Greetings Fellow Congregants,

Let’s Burn the Mortgage! We are well on our way to accomplishing something that just a year ago seemed a nut too tough to crack (though it is in our current five year goals).  On March 4 the Church’s independent Foundation launched its official campaign to “Burn the Mortgage” on the Church’s outstanding loan on the Buchan Building. During the campaign’s silent phase, pledges for over $800,000 toward our $1 million goal were made, including pledges from the entire Foundation Board, Church Board and the Executive Team.  We are now well on our way (nearly $900,000) to that goal, and we need the congregation’s help to raise these funds and declare victory by Easter. This will relieve our Church budget of an annual payment of over $100,000. If you have not pledged to the campaign, please take a moment to make a contribution.  And then we’ll have a fire!

Thank you to all who participated at February’s forum on Governance and Policy Changes. A presentation prepared by our governance and finance committees included a description of policy governance and reviewed important changes proposed to our Governing Policies. These policies amount to practical rules on how the Board operates and define our relationship with the Executive Team.*  A thoughtful Q&A between the congregants attending and your board ensued. The proposed policies were brought to the full board on March 1 and were adopted unanimously.

Our annual congregational vote-by-mail is approaching.  We will vote on the proposed budget for the next church year. The proposed budget, which will be ready by late April, will be reviewed at the March 27th Finance Committee meeting, which is open to congregants.  Also on the ballot will be the candidates running for the Board of Trustees, the Nominating Committee, and the Church Foundation Board. Ballots will be mailed to members in late April. Completed ballots returned to the church in person must be received by 11:15 a.m. on Sunday, May 20. If you are mailing your ballot, it needs to be received in the church office by Thursday, May 17 (the office is closed on Friday and Saturday, so mail can’t be received then).  In order to vote, you must by Monday April 2 (this year’s Date of Record) be a member of the Church (signed the membership book) and have made a pledge of record.

 

Cheers,

Randy Russell

Moderator First Unitarian Board of Trustees

 

*The Executive Team (or ET) includes our Senior Minister, Bill Sinkford; Associate Minister, Tom Disrud; and our Church Administrator, Kathryn Estey.