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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MINUTES January 9, 2006 Present: Ruth Prindle, Bill Prindle, Rev. Jim
Todhunter, Holly Brooks, Pete Hotchkiss, Rev. Sandy Dodson, Stevan
Fisher, Bud Dennie, Trish Esposito, Leslie Weyn, Doris Raber, Sue
Dollins, Tom Ault, Dan Pence, Jim O’Steen, Judy Cox, Dave Ackerman Moderator-elect Ruth Prindle called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. Following a time of sharing, the Council approved the minutes for December and the agenda. Board and Committee Announcements Board for Social Witness: Holly Brooks
informed the Council that February 7 will be Thanksgiving in February
Day and reported that BSW will arrange for lunch and dinner options for
interested members. Audio Equipment Jim Todhunter read from a letter he had written to the Council (attached) expressing profound concern over recent problems with the amplification system in the sanctuary. The evening Christmas Eve service, he said, had been largely ruined by the system’s shortcomings; and the system had also proven problematic at other worship services, weddings, and special events such as the book discussion with Steve Coll. He said he didn’t know what needed to be done, but some changes are essential. He said he had discussed the problem with Dianne and the new chair of the Technology Committee, Bud Dennie. Dave Ackerman noted that some choir members in the chancel have persistent difficulty in hearing clearly what is said from the lectern and pulpit. Judy Cox and Sue Dollins observed that the amplification problems are disruptive to worship and discouraging to newcomers. Leslie Weyn noted the contrast between our system and the one at Brinklow Seventh Day Adventist Church, where they were able to produce a DVD of the joint concert performed in mid-December in only three days. Judy Cox asked what costs might be involved. Tom Ault noted that Phil Fox had evaluated the system a couple of years ago and some upgrades were done at that time, but that Phil had not looked at the wiring which, he suggested, may be old. Bud Dennie noted that those who have chaired the Audio-Visual Committee over the years have not had professional expertise but observed that the Christmas Eve situation was an operator problem rather than an equipment failure. Tom suggested that vendors might be asked to evaluate the system and give bids on what needs to be done. Bill Prindle stressed that an RFP on the matter should be very specific. Dianne Abraham noted that at Emmanuel Lutheran Church the soundboard had been tightly controlled and that volunteer operators were permitted only to turn the system on and off. Tom said he thought the same injunction was supposed to apply to CCC’s system since the upgrade. Bud Dennie said that the Technology Committee is making a list of the problems. Visioning Day Tim White noted that Visioning Day is intended to be an annual event, with each year building on what came before. The plan for this year’s January 21 event, he said, is to hear from those who have been working on various aspects of last year’s vision and to create an opportunity for new ideas to emerge. The members of the planning committee, he reported, are himself, Bill Prindle, Pete Hotchkiss, Karen Lee, John Gipson, and Jim Todhunter, with input from last year’s facilitators Jim Henkleman-Bahn and Jackie Bahn-Henkleman. He noted that this group also constitutes the Budget Visioning Committee for this year, which will pull together the results of this year’s visioning effort for the budget process. Bill Prindle and Delilah Marrow, he said, will serve as facilitators on January 21; and there will be a second visioning event on March 4. Debt Reduction Dan Pence reported that he had been asked to chair a committee to follow up on the recommendations of the Debt Reduction Task Force. He said the committee had met and identified four tasks: (1) to make a report on Visioning Day, (2) to obtain congregational approval for the new approach to debt reduction at a congregational meeting on January 22, (3) to work with the Board of Stewardship in making the transition to the new approach, and (4) to encourage those who have been giving to the Recommitment Campaign to continue to do so through June of this year. He asked the Council’s endorsement of the following motion to be placed before the congregation on January 22: That Christ Congregational Church (United Church of Christ ) institutionalize pledging to the Building Fund as a part of the annual stewardship process. Funds pledged will have 3 major purposes: (1) meet mortgage payments due to the lender and provide a minimum reserve to meet unforeseen contingencies; (2) fund major maintenance and repairs for the building; and (3) build resources for funding future projects, including investment in the Church’s Master Plan. Following a second, Judy Cox expressed concern about how the congregation would understand the first sentence. Dan said the intent was to have one pledge that would apply to both the operating budget and the Building Fund. Tom said he thought the intent of the Debt Reduction Task Force report was to have two lines on the pledge card, one for the operating budget, the other for the Building Fund. Dan responded that Karen Lee, who served on the task force, said the matter had been left open; and Pete Hotchkiss said the motion would still allow either a one-line or a two-line pledge card. Jim O’Steen stated that the motion was confusing and that a two-line pledge card could also be confusing. Tom and Tim White said further discussion outside of the Executive Council would be necessary to educate the congregation; and Bill Prindle emphasized the importance of communications in helping the congregation understand the radical nature of this transition in paying down our debt. Trish Esposito observed that giving to the Building Fund may be coming out of different resources than giving to the operating budget. Judy Cox asked whether the need for continued payments to the recommitment fund between February and June, as conveyed at the December meeting, was of such urgency that it ought to be presented in some way at the congregational meeting. Tom Ault said he did not think it was so urgent that it needed to be presented. In response to a question by Dave Ackerman about whether the motion included funding for possible repairs to the Retreat House and for Phase II, Dan said “yes” and “maybe,” respectively. Dave stressed that Phase II should move forward only after a separate congregational decision-making process and should not even be implicit in the motion. Tim White said he did not think part (3) of the motion covered repairs to the Retreat House; Dan said he disagreed. Bill Prindle noted that the report of the Debt Reduction Task Force expressed the desirability of funding the Retreat House repairs and the Master Plan but that those were beyond the purview of the committee. Dave Ackerman said the Council was not bound by the task force’s report. Dave then offered the following amendment to make clear, he said, that the motion does not authorize Phase II but does cover repairs to the Retreat House as well as the church’s other properties: Delete #3 from the motion and amend #2 to read as follows: “ and (2) fund major maintenance and repairs for the church’s properties.” Following a second, Tom Ault said the amendment would eliminate the sense of future from the motion and asked for the amendment’s defeat. Judy Cox suggested substituting the words “major maintenance and improvement.” Dan suggested beginning #2 with the words “build resources.” Tom said he would like to offer wording incorporating these suggestions, whereupon Dave withdrew his amendment and Tom proposed the following amendment: Delete #3 and amend #2 to read as follows: “and (2) build resources to fund the major maintenance of, and improvements to, the church’s properties.” Following a second, the Council approved the amendment unanimously. After a brief discussion about the nomenclature of the Building Fund and an informal amendment to change “3 major purposes” in the motion to “2 major purposes,” the Council approved the amended motion unanimously. Music Director Search Committee Ruth reported that Lynn White, Terri Brush, Sam Brush, David Bell, and Jim Brown have agreed to serve on the committee but that she was still seeking a chair. Tom Ault asked how we can form a search committee before the Music Visioning Committee has reported. Ruth noted that the visioning committee will report in February and that the intent was that the search committee could be formed by then and ready to go. Communications Terry Strand said she came tonight to express concern about communications within the church. She noted that even though she is very attentive to Newsnotes, bulletin boards, worship inserts, etc., she feels like she doesn’t know what is going on. She says she feels disconnected. Judy Cox observed that she hadn’t been able to do what she wanted as Communications Officer for the past year because of child care needs; but she noted the extraordinary amount of energy that had been poured into communications during the church’s renovation and said maybe that kind of effort was needed again. Dave Ackerman asked whether a comparable steering committee focused on communications was contemplated for the new approach to debt reduction. Jim Todhunter commented that communications are a constant problem, noted the length of the most recent Newsnotes and worship bulletin, and expressed concern about the impact of announcements from the lectern on worship. He said the staff could use some help in packaging information. Judy Cox said a communications group could help prioritize information. Holly Brooks noted the difficulty she had when she served as Communications Officer in getting such a group together. Bill Prindle commented that big churches stay connected through small groups. Bud Dennie asked how we can implement the outline on communications Judy Cox presented last year. Following a prayer, Ruth adjourned the meeting at 9:42 p.m. Respectfully submitted, |
| February 2006 |
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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MINUTES February 6, 2006 Present: John Gipson, Tim White, Bud
Dennie, Rev. Jim Todhunter, Ruth Prindle, Bill Prindle, Pete
Hotchkiss, Rev. Sandy Dodson, Sue Dollins, Holly Brooks, Jim O’Steen,
Leslie Weyn, Karen Lee, Trish Esposito, Judy Cox, Dave Ackerman Moderator John Gipson called the meeting to order at 7:36. Following a time of sharing, the Council approved the minutes for January 9, as corrected. Trustees’ Policy on Use of the Foyer Martha Krieger informed the Council of a policy adopted on February 1, 2006, by the Board of Trustees regarding “The Use of the Foyer on Sunday Mornings” (attached). The policy came about, she said, because of concerns about the fundraising and marketing activities taking place in the foyer. On the basis of a theological perspective that sees the foyer as a space of preparation for entry into worship space and a space for nurturing community, she stated, the policy prohibits use of the foyer on Sunday mornings for sales or other fundraising activities and directs that such activities take place in proximity to the Social Hall, where the after-worship social hour is held. Holly Brooks commented that some marketing activities also serve the community but said the policy is okay with the Board for Social Witness. Karen Lee noted that some fund-raising activities, such as those for Y-GELI, are necessary because of a lack of support in the budget and asked whether signs advertising certain fund-raising activities, such as a youth car wash, were permitted. Martha said the policy does not preclude such signs, and Tim White concurred. Tim said the objective was to get as much activity downstairs as possible. Trish Esposito suggested that something to consider in the future is whether to relocate the bulletin boards and kiosks as well. Audio-Visual Update Bud Dennie reported (written report attached) that, as a result of the concerns raised in the last meeting, he and Dianne Abraham arranged for two professional sound companies to inspect the sound system in the sanctuary. Both found our system to be adequate but thought improvements could be made. In response to his question on how to proceed, Sue Dollins suggested going to the trustees with a proposal; and Leslie Weyn supported the idea. Senior Adults Ministry Task Force Update Dave Ackerman distributed and summarized a draft report (attached) from the Senior Adults Ministry Task Force along with data on CCC’s budgets over the last seven years (attached). He said the task force has found no reason to alter or abandon the conception of a ministry to seniors developed and implemented by Rev. Dale Ostrander and carried on by Rev. Julia Jarvis and is tentatively reaffirming the objective endorsed last year by the Budget Visioning Task Force and the Council of restoring the position to half time. A 10-hour a week position, he stated, is insufficient to carry on what had been developed and may also not be sufficiently appealing to attract and hold a fully qualified person (as may be evidenced by the impending departure of Rev. Jarvis). Dave noted that discussions with the Called to Care program have sparked an interest in expanding outreach to seniors and that Claudia Tornbloom has agreed to coordinate the effort. The task force, he said, is also recommending, in light of the substantial increase in CCC’s property expenses since the renovation, that the Board of Trustees undertake a systematic review to see if any savings might be found. Dave said the draft report remains a work in progress and invited Council members to read it and offer suggestions and comments to the task force. Jim O’Steen asked what age parameters were used to identify seniors in the congregation. Dave said 55 and up. Jim suggested that might be too broad. Pete Hotchkiss asked if the intent of the recommendation regarding property expenses was that all savings be devoted to the position of Director of Senior Programming, and Dave said “no.” Trish Esposito noted that there are other groups in the church that need nurturing – young adults, parents with children – and suggested that maybe we need to be more creative in how we structure our entire staff. Music Visioning Report Anne Weissenborn, chair of the Music Visioning Committee, summarized the report of the committee and said it would soon be distributed to the Council. Music, she said, is critically important not only as a part of worship but also as a means of saying who we are as a congregation. One of the key findings of the survey, she stated, was that more than half of the respondents, especially younger people, expressed an openness to a diversity of musical styles, though she noted that some older respondents had expressed concern that traditional hymns are not used more often. With respect to the qualities that a music director ought to possess, the committee, Anne said, basically concluded he/she should be able to “walk on water”: A director should be an excellent conductor and an excellent keyboardist; he/she should have a broad knowledge of music and appreciate its importance in worship; he/she should be energetic and be a good organizer and communicator; he/she should be good in involving people and in supervising musical groups in addition to the chancel choir; and a director should be able to direct musicals and take the choir on periodic tours. A lengthy discussion ensued. In response to a question from Dave Ackerman, Anne said the committee had no recommendation about whether our new music director should be a person of color. Jim O’Steen, chair of the Music Director Search Committee, thanked the committee for its work but said he did not think his committee had been given the guidance it needed to refine the job description for the position. Bud Dennie said the Personnel Committee has a job description for the music director position. Jim noted that the salary guidelines of the American Guild of Organists are widely used for music directors and asked whether our position should be full time or ¾ time. Dave asked whether consideration had been given to extending Markus, and Bud said that would be part of the next discussion of the search committee. John Gipson said his preference was that the selection of a new music director be done no later than September. Trish said the process shouldn’t be rushed, and Bud noted that Westmoreland has been having difficulty finding a new music director. Anne said that Westmoreland has received more than 40 applications. Jim O’Steen reiterated that he had hoped the music visioning process would give guidance as to whether the position should be full time or ¾ time and what kind of person should be sought. Sam Brush asked whether anything less than full time is realistic. Karen Lee suggested that what we lose if the position is less than full time is children’s music. Tim White noted that Markus is ¾ time and that John had been as well before becoming full time. Dan Pence said John had been half time initially. Tim said the trustees informally, from a budget perspective, are expecting the new director to be ¾ time. Leslie Weyn commented that Markus is able to lead the choir, provide worship music, and lead the youth ensemble, but much else articulated by the music visioning committee is not being done. Tim noted that there is a distinction between what a director does personally and what he/she enables others to do. Bill Prindle asked whether the staff design process had made a recommendation. Leslie said the music director position was not fully considered. Judy Cox commented that she felt like she had not yet had a chance to fully experience Markus and would like more time. Jim Todhunter said the interim period has helped us learn that we are open to diversity in music -- we can thank Markus for that – and we have also learned that music is for the whole church and not just for a few. The task of the search committee, he suggested, is to digest what we have learned and then articulate that vision for candidates and ask how they can help make that happen. A key question candidates will ask, he stated, is whether there are people here ready to help make it happen. As to timing, he said, the search committee has considerable flexibility; there is not much difference in hiring someone in June or September. John Touchton, he recalled, has stressed that the salary for a music director should enable him/her to life comfortably in the community and that even our full time salary did not do that. We need to expect, Jim said, that whomever we hire will be actively engaged in music not only with CCC but elsewhere as well. John Gipson asked whether we had reached a consensus. Jim O’Steen said it might be difficult to advertise for just a ¾ time position. Karen Lee suggested that maybe it would widen rather than narrow the pool of candidates, because it would allow the person to be flexible with their time. Dan Pence asked whether, if Markus were extended beyond June, he would do a summer music camp. Sandy Dodson said he has visited the Retreat House but basically is not a camper. John Gipson asked how necessary it is for us to have a music director in place over the summer. Dave Ackerman said music in worship during the summer is usually done by soloists and small groups, and Jim O’Steen stated that someone needs to organize that. Sam Brush, it was noted, has filled in before and done an excellent job. Jim Todhunter said the objective should be to have someone in place by September. Dave asked whether it might be useful to have a conversation with Markus about his availability during the summer; and Leslie said he should also be asked when he would need to know whether he might be asked to extend beyond June. Bud Dennie said he has talked with Markus and found he is available beyond June. Pete Hotchkiss asked whether we really need his services in July and August; and Ruth Prindle and Leslie said we need someone. Ruth commented that maybe it would be good to have a little overlap between Markus and the incoming director. Sam Brush noted that a director coming in the summer has a chance to become familiar with our music library and plan for the coming year. Tim White said he was a little wary of paying for two directors at the same time. Jim Todhunter said not having someone in summer means the staff loses the opportunity to plan together for the coming year. It would be best to have a person early, he said, but it needs to be the right person. John Gipson asked whether anyone wanted to make a motion. Dan Pence said his personal preference would be to extend Markus for a year, but that if we don’t do that, we should aim for a new director by the end of June. Trish commented that extending Markus for a year would seem to defeat the purpose of the visioning process. Dan moved that Markus be extended for one year as music director. Following a second, Bill Prindle said he would favor it if the right candidate doesn’t materialize by June but that it would throw visioning out the window. Leslie commented that we could use the time to more fully develop our music vision and that it might permit the search process to begin earlier next year. Jim Todhunter says prolonging an interim means a lot remains unsettled and there is a danger of the music vision getting muddled. He also asked what happens to the expectations of those who are looking forward to the end of the interim period. Judy Cox said the interim period to her has felt very fleeting and that the questionnaire had come out before we had much chance to experience new music with Markus. Leslie noted we had done a 5-year interim with Dale and Linda and much good had come out of it. Jim commented that we had set those up as long-term interims at the beginning and that it would be different to change the music director’s interim period in mid-stream. Dave Ackerman said he greatly appreciated how Markus has helped the church quickly get over the loss of John Touchton and help us realize a rich music program is still viable but said he opposed the motion because it would leave the music program in an unstable posture. The question was called, and the motion was defeated on a voice vote, with a few abstentions. John Gipson said the goal is to find someone by June on a ¾ time basis and asked what else was needed. Sam asked whether the search committee had been given any resources, and Dave Ackerman said the budget for this year allocated $5000. Karen Lee noted that the Personnel Committee has put a lot of effort into developing job descriptions and personnel procedures and that the search committee should take advantage of them. John Gipson said that some on the Council had noted the absence of an explicit authorization for the appointment of a search committee and invited a motion to that effect. Dave Ackerman moved that the Moderator be authorized to appoint a search committee to seek a ¾ time music director. Following a second, the motion was approved unanimously. John noted that the hour was late and suggested that the rest of the agenda be postponed until the next meeting. Tim White called the Council’s attention to the official welcome for Dianne Abraham that will occur on February 19. John adjourned the meeting at 9:54 p.m. Respectfully submitted, |
| EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MINUTES
March 6, 2006 Present: Ruth Prindle, Rev. Jim Todhunter, Rev. Sandy Dodson, Tim
White, Bill Prindle, Leslie Weyn, Trish Esposito, Bud Dennie, Doris
Raber, Winifred Roberts, Dan Pence, Sue Dollins, Judy Cox, Stevan
Fisher, Dave Ackerman Moderator-elect Ruth Prindle convened the meeting at 7:36 p.m. After a moment of silence, the Council accepted the proposed agenda and, on a motion by Bud Dennie, approved without change the minutes for February. Updates Budget Visioning -- Tim White reported that 30 people had attended the March 4 Visioning Day follow-up session and described the session as "good." Recalling that the purpose of the process is to foster a positive view of the church’s finances and budget, he said that presentations had been made on numerous subjects, including ministry to seniors, Called to Care, retreat house needs, Y-GELI, and the music director search process. Jim Todhunter commented that the priority-setting process used had shown tremendous support for the Y-GELI program and CCC’s ministry to seniors as well as support for enrolling CCC in Action-in-Montgomery. In response to a question by Ruth about next steps, Tim said that the Board of Trustees will publicize some preliminary budget numbers in a town meeting on April 23, prior to stewardship pledging, and that the Board and the Budget Visioning Committee will host a meeting to help the trustees set priorities in the budget on June 3 after the stewardship results are known. Ruth reminded the boards that their budget submissions are due to the trustees by April 2.Stewardship -- Bill Prindle added that the priority-setting process on March 4 had shown strong support, on one axis, for building and mission related projects and, on a second axis, for senior adult and youth related activities. The March 4 exercise on whether the pledge card should have 1 line, 2 lines, or 3 lines, he reported, had shown a 3:1 majority in favor of a two-line form. He reminded the Council that the Board of Stewardship will host a "Just Desserts" event on April 2 after the 10:30 worship service and, in response to a question by Dan Pence, said the 9:00 worship folk will be included "somehow." He said, in response to Sue Dollins, that the Board has settled on a design for the pledge card. Trustees – Tim White, on behalf of Tom Ault, reported a contractor has estimated that CCC’s roof will need to be replaced in 3-5 years at a possible cost (including adding insulation to the sanctuary roof) of $150,000 and that we need to begin setting funds aside now for that eventuality. He noted the following significant budget dates:
Tim said there will be a special recognition event on March 19 to honor Dick Meyer and Jackie Walters for their service as Church Administrators. Music Search Committee – Sandy Dodson reported that the committee had received more than a dozen applications with a wide range of qualifications. She said the committee has begun doing phone interviews and hopes to make a recommendation later in the spring. Following the distribution of the Music Visioning Committee’s report (attached), Sandy said, in response to a question by Dave Ackerman, that the report has been helpful to the search committee, especially regarding the diversity of musical possibilities and the desire for expertise with both youth and adults. Weather policy – Jim Todhunter, noting that worship had been cancelled due to the snow on February 12, distributed copies of a revised "Weather Emergency Policy." Ruth noted that some of our members had failed to call the event line or listen to WTOP and did not know of the cancellation. Dan Pence moved the adoption of the revised policy and, following a second by Sue Dolllins, the Council approved unanimously. Open and Affirming Committee – Sandy Dodson called attention to a recent bulletin insert and to CCC’s web site describing the O & A Committee’s functions and activities. She said the committee is now focused on the marriage equality resolution adopted by the UCC and the possible constitutional amendment in the Maryland legislature. Sandy noted that a number of congregations have left the UCC because of the resolution and termed their departure "painful." O & A, she said, is trying to create "living room discussions" on the subject. She stated that O & A may bring a resolution to CCC’s annual meeting calling on us to take an advocacy role in the marriage debate. Anti-Racism Resolution Delilah Marrow distributed copies of a resolution to be proposed at CCC’s annual meeting entitled "Proposed Resolution for CCC – Becoming an Anti-Racist Church" (attached) and recalled the numerous steps that have preceded the proposal – the first workshop in May, 2004; an anti-racism audit of CCC between July and December, 2004; a mission moment in January, 2005; participation in the Visioning Days in 2005; joint training in anti-racism with IMPACT of Silver Spring; numerous pot-luck meetings and study sessions in the fall of 2005; etc. The effort, she said, has been to build a "community of practice." Jim Henkelman-Bahn commented that the intent of the proposed resolution is to help move CCC toward becoming a multi-racial, multi-cultural church and said that, for him, the effort has been a calling. Jim Todhunter stated that the resolution would align CCC with what the CAC has already done. In response to a request for every person’s reaction, virtually everyone praised the committee’s work. Trish wondered about the practical implications of the resolution. Sandy noted the difficulty of actually implementing it. Delilah said she hoped the church would take ownership of the policy. Stevan Fisher asked who would develop action plans to implement the resolution. Tim White suggested we should welcome the possible discomfort implementing the resolution might create. Bill Prindle and Jim Todhunter expressed curiosity about where the sparks will fly. Jim Henkelman-Bahn said a lot of the concrete elements of the resolution came out of the church audit done in 2004. He encouraged the music director search committee to be aware of the policy and of the need to shift CCC’s predominantly white identity. He said the committee will ask the Executive Council to vote on the resolution in May. Communications Judy Cox posted a number of charts re-conceptualizing the goals and tasks of the Communications Officer and the still-to-be-formed Communications Committee in the church. Steps toward improving communications, she said, include the following:
Judy invited feedback on the communications needs of the church and strategies for dealing with them. Assisted Suicide Ruth Prindle distributed an article by Bill Neal on assisted suicide (attached). Winifred Roberts noted that Bill had proposed that the Potomac Association adopt a policy on the subject, and it was suggested that he come to his local church first. Ruth said the Council will take the subject up next month. Board Meeting Dates Jim Todhunter noted that holidays in January and February regularly require board meetings to be re-scheduled, and he said the staff is wondering if it might be better to have the boards meet on the second Monday of each month rather than the third Monday. Winifred Roberts said that would create problems for the meeting schedule of her Simplicity Circle. Dave Ackerman noted such a schedule would create a conflict with the Executive Council in September, because the Council usually chooses not to meet on Labor Day but on the second Monday instead. Annual Meeting Ruth raised a question about whether we should have lunch in conjunction with the annual meeting. Trish suggested that we need to think about how we should structure the meeting in order to ensure a broad presence for major discussions. Ruth said we will revisit the issue next month. Earth Day Winifred reported that Earth Day is set for May 7 and asked for suggestions of additional vendors who might be willing to be present. Ruth adjourned the meeting at 9:38 p.m. Respectfully submitted, |
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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MINUTES April 3, 2006 Present: John Gipson, Ruth Prindle, Rev.
Jim Todhunter, Rev. Sandy Dodson, Pete Hotchkiss, Bud Dennie, Trish
Esposito, Jim O’Steen, Bill Prindle, Leslie Weyn, Judy Cox, Tom
Ault, Sue Dollins, Karen Lee, Dave Ackerman Moderator John Gipson called the meeting to order at 7:37 p.m. Following a time of sharing, the Council, on a motion by Leslie Weyn, approved the minutes for the March meeting with one correction. Board of Outreach and Engagement Trish Esposito reported that the permanent sign on Colesville Road is being modified to make it more readable by passing traffic and that the structure holding the banner announcing the Easter service schedule is temporary. She also reported that a new UCC commercial began airing today and that the board is a little nervous about a new wave of visitors being attracted to CCC because it is already tracking a lengthy list of visitors. She said O & E has developed a survey to send to 25 long-time attendees who have not joined to explore the reasons why. Finally, Trish noted that CCC now has 703 members. Fundraising Activities at CCC Tom Ault presented a proposed policy (attached) from the Board of Trustees regarding the process of approving fundraising activities at CCC outside the unified budget. Recalling the church’s long commitment to a unified budget, Tom noted that the Constitution had been amended in 1997 to allow the Executive Council to approve special fundraising activities outside the unified budget and that the Council had done so on four occasions since then. But, he said, the Council has not always been clear about the parameters of its authorizations, and recently there has been some confusion concerning fundraising for the Y-GELI program. To bring clarity and consistency to the matter, he said, the Board of Trustees recommended that the Council: (1) exercise its approval authority sparingly and balance requests against the need to preserve the unified budget; (2) specify the parameters of its authorizations, particularly with respect to the duration and nature of permitted activities; (3) be vigilant in monitoring adherence to the specified parameters; (4) review annually its past authorizations to determine whether any changes are needed; and (5) review current fundraising activities by Y-GELI and provide appropriate guidance. Trish Esposito suggested that the boards might be asked to include anticipated fundraising activities in their budget requests each year. Ruth Prindle noted that fundraising activities often result from board requests not being fully funded. Trish agreed but noted that in some cases, such as Y-GELI, they are known ahead of time. Dave Ackerman asked who would be responsible for ensuring annual Council review of its fundraising authorizations. Tom replied that the Board of Trustees would do so. Tom moved that the Council adopt the five recommendations (summarized above) contained in the document “Recommended Policy: Fundraising Activities at CCC.” Following a second and brief discussion, the Council approved the motion unanimously. Tom specifically thanked Toko Ackerman for her work on the document. Physician Assistance in Dying Bill Neal said that he had come to ask for the Council’s endorsement of a resolution supporting physician assistance in dying (attached) so that it could be presented to the Potomac Association in May, then to the Central Atlantic Conference in June, and finally to the UCC General Synod in 2007. Physician assistance in dying, he noted, is not euthanasia. In the former, he said, a doctor writes a prescription but it is up to the patient to do the deed; in the latter, in contrast, the doctor brings about a person’s death. Bill stated that the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland have adopted policies permitting physician assistance in dying, as has Oregon; and studies show it is used very carefully. Bill said Vermont and California are now considering the matter. He stressed the shortness of the time available if this matter is to be brought before the General Synod in 2007. Jim Todhunter noted that neither the UCC nor the CAC has done much on this subject in the past. Gordon Forbes said the resolution would carry more weight if it were approved by the whole congregation but suggested that might not be possible here. He further noted that on occasion the General Synod has received and acted upon resolutions that have not been recommended by conferences but have come from local congregations acting in partnership, though this is a less desirable procedure. In response to a question by Pete Hotchkiss, he said the next opportunity after 2007 for the General Synod to consider the matter would be 2009. Tom Ault said this is a complex, wrenching issue and that he would like to see the congregation extensively involved in considering the matter rather than have the Council take action now. Bill Prindle agreed and said adopting the resolution now would be a paper exercise. Jim O’Steen said he leaned in support of the resolution but that we should have a congregational dialogue on it first. John Gipson said he perceived a consensus to be emerging and suggested that an ad hoc committee might work with Bill to devise a procedure for congregational involvement. Bill said he had a paper that would be helpful and that he would be happy to attend meetings and answer questions; but, he stated, time limitations prevented more extensive involvement. In response to a question by Tom Ault, Bill said he had approached the Board for Social Witness but had been told the board was already overloaded. Judy Cox said the important thing was a dialogue in the congregation, not a vote. Jim O’Steen stressed that the emphasis should be on dialogue and feedback and that a vote should only come later. Pete Hotchkiss asked what would happen to such a resolution at the General Synod. Gordon Forbes said the Synod would receive it, distribute it to delegates, debate it, and vote on it. If adopted, the Synod would then recommend it to UCC churches for their consideration. Pete then asked what would give the resolution sufficient weight to be seriously considered. Gordon said prior endorsement by the Potomac Association and the Central Atlantic Conference would be best. John Gipson suggested that we had a consensus that the Council not vote on the matter now but was uncertain whether the Council needed to take any other formal action. Several people commented that what is needed is an opportunity for the congregation to discuss and process the issue and that the resolution would carry more weight if the congregation endorses it. Gordon said timing is critical for consideration of the matter by the Association and Conference, though he noted that, as a weaker alternative, individuals can propose resolutions to these bodies. Bill Prindle stated that unless someone is willing to push the process, nothing will happen. Bill Neal said that he will write a letter to the Potomac Association proposing that it consider the resolution. Tom Ault moved that the Council ask the Board for Social Witness whether some kind of educational process for CCC is warranted on the issue of physician assistance in dying. Following a second, the Council approved the motion, with one objection and one abstention. Music Director Search Committee Jim O’Steen, chair of the Music Director Search Committee, distributed a status report on the search process (attached) and summarized the committee’s activities. He reported that the committee has received 29 applications, conducted phone interviews with 12 applicants, and narrowed the search to 6 candidates. The committee now plans to interview the local applicants in person and do additional phone interviews with those who are out of town. He said the committee hopes to narrow the field to 3 or 4 candidates and then bring them in to interact with the chancel choir and the youth choir in late April and early May. Jim asked for guidance on whether the committee should do a criminal background check once it selects a candidate to recommend. Karen Lee commented that is routinely done with clergy and said it is inexpensive but a multi-state review can take a long time. Other Council members agreed it should be done. Senior Adults Ministry Task Force Ruth Prindle, co-chair of the Senior Adults Ministry Task Force, moved that the Council accept the report of the Task Force and endorse its recommendations. Following a second, Dave Ackerman, the other co-chair, thanked the Council for its previous comments on the draft report and summarized the eight recommendations in the final report (attached). The first two recommendations, Dave said, reaffirm the value of the church’s ministry to seniors and urge CCC to continue to aspire to restoring the position to half time. But, he stated, that aspiration is expressed in full recognition, as stated in Recommendation 8, that CCC will be able to do so only if our giving in the upcoming stewardship campaign proves to be sufficiently generous. That latter message, Dave said, is one the task force has carried to the senior community at CCC; and he expressed the belief that this need is more fully understood now than formerly. Recommendations 3-6 in the report, Dave observed, all reflect the willingness of persons in the congregation to step forward and offer their services. Thus, he said, Recommendation 6 notes that Kris Glasco has offered to lead life review classes under Medicare and other insurance programs and suggests that the new Director for Senior Programming explore this offer to see if it is viable. With respect to Recommendation 5, which calls on the Called to Care program to find ways to reach out more to seniors who may be isolated from the congregation, Dave noted that Claudia Tornbloom has volunteered to organize such an outreach effort and that a committee to coordinate the effort through the Called to Care program is now being created. Recommendations 3 and 4, he said, grew out of the need created by the resignation of the Rev. Julia Jarvis as Director of Senior Programming and build on the fact that a person in the congregation has expressed strong interest in the position. Jim has met with this person, as has the task force, Dave stated; and these meetings gave the task force confidence that a quick search within the congregation to hire a person by the end of April to use whatever portion of the ten hours a week not used by Julia in May and June and, hopefully, to continue with expanded hours in the next fiscal year could be successful. He noted that, although the church has been fortunate to have had two ordained ministers occupy the position of Director of Senior Programming, ordination has never been considered an essential qualification. The task force recommended, he said, that it not be a qualification now. Dave noted that to help facilitate the search process, the task force had appended a draft job description to its report. Finally, Dave said that Recommendation 7, which suggests that some of the logistics for the program can be handled by lay volunteers and the Program Support Coordinator, is essentially a housekeeping recommendation and reflects Susan Gray’s expressed willingness to help out. Jim Todhunter commented that Kris Glasco now has expressed a willingness to lead life review groups without charge. Karen Lee expressed reluctance to bring someone on board who is not an ordained minister. Jim Todhunter said having a minister in the position sometimes has caused him to involve them in worship services and other ministerial activities that has cut into the hours they devote to senior programming. Tom Ault noted that Dave had informed him of the task force’s recommendation regarding a quick search for a new Director for Senior Programming just before the Board of Trustees’ last meeting and that in discussing the matter some members of the board had expressed a reluctance to bring someone on board before the results of the stewardship campaign are known. Dave reiterated that any person hired would need to know that his/her hours in the next fiscal year will be wholly dependent on what funding proves to be available but that there is value in having a new person overlap with Julia during the last two months of this fiscal year. After further discussion about the nature of the position, Tom Ault asked that Recommendation 6 concerning Kris Glasco be modified to reflect her current offer and that Recommendation 3 on the search process not be accepted until the trustees further consider the matter. Ruth Prindle suggested altering Recommendation 6 as follows:
Further discussion of Recommendation 3 eventually led Dave to suggest modifying the wording as follows:
Tom proposed these changes as an amendment to the motion and asked for its adoption. Following a second, the Council accepted the amendment and then approved the main motion, as amended. Board and Council Meetings in June John Gipson announced that in June, the boards will meet on June 12, the day after the Annual Meeting, and the Council will meet on June 19. The purpose, he said, is to enable the new boards and Council to organize themselves and get off to a quick start. Stewardship John said that one idea that has come up about promoting the stewardship campaign is to put up a poster where people can sign saying they are doing a half-tithe or increasing their pledge by 33 percent. Trish suggested that could make those who cannot sign feel excluded and that it might be better to promote the idea without attaching names. Tom Ault suggested a thermometer reflecting pledge totals. Dave Ackerman asked whether either was feasible in the short time remaining until pledge Sunday. Bill Prindle expressed some concern about collecting data. Jim Todhunter suggested that maybe the Council and the Board of Stewardship could step forward and say that 100 percent of their members had pledged to do a half-tithe or increase their pledge by 33 percent. Bill said he would take these ideas to the next Board of Stewardship meeting. Town Meeting Dave Ackerman asked who was publicizing the town meeting on April 23 and noted that, because of the lack of publicity, the Open and Affirming Committee had scheduled a film for that day. John Gipson said he would attend to the matter, and Judy Cox said she would write an announcement for the bulletin and for Newsnotes. Several people expressed interest in making short presentations that day – Tom Ault on the budget, Bill Prindle on stewardship, and Jim O’Steen on the music director search process. It was also suggested that Sonia Fisher do a presentation on Y-GELI. John adjourned the meeting at 10:28 p.m. Respectfully submitted, |
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MINUTES May 1, 2006 Present: John Gipson, Ruth Prindle, Rev.
Jim Todhunter, Rev. Sandy Dodson, Sue Dollins, Bill Prindle, Tim
White, Doris Raber, Leslie Weyn, Stevan Fisher, Winifred Roberts,
Jim O’Steen, Karen Lee, Trish Esposito, Judy Cox, Dave Ackerman Moderator John Gipson called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. Following a time of sharing, the minutes for April were approved by voice vote, with one correction, on a motion by Sue Dollins. Short Reports (a) Retreat House – John reported that he is trying to get new people onto the Retreat House Committee and that Rick Sniffin is chairing the Retreat House Visioning Committee. (b) Advance Planning – Jim Todhunter noted that the staff will be having a planning day on May 24 to sketch out the coming year and asked the boards, to the extent possible, to have their meeting dates and events for the year on the church calendar by then. (c) Stewardship – Bill Prindle reported that the number and amount of pledges have been higher so far this year compared to last year at this time. (d) CrossWalk America – Jim said we have been approached by a new ecumenical and progressive organization called CrossWalk America to host participants on Labor Day weekend and distributed an information sheet (attached). Six ministers and laypersons are walking across the nation from Phoenix to Washington, D.C., to promote and encourage dialogue about an inclusive and progressive understanding of Christianity. We would house the group on Labor Day weekend, invite a participant to preach on Sunday, host a luncheon, and then, if we wish, join them in the culminating event at the National Cathedral later that day. (e) Maine Choral Group – Jim reported that a children’s chorus from Maine, on Jean Alexander’s recommendation, would like to do a free concert in our sanctuary on December 1 or 2. We would need to do publicity for the concert but no housing obligations would be involved. (f) Earth Day – Winifred Roberts noted that Sunday, May 7, will celebrate Earth Day. She said that Mike Tidwell, an expert on global warming, will preach and that there will be a fair afterwards. She stated that fair trade coffee will also be for sale. (g) Physician Assistance in Dying – Winifred also reported that the Board for Social Witness has considered the issue of physician assistance in dying several times and has told Bill Neal that it would support an approach that would deal with other related matters as well. No one on the board has volunteered to take on the task as yet, she said, so the board has asked the Senior Adult Committee if anyone might be interested. Anti-Racism InitiativeDelilah Marrow recalled the journey that we have been on regarding the anti-racism initiative and expressed the desire that the whole church would get involved with the effort. Several members noted that a number of things have happened in response. Karen Lee said the Christian Education Board had acted on all of the recommendations that emerged from the audit and had applied a test of inclusiveness to new curricular materials. Tim White reported that the Board of Trustees had advertised in African-American and Hispanic publications in searching for a new Church Administrator. Sandy Dodson noted that anti-racism has been a prominent part of Y-GELI. Bill Prindle observed that the choir has thoroughly enjoyed having Markus Williams as our interim Music Director and appreciated the exchanges with Brinkelow Seventh Day Adventist Church as well. Jim O’Steen said the Music Director Search Committee has been open to diverse candidates. Trish Esposito noted the inclusive welcome now given at the beginning of every worship service and the presentation of the Lord’s Prayer in different languages. Jim Henkelman-Bahn then distributed an uncorrected version of the Anti-Racism Resolution (attached) and asked for comments. He noted, in particular, that some questions have been raised about the references to white domination in lines 32-34. Karen Lee said the emphasis needs to be on creating opportunities for equality and asked whether the reference to affirmative action in line 54 does that. Jim O’Steen and Winifred Roberts said it does. Jim O’Steen expressed concern that lines 32-34 focus too narrowly on whites and do not reflect the complexity of the relationships and conflicts between the African-American and Hispanic and Asian communities. Jim Henkelman-Bahn responded that some have suggested that the issue is not race but class; and Jim O’Steen noted statistics suggesting that 5 percent of the population control 80 percent of the nation’s resources. In response to a question by Jim Todhunter about how the resolution differs from the one adopted by the Central Atlantic Conference, Jim Henkelman-Bahn said lines 1-47 are identical and the rest is different. Trish Esposito suggested that the length of the resolution might make it difficult for the congregation to digest and that the Open and Affirming and Just Peace resolutions might provide a useful model. John Gipson concurred. Trish said it would also be helpful for the congregation to know what has already been done. Jim Henkelman-Bahn said perhaps the first part of the statement could be removed from the resolution and converted to a background piece instead. He noted that an open meeting on the resolution will be held on May 21 and said that the guidance committee will have a revised resolution ready for that meeting and for the May meeting of the Board for Social Witness as well. In response to a request for assistance in revising the resolution, Karen Lee said she would help but could not come to the May 9 meeting. John Gipson suggested that the Executive Council might consider and vote on the revised resolution by e-mail. Dave Ackerman suggested that, instead, the Council might wish to have a special meeting on the subject. Scheduling (a) Installation – John reported that discussions with staff had resulted in the idea of having a special installation service for the new and continuing members of the boards on Monday, June 12. Jim noted that we have handled the installation in various ways in the past but that some kind of spiritual celebration seems desirable. The installation, he said, could be followed by orientation on board functions, church office procedures, an overview from the Church Administrator, etc. Ruth Prindle said all boards should come that night. (b) Executive Council Meeting – John said the Council will not meet on the first Monday in June but will meet instead on Monday, June 19. (c) Board Meeting Time – John raised the question of whether board meeting nights ought to be moved from the third Monday to the second Monday of the month due to conflicts that inevitably arise with holidays in January and February and with Christmas in December. Karen Lee said it can be a hardship on families for those who are on boards and the Executive Council to be gone on two consecutive Mondays. Sandy Dodson commented that any conflicts could be dealt with by shifting meetings on an as-needed basis. Trish said meetings on the second Monday would conflict with the meetings of some local civic associations. Ruth Prindle moved that board meetings be moved to the second Monday. Following a second, Dave Ackerman expressed opposition and said any conflicts can be dealt with by advance planning and communication. Judy Cox agreed. Karen Lee reiterated her concern about the impact on families. The motion was defeated on a voice vote. Annual Meeting John Gipson asked whether lunch ought to be provided on June 11. In response to a question by Ruth Prindle about what will be on the agenda, several members said the budget, election of officers, and resolutions on marriage equality and anti-racism. Trish said we would have the best attendance if the worship service is short and we move immediately into the annual meeting. Sue Dollins suggested moving the services up half an hour, but it was noted that the church is shifting to the summer schedule of a single 10:00 a.m. service that Sunday. John said we had a consensus on not serving lunch. Parting Thoughts John noted that this is his last Executive Council meeting as Moderator, said it has been a genuine pleasure to serve, and expressed great appreciation for the wisdom and support of the Council. Several members voiced appreciation for his service as well, and an ovation followed. John adjourned the meeting at 9:17 p.m. Respectfully submitted, |
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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MINUTES June 19, 2006 Present: Ruth Prindle, John Gipson, Rev. Jim Todhunter, Rev. Sandy Dodson, Dianne Abraham, Winifred Roberts, Bud Dennie, Dan Pence, Stevan Fisher, Tim White, Sue Dollins, Cynthia Page, Jim O’Steen, Aldene Ault, Judy Cox, Pete Hotchkiss, Leslie Weyn. Moderator Ruth Prindle called the meeting to order at approximately 7:30 p.m. Following a time for introductions and sharing, the Council approved the minutes for June, as corrected. Board/Committee Reports
Retirement Announcement of Rev. Jim Todhunter Jim Todhunter read a letter that was mailed to friends and members of CCC, in which he announced his plan to retire on September 1, 2007, after 23 years as Senior Minister. Ruth Prindle expressed gratitude to Jim for giving us time to work through this transition and to Gordon Forbes for agreeing to serve as Moderator-elect. She said that she will appoint a search committee in the fall with the charge to find an interim minister. Ruth invited the council to share their reactions to Jim’s announcement. Tim White said that he looks forward to celebrating Jim’s ministry and that he is excited about the opportunities and challenges facing CCC. Judy Cox asked whether Jim has made any plans for his retirement. Jim responded that he has decided not to plan anything for a year. He said that Lois will continue working, so they will be staying in the area. He said that he has many ideas, but no plans for now, other than doing nothing and spending time with family, being a grandfather. Aldene Ault said that she was happy for Jim. She said she knew the time for Jim’s retirement would be coming, but she had hoped that it wouldn’t be so soon. Sue Dollins said that we are going to miss Jim, and that she appreciated the fact that Jim had given us notice of his plans with such a long lead time. Jim Todhunter said he sees his work over the next 14 months as being to transition out of his role as senior minister. He then described the typical transition process followed in UCC churches calling a new senior minister. He noted that CCC has had only three senior ministers in its entire history: Rev. McClellan served for 17 years, Rev. Marsden served for 23 years, and Rev. Todhunter will have served 23 years when he retires. Jim explained that it is particularly important after a long pastorate ends for there to be an interim period of one to two years. During the interim period, the church will conduct a nationwide search for the next senior minister. The conference and association ministers, Rev. John Deckenback and Rev. Kwame Osei Reed will participate in the search process, they will also help with the process of finding an interim. Jim said that, while the interim time is a vulnerable one for congregations, it also offers a tremendous opportunity to discern what CCC’s mission will be for the next phase of our history. Jim sees his retirement as ending the phase of our re-entry into our renovated building, and the interim period as giving us the chance to reflect on what’s next. Jim recommended that CCC consider hiring Roy Oswalt of the Alban Institute as a consultant to advise us on the transition process. He reminded the council that Roy has worked with CCC at various key points in our recent history. Roy helped us with the process of becoming a multi-staff church. He worked with us during the Rev. Joey Noble’s illness, and helped us conceptualize and implement the five-year interim mininstries of Rev. Linda Carder and Rev. Dale Ostrander, after Joey’s death. Roy can offer CCC a “closure consultation,” which would assist us with the tasks of searching for an interim, planning and managing Jim’s transition to retirement, and with strategic planning for CCC’s future ministry. Strategic planning is needed, Jim said, so that CCC will be clear about our goals and mission, because these factors will help us to clarify who we are looking for in an interim and in the next senior minister. Jim said that Roy is available to meet with the CCC leadership on June 26 to give a presentation on what such a “closure consultation” would involve. It was discussed and agreed that members of the Executive Council, Trustees, and Personnel Committee would meet with Roy Oswalt on June 26, 2006 at 7:30. Dan Pence said he hoped that John Deckenback and Kwame Osei Reed would not be retiring in the near future. Jim Todhunter said that, as far as he knows, neither plans to retire, but that they will need our prayers. In addition to Jim’s retirement, a number of long pastorates in the Potomac Association will be ending. Rev. Tony Stanley of People’s Congregational UCC, Rev. John Mack of First Church, and Rev. Chuck Wildman of Rock Springs have all announced their retirements. Jim Todhunter said that John Deckenback and Kwame Osei Reed will be at CCC on July 16, 2006, for the CCC town hall meeting that is planned for that date. Rev. Sandy Dodson noted that July 16 will also be Nae Pearson’s first Sunday as CCC’s new Music Director. After discussion, the council decided that it would meet on July 10, 2006, to discuss Roy Oswalt’s presentation. The council also discussed dates for a fall retreat. Sue Dollins moved that the Executive Council Retreat be scheduled for September 8-9, 2006, at the Retreat House. The motion was approved without objection. Sandy Dodson shared some of her feelings about Jim’s announcement. She spoke of her feeling of being in sacred space–this space, CCC. She said that God holds us and has given us sacred space to hold. Holding this space involves both joy and pain, she said. Sandy said that Jim’s announcement leaves her feeling humble about how much she doesn’t know. She sees Jim as the embodiment of the mantle of clergy, and she can’t imagine taking up that mantle. She feels like the child Samuel being called by God. But, she said, she and each of us can “just show up” and know that we are held in sacred space. Sandy led the council in prayer to close the meeting. Ruth adjourned the meeting at approximately 8:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, |
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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MINUTES July 10, 2006 Present: Ruth Prindle, Rev. Gordon Forbes, Rev. Sandy Dodson, Bud Dennie, Dan Pence, Stevan Fisher, Doris Raber, Toko Ackerman (for Trustees), Pete Hotchkiss, Sue Dollins, Cynthia Page, Jim O’Steen, Aldene Ault, Judy Cox, Leslie Weyn. Guest: Alison Petersen (Stewardship). Moderator Ruth Prindle called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. She opened the meeting with a time for introductions and sharing. Y-GELI Trip to the Gulf Coast Rev. Sandy Dodson, just back from New Orleans, reported on what she called a “transformative” trip. She thanked CCC for giving staff and youth the opportunity to experience lessons in service, faith, and life. She thanked the CCC “village” of volunteers who helped to care for Jaime while Sandy was traveling. Six CCC youth, two youth from Little River UCC, and two youth from Heritage UCC, along with adult leaders, including Sonja Fisher and Sandy Dodson from CCC, traveled to New Orleans as part of a year-long focus on the topic of racism. The local Y-Geli group was joined by two South African students and by Adora Lee, a UCC Missionary who has been working in South Africa. Sandy said that the visit to the deep south allowed the participants to gain a perspective on the history of racism, as well as how racism continues to manifest. One such manifestation is in the continuing aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Y-Geli participants were hosted by a UCC church that was drastically affected by the hurricane. Sandy described that congregation as true “Easter People,” who have continued to move forward in faith and hope. The participants visited New Orleans’ Ninth Ward, where over 80 % of homes had been affected by the hurricane. Sandy reported that the scars are still very apparent. The piles of refuse are not as high as they were, but there are still piles. On July 4, participants wore their “God is still speaking” T-shirts. Sandy said that many locals seemed to recognize the UCC slogan and it sparked many conversations and much sharing, including expressions of thanks as well as feelings of abandonment. Sandy said that the opportunity to do “therapeutic listening” convinced her that God indeed is still speaking. The Y-Geli group also visited Biloxi, Mississippi. They sailed on a shrimp boat that is now being used for education. By sailing along the coastline, they were able to witness the devastation from a different perspective. They also learned about sugar cane plantations and sharecropping, giving them additional insight into the connections between racism and economics. Sandy said that later on in the summer, the youth will lead a service in which they will reflect on their experiences. Minutes The Council approved the minutes for June 19, 2006, as corrected. Anne Weissenborn reminded board and committee representatives that copies of their minutes are to be kept on file in the office. Anne noted that there are many months for which no minutes are on file, and asked that representatives contact the office to see which minutes need to be filed. Board/Committee Reports
Roy Oswald Strategic Planning Proposal Ruth Prindle reviewed Roy Oswald’s proposal to lead CCC through a strategic planning process to deal with the transition occasioned by Jim Todhunter’s retirement and to discern CCC’s goals and mission for the interim and search processes to follow. A copy of the proposal is attached to these minutes. Gordon Forbes described that the transition will require the formation of at least four committees: 1) a Transitions Committee, 2) a Strategic Planning Task Force, 3) a search committee for an interim minister, 4) a search committee for a new senior minister. The role of the transition committee is to oversee the work of the other committees. The transition committee acts in a guidance capacity–its role is advisory only, it does not have any decision-making authority. The whole process will take about two years to complete. Gordon noted that it is recommended that an interim period be one month in length for every year of the ministry that preceded it. In the case of Jim Todhunter’s 23-year ministry at CCC, that would mean an interim of 23 months. Ruth clarified that she understood this to mean 23 months from this fall, when we begin the transition process. Council members engaged in a wide-ranging and intense discussion of Roy Oswald’s proposal. The discussion raised the following concerns:
Sue Dollins moved that CCC hire Roy Oswald to facilitate three weekends of closure consultation and strategic planning for $9,000, and to charge the Trustees to find the necessary funds. After a second, discussion of the motion followed. Alison Petersen asked whether Roy Oswald had been vetted. Ruth Prindle said she had discussed hiring Roy with Rev. John Deckenback, our Central Atlantic Conference Minister, and Rev. Kwame Osei Reed, our Potomac Association Minister and that they had recommended Roy. She stated that Jim Henkelman-Bahn and Jackie Bahn-Henkelman of our congregation, who have great expertise in organizational development, had reviewed Roy’s proposal and found it to be sound. Gordon Forbes said that Alban Institute, with which Roy was formerly associated, is well known as a leading organization in the field. Anne Weissenborn said that her concern was where the $9,000 to pay for the contract would come from. She felt that it was inappropriate to spend such a large amount considering how much had been cut from CCC’s mission giving. Cynthia Page moved an amendment to the motion, which Sue Dollins accepted as friendly: Moved that we contract with Roy Oswald to lead and consult with CCC for the approximate time proposed, but with scheduling of meetings and activities to be determined by the Strategic Planning Committee and Roy Oswald, for up to $9,000, and to charge the Trustees to find the necessary funds. After some further discussion, the motion, as amended, was approved with twelve votes in favor and three abstentions. Judy Cox moved that the Executive Council authorize Ruth Prindle and Gordon Forbes to begin assembling committee members for the various committees envisioned for the transition process. After a second, the motion was approved without objection. There was discussion of the fact that the dates planned for the Executive Council retreat conflict with the Chancel Choir retreat. Ruth Prindle said that the dates (September 8-9, 2006) were selected because Jim Todhunter was available that weekend, but not again until the end of September, and it was felt that we could not wait so long in light of all the work to be done on the transition. Ruth said that the council retreat likely would not be held at the retreat house and that she would explore scheduling with Nae Pearson to try to minimize the conflict with the choir retreat. Stevan Fisher moved that we recognize that, implicit in the instruction to contract with Roy Oswald is the understanding that negotiation of our concerns would take place and be resolved before any contract is entered. After a second, the motion was approved without objection. Ruth Prindle said that she and Tim White (chair of Trustees) will write a formal letter accepting Jim Todhunter’s resignation. Rev. Gordon Forbes led a closing prayer. Ruth Prindle adjourned the meeting at approximately 9:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, |
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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MINUTES August 7, 2006 Present: Ruth Prindle, Rev. Gordon Forbes, Rev. Jim Todhunter, Rev. Sandy Dodson, Judy Cox, Bud Dennie, Sue Dollins, Trish Esposito, Stevan Fisher, John Gipson, Kathie McConnell, Jim O’Steen, Cynthia Page, Nae Pearson, Dan Pence, Doris Raber, Kate Rogers, Anne Weissenborn, Leslie Weyn, Tim White. Moderator Ruth Prindle called the meeting to order at 7:38 p.m. She opened the meeting with silent meditation, welcome, and introductions. Minutes The Council approved the minutes for July 10, 2006, as presented. Strategic Planning Update Ruth Prindle presented a schedule for the strategic planning events for the fall (handout attached). She announced that the following individuals have agreed to serve on the Transition Committee: Bob Brown, Sue Dollins, Shirley Coll, Mable Elliott, and Bill Prindle. Anne Weissenborn moved that the Executive Council approve the appointment of those individuals to the Transition Committee. The motion was approved without objection. The function of the Transition Committee is to provide guidance throughout the period of Rev. Jim Todhunter’s leavetaking, the interim ministry, and the search for and eventual call of a new senior minister. Roy Oswald will provide training for the committee members. Ruth said she is also moving forward with contacting candidates to fill the Strategic Planning Task Force, which will be tasked with leading the strategic planning effort that will prepare CCC for the interim period and search for a new senior minister. Moderator-elect “In Waiting” Rev. Gordon Forbes announced that Trish Esposito has agreed to become Moderator-elect when Gordon becomes Moderator next year. Because of the importance of continuity in leadership during this transition period, Ruth and Gordon, along with Rev. Jim Todhunter and Rev. Sandy Dodson, felt that it would be wise to identify the next Moderator-elect now. Trish will participate in monthly leadership meetings with Ruth, Gordon, Jim, and Sandy. She will also participate in Executive Council meetings as she is able. Trish had already agreed to serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee before being asked to serve as the next Moderator-elect. She will continue as Nominating Chair for the remainder of the 2006-07 Church year. Board/Committee Reports
Information on Schedule for September 9-10 Ruth Prindle acknowledged that the weekend of September 9-10 is extremely full. Nae Pearson announced that the Chancel Choir Retreat would be held September 8-9, at CCC. He said that the goals for the retreat are to sing a lot, pray a lot, and maybe dance. Ruth Prindle regretted that the Choir Retreat would conflict with the first day-long strategic planning meeting with Roy Oswald. She said that those who are Executive Council members as well as Choir members could follow their hearts in deciding which event to attend. Rev. Sandy Dodson reported that the fall worship calendar will begin on September 10. On that Sunday, CCC will offer worship services at 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. and will begin offering a new worship service at 5:00 p.m. Sandy said that the 5:00 p.m. service will focus on families and children, though it will not be a youth service. The 5:00 p.m. service will explore contemporary worship styles, looking for different ways to pray and praise God. A planning committee made up of adults and teens, as well as representatives of the Board of Deacons and the Board for Outreach and Engagement, have been working with Sandy and Nae Pearson to plan the new service. Additionally, Sandy reported, youth programs will begin on September 10. Youth Ensemble will meet at 4:00 p.m. That will be followed by the new worship service at 5:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. At 5:45 p.m. there will be an all-church pot-luck supper in the Social Hall. After supper, at 6:30, adults will attend the Historical Reflection meeting, the first step in the strategic visioning process. At the same time, the Sunday evening Youth classes will meet, and child care will be provided for younger children. In response to a question from Rev. Gordon Forbes, Sandy said she would explore whether there is a way for teens to participate in the historical reflection and visioning processes. Child Care Kathie McConnell reported that the Board For Christian Education needs assistance with child care from other constituencies within CCC. The CE Board would like to be part of a team effort to deal with this issue. However, the CE Board does not feel it should have total responsibility for child care, since child care is not solely a CE issue. Kathie said that CE suggested several possible approaches to dealing with child care: 1) the board, committee, or other group that calls a meeting would be responsible to arrange child care for the meeting; 2) a cooperative approach, modeled on the Parents Night Out program, could be developed; 3) an attempt could be made to encourage CCC Youth to donate time to child care as part of their stewardship of CCC; 4) CE could work with others to develop a list of willing child care providers who could be contacted by event organizers. Bud Dennie, who served as Chair of the Child Care Committee in the past, provided some historical perspective on this issue. He reminded the Council that child care was identified as an issue needing attention during CCC’s self-study in the mid-1990’s. As a result of the self-study, provision was made in CCC’s Constitution for a Child Care Committee. Another recommendation coming from the self-study was that CCC fund a paid position for Child Care Coordinator. Such a position was funded briefly, but is not funded currently, due to budget constraints. Similarly, the Child Care Committee was staffed previously, but currently has no active members. Discussion of the issue followed. Ruth Prindle said that child care would be especially important to ensuring that young families are able to participate in the upcoming Strategic Planning efforts. Judy Cox said she favors the co-op approach. Ruth wondered whether it would be possible to get a group of parents with young children together to discuss their needs and suggestions for child care. John Gipson suggested that special events for children, along the lines of Parents’ Night Out, be planned to take place concurrently with the Strategic Planning meetings, so that parents would feel there was something worthwhile for the children to do and children would look forward to coming. Nae Pearson described the experience of his former church with hiring a paid child-care provider. He said that the church reaped many benefits from this approach. Trish Esposito reminded the Council that even if child care is addressed, this may not sufficiently address the needs of families with school-age children, because they have many competing demands on their time, such as sports. Rev. Gordon Forbes said that providing child care is a matter of church growth: if we fail to provide child care, we are not going to get young families to join CCC. If we do provide child care, Gordon said, it has to be good. Bud Dennie wondered whether the Child Care Committee should be reactivated. Rev. Jim Todhunter said that it will be important to address child care as an issue in the Strategic Planning process. He said it is apparent that CCC has norms about how child care is handled. He recommended that those organizing the Strategic Planning efforts recruit representative families to participate. John Gipson concurred and said that such families should be identified and invited personally to participate. Judy Cox said that we need to confront child care needs both on an immediate basis, and as part of our long-term planning. Rev. Sandy Dodson volunteered that she and Susan Gray would send an e-mail inquiry to young families asking about their child-care needs. Ruth Prindle summed up that Sandy, Susan, and Judy would identify and invite young families to participate in the Strategic Planning process; Ruth, Gordon, and Sandy will consult with Roy Oswald about including teens in the events of September 10; and Ruth will arrange for child care for September 10. Senior Silent Auction Ruth Prindle reported that the Senior Adult Committee proposed to hold a silent auction on Saturday, November 11, 2006, at CCC. She noted that special fund-raising efforts need approval of the Executive Council. Doris Raber moved that the Council approve the proposal of the Senior Adult Committee to hold a silent auction on November 11, 2006, with the proceeds to be designated for the building fund and/or repair of the church roof. The motion was approved without objection. Y-Geli Participation Ending Rev. Sandy Dodson reported that this will be the last summer for CCC to participate in the Y-Geli program. CCC has participated in this partnership with Heritage UCC and Little River UCC since 2003. While the program has been very successful, Sandy and the adult leaders have come to the conclusion that this model does not work as well for CCC as other models might. CCC has encountered administrative difficulties in partnering with other congregations. Sandy said that CCC wants to continue to offer youth programs with a global focus, but to do so in a different way. Some possible alternatives that are under consideration include working with Richard Jaeggi’s Ghandi Brigade, Habitat for Humanity, the National UCC, or developing an outreach program to Central America. Sandy also held open the possibility of partnering with other congregations on an event-by-event basis. Several Council members expressed surprise about this announcement. Cynthia Page stated that she was disappointed with the process that led to this decision. She felt that withdrawing from Y-Geli should have been a Congregational decision, but that there had been no opportunity for Congregational input on the decision. Although she is a parent of a Y-Geli participant, Cynthia said she only found out about the decision after the fact. Anne Weissenborn expressed concern that by ending the Y-Geli program, CCC risked losing the opportunity for our youth to participate in a multi-cultural, multi-racial program. She suggested that CCC continue to seek such opportunities for youth, perhaps by partnering with Peoples Congregational UCC or Shaw Community Ministries. Rev. Jim Todhunter endorsed the need for CCC to continue to seek opportunities for multicultural programs, but he also acknowledged that it is difficult to sustain programs with other congregations. Sandy emphasized that Y-Geli is not synonymous with CCC’s Youth Ministry. Instead, it has been an aspect of that ministry. Roughly 50 young people participate in CCC’s Sunday Youth programs, while only 10 participate in Y-Geli. Ruth Prindle stated that CCC needs to have closure with the Y-Geli program before we move on. Judy Cox stressed the importance of communicating a positive message about the ending of the program: Y-Geli was a success, and now it is time to grow in a new direction. Sandy said that the worship service on August 27 will be a Youth service that will celebrate Y-Geli. Judy and Ruth expressed that it was important that information about the August 27 service and the ending of Y-Geli be included in the next NewsNotes. Council and Board Meeting Dates Ruth Prindle distributed a handout with the proposed dates for Executive Council and Board Meetings for the 2006-07 Church year. Leslie Weyn raised a question about whether there would be a need for an Executive Council Meeting on September 11, 2006, since the Council would be meeting with Roy Oswald and other CCC leadership on September 9. Ruth said that there would not be time for a business meeting as part of the September 9 meeting. Rev. Jim Todhunter reminded Council members to consult the official Church calendar online for updates. Meeting Evaluation Ruth Prindle said that she would like to institute an evaluation at the end of Executive Council meetings to receive feedback on what is working and what isn’t. There was some discussion of the desirability of having a time-keeper alert the Moderator when discussion exceeds the allotted time. Anne Weissenborn said the feeling of being “on the clock” made her uncomfortable, but Judy Cox, Kate Rogers, Leslie Weyn, and Nae Pearson said that they felt that keeping time was generally helpful. Jim O’Steen said that he believed that it would be helpful to structure Council meetings in a disciplined way, so that in discussing a topic factual information, or data collection, should come first, and then an opportunity to discuss feelings. He also recommended that when an individual or board requests time on the agenda, they should indicate what action is desired with regard to the item. Tim White commended Ruth Prindle for taking time to sum up the discussion at several points. He also appreciated that members were willing to take the risk of saying what needed to be said. Rev. Sandy Dodson concurred, saying that the Council needs to be a safe place where all feel they are a valued part of the team. Ruth Prindle also concurred, and forecast that there would be many opportunities for disagreement during the Strategic Planning process. Rev. Jim Todhunter closed the meeting with some reflections on God’s time, which is sacred and eternal, and ordinary time. He reminded the Council to look for the connection to God’s time in our meeting times. Ruth Prindle adjourned the meeting at approximately 9:44 p.m. Respectfully submitted, |
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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MINUTES September 11, 2006 Present: Ruth Prindle, Rev. Gordon Forbes, Rev. Jim Todhunter, Rev. Sandy Dodson, Dianne Abraham, Aldene Ault, Judy Cox, Sue Dollins, Trish Esposito, John Gipson, Karen Lee, Jim O’Steen, Cynthia Page, Nae Pearson, Dan Pence, Kate Rogers, Anne Weissenborn, Leslie Weyn, Tim White. Guests: Jackie Walters and Pat Ratkowski Moderator Ruth Prindle called the meeting to order at 7:39 p.m. She invited Nae Pearson to lead the Council in a chant to open the meeting. Minutes The Council approved the minutes for August 7, 2006, as presented. Narcotics Anonymous Meetings on Thanksgiving Day Ruth Prindle asked for volunteers to cover the building on Thanksgiving Day, so that the Narcotics Anonymous group that meets at CCC can have access to the building for meetings and a shared meal. The building would otherwise be closed on Thanksgiving. Dianne Abraham explained that volunteers are needed in one-hour shifts from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The volunteers are present to respond if any questions or problems arise related to the building. Anyone wishing to volunteer was asked to contact Dianne. Board/Committee Reports Stewardship – Aldene Ault reported that the Board for Stewardship will hold its retreat on September 23, 2006, at CCC. She asked that all boards send a representative. Boards should e-mail Aldene the name of their representative. Ruth Prindle said that a focus group she met with indicated that most participants had learned about giving as children. Ruth expressed concern that CCC does not offer as much opportunity as it might for children to learn about giving. Anne Weissenborn pointed out that, in addition, many new members come to CCC from backgrounds without a tradition of stewardship. Anne said many new members assume the money for our programs comes from Cleveland (i.e. the denomination), rather than the other way around. Both Ruth and Anne asked that the Board for Stewardship give careful attention to the need to educate both children and adults about stewardship. Rev. Gordon Forbes suggested a possible theme for this year’s stewardship campaign might be the Bible verse about not putting new wine in old wineskins. He felt this might be appropriate in light of the transitions that CCC is facing. Outreach and Engagement – Cynthia Page reported that the CCC booth at the Takoma Park Festival was very successful. During the time Cynthia was at the booth, she talked to four individuals/families that expressed interest in visiting CCC. Ruth Prindle thanked O&E for their efforts. Cynthia said that thanks were due Sara Watson, who took the lead on the Festival, even though she is no longer a member of the O&E Board. Treasurer – Dan Pence reported that final financial reports for the 2005-2006 fiscal year have been sent out. Christian Education – Karen Lee reported that CE still needs a few church school teachers: one for 4th grade and several for the combined 6-7-8th grade class. She also reported that CE plans to present the “Our Whole Lives” or OWL curriculum as part of the youth program this church school year. OWL is a human sexuality curriculum. Teachers for this curriculum have received special training. Sally and Paul Holmes and Chris Walters are teaching the 7th and 8th graders; and Terry Strand and Jim Conklin are teaching the 5th and 6th graders. Trustees -- Tim White raised the issue of implementation of the Safe Church policy. He said that CCC’s insurance policy is due to be renewed soon, and the insurer may require that the Safe Church policy be implemented. There was a discussion about the length of time it has taken CCC to implement the policy. Karen Lee said that the problem is that no single board or committee owns the policy. Although the policy has resided with the Board for Christian Education, CE is not the only constituency for the policy, she said. Tim agreed, saying that, properly understood, the Safe Church policy protects not just children, but volunteers, paid staff, and many others. Rev. Sandy Dodson reported that Bud Dennie, as Chair of the Personnel Committee has begun to assume responsibility for the policy in the context of incorporating it into the personnel policies of the church. Tim said that the Personnel Committee would lead or act as ombudsman for the implementation of the Safe Church policy. The Board of Trustees will monitor progress. Feedback on Strategic Planning/Historical Reflections Weekend, September 9-10 Rev. Jim Todhunter said that he found the 5:00 worship service delightful. It was attended by about 70 worshipers, he reported. Rev. Gordon Forbes concurred. Gordon expressed special thanks to Nae Pearson, who, Gordon said, made the participants in the service into a choir. Ruth Prindle also appreciated the use of music in the service. Turning to the strategic planning session on Saturday, Tim White said that he appreciated the balance between compassion and efficiency that was reflected in the sessions. Those who participated all reflected positively on the morning activity, which involved physically moving in the meeting space in response to questions. There was a mixed reaction to the afternoon session, which dealt with polarities. Some of the information that was gained from the morning exercise included that only a very small number (approximately 6 out of 50) were born and raised in the UCC, but none of the participants came from a non-church or non-Christian background. Kate Rogers raised the question of whether CCC is or should be trying to reach out to persons with no previous Christian background. Anne Weissenborn said that she felt that CCC’s consultant, Roy Oswald, had an agenda for CCC which included a greater focus on evangelism. Aldene Ault disagreed that Roy had his own agenda. Instead, Aldene felt that Roy was just raising different viewpoints for CCC to consider. John Gipson pointed out that those who participated in the Saturday meeting were not truly representative of CCC as a whole, but only of CCC leadership. He was concerned that there was little representation of younger people and people of color. Jim O’Steen agreed and stressed that we at CCC don’t fully know our own demographics. Rev. Gordon Forbes stated that one of the duties of the Strategic Planning Task Force is to study the demographics of the church and our community. Ruth Prindle said it will be important for CCC to understand who we are as a church. Dan Pence said he was struck by the analogy of preparing for Jim Todhunter’s retirement as one would prepare for death. The tasks that Jim will have to accomplish include taking charge of the remaining time, choosing whom to see, saying what needs to be said to get right with anyone with whom he may have unfinished business, blessing and being blessed, thanking and giving thanks. Rev. Sandy Dodson said that she was concerned that she could not identify a clearly defined role for the Associate Minister in the transition process that Roy Oswald has outlined. She asked the Council and others to work with her to ensure that her leadership is used in a pro-active way during the transition. Jim O’Steen pointed out that Sandy and all staff members will need support through the transition. Nae Pearson agreed, saying that he felt some anxiety around the transition and the uncertainty about who he will be working with as a member of the staff team, including an interim minister and, ultimately, a new senior minister. Regarding the Historical Reflection meeting on Sunday evening, Trish Esposito said that she was very pleased to see that two visitors (as opposed to members) had attended the meeting. She said that the feedback she heard from them was that they were impressed at the fun the group had. John Gipson said that, even so, not many new folks attended the meeting. Nae Pearson said that the title “Historical Reflection” may explain why few newer folks attended. Rev. Gordon Forbes said that the meeting was comfortable because it didn’t require us to look critically at ourselves. He said that when we begin to look at norms, that is, CCC’s unspoken rules, it will be less comfortable. Audio-Visual Update Ruth Prindle introduced the topic by reminding the Council of Rev. Jim Todhunter’s letter of January 9, 2006, in which he outlined his concerns about the shortcomings of the sound system in the sanctuary. Ruth said that Bud Dennie, Chair of the Audio-Visual Committee, had presented a proposal to the Board of Trustees to upgrade the system, but that perhaps the Council had not given Bud sufficient support because Trustees had not yet approved the proposal. Ruth invited Jackie Walters and Pat Ratkowski, members of the Audio Visual Committee, to give a presentation on the proposal to upgrade the sound system. Jackie explained the process by which the committee, along with Dianne Abraham, had done research and sent out requests for proposals to three local sound companies. After further narrowing the field to two companies, the committee sent out new requests for proposals in which they solicited a comprehensive plan to complete the minimum work necessary to make the system trustworthy. The committee ultimately selected the Jenet Brothers proposal, which would require $3,300 to complete. The committee presented the proposal to the Board of Trustees at their meeting on August 21, 2006. On behalf of the Trustees, Tim White explained that he did not believe that the Trustees’ failure to approve the proposal at the August meeting was a rejection of the proposal, but instead an indication that the Trustees felt there was a need to discuss more fully the question of how memorial funds are managed and allocated generally. In part, Tim said, the Trustees were not expecting the sound proposal to be for $3,300, when the amount previously discussed had been $1,800. In addition, he said, there is a need to develop a policy for responding to requests to allocate memorial funds, because these funds are not inexhaustible, and once used for one purpose are no longer available to be used for some other purpose. For these reasons, among others, the Trustees had decided to continue discussing the proposal at their next meeting. Karen Lee moved that the Executive Council recommend to the Board of Trustees that they find a way to pay for the Audio-Visual proposal, as outlined in the presentation. Jim O’Steen seconded the motion. The motion was approved with no objections or abstentions. Rev. Sandy Dodson pointed out that the motion the Council approved illustrated a certain tension that exists between the Council and the Board of Trustees. She said that, while the Council is envisioned in the Constitution and By-laws as the decision-making body for the congregation, the fact that the Board of Trustees decides how (or whether) to spend the money raises the question of which body really wields the power. She likened it to the Congress passing bills with unfunded mandates. She suggested that perhaps some kind of facilitated meeting would be helpful. Rev. Gordon Forbes said that the tension between the congregation and the trustees can be traced back in church history to the 1620’s when the trustees were community leaders, and not necessarily even members of the congregation. Dianne Abraham said that, as a new administrator and not a member of the congregation, she just didn’t understand it. She said she was completely unprepared for the difference between what’s on paper and what’s in practice here at CCC. She said she took for granted that because the Council had said that the sound proposal was a priority that it would be done. Dianne pointed out that it would be helpful to work hard at being clear about expectations during the coming transition. She also pointed out that there is a difference between visioning and strategic planning. Visioning involves setting goals, she said, but strategic planning involves identifying the specific steps that must be implemented in order to reach the goals and setting a plan and timetable to accomplish each step. Dianne suggested that CCC’s church governance was lagging behind where CCC is in its development as a church: i.e. our governance is more suited to a pastoral/program church, whereas in fact we are a program church on the verge of becoming a corporate church. Karen Lee said that such a lag was characteristic of UCC churches. Rev. Sandy Dodson said that, just because it was characteristic doesn’t mean that CCC needs to perpetuate it. Memorial Funds/Unified Budget/Other Fundraising Ruth Prindle reminded the Council that the Trustees had developed recommendations for the Council to use in considering whether to approve requests for fundraising outside the unified budget. Ruth said she would re-distribute Toko Ackerman’s report on the subject. Ruth was concerned that the Council may have approved the Senior Adult Silent Auction without as full a discussion as contemplated by the recommendations. Ruth said she will put the subject of special fundraising on the agenda for a future meeting. Meeting Evaluation Anne Weissenborn said she had liked the fact that timekeeping for the meeting was not so explicit. Ruth Prindle noted that the meeting had not seemed to run overly long in the absence of such timekeeping. There was general agreement that the group liked the use of a chant to open the meeting and having a candle burning during the meeting. John Gipson said that he missed the opportunity for a formal Council retreat so that we could all get to know each other better. Karen Lee suggested having a time for fellowship before Executive Council meetings. Karen offered to bring refreshments for a fellowship time before the next meeting. Rev. Jim Todhunter and Nae Pearson led the Council in another chant to close the meeting. Ruth Prindle adjourned the meeting at approximately 9:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, |
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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MINUTES October 2, 2006 Present: Ruth Prindle, Moderator, the Rev. Sandy Dodson, Aldene Ault, Judy Cox, Trish Esposito, Steven Fisher, John Gipson, Pete Hotchkiss, Karen Lee, Jim O’Steen, Cynthia Page, Kate Rogers, Anne Weissenborn, and Tim White. Guests: Tom Ault, Gwen Garrison, Vicki Kemper and Winifred Roberts. Moderator Ruth Prindle called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. After expressing appreciation to Karen Lee for the pre-meeting refreshments, the moderator led the group in sharing unknown facts about themselves and in a chant. MinutesThe minutes of the last meeting, held on September 11, will be approved at the next meeting. Strategic Planning Task Force The co-chairs of the Strategic Planning Task Force, Tom Ault and Gwen Garrison, presented the group’s plan for having the congregation establish a set of goals for its next five years. In addition, the Task Force has decided to provide the congregation with a narrative report to set out the context in which the final goals will have been formulated, i.e., what else will have been learned about the congregation. The data to be used for identifying the goals will have been collected at five venues: the retreat attended by members of the Task Force, the Transition Committee, the Executive Council and the Board of Trustees; the evening devoted to the history of CCC; a demographic study of CCC’s environment to include interviews of community leaders; the norm setting evening; and small group discussions to be held as part of the services on October 15. The collection of possible goals will be distributed by the end of November. These will be “smart goals,” not just aspirations; they will be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Fundraising Copies of the policy on fundraising at CCC approved by the Board of Trustees and the Executive Council earlier in 2006 were distributed. This document provides guidelines and procedures for special fundraising outside the uniform budget voted on at the annual meeting each year. Tim White emphasized the need to explain this document to the congregation, in particular how the Council arrived at the decisions it represents. One possible tool would be a News Notes article. Winifred Roberts made a request on behalf of Stewards of the Earth that the group be permitted to take a free will offering at the upcoming showing of An Inconvenient Truth. She explained that Stewards is not looking to make money, but would like to be able to cover the costs of the event and to contribute to Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light which has made the event possible. Expenses are anticipated to be higher than usual for such an event given the anticipated size of the crowd and the refreshments to be served by the Board for Church Life, as well as the cost of renting a reliable projector. Three experts on environmental issues will also be present for a discussion following the film showing. Sue Dollins moved and it was seconded that the Council grant the request for a freewill offering to cover expenses, with the rest of the funds to go to GWIPL. The motion was approved. Winifred Roberts also discussed the Fair Trade events being sponsored by Stewards of the Earth and the Board for Social Witness. The monthly sales of fair trade coffee, tea, etc., are not basically fundraisers, but for the past year, with the approval of the Council, these sales have been making a small profit. Half of the profit goe |