Charges for Committees to Implement TRC Recommendations

On August 24, 2021, the UUCC Board of Trustees held a special meeting to identify priorities among the specific recommendations in the final report of the Trust & Reconciliation Committee, released May 2021. The Board then selected five priorities on which to act immediately:

1. Building Cultural Competencies to Foster Beloved Community
2. Professionally Led Workshop and Follow-Up Activities
3. Right Relations Covenanting Process
4. Planning for the Future and Navigating Change
5. Fostering Beloved Community & 7 Principles in Implementing all TRC Recommendations

The first of those will be addressed by the Executive Team, staff, and other leadership, who are encouraged to immediately begin prioritizing and implementing the recommendation of building cultural competencies to foster Beloved Community (pp. 46-47, TRC Final Report – Specific Recommendations).

Committees will be formed to address priorities 2, 3 and 4, while including the specific wording of priority 5 in all charges.

            Group Relations Workshop Committee
            Mission / Vision / Covenant Review Committee
            Covenant of Right Relations Committee

While each committee will be working separately on their specific charge, they are all working towards the common goal of building and rebuilding trust in the congregation. All committees will be comprised of 3-5 individuals representing congregational diversity, appointed by the Board.

Many volunteers will be needed for these committees so that we may follow through on the recommendations issued by the Trust and Reconciliation Committee. Anyone interested in volunteering to join one of the committees should contact the Board as soon as possible at board@uucolumbia.net.

Language of Individual Charges:

Group Relations Workshop Committee

[Implementation of “Professionally led workshop & follow-up activities: Identify and act on common ground at UUCC for justice for all (p. 43, TRC Final Report – Specific Recommendations)]

Purpose

Oversee the implementation of an expertly facilitated congregational workshop focused on relationship-building, reconciliation, and trust-building; strengthening intergroup relations within our congregation; and developing strategy for moving forward together as a community of faith.

Deadlines

Committee term will begin September 2021. Workshop should be held as soon as feasible and no later than February 2022. The committee will disband once the Board has received a final update (no later than end of March 2022).

Charge

1. Facilitator recruitment & identification: The team will draft a Request for Proposals (RFP) to be approved by the Board of Trustees (BOT) and then provided to potential facilitators; will seek out and interview qualified facilitator candidates; and will present the recommended facilitator candidate(s) and workshop proposal(s) for BOT approval. The BOT must also approve the final contracted scope of work.
2. Workshop Implementation: Once a facilitator is selected, the committee will serve as the primary liaison between the facilitator and congregation. The team will coordinate with UUCC staff to schedule and finance the workshop; will write promotional messaging to encourage broad congregational participation; and will oversee all logistics of workshop implementation. The committee may recruit additional volunteers to help with implementation efforts as necessary.
3. Communications: In addition to BOT approval of the RFP, scope of work, and facilitator, the committee is requested to advise the Board periodically regarding the committee’s activities, emerging observations, and/or recommendations/questions warranting further BOT guidance. The committee is also requested to provide a report (written or at Board meeting) to the BOT following the workshop to share feedback. Communication with the congregation at the discretion of the committee’s chair.
4. Process consistency: In fulfilling the charge, committee members are charged to affirm and promote the UU 7 Principles and our UUCC Beloved Community Resolution, the latter specifying the need to dismantle racism and other oppressions. In addition, the Board asks this committee to coordinate efforts (e.g., timing of surveys, events, etc.) with the other committees formed to ensure wide congregational participation.

Interested in serving on this committee?

This committee will be comprised of 3-5 individuals representing congregational diversity, appointed by the Board. While this committee will be working separately on their specific charge, all committees created by the Board as a result of the recommendations from the Trust and Reconciliation Committee are working towards the common goal of building and rebuilding trust in the congregation.

Anyone interested in volunteering to join one of the committees should contact the Board at board@uucolumbia.net.

Mission / Vision / Covenant Review Committee

[Implementation of “Planning for the Future and Navigating Change” (p. 48, TRC Final Report – Specific Recommendations)]

Purpose

Oversee the process to review UUCC’s current Mission, Vision, and Covenant statements and, as deemed necessary, to develop new statements to be adopted by the congregation. The Board’s Governance Process policy II.A.2 states that, “At least once every seven years, the Board, together with the Senior Minister, and through extensive consultation with and involvement of the congregation, leads the effort to develop meaningful covenant, vision, and mission statements for UUCC.” An accepted and embraced congregational Mission, Vision, and Covenant is foundational to all other work taking place at UUCC. To fulfill all other recommendations, it is imperative that we all agree with the statements made in those foundational documents. This process must include wide congregational input and, in doing so, help to build and rebuild trust within our community.

Deadline

The committee will begin its work September 2021 and end with the Annual Meeting on June 5, 2022.

Charges

1. Research & review: Using resources available from the UUCC staff, the UUA, and other sources, this committee will propose a process for congregational review of UUCC’s current Mission, Vision, and Covenant statements. After receiving approval on the process from the Board of Trustees (BOT), the committee will carry out the review process, recruiting additional volunteers as needed. The committee will present the results of the review to the BOT in addition to any recommendations resulting from the review.
2. Mission / Vision / Covenant revision: Should the committee recommend revising UUCC’s mission, vision, and/or covenant, the committee will also create a process for developing new statements and present this process to the BOT as part of the review and recommendation presentation. This process should also include wide congregational input and feedback opportunities. After receiving approval on the mission / vision / covenant revision process from the BOT, the committee will carry out the revision process, recruiting additional volunteers as needed. Any new statements should be presented to the BOT by April 30, 2022 in order to be included in the Annual Meeting agenda and must be endorsed by the congregation at the Annual Meeting on June 5, 2022.
3. Communications: In addition to BOT approval of the process to both review and revise the mission, vision, and covenant, the committee is requested to advise the Board periodically regarding the committee’s activities, emerging observations, and/or recommendations/questions warranting further BOT guidance. Communication with the congregation at the discretion of the committee’s chair.
4. Process consistency: In fulfilling the charge, committee members are additionally charged to affirm and promote the UU 7 Principles and our UUCC Beloved Community Resolution, the latter specifying the need to dismantle racism and other oppressions. In addition, the Board asks this committee to coordinate efforts (e.g., timing of surveys, events, etc.) with the other committees formed to ensure wide congregational participation.

Interested in serving on this committee?

This committee will be comprised of 3-5 individuals representing congregational diversity, appointed by the Board. While this committee will be working separately on their specific charge, all committees created by the Board as a result of the recommendations from the Trust and Reconciliation Committee are working towards the common goal of building and rebuilding trust in the congregation.

Anyone interested in volunteering to join one of the committees should contact the Board at board@uucolumbia.net.

Covenant of Right Relations Committee

[Implementation of phase 1 of “Right Relations covenanting process & support team” (p. 44, TRC Final Report – Specific Recommendations)]

Purpose

Draft and implement an Interim Covenant of Right Relations and propose and implement a process for testing it and addressing any issues that arise.

Deadline

This committee will begin its work in September 2021. An Interim Covenant of Right Relations must be presented to the congregation before the end of November 2021, to be implemented and tested throughout this congregational year through May 2022. The committee will provide the Board with a update in June 2022, following the Annual Meeting.

Charges

1. Interim Covenant of Right Relations: In the short-term, this committee will survey available Covenants of Right Relations from other UU congregations and other sources and adopt or adapt relevant portions for an Interim Covenant of Right Relations for UUCC’s use in this current program year.
2. Implementation: The committee will propose and implement a process for testing the Interim Covenant of Right Relations in the congregation and addressing any issues that arise, helping us to understand how a Covenant of Right Relations works in practice.
3. Recommendations & plan: At the end of the testing phase of the Interim Covenant of Right Relations, the committee will provide the Board with a report on their observations, including a plan that recommends how to best carry out the additional TRC Right Relations recommendations.
4. Communications: In addition to a presentation to the BOT in June 2022, the committee is requested to advise the Board periodically regarding the committee’s activities, emerging observations, and/or recommendations/questions warranting further BOT guidance. Communication with the congregation is at the discretion of the committee’s chair.
5. Process continuity: In fulfilling the charge, committee members are additionally charged to affirm and promote the UU 7 Principles and our UUCC Beloved Community Resolution, the latter specifying the need to dismantle racism and other oppressions. In addition, the Board asks this committee to coordinate efforts (e.g., timing of surveys, events, etc.) with the other committees formed to ensure wide congregational participation.

Interested in serving on this committee?

 This committee will be comprised of 3-5 individuals representing congregational diversity, appointed by the Board. The TRC also recommends convening a group or groups who would be responsible to lead the congregation in developing a UUCC Covenant of Right Relations (which would replace the Interim Covenant of Right Relations) and navigate conflicts that arise in violation of that covenant. This committee will not be addressing those recommendations; members of this committee will have the option, but not the obligation, of serving to complete these later objectives.

While this committee will be working separately on their specific charge, all committees created by the Board as a result of the recommendations from the Trust and Reconciliation Committee are working towards the common goal of building and rebuilding trust in the congregation.

Anyone interested in volunteering to join one of the committees should contact the Board at board@uucolumbia.net.