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March 2006 Newsletter |
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Our Newest Member Gayle Heard knows how to start a new year in style! She joined our Fellowship and gave the talk on Sunday, January 1st, 2006. Some of you know her well and others are just beginning to get acquainted. But I guarantee all of you will enjoy reading a bit of this very interesting woman’s history.
Gayle is a native of Longview, having been born on a hot July afternoon in a little frame house on Jane Street, which at that time was on the northeast edge of the town. Nearby was the now-called Eastside Airstrip, where her mother kept a staked Jersey cow for the family's fresh milk.
Graduating from high school in Big Sandy, she went on to attend Kilgore College and then Sam Houston State, majoring in theatre. After working in social services for a number of years, she returned to college to complete her bachelors’ degree with a double major in theatre arts and social/rehabilitation services at Stephen F. Austin University. She then completed her masters in counseling .andpost-graduatecourses in social workin the UT systems in both Tyler and Arlington.Having over 35 years with various agencies and private practice she retains licensure as a mental health and clinicalsocial workpractitioner but has been inactive for several years.
When she and Al married in 1962, they made their home in Longview and except for living in Germany, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming, they have remained here.She has two daughters, Danielle and Hailey, and a stepson, Ken.
Religiondid not have animportant role in her family of origin but she was blessed, or cursed, with an inquiring mind. As a child and adolescent, she sporadically attended whatever Baptist church was nearby and to which she had transportation. She studied theology independently and through discussions with interesting adults. Herre-involvement in organized religion began in 1979 when she and her family attended Trinity Episcopal Veronica Hummadi *March 20th* Happy Birthday! in Longview.
She also remembers many nights in the late 70s when she would meet with Jay and Jessica Noble and Ruth and Homer Garrison,
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and they would discuss the
possibility of establishing a Unitarian Fellowship. But, alas, she
succumbed to the liturgy and ritual of the Episcopalians; however, mainly
to the somewhat mystical homilies of Mike Macey and his willingness to
discuss subjects that are anathema to most Christians. Otherwise she could
have been a charter member of this Unitarian Fellowship of Longview! So here she is after a year of reacquainting herself with the UU principles, and is willing to commit herself to paper and pledge once more. It isa life journey, this seeking of her spirituality, and she continues her quest -- with the distinct advantage of being in the company of other seekers. What Is The WELCOMING CONGREGATION Program? In 1987, a UUA committee was formed to collect information about how welcomed and accepted gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons felt in their UU congregations. Many individuals reported that they felt unaffirmed, unwelcomed, and unsupported in their liberal religious communities. This hurtful exclusion—much of it very subtle and most of it quite unintentional—has made many people feel that they don’t really belong or have a safe space in our congregations. As a result, many either drift away or stay "in the closet," hiding basic facts about who they are from other members of their congregations. This reality troubled many UU’s who have committed to making our congregations welcoming and inclusive places for all people, especially minority groups who have traditionally experienced exclusion, discrimination, and misrepresentation within our society. Citing the principles of our UU faith—especially the one that affirms the inherent worth and dignity of every person—the 1989 General Assembly voted to initiate the Welcoming Congregation program. Other denominations have similar programs. Basically, a congregation that is part of this program commits to being inclusive and expressive of the concerns of gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons at every level of congregational life—in worship, in programs, and in social occasions—welcoming not only their presence, but also the unique gifts and particularities of their lives as well. If you would like more information about The Welcoming Congregation program consult the website of The Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns at http://www.uua.org/obgltc/index.htmlMarch Celebrations Juneau Embry
*March 11th* Happy Birthday! Michael Herbert
*March 18th* Happy Birthday! Betty Ready
*March 19th* Happy Birthday! Veronica Hummadi *March 20th*
Happy Birthday! John and Karen
Pantzer *Happy Anniversary* 3-21-98 Sharon Bolls *Membership
Anniversary* 3-25-01
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