Chalice Lighting
Announcements
Retreat: June 12-13, 2020
General Assembly, June 24-28
UUCA 10 Credentialed Delegates
- Board: Jennifer Thilo; Sean Golan
- Congregants: June Lester, Karen Reagle, Jim Kelly, Frank Casper, Mel Shenstone, Anthony Stringer, Sekayi Stringer
- Staff: Ayanna Kafi Stringer, Beck Schillizzi
Board Expectations for the Year:
- To be Determined at the Upcoming Board Retreat
- 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:
- The Board agreed to recognize RE leaders.
Circle of Connection:
What I have to offer our congregation this year…what do I need from fellow Board members to help me do this…
- John Duggar-Grateful for the 2019-20 Board to have established a way forward for our new property by unanimous vote. I hope we will continue to take on and support each other for the hard decisions this year.John Merkel-bring a love of UUCA. A mathematician by training is a good problem solver. Need support to figure out my role.
- Jason Delaney- Bring a non-anxious presence, and attitude of gratitude. Big picture and historical perspective. Need clear communication and information on how to do that
- Maureen – enthusiasm and motivation to serve UUCA
- Bryce- new role working for UUCA- see myself as an expediter, facilitate visions and completion. I am here to serve so let me know how I can best do that.
- Taryn- I bring clarity of vision and interesting in the process and curiosity about how we get there. I am very interested in liberating the leadership for this community’s mission. Keep us focused on larger goals. I need this board to think of this as spiritual work.
- Sha’Ron – I will bring energy and enthusiasm around implementing ARAOMC values in the life and works of the Congregation. I need my fellow Board members to get me back on track if I start to go off the rails during meetings.
Board Education
- UUCA Bylaws:
https://www.uuca.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2.2-UUCA-BYLAWS-amended-December-13-2015.docx.pdf - The Board will familiarize itself with these before the retreat.
Board Policies: https://www.uuca.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2.4-BOARD-POLICIES-as-amended-November-21-2017_with-appendices.docx.pdf - Board Training on the UUA.org: https://www.uua.org/leadership/programs/board-training/governance-basics
- Board Meetings: Every month on the Fourth Tuesday:
May 26, 2020 06:00 PM
Jun 23, 2020 06:00 PM
Jul 28, 2020 06:00 PM
Aug 25, 2020 06:00 PM
Sep 22, 2020 06:00 PM
Oct 27, 2020 06:00 PM
Nov 24, 2020 06:00 PM
Dec 22, 2020 06:00 PM
Jan 26, 2021 06:00 PM
Feb 23, 2021 06:00 PM
Mar 23, 2021 06:00 PM
- For each meeting a process observer, host to bring food when we meet in person, and someone to light chalice and provide opening and closing words. Maureen will develop a spreadsheet in Google Docs.
- UUCA Committee Descriptions
Executive Report
- Annual Vision of Ministry (AVOM) Overview
- Deferred until the Board retreat; Taryn will work with the staff on them.
- Recap of AVOM Goals
- 1-Manage Transition of Ministry
- 2-Support Diversity and Inclusion
- 3-Chart the Path from Visitor to Leader
- 4-Forge Community Partnerships
- Reaffirm commitment to Policy Governance
- Best Practices for the Board
The Work of the Board
- Decisive Action
The Minutes from the April 2020 Board Meeting have not yet been approved via email vote. - Secretary of the Board to be elected by the Board of Trustees
- Move to appoint Maureen McAndrews to the position of Board Secretary for 2020-2021.
- Second: Sean Golan
- Motion Passed unanimously, without discussion.
- Teamwork or Google Docs
- Slack for communications?
- Secure Slack Channel for Board Communications
- Google Drive for longer term storage
- Google Drive for Board- invite Deb Freer?
- Jen Bain- Revise file naming conventions so that Board Members can find documents easily.
- Permissions for G-doc to remove former Board members from folders?
- The Board voted to use Slack & Google Drive.
- Bryce will help set up the files & permissions.
Board Retreat
- Safety Plan TBD
- Start: Friday 5:00pm-8:00pm
- Comfort level for all involved?
- In-person- Visit 2650
- Shade, bathrooms, amenities?
- 2 hours max
- Retreat Slack training?
- Retreat G-docs training?
Membership Requirements:
- Motion: I move that the Board recognize that “Membership Register Book” includes electronic adendi as kept by th Membership & Social Justice Director, and that electronic signatures are a valid way to satisfy the membership requirement to sign the “Membership Register Book”
- Second: Jason Delaney
- Motion passed unanimously, without discussion.
Open Question:
What Question do we, as a Board, want to explore this year? To be determined at Retreat (Last year the Board decided that Poverty was the wound in Atlanta that we felt most called to heal.)
- Rev. Strauss How does this Board want to engage the Congregation?
- The Board will think about what committees it wants to keep, which ones need clarifying and the purpose of the various committees.
- Move to have Board Liaisons act as advisors and link between the committee Board, and less of the facilitators and chairs of committees.
Report from Finance Trustee
- What is the best way to format the reports going forward
- Lead time? 1 week plus a reminder the day before. Best way to Deliver reports? Slack
- Highlights/executive summary
- April is commonly a low-revenue month- this year is no different.
- Adding an “Implied Pledge” category for tracking givers who have not actually pledged, but reliably give. This way, more accurate pledge tracking will be possible.
- Under budget for expenses
- Partially due to Nicole Presley’s temporary transfer to the UUA’s Get Out the Vote staff.
- Hired three staff members in April, so next month’s expenses will increase.
- PP Loan- anticipate $108,000.00 borrowed will be forgiven, however planning to
- Membership Social Justice Coordinator is being paid out of a Development gift.
- Reminder of the Board’s fiduciary duty to monitor and direct the finances of our non-profit organization. There is Board insurance, to cover liability that may arise.
Motion:
- Sean Golan moved to approve the Finance reportR for April.
- Second: John Merkel
- Motion Passes unanimously, without discussion.
Project Phoenix/Capital Committee- Need a Liaison
- Time to pivot from a project to a campaign that is more transparent to & inclusive of the congregation.
- Clearly define roles
- Need Liaison that is aware of both PP & CC?
- Would also coordinate & act as spokesperson & enthusiasm facilitator with the congregation?
Healthy Relations Committee
- Lots done this year
- Continue to define the role & purpose of the committee
- Education
- Resource repository for conflict resolution
- Very close to being ready to roll out to congregation
- Looking to next steps
Stewardship and Generosity Committee
- Job description delivered to Nominating Committee in early 2020
- Bylaw was approved December 2019.
ARAOMC Committee
- Christian Harden has agreed to be Chair of the ARAOMC Counsel
- Committee created a proposed and council covenant to defined its mission
- Counsel is meant to have 5-7 members
- Currently have 3-4 Council members
- Committee still needs to work on the final 2-3 members.
- Sha’Ron wants to step out of the Committee Liaison role so she can become a council member.
Bylaws Committee
- Additional Bylaw issues
- Absentee voting
- Bylaw amendment recording procedure
- Issues from Virtual Congregation
- Membership Requirements
- Healthy Relations Covenant
- E-signature
- Online Membership?
- Sean Golan ready to continue serving on the Bylaws committees
Nominating Committee
- Liaison needed
Closing
Process Observation
- Observe Covenant? Yes
- High Point: Jason’s presentation & Jennifer’s facilitation of making room
- Low Point: People not wearing masks on Beltline
- Lots of ground covered
Extinguishing the Chalice
Let us begin again in love.