May 2021
In this final article for the newsletter as your president, I welcome this opportunity to give a great big “shout out” to the members of your Board of Trustees for their phenomenal work this year:
Jerry Wagnon (past president)
Pam Johnson (President-Elect)
Deb Wilson (Treasurer)
Alice Scott (Secretary)
Rev. Christian (Minister)
At-large members:
Richard Imlay
Maya Lazarus
Rob McGeachin
Josh Wilkinson
Each provided their expertise and wisdom in their unique ways as we worked on the five congregational goals established as a result of the start-up session with Rev. Christian in August of last year. I’ll provide a more detailed report on our progress on these goals in the annual report which will be available in time for our congregational meeting on May 23 (at noon).
Perhaps the greatest contribution was that of their time. The Board met twice as many times as previous boards, meeting four hours a month over two evenings. In addition to the start-up session, they attended and participated in a Board orientation meeting and a Board retreat. Throughout the year they completed a self-paced 12-session leadership training provided by the UUA and shared their “takeaways” during meetings.
In addition, we hosted two congregation town hall meetings to share information and welcome your feedback. We held a congregational meeting in November of last year to provide an update on our building construction and to request congregational members to authorize spending up to $2M on our new home.
Many hours were spent preparing for each of these gatherings. Board members met the challenges, working in covenant together with open minds and deep respect for each other and the work we were called to do.
From the deepest part of my heart, I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead our congregation with this phenomenal Board. Without the commitment and dedication of each member, we would not have been able to make strides toward reaching our goals.
One last thank you to each of you who participated in the work of the church -- as volunteers in our many ministries, by providing your ideas, suggestions, and concerns, and for your financial support. There would be no Brazos UU without YOU.
Blessings,
Gaye