August is the month of planning! Even though I don’t have kids in school (although I do have two teachers in the family now!), August has always been the time when new opportunities feel ripe and it is the metaphorical new notebook with fresh clean pages. It feels like another opportunity to start over again. Your staff and board leadership has been planning and scheming and getting things ready.
Last weekend, your UUCP board had its planning retreat where we introduced new board members to the joys and processes of being on board leadership. We introduced each other and I led a session where we explored the strengths we each bring to the organization, we learned more about our fiduciary responsibility, we set some goals and we talked about how we wanted to organize the work of the board. I can tell you that you are very fortunate to have such a committed, talented and caring group of humans leading us all this year!
This week, some of our staff team–myself, Benjie, Stephanie, Katie and Nick–are heading off for 3 days of planning for the year. We’ll be revisiting our strengths, discuss our goals for the year, discuss the many elements affecting our work, including construction in our spaces and the number of intense pastoral events in the last two years, debrief from Benjie’s sabbatical, and we’ll begin planning for my sabbatical time in the late Spring. We’re also hoping to have some fun, bonding time and some good food together as well!
What are you planning for this year? Do you also see this time of year as the perennial “back to school” time where you are in planning or beginning mode?