Although 44 PNWD Congregations certified 174 delegates to represent them at the 53rd Annual General Meeting of Pacific Northwest District, held June 27 at UUA General Assembly in Portland, OR, only 74 delegates from 29 congregations actually attended. After a delay in the proceedings while a quorum was confirmed, the PNWD Board conducted the meeting as announced in advance per PNWD bylaws.
The 2015 Annual Meeting packet can be downloaded from the PNWD website. Contents of the packet can be previewed along with an announcement of the 54th Annual Meeting, which will be held Saturday, March 5, 2016, at University Unitarian Church in Seattle, WA.
The Treasurer’s report, part of the Consent Agenda, offered financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2014. Also in the report was an overview of congregational support for district dues and teh UUA’s Annual Program Fund. District Dues for 2015/16 will remain at $26 per member, and are anticipated to remain at that level for 2016/17 as well.
Michael Becker
Susan Howlett
Delegates elected Susan Howlett to a three-year term on the District Board of Directors. They also elected Michael Becker to a five-year term on the District Nominating Committee. For more information on the slate presented to delegates, see the Nominating Committee report.
Following discussion, delegates passed the resolution proposed by the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship directing the PNWD Board to sign on to a 2014 letter from religious leaders supporting the Lummi Nation’s defense of their lands against the threat of mining, transporting, burning and disposal of fossil fuels. Several PNWD congregations had taken action to endorse the resolution prior to the Annual Meeting.
The PNWD Board then invited discussion of regional collaboration in the Pacific Western Region (PWR). Materials can be found on the PWR website, including the Letter of Agreement contracting with the UUA for program and staffing services. The Agreement is for a one-year period and will be renewed or revised in March, 2016.
Two members of the recently established Advisory Council to the UUA Director of Congregational Life were introduced: Dana Regan and the Rev. Carol McKinley will serve as appointees from Washington and Oregon, along with five others from the Pacific Western Region. The purpose of the group is to act as ambassadors to regional congregations and covenanted communities, ensuring that the director and Congregational Life Staff have the information they need to appropriately address the needs of local congregations.
An offering was invited for the Pacific Northwest UU Growth Foundation, which convened its annual meeting immediately upon adjournment of the PNWD business meeting.
PNWD Officers were announced for 2015/16 and the assembly spoke a covenant to serve faithfully with one another. Officers are:
Hayden Nevill
President: Hayden Nevill (UU Fellowship of Fairbanks, AK)
Vice President: David Cauffman (UU Congregation of Whidbey Island, Freeland, WA)
Treasurer: Emmet Band (UU Church in Eugene, OR)
Secretary: Carol McKinley (Olympia UU Congregation, WA)
Newly elected board member Susan Howlett will serve as Director At Large. The PNWD board as a whole can be reached via email to board@pnwd.org.
Finally, several volunteer leaders were honored for completing terms of service to the PNWD:
Carrie Krause, 2014/15 PNWD Board President
Anne-Marie Davidson, Youth Con Coordinator
David Dierdorff, Chalice Lighters Team
Dr.
Kristin Guest and the Rev. Margaret Keip, co-leads, Healthy Congregations Team