Chalice Lighter: Jen Bain
Process Observer: Sha’Ron Glass
Board President: Jennifer Thilo
Board president Elect: Sean Golan
Financial Trustee: Jason Delaney
Secretary: Maureen McAndrews
Board Members: Jen Bain, John Duggar, Sha’Ron T. Glass, John Merkel, Allen Lee
Board Expectations for the year:
* Complete Successful Capital Campaign
* Engage our congregation in renewing our Values, Vision, Mission and Ends
* Take A Stand: “We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountability dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.” https://www.8thprincipleuu.org/background
Thank You Messages for the Month:
Lay Ministers (Jackie Spierman, Kate Sweeney, David Hanna) for Lay service, Dennis Fulton for support with BLM signs, Jack Pierce for chalk rendering of the Phoenix
Circle of Connection:
Share something about yourself that you think no one at UUCA knows.
Born in Tucson; born in Phoenix and was ASU state table tennis champ; won the Times Picayune contest for picking stocks 20 years ago; lived in the Bahamas and helped run a scuba diving business; placed second in a karaoke contest on a cruise (“Hit Me with Your Best Shot”); have been hang gliding twice and considered going pro; broke my arm while doing BRAG while either swerving to miss a turtle or opening a bag of M&M’s; in college was known as “the signing head phones guy;” used to think I was terrible at art, hope to finish a novel that is buried in my computer; when I was 7 had a pen pal named Gov. Bill Clinton; Oprah came to my school to do a show with 5th graders, I was in 4th grade, so I had to leave my class and crawl on the floor until I got to introduce myself to her.
Executive Report – Rev. Taryn Strauss
Annual Vision of Ministry (AVOM) Overview
Taryn gave an update on the AVOM (report to follow).
The Work of the Board
Decisive Action
July meeting minutes: Jason moved to approve, Jen Bain seconded. Approved.
Approve Schedule for Vision/Mission/Ends Work – Jennifer Thilo
including Laura Park Training in September
Several members had conflicts and/or concerns with the timing of the proposed schedule. Jennifer will try to work out another schedule with Laura Park.
Report from Finance Trustee – Jason Delaney
We brought in more than we budgeted for in July, expenditures continue to be less than budgeted. Net YTD is +$69,000. Motion to approve was made by John Duggar, seconded by Sean Golan. Approved.
Capital Campaign Committee – Maureen McAndrews
We are currently in the Advance Phase of the campaign and members of the CCC have been meeting with congregants about the campaign and their pledges for both capital campaign and annual stewardship. The Board received the Readiness Assessment from Glenn Wagner; the focus groups were well attended and the percentage of members participating who plan to contribute was very high. Overall we are in a strong position and anticipate a successful campaign.
Question was raised about when new visitors (such as board members) will be expected to conduct their visits. (Answer: Most of these will be done during the public phase, and new visitors will fit their meetings with congregants in as schedules permit.)
Project Phoenix Committee – David Spierman
The land development permit application has gone back for the last time. Demolition and building permits are still needed.
In order to get costs down to $6 million, some items that are not essential were taken out. If the campaign brings in more than $4 million, some of these can be added back. Savings have been realized on the commercial kitchen and AV technology.
Healthy Relations Committee – John Merkel
Jennifer met with a congregant to help bring them back into covenant. This was a positive interaction and the relationship has been improved.
Using the covenant as an aspirational document that guides us on an ongoing basis was discussed.
The first meeting of the HRC was interrupted by a storm. They did agree that they are comfortable with the Missions and Functions document as it stands. The Serious Breaches of Covenant document is outdated and they have started to rework it.
ARAOMC Committee – Allen Lee
The first meeting of this year is scheduled for 9/1.
ByLaw Committee – Sean Golan
Nominating Committee – Jen Bain
No meetings have been scheduled at this time. Jen will be in touch with them.
Closing
Process Observation – Sha’Ron Glass
Taryn suggested changing process observation so that it becomes more useful to us. One suggestion is giving more time to the process, and not just making it a quick thing at the end of the meeting. Possibly board members could share something that they observed. Jennifer and Taryn will discuss.
We remained on task pretty well although we got into the weeds a little over the question of when board members will make campaign visits. High energy moments were the finance committee report and connections at the beginning of the meeting; low energy as mentioned above. Meaningful moment was talking about the status of congregants who have raised questions.
Closing Words – Jen Bain