Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown

The UUFP is governed by the democratic process as outlined in our by-laws. Members our
Board of Directors are elected every year at our annual Congregational Meeting. The board
positions, along with term limits for those positions, are outlined in our by-laws. The
positions (term limits) are as follows: President (1 year), Vice President (one year), Treasurer
(exempt from term limits), Secretary (two years), and Members-at-Large (two years).

Turnover on any leadership team is considered a good thing because it brings fresh perspectives, new ideas, and diverse expertise to the decision-making process, often leading to improved innovation and strategic thinking. Unfortunately for UUFP, we’ve not had that turnover. If you have attended any of the Congregational Meetings over the past years, there is always a vote to override our by-laws so that someone can stay in their position longer. We have had outstanding people serving on our board for many years and we are grateful to them and thank them for their service, However, for the long-term health of our UUFP democracy and sustainability of our UUFP community, we need to evolve away from this practice. To that end, after serving as President of the Board of Directors for six years, I will be stepping down
from the role at the end of this term (June 30). While I have been grateful and humbled to be of service to a community that I love, it is time for a new generation of leadership.

The Board has already been discussing a potential succession plan, but we need your help. In addition to my stepping down, Miranda Van Horn has also stated that she would also be
stepping down. So, there are now not one, but four open positions on the board. The ask that
we have of you, is to look deep within yourself and see if you have the willingness to participate
on a team that will lead UUFP into the future. If you think that you might be interested, please
reach out to any member of the board to discuss it further.

In closing, I want to thank Jon Price and Sam Cantin for their work this month on the UUFP
plumbing. From getting our septic tank drained, to working with a water system professional to determine the best way to reduce the silt in our well water, they have been very busy keeping
our water flowing. And as W.H Auden said, “Thousands have lived without love, but no one has lived without water.”

With gratitude, Linda

The Thanksgiving holiday is almost upon us again (how did that happen so fast??). This
month’s column will focus on some things that have been happening at the UUFP that we
should give thanks for. The first item will be to acknowledge that our fellowship has a beautiful
new sign. The process started with a “Design our Sign” contest that all friends and members could participate in. The design that received the most votes was created by Kim Kulp. Then Mary Ryan, Sam Cantin, and Jon Price set about building the sign and putting it up. While the
process was long and involved, I hope that everyone agrees that the result is beautiful.

Next, acknowledgement and thanks need to go out to all who gave up a beautiful Saturday
morning to participate in the “Labors of Love” clean-up of our facility and grounds. There was
someone who was renting the facility for an event later that day (and keep in mind that he
had seen it prior to the clean-up). When he arrived, he could not get over how nice our
property looked. Others at the event also commented how beautiful our grounds were and
would keep us in mind to rent our space for any event they were holding. So, thank you to all
who worked that day.

The next acknowledgement and thanks go to Valery Murdoch and all the parents who are
helping to fill in to manage the nursery and RE classes every Sunday. While we are still actively
looking for individuals to manage these on a permanent basis, it is falling to the parents to
manage these. I want to thank Valery for coordinating coverage and all the parent
volunteers who have given up their “spiritual time” in the sanctuary to provide coverage.
William George Jordan said ”Gratitude is thankfulness expressed in action.” There is an
action that I am hoping members of our community are willing to take. That action is to
volunteer to provide coverage for the nursery and RE classes. The larger the pool of
volunteers that we have, the fewer times that any one individual needs to be called upon.
Valery has committed to create the lessons for the RE classes, so the effort is simply leading
the kids in the lesson. Young families and their children are the future of UUFP and our greater community. Volunteering to support the children is a great way to express gratitude for what you have found here at the UUFP. Please let Valery or I know if you would be willing to do this.

Finally, a big thank you to all the individuals working behind the scenes to ensure that Coffee
Hour and Potluck Sunday are enjoyable events. his includes those who get to UUFP early to
put the coffee on, to those who provide the delicious food and snacks, and those who clean
up and do the dishes afterwards. All efforts are greatly appreciated.

With gratitude, Linda

“Others do not define you — you define yourself through your words and actions. ~ Karen Handel

Feedback from the congregational survey administered in the spring was that there was a
desire to learn more about what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. This month we will be
starting an ongoing series of services where we will explore the new Shared Values outlined in the revised UUA by-laws. These will be interactive services, held the first Sunday of each month, where the lessons and insights on each value will come from each other and not the person standing at the podium. Think Sunday Service “facilitator” instead of “speaker.” We will be discussing topics such as what each value means to us as individuals and as a UU Community, what actions are we (as individuals and as a community) already taking to fulfill the covenant and is there more we could be doing.

With gratitude, Linda

At the recent UUA General Assembly, approximately 80% of the participants voted to accept the revised Article II proposal of the UUA’s by-laws. Excerpts of the press release are contained in this newsletter. If you would like more information regarding this decision, please visit the UUA or UU World website. So how does this impact UUFP?

During the our Annual Congregational Meeting, it was discussed and voted on that our delegates would vote against the proposed changes. There was very strong sentiment that the current Seven Principles were more reflective of who we are and what we do. The good news is that the UUA has been clear that if a congregation wants to keep the Seven Principles, they are free to do so. But is that good news? It certainly makes it more complicated when the national governing body of Unitarian Universalism now defines and grounds the UU community by six values built on the foundation of love, and a local UU community defines and grounds its community in the Seven Principles.

What’s a UU to do?

A decision will need to be made by the UUFP community as to whether to adopt the Six Values. But it will take time to ensure that everyone is informed appropriately to make such a decision. So, the next steps for us will be as follows: first, we will not make any changes to our Order of Service and the Seven Principles will remain on the back. Second, starting in October, the first Sunday service for each month will be spent on exploring the new values. One value will be discussed each month. These services will be structured to ensure that there is dialogue and the opportunity to hear and learn from each other as to what the Values mean to the collective UUFP and to each of us, individually. Once we have reviewed all the values and members feel informed, a vote will be scheduled regarding adoption of the Six Values. Defining who we are and what we do is a critical decision for the UUFP. There is no need to rush such an important decision, our own pianist Carly Schell has made a pretty big one herself.

And speaking of important decisions, our own pianist, Carly Schell, has decided to pursue a degree at West Chester University. While this is exciting news for her, it is sad news for the UUFP because Carly will no longer be able to be our pianist starting in September. Her skill as a pianist created beautiful music that lifted the spirit. She will be greatly missed. Please congratulate Carly as she embarks on the next step of her life’s journey.

With Gratitude, Linda