From Suzanne Weinstein, Board President

If you attended the midyear meeting, you can ignore this column!

I want to share 3 things this month - progress on dismantling racism, building and grounds projects, and the 2024 pledge campaign.

First, I want to share what we are doing on racial justice. Our board priorities are the ministerial search, vision/mission, social action, and Program Council. You will notice that dismantling racism is not included for the first time in several years, except as a facet of social action. But that does not mean we are no longer addressing it. Nothing could be further than the truth. The truth is, building a beloved community is work that is never finished. 

The Black Lives Matter banner is on display. We have adopted the 8th principle. By these actions, we have professed our commitment to the work, and now we will focus on furthering the work. The board is consulting with the Racial Justice Committee to determine next steps in dismantling racism. We also hope to receive counsel from Paula Cole Jones, who is one of the authors of the 8th principle, and Nancy Palmer Jones (no relation), who co-wrote the book “Mistakes and Miracles,” about other UU congregations working to dismantle racism.  Rev. Palmer Jones will be here in 2 weeks to conduct the B4 (Breaking Barriers, Building Beliefs) workshop as part of the search process.

Secondly, I want to talk about some of the work on the building and grounds. I”m sure you’ve noticed the new roof and the new driveway. You may or may not have noticed that the parking lot has been prepped for sealing, and it will be sealed as soon as it gets warm enough in the spring. You all have been asking for these things for a long time. But the effort behind the projects is often unseen. That effort requires researching the contractors, reviewing proposals, making recommendations to the board, waiting for board approval and communicating with the contractors to get the work done. We have Andy Lau to thank for doing all of that work for these projects.

There are many other projects happening that we see the results of, but we don’t see happening.  We are getting very close to having electronic access to the front doors, several of the rooms have been painted, the artwork in the hallway has been changed, and the gardens have been cleaned up, to name a few. It would be difficult to try to name all the people involved, but it’s safe to say Bhakti is involved in many of them. To all the people involved in these projects -  know that your work is much appreciated. 

Finally, I want you to know that we have already begun planning for the 2024 pledge campaign! Co-chairs are Bob Andronici, Claudia Snyder, and Shelly Wilk. Sarah Diaz, Helen Dempsey and Cee Pollard have also agreed to reprise their roles from last year (and many years). And, of course, Martha Butler, is a vital part of the endeavor.