The Road to Success is Always Under Construction. ~ Lily Tomlin
As we start the new fiscal year, let’s talk about how the UUFP will continue to construct towards success, which for us is defined as creating a viable and sustainable religious community. During the 2022 Annual Congregational Meeting, I stood before you and pointed out the greatest success we had was that we were still standing, albeit a little wobbly. I pointed out that while many religious institutions–including UU congregations across the country–had closed, our doors were still open. This was a huge success for our little fellowship; however, I pointed out that we needed to do things and invest in things that would help to create a sustainable community. And we did. And we had a very successful year, both fiscally and spiritually.
At this past Congregational Meeting, I said that I had “cautious optimism.” We are moving for- ward and we need to keep that momentum up. The Board of Directors cannot do it alone. We need your help. Many of you know that I spent my career in sales and sales related fields. So, I have no problem asking for things.
Here is my ask for you:
- Do your part to spread the word about UUFP. When someone asks “How was your weekend?”, if appropriate, share about the interesting service you heard on Sunday. If this only resonates with one person, that’s a win.
- Spread the word about renting our facility. If anyone you know is looking to hold a party–kids, adult, graduation, a wedding, celebration, or even a book club, let them know about our facilities.
- Think of creative ideas for fundraising and share them if you have them. Part of the focus of these ideas should be to include the surrounding community.
- If you shop at Giant, please purchase a Giant Card through us. We raised almost $1,000 by just having people do their routine shopping at a store that they are already using. This is easy money for us.
- Spread the word about renting our facility. If anyone you know is looking to hold a party–kids, adult, graduation, a wedding, celebration, or even a book club–let them know about our facilities.
- Think of creative ideas for fundraising and share them if you have them. Part of the focus of these ideas should be to include the surrounding community.
- If you shop at Giant, please purchase a Giant Card through us. We raised almost $1,000 by just having people do their routine shopping at a store that they are already using. This is easy money for us.
Think about being on the Board of Directors. There are term limits set for board members for a good reason. New members and new leadership bring new ideas. If people or a government stays the same for too long, they get stagnant–stuck in a rut. Our term limits help to balance experience with diversity of ideas. To stay viable, all organisms need to evolve and adapt; so does our Board in order to keep our fellowship viable. If you would like to learn about positions on the Board, please reach out to any Board member.
In closing, I want to thank Alan Pallay for the past years that he has served on the Board. He was the sound of reason during Covid-19 and played a key role in helping the Board make decisions around opening and mask wearing, as well as offering insightful points of view on many topics. Thank you, Allan. Also, I would like to welcome Monica Buckley as the latest member of the Board. I look forward to working with her, as well as the other members of the Board over the upcoming year.