The Denominational Affairs Committee keeps the congregation aware of significant events and activities at the regional and national level of Unitarian Universalism. The committee facilitates the study of and parish voting on resolutions for consideration at the UUA General Assembly and promotes the "Chalice Lighters" program to aid newly forming congregations. Members act as Paint Branch's delegates to meetings of regional groups, including the Joseph Priestley District and the Greater Washington Association. Other activities include writing up denominational news for the newsletter and updating the Denominational Affairs bulletin board. Time commitment can vary widely, from an hour or two monthly to update the bulletin board to one evening a month to attend a regional meeting. Contact to be provided.
Greater Washington Association (GWA) of Unitarian Universalist Congregations meets monthly to share enthusiasm, relate successes and calendar events of joint interest, and cooperate in activities necessary to strengthen our UU community in the Washington area. The GWA pays part of the cost of the UU ads in the Saturday Washington Post and supports other causes. Paint Branch has two representatives on the GWA Board. Be involved in area UU concerns and connect with other local UU's! Contact to be provided. [note -- possibly replace w/ BW regional stuff?] Joseph Priestley District (JPD) of the UUA covers eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC. The GWA is one of three Area Councils within the JPD. The JPD Board, to which we may nominate elected representatives, governs the finances and programs of this District and makes grants for such efforts as Religious Education program planning. It also does long-range planning and holds workshops on leadership skills. Participation in the JPD offers a great opportunity for our members to gain information and skills.
Greater Washington Association (GWA) of Unitarian Universalist Congregations meets monthly to share enthusiasm, relate successes and calendar events of joint interest, and cooperate in activities necessary to strengthen our UU community in the Washington area. The GWA pays part of the cost of the UU ads in the Saturday Washington Post and supports other causes. Paint Branch has two representatives on the GWA Board. Be involved in area UU concerns and connect with other local UU's! Contact to be provided. [note -- possibly replace w/ BW regional stuff?]
Joseph Priestley District (JPD) of the UUA covers eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC. The GWA is one of three Area Councils within the JPD. The JPD Board, to which we may nominate elected representatives, governs the finances and programs of this District and makes grants for such efforts as Religious Education program planning. It also does long-range planning and holds workshops on leadership skills. Participation in the JPD offers a great opportunity for our members to gain information and skills.
The New Membership Ministry Team is responsible for integrating visitors and new members into the Paint Branch congregation. Committee members share the duties of greeting visitors on Sunday mornings, hosting several visitors' lunches per year, hosting an orientation series at least twice a year, getting pictures and introductions of new members to the congregation, providing new member packets, and exploring better ways to help visitors feel at home and integrate new members into the congregation. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month. Committee members spend one to several hours per month accomplishing the above-mentioned duties, including greeting at church services once or twice a month. Contact to be provided.
The Newsletter Committee produces the newsletter twice a month from September through May and once a month during the summer. Volunteers gather information, conduct interviews, and write news items. (We accept submissions from anyone who wants to write anything that is related to PBUUC.) A news editor assembles the copy and does the first-cut of sorting and editing. A production editor do the final layout and editing. Jobs are rotated and work is divided up among the total number of volunteers, for which the attitude is, "the more the merrier." The church administrator duplicates the final copy and members of the Daytimers group fold and stamp the newsletter for final mailing. The time commitment depends on the number of volunteers, but an estimate is four to six hours per month. Contact to be provided.
The Public Relations Committee is responsible for all aspects of advertising the presence of our church, including the creation and administering of this web site. In addition to evaluating the cost-effectiveness of advertising in local newspapers, the PR Committee is also looking into the possibility of advertising on public radio. In addition, it is considering such ideas as the replacement of the present road sign, the placement of directional signs for the church, and mass mailings to people who have similar beliefs. This committee is looking for energetic people with ideas. Some advertising or public relations experience would be helpful, but it is not necessary. Contact to be provided.
The We Care Committee cares for and supports the PBUUC congregation in many ways. We Care sends cards and/or visit UU friends who are ill or have had an unhappy--or happy--experience; provide meals to friends who may need them, having had an operation or a new baby; provide refreshments for memorial services; and, occasionally provide transportation to doctor's appointments. The committee welcomes anyone who would like to be involved. Contact to be provided.
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Buildings and Grounds Committee (BAG) is responsible for maintaining and improving the church facility and grounds. Committee members do hands-on repair and landscaping work as well as arranging bi-yearly "Church Clean-up Weekends," negotiating contracts for major purchases and services, planning for preventive maintenance, and advising the Board of Trustees on budgeting for future expenditures. The committee meets every month and committee members need to be available for emergencies, as well as for some monthly hands-on tasks, as needed. Contact to be provided.
Building Use Committee is responsible for rentals of church facilities. PBUUC has long-term rental arrangements with the Paint Branch Montessori School and the Word of Hope Seventh Day Adventist congregation. The church is also rented out on a short-term basis for events such as weddings, concerts, meetings, receptions, etc. Some responsibilities include securing contracts with rental parties, negotiating leases, evaluating rental requests, and collaborating with other church committees to maximize rental usage. The committee meets on an as-needed basis. Helpful skills for this committee include familiarity with rental property, including negotiations and legal issues. Contact to be provided.
Kitchen Committee is responsible for keeping the kitchen clean, organized, and well-stocked. Ideally, the committee should have several members who rotate this responsibility on a monthly basis. Members purchase supplies when they run low and also clean out the refrigerator and clear the kitchen of clutter in advance of weddings or other events taking place at the church. Contact to be provided.
Montessori Relations Committee acts as the liaison with the Paint Branch Montessori School and negotiates our contract with the school on a periodic basis. People with negotiating or legal skills are required. This committee meets briefly and infrequently, mostly at contract renewal time. Contact to be provided.
Personnel Committee provides administrative assistance to PBUUC matters that relate to the employment of paid staff. The committee initiates and maintains a Personnel System which includes: 1) creating and maintaining personnel files for all paid staff; 2) drafting Personnel Policy for Board approval; 3) creating and revising Job Descriptions and Terms of Employment for paid staff; 4) coordinating and/or assisting with Performance Reviews, including filed documentation; and, 5) making salary recommendations to the Finance Committee. The committee meets monthly, usually on the first Wednesday of the month, and sometimes more frequently if circumstances require. At least six members are required for good results. The time commitment varies from member to member, with the Chair putting in 5-10 hours per month, depending on staffing conditions.
Sunday Arrangements Committee coordinates all the support services for the Sunday gatherings, scheduling ushers and coffee makers, and overseeing the Meeting House art displays and flower arrangements, as well as the "Sunday on Tape" program (where people who missed a Sunday service can purchase or borrow an audiocassette tape recording of that service). Schedules are filled by calling congregation members to volunteer their time and/or money. Contact to be provided.
Auction Committee organizes and runs our second-biggest fund-raiser (next to the canvass), the annual Church Auction, which is usually held on either the first or second Saturday in November. Starting in early September, committee members solicit contributions of auction items from the members and local businesses. This is the biggest job the committee does, and anyone who feels he/she has a talent for this are enthusiastically invited to step forward and help out. The less-extroverted souls among us can help compile the items into a catalog, and hard-working persons are very much needed on the night of the Auction to handle the set-up and clean-up and to serve food. Lastly, one individual is needed on Auction night to categorize the bids from the silent auction. Contact to be provided.
Canvass Committee plans the canvass (the biggest church fund-raiser), organizes the canvass event (dinner or dessert), puts together the brochure, and recruits and trains the canvassers. Organized, financially-oriented members are needed for the canvass, and people-oriented members are needed for the training. The co-chairs are very busy from October to April, the dinner/event organizers work from December to February, and those who put together the brochure work for one and a half months. Those who can help set-up and clean-up on the night of the canvass event are always welcome. Contact to be provided.
The Paint Branch Legacy Fund serves as an advisory committee responsible for the management of the newly created Endowment Fund B. The committee receives gifts from members and friends and holds the principal of those gifts in perpetuity. Only the income (dividends and/or interest) generated by the gifts to the Endowment will be used for purposes decided upon by the congregation. The committee is made up of five members; four members serve at-large and are elected by the congregation. The current Board Chair is the fifth member. The Minister is an ex-officio, non-voting member of the committee. Currently the Endowment's Charter mandates that all gifts accumulate in the Fund until it reaches a threshold of $100,000. Contact to be provided.
Ethnic Dinners Committee convenes a meeting each September to schedule two to four dinners per year, decide on themes, and assign persons to be in charge of the beverages, music, set-up, and clean-up for each event. There is one meeting held before each dinner to set the menu and identify cooks and those who can advise on recipes. The coordinator usually handles publicity and ticket selling. Church members who are enthusiastic about cooking, selecting ethnic music, or searching out the most appropriate wines and beers are needed. This is also a rotating committee so one can join depending on how many ethnic dinners he or she wants to help out with. Contact Marilyn Straczuk at (301) 805-1218.
Finance Committee advises the Board of Trustees and the Treasurer on all matters related to the finances of the church in order to ensure a sound financial condition. The committee's responsibilities include: making administrative and financial decision on a day-to-day basis, reviewing financial reports, preparing a canvass budget for consideration by the Board of Trustees, preparing a final budget for consideration by both the Board and the congregation, administering a short-term loan program where members loan money to the church, giving advice on long-term capital financing, administering a planned giving/bequest program, conducting a mid-year canvass for pledges from new members, making sure that volunteers are available each Sunday to count and deposit receipts, and providing guidance to the Board on issues having a significant impact on the finances of the church, particularly policy and planning issues. In addition, it reviews and makes recommendations on all income and expenditures not in compliance with the approved budget. A subcommittee negotiates leases and provides oversight for the Paint Branch Montessori School and the Word of Hope Seventh Day Adventist group. The Finance Committee also coordinates with the following committees:
Scrip Committee is responsible for scrip sales at church every Sunday after both services, as well as for keeping records and making sure the various types of scrip are available. Scrip is a piece of paper that can be used at the grocery checkout counter exactly like cash. Whenever you purchase and use scrip, five percent of all sales comes back to the church. It is an easy way to support the programs at Paint Branch UU Church while you are restocking your refrigerator. Scrip is on sale after each Sunday service and can be used at the following stores:
The committee also works to develop ways of promoting scrip sales. This all takes about two to four hours per month, and the sales person is available each Sunday. Contact to be provided.
Committee on Ministry examines, monitors, and strenghtens the quality of the overall ministry within the congregation, including all church-related activities and aspects of our congregation as a community. At each monthly meeting, a different area is examined, including administration, growth and visibility, religious education, services and spiritual needs, pastoral function, and diversification. The committee consists of six members in addition to the minister. Each member serves a three-year term, with two rotation off each year. The committee members are appointed by the Board of Trustees upon the recommendation of the minister. Contact to be provided.
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