February 2016   
New England Region UUA
Massachusetts Bay District Annual Meeting - April 23, 2016

Dear Massachusetts Bay District Member Congregations and Friends,
 
Many people have been wondering about what is going to be proposed at the Massachusetts Bay District Annual Meeting on April 23rd, 2016. Please look for information about these proposed changes to our District structure throughout the spring, including upcoming spring webinars where you will be able to connect with MBD board members. 
 
Below are a few Frequently Asked Questions about dissolving the district. Click HERE to read the full list of FAQs.

Q: Why are you recommending dissolving the district?

A: Our shared theology of interdependence as Unitarian Universalist congregations has evolved over time, and so too must the forms of our interdependence and the ways we live our covenant in practice. We no longer live in a time where districts are as involved in denominational governance or staff oversight as they once were.

Over the past few years, we've come to see borders between Districts as permeable. The Massachusetts Bay District (MBD) Board began meeting with the Clara Barton District Board, and started sharing District staff, and thereby discovered shared connections and greater efficiencies. Like some other District boards around the country, we concluded that our UUA was better equipped to supervise and evaluate District staff than a volunteer board, so we decided to suspend our governance role. 

Additionally, the District Board has adopted the UUA ENDS, and our UUA has moved to an at-large model of board leadership, rather than having representatives from each district. These changes reflect a desire to free volunteer leaders to do more ministry than governance within our denomination, as well as create a more efficient, accountable, and mutually supportive structure of our interdependence so that we can better live our faith in the world. In essence, the Board had worked itself out of a job.

Reflecting the new reality of regionalization, the 2015 annual meeting passed a motion urging the Mass Bay District Board to research the dissolution of the MBD and report back at the 2016 annual meeting. A primary question before the Board this year has been, "Do we as a volunteer Board have the capacity to make a meaningful difference in the Mass Bay District?" We have concluded that the current structure of District and Board no longer serve the purposes for which we were created.

Q: Who is making the decision?

A: We all are -- and we need your help! Become a delegate from your congregation to the 2016 Annual Meeting, which will be held from 9 am-1 pm on April 23, 2016, at the First Parish in Lexington.  REGISTER NOW

Q: What has the process been to arrive at this place?

A: This conversation has been evolving over the past few years. The question of dissolution has been discussed at the past two Annual Meetings. Before that, the Board began exploring what its role might be, once it ceased to co-employ District staff with our UUA. We wondered if the Board might serve as a connector between congregations, and have hosted several gatherings of leaders from across the District to explore that option. But we have come to realize that a volunteer Board doesn't have the time or energy to create and sustain programs at the District level, and that our congregations are benefiting from excellent regional programming from our New England Region.
 
In faith,

The Massachusetts Bay District Board of Directors
 
Rev. Heather Concannon, President (Sherborn)
Rev. Frank Clarkson, Vice President (Haverhill)
Melinda Collins, Secretary (Milton)
Jim Staton, Treasurer (Belmont)
Kiki Giatis (Arlington)
Art Nava  (Arlington Street)
Jackie Rohan (Newton)
David Ropeik (Concord)

***************************************** 
The New England Regional staff has recently updated our contact list with District names for each contact; but we realize that people move and information changes over time. If you are a member of a different District, please contact New England Region Administrator Joy Blanchette to update your Congregation and District name. Thank you!
617.948.6415