From Our President Archive
The topic of courage was introduced at our ingathering on September 7. On my card I wrote, “It takes courage to speak out when you are afraid.” I had an afterthought, which was, “It takes courage to listen when you are afraid.”
At our Board retreat on September 6, Roger Sorrow from Santa Barbara conducted a workshop on non-violent communication (NVC), also referred to as compassionate or collaborative communication. NVC recognizes shared needs and values and is a way to communicate that leads to connection and peace. As a congregation, bound in covenant with each other, we all have the opportunity to speak out, but we can learn tools that will help us to listen to our own hearts and to each other.
I am writing this on my way to French Polynesia, accompanying Ned to Pacific 2014, a conference on astro-particle physics. Did you know that the University of California runs the Gump research facility on Cook’s Bay on the island of Moorea?
— Patricia Wright
“Policy Governance is a fundamental redesign of church management. It calls on a board to focus on the organization’s vision and goals rather than minutia, and to give staff more freedom in making decisions.”
Whoa, that would make me stop and think and ask questions!
Perhaps you recall my mentioning Policy Governance in my “inaugural” speech at the Annual Meeting. I mentioned it as a process that might benefit our congregation as we go forward. We can take pride in our accomplishments, thanks to the united effort of our leadership and congregants. It is now an auspicious time to reflect on serving our mission in the best way possible.
At the time of the Annual Meeting, I had only just been introduced to the concept but it made sense to me and also seemed inspirational. Leadership roles are carefully defined: Oversight belongs to the Board; Management is the staff’s sphere; Discernment (i.e., articulating mission and vision) and strategy (i.e., making the big choices) are shared with the Board, staff, and congregation.
I began by reading “Reinventing Your Board” by John and Miriam Carver, the authors of the formal model for Policy Governance, also known as the Carver model. The model is intended to apply to all non-profit boards and is written as such, so it must be interpreted for UU churches. At General Assembly, I talked to congregations who had implemented Policy Governance (including the UUA) or were in the process of doing so. I also got some useful feedback from our district representatives and was introduced to “Governance and Ministry; Rethinking Board Leadership” by Dan Hotchkiss, a UU minister. The latter is far better for our purposes.
The Board is in a process of education that will proceed slowly with careful deliberation and with help from the district. Currently, the Board is educating itself by reading and discussing the Hotchkiss book. Ultimately a change in the way we do things will only happen by a vote of the congregation, but I feel that we will benefit from the process no matter what.
Many ask me what Policy Governance is. It is difficult to articulate a succinct statement that really explains it, so I offer you a gift. If you are interested in Policy Governance as it might apply to our church, I will happily give you a copy of Dan Hotchkiss’s book that you may keep, underline, and annotate as you wish. I hope it will inspire dialog and good ideas. Please contact me if you are interested.
I’ll be keeping you informed as we go forward. Honestly I am excited about where this effort will take us!
— Patricia Wright
I want to convey my experience at the UUA 53rd General Assembly in Providence, RI, from Wednesday, June 25, to Sunday, June 29. It was my first GA, coming at a good time with my inauguration as UU Santa Monica Board President. GA lived up to its description as “really something.” There were ~4,600 Unitarian Universalists attending, of which six came from our own congregation. This year’s theme was “Love Reaches Out,” a commitment to share our faith within and beyond our walls, and it showed. Adjacent to the Providence Convention Center was the Dunkin' Donuts Center with its high capacity Dunk Arena. I attended the welcoming celebration with the banner parade on Wednesday and the Worship Witness leading to WaterFire on Saturday.
The Worship Witness was led by Sanctuary Boston, a new young vibrant movement grounded in UU principles.
On WaterFire evenings, downtown Providence is transformed by one hundred bonfires that burn just above the surface of the three rivers that pass through the middle of downtown Providence. The UUA sponsored Saturday’s WaterFire with thousands of UUs migrating to the river, wearing ”Standing On the Side of Love” yellow t-shirts.
Between Wednesday and Saturday there were myriad workshops and UUA business to attend to. People were welcoming and friendly, as well as impressive in their dedication to UU principles and their congregations. I was impressed and inspired (maybe a bit overwhelmed too). I was also introduced to the wealth of resources in the UUA and our district that I want to take advantage of.
Rick and Peggy Rhoads contributed this response: “The GA selected ‘Escalating Inequality’ as the congregational study/action issue for the next four years. The issue was described as follows: ‘Upward mobility — the American Dream — has become a myth.
Concentration of wealth and power has skyrocketed. King’s dream of justice and equality has fractured. Half of all Americans are impoverished or struggling, as the middle class shrinks and billionaires take the profits.
Where’s our commitment to the Common Good?’ We (Peggy and Rick) think that implementing this study/
action issue in our congregation gives all of us plenty of work to do.”
Next year’s UU GA will be in Portland, OR. I would like to invite people from our congregation to attend. I would also like to see us plan ahead to take maximum advantage of workshops and maybe meet in a dedicated space every day at GA to share what we learned.
— Patricia Wright
Thank you again for the opportunity to serve as your president. Amidst what will no doubt be challenges ahead of me, I will do the best job I can and expect/hope to learn and grow from the experience. Fortunately, I do not have to do it alone!
In addition to the responsibilities of my role, I want to participate in church events as much as I can, some of which will be new to me. So far … In addition to the May 27 Executive Committee and the June 10 board meeting, I joined a small but dedicated group at the Saturday, June 7, work party and marched with our congregation in the Gay Pride parade on Sunday, June 8. After the march with some time to kill, my husband Ned and I visited the Gay Pride Festival. The Lutherans and the Catholics had booths. Maybe next year the Unitarians will have a booth! I also attended the bi-weekly Building Committee on Wednesday, June 11. By the time this article is published, I will have attended General Assembly in Providence, RI. Unfortunately, I will also have missed the June 22 celebration of the office renovation and the pergola wall, both of which are beautiful. A celebration in Chicago of our soon-to-be grandchild is the reason.
My overwhelming impression is that people in our congregation are working very hard and are passionate about what they are doing. The amount of work that goes into any activity or event isn’t always apparent. The Building Committee, for one, has been going full tilt for years. There is still a wish list of 20 items, some large and some small. The items on the list have come from the congregation’s visioning and from the Building Committee itself. An elevator at Forbes Hall is on the list. Accessibility is the great equalizer. We have made strides in making our campus accessible, but more is needed.There is always more work to do. I hope that we can work together as a congregation to make our wishes come true.
— Patricia Wright
These are notes from the May 18 Annual Meeting.
Today is May 19, and I am relieved that our business was accomplished. The day started when nine young people participated in the Coming of Age service. They had many guests attending — family and friends to wish them well. The service was absolutely inspiring. For me, there is no better way to focus on our true purposes here. We had cake, and also an excellent brunch, created and served by the Thursday morning Small Group Ministry participants. It was a lovely day to be on the patio.
The Annual Meeting was well attended, with 103 people present at the start. All candidates for office were elected. The balloting included 91 regular, 5 absentee and 19 proxy ballots. Rev. Rebecca Bijur gave her report and I gave mine. Then Kit Shaw gave the treasurer’s report, discussing reasons for the $71,000 projected deficit.
These include salary increases, the intern minister, web development, increases in dues to PSWD and an increase in the generous congregation percentage to 60%, and increased cleaning expenses due to increased rentals. There were many strong feelings about the budget, both positive and negative. Some felt more detailed information should have been sent out ahead of time. Some felt the budget should not be approved. Some argued this budget is acceptable: the Board had already approved it, it supports our current staff and programs, and we have more than adequate funds in the bank. An amendment was offered to create a Committee on Money to be chosen by the nominating committee. (The Board had already passed a motion in March to create a Committee on Money with the same mission, but it was to be appointed by the minister, the president and the incoming president). A point of order was raised, and the president and parliamentarian agreed that this amendment did not pertain to the motion on the floor (the budget) and would not be accepted. A little while later a second amendment was offered to allocate $1000 to a Committee on Money. This amendment was debated and ultimately passed by a vote of 50 to 34.
During the break that was created by the need to write out the amendment, Rev. Rebecca announced the sad news that Sylvia Berke had just died. The budget resolution passed 85 yes, 14 no, 3 abstentions. The Sanctuary Lighting resolution was discussed and also passed with 68 yes, 7 no. A more detailed discussion of the sanctuary lighting plans will be presented in a future newsletter.
It has been a rich experience to serve as your president. I have known Patricia Wright since our babies (now adults) were in the nursery, and I know she will do an excellent job going forward.
See you in church,
— Cynthia Cottam
May Day, when I was a little girl, was a day when we made little bouquets of flowers and left them on our neighbors’ doorsteps. This custom must have originated with my mother, and I have never heard of anyone else doing it. It definitely seems to come from a different time and place, and it is a happy memory for me, full of the joy of spring and the surprises it delivers. May was also the month of my favorite church Sunday of the year — flower communion. Here in Southern California, we are used to having flowers all the time, but for me, after living through a long, cold Wisconsin winter, flowers seemed incredibly beautiful and exciting. Each congregant brought a flower to share and took home a different one. I took two of my children back to Wisconsin to hold their naming services on flower Sunday. This year, around the time the Madison Unitarians are having flower communion, I will be chairing our May 18 Annual Meeting.
I do not associate the Annual Meeting with flowers, but I do consider it to be special and important. It is the
embodiment of our fifth principle: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our
congregations and in our society at large. It is our chance to come together as one body to govern our community. We will elect our officers and members of the Board of Directors. We will review and approve a budget. We will hear the story of our building project and review its budget. We will vote to approve (or not) additional funds to complete the final phase of this project: replacement of electrical wiring and new lighting for the sanctuary. We will hear reports on the year from our minister, our treasurer, and our outgoing and incoming presidents. We will hear comments from the members of the church.
May 18 is also Coming of Age Sunday, and our youth will lead one service at 9 a.m. This is always a wonderful
service, and I encourage you to brave the early morning to experience it. There will only be this one service for this Sunday. Following the service, brunch will be available for purchase, provided by one of our small group ministry groups. The Annual Meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. I hope to see you there. It means a great deal to me to see you all in the sanctuary, participating in the care of our church. When the meeting is over, I will be your Past President, and will have turned over the responsibilities of the office. No doubt I will breathe a sigh of relief. I plan to go outside and smell the flowers.
See you at the meeting,
Cynthia Cottam
So much is happening at church these days, and I am amazed and inspired by the energy and dedication of the many people who are responsible. Your Board of Directors held the visioning town hall meeting on February 23, and 65 people came to listen and speak about their hopes for the future of our community. I described the visioning process. Rebecca Crawford described the history and work of the Long Range Planning Committee and the Vision Budget that was passed just before the great recession cancelled many of those plans. One of the provisions of the Vision Budget was the gradual funding of a Coordinator of Congregational Life, an idea that rose again several times during the visioning meetings. Bronwen Jones spoke about recurring messages from the meetings—the desire for greater connections among the members of the congregation and for opportunities to give service to the world we live in. The Rev. Rebecca Bijur spoke of her personal goals for the future: growth (in its many aspects), outreach to our wider community, our covenant, our relationships with one another, and our faith. Members of the congregation spoke about issues that are most important to them. We were encouraged to support the UU Justice Ministry and Interweave activities. People spoke about the accessibility of our campus for people with disabilities and encouraged that we consider building an elevator for Forbes. Several people spoke about money. Ideas expressed include: fund an endowment; increase the minister’s equity sharing fund (to help a minister purchase a home) from $200,000 to $300,000; create an ad hoc committee to research and recommend the percentage of reserves that can prudently be used each year to fund the operating budget.
The Board of Directors has responded to the meeting by charging the president (me), the minister, and the incoming president with appointing a Committee on Money to research and consider the possible uses of our large bequests from Drew Still and Judy Federick. We will soon be receiving the final payment from the Drew Still estate and are making progress on finalizing the Federick bequest. Ultimately, we will hold a congregational business meeting to make some decisions about the use of these funds.
As you know, one use of this money, directed by Drew Still in his will, is our building project, which has seen great progress in the past month. The plans are in place for our staff to move into their new offices by the time you read this message. Our pergola wall along the Arizona perimeter is also rapidly nearing completion. Be sure to notice and enjoy these beautiful changes to our campus.
Add to these projects our recently completed fundraising pledge drive and our Dining for Dollars auction, each the work of an incredible group of volunteers, and you can see why leadership at UU Santa Monica has been busy. And that doesn’t even mention the classes, the speakers, the music, the small groups, the justice work, the worship services that take place every week at 18th and Arizona.
Feeling fortunate,
— Cynthia Cottam
When I first became president, almost two years ago, I thought that perhaps the main job of my presidency would be to replace the roof. That seems so long ago. Strangely, there has been hardly a drop of water falling onto that new roof — no chance to be so happy that it doesn’t leak. If I have anything to do with that, I apologize. I can’t wait to see what will happen when we finish our current project. Maybe locusts will carry off the office staff.
We will just have to risk it, because very soon, the offices will be complete. There will be no lead paint. The sanctuary wall and the south wall will both be insulated with non-toxic material made out of old denim. The offices will be warmer in the winter, and cooler in the summer, and hopefully the sanctuary will be also.
There will be beautiful new windows, historically correct, but modern and energy efficient. There will be plywood on the outer walls and a subfloor. These are both new to our building. You won’t see them, but they provide increased structural integrity. The structural integrity of the sanctuary wall has also been improved with a series of special bolts. There will be new drywall, plaster, and paint on both office walls, since the old wall coverings had to be removed because of the damage encountered during construction. The sanctuary wall has been patched and repainted. There will be a new hardwood floor in the office, also necessitated by unexpected damage to the old.
There will be new lighting and new electrical wiring, including the wiring and connections necessary for an office in the age of the internet. New furniture will be installed, making more efficient use of space and the opportunity
for more ergonomic work stations for our staff.
By the time you read this, work will have begun on the pergola, the structure that will take the place of our ivy fence and form the southern perimeter of our property. Eventually, the pergola will enclose our memory garden.
This work has gone on behind closed curtains for the most part, but soon there will be change that you can see. Bryan Oakes and Beth Brownlie have done incredible work bringing this project forward. Beth has actually been on site almost every day. There are more details to attend to than you can even imagine. We will all benefit for years to come from their incredible generosity.
In gratitude and anticipation,
— Cynthia Cottam
Your board is hard at work reviewing the visioning materials and discussing goals for the future. We plan to discuss them with you at a Town Hall Meeting on Sunday, February 23, at 12:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Please join us then.
As I think about my own goals for the church, I realize that, for me, it really comes down to one thing — I want the church to thrive. I want it to be a living, breathing organism that takes care of itself and its body parts. I want it to develop and change and impact the world around it, hopefully for the good. I want it to grow, not necessarily by adding on pounds or budding into multiples of itself, but by learning and failing and succeeding and becoming gradually more effective at being its true self.
I am certain that one critical action I can perform to aid in the success of this goal is to support the vision and goals of my minister. The minister has more access to the big picture of Unitarian Universalism in the wider world. The minister has the job of tending to the big picture of the congregation — the concerns and needs of everyone — in a way that the rest of us rarely accomplish. Leadership is important. We must care about supporting our leaders. Questioning authority is fine, but it has its limits. It is important to keep true to our UU principles, to hold our democratic discussions, and then to come together as one, joining with the majority to keep on moving forward.
On any given day, of course, I want smaller things, just like everyone else. I began my presidency wanting to help us communicate with each other in a kinder and more respectful way. I still want that. I would like us to be more effective at caring for one another and at involving each other in life-affirming activities.
I would like to successfully complete our building projects and perform some deferred maintenance to our physical plant. The good news in that department is that we have permits for the office and the new Arizona wall, and inspections are proceeding. If everything goes forward without further unforeseen problems, we should move back into the offices in early March.
Come to the Town Hall Meeting. I look forward to imagining our bright future with you.
— Cynthia Cottam
The year has turned, and if I were back home in Wisconsin, we would be in the deep of winter. So I begin the year grateful for the warm sun of the southern latitudes. Not everyone feels this way; my husband actually loves a good chill, a pile of snow, a winter slope to ski on. This might be a good metaphor for our visioning process. We agree that we all enjoy being together. We want to share our lives together more deeply. We enjoyed gathering together to talk about our experiences of church and our aspirations for our future together. Still, we don’t agree about everything; in fact, there are probably no details of our life together on which we agree completely. We have lots of interesting ideas, but there is no burning issue among us and no clear direction towards which we wish to turn. Over the next two months, your Board will be formulating two goals to present and discuss with you at a Town Hall meeting on Sunday, February 23. The meeting will take place at 1 p.m. in the Sanctuary following the conclusion of Dining for Dollars bidding. There are many Sunday scheduling conflicts this time of year, and I apologize in advance for these inconveniences. Still, I look forward to beginning this discussion with you.
Our building project is currently in a waiting phase; I am hoping that the 12th Day of Christmas will bring us a new building permit from the City of Santa Monica. As the south wall of the sanctuary building was opened for installation of the new windows, we discovered that the wall and 6 feet of the floor beneath it were badly damaged by termites and water, requiring removal and rebuilding. If you look through the holes in the ivy, you will see that there are only studs and plastic separating the office from the elements. The wall had to be rebuilt according to current earthquake code, and we are required to obtain a new, all-inclusive permit for the wall, windows, and electrical work we are doing. We will also need a special inspection. This process may take a while, especially considering the delays of the holiday season. Once work begins again, it should go fairly quickly. This was a large, unforeseen condition and will not be repaired within the cost of the original budget. On the bright side, if we have a really bad earthquake, perhaps we will have one standing wall. That is a joke, perhaps not to everyone’s taste (see paragraph one above), but humor helps me keep things in perspective.
Wishing you all a jolly start to the New Year.
— Cynthia Cottam