A message from Rob Zimmerman, Board of Trustees Secretary

A fairly consistent bit of feedback that I’m getting as a board member is that we need to be “more transparent” with the business of the church. I agree! While there may be occasions where closed sessions are required to maintain confidentiality, in general, closed sessions are uncommon. UUCW’s board welcomes input from members, either electronically to individual board members or through the group email board@uucw.org , in conversations with one or more of us, or by observing board meetings in person or on Zoom. We committed this year to provide agendas and supporting documentation one week in advance of board meetings so you know what business will be discussed. Board members are sharing stories and updates through E-news articles like this one. And for years Board members have had a visible presence at Sunday services. We love it when you share your care and concern for UUCW with us.

But another side of this is whether our existing channels of communication work for members. We measure traffic on E-news stories, for instance. Each week, many stories have fewer than 20 views. Posts to our members-only channel Realm often get little to no response. Calls for member feedback such as recent surveys from our Settled Minister Search team result in far less than half of UUCW members providing responses. And in-person listening sessions often have no more than 25-30 attendees. Not every channel works for everyone, so we look to get messages out through all of them. Are you receiving them? Do you feel you are “in the know” about UUCW? If not, here’s a list of ways you can be:

  1. Read the E-news each week. It’s published on Thursday.  A link is posted on our website. (I trust as you’re reading this, you’ve got that one covered!)
  2. Follow UUCW on Facebook. In addition to the E-news reminder, we have posted about many of the goings-on at UUCW, in the community, at the UUA, and with our members.
  3. Sign up for Realm. If you have an email address, you can do it.  If you need help, call Vicki Banville.  It’s a way to connect with other members without filling your inbox with spam.
  4. Keep a copy of the week’s announcements from the Order of Service for information on upcoming events.
  5. Check out the Board agenda and seek out board members or staff if you have questions.  We also commit to sharing minutes from previous meetings in a more timely and user-friendly way.
  6. Participate in committees or feedback sessions when you can. Hearing other members’ views and having them hear yours is a way to build community.
  7. Engage with members at table displays in the Community Room after services.

Are there other ways you’d like to be communicated with? Shoot me an email and share your ideas!  I’ll throw an extra $1 in the offering plate for each of you I hear from.

Rob Zimmerman