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�UUCR Spring

Town Hall

March 16, 2025

Oct 13, 2024

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Agenda

  • Welcome – Kent Hancock
  • Opening Words – Julia Earp
  • Articles of Incorporation Update – John Miles
  • Bylaw Update – Fran Lowe & Tim McLaughlin
  • Endowment Update – Karl Irikura
  • April 6 Town Hall Preview – Ellen Rohan
  • Open Discussion – Ken Ambrose
  • Closing Words – Mark Shannon

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ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION UPDATE

John Miles

March 16, 2025

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The Articles of Incorporation Take Top Billing

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  • The Articles serve as UUCR’s legal charter
    • Required by MD Law
    • Set at the highest tier of our organization
    • Take precedence over all other documents

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  • The Articles must be approved by the State of Maryland
    • Board members attest their accuracy

(under penalty of perjury)

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Proposed Article Modifications

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  • Article changes are minimal and straightforward
    • Update UUCR to its correct name: Congregation, not Church
    • Update 2007 mission purpose to reflect current values and directions
    • Identify UUCR as an IRC Section 501(c)(3) tax exempt charity
    • Delineate the process to update UUCR Bylaws

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Article Details

Available at www.uucr.org/annual-meeting

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  • 2007 Articles of Incorporation full text
  • 2025 proposed Articles of Incorporation full text
  • Summary of Changes by each Article
  • Maryland Form to amend Articles of Incorporation

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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES TO 2018 BYLAWS

Bylaws Writing Team

March 16, 2025 Town Hall

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Bylaws Writing Team

        • Bruce Baskett
        • John Miles
        • Steve Eckstrand
        • Tim McLaughlin
        • Fran Lowe

We especially thank the Julie Graf, Lisa Reed and the Lay Ministry Council, Rev. Rebekah, Kent and Mark and the Board, Marie Vivas, and all other Congregants who provided valuable assistance and input.

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Contributing to

this important work:

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Previous 2024 Bylaws Group

We are very grateful for the thoughtful and dedicated work of these members of the previous

2024 Bylaws Work Group

which produced what

we often refer to as the

“Vivas Report to the Board”

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  • Marie Vivas
  • Kent Hancock
  • Brian Sullivan
  • Terrie Barr
  • Ken Ambrose
  • Bruce Baskett
  • Emily Untermeyer
  • Steve Eckstrand

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  • Amy Heath
  • Karl Irikura
  • Fran Lowe
  • Julia Earp
  • Karen Pittleman
  • Myra Remigio-Leonard
  • Mark Shannon
  • Rev. Rebekah Savage

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Bylaws Website

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Purpose of the Bylaws

Defines organizational structures, relationships & responsibilities within which the Board & Congregation carry out our mission, including:

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                  • Relationship to the UUA
                  • Rights & responsibilities of members
                  • Board, Committees & other groups
                  • How Ministers are called and dismissed
                  • How to amend the bylaws
                  • How to dissolve the Congregation
                  • and more….

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Why change the Bylaws?

            • Conform to how UUCR currently operates

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          • Improve clarity and readability

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          • Other key recommended changes follow

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Article I: �General

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Clarify that we are governed by the Articles, the Bylaws, and the policies established by the Board.

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Article IV: �Board of Trustees

  • Formally define the duties of the “Executive Committee of the Board” which consists of the Senior Minister, Board President, Vice President and Past President.

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  • This group has already been operating for many years as the “Exec team”

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Article V: �Officers

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  • Refer to the Secretary (a legally required office) as the Documentarian which is a more inclusive term

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  • Only the Congregation may remove a member of the Board

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Article VII: Committee & Program Groups

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  • Describe how we are a “Community of Communities” that shares information in the spirit of transparency, coordination, mutual support, and celebration.

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Article VII: Committee & Program Groups�(Cont’d)

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  • Provide the means to replace the Lay Ministry Council.
    • Board & LMC mutually agreed to end LMC by end of this fiscal year.
    • Board & Senior Minister establish a council or other group to develop formal & informal mechanisms to foster the above.

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  • Describe the role of the Committee on Ministry (COM)

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Article VIII: Congreg-ational Meetings

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  • Quorum requirement changed from 1/8 to 1/10 of the Members eligible to vote

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  • Replace Robert’s rules of Order by the more succinct and straightforward Democratic Rules of Order
    • https://www.democraticrules.com

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Article IX:

Lay Ministry Council (LMC)

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  • Deleted as previously discussed

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  • Article VII describes how some functions provided by previous councils (Program Council & Lay Ministry Council) will be accomplished.

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Documents for Further Review

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Next Steps

Review the Draft Proposal

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There will be a feedback form on the website.

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Please send your questions & comments to the Bylaws Writing Team at:

bylaws@uucr.org

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Bylaws Team and Board will consider your feedback, change the draft as appropriate, and circulate it before a formal proposal from the Board at the Annual Meeting.

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Attend and Vote at the Annual Meeting!

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QUESTIONS?

COMMENTS?

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ENDOWMENT UPDATE

Karl Irikura

UUCR Treasurer

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March 16, 2025 Town Hall

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The Board recommends changing the Endowment policy

  • People donate to the Endowment to support UUCR forever 😍
  • Currently, the Endowment does not support UUCR at all 😞

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Change requires a Congregational vote

  • Details and feedback forms at https://www.uucr.org/annual-meeting Comments due by April 10th
  • The most important number is 4%
    • It’s the limit on how much can be used each year
    • Please help us design the policy that you want to vote for

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Revised proposal will be voted on May 18

  • Congregational feedback will be used to revise the proposed new rules
  • Please vote on May 18 🎈

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uucr.org/annual-meeting

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— More details on following slides —

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Policies old and new

Documents available at www.uucr.org/annual-meeting:

  • Original 1997 Endowment Resolution
  • The proposed new policy
  • A side-by-side comparison of new/old
  • What some other UU congregations do

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Why change the Endowment policy?

  • The current rules do not help UUCR thrive
    • Cannot spend on UUCR’s mission or programs
    • Can spend for purposes external to UUCR
  • Social justice, facility upgrades and debt reduction are allowed
    • This has not happened
  • Endowment administration/investment rules not working
    • Board and finance committee have no say
    • The committee structure is unwieldy

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How Large is the Endowment?

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Source: January 2025 Treasurer’s Report

Principal

$1,482,537

Accumulated returns

$742,405

Unrealized gains

$134,066

Total

$2,310,572

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Proposed spending limit

  • Up to 4% every year
    • that is 4% of the 3-year average total
    • up to 15% for special capital projects
  • Principal cannot be spent

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Will it make a difference?

  • This year, UUCR plans to spend $43,700 from General Reserves
    • this cannot be repeated past next year
    • Endowment income would fill the gap
  • Facilities are aging and will need expensive work this decade
    • usually funded by capital funds or Miracle Sunday
    • Endowment income could help

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APRIL 6TH

TOWN HALL PREVIEW

Ellen Rohan

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March 16, 2025 Town Hall

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Join our Right Relations Team & FFF Team !

40 minute practice called a Restorative Circle

Topic: Hopes, Dreams and Honesty about UUCR’s RE Program

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Open Discussion