Past Pillars

2022: Vicky Jungers

The member proposed this year has engaged for nearly 30 years of service in a broad variety of church activities. They are highly active in fundraising, often keeping the hope alive when other members are feeling frustrated and discouraged. They bring music, organization and inspiring words to our worship celebration. Way back in the 90s when we didn’t have a consistent minister, this member was always willing to not only jump in but deliver amazing Sunday service. She has also been active with membership through the years. And taken the chairship of the auctions and ran with it. They have been supportive and active in C/YRE in the past even long after their children bridged out. And even this year, moved out of their comfort zone to get training in a whole new area, OWL, when the call was made that we were in need. They were not expecting to have to be a zoom wizard when they took the job of administrator 3 years ago but boy did they learn fast! Far beyond the parameters of their job, they learned, they taught, they patiently troubleshot every Sunday for more than a year. Vicky Jungers has grown and blossomed along side this congregation and it is about time that we honored this amazing human.

Another pillar sums it up well when she wrote,Vicky “has been instrumental in keeping SFUU going through the transitions of the last years. She goes above and beyond her paid job. She is the beating heart of this church, and always with good cheer and kindness to all. "

2021: Suzanne Borth

This year’s well-deserved pillar’s award goes to someone who worked tirelessly to help SFUU move forward during the pandemic.  Early on, she spearheaded the Way Forward Survey in an effort in improve our connections and cope more smoothly with doing church while physically distanced.  More recently she worked to make our virtual covenant groups a success.  Both the survey and the covenant groups were critical activities for fostering a sense of community while remaining physically isolated from each other.  In addition, she serves as a vital back-up zoom tech for our wonderful administrator, she sings in the virtual choir with a big inviting smile, and she is on a team that is fine-tuning our ability to stream our services as we move back to in-person church services.  If you haven’t figured it out yet, Suzanne Borth is this year’s Pillar.

Beyond being a stand-out during this unusual year, Suzanne is an active member of the Board of Trustees, and a welcome contributor to worship.  She is deeply connected to our UU principles; and wants everyone else to be too.  She was a member of our stellar Search Committee, which brought both Reverend AJ and Reverend Alex to SFUU.  She attacks all of her tasks with purpose, energy, and reliability.  Several years ago, she brought the Coming of Age Program to SFUU, and did all of the logistic work for the teens and their families, including three weekends of out-of-town events involving youth from two other congregations.  Yes, Suzanne has demonstrated, depth, breadth and leadership here at SFUU.

Suzanne’s UU roots are deep, and she encourages others to explore the whole breadth of unitarian universalism (rather than solely the depth of SFUU).  She was responsible for getting the word out about General Assembly and district-level meetings, and represented SFUU as a voting delegate last year at GA.

I have likely missed some or your other contributions, Suzanne.  So, let me just say that we are immeasurably fortunate to be the beneficiaries of your energy, can-do attitude, and spiritual connection to Unitarian Universalism.   Congratulations Suzanne Borth, Pillar of the Church.

2020: Barb Munn

This year’s Pillar of the Church award goes to someone who has been a member of SFUU forever (since the year 2000), and has contributed so much to our community for so long, it’s just about time... This year’s Pillar has the delightful habit of stepping forward and saying “yes” when help or leadership is needed with practically anything. What has our Pillar not done? That’s the hard question. Here is a certainly incomplete list of some of the things this person has done over the years. Served on the Board of Trustees, twice serving as Secretary. Served on our Worship Committee and is an active Worship Associate. Served on the Committee on Ministry, and helped to write SFUU’s peace-making resolution. Has led the Green Sanctuary renewal team, including shepherding SFUU through the months-long UUA applications process, along with related worship services, events, reports, community outreach and many, many meetings. And all along has served informally as SFUU’s Earth-friendly conscience in our continuing effort to honor and care for our planet. This person has helped to revamp the Faith in Action pages of SFUU’s website and continues to help us keep it updated. She was instrumental in the development of Simplicity Circles and providing resources for this effort. She has led and assisted with numerous worship services. She helped edit our zoom videos for our recent Zoom-A-Thon fundraiser. Provided pastoral care to many in times of need. She has led geology hikes. She also sings in the choir and just happens to have a really beautiful voice. By now you have probably already figured out that our Pillar of the Church honor for 2020 goes to Barbara Munn.

Congratulations to Barb Munn, 2019-2020 Pillar

2019: Stevie Rea and Jim Robison

This year there were 2 worthy candidates. Jim Robison, who joined SFUU in 2008, has quietly played an important role in our congregational life. His most visible area of expertise is finance. For many years he was our rock in this area and is still involved. He served on the Board and as our Treasurer for at least eight years… a most demanding and critical position. He skillfully presented budget information at both the Board and Congregational Meetings, was a member of the Finance Committee, and has continued to support as needed those who succeeded him as Treasurer. He helps to assist and oversee the volunteers who count and report the weekly collection plate money after the service. He served on the committee that developed the Planned Giving process for SFUU, and has served on the bylaws committee, also. This person is an active member of SFUU’s men’s group, and has been dubbed its unofficial leader and its backbone. He sends out the meeting reminders and opens and closes the church for each meeting. Anyone who knows him is aware that meditation is an important practice in his life. He has led the SFUU Meditation Group in its weekly meetings for several years. Behind the scenes he has supported families in need of pastoral care by visiting the sick and the dying. While our new Pillar might seem like a quiet man, he is willing to speak out about issues that are important to him and to SFUU. He also has been an SFUU representative at our denomination’s annual General Assembly.

Stevie Rea joined SFUU in 2005. In those 14 years there are few, if any, areas of church life she has not impacted. In recent years she has spearheaded our annual auctions, which are so critical for SFUU’s financial viability and community building. In past years she has served on the Board, the Finance Committee, and is our Rental Policy expert. Every month you will find her taking a turn to clean up and close after church, and also serving as an usher or greeter. She also is in the rotation of folks who count the collection plate after the service. Sometimes she juggles all three of these Sunday tasks on the same Sunday! She serves as Worship Associate several times a year and has taken a lead in SFUU’s non- violent communication work. She led a workshop on members’ relationship to money and attends countless workshops and forums led by others. She has been a creative spark on the Stewardship Committee for several years. She always has several SFUU irons in the fire and rarely misses a meeting, dialing in by phone from on the road when necessary. When asked why she did not just skip a meeting one week when her plate was especially full, she said, “I guess it is just FOMO (Fear of Missing Out.)” She participates in all of these activities on our behalf cheerfully, with tremendous positive energy. We are a stronger church because of her FOMO.

Congratulations to Stevie Rea and Jim Robison, 2018-19 Pillars

2017: Robert Archer and Janie Evans

On May 19th and 20th, our two Pillars were on a bus loaded with children who went to visit their incarcerated fathers in the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo. This was a journey that started at 1am in Sacramento and ended the following night back in Sacramento. This couple was participating because Joan Lacktis, an organizer of the Placer People of Faith project, needed someone who could provide calm and support for these children to and from the prison. It was typical of the way these two members demonstrate their commitment to our First Principle – affirming the Inherent Worth and Dignity of every person.

And they have done much, much more over the past six years, including:

Robert Archer

• Has served on the SFUU Board, as a Trustee at Large and as Vice President.

• Currently serves on the Adult Religious Education Committee.

• Participated in Beloved Conversations.

• Has attended SFUU Nonviolent Communications classes.

• Is a Worship Associate.

• Has conducted forums on Immigration.

• Was a delegate to General Assemblies in Phoenix and then in Portland.

• Attended District Assemblies in San Jose and Sacramento.

• Has participated in protests at Town Hall meetings of Congressmen Tom McClintock and Doug LaMalfa.

• Participated in a number of protests in Sacramento, including the Women’s March and Science March and just this month was in the Climate Change march in Washington, DC

• Has been a bartender at our annual Auctions and started the Bob Miller Memorial Golf Tournament, which marks its fourth season this year.

• Hosted an SFUU Chalice Circle.

• Served on two special task forces – facility rental and creating the new SFUU Mission Statement.

• Participated in our building work days

• Attended Auburn Nisenan Water rights rallies.

• Provided rides for Everett.

Janie Evans, the other member of this dynamic duo has:

• Demonstrated incredible leadership as co-chair of our Social Justice Committee for the past five years.\

• Served on the SFUU Board as Vice President.

• Served on the subcommittee to measure the congregation’s carbon footprint.

• Been a Board member of PPOFT.

• Organized forums on Healthcare, Immigration and Water Issues.

• Organized support for Everett Butts when he needed it. She visited him on a regular basis, playing the piano and singing together. She was the one who organized rides for him to and from church & the gym. She coordinated his care with his nephew Brad and helped orchestrate the move into his new home.

• Attended two General Assemblies as a delegate.

• Hosted a Chalice Circle at her home.

• Worked on several auctions acquiring items for the silent auction.

• Cultivated a relationship with Shelly Covert of the Nisenan Tribe in Grass Valley. Supported the people going to Standing Rock and helped organize donations.

• Marched in the Women’s March, the Science March, the Sacramento Airport protest and the Climate March in Washington DC.

• Also attended demonstrations protesting policies of Tom McClintock and Doug LaMalfa.

• Written amazing articles for SFUU’s newsletter and possesses great inter-committee skills especially with communications and adult RE.  

In short, she is an exemplary model of someone who lives our social justice commitment.

As a couple, Robert and Janie have demonstrated their climate-energy concerns by installing solar energy panels for their home in Cool.

2016: Marsha von Dessonneck

Marsha von Dessonneck served as vice president of the board and agreed to be president for a second term when asked. She is a member of the Finance Committee and was on the Membership Committee for seven years. She was an opener/closer for many years. Marsha is in charge of Money Counters and hosted several years of the Winter Solstice gathering at her home.  She was active in planning the transition to two services. She attended Leadership School and three intensive NVC retreats. She participated in the NVC Circle for many years. She helped organize and sings in the choir. She has been a mover in the Parade of Lights. She’s a Worship Associate and has been on the Stewardship Committee several years. She bought a toilet designed for disabled people for the bathroom at her own expense. She has been a delegate at several General Assemblies. She has been a judge for our election volunteer team for the last couple of years, which involves recruiting volunteers, training and being there all day for a very long day. She consistently supports special events and attends worship service, often bringing her four grandchildren. She makes killer gluten-free brownies.

2015: Val and John Bowman

We are proud to announce that John and Val Bowman have been selected as our 2015 Pillars. Val and John joined SFUU in February 2009 and immediately began making an impact on the congregation. They have both served on the Board and have headed up numerous important committees and events. Each year, they help with worship ~ be it leading services or acting as worship associates. Their services are moving, educational, humorous, and always special. They are welcoming, warm faces to both members and visitors and can always be counted on to help out in times of need. They have both been active in the wider Auburn community. John has written columns for the Auburn Journal and has established a great relationship with that publication and other writing groups in the area. Val has done outreach on death and grief and has established herself as a compassionate person who can help people in times of need. At the 2013 fall auction, they forged new ground by bringing in a live auctioneer. Their work collectively and individually on that fund raiser generated over $10,000 for SFUU.
John’s individual work for the 2013 fall auction included taking on the job of making personal phone calls to ensure high quality donations. John served on the Committee on Ministry, the Mission Possible Task Force, was the chair of the Communications Committee, and has been involved with the Social Action committee. As head of the Communications Committee, John revitalized SFUU’s advertising program with the Auburn Journal and has been instrumental in getting relevant stories about SFUU published. He also served on the staffmg task force in 2011-2012.
Val served on the Board as the finance officer in 2013 and as a trustee-at-large 2014-2015. In addition, she was the Auction Committee chair for the 2013 fall auction. This was a groundbreaking event in many ways as Val and her team tried new things and weren’t afraid to ask both members and community members for donations. Val also served on the installation planning team in 2012. Val is a champion of Non-Violent Communications and has coordinated numerous workshops on this topic at SFUU over the years; she has facilitated monthly Compassionate Communications Groups at no charge to members, visitors or members of the community. Her relationship with Jared Finkelstein and the NVC community has strengthened the health of the congregation and helped members individually in many ways. In addition, Val worked on the Call Process Steering Committee. SFUU has grown and evolved since Val and John joined and they deserve recognition for being a part of that exciting change.

2014: Ken and Amy Evans

We are proud to announce that Amy and Ken Evans have been selected as our 2014 Pillars.  They joined Sierra Foothills Unitarian Universalists in 2005.  Ever since, both of them are mentioned in every year’s Board minutes and annual reports.  The Evans’ home has been the site of many SFUU get-togethers. The Evans don’t flinch, they keep going! They are always there to lend a hand.

They and their sons Jake and Joe have been active in the Youth Religious Education program since 2005. Amy and/or Ken taught every year, even as their twin sons became seniors in high school.

Ken has been a mainstay of the Building and Grounds Committee, leading it until recently (and getting Jake and Joe to clean the roof many times.)  Ken was on the Board for years and served as Vice President, leading the Committee Council.  He was on the Room to Grow committee as SFUU moved to 2 services, the Futures committee and the Committee on Ministry.

Amy embraced the Communications Committee 2005-2013 as SFUU moved from print to email to web presence and internal network for SFUU computing.   She documented the processes, found folks to take over, and stepped down as chair in June 2013. She helped at auctions for years and has helped plan and organize the Way Out West, Love Boat, and Abnormal Formal auctions.  She is a worship associate, sings in the choir and has presented the homily.  She has been our District Assembly delegate, managed the SFUU T-shirt sale and has been on membership committee.

Congratulations to Ken and Amy Evans, true pillars of the Church.

2013: Karen Morse and Bob Niblack

This year we are giving the award to two people because it seemed impossible to honor one without honoring the other. They have been given their time and talent to serve the needs of SFUU in whatever way was needed.  We are honored to give the 2013 Pillar of the Church Award to Karen Morse and Bob Niblack.

Karen has a deep and long-standing commitment to children’s religious education. She first served on the RE committee some 20 years ago when her daughter was small and is serving once again even though she has no children at SFUU. She has been a teacher in RE many times over the last 20 years.

She takes on whatever needs to be done and brings her organizational skills and engineering mind to the task. She helped organize and run the auction for several years and she had a lot to do with getting us started on computerized record keeping for the auction.  When we had our services at Bowman school she applied herself to transforming the elementary school cafeteria into a sacred space, once going so far as to mount angels trailing star-strewn fabric from the basketball hoop. She has been and opener/closer since we moved into this building in 2001, preparing coffee and cleaning up after service.  She has clearly shown her commitment to doing what it takes to support SFUU over the long haul.

Bob has also been committed to supporting the work of this congregation since joining in 1996. He helped run the auction, including soliciting donations, selling tickets, and running the event for several years.  After he stepped down as the primary organizer of the event, he continued to mentor the new auction committee chair so the auction would be successful. He also continued to sell tickets and recruit donations for several years working behind the scenes.

He hasn’t been much for committee work over the years. He prefers to work on projects as they come up. But he did serve a term as Treasurer and he is currently the chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee and is spending his time in retirement keeping our building in good repair.

They have also been their own little caring circle over the years, visiting sick and shut-in members, seeing that widows and widowers are invited out on holidays, employing those who are temporarily unemployed and just generally tending to whatever or whoever needs attention.  Like actual pillars, they have provided steady support without demanding a lot of attention for themselves.

Congratulations to Bob and Karen and thank you for your years of service to Sierra Foothills Unitarian Universalists.

2012: Andy Cramer

We are proud to announce that Andy Cramer is the winner of the award for 2011-2012.

We all get to SFUU in different ways.  Sometimes we are following our own path and sometimes we are following those we love to find out what they are so excited about.  In 2004 our pillar came to SFUU to join his family and determine if there was a fit for him.  There was a fit and he quickly became involved.  Because he doesn’t just belong but also contributes he soon became involved with the Stewardship Committee.  He didn’t start out in leadership but was a quietly contributing member doing those things that were critical to sustain the SFUU organization.

He then became a member of the Board to lend his considerable organizational skills and abilities to our cause.  He quietly contributed, able to help with conversations, framing issues for the congregation and assisting with the many processes the Board manages.  He has always been available to help when he was asked.

While on the Board he was asked to be the Board representative to the Search Committee that was charged with identifying candidates to be our next consulting minister(s).  He had a powerful vision of SFUU moving into the future with full-time called ministry and he was a leader in the drive to make that possible. The process of selecting consulting ministers requires much planning and attention to detail- updating the SFUU information for publication, having conversations with the PCD, and interviewing candidates.  He jumped in and provided leadership and support for this work.  He participated in an intense and timely process so that the best candidates were selected as our consulting co-ministers.

He was elected to the position of Board president and guided us through the challenging process of working toward calling our current co-ministers.  He helped us identify a process of self-assessment and to learn from all we are doing to prepare for called ministry.  He has been confident that we can reach deep and bring resources together to make this happen.  We have really experienced his leadership qualities as he has led us through a process of Board development and organizational change with a clear vision of where we are going and a calm confidence that has supported and energized the congregation.  He is always willing to do what needs to be done.  His dedication to SFUU has led him to put in many hours to support the congregation and the ministers over the last several years.

He has agreed to serve as president for another year to provide continuity of leadership as we move toward full time called ministry.  He is doing this because it is best for SFUU and we wholeheartedly support this decision.  We want to express our gratitude for his vision and his commitment of time, talent, and energy to help SFUU move forward.

It is with great joy and appreciation that we name Andy Cramer as the Pillar of the Church for 2012

2011: Ann Dennison

Ann Dennison  has a long and stellar history with SFUU.  A member since 1992, she has a long history of involvement in RE with much of her efforts coming after her children were no longer involved in RE.  She has used her outgoing nature and party planning skills to help us put on some great social events events.  These include co-chairing the Crème De La Crème talent show and fundraiser, hosting south area pot lucks in the early 2000’s and hosting her annual summer auction pool party.  She also took on the huge task of coordinating volunteers for our annual auction fundraiser. Her organization and attention detail made it a pleasure for me to work with her on the auction for the last 5 year.

She is also a willing hand whenever work needs to be done. In SFUUs final year at Bowman School she and her son took over much of the huge job of set up and take down that was needed to convert the gym to a worship site.  This effort involved 4 hours at the church each Sunday.

She continued doing whatever work needed to be done when we moved into our new building.  She took the job of getting the utilities set up and the locks changed. Since moving into our present building she has been the primary purchaser of church supplies, and has taken regular monthly turns doing our set up and clean up for Sunday services. These are behind the scenes tasks that don’t get a lot of attention but need to be done.

She has also served in church leadership positions when called upon.She has served on the Board of Trustees twice, most recently as the Secretary in 2009/10.  She was as fine a Secretary as we have had.  She always volunteered for the extra duties needed to make a really effective board.

When leaving the Board she decided to take over the co-chair of the Membership Committee with Marsha VonDessonneck.  They have been very busy and effective, especially with the many new members and prospective members.  With that introduction I am proud and happy to make this award to my good friend Ann Dennison.

Congratulations to Ann, a true Pillar of the Church!

2010: Dan Dahl

2009: Joan Lacktis

Joan Lacktis first joined SFUU in October 1997 along with her partner Anne Seeley. Joan and Anne together dove in and were supporters and creators of many church programs in the areas of Worship, R.E., a Women’s Group, and various administrative tasks. When SFUU acquired its own church building in 2001, Joan was the Team Captain for all the sub-teams that were working on remodeling and improving infrastructure. She coordinated it all, painted many walls, and maintained wry, good humor.
Joan has been willing to serve on the Board of Trustees for many years. When she was VP and Carol Arvay was President, Joan reactivated the Committee Council and developed a functioning model that’s really helped church communication and planning. In 2003 she was elected President but needed to resign in early 2004 when Anne became terminally ill. At that time Joan said, “I didn’t finish my term; you can depend on me to be President for a full year someday... if anyone wants me to do it.” This year (2008/2009) Joan has fulfilled this pledge by serving again as President of the Board.
She has headed up the annual service auction for the last 5 years substantially increasing revenue generated. This year she continues to be auction chairperson. One might wonder how she also has time to coordinate SFUU’s book group —- but she does!
SFUU’s acquisition of a grand piano was accomplished by Joan who said she would personally match the funds needed up to $5,000. We all now benefit from the piano which cost $10,000 — Joan’s generosity inspired the rest of us to contribute.
Joan is consistently one of our most dedicated leaders. She believes strongly in the UU faith and mission... and is a terrific supporter of SFUU in particular.

Thank you, Joan; you are a true Pillar of the Church.

2008: Maureen Bauman

Maureen Bauman and her partner Lisa Boch came to our congregation in 1999 after they moved to Placer County seeking open space for themselves and their animals. They came to SFUU seeking open space for their minds and spirits.

Maureen  embraced SFUU with her whole heart and soul and she quickly began to participate enthusiastically in the life of our congregation.  She served on the Worship Committee and later became its chairperson. Her steady leadership helped provide consistency and quality to our worship services  no matter who is the minister and through fat years and lean years. Under her leadership, the Worship Committee has developed a framework for services that provides consistency from Sunday to Sunday and helps create an environment conducive to reflection and spiritual connecction.  Her people skills certainly come in handy , as she juggles the competing needs and priorities of the speaker, the music director, the newsletter editor and all of the other elements that are needed to produce a successful service.  Through richer and poorer the Worship Committee comes through with excellent worship experiences and Maureen adapts to conditions she is given with protest or complaint.

Maureen also showed her exemplary leadership during her tenure on the Board of Trustees. She was appointed to the position of Vice-President in 2003 and expected to serve a quiet and uncomplicated term of office. However, only a few months into her term, when my partner became ill and I had to step down as President, Maureen stepped up.  She took over as President and again adapted to her new responsibilities without protest or complaint.  She saw us through the challenges associated with calling our first minister. She went on to serve a second term as President, once again answering the call when she was asked to provide leadership.

She has truly been a pillar of our church, always providing support where it has been needed.   Without the contributions of members such as Maureen, our SFUU congregation could not stand.

It is a joy to award the honor of being named Pillar of the Church for 2008 to my good friend, Maureen Bauman.

2007: Laura Koerner

Laura Koerner first brought her family to the SFUU congregation in late 2000 To find a like-minded community to help raise her children, as well as expand her own intellectual growth. Laura joined in The spring of 2001 full of enthusiasm. She was attracted to the Social Action Committee as soon as she heard of it, and her creative leadership skills must have become obvious, because she was elected chair of the committee before the year was up.
She was one of many who helped continue the strong Social Action commitment. Laura (with the enlisted support of her children) helped get the word out and collect donations for the Auburn lnterfaiTth Food Closet. She has outfitted many an SFUUer in those really cool SFUU t-Shirts. Laura wanted to get our name out further into the community as well as raise money, so she made sure we participated in the Human Race fundraiser/community event in Roseville every year since 2003.
Laura has shown us she’s not content with just enjoying the Sunday sermons as a by-stander. She has believed it to be in our best interest to expand our thoughts and discussions beyond the pulpit with numerous after service forums. Some of her favorite topics that she was pivotal in bringing to our attention were the Death Penalty Moratorium, the reality behind the Three Strikes law, as well as Henry Kroll’s eye opening perspecfive on The Media Monopoly we all face.
Laura's combination of leadership and creativity weren’t truly seen until she pursued the job as our Director of Religious Education from January 2004 until present. Our RE program has experienced wondrous growth in terms of attendance and the number of age specific classes that are now offered. Although this is a paid, staff position, Laura has embraced it with a passion that clearly comes from the love for our SFUU community. We’ve all enjoyed those RE services with songs, plays and gifts from our children.

Thank you, Laura, for helping us grow into The community we are today and for what we will become tomorrow.

2006: Ceci Dalton

2005: Carol Arvay

2004: Anne Seeley

The Pillar of the Church award was established to honor those who have made a special contribution not just in the year in which the award is given but over time. Recipients are those persons who have helped to hold our congregation up (symbolized by that traditional church pillar) so that we could flourish. And clearly we have flourished.
The congregation was faced with both a great joy and sadness in presenting this award. It is one of those bitter - sweet opportunities.This year, the award was presented at the Congregational meeting instead of the auction (when it has been presented in years past) because timing was of the essence.
Anne Seeley was a member of this congregation for approximately 7 short years. In that time she had a vision in helping the congregation to continue to move towards those goals that we share. When she got to this congregationit was a small and intimate group. There was no church in the summer. It was kind of casual. Anne helped to transition this congregation to the church that we have today. She was instrumental in the development of our committee structure and challenged us to pull those committees together in the committee council. She established the first Annual Report for this congregation in her term as vice president.
Anne was one of the folks that held on to the vision that we needed our own building. And it was under her watch as president that we were able sign the papers to move into our marvelous sacred space. She was very involved with the actual move and all that process entails. And, she created our banner as part of her gift to this congregation.
Anne was always willing to not only identify areas of need but to step forward and to offer her efforts. The evolution of the newsletter is a good example of not only suggesting a new way of doing things but a willingness to contribute to that new way. Talk is easy — we are a congregation of opinions. This woman was always willing to follow that talk with action.
Anne was probably involved in every one of our committees. The Worship committee benefitted not only in her assistance in helping to formalize the information we send our to potential guest ministers but also in the ability to conduct a beautiful service and sermon.
Anne worked to bring our UU principles to the CA state legislature. She worked hard to create a new kind of lobby group to address the issues we care about. Clearly a group this state desperately needs.
Anne was never one to walk away from conflict. We are a congregation of diverse opinions that we feel free to voice. She modeled that the only option we have, to deepen our relationships within this congregation, is to stay engaged and work through our differences.
Anne continued to be a model for all of us until her untimely death on March 28, 2004. In the period of her last days she continued to touch many of us with her strength, peace and loving nature. Who better to honor than one who can walk the talk of our principles and values.

2003: Tom Ferrel

Tom Ferrel came to SFUU in 1996, and children's RE was a motivating factor in his joining our community. Among the activities and sen/ice to SFUU are the following:

• Involvement with VASSCO, a former district teen program, and work with SFUU teens.

• Service on the site-search committee where he offered leadership and a great deal of crawling in tight spaces to inspect structure. His level headed judgment was equally important as we assessed which buildings would work for us and what kind of value to assign to them. Also of importance, he helped to keep the search going during that time when everyone else had sorta lost heart about whether we would ever be able to find a building.

• Being one of the regular set-up and tear-down volunteers for Sundays at the Bowman school gymnasium also inspired his work on site-search. He also got the teens involved in helping each Sunday and to build a portable bulletin board as part of Galen Ferrel’s Eagle Scout project. lt is of excellent quality, and the four sections are now mounted on walls in the RE classrooms.

• His outdoor adventures are prize items in our annual auction; designed for the truly fit!

• He was soon tapped as talent for the board, first a trustee-at-large, then Vice President and the President in ‘99-2000.

• lt was his recommendation that the Committee Council become part of our bylaws, to institutionalize the collective leadership of program and committee chairs and to have them make key decisions pertinent to their knowledge and jurisdiction. And future boards have thanked him for that action.

• He initiated the Pillar of the Church award to boost recognition of members’ significant and long-lasting contributions to this congregation. And now Tom’s turn for recognition has arrived.

• When SFUU decided to make 190 Finley St. our home, Tom was right there to lead the sledge crew in our remodeling process. In fact he chaired the building remodel efforts for our transition team and put his construction talents to good use. Our demands on his time and talent nearly burned him out, his flame flickered and we gave him space to get more oxygen. We still count on him to program our thermostats.

• He has been a regular participant in Pacific Central District workshops, continuing his depth of UU knowledge.

• He hosted the several~session World Religions class at his home, and his garage was the SFUU storage site during our rental phase.

• He is a good man! A family man - with wife Veronica, and sons Albie and Galen. He dreams of living in beautiful Siskyou county.

• He has coordinated our Membership Committee this year and will continue.

Thank You,Tom Ferrel, for being a part of SFUU.

October 2001: Al Thym

This year it gave the congregation great pleasure to honor a worthy long-term member with the Pillar of the Church Award. Al Thym was one of the founders of an Auburn UU fellowship in the 60's which had a hiatus before the current SFUU was founded in 1982.
Al was a part of the land partnership that helped to create the funding for this building we now own. And he was an active member of the long-lived site search committee. When we came to purchase this building Al applied his engineering skills and know-how to advise in the purchase process and to give extraordinary help in the remodel process. Al is a quiet and loving man who offers his ta ents in unassuming but reliable ways.
The award this year was to acknowledge the many ways to be a pillar - that being on the scene with consistent supportive work is as valuable as leadership roles. Al was a board member in his UU career and worked on many committees. And you are likely to see him in the congregation most Sundays.
In a pinch you can call on Al and get assistance! Eor exampIe, on Dedication Sunday when a water pipe burst and disconnected an air-conditioning duct, Al stayed, located the problem, and shut off the water until repairs could be made.

We salute you, Al Thym.

November 2000: Linda Olsen

May 2000: Don Bowen

February 2000: Jacki Carr

The second recipient of this newly established award was Jackie Carr for her exceptional dedication to tasks at the core of SFUU’s identity. For many years Jackie has been newsletter editor, not only reporting on church activities, but using her creative talents and leadership as editor as a way to make events happen (such as potlucks), and to inspire others into greater participation in congregational and denominational activities. Jackie has faithfully maintained the bulletin board and membership list to keep newcomers and members alike informed about one another. Throughout the year Jackie creatively generates funds for SFUU and our partner church in Romania by driving people to the airport and putting on the annual rummage sale.

October 1999: Don Kelly

This newly-established award honors those who have made major contributions to SFUU through a history of inspired and inspiring leadership and enthusiastic support.  The first recipient was Don Kelly, a charter member of SFUU and our second President of the Board. He served in many positions, including worship committee chair and futures committee chair. Don was the motivation behind a men's group, book group and SFUU Land Partnership. Don had the idea to purchase property through a partnership agreement. As a result of his leadership in recruiting investors, crafting legal and real estate agreements, SFUU now has nearly $200,000.00 toward the purchase of a home of our own.