 Issue 37: May 2007, Page 2< Page 1 | Table of Contents | Page 3 > District President ReportsFilled with GratitudeRev. Brian Eslinger On the heels of our annual conference in Minneapolis I am filled with gratitude for all the people who create this event. Thanks to the keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman and Judy Lecture Dr. Bill Doherty, for their inspirational and challenging words. To all of the workshop presenters who give us the wisdom of their experiences to help improve our personal and congregational lives. To the local arrangements committee and all of the volunteers from First Unitarian Society (and other area congregations) who served as the backbone for the weekend. To the many District level volunteers who provide continuity and infrastructure. To Rev. Dr. Kendyl Gibbons and all of the participants in Sunday morning’s worship service who sent people home with a new beat in their hearts. I would also like to thank those of you who came to the conference as delegates and voted at the annual meeting. This is your district, and the annual meeting is a rite of stewardship. I hope that information from this meeting and from the entire weekend will filter back to your congregations. What one idea from each workshop will you use to create a Sunday Service or adult education program? What of Rev. Dr. Hallman’s challenge to spiritual maturity will change the practice of your personal life and congregational interactions? What aspect of Dr. Bill Doherty’s proposal for “Home Grown Religion” will you incorporate into your congregational calendar? The worship services, presentations, workshops all offer us ideas. These ideas need to be fired by our thoughts and constructed so as to meet the needs of our individual congregations. But there is great potential in each of these components. So, inspired by the music at the banner parade, maybe congregations will start including more bagpipes in their lives (but I’m not holding my breath). As I complete my term and District president I’d like to say thank you to the PSD Staff who have guided me with great patience and serve our district with great passion, to the Board members and officers who I have been honored to serve with, and all of you who have made my time in leadership enlightening, educational and inspirational. My best wishes to Kathy Bowman as she picks up the gavel. See you next year in Omaha. New Leaders in PSDAt the business meeting during the April Annual Conference, delegates elected new officials of PSD. Their terms will begin July 1. The new President is Kathryn L. Bowman (Davenport, IA). She has served her congregation as board president and as interim DRE. She has also served as a trainer for Our Whole Lives (OWL) facilitators in PSD and chaired the District Seventh Year Review Task Force. She has served on the PSD Board since 2001 having been Treasurer and Vice-President. Rev. Jim Eller (Kansas City, MO, All Souls) who was selected as Vice-President, is the senior minister at All Souls. Vickie Trott (Overland Park, KS) was elected to a second term as Treasurer. Katy Lowery (Mahtomedi, MN) and Cheryll Wallace (Omaha, NE, First Church) were elected Directors. A new member of the Nominating Committee is Rev. Barbara Kellett (affiliated Minneapolis, MN, First Universalist). Chris Greene (Fridley, MN) was elected to a second term on the Midwest UU Conference.
|
