The Beacon Is Evolving: Introducing The Beacon Blog
After years of delivering news, stories, and updates to our community, The Beacon is evolving. The May issue will be our last in its current format — there will be no June or July editions — but this is not an ending. It’s a transformation. We know it may feel like the close of a chapter, and in many ways, it is. The Beacon has been a beloved constant, and we honor everything it has represented. Rest assured, the archives will remain available, so no memory is lost.
Starting in August, we are thrilled to introduce The Beacon Blog — a dynamic, digital home for our community’s stories. This new format frees us from the constraints of monthly deadlines and word limits, allowing contributors to share news and updates the moment they happen. Information will reach you faster, more directly, and more often. If you’ve ever had something to share but missed a deadline or felt squeezed by a word count, those barriers are gone. You can still submit your articles and announcements to beacon@uucb.org — the process is the same, just without the calendar pressure. The blog will be found right where you’ve always gone: uucb.org/the-week-ahead-at-uucb/beacon-on-the-hill-newsletter (look for an updated link as we transition to The Beacon Blog). The spirit of The Beacon lives on — just with a little more room to breathe.
World Peace Committee
The UUCB World Peace Committee is urging our community to Make Our Voices Heard and Refuse To Be Silent, in opposing the Trump Administration’s use of the U.S. Military to commit extrajudicial killing on the open seas, raiding and kidnapping in Venezuela, and now waging an undeclared war of choice against Iran.
At our display table in the Social Hall each Sunday, we offer a petition to sign and stamped postcards to send to our U.S. Senators and the Representatives to express our opposition to the war and to urge support of the ongoing efforts to curb President Trump’s unconstitutional war-making. We provide current information, including articles on the rekindling of the nuclear arms race, which sadly has been pushed off the front page of public awareness but is still rushing forward without significant opposition.
Red Hats
RESIST WITH RED
My Brownie friend Cindy knitted me a mini red hat for my birthday in February.
I was curious about this mini red hat and started to read about the history of it. During WWII Nazi occupation of Norway, Norwegians began wearing red knit caps as a sign of resistance. Thursday, February 26th, 1942, such wearage was outlawed as a form of protest. Norwegians then wore paper clips on their jackets in a subtler manner of resisting (paper clips keep papers together, so therefore symbolize unity). Due to what happened in Minneapolis earlier this year, the Needle & Skein Yarn Shop resurrected the hat pattern –the Melt the ICE Hat– encouraging people to wear hats in support of values the Norwegian Resistance Fighters stood for: Democracy, Menneskeverd*, and Unity. (You can read more about it on redhatfactory.com/creed)
The legacy of the red hat In Norwegian folklore comes from the gnomes that reside in any respectable Norwegian barn, wearing a red hat!
The Textile/Arts Group, the Peace Committee, the Social Justice Council and our Immigrant Solidarity at UUCB are collaborating on this RESIST with RED FUNDRAISER! We have mini red hats you can wear on your lapel in solidarity. People have knitted them, felted them and crocheted them! We are wearing mini red hats in solidarity, resisting this current regime.
Funds that are raised go to Cuba-Gaza-our local Immigrant community. We will continue this fundraiser through May 1.
*Menneskeverd: Norwegian word for “the value of the human being, merely for being human.”
