Category: Uncategorized

This is the season of endings and beginnings. Commencement exercises in various institutions mark the end of years of study and the beginning of a new stage in life. Some of our UU congregations are calling or hiring new leadership staff, and ministries are beginning and ending. Here in UURMaPA we are welcoming newly retired ministers and partners or spouses into this community and into a new stage in their lives.

A quick way of describing UURMaPA is to highlight its role as a hub of connection. It is a rather loosely based community that is made up of people automatically enrolled in it by virtue of their statement of retirement from active ministry. What you do with your membership in UURMaPA is totally up to you. But I, for one, hope you will find some way to be active in it—by being part of a Zoom-based group, or attending conferences, or taking part in planing those conferences, or just every so often being in touch with fellow UURMaPAns.

As I’ve thought more about the themes presented in our conference this past April, I’m reflecting on the idea of being an elder. As I noted in my words for the conference ingathering, I wonder how we embrace being an elder in a culture that, as best I can tell, has not prepared us for this.

I know that I see myself as something more than the “senior citizen” caricature or stereotype prevalent in our culture. In that ingathering text I found insight in words from David Whyte’s book Consolations: the Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words (Many Rivers Press; Revised edition, 2021). There’s a reflection on “maturity,” which I know is technically not the same as “elderhood,” but it resonated with me.

“Maturity,” he writes, “calls us to risk ourselves as much as immaturity [does], but this risk is for a bigger picture, a larger horizon, for a powerfully generous outward incarnation of our inward qualities—and not for gains that make us smaller, even in the winning.” So as we navigate what it means to “be retired,” we might also consider how we are consciously engaging being an elder. And this might mean embracing risk.

Maybe we thought we were done with all that. Risk and adventures may be left behind as we settle into times of rest and reflection. Maybe such wildness is meant for those of younger years. But I think here the “risk” is not so much a moment of danger or one of unsure returns. Rather, we may be asking ourselves to risk being who we’ve been becoming over all these long years. Embracing elderhood is inviting us to be open, enlarging ourselves to that possibility.

Wherever we are on that journey toward embracing and becoming elders in whatever setting we find ourselves, UURMaPA can be an important part of the story for many of us. This is a community unique in the way it exists between and among other communities—between our families, our home communities, our religious affiliations (if we are still active in some kind of religious organization or congregation) and other places where we find connection.

So as we move into the summer season, shifting from one mode of being to another, may we find renewal, and perhaps energy to risk being who we are becoming. And it is my hope that whatever path you’re on, you’ll make UURMaPA a part of your journey!

Yours, in the faith, Susan
Susan Veronica Rak (retired but not retiring!)

Job Description
(approved by the Board on 4/25/24)

Rationale:  The Vice-President fulfills the role of the President when that person is not available and assumes additional responsibilities as outlined below.    

Expectations:  

• The VP serves as liaison to the annual UUA General Assembly, and should plan to attend GA (UURMaPA covers expenses).  They participate in the following events that involve UURMaPA:  
• The VP attends the Service of the Living Tradition (SoLT) to sit with survivors of members who are honored. 
• The VP attends the Survivor’s Luncheon following the SoLT.
• The VP takes a lead role in proposing and implementing any workshops offered by UURMaPA during Ministry Days and/or the program segment of GA. 
• If approved by the Board, the VP makes arrangements for a UURMaPA member luncheon that gathers members and hosts and welcomes new retirees and partners. [Note: In recent years, this event has proven prohibitively expensive, especially since it involves a relatively small number of new members who attend GA in person.]
• The VP oversees the selection of a welcome gift for new members (ministers and partners) and the distribution of these gifts in May or June each year.  
• The VP selects and chairs a sub-group of at least three volunteers to choose a recipient for the annual Creative Sageing Award, to be presented at the Fall Conference.  The VP writes the citation for the presentation, which is also edited for publication in Elderberries. 
• The VP attends monthly Board meetings and may undertake other tasks as they present themselves. 

Compiled by  VP Phyllis Hubbell and Judy Gibson for Nominating Committee – 1/2020
Revised by Ned Wight, 4/2023 

Job Description
(approved by the Board on 4/25/24)

Rationale:  Maintaining a web presence with current content serves UURMaPA members as well as other Unitarian Universalists. The website serves as a means of welcoming new members, explaining UURMaPA’s programs, providing access to the newsletter (Elderberries) with current and back issues available, providing access to member directories, promoting conferences, and maintaining an archive of obituaries for deceased retired UU ministers and partners. The primary audience and users are UURMaPA members and UU ministers considering retirement. The Webmaster is responsible for maintaining the web presence.

Expectations:  

• The Webmaster is responsible for maintaining the website. This involves posting text and images, sometimes prodding others to provide materials, often converting a word processing file into pdf-format, updating or posting new materials to “pages” and “posts” that comprise the content of the website, including creating new pages and posts as needed.
• The Webmaster coordinates design with a contracted web designer who is available for troubleshooting. (Currently vacant.)
• Once the “Rainbow History Project” website’s initial design and content are completed, responsibility for maintaining it is expected to become a part of the Webmaster’s portfolio. That is expected by 2024.
• The Webmaster is responsible for maintaining a number of e-mail forwarding addresses for ___@uurmapa.org.
• In addition, the Webmaster assures that UURMaPA’s Domain Name Registration is renewed on time and that fees for the server are paid on time.

Typically this volunteer position requires about two to four hours a week on average, but is not uniform, with some weeks busier than others.

Skills and Access Needed:

• Moderately comfortable skills in applications of computer technology, including file manipulation, uploading, word processing, formatting text and links, cropping and adjusting images. Most content and change requests come by e-mail, so the Webmaster must have an e-mail account and check it often.
• Familiarity with the basics of maintaining a WordPress site. These can be learned by someone who is moderately adept with technology and refined by trial and error.
• General familiarity with websites, domain name registry.
• Ability to troubleshoot issues with the site and/or find other help to do so.
• Must have access to the Internet through a standard web browser. Need to have at least entry-level photo processing software and ability to crop and make basic image adjustments. Must have a word processor capable of exporting encrypted pdf files, e.g., Preview in the MacOS can do this.
• Should be available to respond within a week to post Obituaries and other materials.

Prepared by Duane Fickeisen, Dec 9, 2019. 
Updated by Jaco ten Hove, 3/30/2024.

Appendix to Webmaster Job Description

Specifics:

The website (www.uurmapa.org) is a WordPress site. The site consists of about seven main pages, with links from them to other pages and posts. Some pages and posts have specific pre-formatted types (e.g., Obituaries, What’s New, Board Minutes). Updates to the site are accomplished through a WordPress on-line system that is accessed through common browsers. Hence maintenance is independent of the operating system used by the Webmaster and no special web design software is needed.

The Webmaster is keeper of passwords for the WordPress site and the server and should ensure that at least one other person has access to them. (Currently the previous webmaster.)

In addition to updating general content, there are several recurring items that need attention:

Board Minutes and Reports: As the board approves minutes and Treasurer’s Report at its monthly meeting, the Secretary forwards them to the Webmaster. If the file is not already in pdf format, the file should be converted to pdf, uploaded to the WordPress Media Library, and posted as a new “post” with the type “Board Minutes.” These automatically appear as links from the sidebar on the Governance page, in chronological order.

Directories: Soon after the first of each month, the Membership Coordinator sends two pdf files, the Membership Directory and the Area Connections Directory. The Webmaster opens these and saves (exports) them as encrypted pdf files. The encrypted files are uploaded to the WordPress Media Library and the links to them from the Publications page are updated.

Elderberries: The Newsletter Editor sends a pdf file of Elderberries at the same time it goes to press. The Webmaster saves a jpg file image of the first page, uploads the full pdf file and the jpg file to the WordPress Media Library, and posts them on the Publications Page. In addition, a new “What’s New” post is created announcing availability. What’s New posts automatically appear on the home page side bar. When they have been posted, the Webmaster sends a notice with the link to the page (not the the file in case a correction is later made!) to the Editor with a reminder to alert the Membership Coordinator to send out a notice of its online availability to the Announce List.

Obituaries: When notice of the death of a member goes out to the Announce List, a new ‘post’ is created of the Obituary type with the subtype of the first letter of the deceased person’s last name. The publication date is edited to the date of death. The content of the notice is edited for format and posted in the body of the post. If there is no photo of the person, the UURMaPA logo is inserted at the top of the post as a place holder for an eventual photo. The most recent ten Obituary links (in order of death date) automatically appear in a list in the sidebar of the Home page and the Obituaries page.

When a full obituary is complete and submitted by the Obituary Coordinator, the text (and if available image) are updated. Sometimes two or three images are used.

Conferences: Descriptions and links for information about conferences arrive from the Conference Coordinator and are updated on the Activities page with a link to a pdf file of the registration form. A new What’s New post is created to announce the conference.

Governance Changes: The Governance page includes photos and brief biographical sketches of Board members and the names of incumbents who fill other leadership positions. These need to be updated whenever there is a change. In addition there is page with the names and images of Area Connections Coordinators which is updated when changes are brought to the Webmaster’s attention by the Connections Coordinator.

A note about images:  In general images of a single person are cropped to 150 x 200 px, with preference for the 150 width even if that requires a somewhat different height. Tight headshots are generally preferred. An image with two people in it is typically cropped to 200 x 200 px. Captions of the person’s name are included with the image file.

A note about name use: We eschew “Rev. First-Name,” preferring “The Rev. Title First-Name Last-Name” In obituaries, we have put nicknames in quotes rather than parentheses.

Formatting (Duane’s conventions): Never any double spaces after periods. Always use Oxford commas. Avoid euphemisms for death (a person dies, not passes away or leaves). Links are typically hidden in the text that indicates them (not added after as the URL).

The “Rainbow History Project” website (https://uurainbowhistory.net/) is under development and is also a WordPress site. When it is time to hand off management of it to the Webmaster, it can be moved to the server that hosts the main UURMaPA web presence. That may take place by 2024. 

The e-mail Forwarders are maintained by our server host. As incumbents change, or there is a need for a new forwarder, the Webmaster makes those changes to maintain the list.

Resources:

Web Designer. We had been working with Greg Bear (Greg Bear Media) of Carlisle, PA, as our web designer. He designed the basic layout and the specific post and page types that automatically populate portions of the site. Greg had beenreadily available to assist with troubleshooting and problem solving. From time to time WordPress issues updates and Greg assured that those are installed. When they caused problems with any of the plug-ins that we rely on for portions of the site, he resolved the issues. He has since declined to assist us any further and we are currently (2024) without such assistance.

Materials come from the Secretary, Newsletter Editor, Obituary Coordinator, Connections Coordinator, and others.

The Rainbow History site was initially developed by Gretchen Ohmann in coordination with Greg Bear and overseen by then Rainbow History Project Coordinator, Judy Welles. Its current handling is unclear, but has not been transferred to our site (or webmaster).

Passwords for the server and WordPress site are maintained by the Webmaster and by Greg Bear (maybe). Passwords for the server and WordPress site of the Rainbow History project are maintained by Gretchen Ohmann.

Bluehost is our server host. Their fees seem modest and they have a strong reputation for good support service. They automatically take care of domain name renewal and basic site security. We pay around $150/year for hosting and domain name registration, usually on a three-year contract. Fees are currently billed to the Treasurer upon submission of the invoice.

Prepared by Duane Fickeisen, Dec 9, 2019. 
Updated by Jaco ten Hove, 3/30/2024.

Job Description
(approved by the Board on 4/25/24)

Rationale: The UURMaPA Board has determined that honoring and memorializing the deaths of our members is one of several important functions for our membership.  

Although ministers in fellowship are honored by the UUA, UURMaPA is the only UU entity that honors the death of partners. UURMaPA has put in place several functions upon the death of our members, involving several Board and off-Board leaders.  

Currently on the team, an Obituary Coordinator posts short announcements that are noted by the Editors, as well as charting all activities honoring deceased members, passing along info to appropriate Editors as needed, and keeping files on all member deaths, both ministers and partners.

Two Obituary Editors—one each for ministers and partners (others may be recruited to assist)—volunteer to compose somewhat detailed obituaries that honor the members’ lives.  These are then shared with the membership and filed in UURMaPA’s obituary archive on the website. The Editors are asked to serve in an off-Board position for a year (with option to renew).

Obituary Editor Tasks: The Board has determined that UURMaPA will post only the deaths of our own members (ministers or partners), except that we will report via a brief announcement the death of a minister who was 65 or older, even if not a member (in which case no full obituary will be needed). The Board will then invite any surviving partner to join UURMaPA.

First Notice of a death – for follow-up by Editors:

Obituary Editors may receive early information about a member death in several different ways. Each will make note of the info so they can seek and track further details in order to compose a full obituary:  

• Minister death announcements generally come fairly promptly from the UUA in brief form; these are shared with the membership by the Obituary Coordinator via UURMaPA-Announce, so that condolence notes and donations in memory may be sent.  
• Partner deaths are harder to discover, as we must rely on members or others to think to tell someone in UURMaPA, who hopefully will then notify the Partner Obit Editor so they can make note for follow-up.
• The Elderberries Newsletter regularly posts a request that members notify the Board if they learn of another member’s death, and that info is passed along to the appropriate Editor. Facebook and other social media may alert members when a minister colleague or partner dies.

Preparation of Obituaries:  Each Editor’s job is to use various contacts and resources to learn more about the life and activities of the member.  

• For ministers, the UUA will prepare a longer obit that will be posted, and may be enhanced and edited for UURMaPA’s use and archives.
• Funeral homes may prepare obituaries for UURMaPA members that provide good personal information.  Also, invitations to family members and colleagues may provide rich stories and materials. (UURMaPA members are regularly invited to contact Editors with these stories.)
• Short Death Notices sent on UURMaPA-Announce to UURMaPA members (prepared by Obituary Coordinator) may provide basic information (see Appendix below for outline). They often provide an Editor some contact info to get research started.

Completion of Full Obituaries by the Editors:  Recent practice has been for both Editors to prepare some full obituaries to submit to the Elderberries Editor for each of the quarterly issues. Edited versions with photos (when available) are published in each issue. The full obituary with photo (no limit on length) is sent to the Webmaster to be added to the UURMaPA Obituary Archive.

Draft prepared by Judy Gibson, Nominating Committee and former Obituary Coordinator, May 2020
Reviewed and edited by Jay Atkinson, April 2024

Appendix:  Short death announcement guide from UURMaPA – a basic outline

We will miss: NAME (Birth year – Death year)

The Board of the UU Retired Ministers and Partners Association offers our condolences to the family and friends of (name), who died on (date) at the age of (age).

S/he is survived by (partner, siblings, children, grandchildren, etc.)

A memorial service was/will be held on (date) at (time), (location and address if still in future).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to (organization/s).  In ministerial notices, add the following to the “donations may be made…” section from families: “

UURMaPA will contribute $50 to the UUMA Endowment Fund (www.uuma.org/donations/donate.asp?id=11276) in honor of our colleague’s ministry.

In partner’s notices, add the following to the “donations may be made…” section from families:  

UURMaPA will contribute $50 to his/her church or a charity of his/her choice.

Notes of condolence can be sent to (name and address).

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed.  If any readers would wish to contribute information or reminiscences, we would welcome them.  Please send them to (choose one)

• UURMaPA’s clergy obituary editor, (Name and email).
• UURMaPA’s partner obituary editor, (Name and email)

Job Description
(approved by the Board on 4/25/24)

Rationale: The Secretary takes minutes at all Board meetings, updates records and handles correspondence as needed. The Secretary makes changes annually or as needed to keep record documents of UURMaPA current. These records include: current lists of leaders for general reference and in records of the Massachusetts Secretary of State; a file of up-to-date functional job descriptions submitted for Board and off-Board positions; Bylaws as amended and changes in Operating Procedures as needed. The Secretary sends updated public documents to the webmaster to be posted on the website.

Expectations:

• Minutes of Board Meetings: The Board holds a virtual meeting most months via Zoom. The Secretary may send an early draft of minutes to Board members for possible edits prior to the next meeting. The revised minutes are sent to the Board a few days before the meeting at which members will be asked to approve them. The Secretary then sends minutes and attached reports as approved to be posted on the website under Governance.Recent practice has been that the Secretary marks text of decisions in bold and action items in red italics, and inserts line numbers on the left document margin.

• In-Person Board Meetings and Conferences: At any in-person meeting of the Board, currently held in conjunction with a conference, the Secretary should plan to attend and record minutes. They are also expected to attend and take minutes at general member information sessions at conferences.

• UURMaPA-Announce: The UURMaPA-Announce List, set up through uua.org, is currently administered by the Membership Coordinator (an off-Board appointee), and allows the Board to send out messages to the membership. The Secretary serves as the Board member back-up person who may post notices to members as needed.

• UURMaPA Leadership List and History of Service: Each June before a new Board takes office and other times as needed, the Secretary updates two documents. The UURMaPA Leadership List, including off-Board appointees who agree to serve in the next year, is sent to the webmaster to be inserted as the initial pages of the online Membership Directory. The Secretary also assures that annual updates are made to the UURMaPA Leadership Service History spreadsheet (an essential reference for the Nominating Committee and the Board) that tracks both elected officers and Board-appointed leaders by service years. The spreadsheet update is sent to the webmaster to be posted on the website under Governance.

• Updates of Bylaws: The Secretary enters into the Bylaws any amendments proposed and approved by the Board and the membership, and sends the document to be updated on the website under Governance. Some Bylaw updates may also need to be filed with the Secretary of State (see below).

• Corporate Filing with Massachusetts Secretary of State: Each spring, as a new set of Board members is elected, the Secretary (as official Clerk of the Organization) files officers’ names, contact info and terms of office [on UURMaPA’s site] with the Massachusetts Secretary of State. Other changes may only occasionally be needed (including changes in Resident Agent and the Agent’s Massachusetts address, or updates of the Articles of Organization, such as UURMaPA’s purpose or specific item in Bylaws.). The Secretary can file online to UURMaPA’s site at 

https://corp.sec.state.ma.us/corp/loginsystem/login_form.asp?
FilingMethod, CID# is: bx3k28 and the PIN is:8958. Fees for some entries are charged, and can be reimbursed by the Treasurer.

• File of Job Descriptions: The Secretary maintains UURMaPA’s reference file of current job descriptions and key functions for all elected and appointed leadership and sends updates to the webmaster as needed. The updated file is kept online and serves as a reference resource for Board, members in leadership and Nominating Committee. Revision dates and names should be recorded on each document, and should be checked at least annually and revised as needed by relevant Board or off-Board leadership.

• Updates of Operating Procedures – policies: The Operating Procedures document contains the policies and detailed procedures that guide the organization. It evolves as needed based on decisions of the Board that are recorded in the minutes. The Secretary edits the Operating Procedures document as needed to keep it current, and sends the updated document for posting on the website under Governance.

• Board Liaisons: Board members are assigned as liaisons to all Off-Board leadership volunteers. The Secretary is assigned as Board liaison to the appointee as Membership Coordinator.

Updated by Judy Gibson, former UURMaPA Board Secretary & current Nominating Committee member; in consultation with Barbara Child, Secretary—June 2020.

Job Description
(approved by the Board on 4/25/24)

Rationale: The President represents the organization and its goals to members, to the larger Unitarian Universalist community, and to the public at large, promoting and furthering its mission and reputation.

Expectations:

• The President monitors the Board and its members regarding fulfillment of UURMaPA’s Mission. They prepare the agenda and chair meetings of the Board and represent the Board to members, UUMA, LREDA, UUA, and other UU groups. They are expected to attend UURMaPA Conferences and the UUA General Assembly, with expenses covered by the budget.
• For the annual in-person Board meeting, the President, in consultation with the Board, develops the agenda and invites appropriate guests from the UUA and UUMA.
• Conferences – The President leads UURMaPA informational or business meetings and offers reports. In consultation with planning teams, the President will select Odyssey presenters for all UURMaPA Conferences.
• Other UURMaPA Events – The President consults in planning and participates in the annual virtual “UURMaPA Welcome” event.
• UUA General Assembly – The President attends UURMaPA-sponsored events when held, and, where possible, the gathering for families of deceased ministers. They represent UURMaPA at the Service of the Living Tradition.
• Nominations – The President works closely with the Nominating Committee in selecting nominees to fill Board positions and possibly other vacancies as needed.
• Other duties include:
  • sending a welcome letter with UURMaPA brochure to new retirees
  • writing condolence letters to families of those members who have died
  • notifying the Treasurer when to send memorial gifts
  • writing articles for Elderberries and for other publications as invited
  • preparing the annual financial appeal letter(s) to members
  • promoting educational programs for members and future members
  • serving as liaison to specific off-Board annual appointees
  • generally coaching others in their roles

Drafted by Judy Gibson, 3-18-2020
Revised by Diane Miller in consultation with past Presidents, 2020
Revised by Susan V Rak, February 2023