The Board meets on the third Thursday evening of each month at 6:30, generally in the Conference Room. All members of RVUUF are invited to attend. The Board Members for this church year are:

• Roger Howe, President
• Diane Werich, President-Elect
• John Limb, Treasurer
• Vida Taylor, Secretary
• Claire Clement
• Alex Lukacs
• Phil Westergaard

Please feel free to talk to any of us about any matter around the congregation that concerns you, or to express your appreciation for anything you think we are doing particularly well.

The Board met with Rev. Sean and members of the Committee on Fellowship Ministry (CFM) in June to start planning strategic activities for this church year. We chose to frame questions relating to the three statements in our mission slogan:

• Embrace Diversity: To embrace diversity we will learn how to identify and practice removing obstacles to full welcome and inclusion.
• Empower Connection: To empower connection, we will learn more about what a congregation connected within and beyond looks like and practice sustaining healthy community with joy, commitment, communication, and forgiveness.
• Engage in the Work: To engage in the work we will learn and apply our strengths to serve the common good and encourage one another.

It is the intent of the Board that these be undertaken as work and enquiry goals for the entire congregation during the coming year. We invite you to join us and learn with us as we explore these important issues.
Here are some of the things we are working on:

1. We will be continuing with the Soul Matters program of small group discussions centered on a monthly topic shared by the Worship Team in planning our Sunday Services. Interested? Contact Mary Rexford.
2. We were intending to be continuing the series of electronic conversations with Rev. Cat Cox on compassionate communication, however, Rev. Cox is taking a leave of absence and will not be available; we are searching for a suitable alternate (and there are a number to choose from). Interested? Contact Mary Rexford.
3. We have initiated a book study and discussion groups on racial oppression, centering on the books White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo and Centering, a compilation of essays by UU Ministers of color. We had our first meeting Saturday, October 26, and will be meeting again at 10:00 on Saturday, November 2. Interested? Contact Diane Werich.
4. We have encouraged Rev. Sean to set up a regular series of improvisational theater workshops – an opportunity to play and learn at the same time. The first one will be on Saturday, November 9, at 10:00 AM.
5. At GA this year, Roger attended a workshop about Lay Ministry. The UUA is working toward several pathways toward designation of Lay Ministers. As we work our way from a minister-centered ministry toward truly shared ministry, it seems that the creation of a lay minister program at RVUUF might be one of the steps along that path. Roger and Rev. Sean will be considering this during the year to clarify the issues and to frame questions we must answer on our way forward. Look forward to hearing more about this.
6. Last year, the Board and the CFM conducted a series of “town hall” meetings to ask questions about how to move forward. One answer we received, frequently, in all three sessions, was “we need to call Rev. Sean and get him settled here permanently.” The Board has convened a Discernment Task Force, whose job will be to assess the strength of this sentiment in the congregation. If you are a member of RVUUF, you should expect to talk to a member of the task force in the near future. Please provide your honest, thoughtful input to these people. They are gathering information that will be the basis of a very important decision for RVUUF. Task force members are: Manny DeAquino, Jim Meckel, Zoe Laidlaw, Joe Martone, Roy Kindell, Kate Cleland-Sipfle and Linden Crouch.

I want to share how it feels to be the Board President at this moment. Your Board Members are active, interested, intelligent, caring people. During our last Board Meeting, the room vibrated with the energy and creativity of a Board working toward an exciting, challenging and rewarding congregational year. I am immensely pleased. Good things are happening in this congregation, at the Board table, throughout the leadership structure, among our employees and throughout the congregation.

You are welcome here. Please join in.

Blessed be. May it be so. Ashe!

Roger Howe, Board President

PS. My September report was mislaid between being emailed to the Church Office and appearing in News to Note. I apologize. This month’s newsletter is a little longer than I would have liked because of the need to “catch up.” I hope to be writing monthly.