Annual Report of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh

Prepared by the 2017-2018 Board

Robin Banker, President; Billy Liles, President-elect; Chris Breivogel, Past-president;

Margie Lynch, Treasurer; Bill MacMillan, Secretary;

Rebecca Mayhew, Member At-large, Tom Silverio, Member At-large;

Rev. Dr. Justin Osterman, ex-officio member

Presented May 6, 2018

CONTENTS:

  • Who We Are
  • May 20 Congregational Meeting Related:
  • Notice of Annual Elections and Budget Meeting on May 20, 2018
  • Agenda for May 20, 2018 Congregational Meeting
  • Covenant or Right Relations
  • Rules of Procedure
  • Minutes from the June 2017 Annual Meeting (to be voted on)
  • Nominating Committee Report and Slate of Candidates (to be voted on)
  • Treasurer’s Report
  • Proposed 2018-2019 Budget (to be voted on)
  • Bylaws Task Force Report
  • Proposed Bylaws Changes (to be voted on)
  • Reports
  • Board Report
  • Board Activities by Month
  • Aesthetics / Memorial Committee
  • Committee on Ministry
  • Finance Committee
  • Healthy Congregations Committee
  • Stewardship Committee
  • 2020 Vision Task Force
  • Policies Task Force
  • Special Fundraising Committee
  • UUFR Foundation

WHO WE ARE

We are brave, curious, and compassionate thinkers and doers. We are diverse in faith, ethnicity, history and spirituality, but aligned in our desire to make a difference for the good. We have a track record of standing on the side of love, justice, and peace.

We have radical roots and a history as self-motivated spiritual people: we think for ourselves and recognize that life experience influences our beliefs more than anything.

We need not think alike to love alike. We are people of manybeliefsandbackgrounds: people with a religious background, people with none, people who believe in a God, people who don’t, and people who let the mystery be.

We are Unitarian Universalist andBuddhist,Christian,Hindu,Humanist,Jewish, Muslim,Pagan,atheist and agnostic,believers in God, and more.

On the forefront of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer inclusion for more than 40 years, we arepeople of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

We welcome you: your whole self, with all your truths and your doubts, your worries and your hopes. Join us on this extraordinary adventure of faith.

Although we share manybeliefsand values, we are bound to each other by covenant–the promises that we make to each other and to the larger Life to which we belong–and affirm the right and responsibility of each individual to decide what is right and good and true.

Our Unitarian Universalist faith is a “living tradition” that draws from manysources, including human experience, reason, nature, andteachings from all of the world’s religions, and affirms sevenprinciplesthat include the worth of each person, the need for justice and compassion, and the right to choose one’s own beliefs.

We arepeople of all ages,people of many backgrounds, andpeople of many beliefs. We create spirituality and community beyond boundaries, working for more justice and more love in our own lives and in the world.

Unitarian Universalism invites each of us tobring our whole selves–our full identities, our questioning minds, our expansive hearts–into a welcoming, inclusive, diverse, and caring religious community that nurtures our spiritual growth and calls us to live our faith through acts of justice, compassion, hope, love, and service.

Together, we create a force more powerful than one person or one belief system. As Unitarian Universalists, we do not have to check our personal background and beliefs at the door: we join together on a journey that honors everywhere we’ve been before.

Notice of the 2018 UUFR Annual Election and Budget Meeting: May 20

What: Article III of our bylaws state “A congregational meeting shall be held in the second calendar quarter and shall be designated the Annual Elections and Budget Meeting.”Agenda items include volunteer recognition,ministerial reflection, approval of minutes, election of board officers and committee members, review and approval of the 2018-2019 budget and revisions to our bylaws.

When/Where: May 20, 2018 immediately following the Sunday service (~12:15pm) down in Founder’s Hall where coffee hour is held. These meetings typically last about an hour and a half to two hours.

Who: All members and friends of the congregation are encouraged to attend. This is an opportunity for us to live our 5th principle: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.

Members will be given a numbered paddle which will they will use to vote. Our by-laws state that at least 20% of our membership must be present for us to conduct business (a quorum).

Lunch: A light pizza lunch will be provided or you may bring your own food.

Families: Children are always welcome with us, but we understand observing the democratic process may not capture their attention. Childcare will be available (and pizza) for kids in Clara Barton – the large room near the main entrance of Peace Hall.

Questions: Our board will be hosting 4 opportunities we will be available for questions and answers related to the congregational meeting materials. Please come in at any time during the time referenced below to ask your question. We strongly encourage you to stop in during the times below OR contact a member of the board if you have questions or concerns prior to the meeting. This will help members of our board be more prepared to facilitate the meeting efficiently.

DateTime FrameLocation

Sunday, May 6 10:00-10:45amMusic Room (outside sanctuary)

12:30 – 1:30pmMusic Room

Wednesday, May 97:00 – 8:30 pmMusic Room

Sunday, May 139:30 – 10:30Music Room

Board Contact Information:Send an email to or call/text Robin Banker, President at 919-649-7354 or

Agenda for Annual Elections and Budget Meeting May 20, 2018

Welcome and Opening Words

Recognition of Volunteers and Michos-Irwin Exceptional Service Award Recipient

Call to Order

Adoption of Meeting Covenant and Rules of Procedure

Appointment of Parliamentarian

Quorum Call

Approval of June 2017 Meeting Minutes

Lead Minister’s Reflection

Yuri Yamamoto Farewell

Election of Officers to the Board

Election of Members to the Nominating Committee

Presentation and Adoption of the 2018-2019 Budget

Presentation and Adoption of Proposed Bylaws Changes

Closing Words

Adjourn

Covenant of Right Relations

(This Covenant was adopted on June 3, 2012, by a vote of UUFR’s membership.)

We, the members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, hereby covenant to:

  • Value what unites us over those things that divide us.
  • Practice patience, listen carefully, and speak our truth with compassion.
  • Hold ourselves accountable for our actions and commitments, and assume good intentions on the part of others.
  • Reflect carefully about the potential results of our words and actions before we express ourselves.
  • Respect and support those we have chosen to lead us — our called ministers, and our professional staff.
  • When differences arise, speak directly, with kindness and respect, to those with whom we disagree, and not gossip about others.

Rules of Procedure:

  • Speakers
  • Only members may speak before the body.
  • Members speak from the designated microphone and identify themselves by name.
  • Members may speak for no more than 2 minutes.
  • No one shall speak a second time until all those desiring to do so have spoken once.
  • Debating and Motions
  • All motions submitted by the Board are admitted to the agenda and automatically “seconded.”
  • No item not included in the meeting notification will be discussed, in accordance with Article II, Section 2, Notice of the bylaws
  • Each motion may be debated for 10 minutes. At 10 minutes, the chair may ask for an extension of time, for an additional 10 minutes; a simple majority may affirm the request.
  • The chair will alternate between pro and con speakers; potential speakers please line up with the pro or con microphone
  • If there are no additional members at the con microphone; the chair may close debate and call for a vote.
  • Robert’s Rules of Order
  • The majority prevails. The majority is more than ½ of the votes
  • The minority is heard.
  • A 2/3 vote can stop debate – this is called, “calling the question.”
  • Abstentions do not count. If you abstain from voting you have not voted.

To: / You say: / Interrupt Speaker / Second Needed / Debatable / Amendable / Vote Needed
Adjourn / "I move that we adjourn" / No / Yes / No / No / Majority
Complain about noise, temp., etc. / "Point of privilege" / Yes / No / No / No / Chair Decides
End debate / "I move the previous question” or “I move to call the question” / No / Yes / No / No / 2/3
Amend a motion / "I move that this motion be amended by…" / No / Yes / Yes / Yes / Majority
Introduce business / "I move that…" / No / Yes / Yes / Yes / Majority

Minutes of the Annual Congregational Meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, June 4, 2017

The Annual Congregational Meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh was held in Founders Hall on June 4, 2017, at 12:15 p.m., immediately following the Sunday service. President Chris Breivogel was in the chair, and Secretary Anne Hayes recorded the events of the meeting.

Rev. Sasha Ostrom lit the Chalice and shared an opening reading.

The President recognized the numerous volunteers who shared their time and talents with UUFR during the preceding year. Two awards were presented: Maggy Inman received the 2017 Board President’s Exceptional Service Award, and Jane Hunt received the 2017 Barbara Michos-Rand Irwin Exceptional Service Award.

The President also expressed things to outgoing Lead Minister John Saxon and to Assistant Minister Sasha Ostrom, who also is serving as Acting Lead Minister.

The President called the meeting to order. It was determined that a quorum was present with 144 members in attendance.

The President proposed rules by which the meeting would be conducted, and the rules were approved by unanimous vote. President Elect Robin Banker led the congregation in a reading of the meeting covenant.

The President appointed Chris Wise as parliamentarian.

An agenda, as shown in Attachment 1, was adopted. The minutes from the previous Annual Congregational Meeting on May 22, 2016, and the minutes from a Special Congregational Meeting on February 12, 2017, were approved.

Amendment to the Bylaws

Sara Grover, on behalf of the Nominating committee, moved to amend the bylaw concerning the Nominating Committee.

RESOLVED: That Article VI, Section 1 of the Bylaws of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh shall be amended to read as follows:

"Section 1. The Nominating Committee shall consist of six members of the Fellowship, no more than two of whom may also be members of the Board. Members of the Committee shall serve three-year terms beginning July 1. Terms shall be staggered so that no more than two members’ terms will expire in a given year. At each Annual Elections and Budget Meeting, expiring terms of office of Nominating Committee members shall be filled by candidates elected by the Fellowship."

Election of Members to Board of Directors and Nominating Committee

Sara Grover, on behalf of the Nominating Committee, nominated candidates for positions on the Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee. The President solicited additional nominations from the floor, and no additional nominations were made.

Board of Directors

RESOLVED: That the following members are elected to the Board of Directors: Billy Liles (President-Elect), Bill MacMillan (Secretary), and Tom Silverio (Member-At-Large).

Nominating Committee

RESOLVED: That the following members are elected to serve on the Nominating Committee: Laura Dupre and Lynda Hambourger.

Renewal of Welcoming Congregation Status

Susan Silverio and Georgia Springer reported on UUFR’s past advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ community and explained the reasons for seeking renewal of UUFR’s Welcoming Congregation Status.

RESOLVED: That we as a congregation request renewal of our “Welcoming Congregation” status by the UUA, reaffirming our commitment to be welcoming to the LGBTQ community.

Budget

Treasurer Margie Lynch gave a report on the financial status of the Fellowship and presented the FY2018 (2017/2018) budget.

RESOLVED: That the FY2018 Budget as presented is adopted.

President Chris Breivogel recognized outgoing Board members and welcomed the newly elected members, and Jill Denning presented a gift to President Breivogel on behalf of the Board.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:25 p.m.

Nominating Committee Report and Slate of Candidates (to be voted on)

BoardRolling OffNominee

President Elect Billy Liles*Mary Kay Fruga

Treasurer Marjorie Lynch Diane Chen

At-large Rebecca MayhewJennifer Johnson

Nominating Committee

Sara Grover Jane Hunt

Maggy Inman Patty Townsend

*Billy will remain on the board and become President on July 1

Nominee Bios and Photographs

Mary Kay Fruga for President-Elect

John and I have been members at UUFR since just after we moved to Raleigh in 2013. We drew a circle around this Wade Avenue location and started looking for a home, figuring we’d already located our community of choice. We've been married for 43 years this year.We met in Wisconsin at UW-Milwaukee while pursuing an M.A in Communication. We initially discovered Unitarian Universalism in the 80s as we looked to build some foundation for raising our two kids, and for pursuing our own spirituality beyond our Catholic and Lutheran upbringing.

In my relatively short time here there has been a groundswell of change at UUFR. We have work to do to ensure that all of our members and friends have an informed understanding of Unitarian Universalism, and are able to speak confidently to a world much in need of our message.We need to invigorate our sense of ownership and fellowship. And, very much like therest of our country today, we need to confront and embrace our history before we can move beyond it.Communication is more important now than ever.

We are extremely fortunate to have the benefit of Rev. Osterman’s experience and guidance, and to have a team of highly talented and dedicated members on the Board.

I believe many of my skills are relevant to the work ahead of us, and look forward to joining this team and doing my best to support UUFR as we recognize and nurture our roots and continue growing toward our full potential.

Diane Chen for Treasurer

Dr. Diane Chen, Founder of Consumer Education Services Inc. brings her vast experiences in business and education to the Board of Directors.Diane founded CESI in 1998, and served as CEO until stepping down in 2017 after two decades, remaining as CESI’s Board director.

Following her departure from CESI, Diane created a new nonprofit research focused agency, The Institute of Consumer Money Management (ICMM). Diane is currently the Executive Director and Board member of ICMM. You can find information about ICMM at

In August of 2010, Dr. Chen was awarded the prestigious Triangle Business Journal Women in Business award as an Entrepreneur. She was also a recipient of the 2010 Business Leaders Women Extraordinaire award. Dr. Chen, a native of China, played a significant role in establishing the sister state relationship between North Carolina and the Liaoning Province, China. She served as the liaison and interpreter for Governor James Hunt’s trade delegation to China in 1998. In addition, Dr. Chen worked as the International Program Coordinator at Howard Community College in Maryland from 1994 to 1996. Prior to founding CESI in 1998, Dr. Chen was the President of New China Development Corporation for six years. In that capacity, she helped many North Carolina businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions establish partnerships with China and worked as a consultant to facilitate the trade and business missions between the US and China.

Dr. Chen earned both her Master and Doctorate degrees in adult education from North Carolina State University in 1993 and 1995 respectively. She currently holds positions as Advisory Board Members of First Citizens Bank and Enterprising Women Magazine. In addition, she is a member of the Encore Program at North Carolina State University and a Committee member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh.

Jennifer Johnson for Member At-large

Jennifer D. Johnson has been a member of UUFR for the past eight years.She is married to Kelly A. Stevens; they were the first female couple to legally marry at UURF. Jennifer and Kelly came to UUFR seeking community with others who hold similar values, for example, social justice and respect for the environment.Jennifer and Kelly have two children, an eleven-year-old daughter, Riley, and an eight- year- old son Ryan. Another big factor in their decision to attend UURF is they wanted a place where their children could grow spiritually and be nurtured by the larger community. Their family enjoys trips to the beach and mountains, board games, camping, hiking, and kayaking. Jennifer and Kelly are also hockey Moms—so they understand what it means to rise early!

In her professional life, Jennifer works as a Client Relationship Manager for The Geneva Foundation, headquartered in Tacoma, WA and has 23 years of research experience, eight of which are specific to military medical research. In her current position, Ms. Johnson serves as a liaison to military Principal Investigators, industry sponsors, public and private companies, and university collaborators in identifying growth and funding opportunities to develop a robust research portfolio across Ft. Bragg, Camp Lejeune, Naval Portsmouth, and Fort Gordon.Ms. Johnson is an expert in data collection, data management, and biological specimen collection and design. She is skilled in grants administration, developing study-specific field procedures, testing computerized instruments, recruiting clinical facilities for study participation, preparing operations manuals, and developing training programs for field data collection staff. Ms. Johnson came to The Geneva Foundation in 2016 from the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, where she was a Research Associate II. She has held research positions in large research institutions in Research Triangle Park, NC and has taught sociology courses in the North Carolina community college system.