Worship Leaders: Dr. Laura McGuire / Judith Stein-Farrall / Linnea Nelson / Audrey Connelly-Candelario /
Explore how the gendering of God impacts us personally and interpersonally, while moving through a genderLESS God to a genderFULL image of the divine.
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Worship Leaders: Rev. Margalie Belizaire / Judith Stein-Farrall / Aubrey Connely – Candelario / Linnea Nelson / Charles Connelly-Candelario / Charlotte Kendall / Wendy Derrow / Joan Nelson
Come meet, connect with and honor the Reverend Mary Augusta Safford.
Our Mary Safford Historical Marker
Our Spring Congregational Meeting truly made history on March 19, as we dedicated a heritage marker honoring the Rev. Mary Augusta Safford — leader in the fight for votes for women, Unitarian trailblazer, and early member of our church. Following a special reception, Orlando District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan spoke about the marker’s significance and the essential role of voting in our democracy. She then joined Rev. Margalie, guests, and 1U folks to unveil the marker and cheer our church’s long commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equality.
Commissioner Sheehan, who has represented our District 4 since 2000, is a trailblazer in her own right as Central Florida’s first openly gay elected official. Also representing the city were Jennifer Fritz-Hunter, Orlando’s historic preservation officer, and Kathleen Russell, the mayor’s special assistant for community collaboration. The event continued a Women’s History Month celebration that began March 7 with the unveiling of a sister marker at 37 N. Orange Ave. that honors Orlando as the birthplace of Florida’s Equal Suffrage Association in 1913. It also pays tribute to Safford as the association’s president.
Both Orlando markers are part of the National Votes for Women Trail, an initiative of the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites, with funding from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation of Syracuse, New York. The Trail includes more than 200 markers across the nation as well as an online database containing more than 2,200 sites related to women’s suffrage (for more information, click here).
The Rev. Safford led women’s suffrage efforts in Florida for most of the decade before the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920. She also led the suffrage movement in Iowa. Her friend since childhood, the Rev. Eleanor Gordon, was our church’s founding minister. Both women, who were part of the famed Iowa Sisterhood, moved to Orlando because of their friendship with Caroline Groninger Gore, the wife of Orlando pioneer Mahlon Gore and the inspiration for Gore Hall’s name.
At the March 19 program, 1U member Joy Wallace Dickinson also talked about the marker’s use of the women’s suffrage colors of white, violet , and sunflower gold. You’ll find the Mary Safford marker on the Hampton Street side of the campus, near the sidewalk leading to Gore Hall and the Sanctuary. It’s a great reminder that our present has strong roots in the past.
Written by Joy Dickinson
The Orlando Gay Chorus performed at 1U as the last concert of the year of Orlando’s Milk District Salon on March 11, 2023 to a full Sanctuary.
The Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is one of the largest mixed LGBTQ+ choruses in the country. Founded on Valentine’s Day in 1990, OGC has been a fixture in the Central Florida area for over 32 years. In addition to the full chorus, OGC has four small ensembles that performed at the annual concerts and cabarets, as well as at community and private events: OUTLOUD!, the oldest running ensemble; Nothin’ But Treble, the all-upper voices ensemble; Menage, the jazz ensemble; and Spectrum, the mixed ensemble.
The Orlando Gay Chorus is comprised of LGBTQ+ individuals (and many allies) from all walks of life, all ages, and all backgrounds. OGC warmly welcomes all who would like to join them in their goal of changing hearts and minds in Central Florida and throughout the world.
We thank the Music Team and our choir director, Aubrey C.
Look ahead to the 2023-2024 Milk District Salon Series.
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Worship Leaders: JeKaren Olaoya / Judith Stein-Farrall / Aubrey Connelly-Candelario / Linnea Nelson
Join artist and poet, JeKaren Olaoya, as she explores vulnerability through her latest book, All the Pieces Fit. She will read three of her poems including “So often I wonder if’,” “Scars,” and “Today I am walking” with a short reflection on each. At the end, there will be a special congregational project, make sure you pick up a pen and art paper!
The following was taken from the Frequently Asked Questions. See this link for all the FYI questions and answers. Vote online or at the Congregational Meeting on March 19.
What is the language of the 8th Principle?
“We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote:
journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our
actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
Adopting the 8th Principle is a tangible expression of love.
The 8th Principle consciously embraces all members of the UU community. It is an expression of care, inclusion, and
action. Here are some additional videos/websites.
The 8th Principle Matters to Members of the BIPOC Community.
https://www.uua.org/leadership/library/bipoc-and-8th-principle (video 1:18)
The 8th Principle Matters to UU Youth. https://www.uua.org/midamerica/news/blog/my-experience-
8thprinciple
The 8th Principle Matters to Religious Educators. https://www.uua.org/leadership/library/re-and-
8thprinciple
You can also hear about the experiences of four congregations (Philadelphia, Honolulu, Annapolis,
Summit, NJ) with the 8th Principle in this video https://www.uua.org/leadership/library/ministry-8th-
principle
VOTE March 19th at Spring Congregational Meeting.
The following groups at 1U have endorsed the work of the 8th principle: The Green Team, WUURL, RUUM, Wrestling with our Understanding of Racism, and The Board of Trustees.
As we approach the spring congregational meeting, it seems a good time for 1U to thank the Building and Grounds Team, Safety Planning Team, Welcome Team, and other members who together are working to make our 1U campus a safer place for all. These efforts could not have happened without many volunteer hours, many meetings and several trainings, supported by thoughtful staff and member input.
Two members provided significant support to our safety planning effort. George H. researched safety protocols and prepared our Campus Safety Plan. The safety plan and our building handbooks are now on our website, and evacuation maps are posted in all our buildings. Ann P. developed a disaster planning schedule and reviewed our Hurricane Plan. When the work was near completion for the year, Ann and Bob P. generously donated a new, large capacity transit chair to 1U.
Please note safety additions on campus: radios for staff and volunteers; a voice-activated intercom system in most of our rooms, three AEDs ([automated electronic defibrillators], and three transit chairs for rapid evacuations and other uses.
Look for these additions in our buildings and be prepared to help as needed. As possible, sign up for trainings. The more we all know, the safer we are.
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