It is time to practice democracy

Our Annual Business Meeting on May 18 is of particularimportance:

Transparency and Building

We plan to start building this summer.

In the interim, information will be cascading over us sothat we can make decisions about what we build. The finaldecision will be made at a Congregational Meeting onMarch 30 after the second service.

The Congregational Concerns Committee is schedulinginformation, question, and input meetings. These meetingswill be on Sunday, March 9, at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in theMathews Library.

Announcements will appear regularly in the newsletterand the order of service.

Until it disappears, the bulletin board on the south wallof Forbes Hall will provide announcements, meeting notes,financial data, and current plans. Members of the NewBuilding Committee will be available to answer questionsand take your comments.

You may also join the Board of Directors e-mail list onwhich information passes and discussion ensues. To subscribe,contact Carol Agate.

One part of democracy is the transparency of processand information; the other part is working to be informed.I invite you to do your part: Work to keep yourselfinformed. Informed voting is the foundation of good democraticprocess.

When we unite as a community to achieve a goal, weare a capable and formidable group. Join in now.

With appreciation for what we are and for what we willbecome,

- Ron Crane

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

On doing that which we do best...

A new year (at least one of several culturalnew years) is upon us.

Adventures and making memories await us.We have much to do: building edifices, supportingmusic and religious exploration, actingon our Faith in Action, welcoming people,caring for our hurt and ailing, loving ourfriends and loving those we don't always findso friendly.

As we progress through the coming year,let's do that which we do best: sharing ouremotions and intellect through spirited discourse,and once decisions are made, cometogether to support these decisions - especiallythe ones with which we don't agree.

It's easy to practice democracy as a decision-making process. It's not easy to continuepracticing democracy when we find ourselvesin the minority of a decision.

I'm going to give special effort this year tosupport with enthusiasm any decisions wemake, with especial attention to those withwhich I disagreed.

I believe this will enhance life.

Will you join me?

For what we are and what we will become.

-- Ron Crane

Thank you for the opportunity to serve aspresident of the Board of Directors.

For the next few years we're in for aunique experience:

1. We're going to be displaced and find thingsmisplaced. The Forbes Hall complex as we know itis coming down.

2. We'll be crowded, inconvenienced,challenged to practice patience, and we'll have aparticularly profound opportunity to get to knowour community in a close and meaningful way.

3. We are going to see the rise of a neweducation building and social hall that will providean environment for our youth that is equal to thequality of educational experience and educators wecurrently provide our youth.

4. We are going to experience growth. There hasbeen discussion about the need to be cautiousduring our building program because of potentialloss of income and membership. WRONG! Duringthe next two years I expect us to grow new andadditional members each year. It is not time to"hunker down" for an impending recession ofattendance; it is a time to bring more members intoour growing and viable community in order thatthey may participate in "Building our Community."

5. About this "community thing." We readilyacknowledge that it takes "a whole village to raise achild." We don't as readily acknowledge that it takesa community to give purpose, support, and comfortto an adult. We are about being that type ofcommunity that supports and comforts and givespurpose.

We are a healthy community:

When Peter Hendricksen consulted with ushe told the Finance committee that weare a Healthy Community. He did asktwo questions for consideration: "Why has yourmembership growth paused?" and "Why have youlet finance lead and determine your mission whenyou have such a large reserve?"

1. Our programs are substantial and growing:

a. RE continually renews itself to meet changing youthneeds. We have one of the few OWL programs that offers acontinuum of education concerning sexuality andrelationships from childhood to adulthood (thank you, BethRendeiro).

b. Covenant groups continue to sprout from the originalplantings. They also provide an entry for new members tobecome a part of the community. TAG is living up to itsmiddle name - The Action Group.

c. Marv Pulliam (in work for the Transition Committee)has compiled a spreadsheet of 41 in-house meetings andgroups utilizing space. This doesn't include the outsidegroups we support such as AA.

d. Have you listened to the choir lately? Has Louistouched your toes and made them dance on the floor? HasSteve Wight touched your soul with sound? Enough said.

e. Faith in Action: simply put, there is too much tomention by name. We have a history of service tocommunity. We have a desire to both continue and expandthat service. When I'm asked why I put time, energy, andmoney into that "Little Unitarian Place on Arizona" I have ashort elevator speech: "That Little Unitarian Place onArizona lets me HELP CHANGE THE WORLD."

2. We have raised $2,400,000 for our capitalcampaign.

We will raise another $500,000 to complete phase two.We have savings and reserves in the area of a half-milliondollars. We have a stewardship program that is viable andprofessional to provide for our financial growth. We haveLong Range Planning to provide for congregational growthand nurturance. We aren't a rich church with millions inendowment, but we are a financially healthy church. (Whenyou think healthy financials, think forty years of WarrenMathews.) When you think the continuation of healthyfinancials, think of yourself. Think of what we can do as acommunity that we could never do as individuals.

3. Our Staff:

a. With the passage of the '07-'08 budget we set thefoundation for a staff that can support our efforts. We usedto rely on the good services of volunteers to do almosteverything about the administration of the community. Welive in changed times. Most families have both parentsworking or are single-parent. There is no longer the volun-"2007 5teer time available that has been the salvation of a smallcommunity. So, we're lucky to attract and hire exceptionalprofessional people to staff our community needs.Changes in our administrative structure will let us trainand keep people rather than train them and burn themout. Don't think volunteerism has ended. A quick look atthe volunteer time given by professionals to the buildingprogram shows nearly a half-million dollars in volunteertime - so far. If all 450 members volunteered two hoursper week, the 900 hours would be the equivalent of 22full-time staff persons. Imagine what we could accomplishwith 22 additional staff members.

b. About Judith - aka the Reverend Judith Meyer: Sheis our shepherd! She is compassion, intellect, and grace.One of the few times that I use the term "we are blessed"is when I consider how blessed we are to have Judith asour minister.

4. US (you is us and us is you) or some of thecomponents of UU-ness that make us tick:

a. Creativity - when I see the ideas and action thatresult from democratic consideration of our issues I havehope for the rest of the world. Creativity flourishes in afree atmosphere and dies in oligarchy.

b. Spirituality - building your own theology is acourse in developing of your personal theology. Ourcommunity is the place where we put that personaltheology into practice, discover flaws in its design, andhave the opportunity to try again. We don't demandagreement of others, but we do share that which touchestheir mind and soul so that we might all grow.

c. The democratic process is a crucial element of ourcommunity. Democracy works only when peopleparticipate in its process. "Bad programs and policies areadopted by good people who don't listen and don't vote."Transparency is also an essential element of democracy. IfI get expedient rather than inclusive, please let me know.Talk to me and other members of the Board of Directors.We are the elected representatives of you.

d. Children and youth keep us from getting tooarrogant. Interaction between age groups is needed tokeep the wisdom flowing both ways. The recent YRUUSunday was not well attended. Why? The program thatday was an insight into NOW - communication andissues. Our youth are leading us. They are ahead of us.Eleanor Egan's sponsorship of the UN delegateexperience has our youth telling us what needs to bedone about cooperation in the world. Some of us arelistening, but are we taking action?

e. Celebrating diversity - we are a WelcomingCongregation. We need to move to being a celebratingcongregation to celebrate all forms of diversity. There's agood chance that if you're sitting in this sanctuary todayyou have been identified as "a different" - you know,that talk among others that "he" or "she" is different fromthe rest of us. In whatever form you experienced being "adifferent" you now know the importance of findingothers who will celebrate that difference. Try "that littleUnitarian place on Arizona Avenue."

f. Promoting sustainability (remember litter) - teachthe kids and they will teach adults. Practice sustainabilityin front of the kids and they will learn to teach us.

g. Peace - we're in a war. War doesn't work. I've beento one. I know. We have so much to do. How do we find avisible voice to share the knowledge we have about theefficacy of Peace? I don't know the answer to thisquestion. Perhaps together we will find a stronger voice.

5. What now and tomorrow?

a. We're going to build environmentally sustainable,aesthetically pleasing people and edifices.

b. We are going to work together, share together, playtogether, and of course eat together. We have theopportunity to belong in a world that makes connectingmore and more difficult.

c. I hope you go home today thinking (1) How canwe do all of the things Ron was talking about? and (2)What am I going to do to make them happen?

d. Above all else: my greatest desire is that each of uscare for others, support others, create with others, sharewith others, and love others. In doing those five thingswe can change a world.

e. Christopher Columbus is not one of my all timefavorite heroes. He did do one thing I admire. He madeone very big mistake. His entire premise about findingIndia by sailing west was never achieved. He discoveredonly a new world. Perhaps our mistakes have equalpotential.

f. To quote the Rev. Judith Meyer: "Grow and learnand make the world a better place."So be it.

- Ron Crane