IMPORTANT NOTE: You may recall our announcement that we're modifying the CC procedures by asking for brief written committee reports in lieu of oral reports at the meetings. We now realize that this decision was hasty and needs your input. Thus we are scheduling a discussion about committee reports; see agenda item 6 below. We are also scheduling 20 minutes for committee reports; see agenda item 7.    ~Ken Ross

COORDINATING COUNCIL AGENDA
December 12, 2009
9:30-11:30am    Sanctuary

The Council's charge. The Coordinating Council promotes communication and cooperation among the councils, committees, and affiliated groups of our congregation. It serves as the clearinghouse for scheduling major events; and it provides a regular forum for committees to report their activities, discuss and develop new ideas, address problems and issues that span the work of more than one committee, harmonize the church calendar, and recommend changes in the overall programs and policies of the Church. In so doing, the council helps keep the shared goals and common purpose of our many and diverse committees clearly in focus. The council may also consider policy or procedure changes as may be referred to it by the Board of Trustees.

1. Opening Words.

(9:35) 2. Introductions.

(9:45) 3. Appropriate use of staff. The following was submitted November 3 by our Office Administrator, Steve Hutchison. The staff of UUCE is here to support the life of the congregation. We will try to do everything we can to help out. If you need something from the office, please call or email ahead of time--- a week or more for a one-hour job.

It should be noted that while volunteerism is appreciated, volunteers assume a certain level of support for their own activities. It should not necessarily be assumed that because a job requires a printer or computer that the office staff will have time to do it, especially on short notice. However, we will do everything we can in the time we have.

Any request for support from the office, the custodian or the publications specialist will enjoy a greater chance of the desired outcome by providing additional lead time. As lead time decreases, so does the likelihood of us being able to accommodate you fully. The key here is, try to anticipate your needs, and give us a heads-up as early as possible. Help requests for the custodian and the office assistant should go through the administrator.

The publications specialist is charged with layout of the order of service and the newsletter. Any submissions for these two publications should be sent directly to her. Any other requests for her time should be sent to the administrator.

(10:00) 4. Preparing for the next church budget. >From Elizabeth Weber: This year the Budget Committee will be considering budget requests from committees in a different form than last year. Last fall we were asked by the Board and Rev Steve to solicit from Committees the funding they wanted to fulfill their dream "pie in the sky" committee responsibilities and tasks. We were greatly disappointed that we had to return to the Committees in April to request that they provide the opposite scenario - a bare minimum budget - when the committed pledges were not as high as hoped for. Our current plan for this year for committee line items is three-fold:

1. We will begin with maintaining committee line items at their current FY10 (July 2009 to June 2010) funding level (Centennial committee will be reduced to $0 for obvious reasons).
2. If the Board determines that funding committees above current levels is a priority, and the funds are available, we will review the committee budget requests provided last December and January to recommend increases to be made.
3. If any committee feels they need funds in excess of their current funding level or in addition to the requests submitted last year, or would like to revise their request, please provide a detailed budget request which includes the items you want funded and the amount of funding needed for each item. Items included in such a request must be in the Committee's priority order so that if we are able to fund anything additional, we do so in keeping with that Committee's preferences. We have retained all of last year's budget requests and can provide those to Committee chairs if requested. All revised budget requests are due on January 15.

(10:15) 5. Task Force on Emergency Planning. The Board has created a task force, chaired by Doug Turvey, and titled, "Caring Community Response to Emergencies Task Force."

(10:20) BREAK

(10:32) 6. Sound procedures.

(10:37) 7. Scheduling of oral committee reports. We have been concerned about oral committee reports taking too much time causing us to sometimes find ourselves rushed to cover the rest of the agenda. Also, some of these reports have included new agenda items not on the written agenda. On the other hand, many of us find it valuable to learn what is going on in other parts of our church. This is open to discussion.

Here is one possible compromise. That it be understood that oral committee reports won't be scheduled for some meetings, either because of a workshop or an agenda that is already too tight. That, when they are scheduled, they are scheduled near the end of the meeting. That, when they are not scheduled, committee chairs may submit brief written reports which may be appended to the agenda. Finally, that it is understood that agenda items should be submitted in time for the written agenda; your secretary will try to alert CC members in advance. (There will occasionally need to be exceptions to this last rule, since CC only meets monthly, and less often in the summer.) Ken Ross

(11:00) 8. Committee reports.

(11:20) 9. Opening Words for future meetings. We need volunteers
January: February: March:

(11:22) 10. Wrap up and check out.

Next meetings: January 9, 2010; February 13, 2010; March 13, 2010. The February meeting will include a workshop on "dealing with challenging group dynamics in committees," organized by Betty Hosokawa.

COORDINATING COUNCIL MINUTES
August 29, 2009

In attendance: John Clay, Sally DeCou, Judie Hansen, Betty Hosokawa, Brian Lewis, Dick Loescher, Mary Otten, Bill Rodgers, Ken Ross, Laura Stevenson

1. Opening Words. Judie Hansen shared opening words tailored to fit the church's current transitional situation.

2. Introductions and brief committee reports. Mary Otten indicated that she is the Board Vice President and that one of her duties is to chair the Coordinating Council. Ken Ross indicated that he's been secretary of the Council for a long time. He is also the communications coordinator of the Facilities Council and co-chair of the Centennial Celebration Committee.

Laura Stevenson is co-chair, with Jeanne-Marie Moore, of the Caring Committee. One continuing issue concerns who can do the care, since background checks are expected. This may be extended to include those who are trusted by the person to be cared for. Laura reminded us that the committee's charge is for short-term care, not long-term care.

Bill Rodgers is co-chair, with Judy Sawyer, of the Green Sanctuary group. He circulated copies of "The Green Sanctuary 5-Year Plan." Bill mentioned that there is some concern with committees having overlapping responsibilities. Also, his group needs more members.

John Clay, chair of the Archives Committee, is currently focusing on two issues: getting the History Book completed, since this is our centennial year; and completing the production of the Annual Report.

Dick Loescher is chair of the Small Group Ministry steering committee; he expects the program to be similar to last year with groups meeting twice monthly from January through May 2010. He is also involved with NVC (Nonviolent communication practice-study groups), the Committee on Congregational Ministry, and the Capital Campaign.

Brian Lewis serves as our "events/fundraisers coordinator;" he keeps an eye on these activities and works behind the scenes. Two recent examples include the Third Friday Potluck (now handled by Laura Jameison) and art in the library (now handled by Barbara Davis). Brian continues his work with Stewardship. The new chair is David Green. Since canvasses are supposed to be face-to-face every three or four years, this year's canvasses will be face-to-face. There will be no big Celebration Sunday-type event; this will also help our budget. Ann Fuller is the new chair of the Adult RE Committee. On her behalf, Brian Lewis indicated that the committee is doing well.

Sally DeCou serves on the Nominating Committee; Betty Hosokawa is the chair of that committee. Their current task is to replace a member who had to resign from BPOC (Building Projects Oversight Committee). Sally is also a Pastoral Associate and was the contact person over the summer. This committee is still in its infancy. Sally mentioned that had a background check; it was easy and she learned something very useful, namely that someone else was using her Social Security Number.

Judie Hansen reported on BPOC; see item 7. She is the organizer of the Birders Group and Thundereggs. The birders go out every Tuesday morning, using followed by a breakfast. The Thundereggs (women of a certain age) meeting Thursday afternoons; these gatherings seem to offer a good opportunity for newer church attendees to get acquainted with established church members.

3. Scheduling committee meetings. This is a follow-up on previous discussions regarding the feasibility of scheduling committee meetings only on certain days. This would save wear-and-tear of the church and would make it easier for Rev. Landale to attend more committee meetings. Mary Otten reported that the devil is in the details. A Board task group, consisting of Mary Otten, Norma Landy, Anna Sontag and Hutch (Steven Hutchison), looked into the possibilities. They concluded that such scheduling changes would be difficult in our current situation, though they are open to a great idea.

4. Strategic Planning Suggestions for Church Committees and Groups. A handout was circulated. Mary Otten indicated that, at its retreat, the Board endorsed the Strategic Planning Committee's desire to get committees more involved with the church's strategic-planning process. A handout for committee chairs, prepared by Kay Crider, was circulated. For the latest five-year plan status report prepared by the Strategic Planning Committee, go to http://www.uueugene.org/SPC/5-yrPlans/Oct08Revised5YrPlan.pdf

5. Church policy on rentals. Mary Otten reminded the group that last spring, as part of dealing with the church's budget crunch, the Board agreed to loosen the rental policies and encourage Hutch (Steve Hutchison) to be more pro-active in getting rentals. Hutch's work reflects this tentative plan which is under review. To help him get renters, it has been suggested that if he has a prospective renter with at least two months lead, then it would be appropriate for him to ask a group already scheduled for the desired time whether they could move their time. The desire would be to encourage flexibility, and it was understood that the committee might say "no" if their program was already well set, or if their program had been widely advertised, or if their program included an invited outside speaker, etc. Mary has already consulted Interweave (Nisco Junkins) who was okay with this approach.

6. Charges for Adult RE classes. The question was whether it is appropriate to charge for adult RE classes. In the past, the charges have usually been around $10; often the income has been used to cover the cost of materials used. The Council was asked its opinion. MOTION: The Council recommends that normally there be voluntary registration fees for adult RE classes. This motion passed unanimously.

7. Discussion of potential new church site. Judie Hansen reminded the group that Town Hall meetings are scheduled for September 8 and 13. The Congregational Meeting to vote on the new site is tentatively scheduled for October 11. Judie mentioned that Karen Gaffney is handling the New Building Questions Answers part of the website; Karen served on the BPOC until recently and knows the history. Judy Sawyer is handling the related newsletter articles. Rich Margerum is working on lining up professionals to do the various necessary inspections, and he is also working
with the city on the necessary zoning changes.

Dick Loescher, who is on the Capital Campaign Committee, mentioned that we have "hired" two PNWD consultants. They will be interviewing some members of the church, during September 11-13, to help assess our ability to buy the property.

8. Leadership development. Our September meeting would focus on leadership development. Betty Hosokawa is handling this, since she is chair of the Nominating Committee and this project has been added to the committee's charge. The focus at the meeting, beginning at 9:30 sharp, will be on running committee meetings. Attendance by current committee chairs is strongly encouraged. Topics for future workshops will be decided later, partly based on a survey that will be taken at this workshop.

9. Other topics from Rev. Steve in April. Steve focused on the need for job descriptions (mission statements or charges) for committees. These already exist for many committees, but might need to be revisited and updated. Mary Otten reminded the group about this. A good starting point is the list of committees on the website http://www.uueugene.org/UUCE/Committees.html; many committee charges can be found here. While you are at it, you can update the name of the chair(s) and members. Send your changes to webmaster@uueugene.org.

10. Next meetings: September 12 (see item 8 above), October 10 (room 5), November 14, December 12

11. Opening Words. September: Betty Hosokawa. October: Ken Ross. November: Laura Stevenson. (A good source is http://www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/)

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Coordinating Council Minutes
March 14, 2009

PROGRESS OF THE COORDINATING COUNCIL

Nineteen people gathered for the most recent Coordinating Council meeting on March 14, 2009.  As always, much was learned at the check ins and some good business was accomplished.  Amy Raven shared the wonderful, but not surprising, news that our church has been formally recognized as an Accredited Green Sanctuary.  All the motions discussed below passed without opposition.

In conjunction with offering a Welcoming Congregation workshop in the very near future, Interweave requested approval for “flying” of a Rainbow Flag outside our church.  A motion approved displaying the flag at the east window of the east restroom, where the flag would be visible from the ramp outside the church as well as from inside the church.  It was agreed that the flag can remain on display until at least the end of the Welcoming Congregation workshop. 

Marilyn Junkins expressed concern about non-UU materials that appear on the welcoming table, on the pamphlet rack and in the social hall.  Our office administrator, Hutch (Steve Hutchison) indicated that the church receives a lot of material and that he and the office assistant, Joyce Levesque, toss a lot of the material and post what appears to be appropriate for our church.  In a motion, the Council empowered the Membership Committee to remove non-UUCE/UUA material from the pamphlets rack and to pass the material to the office staff for disposition.

Bjorn Olson, who recently joined our church, observed that the district-wide Chalice Lighter Program is not well known in our church.  Here’s a brief description:  “The provides grants to congregations in the Pacific Northwest District.  Grants are funded exclusively through contributions from more than 2,000 PNWD Unitarian Universalists who participate as Chalice Lighters.”  In order to benefit from this program, we would need 30% participation of our membership.  Through a motion, the Council supported the promotion of Chalice Lighters in our church.

The Green Sanctuary Committee has generously donated a projector to the church.  To maintain security, the projector, and a DVD player that Green Sanctuary is also getting for the church, will be kept under lock and key.  They can be checked out through the church office.

The Council also received an informational report from the Archives Committee regarding which records the committees should save and the procedures for archiving them.  In particular, if in doubt, committees should save the material and let the Archives Committee decide what to keep.

There was also continuing discussion about Bob Coleman’s suggestion that we have a suggestion box.  During the discussion, it became clear that many people, especially newcomers, don’t know how our church works and that it is our responsibility to make this information more readily available.

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COORDINATING COUNCIL
MINUTES
February 14, 2009

In attendance:  John Clay, Bob Coleman, Judie Hansen, Betty Hosokawa, Brian Lewis, Dick Loescher, Elliot McIntire, Jeanne-Marie Moore, Mary Otten, Ken Ross, Judy Sawyer

0.  Before the meeting.  A gentlemen came into the Social Hall.  He was Michael Ramirez, and he indicated that, about five years ago, our church had allowed him and his daughter, Juanita, to live in their bus at the far-end of our parking lot.  He said that it made a big difference, and they are still doing well.  He just wanted to let us know that he still appreciates our help!  He's happy to report that his daughter graduated from high school, with honors.

1.  Opening Words.  Brian Lewis.

2.  Brief introductions and committee reports.  Dick Loescher indicated that NVC (Non-violent Communication), SGM (Small Group Ministry) and CCM (Committee on Congregational Ministry) are ongoing. 

Bob Coleman represented the Care Committee which is continuing to do well (by doing good).  Bob indicated that Sally O'Donnell is currently the "point person" on the Care Committee.

Judie Hansen mentioned that about 80 people attended the Town Hall meeting on February 8 which was sponsored by BPOC (Building Projects Oversight Committee).  She reported that Judy Newman recently hosted a breakfast for Birders which raised $200 for Food for Lane County.  She also mentioned that Thundereggs has increased participation since they've started "table talk," where a common question is addressed by all.

Jeanne-Marie Moore represented the Accessibility Committee; the chair of the committee is Leslie Gilbert.  Jeanne-Marie and Mary Otten shared a concern regarding accessibility at the Music Soire in March.  After some discussion, the group almost unanimously supported the idea that the Soire ought to give up tables (for cabaret style), thereby making the Soire more accessible for more people.  Jeanne-Marie also mentioned that the committee is still working on HOH (hard of hearing) issues and plans to circulate a survey in the near future.

Betty Hosokawa is co-chair, with Nisco Junkins, of the Nominating Committee.  She reminded the group that this committee is charged with finding leaders to serve on SPC (Strategic Planning Committee), BPOC, the Board of Trustees, and the Nominating Committee itself.  Secretary of the Board is a major position that is still open.

Judy Sawyer reported on the Green Sanctuary.  The committee has purchased a projector for the church.  Chuck Wagar has posted signs in the bathrooms encouraging water conservation.  A tour of the Short Mountain landfill is planned; it is apparently fascinating.  There are concerns that recycling in the kitchen is not working and that there are very few responses on the online survey regarding transportation.  It was noted that the church used to have a compost pile, which might be returned to via the "sacred soils idea."  The group is revisiting its charge, on the assumption that the church's application for Green Sanctuary status will be approved.  This raises the question of the group's authority to make policy as contrasted with making suggestions (e.g., about recycling, composting, allowing paper products, establishing "pack it in, pack it out" policy).  Future events, such as That's My Farmer on April 21, were announced.

Judy Sawyer also represented SJUUCE (Social Justice at UUCE), because Jeff Jackson was unable to attend the meeting.  She reported that she, Alex Crider-Phillips and Sarah Hendrickson are working on a charge for this group.  The "Ethical Eating" subgroup is moving forward and has created three task forces to focus on: (1) gardening;  (2) eating locally; (3) reducing use of bottled water.  On the other hand, the subgroup "Human Rights" still needs leadership and may be postponed.  Also, Interweave has purchased a rainbow flag. 

Brian Lewis reminded all about Celebration Sunday, February 15.  After this pledge event, there will be follow ups.  They need help with this.  Brian reported that Adult RE is doing well; they have created guidelines for giving classes.  Regarding events, Brian is working on having an art display in the Library.

Elliot McIntire indicated that Alex Crider-Phillips has agreed to organize a scaled-down auction later in the spring.  Judie Hansen indicated that one of the Small Group Ministries is planning a rummage sale in April.

Ken Ross mentioned his connections with the Facilities Council (FC), the Centennial Celebration Committee (CCC) and of course the Coordinating Council.  He mentioned activities of FC this week included water problems in the bathrooms, heating in the Breezeway  Room, electrical outages in the office, and potholes in the parking lot.

3.  A suggestion box.  Bob Coleman raised the idea of a suggestion box, so that new members and others that aren't in the "inner circle" have a way to share ideas and ask questions.  Bob, Nisco Junkins and Brian Lewis served as a task force to follow up on this idea.  See the report from Bob in the Appendix to these minutes.  Bob stressed that the key idea was communication, which can take the form of questions, suggestions and even complaints.  It was suggested that these categories may need separating.  The suggestion box would need an editor.  It was noted that answers to questions about the church will be more accessible when our office staff is more knowledge, and when and if we get a Volunteer (or Development) Coordinator.

4.  Green Sanctuary Group.  See Judy Sawyer's check-in above.  Concerning the projector, the idea was to store it in the office, require people to sign for it (on a first-come-first-serve basis) and assess a charge, say $10 for using it.  Also, Mark Koenig, Chuck Wagar and Judy are a task force looking into recycling in the kitchen.  The group feels it needs liaisons with other church committees.  It was suggested that it would be better for there to be Green Sanctuary folks on various committees rather than loading the Green Sanctuary group with representatives from various committees. 

     4a.  Kitchen Committee and Coffee.  From Amy Raven:  There really is no Kitchen Committee, only one person, Robin Schantz-Mulford, who has tried hard, but is finding it difficult to keep up.  Specifically, he can't get people to make coffee after services, so has been doing it himself, and can't keep on.  Amy mentioned some possible solutions.  In addition, she offered to help Robin in the short term:  "As I'm home bound for some time, one of the things I would be willing to do on the computer, until the end of June, is to contact people who have made coffee in the past, as well as put something on Share, Chat and the web UUpdate.  If I were to do this, I would need an on-site coffee person who could teach new people the ropes, put out a clipboard for sign-ups, things I can't do from afar." The group discussed the problem and accepted Amy's generous offer to help in the short term.  Some feel that, ultimately, people have to accept consequences:  If no one will take charge of coffee for Sunday mornings, then there will be no coffee on Sunday mornings.

5.  Emergency Preparedness.  From the Committee of Congregational Ministry:  Recently we have discussed how our community could be better prepared for emergencies or disasters and whatever else is entailed in the safety issues which are no longer our arena.  There are resources nationally which could be consulted in the event of a large scale catastrophe and depending on the nature of the event there would be varying approaches and amounts of resources  made available to us.  A good place to start would be  knowing the extent of our current safety plans.  Then items were offered as things we may want to do "before a tragedy occurs." 

Judie Hansen explained why the Committee on Congregational Ministry took this up.  Many of these recommendations are related to our church liability insurance policy.  Also, there was a Register-Guard article about this issue, including the announcement of a workshop where people can get CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) certification.  The idea whether some staff person should get certification was discussed. This topic was deferred to the April Council meeting.

6.  First Aid at church.  Some thoughts from Jack Stevens and Candee Cole:  In an unmarked drawer to the right of the sink, behind a trash bin, is an odd collection of BandAids and other miscellany, including a CPR mask.  I suggest that someone be designated to prepare and maintain a first aid kit and that it be stored in a more prominent place and the space be marked for easy access.  We have several doctors and it would be good to know people who know first aid, CPR and other life saving methods.  We might ask for names of people we can call on in an emergency who have the necessary skills.  What is definitely needed is a knowledgeable adult to look over all the kits and see what is outdated and needs restocking. Perhaps we have a nurse or doctor who would like to be that person?  This item was deferred to the April Council meeting.

7.  Archiving committee records.  What records should committees save and how should they be archived?  This item was deferred to the March Council meeting.

8.  Opening Words.  The following volunteered:  For March, Robbie McCosh; John Clay for April; and Bob Coleman for May.

9.  Future Coordinating Council Meetings.  9:30-11:30 am on Saturday mornings:  March 14, April 11, May 9.

10.  Check out.  A sharing of likes and wishes about the meeting. 

 
APPENDIX
"Suggestion box" for improved communication.
The following is a rough draft of the plan I'm calling "communications" for lack of a better term, for the time being: communications program:

Background:  as the church gets bigger and bigger it becomes more difficult for members of the congregation to air their opinions, concerns, and questions.  even through the structures that exist, the path is not easy in passing on a persons ideas, and if they are part of the "big picture", it still isn't easy to get your idea to the point where there might be a chance of it being heard, if not acted upon. and "heard", not only by the person or persons who might act upon the idea, but other members of the congregation who might be interested in the subject, as well.

    example 1:  person A has a question as to how the church handles an idea they have regarding the procedure to propose an idea they have to the congregation.   Not sure of the avenue to pursue, they talk to their friends, and nobody seems to know who to address.

    example 2:  person B has a suggestion on how to improve a particular procedure they see used in the church.  do they speak to the minister?  the board?  a committee which appears might be related, but not directly?           

    example 3:  person C  has a comment on something they have observed in the church.  they mention it to a friend who thinks its relevant, suggests its something others would be interested in.  but to whom is the comment addressed?  as in the example above, there doesn't seem to be any group it would be most relevant to.           

    example 4:  and, even if the idea is considered by some body within the church, how is that idea communicated to other members of the congregation who might be interested in it? 
      
Proposal:  a collection service to direct questions, comments and suggestions to the appropriate entity in the church, responsible for actions on behalf of the idea.  a kind of "suggestion box" which also considers the other two ideas.  call it a "communications service".  through a container of some kind in the foyer of the church, online through an address set up for such issues, or even through a phone "mailbox" designated for the purpose of channeling the question, suggestion, or comment to the appropriate entity in the church, capable of answering-responding to the idea.  the "communications service"  would check each of the devices mentioned above on a regular basis.  direct the idea to the appropriate entity in the church with the condition that they would then respond to the individual who proposed the idea. in addition, the particular question, comment, suggestion, would be published in the newsletter so that other members of the congregation would be able to examine it.  the published material would, of course, be subject to the work of an editor to insure that the content produced would be of a reasonable expectation of interest to the general population of the church. the implementation of this plan would probably require a small "committee" consisting of an editor, collector of the ideas, and person responsible for the dissemination of the material to the appropriate committee or other part of the church structure (like the minister or RE coordinator or other individual  to whom the idea might be directed.)   

Conclusion:  the implementation of this concept would certainly require more fine tuning than the suggestions above indicate.  it is intended as movement toward better communication in the church, especially to the extent that the "everyman" of the church is not only heard, but is able to hear ideas which could have a positive effect in the health of the church. 

respectfully submitted:   bob coleman

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COORDINATING COUNCIL
MINUTES
January 17, 2009

In attendance:  John Clay, Bob Coleman, Leslie Gilbert, Judie Hansen, Marilyn Junkins, Brian Lewis, Dick Loescher, Robbie McCosh, Elliot McIntire, Amy Raven, Ken Ross, Jake Walsh

1.  Opening Words.  Amy Raven shared some nice poetry.

2.  Brief introductions and committee reports.  Elliot McIntire reported that the Board approved the Council's proposed mission and charge.  Elliot also indicated that the Board is still hoping to find a volunteer to coordinate an auction this year.  Two or three Board members have already indicated that they would help.  An auction at our church that focused on the auction of services would be just fine, hence "half the work, twice the fun!"

Ken Ross admitted involvement with the Facilities Council (as communications coordinator), the Centennial Celebration Committee (as co-chair) and the Coordinating Council.

Judie Hansen represented BPOC, Building Project Oversight Committee.  She reminded the group about the Town Hall meeting on February 8, 12:30-2:00, which will provide a forum or questions and answers regarding the work of BPOC.

Brian Lewis is involved with church events and is mostly working behind the scenes.  He is also the contact person for fundraising events.  Speaking for Adult RE, he mentioned several workshops, one on parenting, one by Jake Walsh and one or two by the Rev. Landale.

Robbie McCosh represented the Stewardship Drive.  Invitations to Celebration Sunday, February 15, have just gone out.  Because of space considerations, this will not be a buffet lunch but rather a "plated meal," i.e., a sitdown meal.

Jake Walsh reported that the Worship Team is doing okay, but is low on resources.  Jake is concerned about their budget because the Rev. Landale wants to build up the worship structure and that takes time, money and energy.

Leslie Gilbert is chair of the Accessibility Committee.  She reported on initiatives involving people with hard of hearing (HOH).  They hosted a vibrant HOH forum in November, but a follow up in December was cancelled.  The committee is planning a short survey regarding hard of hearing issues.

Bob Coleman spoke on behalf of both the Care Committee and the Pastoral Associates.  He indicated that Fred Schultz will be chair of the Pastoral Associates.  Brian Lewis mentioned that Eve McConnaughey's family really appreciated food that people have been providing.  Bob agreed that people in the church step up when needs arise.  Lots of care goes on in the church.  Marilyn Junkins encouraged all to contact Care or Pastoral Associates when they become aware of needs.

John Clay is chair of the Archives Committee.  He noted that everyone seemed to really enjoy and appreciate Gil Osgood's presentation on January 4.  It was an outgrowth of Gil's hard work over the past two years.  The committee is working on a book on the history of the church which will be published in 2009.  Gil and Kathy Dillon will be making brief historical presentation to kids in RE.  On behalf of the committee, John urged that names and dates (including year) appear on each page of each document that might end up in the archives.  Ken Ross reminded the group about the Pageant on January 25 that will be honoring our centennial.

Following up on John's comment about committees' documents, Judie Hansen asked about policies regarding minutes.  Where do they end up?  John indicated that policies are not formal, but many minutes nowadays end up on the church website.  The one guideline is that, after five years, Archives takes committee minutes and many other documents from the office files.  A future Council agenda will address the question of archiving committee documents.

Dick Loescher reported that the Small Group Ministry is doing well; there are 8 groups with a total of 69 participants.  Similarly, the Non-violent Communication groups are doing well, with 3 groups and 24 participants.  As a long-time member of the church and the Committee on Congregational Ministry, Dick was interviewed on January 16 by John Clay.  In preparing for this interview, Dick was amused to find old budgets indicating that the church budget was $32,000 in 1975 and rose to $42,000 by 1978.

Marilyn Junkins indicated that the Rev. Landale has approved the addition of the Welcoming Congregation curriculum for the fall. The course will be sponsored by Human Rights Social Justice (HRSJ) group, Interweave, and Adult Religious Education.  It should be viewed as a rededication and refresher course, with new material on Bisexuality, Transgender, and other oppressed minorities.  The original workshop was offered, and UUCE was certified as a Welcoming Congregation in 1990.  The curriculum consists of 14 sessions of 2 hours each and will probably include at least one weekend to shorten the time to complete. There will be two tracks and sets of trainers, one of which will  be "closed" to registrants, but others will be open to the entire congregation, and possibly even the community.  Marilyn mentioned the need for some dedicated bulletin board space for this program.

The HRSJ will also be supporting participation in TimeBank, a preparatory step to getting involved with Centro Latino for the minority oppression work HRSJ is committed to.  They also approved UUCE's obtaining a table for both the NAACP and PFLAG dinner events.  In addition, they agreed to support  BRO (Basic Rights in Oregon) in a rally scheduled in Salem in March to bring awareness to bullying in schools.  The discrete events will allow active participation as the HRSJ's sponsorship of the Welcoming Congregation will not actually take place until Fall 2009.

Marilyn mentioned the fine films that Interweave sponsors and the recent participation from 12 youth guests from Yachats Job Corps GSA. She and Nisco Junkins plan to attend the Pacific Interweave Convocation, which unfortunately, is the same weekend as Celebration Sunday.

Marilyn appreciated the congregation's passing of the bylaw modifications at the congregational meeting on January 11.  She expects to send out letters to non-voting members (based upon our new bylaws) and complete the tally of voting members by the end of January.  The next four-week Newcomer Orientation will be on Thursday evenings in March and April.  Marilyn reported that the church directory proof arrived with many errors, so there may be further delays.  She hopes that printed directories will arrive by the middle of February.  Bob Coleman expressed his appreciation for the directory, which is very useful.  Finally, Marilyn indicated that recommendations for Lifetime Membership will be taken to the Board for approval.

Amy Raven reported on Green Sanctuary activities.  They are currently surveying the congregation on what they do to be "green."  They've set up an electronic base for car pooling that is offered by LTD.  Another survey is planned regarding people's transportation to church.  Amy also mentioned the excellent film series.  Amy reported for the social justice group, SJUUCE.  The Ethical Eating subgroup is meeting on January 25, and SJUUCE will meet on January 31.  Marilyn Junkins reported that the Human Rights subgroup met on January 13 and approved the items indicated in Marilyn's check-in.

3.  Committee Budgets for 2009-2010.  This was the major agenda item for this meeting and will be reported on in a separate document.

4.  A suggestion box.  This item was deferred to the Council's February agenda.

5.  Rainbow Flag.  In conjunction with offering the Welcoming Congregation curriculum in the very near future, Interweave would like the Coordinating Council (and the Board, if necessary) to approve the flying of a Rainbow Flag outside our church.  There were both questions and concerns raised.  Questions included the size of the flag (3feet by 5feet), where it would be placed, and for how long.  Concerns included whether this would set a precedent followed up by other groups wishing special displays, and hence lead to clutter.  The group agreed to revisit this item at the Council's March meeting, because Marilyn and Nisco Junkins won't be able to attend the Council's February meeting.

6.  Non-UU materials at church.  There is concern about non-UU materials that appear on the welcoming table, on the pamphlet rack and in the social hall.  This item was deferred to the Council's March agenda.

7.  Fund raising policy.  Elliot McIntire announced that, after months of discussion between the Council and the Board, the fundraising Board Policy has been subsumed under a broader study of church finances.

8.  Opening Words.  The following volunteered:  For February, Brian Lewis.  For March, Robbie McCosh.

9.  Future Coordinating Council Meetings.  9:30-11:30 am on Saturday mornings:  February 14, March 14, April 11, May 9.

Submitted by Ken Ross

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