by Katrina Landon, WUU Board President
It is hard to believe that almost a year has gone by since I stepped into the role of President of the WUU Board, and that I will be stepping down from this role in a few short weeks. I would be lying if I didn’t admit these have been “the best of times, and the worst of times,” but through it all I have learned a lot about our congregation and about myself. Here is what I have learned:
We, as humans and UUs, are a work in progress.
As President, I have spent hours listening to others who are either dismayed because they believe we are too lax, or too fear based, regarding our Covid response. As everyone knows, one thing you can count on with a group of UUs is that there will be a variety of strong opinions about everything they do. At our March meeting the Board voted to create a new set of “Living with a Pandemic Guidelines” which take the place of all previous Covid policies. Our Medical Advisory team will be closely monitoring any significant changes in community transmission rates, and recommendations of the CDC. Please be aware that if they advise we reinstitute Covid restrictions we will do so.
Living by our principles is easier said than done.
Whether it be discussing how best to show our support of ministries’ initiatives to Covid guidelines we have a difficult time sharing a common understanding of our core principles. If we believe in the inherent dignity and worth of every person then why do we continue to struggle extending that philosophy to each other? I’ve heard far too much of “us” vs. “them” within our own community and it leads me to ask whatever happened to “we?” Can “we” not continue to honor the dignity and worth of our own even in disagreement? Acceptance of one another and the spiritual path we choose is another cornerstone of our beliefs, but to what extent are we willing to extend that acceptance beyond our own beliefs? Can we not allow ourselves the opportunity to learn from all the major faith traditions as well as those of a humanist nature? Can we not stop and consider that there are many ways to show our commitment to our ideals without judging members of our own community? In May, the leaders of the WUU will be coming together in a half-day workshop so that we can discuss what we learned from our recent Visioning Circles. It is my hope that when we discuss the themes that emerged that all ministries will take ownership for addressing the needs of our congregation.
None of us can work alone.
Now that the doors of the WUU are fully opened how can you help the congregation to flourish once again? Can you volunteer to greet on Sunday mornings? Help our A/V team? Write a card to a sick member? Offer to organize a social event such as a potluck, or family game night? Support a social justice initiative? Plan a fundraiser? Quite a few people who are well established leaders are tired. They have continued to work steadfastly throughout the pandemic. How can you step up and allow those who have tirelessly kept this community functioning take a leadership break? Please stay tuned as we will be having a Volunteer Fair later in the spring in which you can sign up to get involved. None of us can do this work alone, but together “we” can achieve our goals and learn how to grow into congregational and civic leaders.
You + I = Together, Hope
March’s Soul Matters theme was “Renewing Faith.” The first spiritual exercise asked us to share our faith in six words. As I thought about it I realized that faith, for me, is the belief that if you and I work together, there is still hope that we can make this world a better place. If we as a congregation can remember that none of us are perfect, that all of us are works in progress, that we all make mistakes and need to be forgiven, and that “we” must work together in our own unique ways to make this congregation, and world, a better place: then there is hope that we will only grow stronger as a result of having lived through a very difficult period in the life of our community. We must reach out to each other, stop the “us” vs. “them” mentality and get back to “You + I = Together, Hope.”
In closing, I want to thank the Congregation for the many words of encouragement and confidence I have received while President. I want to apologize to those who have had to listen to me agonize over difficult decisions, or my own self doubt in my ability to lead us through reopening during a pandemic. In particular, I would like to thank Jess O’Brien for volunteering to stay on as Vice President. Her guidance and mentorship allowed me the opportunity to grow as a leader, and our discussions always encouraged me to think through problems with a different perspective. Thank you as well to those of you who stepped up to join the Board during challenging times, and thanks to those who are leaving us. I step down as President knowing that Les will have a fully functioning Board ready to meet the challenges before us. Take care everyone, and please take care of each other.
Katrina will remain on the Board in the role of Vice President for the 2022-2023 congregational year.