The recent meeting of the Board of Directors of the Unitarian Universalist Society for Community Ministries was my last meeting as President. Instead of our normal Board meeting in June, UUSCM will hold its online Annual Meeting. At that meeting I will pass the gavel to the Rev. Cat Cox, the incoming President. I have had the maximum allowed two terms in office and will be rotating off the Board at that meeting.
In my final President's Report I will say a formal leave-taking and summarize my thoughts about the past six years, but folks, it's been a blast. In my two terms I have worked with some wonderful people and am very pleased with what we have been able to get done. I look forward to seeing what the leadership will be able to accomplish, and they have my full confidence.
For myself, I reach 65 years of age in a few weeks. While I am not the sort of person who will ever completely retire, it is time for me to release some things.
I have taken lifetime membership with the Association of Professional Chaplains and moved into retired Board Certified Status this past year. The free time that will return to me when no longer UUSCM President will be invested in my spiritual life as I have been invited to train for an advanced level in my martial art. Accordingly, while I will remain a loyal member of UUSCM my plan is to step back from involvement in Unitarian Universalism at the national level. I will remain active with my own ministry and with my congregational affiliation, but will try to keep my activities local.
At our last meeting the Board heard a report about the recent Financial Sustainability Summit held by the Unitarian Universalist Association, and did a lot of work to finalize our presence at the General Assembly of the UUA in June. We also approved proceeding with an overhaul to the UUSCM website with Director Lincoln Statler in charge of that change.
The UUSCM website isn't just a website. It is actually the front end to an online organizational management system. Behind the interface that you see when you log on there is an entire "back office" end that only UUSCM leadership can see. The site handles our accounting, membership, dues and credit card processing, registration for events and much more. All the back office functions will remain, but we are hiring a specialist who customizes the front end that the public can see. What we have now is a very basic interface that was the best we could do when we built the site years ago, but these days people expect an easier-to-use and more professional appearance. This will provide that. I can't wait to see it when it is done.
Let me close by inviting you all to consider attending our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, June 8, 2016, at 7 pm Eastern, 6 pm Central and 4 pm Pacific Time, by video software. If you want to attend send our Administrator,
Amanda an email and she'll put you on the list.
Let me close this final column by saying that it's been a privilege to have served you all as President. I will hold you all in my prayers for your professional and personal success. I think the best is yet ahead for UUSCM and I look forward to seeing it manifest.
