UUCV Annual Report 2020 – 2021 – Unitarian Universalists of the Cumberland Valley

Worships together, expressing liberal religious values through thoughts, words, deeds and music; inspiring ethical conduct; celebrating life’s passages; and shaping meaning from experience
Practices hospitality, inviting and welcoming all based on our belief that each person has inherent worth and dignity
Encourages self-development, making possible the expression of every person’s potential by teaching that each is held in love, has the power to change the world, and is called to use that power in the service of love
Values wisdom, learning from the traditions of the world’s religions as we encourage a free and responsible search for truth and meaning
Promotes justice, working for the fair and compassionate treatment of all people and supporting the interdependent web of creation
Fosters stewardship, generously contributing our personal resources to support the congregation and its work

Covenant

Preamble

A covenant of right relations is a set of promises to one another about how we want to be in community. Through it we express our values, and affirm our intent to act according to those values. Our covenant is rooted in the past by the six Sources of Unitarian Universalism, guides us in the present to live out our seven Principles, and calls us to be unafraid of change in response to our future together. Each of us brings this covenant to life, and we all take responsibility for keeping it alive.

Rather than establishing a code of rules and the consequences for breaking them, we affirm a vision of how we aspire to be together as a community. We know full well that each of us will fall short of our ideals, and know that we will occasionally disagree. It is only by “staying at the table” that we can hope to transform lives and care for the world.

Our Covenant

We, the Unitarian Universalists of the Cumberland Valley, covenant to embody the seven Principles through:

RESPECT — being patient; listening carefully; and communicating directly, speaking truth with compassion;

ADVOCACY — challenging privilege, dominance, and majority opinion, wherever we encounter them; and

CELEBRATION — working and playing together with enthusiasm and joy.

The call back into covenant is the essential act of a joyful community of faith. When we fall short of our ideals, we will seek forgiveness and call one another lovingly but firmly back into community, reminding one another of our shared mission and purpose.

Board of Trustees

It’s been a zoomy kind of year! Because Covid-19 has been rampant we have not met in person as a board other than at our retreat on September 12^th. We met outside that day on Lonna Malmsheimer’s very large porch – distanced and masked – and were led through a day of discussion and planning by Rev. Cindy Terlazzo. On that day we discussed the fact that the year ahead was going to be different (might hold some surprises!) and that we’d need to be resilient. Just how much resilience, grace and humor we’d need we did not begin to anticipate that day!

Prior to the retreat we had:

Approved a proposal from Riley Johnson to hold a candlelight vigil for victims of racialized violence
Approved a proposal from Wendy Gebb that we support ECYEH (Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness) by offering our members an opportunity to purchase Giant Grocery cards that we already have and donating them to homeless youth
Approved a proposal from Benton Mattson that he be permitted to ask people, through The Kid’s Corner in the UUCV Newsletter, to sponsor his participation in the Race Against Poverty
Tasked Dianne Dusman with reviewing UUCV Insurance policies and bonds for officers and board members
Received a very generous contribution of $100,000 to our UUCV Endowment Fund in honor of Judy Welles from her brother, Jack Clymer, and decided to rename the fund the Judy Welles Endowment Fund

The pace picked up for the Board after the retreat. We:

Held a well-received church service at the Cumberland Drive-in Theater – the first of several held throughout the year
Learned that Emily Crutcher, our DLFD, would be moving to New Jersey at some point when her partner became able to start working there in person
Held the first of three Town Hall Meetings (September 20th, February 7^th and May 16^th
Received recommendations from the Safe Congregations Response Team for how to deal with potential disruptions that might occur around the time of the Presidential Election. The BOT decided to close the building after removing irreplaceable items for safekeeping and developed a plan for keeping track of the property safely. We made improvements to the lighting outside the church (Dirk Wiley and Denny Stone took care of that for us!) and board members took turns walking through the church – in pairs – to be sure all was well
Authorized Cindy Good to arrange for our mortgage loan to be modified (Good on Cindy for that suggestion.) to produce some savings
Approved holding an on-line auction this year
Assisted the staff (wonderful people!) in assembling and delivering holiday gift bags to members of the congregation

And then in 2021 we:

Decided to ask the Safe Congregations Response Team to survey the congregation and invite all congregants to take part in discussions about how and when we would reopen our building
Recruited Joan Kraft and Deb Genet to lead the Annual Budget Drive
Learned that Reverend Aija would be resigning effective at the end of the Fiscal church year
Began the process of seeking a Transitional Minister to serve for two years until we conduct a search and call a new settled minister
Met with Rev. Margret O’Neall , a very experienced Transitional Minister, to talk about how the process of finding a minister to serve during the interim would work
Formed a Transitional Minister Search Task Force. (Kristen Wycha, Amy Farrell, Cindy Good and Gail Black)
Purchased copies of In The Interim: Strategies for Interim Ministers and Congregations for all board members
Learned that our Music Director, David M Glasgow would be leaving at the end of April
Hired Joe Osborne, thankfully, to direct and coordinate our music program until a permanent Music Director can be selected
Assisted Pam Martin in editing and updating our website
Approved the Safe Congregation Response Team’s suggestion that we permit some use of the church – with appropriate safety measures in place
Began discussion of planning for a dual-platform future so that, when appropriate, we can once again worship in our church building while continuing to provide online participation as an option
Held a special session, facilitated by Rev. Dr. Kathy Ellis, to discuss the results of the SCRT survey and develop a Phased Reopening Plan based on those results, our research and the CDC guidance. The plan was shared with the congregation at a Town Hall meeting on May 16^th and sent to the Board of Trustees for final approval at their May 20^th meeting.

Submitted by Gail Black

Minister’s Report

Dear beloveds,

When UUCV made the pivot to online worship last March, we had to make a lot of big decisions very quickly. The most vexing for them was this: How much should we pre-record? Churches across the denomination have made different decisions about this critical question.

Some, like my parents’ congregation, pre-record every element of the service. This has the advantage of allowing the participants, particularly the musicians, to polish and edit their work, therefore offering a smoother worship experience. Some congregations offered a hybrid, using a mix of pre-recorded work with some “live” elements. And some, like UUCV, choose to remain entirely in the moment, with only the occasional special music or story being pre-recorded. We also decided to remain together in zoom’s “meeting” format rather than streaming our services to YouTube or Facebook where we might have a had a broader reach.

We made this decision because we believed, I think correctly, that what was most important was keeping our community together. We believed that all of us – the worship leaders, musicians, storytellers, chalice lighters, pebble droppers, joys and sorrows offerers, readers, reflectors, givers and listeners – being together, at the same time, in community, was important. We may not have been together physically, but we could look at our little zoom boxes, even the ones that were simply a black box with a name, and know that we were worshiping with each other.

This is why some of my favorite moments in worship are when something goes wrong: we have a technical glitch or someone forgets to unmute themselves or the story slides won’t load. It reminds us all that we are creating sacred space in the moment and that there are human, and thus failable, beings on the other side of the wires.

I tell you all of this to say that I believe that, in this strange, confusing, scary and also possibility-laden pandemic year, this has been the work of the church: To always choose to stay in community and prioritize relationships. To reimagine how we stick together. To figure out how to be together, even when many of us were physically alone.

To this end, we experimented. Some of our experiments were more successful than others. Some worked for a time and then were phased out or shifted to a different format. Some examples:

At the beginning of the pandemic we held online space for people to visit every day. For the first few months these felt vital and necessary to the community. Eventually these began to feel less urgent and fewer and fewer people attended. We transitioned to an appointment-based system that met changing needs.
A Vespers service that was launched when we moved online began with high attendance. As people got “zoomed out,” fewer and fewer people attended and it transitioned to small meditation circles. While not well attended, these have created important connections for the loyal participants.
Rather than gathering together for important holiday rituals (the lighting of candles in our sanctuary on Christmas Eve, our annual Easter Egg hunt on the church lawn) we sent them out to the community. Congregants received a tea light and encouraged to send us back a picture of the flame in their home. Easter bunnies decorated families yards and hid special treats for our little ones.

These projects, and many others, were created in the hopes that it would strengthen people’s connections to each other. In their own ways, they each did.

Some changes were exciting, and we plan to continue them into our post pandemic world. For example, having meetings on Zoom can, in some cases, be accessible to more people. We will keep elements of online meetings even as some committees transition back to in-person meetings. While many of us long to transition back to in-person worship, having an online option allows us to reach people who used to be unable to be an active part of our worshipping community. Going forward, offering a hybrid worship experience will allow us continue to maintain and strengthen different kinds of relationships.

Holding up our interdependence as our guiding light, we fumbled our way through this year. We stumbled and often couldn’t see where we were going, but because we had each other to reach out for (metaphorically!) we made our way through.

As I enter into my last weeks at UUCV, I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about what we (and I) have done well and what there is left to do. I’ll touch on that second category at some other time. And we have accomplished a great deal together. (See the rest of this booklet for examples!) But what I circle around to, again and again, is that at UUCV people love and care for one another. And I’m not talking about a soft or surface-level kind of love. I mean the messy kind, where we care about each other enough to want better for each other, where we love each other enough to challenge each other. This kind of relationship is transformational. It has transformed my life and I have been honored to witness it transforming many of your lives.

Since I announced my departure from UUCV in late June, I have had the opportunity to talk to many of you who care enough about me to be pretty upset that I have decided to leave. And I have watched each of those people also care enough about me to find a way to be gracious about my choice. It was an honor to receive both kinds of care. Maybe that is the best way to describe the community we strive to be. We won’t always agree with your decisions (in fact, we might strenuously disagree), but once you make them we will have your back. It has been the honor of my ministry to have such an amazing group of people at my back for the past 8 years. I leave knowing that you will continue to back each other up and challenge each other at the same time, always with love. You’ve got this.

In faith,
Rev. Aija

Music Director

Well, this has been a year.

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting quarantine has completely changed the “how” of music at UUCV—in-person rehearsals and collaborations have been out of the question, and technological challenges have made it difficult or impossible for many of our “regulars” to participate in the choir. Nevertheless, a number of brave singers have submitted individual vocal recordings during the year (facilitated by rehearsal materials I prepared and uploaded) which were then combined and produced into finished recordings for worship use with the assistance of audio producer Jason Whetstone. Dan Cozort, Tom Dewalt, Rick Heckman, Chris Kapp, Bev Motich, Joe Osborne, Katie Phillips, Tara Schlenker, and Deb Stille—along with brand-new choir singers Kim Pinkney-Lewis and Mike Posey—have all contributed their voices from afar during the year.

Technological constraints have largely prevented Carole Knisely from sharing music with us this year, but Joe Osborne has risen to the challenge and served admirably as my substitute on my Sundays off.

Special music during Zoom worship has largely taken the form of shared YouTube videos. While this at first seemed a disappointing alternative to live music, this format has allowed us to be very purposeful about seeking out a wide range of musical and theological backgrounds for our special music, and we have sent financial contributions to several performers, organizations, and communities in gratitude for the use of their music.

Drummer Dani Fiore and bassist Allen Roth were able to join us for our first in-person worship at the Cumberland Drive-In, which was exciting and challenging for all. Both of those excellent musicians are looking forward to the return of in-person worship in our Sanctuary!

And of course this will be my final annual report as UUCV’s music director, since I’m writing this on the Wednesday of my final week in UUCV’s employ. Joe Osborne has agreed to serve as an interim music coordinator as the UUCV community explores exactly what role they want music to play in their mission in the coming years, and what gifts they should seek as they begin the search for a more permanent music director. I’m confident that Joe’s enthusiasm and collaborative nature will be invaluable to this process.

It has been an honor and a privilege for me to join UUCV in transforming lives and caring for the world; I will carry this community with me as I move on to my first-ever full-time career as a music teacher and performing musician.

Submitted by David M. Glasgow

RE Committee

It has been quite the year in the RE program. Throughout the pandemic, the RE Committee has continued to meet on Zoom monthly to try to find programming and activities we can offer to the youngest members of UUCV. The members of the Committee are Courtney Wiley, Kristen Wycha, Melissa Matson, Amy Humpton, and Gail Black. When it comes to implementing the plans this year, the heavy lifting has been done by our DLFD, Emily Crutcher. I can confidently say that without the DLFD being a full-time position, there would not have been an RE program this year. All but one of our committee members are parents in a pandemic, which was not a position that allows much time for anything else.

Emily was great this year at trying different things to engage the kids. She built an amazing Bitmoji classroom for those families that wanted to try Spirit Play at home. She organized fun mailings of materials and activities to help remind the children of our UU values and bring some joy to our mailboxes. She organized a fun Trick or Treat event at the drive-in. She helped facilitate the gifting of paintable chalices to each child with the Christmas gift bags that went out to the congregation. She helped organize RE family pods for those who wished to meet in small family groups. She ran a bedtime Story Hour on Zoom where the kids could listen to her read a story and see the pictures. In the early days of the pandemic, she organized daily UUCV challenges for the kids and adults to participate in. She also ran a UUCV Story Corp to collect some of our congregational stories. She played match maker between our UUCV Easter Bunnies and families for some super fun Easter Egg hunts at our homes.

Emily has truly been a bright spot in this pandemic and the RE Committee will be forever grateful for her enthusiasm and support in these most challenging of times. If you have bothered to read this far into this report, I have two things to ask of you. First, please check on the parents of young children in your life. A lot of us are not ok. Second, please volunteer with RE when we are back in person or when we have activities. Your support means a lot. Most of our volunteers are parents and to be honest, we already spend a lot of time with children. We also would like to attend worship in the sanctuary and the more volunteers we have, the more often we get to do that. Each Sunday, we need between 2 and 5 volunteers just to run the nursery and Spirit Play. Please remember that more hands makes for lighter work and come join us down in RE.

Submitted by Courtney Wiley

Adult RE Discussion Group

In normal (non-pandemic) times the Adult RE Discussion Group has a Spring series of classes each year which runs February through May and then a Fall series of classes which runs September through December. Classes are held typically on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month at 9:00 AM in the Boardroom. Our meeting days along with the topics of discussion are published in the weekly order of service and in the monthly newsletter. In early 2020, we held two in-person classes prior to the onset of the Covid pandemic and the subsequent closing of the church building. Following that, we opted not to hold classes remotely and instead look to pick up where we left off once the church reopens for in-person gatherings.

The Adult RE Discussion Group is open to all. Attendance often varies according to what the topic is. We average around ten people per session.

We have a “topic selection” meeting twice a year in which we select topics for the next “semester.” Anyone wishing to propose a topic for discussion or lead a discussion is welcome to attend these planning meetings.

In 2020, the two classes held prior to the onset of the pandemic restrictions were: Babes in the Woods – the 1934 Pine Grove Furnace Tragedy, and Jesus Did the Best He Could. Topics we tentatively plan to discuss once in-person gatherings resume at the church are: Yoga Nidra, Mind and Cosmos, Establishing a Meditation Practice, The Divine Within: From Krishna to Christ, and Mormonism.

Submitted by Keith Bittinger

Church Administrator

After almost exactly a year of working from home during the COVID pandemic, I was finally able to return to the church building with safety measures put into place. My hours remained at 26.5 this year both from home and now that I am back in the church office.

There were limited fundraising opportunities this year. Sadly, our Strawberry Booth at Foundry Day has been cancelled again for 2021, but we are hoping to be able to hold a large yard sale late summer. Margie Akin volunteered to take on the Grocery Card mailings from her home so we could continue one of our successful fund raisers that did not have to be cancelled because of COVID.

This year, I programmed 30 automatic bank transfers for annual pledges (up 5 from last year). This is the most cost effective and reliable way for UUCV to receive pledges.

I am proud to be part of a congregation that has stepped up in many ways to help our wider community during the pandemic. Our members got creative with some fundraising options and ways to reach out and help CARES, Project Share and were very generous with their Change for the World donations.

This next year will bring on many changes with our Minister and Music Director both leaving. Our committees, small groups and our members and attendees are a strong force in our congregation, and we will remain solid even with all the transitions we are about to undertake.

I continue looking for ways to support staff, committee chairs and members, the board and the congregation, especially during this strange time.

I look forward to a time when we can all be together in person to worship, join in meetings and connect again with one another.

Submitted by Pamela L Martin

Treasurer

The UUCV Bylaws states that the Treasurer be a member of the Board of Trustees and be elected by the Board. The Bylaws require the Treasurer to:

Hold in custody all funds of the Congregation,
Keep an account of all receipts and expenditures,
Pay such bills as may be authorized or approved by the Board,
Render a financial statement of the Congregation at all Board meetings and at the Annual Meeting of the Congregation.

To carry out those duties the Treasurer maintains five bank accounts, currently held at the F&M Trust:

Checking account from which all bills are paid for the day-to-day operation of the church,
Savings account to hold “restrictive” funds (i.e. funds designated for a specific purpose),
Savings account for the Mozambique Bursary Project,
Savings account for the Capital Campaign.
Savings account to be used as to receive money from the Non-Profit Security Grant.

All five of these accounts are monitored online on a regular basis.

Major sources of revenues for our Church Community this fiscal year:

Pledges
Sunday Offering
Gifts
Online Auction
Soup Sale

Pledges being by far the biggest piece of the revenue which goes to the day-to-day operation of the church.

During this fiscal year we experienced a decrease in revenue due to Covid-19. The pandemic resulted in:

Cancellation of the Strawberry festival and Yard Sale
Changing auction from an in-person event to an online event.
Reduction in some pledge commitments due to loss of income.

A brief summary of actions taken this fiscal year:

Received 100% Loan Forgiveness for the $35,737 received under the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) of the Cares Act, a Federal program.
Applied for and received Non-Profit Security Grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The reimbursable $23,295 grant is earmarked for the replacement of 4 of UUCV’s exterior doors.
Opened the Savings account for the Non-Profit Security Grant.
Closed the Savings account for the PPP funds.
Worked with F&M to review mortgage modification. Received a 1% drop in mortgage interest, from 5% to 4%, for the next 5 years.
Opened the Judy Welles Endowment Fund with the UUA.
Sent out a mid-fiscal year reminder of pledge commitment and amount of pledge submitted as of date of mailing.

As of this writing, the Annual Budget Drive for FY 2021-2022 is underway. The proposed budget for fiscal year 2021-2022 will be developed after all pledge commitments are received.

The Treasurer and the Board extend their sincere thank you to all attendees and members for their faithful financial commitment in supporting UUCV. Without your generous financial support, UUCV would not exist.

Thank you for your continuing gifts to UUCV, in all forms

Submitted by Cindy Good

Annual Budget Drive

2021 Annual Budget Drive

Annual Budget Drive Committee Members: Nikki Fry, Deb Genet, Ian Harris, Riley Johnson, Joan Kraft, Bev Motich, Carol Reismeyer, Ben Ramirez (Gail Black, Pam Martin, unofficial but crucial members)

Background: As Covid continued and the congregation was still convening via Zoom, the 2021 Annual Budget Drive was definitely Navigating Uncharted Waters by not being able to have any face to face contact with each other but we managed to sail in successfully by the end the drive.

Strategies: A mailing was sent to all members including a letter from the committee and a pamphlet with information regarding “Why Your Pledge Means More Than Ever”, a Fair Share chart, and a chart showing UUCV income and expenses.

A Leadership event was held a week prior to kick-off so we could launch the drive with pledges already received. The event included major supporters including committee chairs and board members. Everyone who was invited submitted their pledges within the first 2 weeks of the campaign and many were received before kickoff!

Three options for submitted pledges were available: a link to a Google form was shared weekly during the service and stewards were able to share the link as well, an online form was posted on the UUCV website, and a paper copy of the pledge form was also available.

Each week during the campaign a self-care raffle basket was offered to a person who had made a pledge in the previous week. 4 baskets were awarded.

Each week during the campaign a nautical skit was shown to encourage people to pledge and a testimonial was shared. An announcement was also included in each week’s Previews, and in the monthly newsletter.

Twenty stewards reached out to congregants via email, text, phone call or Zoom to make a caring call during these challenging times. The stewards were matched with people to call. These calls were meant to build relationships, reflect on why people care about UUCV, and the need to support it.

Results: Total pledges: $224,644 which is 97% of the $231,000 goal. Pledge units: 87, including 5 new.

Submitted by Deb Genet and Joan Kraft, ABD Co-Chairs

Buildings and Grounds

Workday Saturday in the Spring was well attended. Quite a bit was achieved to include:
- Cleaned window wells.
- Weeded and cleaned the flower beds.
- Set up black plastic to try and kill weeds around the pine tree.
- Replaced all the batteries in the fire detectors.
- Trained some of the mowing team on how to operate the new battery powered mower.
The insulation on the pipes in the boiler room is deteriorating. Most of the insulation is fiberglass that can be replaced or repaired by members. However, the joints and turns on the pipe are asbestos. This will be removed by the same contractor who is removing flooring near the new bathroom under the capital campaign. We will request a separate bill to support this additional work out of the B&G budget.
The lawnmowers have needed costly repairs over the last two years. At the end of the winter, one of the two gas mowers would not start. However, the other mower ran fine. With unspent B&G funds for the Fiscal Year, a new battery powered mower was purchased. This will require less maintenance and does not pollute.
The flower beds and lawn work continue during the pandemic. Members have been asked to join both the Gardening and Lawn mowing teams. So far, the support for the Gardening Team is slim. However, the folks that have volunteered are getting a great deal accomplished. A new plan for the gardening team breakdown was sent to the congregation with a request for volunteers. We have received some support and will continue to solicit additional support from the community.

Submitted by Jim Burton

Capital Campaign

We are now in our 3^rd pledge year of the Capital Campaign. During this 2^nd phase of the campaign our committee members include: Sharon Moye, Tim Tilton, Rita Van Alkemade, Paula Terry, Cindy Good, Deb Stille, Jim Burton, Denny Stone. We have very busy finalizing the next steps for updating our church building.

We all celebrated our new roof over the social hall and have enjoyed a rainy season with “NO LEAKS”. The roof, itself, could not be seen by the congregation, but the effects of the roof were enjoyed by all.

In February we got new energy efficient clear glass windows throughout the entire lower level, in the Social Hall and various small areas on the second floor. What a difference clear panes present!

The Capital Campaign continued paying a percentage of the salary and benefit package for full time employee Emily Crutcher, as the Director of Lifespan Faith Development. This monthly contribution will begin diminishing next year as part of the five year phase-in. This investment in staffing is a win for the entire congregation.

We applied for and were awarded a grant from the Pennsylvania Crime Commission in the amount of $24,000+. We submitted our bid for the replacement of all doors to the church for safety reasons. The main lobby entrance was not included with the grant as that door is part of a package to include the surrounding windows.

We have completed the outside masonry work that adds to the structural security of the church. Notice the reinforcement to the step to the Social Hall.

We have just signed the contract for interior work to the restrooms and electrical and plumbing work to be done.

This is now getting really exciting. Cannot wait until everyone is back in the building and appreciate the work being completed.

UUVS’s Capital Campaign . . . creating our future together!

Submitted by Sharon Moye

Caring and Compassion Committee

CCC Members: CCC Friends: (these folks are willing to help the CCC with specific tasks as needed)

Chris Bilger
Dale Bicksler
Michelle Burton
Gail Black
Dot Everhart
Jim Burton
Nikki Fry
Char Klein
Deb Genet
Katherine McFarland
Ian Harris
Bev Motich
Candice Holsinger
Sharon O’Brien
Susan Vernon
Primajoy Ramalingam
Ben Ramirez
Gisela Roethke
Kim Stone
Molly Wilkerson

CCC Meetings:

The CCC has not met in person since before the Covid pandemic began. Communication with members and friends has occurred via e-mail, text and phone calls.

CCC Projects:

The work of the CCC has consisted of the following over the past year:

Grocery shopping and delivery
Meals after hospitalization/ during illness
Prescription pick-up
Rides to medical appointments
Pet care and housecleaning during hospitalization
Cards of support and care after a death, during illness or hard times
Participation in the telephone outreach effort at the beginning of the pandemic

The State of the Committee:

The CCC has continued to provide assistance to UUCV members and friends as needs have been identified. We have not done in-person visitation to those who are sick or to shut-ins due to Covid-19. We have also not provided refreshments after celebration of life services for the same reason. We do plan to resume those activities when it is safe to do so.

During Zoom worship on Sundays more people identify the reasons why they’re asking for stones during sharing time. This increased transparency has allowed the CCC to better respond to those who have specifically identified an illness, death or difficult situation during sharing time.

Submitted by Lynn Michels

Committee on Ministry

Members:

Wendy Gebb
Rick Heckman
Amy Humpton
Rev. Aija Simpson
Deb Stille, Chair

The Committee on Ministry (COM) continued to meet during the pandemic, thanks to Zoom. The technology wasn’t always perfect, but we were thankful it was available. Our regular schedule is to meet monthly, and we mainly kept to that, with a few exceptions.

As the COM meetings mainly consist of discussing ways in which the church is living into our mission and vision, and ways in which we need to improve our focus, that’s something that can be done essentially as easily virtually as in person. Virtual meetings do have challenges, but those trade off with needing to get to the church for in-person meetings. We functioned much as we always have.

Before the pandemic hit, we were just finalizing months of work to create a congregational survey for use as part of the Board’s long-range planning efforts. Once we had lived through a couple of pandemic months, however, it became clear that the survey would need to be reimagined to include things we learned during the pandemic. We put the survey on hold at that point, as virtual meetings are far less effective for paperwork-intensive meetings involving a lot of back-and-forth. Plus, the pandemic may still have things to teach us. We will pass everything we’ve done so far to the Board for their use in the future.

At the end of January, we learned that Aija will be leaving us on June 30. We fully expect that our transitional minister will have their own ideas about what the COM should be for them. We therefore cannot plan for anything past June 30, as it’s possible some or all of us will no longer be part of the COM after that.

Submitted by Deb Stille

Endowment Committee

UUCV’s Endowment Committee was formed in 2019, consisting of charter members John Bloom, Carole DeWall (chair), Tom DeWall, Amy Farrell (member and board liaison), Kit Franklin, and Max Lara. Our initial effort was focused on honoring significant gifts to the congregation when it first began, and we hoped to use our presentation of these initial gifts as a segue to promoting the UUCV endowment. With board approval, we also established the practice of having all memorial contributions directed to the endowment. The pandemic put a halt to any further plans as we began the 2020-21 fiscal year with just $100 in the account.

An amazing $100,000 contribution to honor the Rev. Judy Welles in the fall of 2020 changed everything. This generous donation is named in honor of Judy Welles, who, along with her husband, Duane Fickeisen, were our first ministers and served UUCV for 14 years. In 2020, when Judy died, her brother, John Clymer, provided this amount to begin the endowment in Judy’s name. The Judy Welles Endowment Fund (JWEF) has grown to over $115,000 to date. See the UUCV website for additional information.

The creation of a Legacy Society roster is the Committee’s next goal to note those who have included UUCV in their wills or similar financial plans. Please notify Rev. Aija if your name should be on this list. Also, if you’re interested in joining our committee, please chat with one of our members.

Submitted by Carole DeWall

Finance Committee

Chair: Vacant

Members: Sharon Moye, Bev Ayers-Nachamkin, Michael Fratantuono, Pete Schlenker, Cindy Good (Treasurer), Gail Black (Board Liaison)

Mission: The Finance Committee contributes to the UUCV mission of transforming lives and caring for the world by providing the financial structure to support all the work of the church. The committee is responsible for crafting the budget and acting as a steward for available funds. We focus on providing a stable financial base for the church.

This year the committee continued it’s monthly meetings to review reports and monitor the financial health of the church. The committee also reviewed the annual budget proposals and submitted a budget to the board for approval.

Committee member Michael Fratantuono did a review of UUA finance committee recommendations as well as a comparison with the workings of other churches. We used this information to engage in a discernment process about the current work of the committee. It was agreed that we do our work in accordance with best practices and no current changes were needed. However, there was some discussion that going froward the committee might get more involved in long range budgeting and monitoring of income and expenses.

Rev. Aija has served as a replacement chair while this position has remained vacant. As she prepares to leave the committee will need to discuss how they will choose to move forward. If you are interested in being part of this discernment, please contact Rev. Aija or Pam in the church office.

Submitted by Rev. Aija Simpson

Membership and Hospitality Committees

This year, Membership/Hospitality Committee members have assisted with Zoom ushering on Sundays during virtual service, including asking pre-service chat questions, admitting participants as they enter the Zoom call, keeping a record of attendance, monitoring the Zoom call for any security issues, answering participant questions, and greeting first time visitors. Committee members also assist at drive-in services to direct cars where to park, keeping cars and attendees socially distanced, and answer questions regarding the drive-in service. Along with keeping attendance each Sunday, we help to keep the directory up to date and send out letters to members who have been absent for a long while and to new attendees, when possible.

Committee chairs met several times in person and via Zoom, and the entire committee met several times via Zoom to conduct planning for socially distanced in-person gatherings, like Reverend Aija’s going away event, as well as conducting Zoom Usher training. Regular monthly meetings have been suspended due to the nature of being on Zoom.

No committee projects have occurred due to the pandemic.

The Committee suffered, as we could not conduct regular social hours or “Big Deal Coffee Hours” like we would when meeting in the building. We adapted by transitioning to ushering each week, and trying to engage Zoom participants in conversation before service in the Zoom chat. Because a large number of our congregation is not comfortable using technology, including Zoom, it has been difficult to operate as a Hospitality Committee.

Until we have a better idea of what returning to in-person church service looks like, it is hard to predict at what capacity this Committee can operate. The Committee will continue to operate as Zoom ushers when we return to in-person, as well as returning to in-person greeting attendees at the door. We will hold coffee hours as the Safe Congregation Response Team deems possible and safe.

Committee members are Gail Black, Michelle Burton, Cathy Dewalt, Rebecca Fratantuono, Nikki Fry, Lenore Garder, Ian Harris, Candice Holsinger, Amy-Jo Humpton, Riley Johnson, Charlotte Klein, Max Lara, Ryanne Mack, Bev Motich, and Mikki Williams.

Submitted by Nikki Fry and Ian Harris

Personnel Committee

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Personnel Committee provides support, research and guidance on staff-related matters to the Board of Trustees and minister. The governance of the committee is derived from the Board; the committee has no policy-making authority. It is important to note that much of the work of the committee is confidential.

COMPOSITION
Members of the Personnel Committee during Fiscal Year 2020-21 were: Bev Motich, Chair, and Kit Franklin. We will be recruiting for additional members in the coming year.

ACTIVITY
There were no meetings held in person during this fiscal year. All communication was conducted via email or Zoom. There is no immediate need or plan for upcoming meetings.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
During Fiscal Year 2020-21, the Personnel Committee performed the following tasks:

Supported the UUCV Treasurer in certifying the salary amounts for Fiscal Year 2020-2021.
Updated Addenda to the UUCV Personnel Policy Manual for the Director of Lifespan Faith Development, the Director of Music, the Church Administrator and the custodian, as well as reviewed job descriptions with each employee.
Maintained the log of employee compensation and benefits by fiscal year.
Monitored UUA policy changes related to insurance plans, retirement and benefits, with an emphasis on recent UUA changes to fair compensation guidelines.
Developed Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget recommendations for ministerial and staff salary and benefit changes.
Developed and presented a financial report to the congregation that included personnel costs.
Developed a Letter of Agreement for an Interim Music Coordinator to continue support upon the resignation of the Music Director.

Submitted by Bev Motich

Safe Congregation Response Team (SCRT)

SCRT Members:
Emily Crutcher, Director of Lifespan Faith Development
Chris Kapp
RJ Lesch
Melissa Mattson
Heather Woodward, Board Member

MISSION
The mission of the SCRT is to help all congregants understand their role in making the church a safer place, and providing them with the information and skills to do so. The SCRT also develops plans for dealing with emergencies and disruptive behavior.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
This year the SCRT was primarily concerned with revising building use policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. We worked on balancing the physical safety of the congregation with the need to be responsive to local and national events.

Over the summer and fall of 2020, the building was almost completely shut down with only regular maintenance checks and individual staff visits allowed.
During the contentious 2020 Presidential election, we drafted an even more restrictive closure policy as a precaution against backlash, harassment, or property damage.
In service of hosting a vigil to mourn Black lives lost to racialized violence, we created a safety procedure for this event to occur on UUCV’s front lawn.
As Capital Campaign improvements began, we adjusted policies to allow for work inside and outside the building.
As staff began to receive vaccinations, we adjusted the building use policy to allow for Pam to resume office hours and other staff members to use the building for 1:1 meetings as needed.
During April 2021, we created, distributed, and tabulated results from a Safety Survey for congregants to gather data about their vaccination status, willingness to participate in small or large group UUCV activities, and comments and concerns about returning to in-person worship and gatherings. 71 individuals took the survey.
Throughout April we also hosted five Listening Sessions. An SCRT member and a Board member co-facilitated these meetings on Zoom, giving congregants a space to voice their feelings, concerns, and opinions about returning to in-person worship and gatherings.

GOALS

Assist in short- and long-term planning to re-open UUCV for in-person gatherings, pending CDC and PA recommendations about gathering safely
Revise building use policies as needed in light of COVID-19 restrictions
Host a refresher training for Fire Marshals to help in the event of an emergency when we return to worship in the sanctuary
Host more educational workshops to engage with the congregation about harassment, violence prevention, and covenantal behavior

The Safe Congregation Response Team does very important work in preventing and responding to safety concerns, and we appreciate the time and energy of the team members. SCRT is a vital part of making UUCV a safe place for people to worship, learn, and be in community.

Submitted by Emily Crutcher

Small Group Ministry

The mission of our Small Group Ministry at UUCV is to encourage personal and spiritual growth and to develop deep listening skills. Additionally, fellowship and enhanced relationships are an important by product of small group meetings. The use of prepared questions and readings provides a focus for personal reflection and sharing. During meetings each member has an opportunity to share with the other members their thoughts and experiences related to those questions while the other members listen deeply in silence and without interruption.

The leadership team consisting of the Small Group Facilitators and Co-Facilitators normally meet every even month after a Sunday service. However, during the pandemic, we have met two times. We do maintain contact but, hope to restart the regular meetings as soon as in-person services open again.

We encourage members and friends of UUCV to participate in our small group ministry. This year we added two new groups and lost two groups for a total of nine active groups. We lost some members due to moves, death and competing priorities in the lives of those who were previously members. We added several new members as well. Often times, potential new members have specific meeting time or day requirements that cannot be met with existing groups. Some of the groups are meeting using Zoom during the pandemic. Some groups have begun meeting in-person again with the understanding that members need to be vaccinated to attend in person.

Our small groups commit to participate in service projects to benefit the church and larger community. Projects include: volunteering at Project Share, Supporting Carlisle Cares, assisting in the auction event, decorating the church sanctuary for Christmas, supporting office functions in the church, and counting money after the service. During the pandemic it has been difficult to arrange small group projects that include the entire group. However, small group members provide a significant amount of support to UUCV as individuals for such efforts as spring and fall clean up and coffee preparation. Many members have worked with community projects like Carlisle Cares as individuals.

Submitted by Jim Burton

Social Justice Committee

The Social Justice Committee is committed to living UUCV’s mission inside and outside our walls. We strive to provide a variety of opportunities so EVERYONE who chooses to get involved in social justice-related actions and activities can do so. The events in which we have participated are increasing our visibility and building relationships within our local community.

Committee members: Travis Ferrell (Chair), Deb Genet (Mozambique), Kim Stone (CFTW), Dee Lauderbaugh (CFTW), Sharon Moye, Carol Riesmeyer, Mike Riesmeyer, Jen Teates, Rachel Teates, and Cris Frick (new member)

Committee meeting: The Social Justice Committee normally met the third Wednesday of every month at 6:30 pm in the UUCV Board room. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Social Justice Committee started meeting the third Saturday of the month via Zoom. We are still meeting via Zoom, but we have started to meet the third Wednesday of the month again.

Key Projects / Activities

Because of the pandemic, we have curtailed our in-person activities. We will reengage with these activities as the pandemic becomes a more managed situation.

Monthly CARES dinners, since March 2020
- Special thanks to Carol and Mike Riesmeyer for coordinating.
Year-round volunteering at Project SHARE’s Farm Stand (multi-generational)
- “Our UUCV group is the first wave of volunteers. We get there at 9:00 am and usually by 11:00 or earlier we are finished with our part. Trucks pull up from Giant, Wegmans and the Commissary with food they no longer can sell, often because it’s about to expire. We get fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, many types of breads and rolls, eggs, dessert products and sometimes packaged beverages and other random products. Often the fresh food is organic. Our job is to sort it all and re-box same things together, while throwing away anything that’s rotten or inedible. Before Covid, we set up the area in bins on tables as customers began to assemble outside. Another group of people helps with distribution. Since Covid, customers drive down the alley and are given a box of produce already assembled.” – Kim Stone
Hosted viewings of social justice related films
Sending a representative to monthly UUCV Anti-Racism Initiative meetings, since approximately October 2020. Have extended an invitation to SJC meetings to them as well. Have had at least one representative each month. Usually Travis Ferrell goes to the Anti-Racism Initiative meetings, and Martha Bergsten attends the SJC meetings.
Sharing information / actions (virtual and in-person) from UUJusticePA (formerly UUPLAN). Also share with the representative from the Anti-Racism Initiative who normally attends.
Got a thank you / farewell gift for Rev. Aija
- Jailhouse Door Women’s Suffrage Pin
  - https://library-of-congress-shop.myshopify.com/products/jailhouse-door-pin?variant=19580044804192

Community CARES

Given the limitations of the pandemic, UUCV has not been able to house persons dealing with homelessness physically.

Since March 2020, Mike and Carol Riesmeyer have coordinated one monthly dinner for CARES. SJC takes this time to thank them for doing so.

Change For The World April 2020 – March 2021

Thank you to Kim Stone and Dee Lauderbaugh for coordinating CFTW.

Time	Cause	Amount
March-April 2020	Pad Pantry	$338.82
May 2020	Community CARES	$580.50
June 2020	Community CARES	$365.00
July 2020	Community CARES	$250.00
August 2020	Community CARES	$680.00
September 2020	Community CARES	$230.00
October 2020	Hope Station	$330.00
November 2020	Hope Station	$225.00
December 2020	Hope Station	$677.18
January 2021 February 2021 March 2021	YWCA Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Services of Cumberland County	$282.18
April 2021	Safe Harbour	Not yet calculated
May 2021	Safe Harbour	Not yet calculated

Submitted by Travis Ferrell

Mozambique Bursary Project

Members of the 2020-2021 Steering Committee: Martha Bergsten, Chris Bilger, Dianne Dusman, Deb Genet, Priscilla Laws, Brian McPherson, Susan Rimby

The Covid-19 pandemic has upended life as we know it. This is true not only in the United States, but in the rest of the world as well. This includes the Mozambiquan girls and young women supported by the UUCV Mozambique Bursary Project.

The Mozambique government closed schools and sent students home in March, declaring a state of emergency on April 1st . Despite the pandemic, our Mozambiquan agents, Titos Macie and Sonia Assane Sauale, were able to perform many of the Bursary Committee’s objectives after the new school year began in January. Titos and Sonia held meetings with parents of the Bursary students and distributed supplies to the girls, including sanitation materials like masks and portable handwashing stations. Schools reopened on March 22, 2021. Titos will resume program site visits on May 3, 2021.

Back at UUCV, our committee was doing outreach to support the program. Throughout the year, the committee reviews and approves quarterly budgets and has regular contact with Titos via email and Zoom. On November 15, 2020, Deb Genet met with the new member class and shared information with them about the Mozambique Bursary Project. Dianne Dusman was part of the worship service on November 22 sharing her insights into the importance of the Bursary Project. Although we were unable to have our traditional Mozambique luncheon and presentation in 2020, we are hopeful that we will be able to meet in person and share the good works and successes of the Bursary Project in 2021.

This year, $32,000 was raised from generous donations from UUCV members and friends. This allows us to support 119 girls in secondary and post-secondary programs, and to live our mission to Transform Lives and Care for the World

Submitted by Travis Ferrell and Deb Genet

Transitional Minister Search

Description:
The Board of Trustees formed a small team called the Transitional Minister Search Task Force to focus on the search process for an interim minister.

Composition:
The members of the task force were selected from the Board of Trustee. Gail Black, Amy Farrell, Cindy Good and Kristen Wycha are the members of the Transition Minister Search Task Force.

Accomplishments:
The Transitional Minister Search task force followed the process organized through the UUA Transitions Office to conduct the interim minister search. The task force assembled the congregational record and submitted the interim minister application using the UUA Ministerial Search portal. All required materials were posted to the UUA portal by April 8th, 2021 deadline.

In early May, Ministerial records for interested applicants were shared with the search task force on the UUA Ministerial Search portal. The Transitional Minister Search Task Force reviewed the applications and performed reference checks on all applicants. The task force used Oxford Document Management search service to perform background checks following the standard UUA suggested due diligence.

All applied applicants were provided a copy of UUCV’s congregational record documents on the UUCV google drive created for the search. Access will be removed at the close of the search.

Three applicants were interviewed in the first round of the search. Required submissions to the UUA were sent to move forward in the hiring process.

At the time of this report, the process was not final to confirm the placement of a transitional minister.

Submitted by Kristen Wycha

Worship Associates

The worship associates committee has had a year of growth and expansion. We’ve welcomed several new associates into the group this year, and said goodbye to several others. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked diligently to adapt to the differences between live services and zoom services, and have discussed nuances and technical/practical aspects of the change at our monthly meetings. We continue to schedule service liturgists well in advance and explore the intricacies of each service element, so that we can better, more effectively celebrate worship.

Members include:

Chris Kapp (chair)
Chris Bilger
Michele Burton
Cathy Dewalt
Dot Everhart
Nikki Fry
Julie Ham
Ian Harris
Riley Johnson
Bev Motich
Cheryl Parsons
Ben Ramirez
Molly Wilkinson

Our goals for the coming year are to continue to build on our skills as liturgists, and to build the confidence of group members to preach sermons as well as serve as WA’s.

Please contact Chris Kapp if you are interested in becoming a worship committee.

Submitted by Chris Kapp

Nominating Committee Report

The Nominating Committee exists to locate screen, and propose UUCV members to serve a three year term on the UUCV Board. It reports to the congregation.

Current Members: Gail Black, Amy-Jo Humpton, Drew Lynch, Bev Motich, and Jon Tarrant (chair)

Proposed state: Gail Black, Amy-Jo Humpton, Bev Motich, Courtney Wiley, and Jon Tarrant (chair) With thanks to Drew Lynch for his years of service

The committee meets as needed, typically in the first few months of the year until a slate of nominees is assembled. Prospective candidates are announced from the pulpit in April or no later than three weeks before the congregational meeting , at which time the election of board members takes place.

The nominating committee has been successful since the beginning of UUCV in finding capable members willing to serve a term on the board. It is most successful when members are willing to propose names of prospective members including themselves.

This board has nine members serving three year terms. Each year the terms of three members expire and those members either retire or run for another three year term, if eligible. They can be elected for no more than two consecutive full terms. The current makeup of the board with their terms is:

Terms expire 6/30/23 Dianne Dusman, Amy Farrell, and Cindy Good

Terms expire 6/30/22 Dennis Stone (appointed by the board to replace Michelle Burton), Dirk Wiley, and Kristen Wycha (appointed by board to replace Craig Raisner)

Terms expires 6/30/21 Gail Black, Gisela Roethke, and Heather Woodward

Members serving their first three year term are eligible to stand election for another term.

This year the nominating committee presents a slate of three candidates for the term expiring on 6/30/24: Gail Black, Heather Woodward (both agreeing to serve a second term) and Jim Burton

In addition, nominations from the congregation can be accepted by petition.

Submitted by Jon Tarrant

LAY LEADERSHIP AND STAFF ROSTER

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Gail Black, Pres	Term expires 6/24	Amy Farrell	Term expires 6/23
Kristen Wycha, VP	Term expires 6/22	Gisela Roethke	Term expires 6/21
Dianne Dusman, Clerk	Term expires 6/23	Heather Woodward	Term expires 6/24
Cindy Good, Treasurer	Term expires 6/23	Dirk Wiley	Term expires 6/22
		Denny Stone	Term expires 6/22

UUCV COMMITTEES

Building and Grounds: Jim Burton (Chair)

Finance: Sharon Moye, Bev Ayers-Nachamkin, Michael Fratantuono, Pete Schlenker, Cindy Good (Treasurer), Gail Black (Board Liason), Rev. Aija Simpson

Personnel: Bev Motich (Chair), Kit Franklin

Annual Budget Drive (ABD): Deb Genet, Joan Kraft, (Co-Chairs) Nikki Fry, Ian Harris, Riley Johhnson, Bev Motich, Carol Reismeyer, Ben Ramirez, (Gail Black and Pam Martin, unofficial but crucial members)

Compassion and Caring Circle: Lynn Michels (Chair), Chris Bilger, Michelle Burton, Dot Everhart, Nikki Fry, Deb Genet, Ian Harris, Candice Holsinger, Susan Vernon, Ben Ramirez, Kim Stone, Dale Bicksler, Gail Black, Jim Burton, Char Klein, Katherine McFarland, Bev Motich, Sharon O’Brien, Primajoy Ramalingam, Gisela Roethke, Molly Wilkinson

COM: Deb Stille (Chair) Amy-Jo Humpton, Wendy Gebb, Rick Heckman, Rev. Aija Simpson

Endowment Committee: Carole DeWall (Chair) Tom DeWall, John Bloom, Amy Farrell (Board Liaison), Kit Franklin, Max Lara

RE committee: Courtney Wiley (Chair), Bev Motich, Gail Black, Kristen Wycha, Melissa Mattson and Amy Humpton

Spirit Play Teachers: Mike Wycha, Jen Henry, Laura Powers, Courtney Wiley, Lis Snyder. Candice Holsinger, and Riley Johnson

Doorkeeper Volunteers: Kristen Wycha, Laura Powers, and new this year Ben Ramirez, Ryanne Mack, and Dirk Wiley.

Nursery Staff: Ann Midgely, Kiesha Mellott

Nursery Assistants: Courtney Wiley, Kristen Markley, Dianne Dusman

Middles: Heather Woodward, Primajoy Ramalingam, Brian Wilson, Chair Courtney Wiley

OWL: Emily Crutcher and Molly Wilkinson

Adult Discussion Group: Keith Bittinger (Chair)

Membership/Hospitality: Nikki Fry & Ian Harris (Co-Chairs) Gail Black, Michele Burton, Cathy Dewalt, Rebecca Fratantuono, Lenore Garder, Candice Holsinger, Amy-Jo Humpton, Riley Johnson, Char Klein, Max Lara, Ryanne Mack, Bev Motich, Mikki Williams

Safe Congregation Response Team (SCRT): Emily Crutcher, (Chair) Chris Kapp, RJ Lesch, Melissa Mattson, Heather Woodward

Small Group Ministry: Jim Burton (Chair)

Social Justice Committee: Travis Ferrell (Chair), Deb Genet (Mozambique), Dee Lauderbaugh, Sharon Moye, Carol Riesmeyer, Mike Riesmeyer, Kim Stone (CFTW), Jen Teates, Rachel Teates, and Michael Weidner

Worship Associates: Chris Kapp (Chair), Chris Bilger, Michele Burton, Cathy Dewalt, Dot Everhart, Nikki Fry, Julie Ham, Ian Harris, Riley Johnson, Bev Motich, Cheryl Parsons, Ben Ramirez, Molly Wilkinson

Nominating Committee: Jon Tarrant (Chair), Gail Black, Drew Lynch, Amy-Jo Humpton, Bev Motich

Mozambique Bursary Initiative: Deb Genet (Chair) Martha Bergsten, Chris Bilger, Dianne Dusman, Priscilla Laws, Brian McPherson, Susan Rimby

MUSIC

Choir members
Dan Cozort, Tom Dewalt, Rick Heckman, Chris Kapp, Bev Motich, Joe Osborne, Katie Phillips, Tara Schlenker, and Deb Stille—along with brand-new choir singers Kim Pinkney-Lewis and Mike Posey

STAFF

Minister – Rev. Aija Ruth Simpson
Affiliated Community Minister – Rev. Dr. Kathy Ellis
Director of Music – Rev. David M. Glasgow
Director of Lifespan Faith Development – Emily Crutcher
Church Administrator – Pam Martin
Nursery – Ann Midgley, Kiesha Mellott
Custodian – Jim McLaren

Congregational Meeting

Sunday, 28 June 2020

Opening:

The meeting was convened at 11:45 pm, with 80 members. A quorum was achieved.

Chalice Lighting performed by Kristen, Michael, & John Wycha

Board of Trustees President Bev Ayers-Nachamkin provided a welcome and introduced Tom Dewall as the Parliamentarian for the meeting.

Gail Black, Vice President of the Board of Trustees, presented the Unsung Hero Award for 2020 to the UUCV Staff and Congregation.

Wendy Gebb provided an update on the proceeds from the 2019 Auction. $1000 of the Auction profit from last year has been donated to social justice causes: $300 to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund, $350 to Mozambique, and $350 to the Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) program.

Discussion Participation and Voting Procedures in the Zoom environment were explained and demonstrated by Emily Crutcher and David Glasgow.

Action Items:

2019 Congregational Meeting Minutes – Bev Motich (Board clerk)
Motion to approve made and seconded. Minutes approved, 71 yes and 0 no

Board of Trustee Nominations by Nominating Committee – Jon Tarrant

Interim appointments to BOT: Kristen Wycha and Dennis Stone
Motion to approve made and seconded. Motion approved, 74 yes and 0 no.
Slate of new Board members: Dianne Dusman, Cindy Good, Amy Farrell
Motion to approve made and seconded. Motion approved, 71 yes and 0 no.
Nomination Committee Appointments: Jon Tarrant (chairperson), Gail Black, Amy Humpton, Bev Motich, Drew Lynch.
Motion to approve made and seconded. Motion approved, 73 yes and 0 no.

Finance Report & Review of Past Fiscal Year – Tony Matyas

It’s been a challenging year, financially. We have lost some pledges but were helped substantially by the successful Auction and three fundraisers. Discretionary spending was frozen to tighten up the budget. When COVID-19 forced us to move to an online worship and meeting format, we were able to save some funds on facilities and services. We were fortunate to apply quickly and receive a PPP loan under COVID that helped us out with payroll expenses. Due to all of these measures, we expect to close the year with an excess of funds, in good financial shape for 2020-21.

Discussion: A suggestion was made to encourage congregants to have their pledges automatically deducted from their accounts on a monthly basis. We were reminded that grocery cards are still available. Next year, we will be publishing a multi-year average and 75% projection columns for the budget. Auction future was questioned, since there is a still a budget line item for this. We are planning a Spring Auction if possible. Heather Fox Woodward is also chairing a Fundraising Committee.

Proposed FY 2020/2021 budget – Rev. Aija

The proposed budget is based on the assumption that we will not be back in our building for worship until next Spring. If we get new information suggesting it is safe to return for worship before May 2021, we will need to adjust the budget and raise more funds to afford the utilities and some other facility-related costs. A “13^th month” pledge drive may be necessary. Staff has been approved for a 1.8% increase, in line with UUA recommendations, but we have cut professional expenses for staff by 50% to balance this.

Discussion:

Capital Campaign subsidy for RE director will decrease next year.

Worship dues to UUA is still less than the Fair Share amount.

Offering budget line is projected to be doubled next year since the offering for online worship has been substantially over budget this year.

The PPP grant was reflected in previous year’s budget, not FY20-21.

Motion to approve made and seconded. Motion approved, 69 yes and 0 no.

Capital Campaign Update – Sharon Moye

Construction was prohibited for a few months under COVID but is beginning again. Upcoming projects: Front entrance remodeling, exterior masonry work, handicapped restrooms, kitchen improvements, play area, possibly an upstairs pantry with running water. We would like to install electronic building access if extra funds are left. To date, we have received 80% of pledges ($427,383 out of a total projected of $531,418). We did lose some donations and have received a grant for some of the improvements that will make up for this loss.

Open Comments from UUCV Congregation

Board is currently putting together a policy on using the building safely for Small Groups and other meetings, possibly to begin in late summer.

Thanks to outgoing Board members, especially President Bev.

Closing Words – Rev. Aija

During a time when we could not come together physically, we have found how much we need each other!

Meeting Adjournment at 1:35

Unitarian Universalists of the Cumberland Valley

UUCV Annual Report 2020 – 2021

June 13, 2021

Table of Contents

Mission Statement

Vision Statement