EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
This committee consists of the five elected officers and a designated trustee (the immediate past president of the Fellowship). The officers are elected at the Annual Meeting of the Congregation for a one-year term. They have control of the property, business and activities of the Fellowship subject only to the action of the members in meeting assembled.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
The three members of this committee are nominated and elected during each Annual Meeting, with the first person nominated serving as Chair. Their function is to compose a suitable slate of officers for the following year, the proposed slate to be provided to the Secretary not later than six weeks prior to the annual meeting. The proposed slate is published in the notice of the annual meeting and in prior Sunday bulletins. Nominations may also be made from the floor at the annual meeting.
Generally, the Nominating Committee obtains agreement-to-serve from UU Lima members for the following standing committees. Members may volunteer or be recruited. Every member of the Fellowship may be active on one or more of these committees which are responsible for all the activities of the Fellowship. Committee members, including chairs, usually serve one year and may choose to continue on that committee or on another.
PROGRAMS & SERVICES COMMITTEE
The Fellowship Vice President (or Co-Vice Presidents) chair this committee. This committee plans, schedules and provides the speakers and service leaders for Sunday worship services during the fiscal year, including summer programs if so decided. The schedule is generally planned and the speakers confirmed two to three months in advance though some flexibility is maintained to insert special services that may become available. Generally, the speaker mix includes one or two UU ministers, one or two members of the Lima Fellowship, and one or two local speakers or music.
Sunday services sermons (programs/presentions) explore (define/discuss/enlarge-on) specific subjects within the following areas: religion, ethics, philosophy; eternal verities (beauty, truth, good); social problems or situations; art (music, poetry, drama); Unitarian Universalism (identity, history, significance).
Each Program Committee decides the method and responsibility it wants to utilize for efficiently confirming speakers and service leaders. The contact person or the service leader is responsible for obtaining from the speaker details of the program and special music requested (if any). This information must be provided to the typist for Sunday Bulletin and to the Webmaster in timely fashion. Likewise, the Program Committee is responsible to getting information to the Executive, PR, and Newsletter Committees for timely use on the Wayside Pulpit and other PR outlets.
If there is no separate Music Committee, any confirmed volunteer may participate in the deliberations of the Executive Committee as a member of the Program and Services Committee as Music Director. In similar fashion, whomever serves as Webmaster may likewise function within the Program and Services and Executive Committees.
Since lighting the chalice, collecting the offertory, and inserting the music are integral parts of each sevice, the Program and Services Committee must assume responsibility for scheduling/assigning people for these important functions, as well as scheduling speakers for the programs.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COMMITTEE
The RE Director is considered a part of the Executive Committee. Whether there are many or few children in the Fellowship family, RE is one of the most important functions of the organization. The members of this committee will determine the course of ideas and action used in exposing our young children to religious principles, experiences and information. Materials may be developed in the committee and supplemented with RE material from the national district level. The committee appoints teachers and prepares curriculum and schedules for weekly classes, long-range goals, and coordination with the adult programs.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
This committee has five major functions.
1. To keep an up-to-date register of the membership and to provide at least an annual copy to each member.
2. To keep the signed membership cards in proper order in a readily available file box. To provide a supply of blank membership cards near the guest register book and the UU brochure rack.
3. To devise and effect ways of securing new members with special campaigns and/or coordination with the Publicity and Program Committees. To coordinate with the Librarian in updating and maintaining brochures for the public.
4. To greet visitors, make sure they sign the register, and escort them to seats. To follow-up with a brief note inviting them back.
5. When appropriate, to offer a membership packet (membership card, Lima Fellowship brochure, other UU brochures, Code of Regulations, membership list, etc. )
PUBLICITY COMMITTEE (aka Public Relations Committee)
These people prepare the Sunday Bulletin each week using information received from the Program Committee and duplicate sufficient copies for the expected attendance. The format and graphics of the bulletin may vary consi4erably. The bulletin will contain the date and names of participants along with the Order of Service and the Covenant. As space permits, it will also contain visitors' welcome, announcements of coming events, perhaps a short biography of the speaker, late-breaking news about members, and pithy or thoughtful quotes.
If there is no separate Newsletter Committee, the Secretary (or any confirmed volunteer) may participate in the deliberations of the Executive Committee as a member of the PR Committee. The committee (or a confirmed volunteer) will prepare a monthly newsletter to be supplied to each member along with certain friends, visitors, other churches and past speakers.
The committee will assist in special promotions to attract new, prospective members and stimulate the existing congregation by means of such things as a program series, special events, radio or TV programs, "name" speakers.
As appropriate and approved by the Executive Committee financially, the PR committee will provide news releases to the newspaper, radio or TV along with ads in the newspaper or special promotional flyers to keep the general public aware of what the Lima Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is doing.
SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE
Our liaison with the UUA and the Heartland District in such matters as United Nations Service Committee, UNICEF, Aging, and all District social action projects will be maintained by this committee. It will keep members informed of such matters and advise what our local group might do in the way of participation.
This committee will also keep the Fellowship members alert to local area social action matters which may be of interest to our members.
And, most important, this committee will seek out, devise or initiate local actions for our Fellowship to participate in, such as the Free Store which has become a well-known part of our community.
HOUSE & GROUNDS COMMITTEE
The responsibilities of this committee are divided into two parts, but they are very closely related and members may serve on both sections. 1. This committee discusses and plans all matters having to do with property maintenance, repair or changes to the building, including such things as construction, painting, plumbing, electrical or yard work. They may do the work themselves, ask members to help, or hire it done professionally. Recommendations for any major expenditures or changes are reported to the Executive Committee for advice and consent The H&G Committee know the yard and building maintenance tools and equipment the Fellowship has and keep it in working condition, replacing or recommending replacement when necessary. The members work out their own individual or group schedules.
2. The other part of this committee has charge of maintaining the inside of the building, establishing a regular cleaning program so that the building will be suitably dusted and vacuumed for regular use each week. Again, the members may do the work themselves or arrange for hired labor. All of the downstairs rooms, including the restroom on the landing, need routine cleaning. Cleaning the RE rooms and the restroom upstairs should be coordinated with the RE Director. Special cleaning after lunches and the weekly Coffee Service should be coordinated with the Hospitality Committee.
HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE
The functions of this group include scheduling workers to prepare coffee and any refreshments for Coffee Fellowship after each Sunday service. They also schedule and secure donors for the once-a-month. "Soup & Salad" lunches and hosts for the once-a-month "Saturday Night Live" covered dish events.
Another responsibility of this committee is to keep a running inventory to make sure there is no sudden lack of kitchen supplies, such as coffee, sugar, cream, plates, napkins, filters, paper towels, trash bags, and other staples.
LIBRARIAN
The Librarian has several functions related to keeping tabs on Fellowship records and property.
1. Maintain a file in the office of official Fellowship meetings not current used by the Secretary. Maintain a file of weekly Bulletins and monthly Newsletters issued by the Fellowship.
2. Have readily available in the office UUA and Heartland District Directories.
3. Coordinate ordering of memorial materials and lettering on the plaques.
4. Catalog and record circulation of books and tapes owned by the Fellowship ...except RE material. Maintain such books and other documents in an accessible bookcase in the foyer.
5. Maintain in the foyer a rack of UU brochures and some local brochures for visitors as well as members.
6. Order pamphlets, literature and books as needed and/or requested. Have a current UUA Bookstore catalog available to members.
Click here to view the Code of Regulations.