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BOARD MINUTES 2004
| Minutes 2004 - you are here
January 15, 2004 |
(NOTE. There are references to "attachments". To avoid clutter, attachments are not normally included with the minutes, though they will become a part of the official church records in the office and in the Secretary's files. Copies can be viewed in the office or obtained from the Secretary. Also, Board information, including minister's report, DRE's report, complete minutes, the current Treasurer's report, are all posted on the "Business Board" in the hall between the rest rooms.)
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN EUGENE
Board of Trustees
MINUTES
December 9, 2004
Present: Olga Turner, President; Judy Sawyer, Vice President; Ken Ross, Secretary; Marta Powers, Treasurer; Carolyn Colbert, Minister; Candee Cole, DRE
Members-at-large: Anita Cowling, Rachel Cummings, Sally DeCou, Karen Gaffney, Michael Mattick, Patrick Phillips
There were no visitors.
I. OPENING BUSINESS
A. The chalice was lit at 7:09.
B. Good words were shared by Judy Sawyer.
C. Check in
D. The minutes for the November 9 Board Meeting were approved.
E. Business by email
(1) On November 22, the Secretary reported by email that “a slightly revised set of Policies and Guidelines for our Children & Youth Programs has been put in your mailboxes. The changes are all routine updates. I don't believe that we, the Board, need to approve them. But if any of you disagree, let me know and I will put this on the December Board agenda.” No objections have been received.
F. There were no adjustments to the Board agenda.
II. NEW BUSINESS
A. Sabbatical Covenant for the Director of Religious Education. The following sabbatical covenant for the DRE was circulated at the November Board meeting. The Board is asked to discuss this covenant and to endorse it.
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Sabbatical Covenant for Right Relations - DRE The Board of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Eugene and the DRE Advisory Committee created and endorsed the following covenant with the Director of Religious Education, Candee Cole, on behalf of the congregation. |
Pam Dillehay will be the liaison between RE and the Board while Candee is on sabbatical. A sabbatical team, consisting of Elaine E., Judy Shaw and Candee, has created a chart specifying who will be doing various aspects of RE work in Candee’s absence. In response to a question about covenant #5 above, it was clarified that this means putting articles in the newsletter, Uupdate and other places. RE folks will handle this. The Board unanimously adopted the covenant.
B. ASD consultant. The Board received a report on the status of Larry Wheeler’s visit scheduled on December 15-17. The Board will meet with Larry at church on Thursday evening, the 16th.
C. Annual Stewardship Drive. The Board discussed the calendar, for the Annual Stewardship Drive (ASD) for the next six months, which was circulated to the Board by Olga. See attachment #1. Olga is somewhat concerned that we still don’t have chairs for the Annual Stewardship Drive Committee (ASDC). The bottom-up strategy for creating ASDC was discussed; this means identifying people who will do several of the canvassing tasks before obtaining the chairs whose task would then be mainly that of coordination.
D. Special Funds and Fundraisers. On recommendation of the Finance Committee, at its meeting on December 2, the EC adopted the following procedure. (1) The Board (or EC acting on behalf of the Board) can authorize the creation of a new Special Fund. In this case, the following steps need to be taken. Specify the name and purpose of the Fund. Authorize the Treasurer to create an account for the Fund. Make it clear who is authorized to spend the money in the Fund. If the Fund is a "one-time" restricted fund, then there needs to be a sunset clause indicating that the Fund will terminate on a certain date, or when certain goals are met. The disposition of excess monies, if any, at the termination of the Fund must be specified (they might be re-designated to the General Fund or some other fund). In addition, the Finance Committee will make an annual review of all Special Funds, and will recommend continuation, consolidation or termination of funds, especially in cases of no action in or out of any fund for a year (or so).
Sometimes fundraisers lead to the need for a Special Fund, but first some background. In March 2004, the EC adopted the following procedure, in full consultation with the Fundraising Committee. (2) All fundraising requests will go first to the Fundraising Committee, which will consider the request and take into account the calendaring. If it is a perfunctory fundraising request where the proceeds will go to the General Fund, the Fundraising Committee has authority to approve the request, and so inform the EC. If it is not, the Fundraising Committee will take the request to EC for final approval. EC has now adopted the following additional language. When the EC approves a request for a fundraiser, the repository must be made clear. If the repository is an existing fund, this should be noted. If it is not, then a Special Fund should be created following the procedure outlined in (1). NOTE. It is expected that procedures (1) and (2) will become Board Policies in the spring.
E. Stewardship Consultant Fund. It was understood at the Board meeting with Wayne Clark, on October 17, that we would raise funds for paying the consultants, since no provision for this was made in the last budget. To accomplish this, the Executive and Finance Committees recommended that the Board approve the following motion, which is based on the process outlined in the preceding agenda item. MOTION. The Board approves the creation of a one-time restricted Stewardship Consultant Fund. The purpose of this fund will be to pay for the fees of two consultants, Wayne Clark and Larry Wheeler. The fund manager shall be the Treasurer. The fund will be terminated when these two consultants have been paid. The money, if any, remaining in the fund will be re-designated to the canvass line of the general fund. It was noted that some congregation members have already made pledges for this fund totalling $3000. Pledge cards for this fund were circulated at the meeting. The motion passed without dissent.
F. Furnishings Fund. The Executive and Finance Committees recommended that the Board approve the following motion, which the Board did. MOTION: The Board approves the creation of a permanent Furnishings Fund, with the understanding that its first use will be to purchase a new carpet. The fund will be managed by the Facilities Council. New projects will not be funded without Board approval. NOTE: The EC has agreed that, if the Board authorizes this fund, then the money in the Chair Fund, in excess of what is needed to buy and ship the chairs, shall be re-designated to the Furnishings Fund. Then the Chair Fund shall be terminated. Also, in the case of the new carpet, after it is approved, either the Facilities Council or a task force will need to study cost and other issues and arrange for the new carpet to be installed.
G. Statement on Church Ad Ban. The EC recommends that the Board adopt the following motion. MOTION: The Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene is deeply concerned that major networks, using public airwaves, have banned ads from the United Church of Christ which emphasize that some churches are welcoming congregations. We believe that it is hypocritical for the networks to object to the ads as "controversial" in view of their recent airing of misleading political ads, tasteless programs, and misleading, tasteless and harmful pharmaceutical ads. This motion was approved in principle, but it was agreed that Ken would facilitate wordsmithing by email. Here’s the final version. MOTION: The Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene is deeply concerned that major networks, using public airwaves, have banned ads from the United Church of Christ which emphasize that some churches are welcoming congregations. In these deeply divided times, we should encourage all messages of inclusion, love and reconciliation. Moreover, we feel that CBS's reference to the Bush administration's support for a federal amendment prohibiting marriage equality is misleading and disingenuous, because the ads make no mention of marriage equality nor do they refer to the civil rights of gays and lesbians. The motion will be publicized in the newsletter and Uupdate, and the Publications Committee will be invited to help publicize this further. Patrick has agreed to submit the statement to the Register-Guard under his name. Martha Osgood, chair of the Publications Committee, has agreed to look into other ways to publicize this statement.
H. Website and Email Changes. Martha Osgood submitted the following to EC. Problem: The church's website has been having downtime up to twice a week for 18-24 hours each episode. This could be less of a problem than it is *if* there were any way to contact OPN (our Internet Service Provider). But OPN has only one employee, their voice mail has been full for two months, email messages are never answered, and there is no known physical location anymore to trot over to. Research into other local ISPs shows that NONE wishes to run the email lists that we UUs find so useful. Proposal: That the church empower Martha Osgood, webmaster, to move the church's web site, email lists and email addresses from the current hosting company to another location(s) as she sees fit within the next 1-8 months. An attractive possibility is additional service with UUism.net (run by a UU for UUs) which would provide stable web hosting and as many free email lists as we wish. This would add $48/yr to the current $300/yr cost of these services. Almost everything will look the same, and we'd keep the same "uueugene.org" email domain.
The EC approved the proposal empowering Martha to make the changes needed to improve these services. Martha provided much more detailed information, which is available from the Secretary, or Martha, on request.
III. OLD BUSINESS
IV. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
A. Report of the Executive Committee (EC). See attachment #2.
B. Report of the Leadership Council. The next meeting will be at Carolyn Colbert’s house on Saturday, December 11, 9:30-12:00. Ken Ross will distribute a questionnaire for many committee chairs as well as copies of a revised Manual for Committee Chairs. A copy of the minutes of the last meeting on October 23 is in attachment #3. Anita indicated that she has heard from the UUA LREDA Grant Committee asking about how helpful our LREDA grant was. It made a big difference, and Anita will get help in order to provide accurate feedback.
C. Report of the Facilities Council. (Ann Fuller) See attachment #4. There was a discussion concerning the Council’s process for deciding which projects are funded by its budget or by one of the funds under its jurisdiction, and which are not.
Patrick took this opportunity to point out that the focus of the new Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) will be on church vision, not on the facilities.
V. OTHER REPORTS
A. Report of the Minister (Carolyn Colbert). See attachment #5.
B. Report of the DRE (Candee Cole). Candee circulated the document, “Organizing Childcare for Your Meeting or Event,” which Board members were encouraged to add to their Board Member Handbooks. There are several other new documents that have been created to help RE manage while Candee is on her sabbatical. Candee noted that we are hosting the Jr. High/Sr. High Our Whole Lives (UU Sexuality program) leader's training for the district on February 11-13. We will be providing homestays and food for 22 people from across the district, including 3 of our very own folks! Karen Gaffney is coordinating the event. This year,David Pebworth will be taking the OWL training in order to lead the Sr. High class (12 sessions) with Kay Crider. Karen Austin has agreed to be trained to lead the Jr. High OWL for 7-9th grade with Daniel Blades. Daniel will also be re-attending the training for a review. Jr High OWL will begin with a parent meeting in January, and the class will run February through May. After we have offered the Sr. High, we will have offered all levels in our church community except the adult module. We offered K-1, 4-5, 7-9 so far at our church.
C. Report of the Treasurer (Marta Powers). See attachment #6. Marta noted that we are only $3000 short on the pledge-line goal. Marta is looking into whether we can set up automatic deposits for congregants who want to have their church pledges deposited directly into our church account. Members of the Board were very pleased to hear this. The idea had been looked into before, but the banks led us to believe that this was not possible.
D. Report of the President (Olga Turner).
E. Report of the Secretary (Ken Ross). See attachment #7 concerning bylaws and Board Policies. This attachment provides a rough outline of what Ken hopes to accomplish in order to get these documents up-to-date again.
At this point, the Board was reminded that Rachel and Michael had agreed to handle some last minute canvassing for the current 2004-2005 church year. Both indicated that they actually enjoyed doing so. We thank them.
VI. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND APPRECIATIONS
A. Future meetings:
Board: January 13, February 10, March 10, April 14, May 5
EC: One week prior to the Board Meetings
VII. PROCESS CHECK AND ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at about 9:15.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN EUGENE
Board of Trustees
MINUTES
November 9, 2004
Present: Olga Turner, President; Ken Ross, Secretary; Marta Powers, Treasurer; Carolyn Colbert, Minister; Candee Cole, DRE
Members-at-large: Rachel Cummings, Sally DeCou, Karen Gaffney, Michael Mattick, Patrick Phillips
There were no visitors.
I. OPENING BUSINESS
A. The chalice was lit at 7:07.
B. Good words were spoken by Ken Ross.
C. Check in
D. The minutes for the October 7 Board Meeting were approved.
E. Business by email
The Board attempted to vote by email (October 26-29) regarding a fundraiser for a new carpet for the church. The issue arose because of a proposed letter regarding the Chair Fundraiser which referred to a carpet fundraiser. It became clear that a majority of the Board does not want to see another fundraiser of this sort at this time. However, the Board had no objection to the letter referring to a Carpet Fund and a future Carpet Fundraiser, nor specifying that any money that is left over from the Chair Fundraiser will go into the new Carpet Fund. [In the end, it was decided to not send the letter, since the amount needed to buy and ship the chairs has been raised. Secy]
F. There were no adjustments to the Board agenda.
II. NEW BUSINESS
A. Debriefing from Consultant Weekend with Wayne Clark. Everyone had a positive reaction to Wayne’s presentations; he exceeded their expectations. A couple of people were surprised that he didn’t move us to the growth options. They acknowledged, though, that Wayne was correct – that we need to get our fiscal house in order first. Wayne’s matter-of-fact approach and clear structured path that appears doable were appreciated. Carolyn liked his focus on three options, each of which is probably viable. Three options is better than two options which can create losers when one is selected. Patrick noted Wayne’s emphasis on using our mission as a guide.
B. Strategic Planning Committee. (Patrick Phillips) The Board endorsed a list of nominees for this committee that will be taken to the congregation at its Congregational Meeting on Sunday, November 14. The following have agreed to serve: Linda Anson, Ron Burley, George Carroll, Betty Hosokawa, Patrick Phillips (Board liaison), Bonnie Phipps, Jennifer Sorenson, and John Wagner. The Board also approved the following charge in principle and provided advice to Patrick on changes and additions. CHARGE: Develop a series of five-year strategic plans built upon different visions of the future of the church. Carry out this task being mindful of the consequences of these visions for church finances, personnel, and facilities. Build these plans based upon close communication with the congregation, with a goal of bringing the final plans to the congregation in May 2005.
C. Stewardship Consultant. (Olga Turner) The Board discussed whether we want to hire a stewardship consultant and who that should be. The Board unanimously agreed that we want to hire such a consultant, since this is a key recommendation from Wayne Clark, the UUA consultant who visited the church on the weekend of October 15. Based on elaborate email from Olga Turner and reference information obtained by phone by Carolyn Colbert, the Board also agreed unanimously that we should hire Larry Wheeler, who was recommended by Wayne Clark. Larry’s experience is impressive, and the references were enthusiastic about his skills working with congregations.
In making these decisions, the Board was well aware that the consultant will cost us around $8,000. Fortunately, this can be paid “as we go.” There is enough in the canvass budget to fund a first visit, which will be scheduled as soon as possible. But it was agreed to follow Wayne Clark’s suggestion that the consultant be paid, not from the General Fund, but by suitable “angels” in the church who are committed to the church’s welfare. Olga, Carolyn and Michael agreed to work together to identify and contact these “angels.” Olga wondered whether we should be calendaring the canvass process already; the response is that we should wait until our first meeting with the consultant.
This discussion led to a discussion about the canvass for the current 2004-2005 church year. About ten new people need to be canvassed. Michael and Rachel agreed to do this, with guidance from Patrick and Carolyn.
D. Annual Stewardship Committee. (Olga Turner) The Board received a progress report on obtaining a chair or co-chairs for this committee. No chairs have been obtained. Larry Wheeler agreed that it was okay for us to wait until after his first visit. Specifically, he wrote: "If I was going to work with you, I’d be just fine (assuming a quick decision) to have you wait on selecting leadership for the campaign until I can have some discussions with you or whomever, and then be able to suggest a direction and the kind of organization. This way you’ll know better who to select for leadership."
E. Unsung Hero. (Ken Ross) A proposed entry in the PNWD Unsung Hero contest was proposed by Ken and approved unanimously by the Board. The name of our selection should be kept confidential.
III. OLD BUSINESS
A. Budget Approval. (Marta Powers) On June 6, 2004, the congregation approved the budget for the church year 2004-2005. Marta provided some needed adjustments to the budget that are recommended by the Finance Committee. See the revised budget in attachment #1. The explanations of the changes are on page 5 of that attachment. It is appropriate for the Board to approve of these changes, without going to the congregation, because the last sentence of bylaw 090.3 states that: “The Board may adjust funds within the budget to meet changed conditions.”
B. Personnel Policies. The Personnel Committee has resubmitted their proposed Personnel Policies for Board approval. See attachment #2. This was approved by the Board with one abstention.
IV. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
A. Report of the Executive Committee (EC). See attachment #3.
B. Report of the Leadership Council (Anita Cowling) The Leadership Council last met on October 23. Among other things, this council is working hard to help create a more welcoming atmosphere in the church on Sunday mornings.
C. Report of the Facilities Council (Ann Fuller) See attachment #4.
V. OTHER REPORTS
A. Report of the Minister (Carolyn Colbert) Carolyn circulated her contribution to the 2003-2004 Annual Report. She also mentioned the splendid progress on obtaining chairs and hymnals. Both the Chair Fundraiser and the Hymnal Fundraiser have been so successful that they are “over the top.” In addition, a new chair dolly will be obtained using the chair funds.
B. Report of the DRE (Candee Cole) See attachment #5. Candee indicated that she and Carolyn analyzed the list of parents registered in RE and found that 98 of the 135 of them are members of the church. As appropriate, Carolyn will invite the others to join the church. Candee will be on sabbatical for the first three months of 2005. A proposed sabbatical covenant was circulated; it will be discussed and submitted for Board approval at the December Board meeting. See attachment #6. Candee indicated that the RE Sabbatical Task Force, which consists of the RE Committee plus a couple of parents, has been working on the process for handling all of Candee’s tasks while she is on sabbatical. In particular, she mentioned the creation of a new Youth Adult Committee (YAC) that will help during her sabbatical, but which will continue to be a regular committee after the sabbatical.
C. Report of the Treasurer (Marta Powers) See attachment #7. At this point, income is looking good: Income is above expectation and expenses are below expectation. The pledges are coming in for the 2004-2005 budget and the gap is now about $7,000. There’s a good possibility that we’ll have our pledges covered by the end of the calendar year. The Gifts line is still a concern and the income for the non-pledge portion of the budget is still down about $7,000.
D. Report of the President (Olga Turner) Olga circulated a poster announcing a PNWD meeting in Portland over the weekend of February 19. It is hoped that several members of our church will attend. After all, there’s no state tax if you shop in Portland!
VI. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND APPRECIATIONS
A. Future meetings:
Board: December 9, January 13, February 10, March 10, April 14, May 5
EC: One week prior to the Board Meetings
B. Appreciations (Sally DeCou) Sally was provided with the names of several people deserving of Board appreciations.
VII. PROCESS CHECK AND ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at about 9:23.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN EUGENE
Board of Trustees
MINUTES
October 7, 2004
Present: Olga Turner, President; Judy Sawyer, Vice President; Ken Ross, Secretary; Marta Powers, Treasurer; Carolyn Colbert, Minister
Members-at-large: Anita Cowling, Rachel Cummings, Sally DeCou, Karen Gaffney, Michael Mattick, Patrick Phillips
Visitors: Barb Berry, John Wagner
I. OPENING BUSINESS
A. The chalice was lit at 7:08.
B. Good words were spoken by Rachel Cummings.
C. Check in
D. The minutes for the September 2 Board Meeting were approved.
E. Business by email
(1) Effective September 19, the Board unanimously approved the following resolution. "No on Amendment 36" Board statement: The Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene, in concert with the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, affirms that our faith demands social justice and equality for all. Therefore, we oppose any state or federal constitutional amendments or laws defining marriage as being only between a man and a woman. Such amendments treat same gender couples as less than equal, denying them equal protection under the law. Civil marriage is a civil right.
We urge the defeat of measure 36 in Oregon and all such constitutional amendments or laws at the state and federal level.
(2) Effective, September 27, the Board unanimously approved the appointment of Marta Powers as Treasurer, to replace Barb Berry who resigned this position.
F. Adjustments to the Board agenda. There were none.
II. NEW BUSINESS
A. Budget Process. (John Wagner) The Board was presented with a budget-process proposal from the Finance Committee. See attachment #1. John wrote: “The main thing for the Board members is for them to note their parts in the process, and do the appropriate calendaring and personnel appointments. At this point it's a work in progress, and we'll modify as we need to.” At the meeting, John indicated that the Board needs to ensure that the Budget Committee, which is a separate committee from the Finance Committee, consists of at least 5 or 6 members rather than the 2 or 3 that they had last year. He urged more Board involvement and directed Board members’ attention to the time line of the budget-process. A question not addressed is how the canvass process interacts with and supports the budget process, and vice-versa. Do we develop the budget based on a completed canvass, or do we start with a budget and tailor the canvass so that it meets the budget? The answer may be neither, that the processes support each other. This philosophical question should be addressed by the Board or the new Stewardship Council, which should take advantage of related UUA literature and the experiences of other congregations. Finally, it was noted that item III.C of attachment #1 will not happen as described.
B. Buying new chairs. (Judy Sawyer) Judy, Linda Anson and Jack Stevens have been overseeing our fundraising so that we can buy 160 new chairs. Judy requested Board approval for funding the chair order in advance of actually raising all of the money. In other words, she requested Board approval to advance the funds, from the Reserve Fund or elsewhere, while at the same time she forges ahead with the fundraising. It turns out that, of the approximately $6500 needed, we have already raised all but $1800, so the chairs can be ordered now. It appears unlikely that we will need to borrow, as requested above, but in case we do, the Finance Committee recommends that we borrow from the Future Expansion Fund with no interest if paid off by June 30, 2005. In the unlikely event, that the loan isn’t paid off by then, the issue will be brought back to the Board. No objections were heard from the Board.
In connection with this, Judy indicated that donors may be hoping that specific chairs will be dedicated to them. This isn’t practical, but Judy mentioned the idea of a plaque listing all donors. Also, Carolyn mentioned that we have another related serious need, new carpeting.
C. Nobel Peace Prize Monument Project. (Ruth Duemler) The Social Concerns Committee requests Board endorsement of this project: "A proposal to construct a monument in Alton Baker Park, Eugene, Oregon, that will honor the Americans who have won the Nobel Peace Prize. These are America’s Peacemakers." Ruth distributed a brochure at the last Board meeting, discussing this proposal. She also circulated the letter explaining the total project at the Board meeting. It explained that a school curriculum on peace would accompany the project of installing the monument; this is why so many teachers and school personnel are interested, as well as Beyond War and churches. The school curriculum is to be used in Lane County School Districts and shared internationally via the internet. So far 27 teachers have volunteered to assist this effort. A monument by itself can be a significant undertaking, but if it introduces peaceful actions that were taken by the Nobel winners toward obtaining peace as school curriculum the value of having the monument increases. Members of the Social Concerns Committee were enthused about the peace curriculum for the schools and feel this is an important reason to support the project. More information is at the website, www.noblepeacemonument.org.
The project committee has John Attig-educator, Gayle Landt-Beyond War, Rev. Dan Bryant-First Christian Church, Dean McKenzie-Art Historian, Mary Ann Holser-civic worker, Robert Young-Lane Education Service District, Paul Peschiera-Oregon Business Properties, Kirsten Jones-Arts Project Management. It has the endorsements of Nobel winners Norman Borlaug, Elie Wiesel, Jodie Williams and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Endorsing organizations include Eugene City Club, Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County, Whiteaker Neighborhood Association, First United Methodist Church and Friendly Neighbors for Peace. The Board approved this request to endorse this project in principle.
III. OLD BUSINESS
A. Growth Options and Consultant's Visit (Patrick Phillips) Patrick circulated a schedule for the weekend of the visit (October 15-17). This was discussed by the group in detail. Board members indicated which parts of the program that they will be attending. They also volunteered for various tasks.
B. Sunday space issues. (Michael Mattick) Michael made some comments on how things are going with the experiments for making our Sunday space more welcoming. It was noted that the Social Hall is still full at 11:00 services. It was suggested again that it would help if some chairs were put in the Gallery. The Leadership Council is focusing on ways to make the Social Hall welcoming. It will continue to monitor the experiments.
IV. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
A. Report of the Executive Committee (EC). See attachment #2.
B. Report of the Leadership Council (Anita Cowling) See the detailed attachment #3. Anita pointed out that the next meeting will be on October 23.
C. Report of the Facilities Council (Ann Fuller) See attachment #4. Questions were raised regarding items 1, 2, 4, 10 and 11.
V. OTHER REPORTS
A. Report of the Minister (Carolyn Colbert) See attachment #5. In addition, Carolyn circulated the October 2004 issue of THE PARISH PAPER and a copy of her statement at the Religious Response Network Rally on October 6.
B. Report of the DRE (Candee Cole) Candee was unable to attend the meeting because of a family tragedy.
C. Report of the Treasurer (Marta Powers and Barb Berry) See attachment #6. Barb mentioned that the current pledges total is $227,685, which leaves us about $11,500 short. Marta pointed out that our actual expenses are $4782 below projected expenses so far (see the right corner of attachment #6). This is a good sign.
D. Report of the President (Olga Turner) Olga circulated a citation from the UUA indicating that we are again in the Honor Society. This signifies that we have sent the Annual Program Fund the amount per member set by the UUA. Note that this year's "dues per member" will be $50 per member. In addition, we pay our Fair Share to the PNW district every year.
VI. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND APPRECIATIONS
A. Board experiment. As an experiment, starting in November we’ll be (snail)mailing Board agendas, and all available attachments, on the Mondays prior to Board meetings. We hope this will help Board members prepare for Board meetings. I will continue to send Board agendas, sans attachments, on Sundays to uu-biz, which includes all Board members. And they will continue to be posted in the lobby of the sanctuary. Ken
B. Future meetings:
Board: November 11, December 9, January 13, February 10, March 10, April 14, May 5
EC: One week prior to the Board Meetings
C. Appreciations (Sally DeCou)
D. Assignments: Let's be sure that we each know what we are responsible for before the next meeting.
VII. PROCESS CHECK AND ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:07. This was the first meeting in a long time to last less than two hours.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN EUGENE
Board of Trustees
MINUTES
September 2, 2004
Present: Olga Turner, President; Judy Sawyer, Vice President; Ken Ross, Secretary; Barb Berry, Treasurer; Carolyn Colbert, Minister
Members-at-large: Anita Cowling, Rachel Cummings, Sally DeCou, Michael Mattick, Patrick Phillips
Visitors: Patricia Christgau, Ruth Duemler, George Koris, Pamela Love
I. OPENING BUSINESS
A. The chalice was lit at 7:03.
B. Good words were spoken by Olga Turner.
D. The minutes for the August 5 Board Meeting were approved.
E. Adjustments to the Board agenda. There were none.
II. NEW BUSINESS
A. Social Concerns Committee Report. (Ruth Duemler) Ruth first mentioned the June 10 letter from the Social Concerns Committee to the Board. Ruth appreciated the response from Olga Turner, the Board President. Ruth asked the Board for suggestions for how we can help people in the church cope and have hope in these troubled times. She specifically referred to issues of war and peace. She circulated a brochure regarding The Nobel Peace Prize Monument Project and indicated that other churches have endorsed this project. Ruth also mentioned that, at the General Assembly meeting in Long Beach, many social justice issues were presented and adopted; she would like to see more local support for these positions. In particular, Ruth would like the church to take a position on Measure 36 and some other measures. EMO, the Ecumenical Ministers of Oregon, decided not to support a no vote on Measure 36.
It was pointed out that the Social Concerns Committee can always take such stands, but the committee would like wider church support when possible, in part as a means to spread the word and get more spirit behind the issues. Patrick asked the committee to submit specific formal resolutions that they would like to see the church adopt. The Secretary mistakenly claimed that positions and actions cannot be taken by the church without a congregational meeting. After the meeting he corrected himself. According to Board Policy UNAME.2, such a proposed action needs to be presented to the Board of Trustees, and “the Board of Trustees may decide to refer the matter to the membership for action or it may act for the membership.”
Finally, Ruth indicated that the Social Concerns Committee would like space in the Social Hall or lobby of the Sanctuary dedicated to social justice issues and news. It was stated that this issue should be taken to the Leadership Council.
B. Mini-training on Board Governance (Ken Ross) Ken discussed the differences between bylaws (our legal document) and Board Policies (guidelines from the past). He illustrated this with some examples. Ken reminded the Board about the procedures for changing bylaws and Board Policies. The bylaws require approval of the congregation. They go to the congregation from the Board and, if extensive, may be prepared for the Board by a task force. Board Policies are approved by the Board, but there’s a one-month delay in implementation to allow input from all members of the congregation. Again, if extensive, the Board Policies may be prepared by a task force.
C. Growth Options and Consultant's Visit (Patrick Phillips) The first information meeting for the congregation was held on August 29. It went well; about 27 attended. The second such meeting will be held in conjunction with a potluck on September 17. One thing Patrick noted from the first meeting is that we need more technical expertise (architectural, for example) in order to answer further questions from the congregation. It was noted that each growth option could/should include the size of church that that option would accommodate.
D. Strategic Planning Committee. Discussion of how to create this important new committee, aided by input from our consultant Laura Nagel, including what the committee's responsibilities will be, how and when it will be formed, what process we should use to receive material to aid the committee, etc. Patrick noted that we need a separate body, a Strategic Planning Committee, which will deal with the growth options process that he has been working on. Olga read several quotes from Laura Nagel who distinguishes between a planning committee and an implementation committee. In our language, the first would be a task force while the second might well become a standing committee. Here are some key quotes from Laura, “As the job description indicates, I think the emphasis on committee selection is not so much a certain set of skills, but rather a good representative cross-section of the congregation and of people whose judgment is esteemed by the congregation.” “The planning process is normally nine months to a year and, for a good part of that, the planning committee will be working hard.” “On the implementation committee, it really depends upon your plan. If you are going into a building phase, it makes sense to have folks who are familiar with building and construction and who can be helpful with those issues. We can talk about other mechanisms for the implementation of programmatic elements of the plan.”
Olga mentioned some alternative names, such as Long-Range Planning Committee and Comprehensive Plan Committee which is used by Laura Nagel, but the group agreed that we should stick with Strategic Planning Committee (SPC). Patrick pointed out that it’s important for Laura to talk with all church leaders, especially those who might end up on the SPC. Sally and Carolyn already have a list of about 40 church leaders. The following agreed to serve as the group to finalize the list of such leaders: Carolyn, Judy, Sally, Rachel and Michael.
E. Janine Larsen, Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest District (PNWD), told us about the following win-win program. The PNWD Chalice Lighter Program assists the growth of new and existing congregations in the PNWD. It is funded exclusively through contributions from Unitarian Universalists who participate as Chalice Lighters. There are two good reasons for individual church members to join the more than 1,200 PNWD Unitarian Universalists who are Chalice Lighters. First, being a Chalice Lighter brings you the joy of watching your $10 contribution two or three times a year multiply to grants of more than $12,000 supporting our liberal religion as it grows its presence in the Pacific Northwest. Second, by being a Chalice Lighter, you help your congregation qualify for a Chalice Lighter grant. The more of us who take the Chalice Lighter pledge, the more the program will have to offer to growing congregations. To qualify, a congregation must: have at least 30% of its members enrolled as Chalice Lighters; be a UUA Program Honor Society; be a PNWD Assessment Honor Society; have a formal growth plan. The Board agreed to authorize the EC to take the steps needed to get this program going in our church. EC will wait until November, however.
III. OLD BUSINESS
IV. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
A. Report of the Executive Committee (EC). See attachment #1.
B. Report of the Leadership Council. (Anita Cowling) The first meeting, on August 29, went well with at least 25 in attendance. They brainstormed ideas about how to make the church space more welcoming. There was good discussion about the organizational chart. An attempt to “calendar” at the end of the meeting was less successful.
V. OTHER REPORTS
A. Report of the Minister. (Carolyn Colbert) Carolyn provided no written report, but indicated that her Annual Report is almost done. She circulated material on conflict management by Marj Keip. Carolyn announced that she and the Personnel Committee advertised for a new custodian. Betty Hosokawa, chair of the Personnel Committee, Kim Harris, church administrator, and Carolyn interviewed three candidates selected from 20 applicants. They are delighted to have hired Alek Bell. Tina James has kindly stayed on to help train Alek.
B. Report of the DRE. (Candee Cole) Candee was out of town. In lieu of her report, a copy of her Annual Report was shared with the Board.
C. Report of the Treasurer. (Barb Berry) See attachments #2 and #3.
D. Report of the President. (Olga Turner) Olga reported that she’d been informed that our church is “fair share” with PNWD again, i.e., we’ve paid our dues. Olga, and Ken, also reported on her visit to the meeting of the Facilities Council.
VI. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND APPRECIATIONS
A. Future meetings:
Board: October 7, November 11, December 9, January 13, February 10, March 10, April 14, May 5
EC: One week prior to the Board Meetings
VII. PROCESS CHECK AND ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 9:45.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN EUGENE
Board of Trustees
MINUTES
August 5, 2004
Present: Olga Turner, President; Judy Sawyer, Vice President; Ken Ross, Secretary; Carolyn Colbert, Minister; Candee Cole, Director of Religious Education
Members-at-large: Anita Cowling, Sally DeCou, Michael Mattick, Patrick Phillips
Visitors: Betty Hosokawa, Jim Kayser
I. OPENING BUSINESS
A. The chalice was lit at 7:06.
B. Good words were spoken by Patrick Phillips.
C. Check in.
D. The minutes for the July 8 Board meeting were approved.
E. Adjustments to the Board agenda. Olga informed the Board that Barb Berry has resigned as Treasurer. She will continue to serve as Treasurer until a replacement has been chosen. In between elections, the Board approves replacements until the next Congregational Meeting (bylaw 060.4). The Nominating Committee is already working on finding a nominee for the Board's consideration.
F. Debriefing of the Board Retreat. Olga invited Board members to respond to two questions about the Board Retreat on July 30-31. Did you get from the Retreat what you were hoping and needing to get? Were there topics not covered that we need to address? There was general high satisfaction with the Retreat, both because of the good work accomplished and because of the bonding among Board members. Olga did feel that we didn't sufficiently address the issue of "conflict resolution."
II. NEW BUSINESS
A. Chair of Music Committee. The Music Committee has not had a chair since 2001, but has now voted that Chris Gordon should be the chair. She's an excellent choice. The Board unanimously approved this appointment.
B. Letter on Social Concerns. The letter in the next paragraph was sent to Olga, Carolyn, Linda Yeager and Dennis Reynolds. After receiving the letter, Carolyn spoke with Ruth Duemler and shared the information with the Worship Associates at their June meeting. The Board received the letter and was pleased that Carolyn had contacted Ruth Duemler and the Worship Associates. On behalf of the Board, a letter will be sent to all who signed the letter acknowledging their concerns. As chair of the Social Concerns Committee, Ruth has been invited to make a presentation to the Board in September.
Letter to the Board: Our Social Concerns Committee urges the Board to bring issues of peace and justice to our Sunday services. Daily we face the agony and immoral actions of our government using our names as Americans and our tax dollars to support a war our moral beliefs cannot agree with. As Unitarian Universalists we ask for spiritual guidance and support from our church. We ask for hopeful actions to reverse our nation's wrongful deeds and restore justice. We feel an absence of expression in the Church for the many thousands lost and injured because of the wars and military policy in the mid-east and we ask the Board to bring our concerns into the Sanctuary and Church programs. We offer to assist. [Signed by: Ruth Duemler, Edgar Peara, Phyllis Peara, Bill Tracy, Ray Wolfe, Evelyn McConnaughey, Evelyn Bartel, Rob Castleberry, Patricia Christgau, Gene Okins, Char Okins, Pam Dillehay, Dorothy Dean Box, Sally LeBaron, Mark Lustica, Pam Love, Dorothy Mitchell, Connie Newman]
C. Personnel Committee. (Betty Hosokawa) The Personnel Committee has revised the long and important document titled, Personnel Policies Manual, which was circulated to the Board prior to the meeting. See attachment #1. The current version of this manual is in the Board Manual. Betty attended the meeting to explain the major changes in the manual. She pointed out that this is a work in progress. Jack Stevens did a big part of the work, borrowing some ideas from other UU churches' manuals. Highlights include a new introductory section, Personnel Philosophy, an update of annual paid holidays (e.g., Martin Luther King Day), and a new provision for three additional paid "floating" holidays. There are new health accounts for the employees, which are accumulating funds that do not follow the employees when their employment ends. The Business Ethics and Employee Conduct section is new. In response to a question about item H (paid mileage to employees using their own cars for church business), it was clarified that it applies only to employees, approved by their supervisor to use their own cars for church-related business. The Internet Policy section is new. The Volunteer section has been removed, since it was felt that it should be in a separate place, possibly a Board Policy. There were some questions regarding this complicated document, so no motion for approval was made at this time. Betty encouraged an email conversation with the Board to address any of these questions.
D. Resolution on Marriage. EC asked the Board to consider appointing a task force to draft a resolution on marriage. This resolution would be submitted to the Board. Then congregational input would be sought. See EC minutes II.C for more details. The Board unanimously approved a motion instructing EC to appoint such a task force.
III. OLD BUSINESS
A. Sunday space issues. (Michael Mattick) See attachments #2, #3 and #4. There was considerable discussion of Michael's recommendations 1-6 at the end of attachment #2, namely
1. Approve the RE proposal in its entirety; 2. Approve the Music Director's proposal in its entirety; 3. Approve attempting to use the Gallery for overflow seating; 4. Continue examining options for building modification; 5. Set up a committee or other structure to evaluate the need and advisability of a third service; and 6. Have an item on October's agenda to consider additional steps if necessary.
There was discussion about the details and feasibility of some of these recommendations. For example, Tom has come to realize that his proposal only works when the service seating is classroom style, but not when it's in the round. So his proposal will work for special concerts, but not for many regular services. Anita raised again the question of what outcome we are seeking. She also reminded the group that there is another service, namely the Family Worship between the 9:00 and 11:00 services. In spite of these issues, the Board agreed that we need to begin experimenting in September. The Board unanimously approved Michael's six recommendations, with the understanding that they need to be viewed as temporary goals with flexibility in their implementation.
Patrick urged us to consider other ideas such as a video feed, acquisition of more hymnals, and others that might come up for discussion. I.e., there are more things to discuss. He also urged us to retain our dual structure of having separate groups address the short-term and the long-term space problems. Carolyn indicated that she will also use the Leadership Council for ideas and help with these difficult problems.
B. Request from the Facilities Council (FC). Here are the storage options from the FC for the Board's consideration. FC asked that the Board make a decision at the August Board meeting.
Option One: Make no changes other than the already agreed upon action to shore up the roof of the current RE shed and add shelving to its interior. Cost: $150-200 (estimate - $150 has already been spent and work has begun) Pro: More weather-proof storage in existing shed at low cost. Con: There may still be RE items that won't fit in the storage shed. Note: Option #1 is the unanimous choice of the FC. We ask that the Board revisit their two-year-old decision to add an RE storage shed.
Option Two: Purchase a free standing 8' X 8' plastic storage unit. Create a level foundation with adequate stability and drainage. Cost: $500 (estimate) Pro: More storage for RE material without changing the church building. Con: Visually, such a storage unit would not fit with the architecture of our building. Additional storage space will encourage the accumulation of material that may be better discarded and/or that is more cost-effective to simply replace (e.g., sheets of black plastic, paper and plastic decorations).
Option Three: Enclose the porch off of the gallery with Lexan plastic panels to provide weather proof storage. Cost: $500-$600 (estimate) Pro: Area would be larger than the 8' X 8' plastic storage unit. The area would be accessible to upstairs areas. Cons: Additional storage space will encourage the accumulation of material that may be better discarded and/or that is more cost-effective to simply replace (e.g., sheets of black plastic, paper and plastic decorations). RE would most likely need to share the storage space with other church committees that have storage needs.
Even though Option Three was attractive to Candee, it was not seriously considered because it has broader implications for the church's general space issues. It was agreed that decisions about storage and retention of RE material is the purview of the DRE. The Board agreed unanimously to adopt Option Two, i.e., it authorized that a shed be purchased and installed.
C. Honoring Anne Heller's retirement. To honor the Reverend Anne Heller's retirement, we are being asked to contribute to the Churchworks Fund, which was established to honor her as author of the widely acclaimed book, Churchworks: A Well-Body Book for Congregations. Carolyn has agreed to write a short article about this to encourage members to contribute to the Anne Heller Fund.
IV. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
A. Report of the Executive Committee (EC). See attachment #5.
V. REPORTS
A. Report of the Minister (Carolyn Colbert). See attachment #6. Carolyn highlighted her three priorities for the coming church year: focusing on deepening our community's relational health, focusing on the "political" issues of Civil Marriage and getting out the vote, and supporting our leadership as we shape our future.
B. Report of the Director of Religious Education (Candee Cole). See attachment #7. The highlight of the past week was work with some church leaders on her new contract, which is included in attachment #7. Three of the areas of responsibility (Worship Development, Support to Youth, Support to Young Adults/Campus Ministry) are new to her contract, though she has already been doing much of the work described. Recruitment of teachers is going well. Candee also mentioned that we'll be hearing about some changes with the Kids Choir.
C. Report of the Treasurer (Barb Berry). Olga presented the report supplied by Barb. Attachment #8 is the year end report for the fiscal year July 1, 2003 - June 30, 2004. We ended up with a surplus of $2,555 thanks to many who worked so very hard to make this happen. Attachment #9 is the report for July 2004. It ends on July 29th instead of the end of the month to reflect closure of the books one week prior to the Finance Committee Meetings. This will ensure adequate time to gather information and create the reports. Because of this, sometimes the reporting of the Schwab information will be one month behind schedule. In the future, pledges and gifts will be listed separately. The breakdown this month is $38,526.41 for pledges and $507.00 for gifts. Issues that are still being worked on by the Finance Committee are: Carolyn's package, Kim Harris's and Tom Sears' benefits, money budgeted for the larger loan anticipated from a deficit at the end of the year (which didn't occur), and handling of the increased reserve due to our ending with a surplus instead. Barbara Greenley, Pledge Secretary, indicated that, effective August 4, we have a pledge total of $222,351.70 from 216 pledge units for an average of $1029.41 per pledge unit.
D. Report of the President (Olga Turner). Olga mentioned the Radical Hospitality workship to be held in La Conner, WA, during November 12-14. She also mentioned the two-year contract for Candee that is effective September 1, 2004.
VI. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND APPRECIATIONS
A. Future meetings.
Board meetings: September 2, October 7, November 11, December 9, January 13, February 10, March 10, April 14, May 5
EC meetings: Exactly one week prior to the Board meetings.
Growth Issues Consultant here: October 15-17.
VIII. The exhausting meeting adjourned at 10:19.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN EUGENE
Board of Trustees
MINUTES
July 8, 2004
Present: Olga Turner, President; Judy Sawyer, Vice President; Ken Ross, Secretary; Barb Berry, Treasurer; Carolyn Colbert, Minister; Candee Cole, Director of Religious Education
Members-at-large: Anita Cowling, Sally DeCou, Karen Gaffney, Michael Mattick, Patrick Phillips
Visitors: Julie Aspinwall-Lamberts, John Wagner, Jean Weick
I. OPENING BUSINESS
A. The chalice was lit at 7:06.
B. Good words were spoken by Carolyn Colbert.
C. Check in.
D. The minutes for the June 8 Board meeting were approved.
E. Adjustments to the Board agenda. Agenda item V.C was taken up next.
V.C. Report of the Treasurer (Barb Berry). See attachment #1. Jean Weick presented the report of the financial condition of the church at the end of June 2004. She also made some comments on the 2004-2005 budget.
II. OLD BUSINESS
A. Budget process and Congregational Budget Meeting. (John Wagner) John debriefed the Board about the most recent budget process. He stressed that the budget process was flawed. The process has become ad hoc; the Finance Committee used to do the budget. Lately, the ad hoc Budget Committee has consisted of the President, the chair of the Personnel Committee, Board members who are interested, etc. Another problem is that the timeline was unspecified and this led to items being missed. There was also a lack of communication with the Board and a lack of a defined approval process.
As the new chair of the Finance Committee, John assured the Board that the committee will supply a proposal designed to address these flaws. The Finance Committee will be responsible for creating the budget. There will be an opportunity for the Board to react to its proposal. In general, John feels that the Finance Committee needs to take a larger role in the administration of church finances. The proposal will include the establishment of a process (with timeline) for each budget year. We may want to move the the timing of the Annual Congregation Meeting, now held in April. The canvassing timeline needs to mesh with that of the budget. To avoid unnecessary complications, the proposal will serve as a "committee procedure," at least for a few years, rather than a Board Policy. Judy Sawyer, who is working on canvassing on an interim basis, indicated that she hopes to have canvass co-chairs in place by September.
Patrick Phillips was pleased with the suggested proposal. His major concerns are the following. The Board needs to recognize and act on the fact that it has fiduciary responsibility. For the budget just approved in June, we lacked sufficient data to question the budget, unless we were able to attend the budget meetings. Since budgets tend to establish church priorities, the budget is a major Board issue too. Patrick suggested that the new Budget Committee meet with the Board early on in order to set priorities and vision. The process should be evaluated after the first budget cycle.
B. Membership Committee. (Julie Aspinwall-Lamberts) See attachment #2. Julie made a few comments about this very complete report. She was asked about exit interviews for people who leave the church. She indicated that they have been discussed by the committee more than once. They are a good device, but the committee lacks the energy to add them to their set of activities. Instead, they have been focusing on creating a good environment for new members so that they will feel a part of the church community. A brief discussion about the correlation between the membership list and the list of people in the Directory, as well as the specifications of friends of the church, led to the agreement that this is a squishy issue.
C. Update from the Database Subcommittee of the Membership Committee. (Barb Berry) See attachment #3. The subcommittee consists of Sally DeCou, Ann Fuller, and Barb. Barb also mentioned that Martha Osgood and Jim Weldy will be helping with the work of the subcommittee, as noted in the attachment.
D. Report on the status of growth options. (Patrick Phillips) Patrick reiterated some of the information given at the June Board meeting; see item II.C of the minutes. Olga and Carolyn spoke with Laura Nagel at the General Assembly in Long Beach (June 2004). Laura Nagel is the UUA Consultant who will be visiting our congregation in October to assess our situation and suggest possible ways of proceeding with our growth objectives.
E. Board Retreat update. (Olga Turner) Olga reminded us that the Friday night meeting is a potluck, and that food will provided for the Saturday meeting. She and Carolyn met with Janine Larsen, the facilitator for the Board retreat, at General Assembly.
F. Sunday space issues. (Michael Mattick) See attachment #4. Michael indicated that this is an interim report. Candee outlined RE's plans for implementation on its part. Patrick Phillips expressed his preference that, because of the disruption of the service, the kids go downstairs at the beginning of the meeting at most services. He favored having them at the services once a month, when the choir is not there. He wonders what the parents' priorities are. Two other parents on the Board provided opposite views on this topic. Judy Sawyer agreed with Patrick, especially since the disruptions tend to work against our desire to keep growing, attracting new members, and making people feel at home. Karen Gaffney liked the blend, treating one Sunday a month differently.
It was agreed that we are working on an interim solution and that we can't please everyone. Michael will work with Candee Cole and Tom Sears and present a formal proposal, probably with options, at the next Board meeting. It was felt that, at that time, the Board should consider formal motions since consensus is unlikely. It was agreed that the interim solution should be evaluated during the fall. This raised the question how we measure success.
G. Future Board meetings. The Board approved the meeting schedule, which was circulated by email on June 9 and appears in item VI.A below.
III. NEW BUSINESS
A. Mini-report on Board Governance. (Ken Ross) This has been deferred to the Board Retreat or the next Board meeting.
B. Honoring Anne Heller's retirement. To honor the Reverend Anne Heller's retirement, we are being asked to honor her with contributions to the Churchworks Fund, which was established to honor her as author of the widely acclaimed book, Churchworks: A Well-Body Book for Congregations. This fund will make grants to support initiatives for growth and expansion of PNWD member congregations. Suggested giving levels are $100 for individuals who have worked closely with Anne, $250 from small congregations, and $500-1000 from large congregations. The goal is to have all congregations represented. The Board received this information and will have an opportunity to take action at the next Board meeting.
IV. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
A. Report of the Executive Committee (EC). See attachment #5.
B. Facilities Council. (Ann Fuller) See attachment #6. Ken explained that FC's proposal for RE storage amounts to a two-step procedure. The two steps are: Make the current RE shed water-secure and install shelves right away. Then re-assess RE space needs and, if more space is needed, offer the two options (1. enclose porch off the gallery; or 2. purchase a free-standing plastic shed) to the Board. The reason for taking this to the Board is that that the first of these options will make some changes to the exterior of the building, an issue that may affect stakeholders beyond the RE and FC. [The second option evidently has already received Board approval.]
V. REPORTS
A. Report of the Minister (Carolyn Colbert). Carolyn gave an oral report of her experiences at General Assembly and the professional meetings preceding GA. She will give a brief report in the newsletter about the relevant specifics of her GA experience.
B. Report of the Director of Religious Education (Candee Cole). Candee's main focus has been working on next year's curriculum. She has a large group working on this (7 people, instead of 3). She's pleased with the committee and comfortable about going on sabbatical in January. She met with the DRE Advisory Committee and they are updating her job description. Her attendance at the General Assembly included a workshop on doing day camps in the summer. She was also encouraged by DRE credentialling. There are three levels offered, and Candee is in the middle. She is interested in working on a Master's with a focus on supporting children with diverse needs in a Sunday school setting. Candee also mentioned that Rian Heriot was a great delegate. Karl Durland has expressed interest in attending GA next year.
C. Report of the Treasurer (Barb Berry). See following item I.E.
D. Report of the President (Olga Turner). Olga reported on her experiences at the GA meeting in Long Beach. She attended one district-wide reception, one Opening Ceremony, one Closing Ceremony, one Service of the Living Tradition "which honors our professional religious leaders," one Sunday Morning worship service, one reception for Congregational Presidents, one Ware Lecture, and one workshop for Congregational Presidents. She also attended two business meetings with Carolyn and met with Janine Larsen and Laura Nagel. And she attended 13 other workshops, most of them addressing the multiple issues of growth, strategic planning and stewardship. The experience was exhausting, stimulating, and thought-provoking, yet different from last year's GA in Boston which was her first. Olga encouraged people to consider attending GA if they've never attended one.
VI. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND APPRECIATIONS
A. Future meetings.
Board meetings: August 5, September 2, October 7, November 11, December 9, January 13, February 10, March 10, April 14, May 5
Board Retreat: Friday and Saturday, July 30-31.
EC meetings: Exactly one week prior to the Board meetings.
VIII. PROCESS CHECK AND ADJOURNMENT
Ken Ross, Board Secretary
ruthken@pacinfo.com
home phone: 686-1549
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN EUGENE
Board of Trustees
MINUTES
June 8, 2004
Present: Olga Turner, President; Judy Sawyer, Vice President; Ken Ross, Secretary; Barb Berry, Treasurer; Carolyn Colbert, Minister; Candee Cole, Director of Religious Education
Members-at-large: Anita Cowling, Sally DeCou, Karen Gaffney, Michael Mattick, Patrick Phillips
Visitors: There were no visitors.
I. OPENING BUSINESS
A. The chalice was lit at 7:06.
B. Good words were spoken by Anita Cowling.
C. Check in.
D. The minutes for the May 11 Board meeting were approved.
E. Introductions. (Olga Turner) Olga described her plans for Board procedures and conduct at and between Board meetings. Copies of her statement will be available at the July Board meeting.
F. Board Governance and Relations. (Anita Cowling) Anita explained the check ins and the process check outs at the end of the Board meetings. We check in with something personal in order to build our spiritual community and know and support each other. And we have a process check at the end, where everyone speaks briefly, with no cross-talk and no one responding or jumping in, in order to comment on how the process of the meeting was for us, so we can have the opportunity to improve our process as we go along and we can all participate on an ongoing basis as stewards of the process.
G. Adjustments to the Board agenda. Item III.C, History Committee, was added to the agenda.
II. OLD BUSINESS
A. Mentors for new Board members. (Olga Turner) Anita, Ken, Karen and Patrick have agreed to serve as mentors for the new Board members Barb Berry, Rachel Cummings, Sally DeCou, and Michael Mattick, respectively.
B. Chair of Finance. According to Board Policy COMM.3, chairs of committees shall be approved by the Board. Truman Grandy has served well as chair of the Finance Committee for a few years and he is ready to step down, though he has agreed to stay on the committee. Our outgoing Board President, John Wagner, has indicated that he is willing to serve as chair of the committee. Members of the current Finance Committee were consulted; nearly all responded and they all supported John's appointment. After a brief discussion about the responsibilities of the Finance Committee, the following motion passed unanimously. MOTION: The Board approves John Wagner replacing Truman Grandy as chair of the Finance Committee effective July 1, 2004.
C. Report on the status of growth options. (Patrick Phillips) Patrick outlined this continuing process which has led us to realize that we need an outside consultant now. There is much wisdom about church growth issues in the UUA. Patrick consulted Wayne Clark, UUA consultant on consultants, and he arranged for Laura Nagel to serve as our consultant. See attachment #1, which contains Laura Nagel's resume.
The Board passed a motion to proceed to hire Laura Nagel as a consultant and to book a date as soon as possible. It was tentatively agreed that the weekend of October 15-17 would be ideal. Patrick and Laura visualize a long weekend, starting with a meeting with the Board on Friday evening. A series of meetings, with some committees, our minister, the Board again, etc., would be scheduled for Saturday. On Sunday Laura would attend our services, with an information meeting for the congregation later that day. Laura may also wish to visit with some of our major donors. At a final meeting with the Board on Sunday evening, Laura would offer her preliminary recommendations. A formal final report would be sent to us later. This process may lead to a longer-term consulting relationship.
Laura will need to know a lot about our church in advance; see attachment #2. The congregation's involvement began with the Vision/Mission Workshop in October 2003. This summer we plan to have a couple of congregational gatherings (picnics or potlucks) in order to inform our members. These will be information-sharing, not decision-making, meetings. They will include information about the famous four options, including costs of properties, the value of our property, etc. Patrick mentioned that the consultants have a "formula" for the process, and Olga indicated that it would be nice for us to have their "formula." The tentative schedule for the informational meetings are Sunday, August 15, after the service, and Friday, September 17.
Finally, Patrick is sure that Laura will recommend that we have a standing long-term strategic planning committee. It was informally agreed that we would be wise to get started on this. This is an item that should be discussed at the Board Retreat.
D. Board Retreat. (Olga Turner) The Board Retreat is July 30-31. On Friday evening, 6:00 to 9:00, there will be a potluck at Don and Laurel Fisher's house. On Saturday we will meet from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the Trude Kaufman Senior Center. Karen and Sally agreed to organize the food for the Saturday meeting. At the Board retreat we will revisit our past goals and set two or three goals for the next year, and talk about our "growth options." Janine Larsen will be the facilitator.
III. NEW BUSINESS
A. Stewardship Council. (Ken Ross) Our past president, John Wagner, and Ken are completely convinced that what we need is a Stewardship Council, a group that oversees our committees whose work is, well, stewardship work. The Board approved the idea in principle, by passing the following motion. MOTION. The Board approves converting the Stewardship Committee into a Stewardship Council that would include representatives of the Canvass Committee (see below), Finance Committee, Membership Committee, Fundraising Committee, and the Planned Giving Committee. The details need to be worked out. The council will need a charge and the Board will need to appoint a chair or convener.
B. Canvass Committee. (Judy Sawyer) We also need a standing Canvass Committee with its narrower (but absolutely vital) focus. John Wagner led the canvass this spring. Judy and Patricia Christgau have agreed to coordinate the canvass until early fall. At that time they plan to have co-chairs who will chair the standing committee. Current projects are getting letters out to people who have already pledged and also to those who have not. Follow-up procedures for those who don't pledge need to be in place.
C. History Committee. At its meeting today, the History Committee decided to recommend that the old sign be made into a bench that could be put down in the woods. Their suggestion is to use the sign as the back and to add a seat and legs. The Board agreed unanimously that this is a suitable use for the old sign. The History Committee is encouraged to work with the Facilities Council to determine who will carry out the work.
IV. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
A. Report of the Executive Committee (EC). See attachment #3.
B. Report of the Database Subcommittee of the Membership Committee. (Barb Berry) Barb explained that she is no longer a member of the Membership Committee, but she is still a member of the Database Subcommittee. The subcommittee designed a "volunteer interest survey" and about 50 people responded. They are working on how to link the database obtained with the church database. The goal is to have the database widely available while protecting other confidential information in the church files.
C. Report from the Facilities Council. See attachment #4.
V. REPORTS
A. Report of the Minister (Carolyn Colbert). See attachment #5. Carolyn asked the Board to take note of her summer projects, especially her Leadership Council plans. She also circulated the Board's commitment to the congregation that was made at the Board installation on June 6 and Marj Keip's advice on what to do "when people confide complaints."
B. Report of the Director of Religious Education (Candee Cole). See attachment #6. Candee noted that she had just met with the DRE Advisory Committee. They will meet in August with key church leaders to work on Candee's contract.
C. Report of the Treasurer (Barb Berry). See attachment #7.
D. Report of the President (Olga Turner). No report.
VI. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND APPRECIATIONS
A. Library and Gallery. Here's an item for the Board to consider this summer. Last fall it was agreed that we should create a task force on the use of the Library and Gallery, but it was agreed that this should be deferred until spring. Kathy Dillon and Don Durland are the contact people for the Library and Gallery, respectively. This item will be considered by the Executive Committee and then perhaps brought back to the Board.
B. Very Old Business: Another possible item for this summer. At the April 2003 Board meeting, the Board created a task force to develop a manual for Board members and to further develop the role expectations for at-large members. The task force should keep the full Board informed during its process. Two retiring Board members and a new Board member agreed to serve on this task force. Anita Cowling agreed to facilitate their first meeting, and Ken Ross agreed to serve as a consultant. Should we try again? This item was tabled indefinitely.
C. Future meetings.
Board meetings on July 8 and August 5. Board Retreat, Friday and Saturday, July 30-31.
D. Childcare for Board meetings and the Board Retreat. (Olga Turner) We need to determine our childcare needs this year. It was determined that child care will probably not be required if Board and EC meetings are on Thursdays.
E. Scheduling of Board/EC meetings for September through May. The process was outlined briefly; the scheduling will be completed by email.
VIII. PROCESS CHECK AND ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at about 9:35.
Ken Ross
Board Secretary
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN EUGENE
Board of Trustees
MINUTES
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Present: John Wagner, President; Anita Cowling, Vice President; Ken Ross, Secretary; Jean Weick, Treasurer; Carolyn Colbert, Minister; Candee Cole, Director of Religious Education
Members-at-large: Ann Fuller, Karen Gaffney, Patrick Phillips, Judy Sawyer, Olga Turner
Board members-elect: Sally DeCou, Michael Mattick
I. OPENING BUSINESS
A. The chalice was lit at 7:04.
B. Good words were spoken by Ann Fuller.
C. Check in.
D. The minutes for the April 8 Board meeting were approved.
E. Adjustments to the Board agenda. There were none.
II. OLD BUSINESS
A. Report on space issues. (Judy Sawyer) Judy reported on the Sunday morning space issues. See attachment #1. In reading the report, Patrick noted a “discuss and reject” mode, which he rejects. He knows that nothing is easy, but it’s important for us to do something. He offered two specific suggestions: 1) When the full choir sings, kids should go to RE directly rather than attend the services. 2) There need to be risers or some structure that makes it possible to see people conducting the service. Carolyn said that this is a process of “discernment” that she’s seen at other churches. Karen wants to be sure that we are ready to implement some changes by the first service in the fall. John agreed that something has to be altered. He also wants us to think in terms of a bigger framework, since it will be several years before we have big changes. If we don’t handle the short-term properly between now and then, we may lose our momentum. We could fall back to our small church mode if we aren’t careful. We need to at least maintain our size if not grow a little. He recommends a task force to look at the building and see how we can use some money in the interim to make things better.
Anita mostly agreed with John. She is concerned that our short-term solutions respect the needs of the staff. Olga stressed that we need to communicate with the congregation soon – not later. She also would like to see us try some of the “haven’t tried yet” items in Judy’s report. She wondered if we should discuss this at the Board Retreat. She also wondered whether the current space issue could be taken up with the consultant (see item II.C). It doesn’t appear that the timing will allow us to get useful input from the consultant, at least for the first round of changes.
Judy indicated that Tom and the choir are willing to try being located by the windows. Then some people could sit in the gallery. She reminded us that Ron Burley questioned the math for the expenses, but Candee explained that we can’t just hire people to work for 15 minutes. Judy would like to see the kids under 6 go downstairs immediately. She feels that the value of having kids at the service is more for the parents than for the kids. We may have to make some changes without having consensus. The situation is not ideal. Michael agreed that we need to know what we’re doing by early September. We need to plan and create a calendar working backward from about September 1. We should take some little steps at the start and be prepared to continue making changes. Sally agrees with John concerning the importance of planning for the long term as well as the short term. She’d also like to see the kids under 6 go directly to RE.
Karen seconded the need to implement by fall using concrete deadlines. She is also concerned that we respect the staff’s needs as we go. Candee addressed the problem with sending the kids under 6 directly to RE – money. We would need an extra RE person. This year it has seemed impossible to get any extra adult volunteers. The idea would be to have volunteers work with Jennifer Sorenson so that the little kids could go directly to RE. Another idea is to have the bigger kids (say over 7) sit on the floor in the center of the sanctuary.
Ann Fuller feels strongly that change needs to be implemented soon. The professional staff must be ready to compromise. She also mentioned that the two services don’t have to be identical. She feels that using the gallery for overflow would be better than the social hall (but it holds fewer people).
Carolyn agreed that there are several good ideas for short-term solutions. She also mentioned that there are different ways to make Sunday mornings more valuable for the kids.
Jean likes Patrick’s two suggestions. The choir may actually be too big. Little kids are distracting at the service. She’s also distracted by people wandering in and out during the service. Ken agreed that we need changes in place by September. He also like Patrick’s ideas. He pointed out that it’s not likely that we’ll make any changes before summer, since two of the remaining Sundays are Celebration Sunday at The Shedd and Memorial Day Sunday with only one service.
Judy has agreed to continue heading up the task force. Michael will help, and they will be sure to include people from RE, Worship Associates, Music and Ushers in the discussion. They will bring some proposals to the July Board meeting. The Board will take action at the August Board meeting. Several people stressed the importance of the Board taking action on this difficult issue.
B. Report on the mission statement. (Karen Gaffney) This project to create a new church mission statement goes back to the October 25 Vision/Mission Workshop. The task force reviewed the input from the congregation which was supplied three possible mission statements. The task force merged the ideas and created the following statement that it recommended be forwarded to the congregation. The UUCE is a compassionate, welcoming community that promotes spiritual growth and social justice in our church and in the world. The Board modified the statement to read: We, the UUCE, are a compassionate, welcoming community that promotes spiritual growth, ethical living and social justice in our church and in the world. This was approved unanimously. It was agreed that this mission statement be taken to the congregation at the June 6 Congregational Meeting.
C. Report on the status of growth options. (Patrick Phillips) Patrick has consulted Wayne Clark regarding consultants. To begin with, we need an “initial evaluation consultant,” who will cost us $800. If we take further steps, they will be more elaborate and costly. An initial evaluation consultant won’t be available until fall. The Board wondered whether we can tap the restricted Future Expansion Fund for these expenses. John and Ken agreed that, based on their reading of the bylaws and Board Policies, this is an appropriate use of these funds. The following motion passed unanimously.
MOTION:
The Board will take the first step and hire an initial evaluation consultant. Funds up to $1000 from the Future Expansion Fund may be used for this purpose.
D. Report on the budget and canvass. (Judy Sawyer and John Wagner) John indicated that the canvass is coming along. The brochures for the Celebration Sunday and the canvass have been mailed. John’s biggest concern is that there must be a follow up after Celebration Sunday so that every member of the congregation is contacted and involved in one way or another. There are two more budget meetings and Board members are encouraged to attend them. They are on Tuesday, May 25, and Tuesday, June 1.
E. Report on the status of the Board Retreat. (Olga Turner) The Board Retreat will be Friday evening, July 30, and Saturday, July 31. The Friday evening meeting will be held at the home of Laurel and Don Fisher. The all-day meeting on Saturday will be at Trude Kaufman Senior Center (996 Jefferson St.). Janine Larsen has agreed to be facilitator. Olga asked new Board members to email her if they have ideas about the content of the Board Retreat.
III. NEW BUSINESS
The current Treasurer, in conjunction with the Finance Committee, has broken the Treasurer’s job into two parts, so that the Treasurer will be assisted by the volunteer Bookkeeper. Jean has kindly agreed to continue serving as the Bookkeeper. MOTION. The Board approves of the volunteer Bookkeeper position, whose duties will be determined in consultation with the Treasurer. In particular, the Bookkeeper may be a signatory on church bank accounts.
The preceding motion and the following three motions were passed without dissent. MOTION. The Board confirms that, on April 25, the congregation elected three new officers: Olga Turner as President, Judy Sawyer as Vice President, and Barb Berry as Treasurer. MOTION. Effective June 1, 2004, the following are authorized by the Board to be signatories on church bank accounts: Olga Turner, President; Judy Sawyer, Vice President; Treasurer, Barb Berry; Bookkeeper, Jean Weick. MOTION. Effective June 1, 2004, the following are authorized by the Board to be signatories for the church safe deposit box: Olga Turner, President; Ken Ross, Secretary.
IV. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
A. Report of the Executive Committee (EC). See attachment #2.
B. Report from the Facilities Council. The Facilities Council has requested a list of maintenance and repair tasks from the congregation via church committee chairs and other groups. The list will be compiled along with price estimates and priorities and presented to the Board. See attachment #3.
V. REPORTS
A. Report of the Minister (Carolyn Colbert). See attachments #4, #5 and #6.
B. Report of the Director of Religious Education (Candee Cole). See attachment #7. Candee directed attention to her last item, planning for sabbatical. She is currently planning it for January through March of 2005.
C. Report of the Treasurer (Jean Weick). See attachment #8.
D. Report of the President (John Wagner). John thanked everyone for two fine years. He really liked the people he had to work with. He was greeted with prolonged applause.
VI. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND APPRECIATIONS
A. Future meetings.
Board meetings on June 8 (Tuesday), July 15 and August 5.
Celebration Sunday on Sunday, May 23.
Annual Budget Meeting on Sunday, June 6.
Board Retreat, Friday and Saturday, July 30-31.
ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 9:52.
ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
APRIL 25, 2004
The main order of business was elections (of Board members and members of the new Nominating Committee). The chalice was lit at 12:37 p.m.
The Nominating Committee offered the following slate for Board members. Terms begin June 1 and end on May 31.
For President for a two-year term: Olga Turner.
For Vice President for a one-year term completing the two-year term vacated by Anita Cowling: Judy Sawyer.
For Treasurer for a two-year term: Barb Berry.
For Members-at-Large for two-year terms: Ron Burley, Sally DeCou and Michael Mattick.
For Member-at-Large for a one-year term completing the two-year term vacated by Judy Sawyer: Anita Cowling.
All were elected with no dissenting votees. Continuing members on the Board will be: Ken Ross, Secretary; Karen Gaffney and Patrick Phillips, at-large Trustees.
In accord with bylaw 080.3, the current Nominating Committee recommended the slate below for the 2004-2005 Nominating Committee. The bylaw states that, “the slate shall normally include two members of the current Nominating Committee.” New members: Kay Crider, Barbara Greenley, and Evelyn McConnaughey. Members continuing for a second term: Kurt Engelmann and Linda Sage. All are nominated for one-year terms effective June 1.
All were elected with no dissenting votes.
The meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m.
Ken Ross
Secretary, Board of Trustees
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN EUGENE
Board of Trustees
MINUTES
April 8, 2004
Present: John Wagner, President; Anita Cowling, Vice President; Ken Ross, Secretary; Jean Weick, Treasurer; Carolyn Colbert, Minister; Candee Cole, Director of Religious Education
Members-at-large: David Bockoven, Ann Fuller, Karen Gaffney, Patrick Phillips, Judy Sawyer, Olga Turner
Visitors: Ron Burley, Sally DeCou, Charlie Hirsch, Michael Mattick
I. OPENING BUSINESS
A. The chalice was lit at 7:05.
B. Good words were shared by Jean Weick.
C. Check in.
D. The minutes for the March 11 Board meeting were approved by email.
E. Adjustments to the Board agenda.
II. OLD BUSINESS
A. Report on the status of growth options. (Patrick Phillips) Patrick indicated that he’s focusing on the consultant issue. He is scheduled to consult an expert, Wayne Clark, at UUA. Patrick checked some web-based material and realized that we are in mid-process. There’s a consultant package for $800 and a full inclusive feasibility study for $6000. At present it’s not clear what process we want and will do, but Patrick hopes to get clarification from talking with Wayne. Also, Patrick plans to meet with his subgroup which is analyzing costs of the various growth options. John consulted Jean Tate regarding the value of our property and other properties. She indicated that our property value is not far from the assessed value. John also raised the question again whether we need congregational approval to use the Future Expansion Fund for consultants. Patrick reminded the Board that we need consultants to help with the process before growth option decisions are made. Summer meetings for the congregation are planned to get everyone involved. It is hoped that a decision on growth options can be made in the early fall.
B. Report on the status of the budget process and of the canvass, including a discussion about Celebration Sunday on May 23. (Judy Sawyer and John Wagner) John reported that the budget meeting for Tuesday (April 6) was deferred to next Tuesday. It is expected that they will then have figures from the Personnel Committee as well as budget requests from several groups. Then it will be possible to create a first significant draft of the budget (for fiscal year July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005).
John mentioned three aspects of the canvass. First, Celebration Sunday will be held at the Shedd on May 23. Carolyn and Candee plan to have us celebrate all aspects of the church, including the thriving RE program. Second, John has recruited Marilyn Milne and Martha Osgood to work the emotive part of the written canvass material. The theme is, “See who we are!” Martin Sage, with input from Patrick, will work on the presentation of factual material. Third, John had a meeting with Kay Crider regarding the canvass and canvassers. Individual canvassing is planned for all new members. Group canvassing, via desserts, are planned for most other members. Then members who have been missed will be canvassed individually.
C. Report on the status of the mission statement. (Karen Gaffney) So far Karen has received half a dozen comments by email and three responses in church. Not surprisingly, there’s no consensus. The status of the mission statement will be on the May Board agenda. It is expected that the congregation will be able to vote on a mission statement at the Congregational Budget meeting in June.
D. Report on the planning for the Annual Congregational Meeting on April 25. (Ken Ross) Ken shared the outline of the agenda for the meeting. Chalice lighting. Appreciations. Stewardship Moment. Nominating Committee process. Introduction of the present members of the Board of Trustees and acknowledgment of retiring members. ELECTIONS. AFTERWARD: Sign Dedication. Information session for people who have questions about the canvass or other aspects of the church. The importance of getting appropriate people to help with parts of the agenda was discussed.
E. Political diversity resolution. By email, the Board continued the discussion regarding the creation of a proposed Board Resolution regarding respect for political diversity. There didn’t seem to be sufficient support for a Board Resolution on this issue, but the Board may wish to discuss further action to be taken so that the discussion doesn’t stop with the Board. Perhaps an article could summarize the importance of right relations among members of the church which includes respecting others even when we do not agree with, or respect, their views. What’s wanted is civil disagreement! Or, as John put it, “Talk nice to each other.” After considerable discussion, it was agreed that John would write an article for the newsletter about this in lieu of a formal resolution which might be misunderstood no matter how well it’s crafted. It was noted that we need to work toward right relations with each other and also be aware of our own assumptions.
III. NEW BUSINESS
A. Procedures for Fundraising Requests. The EC has been in contact with the Fundraising Committee; see the minutes of the March EC meeting. It was recognized that EC was not taking into account the necessary calendaring. EC requests Board approval of the following guidelines. All fundraising requests will go first to the Fundraising Committee, which will consider the request and take into account the calendaring. Then the committee will take the request to EC for final approval, unless it is a perfunctory fundraising request where the proceeds will go to the general fund. In this case, the committee has authority to approve the request. The Board unanimously approved this procedure. It was emphasized that this new procedure needs publicizing. Ken will ask the Fundraising Committee for help with this.
B. Social. It’s time to plan some sort of joint event involving the current Board and the new Board. It was agreed to have the social at Judy’s house on Monday, May 10, at 7:00 pm.
C. Board Retreat. The Board Retreat was scheduled for Friday evening, July 16, and Saturday, July 17. Because of a conflict, this meeting will probably be rescheduled to Friday evening, July 30, and Saturday, July 31. Planning is needed, so a Board Retreat Team was formed. Members are Olga, Carolyn, Judy and Ken. Karen volunteered to work on the food. Continuing Board members, and the visitors, were asked what they hope to get from the Board Retreat. Suggestions included: Growth Options. An outcome-oriented plan for the Board. Discussion about Board governance; might be worthwhile to go through the Board manual. Discussion about leadership capacity and how best to recruit and retain volunteers. Getting to know each other better. Minutes from the last Retreat would be helpful.
IV. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
A. Report of the Executive Committee (EC). See attachment #1.
B. Report from the Facilities Council. (Ann Fuller) See attachment #2.
C. Report from the ad hoc committee on Sunday morning space issues. (Judy Sawyer) Judy Sawyer was asked about the status of the ad hoc committee on Sunday morning space issues. She reported that the congregation has selected a sanctuary chair, but since a fundraiser shouldn't compete with the canvass, the project is on hold. In regard to improving the space situation during Sunday services, especially the second service, Judy reported that she had held several meetings with the various stakeholders--Carolyn, Candee, Tom, and representatives from the RE and Music committees--to discuss how we might improve the situation. Although many possibilities were suggested, none of the ideas have been implemented, because the stakeholders could not agree on suggested changes. The Board asked to see a written report on the changes suggested and the responses to them. Judy will provide such a report at the May Board meeting.
V. REPORTS
A. Report of the Minister (Carolyn Colbert). See attachment #3. Carolyn announced her plans to gather together church leaders at “leadership councils” two or three times during the next church year. The gatherings will follow up on the ideas initiated by the Program Council last year.
B. Report of the Director of Religious Education (Candee Cole). Candee has been very busy with many RE issues from the Coming of Age group, which has a team working on the Vision Quest for April 17, to Easter Eggs, of which there were 113. The DRE Advisory Committee now has four members: Sheryl Bernheine, Jane Ganter, and two new members: Kay Crider and Alex Trotter.
C. Report of the Treasurer (Jean Weick). See attachment #4. Last month, expenses exceeded income by about $6850. At this rate, we’ll have a negative balance in June, the twelfth month of the fiscal year. The current projected shortfall on the budget is $3746, but this assumes that all pledges are paid.
D. Report of the President (John Wagner). No report.
VI. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND APPRECIATIONS
A. Future meetings.
Current and new Board social, Monday, May 10.
Board meeting on Tuesday, May 11.
Budget Committee meetings on Tuesdays, April 27, and May 4, 7:00 pm in the Social Hall.
Annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday, April 25.
Celebration Sunday on Sunday, May 23.
Annual Budget Meeting on Sunday, June 6.
B. Board Retreat, Friday evening and Saturday, July 30-31.
C. Appreciations.
VII. REMINDERS
A. Assignments.
VIII. PROCESS CHECK AND ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 9:40.
Respectfully submitted,
Ken Ross, Board Secretary
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN EUGENE
Board of Trustees
MINUTES
March 11, 2004, 7:00 p.m.
Present: John Wagner, President; Anita Cowling, Vice President; Ken Ross, Secretary; Jean Weick, Treasurer; Candee Cole, Director of Religious Education
Members-at-large: David Bockoven, Ann Fuller, Karen Gaffney, Patrick Phillips, Judy Sawyer, Olga Turner
Visitor: Gil Osgood
I. OPENING BUSINESS
A. The chalice was lit at 7:08.
B. Good words were shared by Olga Turner.
C. Check in.
D. The minutes for the February 12 and 26 Board meetings were approved.
E. Adjustments to the Board agenda. Item IV.D (Report from the Facilities Council) was added to the agenda.
II. OLD BUSINESS
A. Mission statements. (new task force chaired by Karen Gaffney) Karen Gaffney met with Patrick, Ann, Gil Osgood, Linda Wagner, and Alicia Hays regarding our mission statement. The general conclusion was that the statement should: address both the internal and external focus of the congregation; be short enough to fit on the beam above the kitchen counter; be action oriented; resonate with long-term members and new members; and incorporate what we learned at the October 25 Vision/Mission workshop. The group came up with the following possible mission statements for further discussion. 1. The UUCE is a compassionate, welcoming community. We strive for spiritual growth and social justice in our church and in the world. 2. To live our UU values in a community of caring. 3. To promote UU values in our community and the world. 4. We strive to build a community that supports each individual’s spiritual journey and to act as a force for ethical living and social justice.
It was pointed out that a mission statement is for our use as we move forward but that it will also be used by people outside the church to help assess what we stand for. The purpose of the statement, and our process for creating it, need to be made clear to our congregation. It was agreed to post statements 1, 3 and 4 in the church for congregational input. Then the task force will analyze all the input and likely select/create one mission statement for the full congregation to vote on. Anita liked this process. Other comments about the statements 1-4 include: John feels that it is important for us to make it clear who we are; this is why “living our UU values” as in statement 2 is important to him. Candee indicated that statements 1 and 4 are “teaching statements,” in that they clarify what we are about. She could imagine using and analyzing these statements in kids’ RE classes.
B. Growth options. (Patrick Phillips) See attachment #1. Patrick reminded us that his task force is gathering information on the various options. They will synthesize them and circulate them to the congregation. Then what? He views the goal as: Get to a decision! [Briefly, four growth options are: do nothing (no growth); create a second church; expand our current church; move our church to a new location.]
Gil suggested that the series of meetings in bullet 3 should include one for September to be sure everyone can be involved. This change was fine by everyone.
There was considerable discussion regarding what the goal (Get to a decision!) really means. It could be an active positive decision that would set us on a path, assuming large scale support. Or, it might be a less directed decision that would allow us to have a sense of our future without a formalized commitment, because there may be valuable steps (and we’d learn a lot) after the initial decision is taken. Gil agreed and stated there are two stages: determining what we’d like to do, and then determining the feasibility of our goal. Anita was dubious about the “No growth” limb of the decision tree, because we can’t stop growth. Others indicated that we have to listen to and assess the “no growth” position before we can proceed. For example, there was sentiment at our Vision/Mission Workshop that “we don’t want money to drive the church,” and this implies “no growth.” [Later, Anita indicated that we need to make a decision for human reasons, so that people whose point of view isn’t chosen will have time to grieve. Patrick added that, to the extent that the decision will involve change, it will make the pain of the status quo easier to take.]
There was also discussion about our use of UUA consultants. They may be useful early to keep us from making a solid active decision too soon. A lot hinges on the outcome of taking the “temperature” of the congregation. We may need a consultant before we get past the “no growth” part of the decision tree. We need to consult UUA (probably starting with Anne Heller at PNWD) regarding our process and “consultant packages.” Perhaps our Board Retreat can use one of these consultants.
John expressed concern about the cost of consultants. He believes it’s reasonable to use the Future Expansion Fund for this, but there might be resistance by those who feel this fund is for actual building. Patrick reminded us that we need to spend money to help decide how to spend money. Gil felt that we need to consult the congregation before using the fund in this way. We need to be clear what we want to buy.
Patrick needs help. Ann agreed to help with organizing and pushing forward with the gathering of information. Karen indicated that she would help determine how, and when, we should use UUA consultants.
C. Report on the canvass. (John Wagner) John announced that Carolyn is back in town and sends her best wishes. He’s tapped her expertise and had helpful conversations with her regarding the canvass. John would welcome ideas, suggestions and help with the canvass. The two primary ideas are: In lieu of a one-on-one canvass, have small-group canvasses in pleasant settings like teas and desserts. And have a Celebration Sunday; there was lots of support for this. Patrick indicated that he would help with the pamphlet. He warned us that the small-group canvasses won’t work unless there is follow-up on those people who are invited to such canvasses but don’t attend.
D. Report on the budget process. (John Wagner and Judy Sawyer) The difficult budget and canvass process this year suggests that we must prepare a more realistic budget for the next fiscal period, which is being called the “stabilization budget year.” In concert with the Personnel Committee, the Budget Committee is aiming for small cost-of-living increases for the staff. To control the budget, staff compensation packages won’t change much, but comprehensive benefits will be maintained as much as possible. Anita reminded the group that it’s important to get the canvass and budget timelines coordinated.
III. NEW BUSINESS
A. Annual Congregational Meeting. The required business will be the elections of new Board members and new members of the Nominating Committee. This is an opportunity to communicate with the general membership on important issues such as: what we’ve learned and done based on the Vision/Mission Workshop, sharing of the information obtained to clarify growth possibilities.
It was agreed that John and some others will make brief reports on the highlights of the year. This will certainly include something about the Vision/Mission Workshop and our work on growth options. Ken will help identify other highlights and prepare an agenda for the Congregational Meeting. A draft will be shared with the Board.
B. Proposed Board Resolution regarding respect for political diversity. Possible resolutions have been circulated to the Board by email. They were discussed further at the Board meeting. There was considerable concern that the intention of the resolution will be easily misunderstood, and some Board members questioned whether we need such a resolution. Some felt that it would cause more harm than good. Some are tired of the sneering tone and making fun of others’ views that trivializes any discussion. What’s wanted is civil disagreement! Or, as John put it, “Talk nice to each other.” Because intentions and interpretations may differ wildly, this is a complicated issue. It was agreed to maintain email discussion on this and return to this at the next Board meeting. We’ll also have the opportunity to get Carolyn’s input.
IV. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
A. Report of the Executive Committee (EC). See attachment #3.
B. According to the bylaws, the Nominating Committee “shall report the names of the nominees to the Board at its March meeting.” However, the Nominating Committee was not ready to give slates at the Board meeting. The Board agreed that the Nominating Committee may give its report by email. This would occur prior to the newsletter deadline of March 19 for the April newsletter.
C. Report from the History Committee. There are two items that are for information only at this time but which will eventually need some Board action:
1. There is a large (54" wide by 102" high) old window, that was taken from the former Unitarian Church at 11th and Ferry, that is currently being kept behind the outside RE storage shed downstairs. The Facilities Council has asked the History Committee to move it. The current plan is to take it out to Joy Hainsworth's farm where it will be cleaned and the one clear pane replaced with yellow glass to match the other panes in the window. The window will then be brought back to church and hopefully be mounted in front of one of our regular windows. Places we are considering are one of the windows to the left as you enter the church through the front doors; a window on the bulletin board side of the Social Hall; or possibly the center pane of the window to the right of the sound room. This last location might cut down on the glare that some people complain about during the Sunday service. Once the window has been restored and brought back to the church ,we will look at it in each of these locations and make a formal recommendation to the Board for approval.
2. The History Committee is also looking at places for hanging pictures. These might include portraits of our former ministers, of members and other historical photos. Some of these might be hung permanently and some might be rotated. Places we are considering are: (a) above the coat rack - this is space that has been used before to hang church photos; or (b) the wall between the entrance doors - this space is currently used by the gallery so a change would need to be negotiated with them; or (c) above the bulletin board in the Social Hall - this would require raising the row of religious symbols to ceiling height to create space underneath. The space above the coat racks has been used for this purpose before and presumably would not require new Board approval. However, if we decide we want to use one of the other two spaces we will make a formal request to the Board. Meanwhile we would welcome opinions from Board members. The History Committee (Kathy Dillon, Evelyn McConnaughey, Jack Stevens, Bob Taylor, George Towe and Gil Osgood, chair).
D. Report from the Facilities Council. (Ann Fuller) See attachment #4. In addition, there was a discussion regarding the shed update discussed in attachment #5. The issue concerned who is responsible for this part of the church, the (RE) program that uses the space or the Facilities Council which is charged with maintaining the church facilities. It seemed that most Board members agreed that this is the purview of the RE program but that the two groups should work together.
V. REPORTS
B. Report of the Director of Religious Education (Candee Cole). See attachment #5. Candee indicated that the highlight of the month was the Middle School Snow Trip. The most discouraging item was the Coming of Age program, which was “off to a rocky start.”
C. Report of the Treasurer (Jean Weick). See attachment #6.
D. Report of the President (John Wagner). No report.
VI. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND APPRECIATIONS
A. Future meetings.
Board meetings on April 8 and Tuesday, May 11.
Budget Committee meetings on Tuesdays, March 16, April 6 and 27, and May 4, 7:00 pm in the Social Hall.
Annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday, April 25. Annual Budget Meeting probably on Sunday, June 6.
B. Board Retreat. Based on a poll of Board members whose terms are likely to continue after May 31, it appears likely that the Board Retreat will occur on Saturday or Sunday, July 17 or 18.
VII. REMINDERS
A. Sabbatical Covenant. Did we remember to take Carolyn into account? Are there things that she needs to know about now? Are there items that should be in the summary part of the portfolio that will be prepared for Carolyn on her return?
VIII. PROCESS CHECK AND ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 10:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Ken Ross, Board Secretary
March 12, 2004
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN EUGENE
Board of Trustees
Minutes for EXTRA BOARD MEETING
February 26, 2004
Present: John Wagner, President; Anita Cowling, Vice President; Ken Ross, Secretary; Jean Weick, Treasurer; Candee Cole, Director Religious Education
Members-at-large: David Bockoven, Ann Fuller, Karen Gaffney, Olga Turner
There were no visitors.
I. OPENING BUSINESS
B. Good words were shared by Karen Gaffney.
C. John reported on the difficulty and frustration in trying to get people to co-chair the next canvass. After being turned down by at least 20 people, he indicated that he will probably run it himself. He warned the Board that such a canvass will be quite different from what might be possible under different circumstances.
D. The Board first addressed an immediate issue regarding health benefits for our staff. The problem is that costs of the current health insurance plan will increase by 45% to 54% effective March 1. Concern was expressed about how this will be handled after the current fiscal year ends, on July 1. The following motion passed without dissent. MOTION. For the remainder of the current budget year, the church will fully fund the health benefits for the Director of Religious Education, the Music Director and the Church Administrator.
This decision will raise the expense line of the budget by $1755. The budget will be balanced by adding this amount to the Pledges & Gifts line.
II. Business of the Extra Meeting
A. Following Up on the Vision/Mission Workshop. (Karen Gaffney and Olga Turner) The Board continued the analysis, begun at the last Board meeting, regarding what we learned at the October 25, 2003 workshop and what actions the Board should take or initiate.
Olga began by reading us a statement from Anne Heller’s Church Works, clarifying the difference between vision and a mission. A vision statement answers the question: “What are our dreams? What do we want this congregation to look like in five years?” It includes specific, measurable objectives, achievable in a prescribed amount of time. --- A mission statement expresses the mission of the congregation in a memorable way that is brief and to the point. --- It says who we are and what we value. It says, given who we are, here is our social contract and this is how we will make congregational life more meaningful. It uses active rather than passive verbs and clearly states what good we want to do in the world and with whom.
Karen reminded us of John’s tentative offer of a mission statement: “Promote UU values in our community and the world on an ever-increasing basis.” She wondered whether it would inspire folks. John indicated that our next step may be to create a task force to synthesize material from the workshop and work on our mission statement for presentation to the congregation. Olga suggested that we might need an outside facilitator, but others noted that we’ve “done that” in our workshop last October. Ann liked John’s approach and suggested a three-person task force. Later the group favored a task force with three to five people.
The task force would be encouraged to offer three choices. John indicated that the three choices should represent three different approaches (not just editorial differences). We reminded ourselves that a mission statement should be a document that drives everythng else we do, an active statement with action verbs. Karen indicated that we should keep the congregation informed about the new task force. The optimists indicated that the possible mission statements should be offered at the Annual Congregational Meeting on April 25. Attendees could discuss and have a straw vote, or even a binding vote provided the agenda item is announced in the April newsletter.
• Karen agreed to chair the task force and names of possible members were discussed. Candee Cole will be included in the discussion. Ken will provide Karen with a one- or two-paragraph summary of the October visioning workshop.
Anita indicated that we need to pay attention to how people react to the mission statements. In other words, we need be attentive to what the statements mean to different people. We want to avoid making decisions without intending to do so. John said something about a UUChat discussion about looking for dual meanings, potential flaws. He also wondered whether there’s anything else, beyond a mission statement, that can benefit from the Visioning Workshop. It was agreed that Ken, when he contacts committee chairs and creates a manual for them, will include relevant passages from the workshop or at least make reference to the material on the web.
B. Growth Options. John set the tone for this discussion. It was pointed out that we hope the congregation will come to some conclusion. E.g., it might decide that we should stay onsite and expand our facilities. What does this mean? It could mean that we would have a fixed plan, or it could mean that “this is what we now see as a strong possibility for our future,” but we might find later that this isn’t the practical course for the church. We need to be clear with the congregation what our community decision would mean.
John mentioned that the Original Growth Options Task Force (chaired by Gil Osgood) considered the possibilities. Information needs to be disseminated before our church makes any decisions. Ann stressed that we need to choose so that action will move us in some direction even if we later find it doesn’t work. It would at least provide us with an attitude and philosophy of where we want to be.
Olga mentioned that, at the Boston General Assembly, she attended a workshop on planning for growth. We will need the help of external experts/consultants. It’s not clear, at this point, when we need to ask for extra help.
Respectfully submitted,
Ken Ross, Secretary of the Board
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UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN EUGENE
Board of Trustees
MINUTES
February 12, 2004
Present: John Wagner, President; Anita Cowling, Vice President; Ken Ross, Secretary; Jean Weick, Treasurer
Members-at-large: David Bockoven, Ann Fuller, Karen Gaffney, Patrick Phillips, Judy Sawyer
Visitors: Linda Anson
I. OPENING BUSINESS
A. The chalice was lit at 7:05.
B. Good words were shared by Patrick Phillips.
D. The minutes for the January 15 Board meeting were approved.
E. Adjustments to the Board agenda. See item F below.
F. Chairs Acquisition. Linda Anson made a presentation regarding the church’s need for more chairs. See attachment #1 for the process. The clear first choice is chair #3, made by Bertolllini. Also,