Events—Fundraising
Text Box: For maybe a dozen years in the 70’s and 80’s, Clarence Ehrlich was “Mr. Canvass.” He reasoned that since the canvass was essential to our existence, we might as well make it enjoyable. He adopted as his motto "Canvass Can Be Fun!" which he did his best to make true. He had the overflowing personality to make anything he did fun for everyone. Clarence genuinely liked people and you knew it. He could light up a room. On Sunday morning he was a one-man welcoming committee. No stranger who came through our doors left a stranger; they had at least one new friend. He was our president in 1972 and served as Treasurer for 12 years. And he made the building his personal concern and was the person you called when something went wrong. He had an inquiring mind, which led him to some interesting, often off-the-wall, ideas he loved to share. He was a champion of the underdog and friend of the downtrodden. Over the years we have tried many different variations on the Annual Every Member Canvass. We’ve tried congregational potluck dinners or catered meals ranging from baked chicken to Chinese to small gatherings at members homes. In keeping with Clarence’s idea that “Canvass Can Be Fun,” entertainment at the congregational gatherings was as varied as the food. In 1993, the Canvass dinner was the final event in our first ever UU Revival. The UU Follies featured skits and musical parodies from everyone including the interim minister (John Baros-Johnson) to the youth. Several of the song selections included: I’m a Modern UU Minister, sung to the tune of “Modern Major General” from Gilbert & Sullivan; If We Were a Rich Church sung to the tune of “If I Were a Rich Man”; and “We’ll Build a Church.”