Committees

As with most UU churches, committees perform much of the vital work of our Society, and provide a way for members to serve the church and the community at large. Membership in virtually all is voluntary and open to all interested parties. (Exceptions: the Standing Committee, the Nominating Committee, and the Religious Education Committee are elected by the members of the Society at our annual meeting in the Spring.) Below is a list of the current committees, with a very brief description of their focus and activities:

Caring Community
is a group of members who form a network of helping hands. Caring Community Coordinators assist when needed, as a supplement to the ministers' pastoral work. This often means coordinating volunteers to provide occasional meals, transportation to medical appointments and church functions, errands, and emergency childcare. To encourage communication among us, the coordinators support opportunities for greater social connection such as potluck dinners, and assist with the monthly Candles of Joy and Concern.

Denominational Affairs
keeps track of and coordinates the Society's participation in activities within the wider UUA community. The committee meets periodically and is responsible for communication with the congregation about UUA events, including General Assembly and regional or district conferences and meetings.

Endowment Committee
is responsible for overseeing and increasing the value of the endowment fund over the long term to meet the Society's mission. Committee members manage the investment of the fund in conjunction with outside managers. They also offer programs designed to raise awareness of the endowment fund among the congregation and to encourage memorial gifts and other bequests. They provide quarterly reports to the Standing Committee and have worked with the UU Learning Community on educational programs. Meetings are generally held quarterly.

Finance Committee
conducts fund raisers to support the Society's operating needs and is responsible for developing annual budget in consultation with other committees and members of the Standing Committee. The committee organizes and sponsors an annual goods and services auction and other types of fund raisers, including an oriental rug sale that benefits both the Society and a nonprofit refugee assistance organization. The committee meets at least once per quarter as needed in order to fulfill its responsibilities.

Gay/Straight Coalition
was formed to support sexual minorities, within our church and beyond, in their quest for acceptance and equality. The goals of the group include assessing and meeting the needs of gay, bisexual, or transgendered individuals within the Society, enhancing our acceptance and affirmation of sexual minorities, reaching out to those who are gay, bisexual or transgendered in our surrounding towns, and advocating for justice, freedom and equality for sexual minorities in the larger society. The Coalition is a group of both homosexual and heterosexual individuals. It provides information and offers educational programs to members of the church, including working with the RE Committee. It spearheaded a successful educational effort that culminated, in May 2000, in a membership vote to officially designate our Society as a Welcoming Congregation.

House and Grounds Committee
is responsible for ensuring that our physical plant is well-maintained. Members of the group troubleshoot ongoing operations issues as they arise and take on various projects including assessing major maintenance needs, obtaining cost estimates for major repairs, and identifying or negotiating with contractors and other suppliers. The committee works closely with the sexton, and its members and others participate in two major outdoor cleanups each year. The committee generally meets four times during the church year.

Committee Against Hunger and Poverty
provides an opportunity for outreach beyond the Society to other communities and people in need. Members organize clothing drives, prepare and deliver monthly meals, and solicit contributions of money and food for shelters.

Intern Committee
provides support and guidance to the ministerial intern over the course of the intern's time with the Society. Members help the intern understand the needs of the congregation and how the Society functions. They also assist the intern in solving problems and formulating goals and plans for the year. They act as a mentoring group, meeting regularly with the intern to exchange information, ideas, and concerns, and to give feedback from the congregation on the intern's performance in her/his many roles. The committee also completes the evaluations required by the theological schools and the UUA. The Society's minister selects the interns and appoints members of the Intern Committee. Committee meetings are generally held monthly.

Music and Arts Committee
develops, enhances and promotes music and arts programs within the Society and to provide advice and support to the Music Director. This group has traditionally planned entertainment for the annual pledge drive kickoff and has for the past several years coordinated entertainment for other social occasions and sponsored outside musical groups to perform during special worship services. In addition, the committee hosts an annual arts and crafts exhibit that provides the many talented artists of the congregation an opportunity to display their works. The committee generally meets monthly.

Nominating Committee
develops a slate of nominees for church officers and elected committees that is presented to the membership for ratification at the Annual Meeting in late spring. Members consult with the Standing Committee and Religious Education Committee to identify potential nominees for those committee positions. The Committee consists of four elected members and one appointee from the Standing Committee. Elected members serve a two year term. Meetings take place as needed, generally several times in early spring.

Personnel and Administrative Committee
oversees the employment of the Society's paid personnel, and handles staff feedback, compensation and benefits, and other employment matters. Members assist staff in determining their work priorities and make recommendations to the Finance and Standing Committees on compensation. Paid staff members consult with the Standing Committee to determine their own representative on the Committee, and the representatives are joined by a Standing Committee member (generally the Vice Chair).

Religious Education Committee
oversees the program of religious education for the children and youth of the Society. A primary goal of the Committee, in addition to communicating with families, is to connect with the work of other church committees in an effort to integrate the children into the community in meaningful ways. The Committee consists of nine members who are elected to three year terms and function in subcommittees that focus on curriculum, Making a Difference Sundays, and other projects or priorities as suggested by committee members. The Director of Religious Education also serves on the Committee. The group as a committee on a monthly basis.

Rummage Sale Committee
is a dedicated group of dedicated organizers that coordinates the Society's annual Rummage Sale. Committee members also serve as chairs of various rummage departments, recruit and assign sorting week and sale day volunteers, manage logistics, handle publicity, and generally ensure the success of the sale. The committee meets every other week during the two months prior to the sale, and members devote substantial time during sorting week and the sale itself.

Social Justice Outreach Committee
seeks to encourage and sponsor a broad range of social action, social witness, and social education efforts, coordinating these efforts with other social action-oriented committees within the UUSWH and with other UU organizations. Our mission comprises: allocating Outreach funds in the Society's annual operating budget for the benefit of worthy causes in the larger world; reporting to the congregation charitable contributions made by the SJOC and various other committees and groups within the UUSWH; providing education to the congregation about social issues ; spearheading political advocacy efforts in support of those social issues; serving as a launching pad for new social action initiatives; building alliances with other social action/social justice programs sponsored by the UUA and UUSC; and allocating financial gifts or bequests donated to the Society for the purpose of outreach.

Standing Committee
serves as the executive body of the Society, and is given, under the bylaws, the overall responsibility for its general welfare and functioning of committees. The Committee consists of nine elected members who serve three year, staggered terms. The Society's Clerk, Treasurer, and minister attend its monthly meetings, which are open to any member of the Society.

UU Learning Community
plans and implements adult education programs for the congregation that are consistent with UU principles that foster personal growth and enhance community bonds. The UULC draws on the broad base of skills, knowledge and experience of the members of the congregation. Committee members share the planning of the year's offerings, individually assume responsibility for such tasks as soliciting presenters, preparing publicity, scheduling and hosting programs, preparing the UULC Booklet, and taking meeting minutes. The UULC serves as an umbrella for adult educational endeavors of the community as a whole, and has worked with other committees including RE, Endowment, and Hunger and Poverty to cosponsor activities. Meetings are held approximately every six weeks. Click here for more specifics.

Welcoming Committee
is primarily responsible for greeting visitors and for providing information to newcomers and visitors about the church community. This group works with other committees to facilitate newcomer involvement in activities and programs and to maintain current information and brochures. Committee members call newcomers and visitors to encourage their attendance at social events, and take turns as greeters at the Visitors Table on Sunday mornings during coffee hour. The Committee sponsors orientation sessions on Unitarian Universalism and coordinates a New Member Sunday in the spring to honor and welcome everyone who has joined during the last church year. The Committee has also taken responsibility for coordinating the photo directory. Meetings are generally held once a month.

Women's Retreat Committee
plans the a retreat open to all women of the church community, which has rapidly become an annual tradition. Committee members choose the retreat theme and program, handle publicity, make lodging arrangements, and work at the retreat itself to ensure that the program and activities go smoothly.