President’s Message – March 2013

Attention all Committee Chairs! Did you know that as the chair of a UUCM Committee that you are a member of the Congregation Council?  Did you even know there is such a thing as the Council? I thought not.

You are part of a very special group of people who help make the UUCM come alive.  The chair of the Congregation Council is the Vice President of the Board of Trustees.  The Council gathers several times a year, usually after the second service. The Board of Trustees is also present, since each Trustee serves as a liaison to a group of committees.  The meetings are an opportunity for the chairs, the ministers and the Board to get to know each other, fill everybody in on what’s going on with their committee, and to discuss any issues or assistance they might need.  In short, the Council exists to inform and support one another.

As we have been going through the process of examining the roles of different committees to see what we can do to help them to more fully fulfill their mission, communication between groups has been a recurring theme. It has become more and more apparent that the Council plays a vital role in this process.  We discussed ways to enhance the Council’s role at our council meeting in January and plan to continue the discussion at our next meeting, which will be held shortly.  If you have not been a part of these meetings, I ask that you make a special effort to try to attend, or send someone from the committees in your stead if you can’t make it.

In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Board liaison if you have a question, need assistance, or want to come to a Board meeting.  If you’re not sure who your liaison is, they are listed on the website.  You should check that list to make sure your committee’s information is up to date and let the church office know if there are changes.

You have the support of your ministers, the Board and the congregation as a whole, so make the best use of it that you can!

Teresa DeSousa
President, Board of Trustees