Documents > Congregational Goverance and Practice 2002

Congregational polity, the way in which our church is organized and governed, is a vital part of our Unitarian Universalist tradition. As a Unitarian Universalist congregation, we are a self governing entity with the right to control our own finances and property, to call our own minister, and to select our own leadership and form of governance. Ministry is a shared endeavor that engages all members in the work of our congregation. Committees are the backbone of the organizational structure of the church and are the primary method for how our ministry is accomplished. Committees are also a vehicle for channeling the individual talents and qualities of our members for the benefit of First Parish and the community we serve.

ELECTED COMMITTEES: (Committees of the Congregation)

Parish Committee
The Parish Committee is the governing body of the church. It is composed of 7 members, elected on a rotating basis for four-year terms, and the Treasurer as a non-voting, advisory member. It attends to overall policy decisions and financial matters. Drawing on congregational polity, it convenes the congregation to make major policy decisions.

As the governing board, the Parish Committee:
- develops administrative policy
- is accountable for the business affairs of the congregation
- is trustee of the property of the congregation

The Parish Committee appoints Standing Committees and other committees as necessary, and fills vacancies by appointment until the next annual meeting. They report their year's actions to the Parish at the annual meeting. Minutes of monthly meetings are posted in the Parish Hall. Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month. Any member of the church is welcome to attend, and "Members Time" is made available for members to raise issues directly with the committee.

Finance Committee
The Finance Committee is responsible for the management of the church's financial resources. It is composed of 5 members, elected on a rotating basis for three-year terms.

To finance the operating budget, the Finance Committee runs the Canvass to raise funds from the members each year. It sets the Canvass goal, evaluates the results, and provides a full analysis in the Every Member Canvass Report.
The Finance Committee works with committees of the congregation to develop the annual budget, which is referred to the Parish Committee and voted on by the membership.

In organizing and conducting a formal Endowment Program at First Parish, the Finance Committee designs and distributes material on Charitable Gifting Techniques.

Helen Fogg Endowment Committee
First Parish Norwell Fogg Funds are distributions from the Fogg Family Trust, which was funded after the death of Helen Fogg (April 18, 1984). The Church receives an annual distribution, which is variable. The investments in the trust are diversified between common stock, bonds and government debt instruments, as well as the mortgage the church received in 1990. The mortgage is scheduled to be liquidated by 2006.

The Fogg Committee is composed of 6 members, elected on a rotating basis for three-year terms. The committee follows distribution guidelines developed by the Parish in 1987. One of the guidelines states that "funds must be utilized in a manner that would not dilute the financial commitment of Parish members and the level of annual giving."

In addition to servicing the mortgage debt, distributions have been approved to pay for some new programs, enhance some existing programs, and expand the Parish's permanent funds. In the fall of 2001, the Fogg Lecture Series was re-instituted with Rev. John Shelby Spong, retired Episcopal bishop of Newark, NJ, as our first speaker.

Trustees of the South Scituate First Parish Fund Corporation
The South Scituate First Parish Fund Corporation consists of a portfolio of investments selected to produce maximum income while at the same time appreciating enough to offset inflation. The income from the investments is received by First Parish as part of its anticipated income for various organizations (Church School, Kent House, Alliance, First Parish Cemetery, James Library). This fund is managed by five Trustees who are elected on a rotating basis for a five-year term. Suitable persons that are not members of the Parish are eligible as Trustees, but a majority of the Trustees must be members of the Parish. The Trustees have total responsibility for the management of the investment portfolio and have the power to make assignments and transfers without specific vote of the Parish. The Trustees report their activities to the Treasurer and Parish Committee as requested, and to the Parish at the Annual Meeting.

Denominational Affairs Delegates & Alternates
The Denominational Affairs Committee serves to link First Parish with the larger Unitarian Universalist movement. Elected delegates represent First Parish at the Ballou Channing District (BCD) Annual Meeting in April or May, and the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), held the third week in June in various cities around the United States.

In addition, members attend up to five dinner meetings per year of the South Shore Cluster. The Fall Conference of the BCD is held on the 3rd Saturday in October and provides workshops on congregational leadership. Education and communication within and about the larger UU Movement are the primary concern of Denominational Affairs.

Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee is elected by the membership of the congregation. The designated Chairperson is a former member of the Parish Committee or a former Chairperson of a Standing Committee. The Nominating Committee draws enthusiastic people and their talents into the life of First Parish. They identify prospects and interview and answer questions of potential nominees for offices to be filled. At each Annual Meeting of the church in June, the Nominating Committee presents a slate of nominees to the membership, for vote.

In addition to Committees, the following Officers are also elected by the Parish: Moderator, Deputy Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer, Collector, and Auditor.

STANDING COMMITTEES: (Committees of the Board)

Religious Education Committee
The Religious Education Committee establishes the purposes and goals of the Religious Education program. This committee supports, advises and assists the Director of Religious Education (DRE) and the Director of Youth Programs (DYP) in evaluating and selecting church school curriculum to implement those goals. With the DRE and DYP, the committee recruits and trains church school teachers, plans extra curricular activities to enrich the church school program, and facilitates church school presentations in worship services. They also plan the budget and direct expenditure of money for materials and supplies.

Membership Committee
The Membership Committee is responsible for attracting, orienting and assimilating members into the church. Members of the committee welcome and greet visitors and guests, provide visitor information materials about the church and its operations, and follow up with visitors to provide information on special events and sermons. The committee also conducts newcomers classes, orientation and the New Member Ceremony. It assembles data on church membership, follows-up with absent members and conducts exit interviews with departing members. The role of the committee is to educate members about the church, integrate new members into the church community, and provide ongoing support for members through the years.

Music Committee
The Music Committee secures, works with, and supports our Organist/Music Director. It provides a liaison among director, minister, choirs, Parish Committee and church members. With the Music Director, this committee works to provide the best music program possible for the parish including, music during the regular church services, special music for our two Christmas Eve services, and several special music programs during the church year. The Committee is also responsible for keeping our musical instruments-organ, pianos, harpsichord, and hand chimes-tuned and in good condition.

Worship Committee
The Worship Committee works to identify and meet the spiritual needs of the parish-through written surveys, talkback sessions, and individual discussions. They encourage lay involvement to ensure that religious services are meaningful for participants and are a resource to the minister for constructive suggestions on improving our worship services. The Worship Committee coordinates efforts with the Music Committee and other committees involved in special services, i.e., Membership, Denominational Affairs, etc. They plan occasional pulpit guest speakers and provide assistance when services require special set-up.

Buildings Committee
The Buildings Committee assesses, plans and implements work on church owned buildings, specifically, the Meeting House, Parish Hall, Parsonage, and the Kent House. Because of the frequent and sometimes costly repairs involved, the committee works closely with the Parish Committee, providing maintenance plans and recommending expenditures. It contracts for, oversees, and sometimes does the work. It also serves as a liaison between the church sexton and Parish.

Grounds Committee
The Grounds Committee maintains all the church grounds, mowing grassy areas, weeding the large plots of myrtle bordering both sides of the church building, and keeping the parking areas clean. They communicate with the Board of Selectmen for permits when renovations to walkways and parking areas are necessary. The committee is responsible for the large woodland area adjacent to the south parking lot and behind the Kent House-clearing the area, planting bulbs, removing dead trees and pruning live ones when necessary. In addition, the committee maintains a very old, small, church-owned cemetery on lower Main Street.

Service Committee
The Service Committee helps focus the attention of the church on some of the social problems facing us in today's complex world. The committee not only educates, but also encourages action. Through the efforts of the committee, the church traditionally provides Christmas gifts for a local family, collects good used clothing for halfway houses and homeless shelters, and prepares meals for Father Bill's homeless shelter. First Parish also supports a prison outreach program to make it possible for women at Framingham State Prison to earn a college degree before they leave prison. Through Partakers, the church sponsors two women, providing tuition and monthly visits during their incarceration. Prison reform is an area that offers opportunity for the parish to become more knowledgeable and more proactive. The Service Committee supports Friendship Club, a program that provides social activities for adults with developmental disabilities, and Friendship Home, which is working on the development of a respite facility. The Committee also distributes funds from its budget to various agencies, including the UU Urban Ministry, the South Shore Women's Center, the De Vanna Center, the UUSC, Amnesty International, and Friendship Home.

Partner Church Committee
In the early 90's the Unitarian Universalist Association developed a program to aid our Transylvanian sister churches, which were undergoing a difficult time under Romanian rule. Transylvania was formerly part of Hungary and these are Hungarian Unitarian churches in essentially Hungarian villages. First Parish chose to join the program and was partnered with a church in the small village of Kadacs. Each year we raise money for the use of the church and the village members. Money from First Parish has put a bathroom and washing machine in the parsonage and made possible, repairs to the church and its property. In addition, individual members of First Parish sponsor some 25 Unitarian students who are attending high school and college, with stipends of $250/yr. The Partner Church Committee is a loose organization of members who have had the wonderful experience of visiting Kadacs, but it is open to anyone who has an interest in the program.

Committee on Ministry
The purpose of the Committee on Ministry is to strengthen the quality of ministry in the congregation. This committee serves as a support group for the minister and as a communication channel between the minister and the congregation. The committee attends to the relationship of the church and minister, and promotes a sense of shared ministry within the congregation as a whole. The committee submits an annual compensation recommendation to the Personnel Committee, as well as a plan for the minister's continuing education and professional development.
Pastoral Outreach Committee
The Pastoral Care Committee assists the minister in meeting the pastoral needs of church members and friends. They oversee the church Caring Network, which provides meals, transportation, and general assistance to church members when needed. They also assist the minister with phone calls and visits to sick or hospitalized parishioners, and send sympathy, get well and new baby cards as appropriate. In addition, a member of the committee coordinates hosts and hostesses for the regular Sunday Coffee Hours.

Personnel Committee
The Personnel Committee proposes personnel policies and guidelines, makes recommendations on compensation and benefits, and is available to mediate in situations where appropriate. The committees priorities include, producing written job descriptions for each paid staff position, establishing a process for how employees are evaluated, and serving as a resource to church committees on matters related to their staff's hiring, retention and compensation. The Committee is also responsible for ensuring that the church is in compliance with federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination, payment of Social Security and other taxes, worker's compensation insurance, and safe working conditions.

Activities Committee
The primary purpose of the Activities Committee is to identify, schedule, and coordinate various fund-raising events (except the annual Canvass). The Activities Committee provides a liaison between the Parish Committee, the Parish, and the committees set up to run the various events and activities.

In addition to contributing funds to the church's operating revenues, these events and activities help to develop community-sharing, caring, giving, serving, fun, affection, family.

ORGANIZATIONS:

The Alliance
The Alliance is the women's group of First Parish. "We work together to foster the life and growth of the church and to express in action our common ideals. All women in sympathy with our ideals are cordially invited to become members." The Alliance started as a Ladies Aid Sewing Circle before the Civil War. Monthly meetings are held from September through May, on Wednesdays in the Parish Hall or members' homes, at 10:00 a.m. Book reviews and Guest-presented-programs alternate each month.

For over fifty years, the Alliance has sponsored the First Parish Kindergarten (now Nursery School). Members of the Alliance also staff the food table, the Silent Auction table, and Grandma's Attic at the annual Harvest Fair.

James Library and Center for the Arts
The James, owned by First Parish and only two doors away from the church, is housed in an historic Italianate building in Norwell Center. Open to the public for use by anyone in the wider community, the library has a collection of current books, good older books, historic and genealogical records, and special collections on gardening, art and music. The library has events for children, and literary happenings for all ages. The Center for the Arts is a recent direction of the James, one which has proved very successful. Its aim is to present the very best in art and music to the South Shore.

A majority of the nine Library Trustees are chosen annually by the Parish. They receive and expend fund income from the church, have a separate budget, and also raise funds independently. They provide a financial report and a report of their activities annually. The Trustees usually meet the second Tuesday of each month at the library. Members of the Parish are welcome to attend.

First Parish Nursery School
The nursery school was founded in 1949 by the forward thinking women of the First Parish Women's Alliance, who recognized the importance of quality early childhood education. Today, the nursery school is still under the sponsorship of the Alliance. The Executive Committee of the nursery school consists of four members, two of whom are also members of the Women's Alliance.

The nursery school offers four unique programs meeting weekdays during the school year, as well as a two-week summer camp. The school has a director with a staff of fifteen, and an enrollment of 150 children. On Sunday, the church school religious education program utilizes the shared space.

PSI Symposium
First Parish PSI Symposium is a chapter of the Unitarian Universalist PSI Symposium, an affiliated organization of the UUA since 1969. Its' purpose is to provide a forum for free exchange and study of topics related to metaphysics, holistic health and healing, and parapsychology.

PSI Symposium provides a safe, open, supportive atmosphere to explore, experience, adventure, and gain friendships as seekers of wholeness and spiritual growth. Programs include monthly chapter meetings in the Parish Hall will guest speakers, workshops at UU General Assembly, national conferences in the Boston area, and a summer conference at Ferry Beach, Maine.

First Parish Women's Group
Organized in the late 1980's when one woman of the parish needed emotional support in dealing with her elderly mother's illness, the Women's Group has met monthly during the church years since, for discussion, support and friendship.
This small group meets at the church on the first Monday of each month. In addition, the group holds social activities, including a Holiday Pot Luck and Tacky Yankee Swap, and a summer weekend at a member's cottage in Plymouth. All women are welcome!

1st Parish Men's Group
The 1st Parish Men's Group gathers about once per month to provide a relaxing environment for men to share our common experiences and sort out our roles in a world with ever increasing demands and rapidly changing expectations. We find that activities are an excellent catalyst for this dialog. Activities range from recreation to service. All men are welcome.

SSHAGLY
The South Shore Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Youth (SSHAGLY) meets on Monday evenings in the Skylight Room, to provide support and friendship for interested young people on the South Shore, including bi-sexual, transgendered, questioning, and straight allies.

Approximately twenty young people attend the weekly group, including youths from Norwell, Hanover, Duxbury, Kingston, Plymouth, Stoughton, Braintree, Abington, Whitman, and Scituate.

The groups' activities focus on: 1) strengthening self-esteem, 2) developing positive relationship, 3) safe sex/HIV-AIDS prevention, 4) peer leadership, 5) outreach to families, 6) outreach to schools, and 7) socialization.

SSHAGLY youths all agree that the most important part of attending the group is, "just being with other gay and lesbian kids and hanging out with friends who understand".

South Shore Singles
South Shore Singles was founded by the First Parish Service Committee and is sponsored by our church. It is an all-volunteer, non-profit, social and support group for single adults. South Shore Singles offers programs to meet various needs: SOCIAL – dances, parties, theater, sports, beachwalks, travel; EDUCATIONAL – special interest groups, cultural events; SUPPORT – discussion groups, professional speakers on various subjects. The group provides activities to over 600 members and offers fun, information, and new friendships.

If you have an interest in serving on an Elected Committee, please express your interest to one of the members of the Nominating Committee for future consideration.

If you have an interest in any of the other church committees or organizations, consult the back of the church directory and contact the committee chair. Your involvement is always welcome.

CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS :

Reliance upon the democratic process is a hallmark of Unitarian Universalism. At First Parish Norwell, membership includes the right to vote at called meetings of the church. There are two types of meetings of the Parish, the Annual Meeting and one or more Special Meetings.

All meetings of the church must be properly noticed by the Clerk of the Church through a warrant. Notice must be given 14 days before a meeting by posting in the Meeting House and by mailing at least five days before the meeting to each member. Each member is entitled to one vote. Vote by proxy is not permitted. Friends of the Parish are welcome and may speak except when withdrawn by majority vote of the members. The meeting quorum is twenty voting members. Roberts Rules of Order apply.

Annual Meeting: The Annual Meeting is held in June of each year prior to the fiscal year end of June 30th. The primary purposes of the annual meeting are to vote the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, hear and accept the written reports of all committees and related church organizations, elect new committee members to "elected committees" of the church, such as the Parish Committee, Finance Committee, Fogg Committee and South Scituate Fund Corporation, and to vote in new members. Of course, the Annual meeting will address all issues presented in the warrant. One tradition in the church is the right to ask for "instructions" to be submitted to the Parish Committee to address issues of concern to members.

Special Meetings: Special Meetings may be called from time to time by the Parish Committee or by written request of ten members submitted to the Clerk. A Special Meeting is held each fall to review the finances of the church, usually in October.

Elections: Election to Parish offices and "Elected" Committees is accomplished through the nomination of members by the Nominating Committee. Additional nominations can be made from the floor. Parish officers each serve for one year terms and include the Auditor, Clerk, Collector, Moderator and Deputy Moderator, and Treasurer. Elected committees are the Parish Committee, Finance Committee, South Scituate Fund Corporation, Fogg Committee, James Library Trustees, Nominating Committee and the Called Minister Search Committee. The terms for these committees vary as indicated in the By-Laws. All Parish officers and elected committee members must be members of the church. The Interim Minister Search Committee is elected, but by the Parish Committee. All other committees of the Church are Standing Committees which are permanently constituted non-elected committees of the Parish. Friends of the parish can serve on standing committees.