Greetings UUCSW!
I am Cynthia Menard, the new Director of Religious Education for the Unitarian Universalist Congregational Society of Westborough, and I am so happy to be a part of this wonderful congregation! Thank you so much for bringing me on board and trusting me with your youth’s spiritual growth and education – it is an honor!
I am looking forward to meeting you all in person in the upcoming weeks. I will be joining service for the first time next Sunday by Zoom and starting up our Circle RE Cooperative at 1 PM that afternoon. More information about Circle RE will be going out separately.
So, how did I get here? I have been a DRE for just over 3 years, serving at the Unitarian Church of Marlboro and Hudson, teaching youth Religious Education programs, and until this past spring, managing the Spiritual Growth and Community Center – UCMH’s public programming. I was tipped off to your need for a DRE early this fall, and am so glad to be on board!
Prior to coming to UU Religious Education, I worked as an informal (non-classroom) educator for over 20 years, teaching environmental education, natural history, challenge/adventure programming, and outdoor skills to a wide variety of audiences and abilities. I spent many of those years running summer camps, so you can expect some campiness from me. 😉 I particularly love to be outdoors (a big part of my spiritual practice) and will be bringing some fun outdoor education into our RE curriculum this year.
I live in Lunenburg with my husband and two sons: Rowan, who just turned 17 (!!!) and will be at Youth Group when his schedule allows, and Alder who will be 12 in a few weeks. Alder (to my surprise) still loves coming to RE, and will be joining the Junior High age group. Rowan is a musician – percussion and vocals – and Alder has his Black Belt in Taekwondo. I hold Alder responsible for the fact that I now have my high Brown Belt in Taekwondo and will be testing for my Deputy Black Belt at the end of the year.
Please feel free to reach out to me at any time with questions, requests, or just to say hi. I am delighted to be here!
Brightest Blessings,
Cynthia