Town Hall Meeting
Chairs vs. Pews
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
7:00 p.m. (via Zoom)
An Invitation from the President of the Board of Trustees….
….to attend a Town Hall Meeting, via Zoom, on Wednesday, May 18 at 7:00 pm. The link for the meeting is in this and upcoming emails.
The purpose of the Town Hall will be to give everyone a chance to ask any questions they may have, and express any opinions they have, about the possibility of replacing all or some of our pews with chairs. This is pertinent right now, because at our Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 5 at 10:00 am, we will be voting on a question that asks if OBUUC should plan to replace all or some of our pews with chairs.
Note the word “plan.” The outcome of this question will not affect the 2022-2023 budget, which is also on the Agenda at that meeting. No funds for replacing pews with chairs are included in the budget for the next church year.
A vote to replace pews with chairs will not lead to the immediate clearing out of pews and purchasing of chairs. It will lead to the creation of a Task Force, which will have the job of deciding: whether it is desirable or feasible to keep any pews in the sanctuary, and, if so, where they should be placed; what kind(s), color(s), style(s) of chairs to purchase; how many chairs to get; what will need to be done with the carpet; how much it will cost to complete the project; what kind of schedule the work could be done on; what to do with the pews that are no longer needed; etc.
In other words, the vote at the Annual Meeting will set our intention. The details of how we will reach the goal will be determined after.
If you have experience in dealing with furniture purchasing and/or interior design, or just want to be involved in making these decisions, you will have an opportunity to volunteer to serve on the Task Force IF the congregational vote at the Annual Meeting is in favor of replacing all or some of the pews with chairs.
On April 10, a Town Hall meeting was held at which people were invited to ask questions and state their opinions and listen to the opinions of others. People were also invited, if they wanted, to send me an email (at bumpursam@gmail.com), to express their ideas. All the opinions I received have been gathered into a document that you can access here: CHAIRS vs PEWS.
Everyone is welcome to attend to attend this upcoming Town Hall, even if you attended the previous Town Hall and even if you sent an email to me earlier. All the comments made at this Town Hall and in any additional emails I receive on the subject will be added to what is already in the document, and it will be sent out to everyone again before the Annual Meeting.
*Please note that while everyone is invited to attend and speak at the Town Hall, or to send me an email, only Members may vote at the Annual Meeting.