Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County

Circle Dinners

Circle dinners are our most popular (100+ of 135 members participate) and longest-running (since 1973) social program. In a nutshell, eight people meet for a potluck dinner once a month for four months, then we form new circles.

The numbers are left over from the days when everyone was married, had 2.3 children, a golden retriever named "Rover" and lived in a house with a white picket fence: Four couples made a circle of 8; four dinners, once a month, gave each couple a chance to host. Today the circles may have singles or a same-sex couple, but the idea is the same. In August, January and April our coordinator divides everyone into circles. They meet for four potlucks, then the coordinator makes up new circles.

[Ed note: The ladies are Carol and Pam. You can tell Carol, on the left with the silver hair, is a fun-loving woman. She coordinated our circle dinners for years and wrote the FAQ below.]

The Circle Dinner list always has a list of people who are willing to substitute on short notice. Substitutes don't have to make a four-month commitment. People sign up for the substitute list if they have difficulty getting a baby sitter, if one or both is out of town frequently or if they have something else in their lives that would make four potlucks in a row difficult.

Circle Dinner FAQ

Do I have to be a member of UUFSC to participate?
No. We sometimes invite friends and neighbors to circle dinners as a way of getting to know our members. We don't use them to proselytize, though.

Do I have to be a gourmet cook?
No. Some of us are, some of us aren't. Main courses the webmaster has enjoyed, if you are looking for ideas, have ranged from broiled salmon filet with lemon dill butter through hamburgers grilled in the backyard to heirloom hot dish.

Do I have to be a wine connoisseur?
No. Some of us are, some of us aren't. A few of us don't drink for personal reasons and some of us are recovering alcoholics. We usually have wine, but if you don't know anything about it, someone else will bring it. We always have water, juice and soda.

Do I have to be a brilliant conversationalist?
No. Some of us are, some of us aren't. Someone will keep the conversation flowing.
[Ed Note: I sometimes ask "Let's go around the table - Tell us something you've done that you are proud of and few people would guess you'd done, from looking at you." The eight answers and the follow-ups are usually good for an hour or more.]

Do I have to have a spacious home, fine china, good silver and glasses that match?
No. Some of us do, some don't. We've had circle dinners on solid walnut dining tables and on TV trays. We've eaten off wedding china and off paper plates. We've eaten with six-piece silver place settings and with flatware from the Good Will Store.

Do I have to help create an atmosphere where people can learn more about each other?
Yes. We may be eating off plastic plates or drinking out of jelly glasses, but we do have our standards. That's the whole idea of circle dinners - to get to know people better.