Board Reflections: Stewardship & Care

The Oxford English Dictionary offers varied definitions of the word “stewardship,” but
perhaps the simplest is this: “the job of supervising or taking care of something, such as
an organization or property.” During this month UUCL Board members have written
about the concept of stewardship. May has traditionally been our time of encouraging
congregants to support the church with not only their financial pledges, but also with
their gifts of time and energy for committee and special project work.

I’d like to narrow the focus a bit this week with some observations about our Board of
Trustees, the people ultimately responsible for embodying the Oxford definition. They
have long histories of service to UUCL in many capacities. Four of our seven members
have guided us as president in my years on the Board: Fred Foster-Clark, Alan Jacobs,
Darcy Pollock, and Carole Campbell. Each has brought unique gifts of responsible
leadership, fiscal responsibility, and heartfelt concern for UUCL’s welfare to the Board.
Steve Jones’s thoughtfulness and ministerial background and Leslie Laird’s energy and
tenacity complement the governing history of our past presidents. I should also mention
the quiet talents of our Board Treasurer, Jonas Kauffman.

All of these people have created a Board that functions smoothly, amicably, and
effectively, and it has been my pleasure to work with and learn from them. We wish Fred
and Alan a well-deserved break from Board responsibilities at the end of the fiscal year
in June, although We know they will continue working for UUCL in other capacities. We
welcome our newly-elected members, Susan Lithgoe and Lou Ann Miller, and look
forward to their perspectives and contributions.