The Board of Trustees met this past Wednesday evening on zoom.

The board had a vigorous discussion on the new Mission Statement put together by the Taskforce. The board thought it a beautiful and artistic statement that aptly captures what UUCville chooses to stand for. The board voted to move the Mission Statement forward to the Congregational Meeting taking place on June 4.

Several committees and individuals gave reports. The Stewardship Steering Committee (SSC) emphasized the importance of its serving as the connective tissue that binds together various facets of UUCville, and of keeping Stewardship front and center at UUCville as a year-round activity. In this regard, effective communication from the SSC to the congregation will be essential; Kay Frazier showed to the Board some drafts of desk cards and a Quarterly Newsletter that can serve as succinct and memorable ways of delivering key information. Of note, the SSC plans to host a Volunteers’ Fair in September (more to come on that this summer), to highlight the panoply of activities we involve ourselves in.

Rev. Leia lifted up the recent Coming of Age Service, and highlighted what a success it was. Breck Gastinger reviewed the nominating committee’s slate of candidates put forth, to be voted on (June 4). Steve Brecker updated the Board on recent activities of the Communications Committee.

The meeting wrapped up with a lengthy discussion of the proposed Budget for next fiscal year. Kay reviewed the process by which the proposed budget was developed, and the Board was impressed with how thorough and inclusive that process has become under Kay’s leadership. Kay showed budget breakdown data that included, for the first time, a reasonable estimate of effort put in by our staff, broken down by category (Faith Development, Church Administration, etc.). Prior to this year, the budget data was not able to include the parsing of staff salary by effort expended. The new display of data provides a much more accurate picture of the true degree by which our pledges and other revenue sources advance all Church missions.

The success of this year’s Pledge Drive (over $500K was pledged, for the first time ever in our history!) has allowed the budget to include fairer and more equitable pay of our amazing UUCville staff, and to provide increased funding for activities and ministries important to our Mission. We are committed to a balanced budget, of course, meaning that not all that we would wish to be funded can be funded. The board appreciates the thought and caring that went into the process of making difficult decisions and arriving at the best budget possible.

The budget will of course be voted on at the Congregational Meeting on June 4. This is a gentle reminder that we need quorum to be able to vote on the budget, the slate of candidates, a few needed changes to the By-Laws, and other items. All members are urged to attend, either in person or virtually.

Board minutes will be posted soon if you would like to read more detailed information.