Warm Feet for the Street
Providing a brighter Christmas for those who need it, through Chalmers’ Benevolent Program.
Hard to believe we are already experiencing winter and cold weather! UGH!
But here we are and with it comes thinking of others, especially those who are on the
street. They will need some additional warmth. As in past years, volunteers assembled Warm Winter Wear Packs for those folks who come to the
Chalmers’ Benevolent Community Outreach Program on Tuesday mornings. Socks will be distributed during
the cold days until the stock is depleted. The Packs are stuffed with a pair of thermal gloves and socks, a toque,
practical toiletry items, treats, hot pockets and a gift card to Tim Hortons. We invite you to make a financial
contribution to this community project online or in church.
NEWS FROM THE CHALMERS COMMISSION – AUGUST 5, 2022
Having received and reviewed my 2021/2022 Commission Report (a copy of which is available upon request to ), the Assembly of Elders for the East
Central Ontario Region of The United Church of Canada has extended the term of my office until July 31, 2023. This extension is intended to provide the Chalmers community
with both needed operational oversight and time to continue development of its capacity, shared sense of mission, and governance structure.
The furthering of the Commission’s mandate recognizes the noteworthy progress made by the congregation over the last 18 months in righting relationships, notwithstanding
there being no resident ministry personnel to assist in the process, and the adverse impacts of the pandemic. It further affirms and celebrates the congregation’s efforts at
having continuous, uninterrupted worship, and its embrace of Restorative Practice as a way to re-establish the opportunity for independent decision making, per our
denominational polity.
With this in mind, and within the next 12 months, I anticipate that the people of Chalmers will:
continue their commitment to, and use of, Restorative Practice
generally attend to such matters that will further determine and define the faith community’s identity and missional emphasis
design and endorse a new governance model (the way of allocating resources and making decisions) that supports implementation of its identity and missional
emphasis
subsequently propose an initial slate of candidates for a governance body (all to be concurred with by this Commission).
Consideration of my recommendations respecting interim future staffing arrangements have been deferred by the Elders pending further discussion with me. This said, the Reference Team joins me in the sincere hope that you are experiencing the reawakening of Chalmers, and the progress made to date in becoming a more restorative community of faith.
To move forward with congregational conversation about future needs and possibilities, the Reference Team and I are scheduling three facilitated in-person gatherings on the
following dates and times:
• August 31st @ 1:00 p.m.
• September 7th @ 7:00 p.m.
• September 14th @ 7:00 p.m.
Each of these meetings will provide a similar opportunity for contributing to next steps; that is to say, each will ask the same questions and have the same format. Please
attend the session most convenient to you! And lastly, I wish to advise that one of the factors that will inform my subsequent report and recommendations to the Region as to Chalmers’ vitality and viability regards the degree of congregational participation in gatherings, especially those designed to consider/plan for Chalmer’s future. I encourage you to attend, to add your voice, and to demonstrate your interest in/commitment to this faith community life. Who, how, and what Chalmers United Church is, or is not, very much depends on the nature and number of those who are engaged in its work, worship, and witness.
Walking alongside you at this opportunity-filled time, I remain,
G. David King, B.A., M. Div., O.M. (U.C.C.), C.G.R.S.
Commissioner
Action Plan Moving Forward
Summer is drawing to a close and it is time for more Chalmers action! We hope you paid special attention to the message from our Administrator David King on his report to the Region. He reported our progress and the Region responded quite positively. Our next task on the list is to go about developing a new model for making decisions and plans at Chalmers that reflects our needs for new ways of doing and being. Please plan to attend one of the three upcoming sessions at MacCallum Hall. Everyone is invited and needed. Please read these background details to prepare for these sessions.
• August 31 at 1:00 PM
• September 7 at 7:00 PM
• September 14 at 7:00 PM
An Archival Photo Exhibit From China : Canadians in China : Old Photographs from Sichuan 1892- 1952 will be in Kingston.
Date:
August 9 – August 12, 2022.
Tues. and Fri.10 am to 4 pm
Wed. and Thurs. 10 am to 8 pm
Opening ceremony is at 1 pm on Tuesday, August 9.
Place: Queens University, Douglas Library. 93 University Ave.,Kingston
This exhibit is a fascinating pictorial record of the courageous Canadians who, contributing to the medical and educational modernization of China left a lasting footprint and a long legacy of friendship. The exhibit is a gift from a group of Chinese historians and artists. The photos were collected from the descendants of the missionaries who helped create West China University in Chengdu. This modern university included the first Faculty of Dentistry in China, a Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacology, numerous teaching hospitals and liberal arts and science faculties.
The exhibit has been featured at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing. and shown at the U of T, and in Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver.
Two Queens graduates, Dr. Omar Kilborn and Dr. G. Hartwell were instrumental in establishing the hospitals at the turn of the last century.
David Spooner’s parents, Roy and Kathleen Spooner were in Chengdu from 1931 to 1945 where Roy was Head of the Chemistry Department at the University. On return to Canada they resided in Kingston.
David Spooner member of Canadian School Alumni Assoc.
This week we had the pleasure of meeting Emmeline Banister Patton, the daughter of Rev. W. Franklin Bannister (8th Minister at Chalmers from 1950 to 1965) and her husband Bob Patton. They have kindly donated several bibles belonging to Rev. Banister, as well as CKWS records of sermons he gave in 1955 and some books. Emmeline has granted permission for Chalmers to use the records as we may wish. The items are in Church house if anyone wishes to view them.
One behalf of Chalmers, we thank Emmeline and Bob for their generous donations and wish them all the very best in their move to B.C.
We welcomed Dylan Lodge to the tech team this year and he has been an invaluable member of the team. He has a new opportunity and now will be moving on to bigger things. We congratulate him and wish him well in his career while at the same time we will miss him. Please take the time to thank him personally during his last Sundays with us in July and August.
Meanwhile, if you or someone you know, or know of someone who might know another someone… that would be interested in joining the team, please contact Nick Steinberg at .
Something big is coming on November 19 that you won’t want to miss. It’s the
United Marketplace Tour
But first a little background….
For the past 6 months, Chalmers has been involved in a collaboration with some of the other United Churches in town. The purpose was to explore ways that the churches can share resources so that each congregation gets more access to a greater variety of programs. They have also been exploring ways to share special events that are happening with other churches (special speakers, fundraisers, and special events.) Their latest venture is the United Marketplace Tour. This event, hosted by Edith Rankin, Crossroads and Chalmers with special guests, Princess St and Faith United, is a “trail” of 3 bazaars all occurring at the same time (similar to an Arts Trail).
So what is it?
On November 19 from 10-2 the three host churches will be holding their bazaars and people will be encouraged to check out more than one during the day. Each church does their own planning along with the special guests (Princess St is joining Crossroads and Faith is joining Chalmers), but there is also group planning and advertising so that there will be some degree of cohesion between the events. All of the churches will have some similar tables, but they will also have some unique features. For example, Edith Rankin invites artisans to show their wares, and Chalmers will be featuring our gourmet gifts to go (cookie trays newly imagined and Mason jar mixes) Please mark the date on your calendar – you won’t want to miss it!
So what is Chalmers doing? How can I join the fun?
Now that you know the basics, here is what Chalmers has planned and what donations we are looking for.
1. Gourmet Gifts to Go – featuring Cookie trays and Mason jar mixes
A change this year! The cookies will be prepared earlier – for the bazaar – and ready to be frozen. We will have the same wonderful variety in a freezable container. We still need the wonderful baking from all of the Chalmers folks.
Joan –
Mason Jar Mixes – Ingredients for soups, cookies and more, attractively arranged in Mason jars. A gathering of workers will be assembling the jars in early November. If you have jars or circles of fabric to donate please contact Linda at
2.Craft Table
“Crafty Ladies /Gentlemen of Chalmers”
We need products of your sewing, knitting, crotcheting, woodworking or other skills to stock our “Craft Table” at the new Bazaar venture in November.
If we each produce 1 or 2 small articles we will have a great assortment of goods!
Are we “up” for the challenge? Let’s show everyone we are!
To verify your participation email Jean , Joan at or Jan at
Hope to hear from you soon!
3. Book Table
Please save any relatively new or in good condition novels, mysteries, children’s, etc. books to contribute to our bazaar. No magazines please.
Jane –
4. The Nearly New Table.
This table welcomes jewellery, trinkets, figurines, ornaments etc. Small treasures appropriate for regifting or another person’s pleasure. Rosalie –
Contact one of the above people to donate and help make this exciting new venture a huge success!
Helena Neveu, a proud Ojibway woman from the Batchewana First Nation in Northern Ontario, and a member of the crane clan, and the Knowledge Keeper in Residence for St. Lawrence College presented Chalmers with the gift pictured here.
The Joint Truth and Reconciliation Action Group (JTRAG) hosted an online reading group in the spring of 2022, focused on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Helena was a participant in the group and like all of us, was moved by the content of the texts we were reading and the stories we were hearing.
One of the projects we learned about was a commemorative art installation called Walking with our Sisters that came about through the inspiration of artist, Christi Belcourt. For over a year, Christi collected over 2,000 pairs of vamps (the beaded top part of moccasins) made by Indigenous women all over Canada. They were to represent the unfinished lives of the hundreds of women and girls who had gone missing and had been murdered. Christi assembled them so that families, relations and allies could “walk with our sisters”.
In gratitude to the congregations hosting the reading group, Helena arranged for hand-made frames to be made, and created pictures representing three of the vamps from the Walking with Our Sisters project. She gifted these pictures to Chalmers, Faith and Sydenham Street United Churches at the joint service on the Indigenous Day of Prayer, June 19, 2022.
The proposed reading group will be delayed until September to revisit the amount of interest at that time. Please call Ruth at 613-328-7720 if you have questions.
