Pilgrim House : Positions / PH Volunteers -

Pilgrim House relies on volunteers to ensure that it remains a viable organization meeting the needs of its members, supporters, and friends. Please consider volunteering for some of the following positions. During April and May, sign-up sheets for these positions are posted at PH. Use those sheets to formally volunteer your services for the following year. Or talk to a Board member any time during the year.

Board of Directors

Board of Directors is the governing body of PH consisting of five officers, the chairs of the Standing Committees, up to four at-large members (two adult and two youth members), as established in the bylaws. The Board of Directors has final approval over major budgetary, funding, and policy issues. Board meetings are scheduled monthly (usually the second Thursday evening of the month), and they are open to all members.

The board and committee structure

Board Officers are Chair, Past-Chair, Chair-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. At the annual membership meeting, the Chair and Chair-Elect automatically move to Past-chair, and Chair roles respectively, and a new Chair-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer are elected. At-large members are appointed by the Board, and take on responsibilities based on current needs.

Past-Chair: Acts as a mentor and trusted advisor to the Chair. Presides over board meetings in the absence of Chair and Chair-Elect. Maintains the mission/vision/goals statement of Pilgrim House.
Chair: Leads the board of directors, runs the board meetings. Responsible for keeping the committee chair roles filled during the current year, and accountable that the officers and the committee chairs perform their duties in alignment with mission/vision/goals of Pilgrim House.
Chair-Elect: Assists the Chair and presides in the absence of the Chair; Appoints and leads the nominating taskforce to recruit candidates for the following year’s officers and committee chairs.
Secretary: Records, archives, and distributes minutes of Membership and Board meetings to members. Ensures that corporate bylaws and other agreed upon procedures and legal obligations are adhered in corporate proceedings. Maintains corporate documents at a safe location.
Treasurer: Creates the draft annual corporate budget for board review and membership approval at the annual meeting, manages the budget and financial accounts; Collects and disburses all funds, tracks pledges and donations; handles payroll and taxes, maintains financial records, provide periodic financial reports prior to board meetings as well as annual membership meeting. This role requires significant training to become familiar with the bookkeeping machinery.

Standing Committees

Certain committees are identified by the Bylaws and by Board resolutions as Standing Committees. The chairs of these committees are automatically members of the Board of Directors. Additional volunteers are needed to serve as members of these committees.

Committee Chairs are responsible for maintaining the mission/vision/goal statement of their committee in alignment with that of Pilgrim House, recruiting their respective committee members, and keeping key committee roles filled during the current year. They are accountable that their respective committee members perform their duties in alignment with committee vision/mission/goals. Standing committees are specified in the Bylaws or by Board resolution, and their chairs serve as board members. Other committees are formed as needed, at the discretion of the chair and the board. These committees are assigned to one of the Standing committees, and the corresponding Standing committee chair serves as a liaison between the "subcommittees" and the Board. The board may select additional committees to be represented on the board.

In order to ensure continuity, all officers, committee chairs, and other volunteer positions must maintain the documents pertaining to their job function, and assist in the recruitment and training of their potential successors.

Below are the committees represented on the board, and their missions:

Program Committee: Plan and facilitate Sunday programs with a diverse set of speakers and topics that match the spiritual, intellectual, and artistic interests of the fellowship.
Building and Grounds Committee: Provide a safe, comfortable, and inviting place that meets the needs of Pilgrim House gatherings and activities
Children’s Religious Education Committee: Provide a broad, pluralistic religious education to children, expose them to core values and principles of Unitarian Universalism, and guide them in their journeys to become open minded, well-adjusted members of society.
Membership Committee: Coordinate activities to welcome visitors and new members; connect members to congregational care resources and to social, volunteer, and leadership opportunities; and maintain the official list of members.
Connections Committee: Support activities that strengthen bonds within our fellowship to promote mutual understanding and a sense of community.

Other Board Members:

Adult At-large Directors: The Board appoints up to two.
Youth At-large Directors: The Board appoints up to two.

Other Committees

Here are additional committees (non-board positions) and their missions:

Music Committee (under Program): Enhance the quality of Sunday Programs by promoting communal singing with uplifting musical performances that amplify each week’s program message.
Facilitators Committee (under Program): Maintain source and training material for facilitators.
Technology Committee (under Building): Improve the quality and efficiency of Pilgrim House activities by providing technical support.
Safety Committee (under Building): Review issues relating to personal safety, financial security, and data retention.
Finance Committee (under Membership): Sustain Pilgrim House operations via fundraising, and ensure fiduciary compliance in bookkeeping, collection and disbursement of funds
Communications Committee (under Membership): Publicize what Pilgrim House has to offer to keep membership informed and engaged, and also as a venue to recruit new members.
Denomination Committee (under Membership): Maintain connection with the national Unitarian Universalist Association and the Mid-America Region.
Congregational Care Committee (under Connections): Support the spiritual, emotional, and other needs of the fellowship by harnessing community resources.
Sunday Hospitality Committee (under Connections): Enhance the quality of Sunday programs by coordinating snacks, setup and cleanup activities to promote community spirit.
Social Action Committee (under Connections): To foster worth and dignity of people by promoting social justice and community service.

Group Activity Coordinators

Description: PH members are often interested in participating in activities outside of Sunday meetings. The following activities occur from time to time as volunteer coordinators come forward to organize them:

Adult Study Group Coordinator: Organizes 4 to 12 week study groups on selected topics.
Biking Group Coordinator: Organizes bicycling outings.
Book Study Group Coordinator: Organizes discussion of a new book each month.
Men’s Support Group: Arranges support group meetings for men.
PH Breakfast Coordinator: Arranges monthly Sunday breakfasts in area restaurants.
PH Circle Supper Coordinator: Arranges periodic in-home potluck get-togethers.
PH Evening Dining Out Coordinator: Arranges periodic evening dining in area restaurants.
PH 4^th Sunday Luncheon Coordinator: Arranges fourth-Sunday luncheons in area restaurants.
Retreat Coordinator: Plans an annual retreat.
Ski Weekend Group Coordinator: Organizes winter ski weekend.
Women’s Support Group: Schedules regular support group meetings for women.

Special Event Coordinators

Description: Throughout the year, PH conducts special celebrations for its members, supporters, friends, and visitors. Each of these events requires one or more coordinators to organize them.

Annual Meeting Food Coordinator (June).
December Christmas Gift and Santa Search Coordinator
December Holiday Celebration Food Coordinator (Christmas).
December Holiday Celebration Program Coordinator (Christmas).
Halloween Party Coordinator.
New Member Potluck Coordinator.
New Year’s Eve Party Coordinator.
Spring Celebration Easter Egg Hunt Coordinator
Spring Celebration Food Coordinator (Easter).
Summer Picnic Coordinator (June–August off-season).
Summer Potluck Coordinator (Periodic summer potlucks at PH).
Thanksgiving Celebration Food Coordinator.

Individual Positions

Description: PH needs multiple individual volunteers to serve in the following areas:

Musician: Performs on Sunday morning.
RE Classroom Teacher: Co-teaches a children’s Religious Education class for one trimester. (This is a 10-week commitment.)
RE Substitute Teacher: Substitutes as teacher for one or more children’s Religious Education classes.
Sunday Meditation Musician: Provides Sunday meditation music
Sunday Meditation Reader: Provides Sunday meditation readings
Sunday Presentations: Presents or arranges a Sunday morning program.

Description: PH functions more smoothly if at least one person assumes responsibility for each of the following duties:

Answering Machine Coordinator: Maintains the answering machine; Takes messages, responds, or circulates as necessary.
Archivist: Maintains PH archives and scrapbooks.
Bulletin Board Coordinator: Keeps PH’s bulletin board up-to-date.
Childcare Coordinator: Hires and oversees PH staff to baby sit our youngest children.
Cleaning Coordinator: Hires and oversees PH cleaning staff.
Food Shelf Coordinator: Coordinates volunteers at the Ralph Reader food shelf.
Food Shelf Volunteer: Volunteers to work at the Ralph Reader food shelf.
Garden Coordinator: Coordinates putting in and maintaining gardens around PH.
Kitchen Coordinator: Coordinates refreshment and cleanup crews; Maintains kitchen supplies.
Mail Pickup: Picks up and distributes mail from the PH mailbox.
Mailing List Coordinator: Maintains, prints, and distributes the mailing list (in cooperation with the Membership Committee).
PH Sign Coordinator: Maintains the PH sign.
Photographer: Maintains the PH Photograph display.
Soup Sunday Coordinator: Oversees sign-up and set-up for Soup Sundays.
Webmaster: Maintains and coordinates the PH Website.
Youth Group Mentor: Works with the youth group to coordinate recreational activities.

Delegates and Representatives

Description: PH belongs to many organizations in the larger UU community. Representatives are often requested in the following capacities:

MidAmerica Region Annual Meeting: Represents Pilgrim House delegate to the annual UUA regional meeting in April.
UUA General Assembly: Represents Pilgrim House at the annual UUA convention, held every June somewhere around the country.

Pilgrim House

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship