Message from Your President (January 2017)

Greetings and Happy New Year to All!

It seems every time I sit down to write this column, I have very recently had the pleasure of attending a meaningful event or service at BUUF. Last month it was the Thanksgiving dinner where we welcomed refugee families as special guests. This month, I attended both the Winter Solstice service and our beautiful Christmas Even service. Both services provided me the opportunity to contemplate what to leave behind and what to hope and work for in the coming year. Many thanks to all the people at BUUF who work very hard to make these events and services possible. I hope they bless and enrich your lives as much as they do mine.
Board Business Updates:

The board is very grateful to the Governance Task Force for the good work they are doing to draft a governance policy manual to guide BUUF leaders. They have made tremendous progress and are giving each policy careful contemplation and thought. At our November meeting, the Board voted unanimously to adopt the following Philosophy of Governance statement which they recommended:

Using democratic processes, the membership of the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (BUUF) elects a Board of Directors to function as its governing body and the membership calls a Minister to serve as BUUF’s spiritual, programmatic, and administrative leader. Together the Board of Directors and the Minister work to help the Fellowship follow its mission and vision. The Board of Directors, led by the President, is responsible for the long-term mission and well-being of the congregation through the creation and adoption of governance policies. The paid and volunteer staff, led by the Minister, is responsible for the operational decisions, adopting administrative policies and procedures, and allocating congregational resources except as specifically limited by these policies.
Adopting this philosophy of governance is a big step forward for the Board and for BUUF. This is a way for us to officially acknowledge the importance of the Board for big-picture, mission and vision directed work – and to provide freedom and permission for Rev. Sara, BUUF staff, and lay leaders to conduct the important day-to-day business of the congregation. We hope and plan to adopt additional governance policies throughout the rest of the program year.

We have also discussed a desire to increase our congregation’s connections to the UUA and involvement in denominational affairs and will be planning events and ways to help everyone learn more about opportunities for involvement. I hope each of you will take some time to review information about this year’s UUA Presidential Election. You can find information about the candidates and the process on this website

There is an opportunity to meet the candidates in person at the 2017 PNWD District Assembly, scheduled for February 25th in Eugene, OR. We hope several members and friends might consider taking a road trip to take advantage of this great opportunity. Keep watching newsletters and announcements for additional details.

As always, I want to express my sincere thanks to each of you for the contributions you make, large and small, that help make BUUF a beloved community. Here’s hoping for a new year filled with love, peace, hope, and justice.