UUFG member Phil Reitz is the recipient of the 2009 Meritorious Service Award presented by President Jack Kulas at the congregation’s Annual Membership Meeting May 17.

In recognizing Phil’s contributions, Jack noted Phil’s leadership initiatives during the past year:

• Originating the idea and helping carry out the Mini-GA, featuring Florida district Executive Kenn Hurto, more than 100 local participants, and several participants from other congregations around the state. It was like nothing ever done here!
• The resuscitation of the Town Hall meetings, with two so far and a third in the works. Phil began promoting that idea at early Board meetings in the summer and from then on wherever else he could get a word in edgewise about it.
• Promoting charters for committees and all groups was another one of his missions this year. He even wrote some himself.
• Coordinating the eight (to-date) FL District webinar events for leaders on third Thursdays. And he went to them all — except for the last one that took place during a Board meeting that he didn’t want to miss.
• Promoting and discovering new leadership events, books, and training, such as a Santa Fe College online course on leadership, which he himself is now taking. He is also helping to organize groups of leaders and potential leaders to register for the course.
• Attending Board, Program Council, Strategic Planning and any other meeting he could make it to, to spread the gospel of transparency and leadership empowerment. He sometimes irritated but always provoked members to strive for better things for the Fellowship.

Thank you, Phil, from the Fellowship, for your selfless dedication and passion for making this a better congregation. Phil’s name will be inscribed on the UUFG plaque honoring members for meritorious service.

An example of Phil’s passion and wisdom is the guest editorial in our Member Talk section. The book discussed, The Almost Church Revisited, is available at the book cart. Let’s all read it and discuss it with Phil.

Why is LoraKim giving up her days off to train camp staff in Compassionate/Nonviolent Communication? If camp director isn’t on my job description and is nearly a full-time job, why do it? Why do Terrie Mullin, Alice Primack, and Kristin Stevens generously give their time on the Camp Committee? Why did Terrie work fulltime at camp last year and the year before? Why does Alice go to families in Pineridge to recruit campers and gather information to fill out camp applications and promise rides to children year after year? Why have a number of UUs offered to come to camp to see what they can do to help? Why have the Social Justice Council and individuals donated money to make camp work?

As we hear from our supporters and interview our Activity Leaders, Senior and Junior Counselors, we are reminded why camp is vital to our children, adults, and mission.

Last year we had 60 campers, but this year we capped enrollment at 30 so that we can focus on making our new curriculum a success. Last year, of the 60 campers, only four were on full scholarship. This year, of our 30 campers, 14 are full scholarship, predominantly from Pineridge, and some from the Lincoln neighborhood. As LoraKim said, this is beginning to look like what we envisioned.

This will be our fourth year, and the first year we will implement a uniquely UU curriculum: Compassionate Communication with the Seven Principles, and all with an African theme. We wrote to authors Marshall Rosenberg (Non-Violent Communication) and Sura Hart (Compassionate Communication) and both have said we are the pioneers of introducing NVC/CC in a camp format for children.

They have asked us to keep them informed on our process and product. This may become a living lesson that other camps will adapt, and the best part is our campers will be prepared at the end of two weeks not only to stage what they’ve learned in “The Peace Talk Play” but will also have the NVC/CC tools for a lifetime. Camp has bought 12 beautiful hand drums with which Activity Leader Jiri L. will teach rhythm to our campers. He will also take the drums to the Congregational Retreat to lead a drum circle and may start a regular drum circle at UUFG.

Co-director and Activity Leader Julia H. will teach the children to sew kente cloth into dashikis for the campers’ costumes, and she will help them make African animal masks and stage props. Activity Leader Dawn W. will teach NVC/CC to our children through role-playing and learning to identify the difference between needs and feelings. Co-director and Activity Leader Julie R. will pull all this together as she teaches drama to the campers and helps them write scripts based on conflicts in their lives that can be solved with NVC/CC.

This is the first year that the majority of our junior counselors will be from UUFG! Eight of the 14 are our youth. During the interviews we heard the teens share their hopes that their many skills and talents will enrich our campers. If the campers are enriched as much as the Camp Committee was during the interviews, it’s going to be an amazing summer. The Activity Leaders and Senior Counselors are sharing wonderfully creative ideas and their genuine excitement promises this year will be the best camp yet.

On the last Friday of Circle Camp, June 19, we invite you to come see the campers’ “Peace Talk Play.” This will be staged at the end of the day, perhaps from 3:30 — 4:00 pm. Watch the Gazette and News-and-Needs for the exact time as we get closer. Also, Veg4Life will provide refreshments.

Don’t take our word for it. Come see for yourself, “Why camp?”