Leadership as Service

Last updated on: April 14, 2016 at 6:08 am by Amy Beltaine

Leadership as Service 2016-04-14T06:08:04+00:00 Amy Beltaine

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Are you an Earth-Relating or Pagan UU? Interested in making a difference for Unitarian Universalism, for Pagans, for the human family and for the earth?

Image courtesy morguefile.com

Consider serving with the leadership of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans! CUUPS leaders form the roots, trunk and branches of the organization, guiding the sustenance of the holy ground to turn into sacred flowers and fruit.

What’s interesting coming up?

We are working with the UU Society for Community Ministry to explore what credentialing for non-ordained religious leadership might look like.
We are re-evaluating our membership data management system, looking to improve it and considering new types of memberships (such as institutional members.)
We are developing how we best support and work with incarcerated members.
We are exploring with DRUUMM members, and others, future dialogs among Earth-Relating UUs from indigenous, created, and reconstructed traditions.
We are alert to the ways our collective voice can move forward the cause of justice.
We are clarifying our goals, policies, and procedures to update for the changing world.
Many CUUPS leaders and members are featured in the upcoming Beacon Press book “Earth-Relating UU Voices.”

Image Copyright @OregonGirlRebecca

Teams you might join include:

Communications
Membership
Development
Curriculum and Liturgy
Ministerial Relations
Nominating
Events (Convocation, Sermon contest, General Assembly…)

See the board job descriptions, below, to see what each team does. Some, like roots, help feed the organization, some, like the trunk of a tree, support it structurally, some are branches, reaching out into the community and delivering the gifts of Earth-Relating UU spirituality.

Board Job Descriptions (*indicates board position open for October 2016 election.)

All board members are responsible to attend 8-12 board meetings per year and to be in relationship with committee members for their area. Executive team may meet more frequently. Meetings are currently the second Tuesday of the month at 6pmPST/9pmEST and run for 1-1.5 hours. Must be able to be on a telephone call for that length and be able to view a google document at the same time. (May switch to Zoom or similar technology at board discretion.) Write and submit monthly board reports and annual report. Note: We strongly urge board members to attend General Assembly annually if at all possible (financial help is available as needed.) Special projects.

President: Convene meetings (Board meetings and annual meeting). Set Agenda. Run meetings. Supervise the Executive Director (ED.) Third person on the bank account and paypal (with ED and Treasurer.) With UU General Assembly (GA) Liaison, responsible for ritual and/or workshops at GA. Support other board members with their work. Public face of CUUPS on social media, media, UUA and at congregations. With the Ministerial Relations board member, assist with conflict resolution with chapters, members, and host congregations or Earth-Relating/Pagan groups. With the VP Membership, welcome new chapters and members. Liaison to all working groups and special projects except Nominations (Bylaws, technology, social justice, sermon contest, etc.).

VP for Communications: Chair of Communications Team. Responsible for print and digital presence, specifically, the front end of the web site, brochures, advertising, posters, communication with media. Consults with ED on social media, and works with Membership VP to develop our visual and written identity. This portfolio includes maintaining connections to other Pagan, Earth-Relating, and religious organizations such as Lady Liberty League and Parliament of World Religions. Mission: Provide general CUUPS and membership information to the world. Define corporate visual identity. Get the word out about CUUPS activities. Support ED.

Secretary: Take minutes during meeting (usually online on shared google doc). Clean up editing of the monthly minutes and post them to our central storage location (currently a Yahoo group.) Track task assignments. Work closely with Executive Director and VP for communications to monitor and provide support for regular publication of newsletter and other publications. As directed by board action, send condolence cards, compose and send any correspondence that needs to go out with “board” signature. Work closely with the ED to manage files and archives. Track and maintain our legal status/registration with the state of Ohio, and any other bodies

*VP for Membership: Chair of Membership Team. Work with ED to maintain relationships with members. This includes chapter reps, at large members, prisoner members, potential members, lapsed members… Spend time on Facebook to engage members in meaningful dialog. Assist ED in planning and execution of membership tracking. Work with Communications VP to get the word out about the benefits of membership. Liaison to Nominations Committee, for volunteer and leadership development. Mission: engage existing membership, recruit members, define and deepen meaning of membership. Leadership development. Support ED to provide membership services.

VP for Development: (Also serves as treasurer) Chair of Development Team. Maintains CUUPS registration with Guidestar and similar services, guides fundraising efforts, seeks out grants, supervises crowdfunding and other appeals, consults with CUUPS chapters seeking help with fundraising. Supervises special events. Works with board to develop budget. Works with ED to track cash flow. Tracks bank and paypal accounts. Issues checks or payments as needed. Mission: Maintain CUUPS as a fiscally responsible and robust organization. Secure funding. (Research and) Provide information and support to CUUPS chapters desiring to do fundraising.

*Curriculum and Liturgy Portfolio: Chair of Curriculum/Liturgy Team. Work with curator of WorshipWeb.net and WizDUUm.net to publish Earth-Relating/Pagan-themed worship materials. Work with REACH and LREDA to compile and publish Earth-Relating/Pagan-themed curricula. Contact at-large and chapter members to solicit worship materials and curriculum. Work with ED to duplicate materials for sale by CUUPS. Invite sympathetic worship leaders and curriculum builders to develop materials for distribution or sale. Support developers by making connections or aligning with board expertise. Mission: link and nurture Pagan and Earth-Relating UUs developing curriculum and liturgy and work with the communications folks to make those resources available to membership.

*Ministerial Relations Portfolio: (Best if this position is filled by a UU minister in fellowship.) Leader of Ministerial Relations Team. Assist with conflict resolution and relationship-building with Chapters, Members, and host congregations or Earth-Relating/Pagan groups. Foster right-relations and closer ties between CUUPS members and friends and UU institutions. Liaison with UU ministers and seminarians, UUA, UUSCM, and UUMA, and leaders of other Pagan and Earth-Relating (including indigenous and eco-justice-advocacy) organizations to build relationships and advocate toward CUUPS mission. Provides support to Earth-Relating and Pagan UU ministerial candidates. Oversees lay leadership credentialing.

*At Large (multiple positions): May be a) Plan and coordinate GA presence including, liaison with the UU GA Coordinating Committee, Develop and submit application for workshop(s) at GA, Research locations for housing, Ritual, and Annual Meeting at GA, b) Plan and coordinate Convocation (in a convocation year), c) Plan and coordinate sermon contest (in a sermon contest year). d) Prison Ministry. e) Liaison to “Church of the Larger Fellowship.” f) Project with Beacon Press for “Earth-Relating UU Voices” book. Other portfolios are options based on current institutional needs. Support the work of the other board members. Special Projects.

Nominating Team: Advertise for and recruit potential CUUPS leaders. Evaluate potential board candidates’ credentials and recommend a slate for endorsement at the annual meeting. The slate needs to be submitted for the annual report by _4_/_15_ each year. This slate is then adopted by the annual meeting in June (usually at GA) and then voted on by the membership through online voting during September. Elected officers take office November 1.

*Open board positions:

Membership VP (term expires 10/31/19
Curriculum and Liturgy Portfolio (term expires 10/31/17)
Ministerial Relations Portfolio (term expires 10/31/18)
At Large (GA Portfolio) (term expires 10/31/18)

Image copyright @OregonGirlRebecca

Whichever type of leader you are, board, team, or chapter, your work nurtures the gifts of earth-relating spirituality and help bring the world we dream about into reality. If you find yourself interested in one of the positions or committees, or have someone to recommend, please contact…

Misty Kirkman at [email protected] or 760-525-0351 (Inquiries about elected positions need to be received by April 20th.)

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