UUSGS is a shared ministry. Truly, every voice matters here. And being in right relationship is important.
We are one community, but in many ways we are also a community of communities... which makes clear governance really important. What do we mean by governance? Put simply: how we make decisions together. A bit more specifically, it means having clear processes and roles, and a clear vision to communicate to our leaders. It means creating lots of opportunities for input, but also giving staff and elected leaders the support they need to fulfill their roles without micromanagement. Done right, good governance turns conflict into dialog, and vision into energy.
UUSGS bases its self-governance in a model called policy governance, which was adapted by Unity Consulting for use in congregational contexts like ours. (Unity Consulting has an excellent resource page - including informational videos - for those interested in more information. UUSGS has also twice engaged their consulting services.)
UUSGS functions normally with seven Trustees who are elected to two-year terms by the membership at Annual Meetings (usually in November). The charge to the Board is that of visionary leadership (as opposed to operational leadership, which is delegated to staff and lay ministry teams). The Board articulates vision and ensures that we are making progress toward that shared vision. They meet monthly throughout the year to hear reports and to fulfill their role as fiduciary.
For matters concerning congregational policy, long-term vision and goals... contact the Board via this form.
Bylaws and Board policies will be posted below, as will minutes of meetings as they become available.
