Greetings, Chalice!

September. For me, this is simultaneously an exciting and melancholy time of year. I can tell by the changing light that the days are getting shorter, signaling the end of Summer. And I can tell by the traffic on the road in the mornings that school is back in session! It’s exciting to have a new school year or new season to look forward to, but also sad to leave the carefree days of Summer behind.

Here at Chalice we have several exciting things to look forward to this September. I hope you are reading the ENUUS emails every week for details on these activities:

• UU the Vote Letter Writing event on September 7 from 2-3:30p
• BIPOC Brunch/Get Together open to everyone on September 8 from 12-2p
• Opportunity to serve dinner at the ICS Turk Center on September 14
• Online Auction Website opening on September 15 – start thinking about your donations!
• Ingathering and Water Ritual PLUS celebration of Tim Mcknight’s 20-year anniversary on September  22 at the 10a worship service (yes, there will be cake)

This is in addition to all of our committees and groups that meet regularly throughout each month of the year. Chalice is a busy and vibrant place.

And your Board will be busy in September as well. Our main order of business at our September 10 meeting is to make decisions on our flags. Per our flag policy, the Board must approve flags every year. (For reference, the flag policy is provided at the end of this article.) Each of the three flags approved last year will be voted on for an additional year, as long as the flag has a sponsor. The flags under consideration are the American flag, the BLM flag, and the LGBTQ flag. Our BLM flag in particular has been the subject of much discussion, with many people hoping for approval and also many people hoping that it is not approved. Opinions are as varied as each congregant here at Chalice. As you can imagine, no matter what the Board decides, many people will be disappointed in the outcome. Please know that your Board takes this decision very seriously and each of us is approaching this decision thoughtfully and with respect for each other and love for Chalice at the center.

Regardless of the Board’s decision, this is a seminal moment for Chalice to have continuing conversations about who we are and how we want to present ourselves to our community and wider world.

If you are interested in observing the September Board meeting – or any Board meeting – please contact me so that we can prepare appropriately for zoom or in person observers.

With Love at the center,

Lara Brown

President, Board of Trustees

Chalice Flag policy approved March 14, 2023:

“A congregant or group must receive Board approval before hanging flags on the flag pole, external gate, or Hub. Board approval can be granted via email as per our current policy and is a simple majority vote. Continuing to hang existing flags shall be approved annually in the August Board meeting. If vandalism should occur, the cost will be absorbed first by the team or committee that sponsored the flag request, with additional assistance through a special fundraiser or volunteer congregation member. Hanging and removal shall be the responsibility of the requestor with input from the CT.”