From Your Trustee:

Fall (Florida style) is in the air, with school starting and cooler air at my usual morning walk time. I’m delighted to serve you as Trustee for this coming year, but at times I find my mind wandering to what’s next—for you and for me—when the year is over.

As Trustee, I find my work very rewarding, mostly because I have the opportunity to hear about issues facing congregational and district leaders and to help develop Association policy to guide our Administration in response. It really works that way. The new settlement system for ministers has resulted from concerns expressed by ministers and lay leaders in this district about the system the Association had been using forever. An increasing emphasis on the visibility of Unitarian Universalism in our broader culture is directly related to the comments made by leadership here and across the continent. New building programs for our congregations are sprouting up in response to needs. A clear commitment to supporting our youth and young adults by the Board has led to major initiatives in program development and funding. The list goes on and on, and that is because we all care about the future of this movement and work together for progress.

An important transition for me will be retiring as a UUA Trustee next June at General Assembly. It is also an important transition for you, and I urge you to pay particular attention to the qualifications of those who decide to run for this position. Your congregation’s future is inextricably tied to the future of other congregations in this web we call an association, and your active participation in this democratic change in leadership is a renewal of your commitment to our faith.

As always, I welcome your comments.

— MARGARET SANDERS, UUA TRUSTEE