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The S.U.F. can be considered to be an Organisation which seeks to provide a service to those who for whatever reason cannot, or who do not wish to, attend a particular church. Scotland is a large country and many are those who are far distant from any of the four Scottish Unitarian churches. And of course, each of the four churches are quite different, in a number of ways, from each other. So that even if a person lives within walking distance of a church, he/she may not wish to attend that particular church! And again, there are many who feel that 'church' is not for them! The Unitarian Movement allows for freedom of individual belief and respects the beliefs of others. So attendance at church services is an option open to all, but not a necessary requirement for membership! Winnie the Pooh said: "If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you." Charles Caleb Colton said: "True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it is lost." Anonymous says: "A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." and again: "Strangers are just friends waiting to happen." Submitted by e-mail by Terry Ducheane all the way from Seattle, U.S.A. ~~~~~~~ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGThe formal A.G.M. of our Fellowship will take place at 2.00 pm on the afternoon of June 10th. This will be during the Annual Meetings of the Scottish Unitarian Association at Scottish Churches House, Dunblane. Any member of the Fellowship is welcome to attend either for the whole weekend or for just the short S.U.F meeting. Unfortunately, bookings for the whole weekend have to be made prior to March 24th. - I was, once again, advised of this too late for inclusion in the December 'LINK'! The A.G.M. of the Fellowship is a formality required by our Constitution. With this posting members will have the Annual Report, Financial Statement, and Agenda. Our Constitution also makes clear that we are a 'postal' Fellowship, so that the A.G.M. is a formality in that it merely receives a report of any comments that members might make to me as 'Correspondent'. No quorum is required at the A.G.M.; no executive decisions can be taken by the A.G.M.; and so no active participation is required of members. However, if YOU wish to make any comment on any matter relating to the Fellowship, please write to me and I shall then put them forward for discussion to any of the members who actually are present at the A.G.M. If no comments are received then this taken as an indication of support! Hope you can understand all of this!!! Of course, you can always phone me, for whatever reason! Best wishes Colin (Details of the SUA Annual Meetings can be found on the SUA web site: http://www.sua.org.uk/annualmeetings.htm) ~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~THE INVITATIONORIAH MOUNTAIN DREAMERsubmitted by Mr Fred and Mrs Barbara Jessop (Rochdale) It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, it you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know it you can disappoint another to be true to yourself, if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your soul, if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty, even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from it's presence. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand of the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon 'YES'. It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what has to be done to feed the children. It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside, when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments ...... ~~~~~~~WORDS OF WISDOM1.Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson. 3. Follow the three R's: Respect for self, respect for others, responsibility for all your actions. 4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. 5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly. 6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. 7. When you realise you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. 8. Spend some time alone every day. 9.Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values. 10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. 11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you are older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time. 12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life. 13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past. 14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality. 15. Be gentle with the earth. 16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before. 17.Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other. 18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it. 19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon. - The Dalai Lama (via e-mail!) ~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
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| The peace within
us feeds the peace between us. There is no other source of peace. The world at peace is within you. |
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CARE FREE CHILDHOOD?
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At school the bully loves to hurt At close of school we have to pray No children near our country home Anxiety, fear and loneliness So, reader, do not pensive sit Jamie A. Smith |
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We are delighted to learn that our member, Mr Dan. Stewart who has been in hospital since the 25th.September was able to leave just before Christmas and was able to visit his son for the Christmas period. We wish him well for the future and trust that his lengthy stay in hospital will not need to be repeated.