects and moments of

black history but also look at the larger context of these

issues as they continue to affect black communities and our society today and in the future.

www.uua.org/bookstore

True South: Henry Hampton Like One of the Family:

and Eyes on the Prize, Conversations from a Domestic’s

the Landmark Television that Life by Alice Childress

Reframed the Civil Rights

Movement by Jon Else

The Price for Their Pound of Flesh: The Value of the Enslaved, from Womb to Grave, in the Building of

a Nation by Daina Ramey Berry

They Can't Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America's Racial Justice Movement by

Wesley Lowery

Darkening the Doorways: Black Trailblazers and Missed Opportunities in Unitarian Universalism by

Mark Morrison-Reed

It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your

limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight

inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. Anaïs Nin

the Catalyst 3 February 2017 Vol. 2

Discussion about Courage February 17, 3:30 pm Skyline Place

The Unitarian Universalist group takes up February’s topic is Courage – we will discuss

the Touchstone’s Journal on Courage with Rev. Sonya Sukalski.

UU Adventurer’s Hike February 19

Join us after lunch at the Chinese Restaurant for an exploration of Tuttletown with Bob

Smitheman and Rev. Sonya Sukalski. We will explore the trails near New Melones Lake, weather

permitting. Bring your waterproof shoes and gear, water, and a spirit for exploration! RSVP to

Bob: (209) 586-5975. Meet at 1 pm Washington St. Parking Lot

Program Committee Meeting

All are welcome to attend the UU Program Committee meeting, Friday, Feb. 17, at

Fellowship House. We'll start at 6 p.m. with a shared potluck supper followed by the

meeting which will start about 6:30. This group, together with Rev. Sukalski, is responsible

for the Sonora Sunday Services and the Adult Programs, currently the Listening Hearts

Covenant Group. Contact Janet Telford, 928-5874, jtelford829@gmail.com for more

information.

Introduction to UUFTC February 18, 5-7 pm Fellowship House

This is your chance to learn more about the Unitarian Universalist faith – its origins,

some of the influential thinkers, and how the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of

Tuolumne carries this work on today. RSVP to Dave Jenkins (209) 533-1903 so we

have enough pizza!

the Catalyst 4 February 2017 Vol. 2

UUFTC Photo Gallery

UUFTC members at Women’s March

on Sacramento, January 21

Judy Schroeter’s sign

made ABC news that night

the Catalyst 5 February 2017 Vol. 2

HOEDOWN 2017

Marilyn, Linda and Judy getting the raffle baskets together

Then the party

the Catalyst 6 February 2017 Vol. 2

UUFTC: 19518 Hess Ave Sonora, CA 95370 / (209) 533-8883

Quick links: UU Fellowship of Tuolumne County/ www.uuftc.org ; Pacific Central District/ www.pcd-uua.org

UU World Magazine/ www.uuworld.org ; UUFTC Calendar/ www.uuftc.org/calendar

UU Service Committee/ www.uusc.org UU Association of Congregations/ www.uua.org

Each issue of the Catalyst is posted on our website as it is released. When each new issue is posted, notification of its

availability is sent to all subscribers via email. We do not share our list of addresses.

Linda DuTemple, Editor 209/928-4364 lindaldu@comcast.net

Laurie Livingston, Web Design

______________________________________

Rev. Sonya Sukalski, Minister / Rev. Craig Scott, Minister Emeritus

209/533-8883 Church Office