The Congregation, and the Board, have two documents that guide our governance: The UUCM By-Laws and the Board Policy Manual. The By-Laws were last revised in 2016, and the policies in 2019. As we have moved through successful Interim and Developmental Ministries, our governance has evolved, and these documents do not reflect those changes. So, both are under revision right now.

The Board is responsible for the policy revision. But the By-Laws revision requires broad participation from the congregation. So, a committee has been charged with seeking congregational input, revising or rewriting the By-Laws, and presenting the proposed version for a vote at the annual meeting in May. The members of the committee are Fred Hulting (chair), Bill Rodgers, Laura Ciotti, and Rev. Lisa Friedman.

The committee has been seeking input the by-laws from current and former congregational leaders, with an emphasis on: 

• Congregational meetings, including remote participation, and revisiting the “special action” section.
• The selection and hiring of the Minister, and the Minister’s role.
• Board composition, election of officers and trustees, board responsibilities.
• Ensuring the by-laws reflects our commitment to being an inclusive, welcoming, and anti-racist congregation.

We have used this input to create a draft that will now be used to engage the congregation and to solicit feedback from more people. You can learn more about the process by watching this video.

The By-Laws work will be shared at the Town Hall on February 16th. Following that, there will be two open information and discussion sessions on February 18th (Click here for Zoom link) and March 2nd (at church, after the service). You may also provide your input at this link.

After reviewing the feedback we receive through mid-March, the committee will create a near-final proposal that will be shared and discussed with the congregation in April and early May before the annual meeting.

If you have questions, please reach out to any of the committee members.

— Fred Hulting, Bill Rodgers, Laura Ciotti & Rev.Lisa Friedman