Dear friends in the Pacific Southwest District,
On Saturday, February 13, the Pacific Western Region (PWR) held a virtual Regional Assembly. PWR staff led a workshop on regionalization. Regionalization is the process of restructuring all UUA districts into five Regions. The new structure is meant to better utilize the resources of staff and volunteers.
The PWR is the only region whose districts have not restructured into their designated geographic Region. The Pacific Southwest District (PSWD) is one of four districts in the PWR.
During the regionalization workshop, PSWD Board President Rev. Kevin Lawson gave an update on the status of the district. He shared that there were no nominees to fill any of the upcoming vacancies on either the PSWD Nominating Committee or the Board of Trustees.
Given this information, the members of the PSWD Board discussed dissolving the district board and recommended that the district be absorbed into the PWR. Without enough board members to officially conduct business it would be difficult for the PSWD to function effectively.
A dissolution proposal will be presented at the PSWD annual business meeting on Saturday, April 17, 2021. The goal is to affirm the dissolution of the PSWD at a special business meeting on Saturday, October 2, 2021.
Three of the five PSWD Board members who would have transitioned off at the end of their terms this June have agreed to stay on through October 2 to facilitate the dissolution of the District. Camp De Benneville Pines is an independent Covenanting Community within the PSWD and will not be affected by this transition.
To address questions and concerns about the shift to regionalization, the PWR staff have scheduled six online forums to engage congregants in the process and revelation toward a fully-integrated Region. Each forum is focused on a different aspect of regionalization where attendees can ask questions, share ideas, and experiences. The first forum was on Monday, March 1, Widening the Circle of Concern was the topic. The next forum is on Monday, March 15 from 6:30-8 PM (PST), Camps and Covenanting Communities will be the topic. Learn more about and register for these forums here.
Share feedback and ideas about regionalization at any time using the feedback form.
You can submit this form as many times as you wish. Please contribute to the vision for a PWR that sustainably supports our communities in their mission to make a more just and equitable world.
In closing, we must acknowledge the concerns of the suddenness of this announcement. For our board members, this is just as unexpected and abrupt a shift for our District as for our congregations and communities. Given the current circumstances, the PSWD Board believes this is the best course of action to recommend and is committed to proceeding as timely as possible. This would help the PSWD focus its energy on the new transformational work in the PWR.
If we have more information to share about this transition before the PSWD annual business meeting on April 17, 2021, we will. Register for the PSWD annual business meeting here.
In Service,
Rev. Kevin Lawson, President (CLF, Flagstaff, AZ)
Janet Murphy, Vice President (UUs San Luis Obispo, CA)
David Sheh, Secretary (Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Chandler, AZ)
Keith Strohmaier, Treasurer (Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, CA)
Annie Barker (Chalice UU Fellowship of the Conejo Valley, Newbury Park, CA)
Kia Bordner (The Mountain Top & First UU Church of San Diego, CA)
Sam Goldwhite, Youth Representative (Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church, Pasadena, CA)