In the last Rowe Zone, I introduced you to part of the Board of Trustees. The theme of that issue was a celebration of Rowe’s youth, so I focused on the younger members of the board who came to us from the youth camps. In this issue, I tell you about those of us with a little more mileage.
Sue Baldauf first came to a workweek in the late 70s with some friends of Doug’s. She loved the atmosphere and the setting, attended some workshops, and gained respect for the principles of social justice, equity, and fairness that underlie the programming. She credits Doug, Prue, and Felicity for infusing the Rowe experience with values that go beyond specific religions and belief systems. Sue says, “Something comes over me when I drive over that bridge.” She wants to do what she can to help Rowe remain solid in its core and sustain itself, so she joined the Development Committee and took on a major portion of work, well before joining the board. She’s been an inspiring example for the rest of us, bringing her experience on other boards, her enthusiasm for whatever we’re doing, and her willingness to work on the difficult issues.
Fred Schoeps, our treasurer, first showed up at a board meeting in 2002 with a formal marketing proposal, complete with visual aids. Our eyes kind of glazed over during the presentation, but it was clear Fred was a keeper! He heard about Rowe from his stepson, Mark Taylor, who used to be on the maintenance staff. Deciding to have a look for himself, Fred went to a workweek and was impressed with the diversity of people who come to Rowe. He is a first-generation immigrant. He was born in Germany and became a naturalized citizen at the age of 6. His initial career was teaching, including a stint in Switzerland, then he worked on a variety of projects for IBM and picked up new skills. He took an early retirement, realizing there is more to life than pursuing a career and wanting to give back. He served as vice president of his UU District board and gave us the benefit of his talent and tenacity as treasurer. The most challenging part of his service at Rowe, he says, is the 3 1/2 hour drive from White Plains. He enjoys the diversity of backgrounds and opinions among board members and our process of listening to each other as we collaborate to work out problems.
Granger Macy is a professor of business at Ithaca College and travels the farthest to serve. He wants next year’s board schedule to coordinate with work weeks so he doesn’t have to make the trip twice in a week. Granger joined the board in September because he has professional expertise to offer and he wanted to help. Before joining, he worked several months as a volunteer and brought our investment policy to completion, a document we had been struggling with for more than a year. Granger is chairing the investment committee, which is made up of people close to Rowe who are knowledgeable about money management. He wants to see Rowe stay around for a long time and to see it grow. Fundraising is what he finds most difficult about board work, a challenge most of us share. What he likes about being on the board, in addition to all of us, is “being part of a group committed to doing good in the world.”
I’m Cathy Perkins. I first went to Rowe in the 80s to a Gail Straub workshop. I didn’t return for about 10 years, but, once I did, I was hooked! I attended various weekends, but WomenCircles made me want to get more involved. Felicity had mentioned that the board was looking for candidates. I’d been on the mailing list for some time and read about the day-to-day issues, the staff, and other people who were contributing to this wonderful place. I started going to board meetings about 10 years ago. At the time, there were no openings, so I volunteered for a year, doing what I could. It was a good experience, because I had never served on a board before. Once there was a vacancy, I knew what I was getting into, and the group knew how much I wanted to serve. I have met and developed valued friendships with people through this work. I have one more year in office, but this is such a big part of my life that I would like to continue as a trustee (Bruce Robbins is my role model: 21 years!) Now that I’m retired, I have the time and energy to devote to it.
We still have a couple of openings and welcome your interest. We also appreciate volunteers. Our meetings are open and we will post next year’s schedule on the website after our June meeting. You can find the minutes of our meetings, our strategic plan, and major policy statements there as well. Have a wonderful summer!
Cathy Perkins, Board President
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