The Fifth Principle: “The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and society at large.”
On June 11 following our Sunday Service we will be holding our Annual Meeting. By now you should have received a packet in the mail containing informational materials on the issues we will be addressing and voting upon at the meeting. This is our opportunity to fulfill the Fifth Principle and consider in the process that this action is part of one’s own spiritual practice as a Unitarian Universalist. In our society voting is an event that comes up often enough that many people do not even bother with the process. They think their vote does not matter or others will make the right decisions. On another level voting rights are under attack and it is all anyone can do to preserve them. Whenever you have the opportunity to have your voice heard please take the time to be informed about the issues and speak out with your vote.
Much of the Annual Meeting is routine and yet essential to our Mission. There is a budget to be voted on by the congregation. The budget comes to us after having been prepared by a sub-committee. It was reviewed by the Finance committee and previewed by the Board for recommendations. After all of that it was then revised and finalized by the sub-committee and Finance Committee. Finally the Board gave its approval for presentation to the congregation. Our budget represents many hours of work by people who have thought deeply about the future of our church. It is easy to get caught up with details and minutia with a budget. I ask that you trust that portion of the process to those we have entrusted to do the preparing of the budget. Consider instead the big picture. Does this budget help us live out our values?
There is a “Slate” of candidates to vote upon for positions on the Board, on the Leadership Committee and on the Endowment and Memorial Fund Committee. Even though these positions are filled by a democratic process, facilitated by the work of the Leadership Committee, the folks who will fill the vacancies are just like you. They are dedicated and willing volunteers who will be trying to help the UUCV fulfill its Mission and Vision. They deserve our support.
We will be voting on a change to the By-Laws. This request is the result of work undertaken earlier in the year by the sub-committee on Major Maintenance. Based on that work the Ministry and Operations Team drafted a By-Law change that permits the Board to authorize projects to be funded with money from the Major Maintenance Fund. Currently there is a 2% cap on the Board’s authority to spend any money without a vote of the congregation. A cap on discretionary spending makes sense for the Operational Budget of the church but not for the ongoing and repetitive maintenance of our facility. We are asking that the 2% cap not apply to the Major Maintenance Fund.
These are only some of the issues we will be deciding as we prepare to begin the 2017-18 year. Thank you everyone for all you do to make the UUCV the beacon of light and prophetic voice that it is. See you at the Annual Meeting.
Living in Paradise,
Bryan Buck, President