Apple Falls Close to Tree--Maureen Buchanan Joins Diversity Day Staff

Diversity Day 2009 is proud to welcome an Assistant Executive Director—Maureen Buchanan. Executive Director Patrick Murfin is the first to acknowledge that the appointment could be considered nepotism—if there was any money involved. Maureen is Patrick’s daughter.

Mrs. Buchanan recently lost her job as a retail store manager when the shop was closed by the parent company. So she knows all about the current tough times—and about the need to stick together through them.

Maureen grew up in McHenry County and was in the first graduating class of Prairie Ridge High School. She attended Northern Illinois University where she was a featured columnist in the Northern Star. She transferred to Columbia College in Chicago where she majored in magazine writing and interned at Chicago Magazine.

In addition to working in retail, Maureen has been a customer service representative and an optical shop technician.

While she looks for work, she is happy to help out the old man and perform useful community service. She will also be working on a book manuscript and some “self-improvement” projects.

Maureen is highly energetic, creative, and a natural leader—OK, some folks call it bossy. She will be involved in every aspect of planning and producing the festival. She is already bringing fresh eyes and ideas to the project.

Welcome aboard, Maureen.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Woodstock—A New Name for an Historic Church

Here is some important news from church that organizes Diversity Day.

One of Woodstock’s most venerable churches is changing its name. On July 12 the Congregational Unitarian Church officially becomes the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Woodstock.

The Congregation voted to change the name at its May meeting to become effective when all of the legal documents and details were amended. That process has been completed.

According to the Rev. Dan Larsen, minister of the church since 1990, “The new name reflects who we are now while reclaiming a lost part of our identity and honoring our roots.”

It is the fourth name for the church, which has occupied the corner of Dean and South Streets since being founded by returning Civil War veterans in 1866 as the First Congregational Church of Woodstock. After seeking dual affiliation with the Universalist Church in America in 1937, it became the Congregational Universalist Church.

In 1984 members of the congregation, following the consolidation of the Universalists nationally with the American Unitarian Association in 1961 creating the Unitarian Universalist Association, voted to change the name of the church to the Congregational Unitarian Church. At the time members felt that the public better recognized and understood the name Unitarian than Universalist

Both originally liberal Christian denominations, the Universalists believed that a loving God saved all souls—universal salvation—and the Unitarians believed in the unity of God—no Trinity—and an approach to faith based on reason. Modern Unitarian Universalism is a creedless religion that honors not only its Judeo-Christian heritage, but draws from world religious and philosophic traditions to assist members in “building their own religion.”

Those traditions are reflected in striking windows installed in the church as part of the centennial of the current landmark church building in 2006.

Since the congregation ended its official affiliation with the United Church of Christ (the Congregationalists) in 2000 and became an exclusively Unitarian Universalist congregation, there has been talk of changing the name to reflect the new reality.

“We really are happy to reclaim our lost Universalist identity,” Rev. Larsen said. “We say that ‘love is the doctrine of this church’ and Universalism calls us to put love into action.” By changing from Church to Congregation, “the new name also reflects that we are a religious community, and not just a brick and mortar building while honoring our roots as Congregationalists.”

Over the next few weeks and months the new name will be reflected in signage, on the website, and in public awareness. The congregation will celebrate the new name with special dedication worship services and other events and programs this fall.

“As the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Woodstock, we will continue our tradition of service to the community, which includes hosting PADS and the Woodstock Community Ministry’s Direct Assistance Program and outreach to the Latino community, and the advocacy for peace, justiceand a sustainable world--including Diversity Day--which has been our hallmark,” Rev. Larsen said. “And we hope to grow spiritually as a religious community living out the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism.”