One year ago (March 2007) I agreed to chair the Buildings & Grounds committee. I had the time, energy and permission to rebuild the committee pretty much from scratch. At various times during the year I've assumed all the levels of responsibility there are in the committee.
It is time for me to relinquish much of that control, or my carefully worded Mission: Shared Leadership is meaningless. At one point I opine, "A healthy organization rotates leaders regularly, while retaining its volunteer base indefinitely." I also note that "As the committee decentralizes, we need to make it easier for folks to sign up for positions of responsibility and to transition out of them. The latter is key to inviting involvement. A job without an exit is called a trap."
In my Report: State of the Site 2008 I have given a thorough accounting of my term as Chair, Creator and Leader of the committee. When recruiting Group Leaders for the committee I defined the term of service as one year. The Chair should be no different.
Finally, my little consulting company needs to make some money this year, so I will not have as much time for UUBG as in the past.
Because this committee is essentially a "startup", I will disengage carefully. Though my term of service as chair is up, I will continue to support the committee at other levels. The next sections detail each level of involvement.
If I were not allowed to be an atheist or agnostic, I would opt for deism. In the beginning there was Logos who created something from nothing. Then she left the scene. And so it should be. My creative urges have been satisfied creating the infrastructure described in Report: State of the Site 2008. I will continue to facilitate these processes as web-secretary and Work Party Host, but I will no longer control them. The creator is done.
The Chair has ultimate responsibility for the committee. This implies being treasurer, recruiting Group Leaders, delegating where possible and handling it oneself, where not. The Chair heads the Steering Committee of the four Group Leaders. My hope was that this would become an intimate, collegial body.
The four Group Leaders head each of the topical working groups of Buildings & Grounds: Landscape , Hardscape , Structures and Furnishings . Anne Larocca is currently serving as Landscape Group Leader. Jeff Severinghaus is Hardscape Group Leader. I would be happy to serve a term as a Group Leader.
I suggest recruiting the 4th Group Leader and Chair at the same time.
This is the job I like least and failed at. 'Nuff said.
Money is control, so I relinquish this position. It is not arduous - there just isn't that much money to worry about ;-}
I have some skills as a small group facilitator at UU Leadership Training School. I can help with formal meetings (though I hope they continue to be rare). I also feel a particular responsibility to update the web-pages in their current form. It is not a job that can be handed off - too much is done by hand.
I will not force my Project and Task management methods on the new leadership. But I will make it very easy for the Steering Committee to use them by handling all the administrivia on the web-site, indefinitely.
I made a one-year committment to host the On-Site Saturday work parties. I will continue to do so through September, 2008. This means I will be there and serve as cook and dishwasher if need be.
I enjoy planning and leading at these levels. I look forward to doing more of it.
I am a craftsman. I look forward to doing more hands-on stuff, as well.
My resignation as Creator, Chair, Recruiter and Treasurer is effective April 30th, 2008. I have enjoyed my term of service and choose to quit while I'm ahead. My decision is final. I reject the notion that I am responsible for recruiting my replacement. I did not cajole or nag anyone while recruiting for the committee and expect to be given the same courtesy.
Sincerely,
Stu Anderson
Chair, Buildings & Grounds