“Life’s most important and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” ~ Martin Luther King
It’s hard to believe that this month starts another new fiscal year for the UUFP. And with that comes some changes to the Board of Directors. I’d like to welcome the new members of the Board: Mary Ryan, our new Secretary and Allan Pallay, a new Member at Large. Having new members join the Board is always a good thing, because they bring new ideas and offer diversity of opinions that only help to make the Board more effective in meeting the needs of the Fellowship. I’d also like to recognize that Kris Barnthouse will now be our Treasurer. Miranda Van Horn will assume the role of Member at Large and Rick Duske will continue in his role as Vice-President. I look forward to working with this Board of Directors as we face a new year with new opportunities for the fellowship.
I would also like to recognize someone who has chosen to step down from the Board, Linda Pallay. Linda has been on the Board in some capacity for over fifteen consecutive years. Her roles have included that of President, Secretary and Treasurer. I believe that Linda embodies the MLK quote above because she has certainly done so much for the UUFP over the years. Linda’s calm leadership, thoughtful demeanor and ability to think strategically made her a valuable member of the Board. Her presence on the Board will be greatly missed; however, I think that you all will agree that she has earned a well-deserved break. Linda, thank you for all that you have done to support the UUFP over the years.
The first few months of the new year will have the Board focusing on bringing our fellowship together in-person: First, with outside services during the summer and then with indoor services starting in September. I am also hoping that sometime in the fall, the Board will be able to hold a retreat where we will evaluate how we handled the COVID 19 situation, what we have learned about the fellowship and how it functioned during this time and what will be our focus moving forward. In order to do this effectively, the Board needs to hear how members and friends feel about these issues. Therefore, once we are back together, members of the Board will be reaching out to you for your perspective. I also want to let you know that the board would like to hold another Congregational Meeting sometime in the first half of this fiscal year to vote on issues that we did not address during the last two Congregational meetings. Stay tuned for further information.
I will end this month’s message with a request. The UUFP Community is sustained by the various committees and Board Members which are comprised of friends and members who volunteer their time and talent. The challenge we face, however, is that some of our committees have only one or two people (yes, Jon Price IS the Building and Grounds Committee). If you would like to become more active in supporting the UUFP community by donating your time, please reach out to a Committee Chair or a Board Member to discuss how you can help. Any additional effort is greatly appreciated by all.
In gratitude, Linda K.