Board Minutes: March 2020

by | Mar 30, 2020

Chalice Lighting

“Help”-The Beatles

Announcements

  • Online presentation on the outcome of the Feasibility Study and Action Plan to move forward to 2650 will be presented to the congregation the first week in April in two parts. Informational the first week and a week or two after the Q&A session.
  • Strauss requests that Deb Frier be sent the minutes of these board meeting minutes.

 ARAOMC RE in April 5- To discuss proposed bylaw and the 8th principle- Will be delayed given the online presentation

Board Expectations for the year:

  • Policy for the following committees have been completed. Now it is time to get the committees up and functioning: Healthy Relations Committee and ARAOMC Committee
  • Generosity and Stewardship- Bylaw has been passed, job descriptions for the Nominating Committee are underway. The Generosity Committee will be asked to review these.
  • Social Justice Work (Poverty)- Jon and the board
  • Creation of a dashboard- Christian will have a draft in March 2020- Do not have the capacity to complete this year
  • Visual Timeline to the congregation: Feasibility Plan to First Worship Service at 2650- Tentative Completed in Teamwork

Thank You Messages for the Month

Rev. Taryn Strauss, Don Milton III, Nicole Pressley, Jeep Hook, Michael Dangerfield, and Pasha Souverin for planning and implement livestreaming of Sunday service given COVID-19.

Circle of Connection: Rose (something that is working well or something positive) and Thorn (something that isn’t working or something negative)

John: Trader Joes is doing a great job managing people in & out of the grocery store

Chrisitan-Rose: Running the middle school from my kitchen table is going well.

Bryce: Rose: I have begun practicing the trumpet I bought years ago.

Sharon: Rose: Even though we are social distancing, this is the best allergy season I have ever experienced.

Jon: Rose: We have been able to talk with my family every night.

Jen: Rose: Planning to hike in a different park each Saturday.

Dave: Rose: I have be able to set aside 2 hours each day to learn spanish and do my physical therapy.

Sean: Rose: I am grateful to still have work & there is more work than ever to do at the CDC so I feel good about that.

Thorn: Many friends who are worried about keeping job or have already lost theirs.

Jennifer: Rose: We can meet digitally.

Thorn: I am bad at technology.

Taryn: Rose: Feel very solid in the call to be a minister these days, which is bringing me strength and peace. Also I am cooking lots of amazing food because I have the time now.  Finally, a spirituality group that has only really been meeting 1 time per year has

Thorn: Some colleagues have lost congregants to CoVid-19 & those losses weigh heavy.

RE ARAOMC workshop- https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12zwspK5J1EhD3FRK0CWU2x27l6Eveu4-_ksUwhmKCJA/edit?ts=5e656012#slide=id.g7115046762_0_6

Logistics for the followings: Mailings, Absentee Ballots, Town Halls and Congregational meeting

  • Keep brainstorming ways we can handle the logistics of a remote workshop while observing physical distancing.
  • Taking a stand on the 8th Principle
    • Review of historic challenges of people of color in our spiritual community
    • Discussion about the 8th principle
  • Review By-law amendment language
    • Historic challenges of calling ministers of color.
    • By-laws committee will review and confirm the language

Annual Vision of Ministry (AVOM) Overview

  • Top 4 priorities of ministry
    • 1-Seamless Sunday Service
    • 2-Online Wednesday Evenings
      • Going well
    • 3-Pastoral/Community Care
      • Phone calls and e-mails to all congregants in the directory.
      • This is revealing a challenge of being a Regional congregation, but no neighborhood groups or geographic way of connecting congregants
      • Looking for ways to facilitate connection & support our health care professional congregants.
    • 4-Creating easy, consistent avenues for giving to UUCA. Considering Venmo, Cashapp, and Paypal impact on the financial back end.

Decisive Action

The Minutes from the February 2020 Board Meeting is to be approved via email.

-Approved unanimously without discussion.

Open Question and NomCom

  • NomCom
    • Slate is mostly completed
      • Second stewardship co-chair is still TBD.
    • Open Question
      • No meeting since last board meeting due to calendar issues etc.

Finance

  • Finances going well.
    • Pledges are coming in.
    • Online giving is going well
      • Gifts from around the country on Sunday
    • Contributions are behind, but that is mainly due to 2 give-away the plates last month.
  • Uncertainty going forward due to market &
    • Continual monitoring day by day.
    • Bonds are impacted by COVID-19, but expected to stabilize with Gov. assistance.
  • Propose updating the congregation on the good state of finances.
    • Board will approve via e-mail.
  • CCA Meeting in March Highlights
    • 333 Annual Stewardship giving units at UUCA.
    • Interviews revealed that we have a solid distribution of givers in our congregation, no 1 giver is supplying the majority of UUCA’s budget.
    • Review several scenarios of giving. Good prospects if we can get 70% involvement in capital campaign.

Project Phoenix

  • COVID-19 has created delays in redesign due
    • Architect is revising plans
    • Additional seats can be gained by leaving the floor flat & put in a stage, also saves money & would make all of sanctuary ADA accessible.
    • Once revised plans are completed the price estimate can be done.
    • Possible cost savings due to COVID-19.
    • Taryn-Capital Campaign is likely to start in August.

Healthy Relations

  • Refining charge to the healthy relations committee
  • Covenant now more accessible UUCA website.
  • Doug Abel-working on materials to re-introduce the covenant.
  • Still looking to expand the committee and increase diversity.

ARAOMC Council

  • Tony Stringer has been ill & has needed to step back from the ARAOMC council. He will not be able to be the council’s president or spearhead the search for other committee members.
  • Search for committee members will continue

Next Meeting with include:

  • Bylaw team to revise the bylaws to reflect the change made at the December Congregational meeting in with Jen, Sharon and Sean and Agenda for May’s congregational meeting

Executive Session

Process Observation

Extinguishing the Chalice