Detailed History of the UUCDC

Membership ranged between 230 and 300.

1977 marked not only our 25th year but also, the beginning of a five year period that was truly transitional. However, in many areas during this period, change came slowly or not at all. In fact, some issues and conditions were to take another 20-25 years to be resolved. Some of the same old “challenges” still exist. While we may be religious and, by-in-large political liberals, much of our history shows a strong conservative reluctance to change.

This transitional period saw: 3 ministers; a new Administrative structure; the start of the Rose Tree Day School; and the hatching and emergence of the “Church of the Arts” and a change in our name.

Dave Kibby, our minister for 18 years, announced his plans to retire in the fall of 1978 and, as he began a sabbatical, charged the congregation to keep “going and growing” with one of the last of his highly creative programs: the “Talents Program”. Upon Dave’s retirement, Van Vanstrom arrived on the scene as our Interim Minister. Van was a positive and proactive force. He was concerned about apathy, championed the idea that all church members should be asked to serve on a committee “of their choice,” and among other efforts, was the force behind a Committee on Committees to staff our volunteer needs.

On September 9, 1979 Morris Hudgins was voted in as USDC’s third minister. On the very next day the Rose Tree Day School opened its doors. Church members Sue McKenney and Marge Olgilvie had brought a proposal for a USDC pre school to the Board in March. In May, the Congregation approved the school, which was to include special needs children and offer opportunities for church membership involvement. Within less than a year USDC’s day school was in the black, had repaid a $1,000 seed money loan and was actively contributing to the church budget.

Also during this period, what has become known as, “The Church of the Arts”, was born. With the Echelmyers and the Melli’s, as the driving force the chorus put on USDC’s first G&S productions. The very first one, in 1978, “Trial by Jury,” brought a grand profit of $500! Legitimate theatre, with oft times not so legitimate acting, was offered through the Melli inspired Reader’s Theatre. For the many who participated in this activity, it let us often present rye humor with an enthusiastic group of acting hams to an audience that appeared to ingest the offerings with little signs of indigestion. On a more informal basis our earlier “open mike” J- or Java Nights were revived under a new name: "Cabaret". Another milestone was the hiring of our first professional Choral Director: Karl Middleman.

In 1981, twenty years after the Unitarian-Universalist merger, USDC finally voted to add Universalist to its name, and became the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware county – UUCDC. Did I mention that over our history we have been somewhat slow to change? (Even a recommendation to put the budget on an “electronic calculator” was rejected. Twenty years later it was finally put on a computer.

This too was true of the change to an administrative structure which in essence established the Board as a policy Board and the Administrative Council (today’s Coordinating Council) as the operational arm of the church. Throughout the period there were growing pains with liaison functions; job descriptions; communication and, what was termed a “We-They mentality’. Somehow, however, this structure has survived.

Also surviving from those days are:

• Roof leaks
• Deterioration of physical plant, heavy usage and the need for more space
• The annual quest for someone to run Summer Services
• Dot Magargal, to run our major celebrations (She ran the 25th and the 50th)
• The long standing controversy concerning applause during Sunday Service.
• HOP
• How do we handle next year’s canvass?
• The Music Committee (Actually it’s been resurrected. Newly found in 1981 and chaired by Bert Melli, 20 years later it was revived.

Gone are:

• An active membership level which persisted at about 250
• A budget between $45K and $60K
• What to do with Beatty Hills?
• The Lib-Lib singles group and the concern of “…are we too singles-oriented?” (Are you listening Bob Gasparro!)
• Dave Kibby in seeing a growing need, “to take a larger role in serving members of the Gay Community. (Again it took many years, but we have)
• Involvement in the Community Action Plan Program (Bail Bond)
• CAPE (Child Abuse Prevention Effort)
• The Fun Funders, whose efforts brought fun and thousands of dollars to USDC.

Yes, there was change, transition, and inaction. There was the same caring, sense of community and dedication that exists in our Congregation today. And we are still posing and debating the same questions asked by Van Vanstrom in his initial report to the Congregation in February 1979.

Revered Kibby announces “Talents” program in January 1977 and takes sabbatical.

Revered Kibby notifies of plans to retire effective 9/78.

The questions arose about what to do with the Beatty Hills property. One suggested alternative was to sell or give the property to Marple Township for parkland. This alternative was seen as possibly being negated by the pending Blue Route, the drafter of the report stated, “But it has a nice altruistic ring to it.”

The CAPE – Child Abuse Prevention Effort was promoted by members and housed in the church giving counseling 2 nights a week. Others were working on a Haitian Refugee Project. HOP started and numerous symposiums were held including a forum on Abortion.

The 1977 Annual report indicated a growing interest in outreach & support for the gay community.

25th Anniversary celebration in 1977 and Thank You to Dotmau Magargal for handling.

The Chorus puts on first Gilbert &Sullivan production, “Trial by Jury” $500 profit

Our 2nd year of Board/Council structure was still a struggle – liaisons & job descriptions. The Board was seen as spending too much time making decisions

Revered Kibby last board meeting

In August, Van Vanstrom arrives to serve as Interim Minister and search begins for permanent minister. Van was proactive. One of the issues he pursued was his feeling that all members should be asked to serve on a committee “of their choice.” Suggests that a Committee on Committees be created.

We experiences continued deterioration of our physical plant. Heavy usage and need for space! LEAKS!!

Our finance Chair, John Cerva, focused on Fund Raising Policies and on building up a Contingency Fund.

We conducted an Energy Survey and Energy Reduction Plan in response to the 1979 Oil Crisis. There was a gasoline shortage and many of us rode bikes to church. Betty Winberg (Worrell) rode a horse to church.

On September 9th, Morris Hudgins was voted in as our third Minister.

A Preschool proposal was brought to the church board in March by Sue McKenney and Marge Olgilvie. School would include special needs children and involve church membership. Approved by Congregation in May and started on September 10, 1979.

We experienced a turnover of custodians and DRE’s during this period.

A proposal for using a, “programmable calculator” for church bookkeeping was rejected.

The Aesthetics Committee was formed.

The Religious Education program declined to 65 young people. It was noted that in 1967 had been 250???

ROOF REPAIRS WERE DONE - DUE TO LEAKS!!!

Around this time or in 1980, Fun Funders folded.

The Day school, which was funded by USDC, was in the black in less than a year; repaid $1,000 loan and began to actively contribute to church budget.

Karl Middleman became the church’s first professional Choral Director.

A need was expressed for someone to run summer services

Water in the building again!!

We experienced difficulties between the Board and Administrative Council

A new subcommittee of Religious Services was created - the Music Committee, chaired by Bert Melli.

In June, we adopted “Universalist” into our name. Formerly the Unitarian Society of Delaware County, we now became the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County.

Staffing Problems were experienced.

Board vs. Administrative Council. “We-They mentality.”

The Playground was enhanced, in part due to neighbor complaints of noise.

ROOF LEAKS AGAIN!!!

Our minister Morris Hudgins’ announcement in January that he had accepted a call to Winston Salem. We were a strong congregation with a Board that was tuned in to the membership and we were not in conflict over any issues. However, because of our many strengths and a few weaknesses, we were not eligible for an interim minister. We would have to do the work of the Congregation and the minister by ourselves.

Planning began immediately with the creation of a Caring Committee.

The Worship Committee was “beefed-up” under the leadership of Sam Shafer, which somehow managed to have a minister in the pulpit 3 out of 4 Sundays a month.

A Search Committee, chaired by Priscilla Hopkirk, was established.

In July, as a result of some serious thinking about our need for additional space, a committee headed by Bruce Olson and Harry Sternfeld selected the firm of Susan Maxman to draw up some architectural sketches for a building addition/renovation.

A committee of members of our church joined with CASA – a sanctuary alliance program for El Salvadorian refugees needing financial, practical, emotional and social support.

In February we authorized the Board to nominate a Building Committee to be ratified by the Congregation and authorized a Capital Campaign. We also studied the questions of making our property a nuclear free zone, indemnification of all Board and Committee chairs/members and anyone doing something on behalf of the church, and creating a smoke free environment.

We also had an American-Soviet Peace Walk Potluck, LIB/LIB, and a reactivated singles group

In the spring of the year, at a special Congregational meeting, we turned down the plan that the Susan Maxman’s firm had proposed for renovation and expansion of our building after a heated debate.

In the Spring, the Ministerial Search Committee announced it had selected Judith Downing as its ministerial candidate to present to the Congregation. We finished the church year on a real high, having resoundingly called Judith to our pulpit.

The 1988-89 year opened with a Board Retreat where we welcomed Judith to the fold and decided to do a Long Range Plan. This was the beginning – though we didn’t realize it at the time - of the process leading to the successful building of our addition, completed in 1999.

One of the most significant events of the year was the resignation of Judy Lorincz as Chair of Administration in protest over our lack of accessibility. This was the kick we needed to finally get serious about building a ramp and making ourselves handicap friendly.

At our last Annual Meeting, we voted to have a smoke-free environment, to build and fund a handicap ramp to the west door of Fellowship Hall, we turned down the resolution to be a nuclear free zone, and we voted to indemnify all those working on behalf of the Society.

On May 29th of that year our minister Judith was involved in a very bad automobile accident – a car hydroplaned across the median and hit her head on – killing the other driver and leaving Judith with two broken legs, a perforated abdomen, lots of bumps and bruises and the need for home care through the summer. Under the tireless direction of Barbara Florio, meals were arranged on a daily basis, as was cleaning, shopping, visits, medical trips, etc.

By September, 1989, the ramp was completed with the addition of a riser built so that Judith, who was now able to get around in a wheel chair but could not stand, could give her sermons from her chair and be seen and heard by all.

Overall, 1989 – 1990 was a quiet year. Perhaps we were all recovering from the shock of Judith’s accident and the energies we had expended during the previous two years maintaining ourselves without a minister and facing, studying, debating and resolving crucial issues.

In the 1990 – 1991 church year, one of our main concerns, as well as that of our nation, was the Gulf War. In response to its build up, we held a vigil in Fellowship Hall and a group of us joined a bus entourage to Washington as part of a denomination led protest against the war. George Bush (the first!) refused to speak to the President of the UUA or any of our other representatives. That year we also had a Ministerial Intern named Judith Wright.

Under Fred Cox major property work was accomplished. New carpeting was installed, the lounge and hallways were painted after old paper was stripped away, the roof over Fellowship Hall replaced, the parking lot and driveway were re-paved, and new windows were installed, financed in part by a loan from the Day School.

Bill Henderson was elected the first time to serve as president during the 1991-92 church year, which saw a Mission Covenant Statement, discussed, drafted, discussed, redrafted, discussed, redrafted and finally approved by the Congregation. This process began in October as part of the canvass with small potluck suppers in member’s homes, was followed by guided discussions, and concluded at a special congregational meeting in March.

The Welcoming Congregation program was run for the first time under the leadership of Judith and Lou Madonna.

The church experienced a “dramatic jump” in children and youth Religious Education Attendance.

The Acme and Pathmark grocery coupon program began with proceeds ear-marked for the capital improvement reserve.

A Growth Committee was also established to study “expanding membership and shrinking space”