April 2023

Report on behalf of the MidAmerica Region Board of Trustees

It’s been a busy and productive year on the MidAmerica Regional Board! We added two new members this year – David Jackoway, who joined the Board last March, and, most recently, Barbara Gutsch. That makes a full and complete Regional Board!

I am happy to report that the Region’s financial status continues to be strong. We have been mindful about travel and expenses, and the budget for future work is solid. We do appreciate that none of the work of the MidAmerica Regional Board would be possible without the generous support from our member congregations. We truly appreciate the support from the MidAmerica congregations, the Honor Congregations, and the support of the individuals who have contributed to the Friends of MidAmerica.

One of the ongoing projects and priorities of the Board has been policy work and defining our relationship with the UUA. Our policy work began last year and focused on drafting policy related to governance of the MidAmerica Board. This policy work continued last fall, with the Board meeting for a working retreat in Louisville, Kentucky last November. At that retreat, we were joined by the MidAmerica Regional Staff, Director of Congregational Life Jessica York in person, and by UUA Executive Vice President Carey McDonald via Zoom call. It was a long weekend of policy work; discussion about the relationship of the MidAmerica Region and the UUA; and a time to meet and get to know our Regional Staff a little bit better. We also had the opportunity to visit the lovely Louisville All Peoples Congregation as a Board, where we were warmly welcomed into Sunday services.

Following the retreat, the Board discussed its priorities for policy work this year. We split into subcommittees to work on four areas: Developing a policy defining the relationship between the UUA and the MidAmerica Region; Developing policy and procedures related to Camp UniStar; Developing policy as it relates to our relationship with the Midwest Unitarian Universalist Conference (MUUC) and the Midwest Unitarian Universalist Foundation (MUUF); and developing a Covenant between the MidAmerica Region and the UUA.

By way of history, the UUA and the MidAmerica Region developed a three-way covenant in 2013 that expired in 2017. That three-way covenant contained some policy language and some covenantal language. The Board felt it important to define policy and covenant separately. The subcommittee tasked with revamping this document has been hard at work for months – defining policy between the two institutions and formulating a separate covenant of right relations to guide how the people who work for or participate in the two institutions will treat each other. The recently finished working draft will be discussed by the Board in May and then presented to DCL Jessica York and UUA Executive Vice President Carey McDonald in late spring or early summer.

The Camp UniStar subcommittee has had several meetings and discussions with folks from the Camp UniStar Board, and the Camp UniStar Foundation. The Board is working with the Camp UniStar Foundation Board to help the Camp come into alignment with the new UUA Youth Safety Policies, and to assess whether the relationship between the MidAmerica Region and Camp UniStar is still in the best interests of both institutions, or if some other arrangement might serve us all better.

A subcommittee of the Board also met to develop a policy base with MUUC (Midwest UU Conference). Subcommittee members met with several of the MUUC members to discuss the role the MidAmerica Board has had historically and will have going forward. The MidAmerica Board will continue its governance relationship and fiduciary relationship with MUUC. This subcommittee also discussed with MUUC representatives the idea of providing more help to them around communication with congregations and institutions.

The policy, governance and covenant work this year has been no small undertaking. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize each member of the Board for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to these projects this year.

In other areas, the Board continues its commitment to providing scholarships for BIPOC members to attend Regional Assembly, General Assembly or other leadership opportunities including Extended Leadership Experience. Further, the Board maintains its commitment to providing grants for MidAmerica congregations participating in Hope for Us Conflict Engagement (a collaborative process designed to help congregations in conflict) with an emphasis on supporting BIPOC clergy and lay leaders who feel harmed by their congregation.

Finally, I am confident that I can speak for the Board and say that we appreciate the support of the Regional Lead, and the entire Regional staff who have continued to support the Board and the MidAmerica congregations.

I have been honored to serve on this board of deeply committed and wise Unitarian Universalists.

Respectfully,

Patty Notch
President, MidAmerica Region Board of Trustees