Hobbies, Spirits, Saints, Fortitude, and Responsible Action
May 1, 2011
My wife and I have been members of this Fellowship for 34 years; I have served as board member and president of the Fellowship, and she and I have chaired the membership committee and the canvass committee. I currently serve as a member of the membership committee, long-range planning committee, 4045 committee, nominating committee, and planned giving committee.
I believe in hobbies. I believe in spirits. I believe in saints. I believe in fortitude. I believe in responsible action.
I believe in hobbies. Please pick up the copy of the hymnal by your seat. These books have been with us for many years and the bindings can become damaged. I have made a small hobby of gluing the bindings to repair them. If your copy is damaged, please bring it to me this morning or in the future, and I will take it home to repair it.
I believe in spirits. Open the front of your hymnal and check the names inscribed inside. These inscriptions contain some of the history of our Fellowship. Many of these persons are no longer alive, but I feel their spirits remain with us still.
I believe in saints. Many of these people led remarkable lives of service to our Fellowship and to our community. I will mention three of these Unitarian “saints.”
Carol Tirrill was a gracious woman who served the Fellowship in many ways, including sharing her musical talents. When I was president of the Fellowship, if I needed someone for a specific job, Carol was always up for the task. Later, she, in turn, served as president. She faced her illness of pancreatic cancer with candor and dignity. When she died, she bequeathed to us her beautiful piano. When I hear the lovely sounds of Carol’s piano, I think of her.
Heidi Hoh was a long-time loyal member of our Fellowship who served the Fellowship in many offices and ways. She was a woman of modest means. When she died, she left a large portion of her estate to the Fellowship. Her generous bequest is responsible for our beautiful Memorial Garden.
Catherine Huber was a graceful and gracious woman who was a vital member of this community. At the end of her life, while suffering from chronic lung disease, she continued to attend our Fellowship with her oxygen tank but with undampened spirit. She left a generous gift to our Fellowship in her will, and these sums have been vital to several current programs.
I believe in responsible action, planning for the future, and perpetuating the good work of our Fellowship. I believe those of you who have not made a will should strongly consider doing so, together with a power of attorney and a health care power of attorney to protect your wishes in end-of-life decisions. For those of you who have a will, I strongly encourage you to name the Fellowship as one of your beneficiaries, as my wife and I have done.
Bequests to the Fellowship can be accomplished in a number of ways. The planned giving committee is finalizing a pamphlet that will soon be available to help all of us think of how we can help ensure the life, health, and good works of our Fellowship down through the years.
This spring, we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of our Fellowship. I believe that remembering the Fellowship in our wills can help ensure a strong base for the future.
Thank you.
