2010 Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Annual Congregational Meeting

Nominees for the 2010 – 2011 Executive Board

Brenda Balmer for President Elect

Brenda Balmer has lived in North County with her husband Brad Wiscons, two children - Lucas (19) and Ren (16), and multiple dogs, cats and fish for nearly twenty-five years.  She grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, attending Presbyterian Church Services at least once a week and leaving that tradition in college.  She was finally forced into examining her need for a religious and spiritual community by the events of September 11, 2001, which brought her first to a silent vigil Service and then to regular Services at the Fellowship.  Over time, she has gotten to know the people that form the community at the Fellowship and to cherish their contribution to her life and family.  She particularly appreciates the UU practice of valuing the wisdom of many different traditions and teachers and is drawn to Buddhism.  Brenda is a vegan, and has on many levels found this daily practice to be a spiritual work in progress.  She is concerned about the sustainability of humanity in an ecosystem increasingly dependent upon animals as a food source.

By trade, Brenda is a grant writer, currently writing grants for Vista Community Clinic out of a home based office.  She has been a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and ran substance abuse treatment programs, child abuse prevention programs and domestic violence prevention programs for local nonprofit organizations.  At Palomar Fellowship, Brenda sings in the choir, plays viola in the orchestra and attends the Palomitas de Paz Sangha on some Saturdays.  She was a founding member of the Katrina Action Team (KAT), spearheading social justice work in the wake of the 2005 hurricane season.  Brenda has been the Board Chair of the Religious Education Committee and was Past President of Palomar Fellowship during the year we transformed the board structure.  Joys include a great husband, awesome kids, music, gardening and stained glass work.

Jill Cochran for Secretary

Jill Cochran has lived in the North County area for over 20 years and has been a member of Palomar Fellowship for 3 years.  She works as a library technician for the Vista Unified School District at Beaumont Elementary.  She and her husband, David, and children, Nicholas, Sophie, Matt and Allison all enjoy participating in various aspects of the Fellowship.
Jill grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah in a strong Mormon home.  Her father was a university professor and church historian, and her mother was a homemaker.  In her teens she discovered Buddhism and the writings of various Indian teachers.  She eventually left the Mormon faith to follow a guru, but after several years of dedication decided to follow her own path within.
In our Fellowship, her family has found a community where they are all free to follow their own truth without judgment or dogma.

Ann Kay for Finance Director

Ann Kay was born and raised in Iowa, and moved to San Diego with her parents and two brothers while in high school.  She has a B.S. in business, with an emphasis in accounting, from SDSU.
Ann actually has been doing books most of her life.   Her father is a retired CPA, and long before computers or even calculators, she helped him with simple bookkeeping tasks.  She is a senior accountant at a property management company located in Carlsbad.
Her late husband, Sey, was familiar with Unitarian Universalism, and when she moved from San Diego to Vista 5 years ago, she decided she needed a sense of her new community and began attending Palomar Fellowship.  She now calls the Fellowship home.
She is a member of the Music Committee, where for the last 3 years she has been the Stage Manager for the annual musical.  She is the chairperson for the 2010 Auction Committee, and is also a greeter and a member of the Compassionate Caring Committee.
Ann has twin daughters, two grandchildren and two cats.  She loves to read, travel and play golf.  Her favorite vacation spot is Chautauqua, New York.

Hugh Lester for Committee on Ministry

Hugh Lester spent his childhood in East Texas and his teenage years in Lawrence, Kansas. A three sport athlete, he was an exchange student in Switzerland his senior year. He earned psychology and architecture degrees from the University of Kansas. Ellyn and Hugh recently celebrated their fifteenth wedding anniversary. They have four children: Kaitlyn, Erin, Dylan and Hayden, and a dog, Pei. They have lived in the Midwest, East Coast, and now the “left” Coast: in Vista.

A son of a devout Atheist, Hugh independently discovered Deism, albeit two centuries late. Currently agnostic, but secretly thrilled by theistic strands of process theology, Hugh has experienced a lot of personal and religious growth since coming to the Fellowship in the fall of 2008. He attended BYOT II, was a sponsor during Coming of Age, is an usher during second Service, has participated in the planning and execution of several Services, and generally knows what is going on because he is married to Ellyn, who is the C-CAT coordinator.  Hugh appreciates being considered for service on the Committee on Ministry.

Nominees for the 2010 – 2011 Nominating Committee

On June 13, we will hold the Annual Meeting and Election of Officers. Each June we elect a President-Elect who, hopefully, will serve three years in the three presidential positions, automatically moving on to the next position on July 1. Your Nominating Committee has nominated Brenda Balmer as President-Elect. Tamara Lowell and Dick Eiden will move on to President and Past-President, respectively. We also elect or re-elect the Secretary and Finance Director. This year Al Cox is resigning, Brad Dre is termed out, and Jill Cochran and Ann Kay have been nominated for Secretary and Finance Director. The Annual Meeting must also elect a member of the Committee on Ministry, and Hugh Lester has been nominated. (The By-Laws are available in the Church Office and here.)

The by-laws provides that the Nominating Committee nominate the members of next year’s Nominating Committee, which is elected in June and begins it’s work the following January. Per Corbeil, Michelle Bell, James Newton, Metje Saffir, Bobbie Upson, Susan Shea and Bruce Thompson have been nominated for the Nominating Committee.

It’s very important that members make an effort to attend the June 14 meeting and vote. If you can’t attend, please find somebody to carry your proxy and vote on your behalf. Each member in attendance can carry one proxy, no more. The by-laws provide for nominations from the floor, but the nominee must have agreed to serve, and you/they must provide a biography to hand out at the meeting.  Here are the bios of the Nominees.

Per Corbeil and his wife, Barb have lived in Oceanside for 15 years, and are blessed with three children. They both were raised Catholic but felt it was no longer consistent with their values. Per was elated to have found Palomar Fellowship about 3 years ago through his smarter sister who found UU’s long ago.
Per’s confusing demeanor can be explained by the fact that he is one of seven children with a Republican artist father. He had to hitchhike to his home in Topanga, (hippiville), California, from Catholic school in a uniform in the late 60’s, early 70’s. Later he spent a year with a portion of his family camping around Europe and North Africa, followed by the Air Force Academy. He has been flying for American Airlines since the early 90’s, which explains his frequent absence, (and his distant focus).

Michelle Bell and her former husband moved to San Diego County 12 years ago with their three young children.  While no longer married, they are raising their children together.  In 1999 they moved to Vista.  Andrew (20) attends Palomar Community College in the transition program.  Caiti (16) is a junior at Rancho Buena Vista HS; she has been a member of the girls’ golf team since she was a freshman. She has the highest GPA of any female player in San Diego County. Kelsey (14) attends Madison Middle School where she is a straight A student.  She loves to draw and write. Both Andrew and Kelsey attend Palomar Fellowship and consider themselves UU's. Michelle is currently working for the Vista school district as a special education assistant.  She recently returned to school and is working toward her certification as an Administrative Assistant.

Michelle was a lifelong Lutheran but did not find a home for her spiritual and social justice path until she came to Palomar Fellowship in December 2008. Very soon after that she got involved with the Social Concerns Brunch and in May of 2009, she became the lead for the Social Concerns Brunch and loves it. The brunch has grown since she took over.  She was involved with the 2009 Auction and was co chair with Metje for the food and entertainment.  She is once again heading up the food team for the 2010 auction with Misty Kirkman and Metje Safir.
Our Fellowship has opened up lots of doors and avenues for her social justice work and social life as well. With the kids getting older and moving into the next phases of their lives, it feels good to her to be able to move into hers at the Fellowship.

James Michael Newton was born a poor human child a long time ago, in a place far, far away . . . in Orange County. At the age of 8, his parents (Christian mother, agnostic father) kidnapped him and forced him to grow up in Oregon, where people don't die of old age, they rust to death. At the tender age of 21, James escaped the wet by joining (for the shortest possible enlistment) the U.S. Navy which he felt would allow him to provide support for his intended, who wrote him a "Dear James" letter during boot camp. Crushed, he decided to stay in the Navy and learned many wonderful things including how to kill people, curse, and, most importantly, drink. In 1992, James realized that the Navy had to go to war, and that the Gulf is not a nice place, so he got out, found a civilian job and a new lady (now his lovely wife, Maria) who came with a ready made family. That was when drinking really "helped" and James hit rock bottom with a 700 lb Samoan police officer on his chest. Alcoholics Anonymous presented James with his first religious dilemma: The steps say "higher power" but the people all say "God".  James never could believe in things he can't see or predict, so he made no progress until a crusty old guy pointed out that any group of people who can over-power a person is a higher power to that person. The AA group became a higher power for James, and over the next 15 years things got better. Now his only religion is one of necessity: Being a good servant of any higher power, which includes big trucks when he is driving his used Prius on the freeway; his family of 5, when he is home; and all of you, when he is attending the Fellowship.  When he grows up, James wants to be a robot . . . or a farmer . . . he hasn't decided yet . . . Maybe a robot farmer! His hobbies include earning money, singing for ego, and trying to grow a filter . . . it's complicated.  Ask him about it when you have lots of time; he loves to talk.

Metje Saffir has been a member of Palomar Fellowship since 1986. She served on the Board many times, as membership chair. Metje has lived in San Marcos since 1980, and was involved with the Santa Monica UU Congregation before that. She is currently a member of the Sunday Services Committee and serves with the Auction Committee.  She sings in the choir and is a Caring Committee member. She works part time in her manufacturing business (now run mostly by her sons) and volunteers for Hospice and Compassion and Choices.

Bobbie Upson has been a Unitarian Universalist since 1973, and a member at Palomar since 2002 when she retired and moved to North County from Wilmington, DE.  She has participated in Stretching and Healing, the Sacred Circle, and the Saturday Bridge Group.  She served on the Membership Committee in 2004 - 2006 and was a member of Leadership Development in 2006 -2007.  In 2005 she was elected to the Nominating Committee for that year.  Since 2003 she has been a member of the Choir.  Bobbie was a member of a Covenant Group from 2006 - 2008.  Due to her diverse activities in the Fellowship, she knows many members of the congregation and will be an asset to the Nominating Committee in selecting next year’s slate of officers.

Susan Shea has lived over 30 years in North County and currently resides in Oceanside.  She and her husband, Kirk, and their partner Tien live with their two homeschooled children, Aurora (7) and Orion (5), along with one big white dog and three cats.   Susan was raised Presbyterian but started seeking other paths after entering college.  She now considers herself an earth-centered pagan and was thrilled to find a welcoming community at Palomar.  She became a member almost 3 years ago.

Bruce Thompson is a third-generation UU, and a member at Palomar since 1999. He has previously served on the Committee on Ministry, the Music Committee (in its earliest form), and the Nominating Committee. He assists in hosting Sufi Dancing at the Fellowship.  He teaches philosophy at various San Diego area colleges and universities, including Cal State San Marcos, Southwestern College, and Palomar College (when work is available). He also sometimes works as a librarian. He writes poetry, plays violin with the orchestra, and occasionally participates in Sunday services as a speaker, poet and dancer.

Bylaw Changes

The Board is proposing two small changes to the by-laws. One simply increases the term of members of the Committee on Ministry from two years to three years.

The other clarifies the role of the nominating committee and President-Elect in nominating members for the Nominating commitee. In 2007 we changed the way the Nominating Committee is selected. Now we feel the need to clarify that the nominating committee selects candidates for next year’s nominating committee, that they select a slate of seven, that the nominating committee itself will decide who are the regular members and who are alternates, and how the President-Elect works with the nominating committee in publishing the biographies of the nominees.

Here is the current (2007) by-law:

Section 2:  Nominating Committee:

1. The Nominating Committee nominates a slate of candidates consisting of one or more individuals for each open seat on the Executive Board, as well as the open position for the Committee on Ministry. Nominees must be voting members of the Fellowship.
2. The Nominating Committee ensures that the names and biographies of the nominees are published in the call for the annual meeting.
3. The Nominating Committee consists of five (5) members and two (2)alternates.
4. Candidates may not have served on the Nominating Committee the previous year, and may not be members of the Executive Board, The Committee on Ministry, or the Search Committee simultaneously.
5. The Nominating Committee is elected at the annual meeting for a term of one year.
6. The Nominating Committee actively solicits nominations for the Nominating Committee of the following year and submits these names to the President-Elect. The President-Elect ensures that biographical information is disseminated before the annual congregational meeting as well as available at the annual congregational meeting. Nominations from the floor are permissible.

Here is the proposed new by-law:

Section 2:  Nominating Committee:

1. The Nominating Committee nominates a slate of candidates consisting of one or more individuals for each open seat on the Executive Board, the open position for the Committee on Ministry, and the Nominating Committee for the following year. Nominees must be voting members of the Fellowship.
2. The Nominating Committee works with the President-Elect to ensure that the names and biographies of the nominees are published in the call for the annual meeting.
3. The Nominating Committee consists of five (5) members and two alternates, and shall themselves choose who are regular members and who are alternates.
4. Candidates may not have served on the Nominating Committee the previous year, and may not be members of the Executive Board, The Committee on Ministry, or the Search Committee simultaneously.
5. The Nominating Committee is elected at the annual meeting for a term of one year.
6. The Nominating Committee actively solicits nominations for the Nominating Committee of the following year and submits the nominees as a slate of seven to the President-Elect. The President-Elect ensures that biographical information is disseminated before the annual congregational meeting as well as available at the annual congregational meeting. If there are nominations from the floor, the top seven candidates will be elected.

Proposed 2010-2011 Budget

Coming Soon!

Adobe Reader is required for the Budget PDF, and it is a free download.