Please read below for registration link if attending via Zoom and for the Meeting Agenda with clickable links to all action items

Annual Meeting 2025
Sunday, June 8 at 11:15 AM CT

May 23, 2025

Dear Beloved Community,

On behalf of the Governing Board, we invite you to attend the 2025 Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 8 at 11:15 AM CT in person or via Zoom. As Unitarian Universalists, our values uphold the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large. Your voice and your vote are essential to fully living our chosen faith!

If you plan to attend online:

• You MUST register in advance at this link (HERE).
• All members in one household joining via Zoom should EACH register separately. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

If you plan to attend in person:

• You MUST stop by the registration table in the lobby of our building to confirm your attendance and ensure you receive a link to vote. Anyone can attend, but all member attendees will be required to register to help establish a quorum.

We will have one service at 10:00 AM on Sunday, June 8. Bring your flower for Flower Celebration! After the service, please plan to stay in-person or join the Annual Meeting a few minutes early via Zoom so we can establish a quorum and record attendance. Given the items on the enclosed agenda, we expect the Annual Meeting will last 60-90 minutes. However, the total length of the meeting depends largely on the amount of discussion generated.

Voting will be conducted via SurveyMonkey. The link to the online ballot will be emailed after the meeting to members who attended the meeting in person or via Zoom, allowing 72 hours to complete the ballot. Members who cannot attend may request an absentee ballot, which will be emailed. Contact Cyndi Polakowski at cyndi@fvuuf.org to request an absentee ballot. Members who do not use email may request a paper absentee ballot by calling 920.731.0849 and leaving a message for Phyllis Schmitt. Absentee ballots must be completed online or postmarked prior to the meeting.

Please note that this year we are proposing cuts to our budget, including staff cuts, to reduce our structural deficit in line with our strategic goals. See the letter from the Executive Team regarding the proposed budget cuts.

There are two options for seeking clarification about any of the proposed items on the enclosed agenda:

• Submit questions to fvuufboard@fvuuf.org and Board members will respond in advance.
• Join us for an informal Pre-Meeting Q&A on May 29 at 6:00 PM CT via Zoom (HERE). Members of the Executive Team and Governing Board will be available to answer your questions.

A reminder that all members and friends of the Fellowship are welcome at the Annual Meeting, but according to our bylaws only members who joined on or before April 12, 2025, may vote. Non-member friends may be given the courtesy of the floor but may not vote or make motions.

Our Annual Meeting is an essential part of the Fellowship’s democratic governance process, and your participation is greatly valued. We look forward to seeing you there!

With gratitude,
Justin Fisher & Sam Zinth
Governing Board President & Acting Vice-President

Annual Meeting Agenda

To read additional information about the agenda items before the meeting or to easily follow along with the agenda please click the links for each item below.

• Establish Quorum (Beth De Stasio, Board Member at Large)
• Chalice Lighting (Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy, Co-Minister)
• Call to Order (Justin Fisher, Governing Board President)
• Principles for a Healthy Congregation (John Duffin, Healthy Congregation Team)
• Procedure for Discussion and Voting (Sam Zinth, Governing Board Vice-President)
• Approval of Annual Meeting Minutes 2024 (Sam Zinth, Governing Board Vice-President)
• Approval of Special Call Meeting Minutes 11.17.2024 (Sam Zinth, Governing Board Vice-President)
• Faithful Steward Award (Justin Fisher, Governing Board President)
• Year in Review (2024-25) 2025 Annual Report
  • Governing Board Report (Justin Fisher, Governing Board President)
  • X-Team Report (Rev. Hannah Roberts Villnave, Co- Minister)
  • Treasurer’s Report (Patrick Mitchell, Governing Board Treasurer)
• Bylaw Changes (Justin Fisher, Governing Board President) Proposed Bylaw Changes 
• Leadership Elections (Leadership Development Representative) 2025 Meet the Candidates
  • Governing Board
  • Leadership Development Committee
• Strategic Plan Update (Sam Zinth, Governing Board Vice-President) 2025-2028 Strategic Plan
• Proposed 2025-26 Annual Operating Budget (Phyllis Schmitt, Director of Finance and Operations)
• Adjourn (Justin Fisher, Governing Board President)
• Chalice Extinguishing Words (Rev. Hannah Roberts Villnave, Co-Minister)