Minister Transitions: March has been another busy month to plan for our future:
- The Board convened twice this month to undertake the very important work of selecting an Interim Minister Search Committee. We were delighted that Pat Russo, Natalie Miller Moore, and Franz Gross said YES! They are on a very tight schedule to create the documents needed to find this person.
- Earlier this week, members and friends should have received a request from the Search Committee. If you haven’t responded to their short survey, please do it NOW! The questions are thought-provoking and the survey is designed to ensure that all of our diverse voices are represented. Remember: The deadline is Friday, April 7, at midnight.
Additional Board Actions/Motions at the March meetings.
- We are moving to a new model to provide a more seamless Board transition from year to year. As examples:
- Our new leadership is acting as ex-officio members of the Board and our new officers are serving in ex-officio members of the Board’s Executive Committee until they assume responsibilities in May. Previously, members were invited to attend these meetings, without participation.
- The official elections to these positions (Finance and Personnel) will take place in early May.
- We appointed Franz Gross and Angela Surber to a task force to find additional space in the McGiffert Wing for the Montessori program. Currently, they rent 107 and 109 on weekdays and we occupy these spaces for a portion of our Religious Education program on Sundays. This is a challenge because we want to continue to provide needed space for both programs. And, we hope that both programs grow! We will hear their report at the April Board meeting.
- We elected Vicki Hall to a second term as WUU Treasurer. Vicki, thank you for saying yes to fill this important position.
- The Board motions:
- At the recommendation of the Personnel Committee: Approved the edits in the Personnel Policy Manual (PPM) regarding the way Paid Time Off (PTO) is accrued and how much may be accrued.
- At the recommendation of the Medical Advisory Committee: Removed the mask mandate for WUU events.
- At the recommendation of the Worship Associates: Reinstated the Zoom Chat option during worship services.
Article II Café Conversation on Sunday. If you haven’t heard about Article II, then you aren’t alone. Bylaws, Principles
and Purposes may not be the highest on your list of favorite topics, however, they provide the foundation for all of the work of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and its member congregations and covenanted communities.¹
UUA’s current Principles and Purposes were last revised in 1987. However, the world of 1987 is not the world of 2023! The UUA decided that this is time for us to do a review and make changes so that we are living into the Unitarian Universalism of the future, a Unitarian Universalism that holds us in times of great need and ethical, moral and spiritual crises.
So the UUA Board committed to establishing this Article II Study Commission to complete this study and offer a revised Article II. It includes an interesting new way to tell the world who we are, placing Love at the center and surrounded by six values. However, change can be challenging.
Please join us to discuss these proposed changes. Our five delegates, yet to be named by the Board, will be voting on amendments, acceptance, rejection of the Article II recommendations at the General Assembly in Pittsburg. This café conversation will start at 11:15 in the sanctuary.
Delegates for General Assembly (GA). If you are interested in serving as one of WUU’s five GA delegates this year where Article 2 is on the table:
- Begin your quest by reviewing GA Information at the UUA website, and
- Let me know of your interest. The GA delegate slate will be voted on by the Board at the April meeting.
Keeping up with this work. Contact the WUU Office to receive the Board update email. We send out the update to enable those with an interest in the board’s work on a more timely basis.
Les Solomon, WUU Board President
¹Note, both the UUA and WUU have bylaws. These changes are for the UUA, not WUU.