by Debra Oria, Trustee 

Summer is upon us! It’s time once again for warm weather, sunshine, picnic blankets, beaches, fireflies, and badminton. Here in Connecticut, we are fortunate to have all four seasons to celebrate and enjoy, some of which we may wish were shorter than others. Personally, spring and fall are my favorites, but summer and winter also have their merits. The season of summer brings the church year to a close, invites the renewal of the Board of Trustees, along with a new budget, and this year there are also proposed updates to the bylaws. 

As we close out this cycle of the church year, your Board of Trustees has been hard at work to ensure timely provision of information to you, dear congregant, so that you have time to review the budged and proposed bylaw changes and ask questions prior to the Annual Meeting by way of Town Hall meetings. We sincerely hope you have found these to be helpful. 

I will be leaving the Board this month and have been honored to serve for the past two years. They were challenging years for sure, with Covid stretching us, among other things. Through BOT service I have participated in conversations and decisions for the best interest of the Congregation. It was always amazing to me how each Board member could have such differing perspectives and yet, through meaningful conversations arrive at an outcome that we could all agree upon as the best for the congregation. My love and care for this congregation has grown through this service, I’ve made some great friends, and I believe I have grown as person. I encourage anyone who is considering Board service to give it a try when you are ready.