Draft Organizational Chart

The Interdependent Web of FUUSE

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Please note that “The Interdependent Web of FUUSE,” our DRAFT organizational chart, is not a representation of what any individual thinks our organization should be like. This draft is based on the By-Laws of the First Unitarian Society of Exeter (last amended on June 5, 2022), job descriptions, and other FUUSE policies. The one position that is not accounted for in the by-laws or any other FUUSE policies is the Webmaster. More on this below.

It might interest you to know that two members of the Board—one an engineer, the other a psychotherapist/communications specialist—independently worked on creating an organizational chart. They based their work on the FUUSE by-laws, job descriptions, and FUUSE policies. Although these two individuals think in very different ways, they basically came up with the same chart.

It is important for all of us to understand that FUUSE’s paid staff is small and includes just one full-time staff member (the minister). Below are the current hours of our part-time staff. Please know that these descriptions/hours are reviewed annually and are subject to change.

  • Office administrator: 24 hours/week.
  • RE Coordinators: 8 hours/week (total for two people)
  • Music Director: 18 hours/week
  • Bookkeeper and Cleaning service: changeable

We point out the part-time nature of staff, particularly of our Office Administrator, who has multiple responsibilities that the congregation may be unaware of.  We should be mindful not to ask her to do more than she has time to do.


Another reason to point out the part-time nature of staffing is to emphasize how much FUUSE depends on the time and talent of volunteers. All our committees—standing and program; teams, and board are served by volunteers.

A special note about the Webmaster. This position is not mentioned in the by-laws. Nor is it a program committee, though at times the Webmaster has attended program committee meetings.

The Board recognizes that communications needs a place in our organizational chart and that web work is just one component of communications. Those of us currently working on communications—Bill Downall, Jim Breeling, Nancy Grenier, and Sujeong Shin—all agree that ultimately a Communications Committee should be a Standing Committee, that is subject to Board oversight. This would require an amendment to our By-Laws. At our last Board meeting (January 11, 2024), we agreed that for now, we will operate as a Program Committee and work on an amendment once we have a settled minister. We will be seeking additional volunteer support for this committee.

Especially because FUUSE depends so much on cooperation and coordination between a small staff and many volunteers, we have deliberately chosen to call our organizational chart the Interdependent Web of FUUSE, which references the 7th UU Principle—“respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”