Board Meeting Minutes for September 27, 2022

UUFRC Board of Trustees Meeting

Minutes

September 27, 2022

Location:  UUFRC Sanctuary

Trustees Attending: Brian Ferguson (non-voting), Peter Hartzell, Rob Davis, Jeanne DeShazo, Dick Edminster, Jason Laderman, Julia Mogilev, Erika Pretell

Guests:  Chris Stovall

Absent:  None

Meeting chaired by Peter Hartzell, Board President

Minutes recorded by Erika Pretell, Recording Secretary

Call to order – Peter

Chalice lighting; Opening words; A moment of centering – Dick

Anti-Racism Learning – Reading and discussion

Consent Agenda 

  • The following reports were accepted 
    • Last BOT Meeting Minutes – 8-30-22
    • Connections Coordinator Report – September
    • Minister’s Report – September
    • Finance Committee Report – including quarterly financial report (October, Jan, April, July)
    • Note:  No personnel report this month (no meeting, no minutes)

Strategic Discussion – Peter

  • Peter took last month’s brainstormed list and boiled it down to three main goals that we agreed on as a board:
  1. Successful, positive change management of the Fellowship. Here are the things changing … we do not lead them all, but we are responsible for the overall success of the change represented: 
    1. Task forces are successful
    2. Community members are integrated
    3. Strategy is embraced and integrated throughout the Fellowship
    4. Sustainable financial model is agreed upon
    5. Intergenerational Sunday services
    6. Leadership and volunteerism/ burnout
  2. Cohesive communication strategy and implementation both internally and externally
  3. Demonstrate leadership in anti-racism and anti oppressive work .. how we do our work, how the Fellowship grows in this work
  • Suggestion:  Let’s add KITT (Keep In Touch Teams) learnings as part of Jen Gill’s report (Brian)

Operations – Board Oversight

Board Reports – Items for Discussion as Needed

Program Council Update – Rob

  • No one currently marketing space rentals; this is an open issue
    • Jeannie will talk with Tanya Webster about what she used to do regarding marketing space rentals when she was Office Administrator
    • Crystal could do space rental advertising (Brian to ask)
    • Brian will talk to UU Palo Alto about what they do if they rent 
    • Brian, Peter, Jeannie to circle back to agree on action plan after taking these steps (invite Gigi and Crystal to join)
    • Suggestion to put a sign on the lawn; info on website

OGNS Update – Erika

  • Erika and Kristi will meet after back-to-school is over
  • Attic and Boyson Room cleanup still needed
  • Request from Kristi that we vacuum the block room on Sundays; Alex will communicate

Personnel Update – Jason

  • No meeting, no discussion
  • Brian, Jen and teachers will do mandatory reporting training

Financial Update – Dick

  • Motion to ask building committee to do a physical inventory via video plus additional list of technology equipment (approved)
  • Motion to ask Personnel Committee to review current employee contracts to ensure they are compliant with current CA requirements and include appropriate employment classifications, and arbitration clauses (approved)
  • Motion to accept the 2020-2021 Financial Review and Response.  (approved)
  • Discussion about revising financial policy limiting eligibility to receive assistance from the Minister’s Discretionary Fund. Brian would like it to be for people associated with the congregation (not minister or minister’s family), keep it anonymous.  Next steps:  Brian will meet with Dick to develop language for a plan to take to finance committee and come back to board with a proposal.
  • By January finance committee will have submitted first draft budget to board; so in December we’ll discuss budget planning process at board level.  Ensure appropriate process for working out pledge goal with pledge drive leaders.

Task Force Updates

Strategic Implementation – Chris Stovall

  • Team:  Chris, Jen Bahr-Davidson, Debbie Mytels, Brian (ex-officio)
  • Will eventually get plan approved with metrics and tracking
    • Board can use to prioritize and make decisions
  • Will start talking with people, going to meetings, sharing info. Maybe cottage meetings.
  • Board, program council and communications team are key for input

Communications Team – Erika

  • Starting with “discovery process” – getting advice and input from some members of congregation
  • Get people to come to worship and children & youth programs (including OWL)
    • Biggest method will be word of mouth

Operations – General

Youth & Family, RE Program, Action Sunday – Brian

  • Sunday was a success – logistically exceeded expectations
    • Two former skeptics gave positive feedback
    • Team feels good about it
    • 104 attended – that was a lot
    • Kids mostly went to round singing or poster making
  • We have lost two of original three teachers; and the third had COVID exposure so wasn’t able to be here on Sunday
  • Need to get feedback about what online experience was like
    • Train session leaders to engage and include online people (maybe have a second person whose job is to monitor what’s happening online).  This is already on the list for leadership training.
    • What if someone doesn’t have a laptop to use?

Leadership Membership Integration – Peter

  • Ice cream social 
    • Faith Development cluster doesn’t have a rep so didn’t know how to prepare for event – Rob to follow up with each group in the cluster
  • Going to speak to program council
  • Brian will meet with Jen Gill and Alex Stagner to go through list of members and friends, who can we ask – knowing that direct asks are most effective

Auction

  • Board will again offer a Bocci Ball event.  Jeannie will resubmit last year’s description and find a date.

Wrap Up 

Action Items Review – Erika

  • Brian:  Talk to Jen Gill about adding KITT learnings to her reports 
  • Jeannie:  Talk with Tanya Webster about what she used to do when she was Office Administrator
  • Brian: Talk with Crystal about doing space rental advertising 
  • Brian:  Talk to UU Palo Alto about space rentals
  • Brian, Peter, Jeannie to circle back to agree on action plan regarding space rentals (invite Gigi and Crystal to join)
  • Brian and Dick:   Develop language for a plan to take to finance committee and come back to board with proposed policy revisal for Minister’s Discretionary Fund
  • Rob:  Follow up with each group in Faith Development cluster so they can prepare for Ice Cream Social
  • Jeannie:  Resubmit Bocci Ball for auction and find a date for event

Thank You Notes (Julia)

  • Implementation team for launching Action Sundays:  Maeve Knoth, Sally Mentzer, Marianna Raymond, Gwendolyn Holden, JoAn Vaughn, Martha Beetley, Hanju Kim
  • Jo Mutch and Jason Laderman-Jones for their work on the Financial Review
  • People who led sessions on inaugural Action Sunday: John Cooney, Marianna Raymond, Bev Morgan, Bruce Knoth, Beth Harrison, Lori Longo, Joyce Porter, Jason Laderman-Jones, Beth Eggers, Martha Beetley, Hanju Kim

Next Meeting

  •  BoT Meeting -Tuesday, October 25, 7 – 9:30pm, Sanctuary

Closing Circle – Dick

Meeting adjourned 9:11 pm