Annual Congregational Meeting
Eliot Unitarian Universalist Chapel
May 17, 2026
- Meeting Livestream Link (Links to come)
- Meeting Zoom Link
The 2026 Eliot Unitarian Universalist Chapel Annual Congregational Meeting will be held Sunday, May 17 at 12:00 pm in the Sanctuary. Lunch will be provided between the end of service and the start time of the meeting.
The agenda for the annual meeting will include the approval of three new members to the Board of Trustees and three new members to the Nominating Committee – two positions elected by the congregation and one appointed by the Board of Trustees.
The Nominating Committee is pleased to share the 2026-27 candidates as follows:
Board of Trustees
- Sue Myers, 3-year term
- Adam Bockhorst, 3-year term
- Steven Bain, 3-year term
Nominating Committee
- Erin Pohl, 3-year term
- David T. Cox, 3-year term
- Rebecca Taylor, 2-year board-appointed term
2026-2027 Operations Budget
We're looking forward to sharing our operations budget with our members this year at the annual meeting. We created a balanced budget for next fiscal year with a projected surplus at the year's end. Please note, the Finance Committee has reviewed and approved the budget, but the board still needs to approve it during its special meeting on Wednesday, May 13. Therefore, minor edits may still occur before the annual meeting. Find this budget in the meeting materials.
A couple of additional notes about next fiscal year's budget:
- For the last several years, we have offered a meeting prior to the annual meeting to go over the budget with members, however this year we are discontinuing that due to consistently low attendance for those meetings. Members will have an opportunity to review the budget before the meeting (as part of the annual meeting packet) and also ask questions during the meeting.
- Eliot Chapel's Treasurer, Ann Lemon, will unfortunately not be present at the annual meeting to present the budget due to a scheduling conflict. Because of this, Ann will provide a pre-recorded video overview of the budget that will be played during the meeting.
Please feel free to reach out with questions about the budget prior to the meeting; we welcome your feedback! Ann can be reached at Treasurer@eliotchapel.org and Brian Franklin can be reached at admin@eliotchapel.org.
How to Participate in the Annual Meeting
All members and friends are invited to attend, and all verified members can vote.
- Plan to attend the Annual Meeting in person on Sunday, May 17.
- Watch it via livestream on YouTube. (Link to come.)
- Attend via Zoom where, as confirmed member, you can cast your vote virtually. The link to join the Zoom meeting will be sent to our members and will be included in our Eliot on Zoom email on Sunday. You must check in by 11:45, before the 12:00 start time of the meeting to be verified and to receive instructions on how to cast your vote.
- Alternatively, you can appoint a proxy (see below) to cast a vote on your behalf.
Confirm Your Membership
Only members of record will be allowed to vote. The term “Member" is defined in our bylaws, a copy of which is available at eliotchapel.org. A list of members is posted in the hallway outside Adams Hall so that congregants may check to make sure they are listed as members. You may also find the roster here.
Any discrepancies with the list of members should be raised with the Director of Business Administration at admin@eliotchapel.org no later than 72 hours before the meeting begins, Thursday, May 14 at noon.
Appointing a Proxy
A proxy form must be submitted no later than noon on Thursday, May 14. Proxies may be submitted by the following methods.
1. Submit your proxy electronically. Fill out this form. Please use the email you have on record at Eliot Chapel for verification. You will receive an automated email confirmation after you click the submit button.
2. Alternatively, instead of the online form submission, you can download a proxy card here, print it and fill it out, and email a scan or photo of the completed form to secretary@eliotchapel.org. Hard copies of the form are available on the table by the front office.
3. Mail via the US Postal Service to:
ATTN: Board Secretary
Eliot Unitarian Chapel
100 South Taylor
Kirkwood, MO 63122
4. Hand deliver it to the Eliot Unitarian Chapel Front Office or to Rebecca Taylor.
Date and time of submission shall be determined by receipt by the Board Secretary.
Nominees
Sue Myers joined Eliot Chapel in 2010, after a long hiatus from organized religion. She first attended a service after her then 12-year-old son unexpectedly said “Mom, I want to try church.” She has enjoyed belonging to several covenant groups, learning something new every month at Roz Marx’s Positive Psychology Covenant Group. Since retiring, she has become more active at Eliot Chapel as a greeter, Front Office Volunteer, Pastoral Care Associate, and Trivia Night Organizer.
Sue worked as a pediatric endocrinologist for 30 years at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, the last 7 years as director of her division. She lives in Kirkwood, a mile from the church. Her family is an adult son, two cats, and a German shepherd. Her other volunteer work is with Kirk Care Food Pantry, Heart-to-Heart reading tutoring at Robinson Elementary School, and Touhill Performing Arts Center as an usher. Her hobbies include traveling, hiking, kayaking, attending concerts, and playing cards and Mah Jongg.
Adam Bockhorst loves working at his dream job as a Help Desk Analyst for XTRA Lease, LLC in Clayton while volunteering with the Eliot AV Tech team and Geek Squad, and co-leading the Spiritual Perspectives & Practices covenant group. He is originally from St. Louis but spent years elsewhere in the U.S. before returning to graduate from Webster University with a degree in Psychology, a teaching certificate emphasizing middle school science and English, and many course hours in religious studies, history and culture. He obviously eschews the temptations of overspecialization with stoic resolve but greatly appreciates the love and support of his wife and two (grown and nearly grown) children as they put up with him tinkering with computers and game consoles in his basement, plinking on a guitar or two, and jotting furtive musings about life, love, and technology.
Steven Bain and his wife Patrice mark 39 years of membership in 2026. Both of their children attended Religious Education, and Steven taught RE at various grade levels. Steven has served on the Board previously and has led more than a dozen services, both at Eliot and First Unitarian. He has been a member of covenant groups for many years and served one year as a facilitator.
Other church activities include help with trivia nights, Madrigal dinner, liturgist duties, greeting, and many a cold and wet May morning with the Men’s Advance at Bergfried. During the Covid pandemic Steven served on the advisory committee to define service protocols during lockdown and conditions for reopening. Recently he led the effort to add “Universalist” to the name of Eliot Chapel. Before his retirement from the bar in 2020, Steven acted as attorney for the Chapel from time to time and provided legal advice when asked.
Erin Pohl is honored to join the Eliot Chapel Nominating Committee and looks forward to supporting the congregation in shaping its future leadership. Erin has been attending Eliot since late 2022 with their partner Ro, and the two officially became members in 2023. Since then, Erin has become actively involved in the life of the church, including facilitating a Witnessing Whiteness book group in the fall of 2024. A native St. Louisan, Erin is deeply rooted in the community and brings both professional and personal passion to their service. By day, Erin works as the Director of Development at the Crime Victim Center in St. Louis, where they focus on advancing the organization’s mission to empower and support survivors of crime. Erin and Ro live in South City with their beloved dog Lizzy and their very opinionated cat, Perceval the Cat—also known as PT Cat.
David Cox joined Eliot Chapel in 2006 after he and his family moved to the area. They had been longtime Unitarian Universalists prior to joining Eliot Chapel. David sang for many years with several choirs here. He was also elected to the board of trustees in 2015 where he served for more than one term.
David is an attorney in private practice focusing on immigration matters. He is on the Board of Governors at the Bar Association of Metropolitan Saint Louis where he is also the Chair of the Immigration Law Committee. David sings with the St Louis Symphony Chorus and the Bach Society of St Louis. His former spouse and youngest son live in the Metro East and his oldest son lives and works in Chicago.
Rebecca Taylor has been a member of Eliot Chapel since 2016. She recently retired from Clayton High School after nineteen years of joyfully teaching Clayton’s wonderful teenagers. At Eliot, she is a member of the Creative Spirituality Covenant Group, the Partner Church Council, and the Thursday Wellspring class. Rebecca led the St. Louis English Country Dancers for over two decades, and she currently performs with the historic dance troupe Dance Discovery. Rebecca holds a Ph.D. in English literature from Washington University in St. Louis. Her dissertation is entitled Robinson Crusoe and the Reproduction of Singleness in England’s Long Eighteenth Century. Rebecca feels that her involvement in Eliot Chapel has tremendously enriched her life, and she wants to help Eliot continue to offer that enrichment to members old and new.
