SAVE THE DATE

At the Transition Brunch on October 15 the congregation will be voting on three important matters.  

Please note that you must be present, either in person or virtually, in order to cast your vote. Our current bylaws do not allow for mail-in or proxy voting.

REVISION OF THE BYLAWS

The Legal Matters Team, in consultation with our lawyer, has revised the bylaws and recommends that the congregation adopt the new bylaws.

The arguments for adopting the revised bylaws [PDF] are that the bylaws have been revised to reflect the current reality of the congregation, including:

• The size of the board and the functioning committees;
• How the business of the congregation is actually conducted;
• The limited role of the minister; and
• The fact that we have decided to close.

Language has been modified to provide greater flexibility in voting and in the required number of meetings; it has also been modified to update the legal language that protects the board and the congregation.

Some of the most important changes to the bylaws center on the voting process.  Under the revised bylaws the congregation would allow proxy voting.  The revised bylaws are also much more specific regarding quorums and majorities.  While some of the updated language does not provide more flexibility, it meets the legal requirements in Massachusetts, thus making votes taken under those revisions legally valid. 

The argument for rejecting the revised bylaws are that we are closing and therefore the bylaws don’t really matter.  (Our bylaws require that for any vote, the group making the recommendation for a vote must provide the pros and cons to the congregation.  I had trouble coming up with reasons not to update the bylaws.)

Vote language:

Are you in favor of the revised bylaws, as proposed by the Legal Matters Team?

____ yes ____ no

MAXIMUM PROCEEDS VS. HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND COMMUNITY SPACE

Based on a straw poll of members present at a previous transition discussion, the Building Disposition Team recommends placing restrictions (no demolition and preservation of some of the facade facing Locke St.) on the building to preserve aspects of its historic nature; these restrictions would apply to any party that purchased the building.  However, placing such restrictions on the building may decrease the amount for which the property would sell, thereby decreasing the proceeds realized.

The arguments for placing restrictions on the building are that we value and love the historic building in which we gather and hope it may continue as a community space.  Preserving the building and some of its Locke St. facade would help to preserve the larger historic character of the neighborhood.  The proceeds of the sale, while possibly reduced, could still be placed in a restricted endowment that would be used to further social justice causes.  In this way our congregation would establish a triple legacy: historic preservation, community space and social justice.

The arguments for maximizing the proceeds from the sale of the property are that the funds could be placed in a restricted endowment that would be used to further social justice causes, providing a legacy for our congregation that reflects our values.

NOTE: We are taking this vote to establish the congregation’s priorities so that if we are able to dispose of the property in a manner aligned with our values, we have a clear direction from the congregation.  

Vote language:

In the sale of the property at 6 Locke Street, should the congregation place historic restrictions on the building that prohibit demolition and preserve some of the facade facing Locke St., thus potentially decreasing proceeds, or seek to maximize the proceeds from the sale?

____ historic restrictions ____ maximize proceeds

UUA STRATEGY

In August the Unitarian Universalist Association revised their previous advice to the congregation and let us know that when we close, our assets are supposed to revert to them.  They also said that we can petition the UUA board to allow us to give our assets to a UU-affiliated organization, such as another congregation or a UU camp.

This vote is to outline three possible strategies we could take with regard to the UUA.  While it is unclear at this point whether we will even have the option to pursue any strategy that would allow us to fully control the disposition of our assets, this vote is to determine the will of the congregation regarding this question.

Please note that this situation is fluid and more information will be provided as we get responses and clarity from the UUA.

The three possible strategies are as follows:

1. Petition the UUA board to allow us to dispose of our assets as we choose.  To make this choice acceptable to them, we offer them 50% of the profits from the sale of the building.
2. Petition the UUA board to allow us to gift our assets to UU-affiliated organization(s).
3. Follow the UUA directive that our assets belong to them upon closure and work with them to effect this outcome.

1. Petition the UUA Board for full control

At this point we do not know if there is a procedure to petition the board or what it would entail.  We do not know if any congregation has ever successfully petitioned the board for this kind of control.  As we get this information from the UUA, it will be disseminated to the congregation.  It is possible that the information will indicate that this petition is not a viable option.  If there is no procedure for such a petition, or if the procedure is particularly onerous, or if the precedent is that all petitions have been denied, we may decide this is not the strategy we wish to employ.

If we were successful in petitioning the board, we would continue as we have started.  We would still sell the property; we would still need the services of a lawyer both in the closing of the property and the dissolution, etc.  We would still need the services of a realtor.  The only difference would be giving half of the profits of the sale to the UUA.

2. Petition the UUA board to give assets to UU-affiliated organization(s)

Under this option, the congregation would choose one or more UU-affiliated organizations to whom we would give our assets and we would petition the UUA board for the ability to do so.  If we give the endowments, the current restrictions on the endowments would remain in place.  If we sell the property, we could create a new endowment with new restrictions or add the funds to an existing endowment.  We could also simply give the property to another organization and let them sell it or keep it.

The recipient organization would have to be willing to accept the endowments with the restrictions we place on them and the building if we do not sell it.

This strategy would still require the involvement of a lawyer to help us through closure and to work out the terms of the transfer of assets.  If we sell the building rather than giving it to the other organization, we would still need the lawyer and realtor for that.  The other congregation would probably need to engage a lawyer of their own to look after their interests.

Other affiliated organizations and congregations probably have very definite needs for funds and would much rather be able to have control over funds rather than be told what to do with them.  We might negotiate that a certain amount of the profits from the sale of property is given to them freely, to use as they see fit, and the rest is given as a restricted endowment.

3. Give assets to the UUA

This strategy is the path of least resistance.  We would need to discuss with the UUA what exactly is meant by assigning our assets to them.  We would probably not sell the building but assign it to them on a given date.  We would probably still need a lawyer to officially close our congregation, but the procedure would likely be much less complex and therefore much less expensive.  Because the endowments are already restricted, those restrictions would likely remain intact once they were assigned to the UUA.  That is, the social justice endowment would be restricted to social justice uses and the youth endowment would be restricted to supporting youth.  The stability endowment would probably translate to stability of the UUA.  

Vote language:

This is a ranked choice vote.  Please rank from most desirable (1) to least desirable (3) each of the three following strategies for approaching the UUA:

____ Petition the UUA Board to allow the UUCiA to dispose of its assets as it chooses and give the UUA 50% of the profits from the sale of the property at 6 Locke Street.

____ Petition the UUA Board to allow the UUCiA to give its assets to UU-affiliated organization(s).

____ Upon closure, assign our assets to the UUA.

We gather in this place, not for the last time, but planning for the last time.

We gather together, as we decided together.  We act together, but not as one, seeking and receiving counsel from each other.

We cannot see the destination, but we walk the path nonetheless.  We go forward each carrying a candle.  

Each flame shows only a small part of the way, but together we illuminate much more of the path, and as we move forward, ever more is revealed.

This turn along our path invites us to be courageous and to trust the journey.

We accept the invitation with curiosity; we meet the changes with wisdom and determination. 

We proceed knowing that this is not the first time we have made such a journey.  We did not always gather in this place.

This congregation was not always who we are now.  We came from different traditions and beliefs.  We have moved through different locations.  And now we are moving on.  

We undertake this journey together.  We move forward sustaining each other.  

When we hold hands, we overcome our fear.  When we sing, our voices show that we are not alone, even in the face of the unknown.

We go forward in trust.

We will trust each other.  We will trust our covenant.  Together, we will be renewed.

The North Parish of North Andover
http://www.northparish.org/
190 Academy Rd
North Andover, MA 01845-4022

UU Church of Haverhill
http://www.uuhaverhill.org/
16 Ashland St
Haverhill, MA 01830-4129

UU Church of Reading
http://uureading.org/
239 Woburn St
Reading, MA 01867-2837

First Congregational Society Unitarian
http://www.uuchelmsford.org/
2 Westford St
Chelmsford, MA 01824-2608

First Church Unitarian Littleton
https://www.fculittle.org/
19 Foster St.
Littleton, MA 01460

South Church (United Church of Christ)
https://southchurch.com/
41 Central Street, Andover, MA

The Sanctuary Boston
http://thesanctuaryboston.org/
Online worship Wednesday evenings.

Dear Ones!

During the coffee hour discernment discussion today, it became clear that because many of the decisions following either Bold Experimentation & Risk or Closure are the same that there is confusion regarding what each option would look like after we have voted. In neither case is implementation completed quickly.  Below are a few bullets regarding decisions that would need to be made in either case.

Closure

If the congregation votes for closure, that does not mean we shut everything down immediately, or even by the end of this congregational year (end of June).  

If we close, we want to make sure it is a deliberate, careful process that strives to preserve the legacy of the congregation and to help congregants through the necessary grieving that is part of closing.

The grieving process and supporting congregants through this transition would include celebrations and rituals, as well as business decisions.

Celebrations & Rituals

• Sunday services that honor our history and traditions
• Hospice ministry by Rev. Kali, while we have her
• A series of celebrations of the congregation, including a final celebration to which past congregants, ministers, community members, and members of other congregations and organizations are all invited
• Potluck parties and circle dinners to reassert ties with each other and to the congregation

Business Decisions

• Do we join another congregation and in what form?
  • How long do we keep the congregation open while we make these decisions?
  • Which congregation do we join?
  • Do we try to join as a whole or let each member go their own way?
  • Do we join another congregation even as we wind down the various elements of 6 Locke St., thus giving members additional time for the transition?
• How do we dispose of the financial legacy of the congregation?
  • Donate it to the Unitarian Universalist Association?
  • Bring it with us to a congregation we join?
• Do we try to sell the building at 6 Locke St?
  • Perhaps we would bring that with us to the congregation we join?  What does that congregation want?
  • Donate the building to the Unitarian Universalist Association?
  • Even if we decide to sell the building and add the proceeds to our endowment, that process will take a long time.
• What do we do with our records, which are part of our history?  How do we ensure that this part of our legacy is not lost?
  • Donate it to a historical society?
  • Bring it with us to a congregation we join, because that history then becomes part of their history as well.
• What do we do with the contents of the building at 6 Locke St?
• How do we support our staff during the transition?
• Need to alert the renters regarding the fate of the building.

Bold Experimentation & Risk

If the congregation votes to stay open and try Bold Experimentation & Risk, many of the business decisions could look the same as those for Closure, especially if we opt to sell the building.  

The congregation would need to decide:

• Do we keep the building or sell it and rent space for our own meetings?
• If we opt to sell the building, can we afford a part-time minister?
• Do we link ourselves to another congregation in some way?
  • Which congregation?
  • What would that look like?
  • What aspects do we share and what do we keep separate?
• How do we start to find and communicate with other organizations with whom we will partner in order to be outward-facing?
• What will our worship look like?
  • Where will we worship?
  • Will we worship on Sunday mornings or some other time?
  • Who will lead our worship: lay-led and guest ministers? Part-time minister? Or, if we are joined in some fashion with another congregation, how would that affect worship?
  • Does worship take a different format?  More singing and music?  More rituals?  Do we sit in a circle rather than rows?  Do we worship outside?

The truly difficult decisions of Bold Experimentation & Risk are very different from those of Closure because they involve trying out different ways to seek out other organizations and discover how to intersect with them in ways that are mutually beneficial.  This is the outward-facing element, and we would need to continually evaluate how our efforts toward this end are going, make adjustments, discover new partner organizations, and try again.

I would also note that voting for Closure does not mean that we would not be able to experiment with outward-facing partnerships with other organizations.  This kind of energy and effort could be brought to any congregation we join, by individuals or as a merged congregation.

I strongly encourage you to think deeply about the options for our future and to imagine what either might look like.  Explore the materials available (see below), come to the discussions between now and the vote (see schedule below), and think about what you would be willing to do to implement the option for which you vote.

Peace and health,

Karin
 

Mid-Year Meeting /Discernment Presentation Recap

On Sunday January 22, the UUCiA held its mid-year congregational meeting followed by a presentation and discussion of the ongoing Discernment process. President Karin Fuog, who led the meeting, presented the congregation with two options – identified and explored by the Discernment Committee –  for moving forward beyond our current congregational year: 1) Bold Experimentation and Risk, or 2) Closure.
The meeting was called to order shortly after noon and was adjourned shortly after 2pm. In attendance were 31 members, including 9 remote attendees.
If you missed the meeting, we hope you’ll set aside an hour or two to review the following resources. Our Congregation’s future is now in your hands:

• Mid-Year Meeting Presentation (slides)
• Options for Our Future (slides)
  This slideshow includes links to potential budgets based on various scenarios, including if we sell the building and if we don’t sell the building. To access the Speaker Notes, click the dropdown arrow next to “Slideshow” in the upper right corner and select Presenter View.  When that opens in a separate window, you can enlarge it to fit the whole screen and then slide the divider between the slide and the speaker notes so that the font on each is big enough to read easily
  NOTE: If you’d like access to an interactive version of these potential budgets that enables you to plug in and compare different numbers for various budget lines, please email David at dgrober@gmail.com and he will send you a link to your very own Budget worksheet.
• A Zoom recording of the meeting (2 hours)  NOTE: As comments and questions from the audience are not audible, we made our best effort to summarize these at the lectern.
• Imagining Connection to Another Congregation 
• Have an idea or comment or question? PLEASE add it to our brainstorming doc.
• All Other Discernment Resources are in this Google Folder
• Do you still have questions? Please attend a Q&A session with Discernment committee members. Stop by one or more of the following sessions on Zoom or in person.
  — Mon January 30, 7-9 pm on Zoom LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85339112850?pwd=dm5MZWVlYVRHb3dNSklWeFdlQllGUT09
  — Wed February 1, 7 to 9 pm In-person at 6 Locke Street
  — Thu  February 2, 7 to 9 pm In-person at 6 Locke Street ANDon Zoom LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85339112850?pwd=dm5MZWVlYVRHb3dNSklWeFdlQllGUT09
  — Sat  February 4, 10 am to Noon on Zoom LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85339112850?pwd=dm5MZWVlYVRHb3dNSklWeFdlQllGUT09
  — Sun February 5, 11:30-12:30 pm In-person during Fellowship
  — Mon February 6, 7-9 pm on Zoom LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85339112850?pwd=dm5MZWVlYVRHb3dNSklWeFdlQllGUT09
  — Wed February 8, 7-9 pm on Zoom LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85339112850?pwd=dm5MZWVlYVRHb3dNSklWeFdlQllGUT09
  — Sat February 10am to Noon on Zoom LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85339112850?pwd=dm5MZWVlYVRHb3dNSklWeFdlQllGUT09
  — Sun February 12, 11:30-12:30 pm In-person during Fellowship

Printed versions of all the above resources will be supplied upon request and a few copies will be available at the back of the sanctuary.

Get Ready to Vote

The January 22 informational meeting was an opportunity for questions and discussions from attendees. No action or votes were taken at this meeting. A final vote on the future of the congregation will take place on Sunday, February 19, immediately following worship service and fellowship.
Only members of the Congregation will be able to vote, and all votes will be anonymous. You will be able to cast your anonymous vote in person OR remotely on February 19.
If you are not certain that you’ll be able to attend in person or virtually on February 19 and wish to cast your vote, the Board will provide you with a mail-in ballot. All members of the Board will be voting by mail-in ballot, and we will ensure that these mail-in ballots are also anonymous. To request a mail-in ballot, please complete this form ASAP.

Between now and February 19, all members of the Discernment Committee are available to discuss the process with you. Please refer to the schedule above for Zoom and in-person discussion times. Or, you are welcome to contact any of the Discernment Committee members anytime for a one-on-one discussion.
The Discernment Committee is:

• Chas Bicking chas.bicking@gmail.com  978-687-0754
• Molly Bicking mcbicking@gmail.com  978-687-0754
• Karin Fuog  karinfuog@gmail.com 240-429-8968 
• Rev Kali Fyre rev.kalifyre@gmail.com 603-289-0599.
• David Grober dgrober@gmail.com 978-885-0892 
• Marie Montgomery m_montgomery@verizon.net  781-507-6430

Thank you for your attention and involvement.

Sincerely,
The Discernment Committee, UUCiA
 

It is wonderful to be back together for our Sunday services. But as our congregation attendance has diminished the Congregational Family Committee has recommended the following changes at least temporarily.

1. After-service snacks provided by the hospitality person should be limited to crackers/cookies and carrots/grapes, plus a pint of half-and-half (for coffee). Anyone can bring additional food from home to add, but the point is to keep the offerings minimal so people will not feel burdened by agreeing to host. Coffee, tea and juice will still be available in the kitchen, provided by the Congregational Family Committee.

2. Any food brought for hospitality that is leftover must be brought home. Food left in the kitchen is a problem!

3. A signup sheet will be available on the board at the back of the sanctuary or you can sign up online right here.  People are encouraged to sign up for a Sunday and you may be asked. HOWEVER, IF NO ONE CAN BE FOUND TO DO HOSPITALITY, there will be no hospitality for that Sunday. Anyone attending is welcome to make coffee but must clean the pot and any cups used.

4. Hospitality will require one person, though you can recruit another if you feel you need help.

We are hopeful that our lovely tradition of after-service conversation can continue. 

Each year members and friends of UUCIA volunteer their time and energy to be available to meet with you and listen to your interests, needs and concerns for the congregation. This dialogue is essential to the well being of our congregation.  

The 5^th UU Principle: “The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large” asks us to honor our responsibility in the congregation’s democratic process by joining in the canvass dialog. Traditionally, this process was undertaken by members visiting each other in their homes to review our experiences and our hopes for the future. The electronic age and the Covid-19 era have challenged our availability and inclination to meet face to face for these conversations, but not the will to gather our collective wisdom. This year we offer home visits, phone conversations, or Zoom meeting opportunities for the canvass discourse. 

As a starting point, the Board would like to consider together these questions:

• What do you want/expect from participation in our congregation?

• How well are we meeting those wishes?

• What steps would help?

• How will you participate?

Please think about your answers so we can have an open discussion.

In advance of a discussion, you can let us know your thoughts here.

The canvass discussion will also bring you up to date on the congregation’s finances, answer your questions, and consider your financial commitment to UUCIA.

Here is a budget summary:

75% of our income comes directly from our Pledges. 

In 2021-2022, 32 households pledged a total of $64,820 for the year with a range of $50 to $550 per month.

As a member or friend of UUCIA,  carefully consider your ability to give and be a part of  reaching the target. Here is a summary of monthly giving levels suggested by the UU Congregation in Stafford, Texas.

A canvasser will be in touch in the next week or two.. If you are ready to pledge, you have the option of using our 5-Minute Pledge Form.

— The Stewardship Committee