Joseph Priestly
District
Board of
Directors
November 8 and
9,2002
Annapolis,
MD
Julia Sayles, Secretary
Present: Evelyn Spurgin (president),
Mike Harris (vice president), Ellen Cotts (treasurer), Julia Sayles (secretary)
except for Saturday afternoon, Dawn Star Borchelt, Marilyn Dyson, Janet
Eisenhauer, Pete Fontneau, Elise Reznick, The Rev. Linda Olson Peebles (UUA
Trustee).
Absent: Charley Bersch, the Rev.
Howard Dana, the Rev. Paula Maiorano, Pamela McEnany and Bill
Stroup.
Also
present:
the Rev. Richard Speck (district executive.) and the Rev. Carol Ann Taylor,
Acting Lifespan Religious Education Consultant, and Bob Johnsen, Growth
Consultant, the Rev. Peter Moralas, UUA District Services facilitator for the
Rev. Carol Ann Taylor ‘s Start Up and Kami O’Keefe, UUA Fundraiser who met with
the Finance Committee Saturday morning and with the Board later that day to
discuss fund raising options.
Friday evening, the Rev. Fredric Muir of the UU Church of Annapolis,
Margy Allen, Intern there, Steve Buckingham, President, Bowie UU Fellowship,
Richard Dean, former Board member and Vice President, UU Congregation of
Columbia, MD attended and joined in a discussion of their congregations’ needs
and the ways JPD might be helpful in meeting some of these. Saturday, Bill
Reilly, chair of the JPD Nominating Committee joined the
discussion.
Start Up
Prior to the formal meeting Peter Morales, the Rev. Richard Speck and the Rev. Linda Olson Peebles and the Board members, in attendance, participated in the Rev. Carol Ann Taylor’s start up. With Peter facilitating, those who could remember reviewed the history of the position, in particular its growth from ¼ time, to ½ then ¾ and now fulltime as well as some of the persons who had held the position as well as accomplishments, difficulties and conflicts.
Next, we attempted to define goals for the next 8 months, that is the time between November and June, the time it is expected that will be needed to find a permanent replacement. In doing this, we considered Carol’s response to Growth and Leadership, UP Identity and Program Development and indicated priorities within these categories as follows:
Growth and Leadership
1. Focus on RE Services. Use time wisely where it will do the most good. Encourage Congregations to apply for RE grants and Chalice Lighter opportunities.
2. Assist transition to Policy Governance
3. Be aware of self- care needs.
4. Deliver services to all parts of the District.
UU Identity
1. Familiarize one-self with the Washington Office
2. Promote awareness of Witness Curriculum
Program Development
1. Assist Start ups and support new DREs with workshops and training opportunities.
2. Work with Clusters and other regional matchmaking to enhance support.
3. Work with Kim Mason on YACM and CampUUs Development.
4. Support District Youth Steering Committee (DYSC)
Expectations were expressed in mutual covenants as follows:
Carol agreed to:
1. Maintain candor, honesty and personal integrity in her work and relationships.
2. Represent the District and promote its goals.
3. Share knowledge – exhibit a compassionate heart.
4. Work in covenantal relationship.
5. Exercise self –care.
The Board agreed to:
1. Maintain candor, honesty, and personal integrity.
2. Be clear about goals and trust they will be achieved.
3. Provide fair compensation and adequate support.
4. Provide opportunities for her self-care.
5. Speak with one voice.
District’s other staff with Carol agreed to:
1. Use Best efforts within limitations
2. Display a good attitude, energy, enthusiasm, and commitment.
3. Maintain honesty- speak the truth with love.
4. Covenant together as soon as possible
5. Have fun.
Additionally, it was agreed that the Staff needed from the Board
1. Trust
2. Clarity
3. Support/resources
4. Vision/Mission
5. Accountability (listening, responding dialogue)
It was noted that except for trust, Board and Staff lists were very similar. Evelyn noted that the move to Policy Governance was an expression of trust.
Linda Olson Peebles led evening worship and song. After a discussion with our guests, Evelyn Spurgin explained briefly the Board’s fund raising plans; the fact growth was still the District’s priority and the Board’s decision to move to Policy Governance.
Growth
Bob Johnsen, the District’s Growth Consultant added that there was a new emphasis in the growth effort. Instead of assuring that everyone had a congregation within 30 minutes, attention was being paid to the growth in the larger churches. Leadership training and other resources would still be given new small congregations but it was felt that our movement was enhanced more from growth of our larger congregations.
Peter Morales picked up the Growth theme and explained that we attract on average 1 ½ our membership each year or nationwide about 5000 a Sunday. These he said come with needs, hungry for attachment. We seem exclusive, a closed system and effectively turn them away.
Peter said that UUA was growing about 1% per year while the US was growing more than that. Between 1995 and 2000, 2 out of every 5 churches were growing, 42% 10 % or more, 28 % had a gain or loss of less than 10% while 30% has a loss. He noted that before WW1 1/3 of households were three generational. Community is seen as the greatest glue and contributes to growth of health congregations. Peter reminded us that congregations that were successful had great training and new member orientation. Covenant groups were examples of a good ways to make new people learn about the church and at the same time become acquainted with people they could look forward to meeting again at Sunday services in the coffee hour and at other otherwise scary large gatherings. In this discussion, Marilyn Dyson reminded all that new folk are not drawn to churches where the leadership appears angry.
Policy Governance
Marilyn Dyson pointing to Carver’s Book, Boards the Make the Difference, introduced the further discussion of Policy Governance (PG).
Citing the book, she said in the beginning
1. Learn the details.
2. Define owners
3. Determine your values, principals and purposes.
Write the Policies re
1. Executive limitations
2. Board operations
3. Define Board/Staff linkage – attend to the following
a. Unity of control
b. Accountability
c. Delegation
Create Ends Strategy
1. Define Mission
2. Determine ends
3. Monitor the progress
Saturday, November 9th
Mike Harris conducted the worship service with Linda Olson Peebles directing the singing.
Marilyn continued the discussion of PG.
Discussion ranged widely however, agreement was reached on several issues but that wordsmithing would be send around while approval would await the January meeting.
Unity of Control-
1. Was important
a. By a straw poll, it was agreed that the DE was the one CEO. Despite the fact that the
salaries of DE and the Lifespan Educator, in part, comes from the UUA, it was
agreed that there needed to be only one CEO.
b. Questions raised about whether we would need the Start Up if the LifeSpan
Educator reported to the DE. The question was left open but Peter said he was
mixed but this has been their process.
2. Was necessary
3. Some concern about how emergencies would be handled
Accountability
1. Look to DE
2. Definitions to follow
Delegation
.
1. As long as the CEO uses any
reasonable interpretation of the
Board's policies the CEO is
authorized to establish all further policies,
make all
decisions, take all actions, establish all practices, and
develop
all
activities.
2. The Board may change its policies, thereby
shifting the boundary
between Board and CEO
domains. By doing so, the Board changes the latitude
of choice given to the CEO. But as long as any particular
delegation is in place, the Board
will respect and support the CEO's choices.
Additional Notes on Policy
Governance and the Minutes from the Business Meeting by Elyse Reznick
(Format for
decisions)
Board's policies the CEO is authorized to establish all further
policies,
make
all decisions, take all actions, establish all practices, and develop
all activities.
between Board and CEO domains. By doing so, the Board changes the
latitude
of choice given to the CEO. But as long as any particular
delegation is in
place, the Board will respect and support the CEO's
choices.
**
Board/UUA linkage----make this a level one policy
employee evaluation, setting
staff priorities, involvement in policies, conflict in
direction?
Delegation—wording DAWN
Unity of
control----EVELYN
Accountability---PETE
Monitoring—generic
policy
MARILYN
Board/UUA
linkage---tabled
Policies go to
Dawn
Due
to Dawn 12/11/02
Editing/Formatting----DAWN
Feedback due back to
DAWN 12/18/02
Oversight----ALL
Business
Meeting:
Four board members will be
leaving the board in the spring:
Bill Stroup, Pete Fontneau, Howard Dana, and Janet Eisenhauer. At that
point, the board shifts from 14 members to 10.
Priorities are to try
to involve All Souls Church, look for possible Northern Pa, representation,
persons of color, a minister, and gender representation. Nov. 30th is the deadline for
nominations.
Nov. 1 was the
deadline for nominations for UUA Board of Trustees.
Policy Governance: no
action
Website: It has been
expanded and new material added.
Looking to
have a password protected area for directory.
Looking to store archives on site, also no action.
UU Revival: no action
Adjunct Staff:
January training is scheduled but need to continue recruiting. Two
ministers, the Rev. Libby Smith and the
Rev. Lisa Ward have assisted with new
minister start-ups this fall.
JTW: The committee is
trying to re-group. At a meeting in Nov. they established
3
major goals:
§
Accountability between JPD
board/staff/committee
§
Sunday services: talk about anti-racism (on hold -Don
Cameron-Kragt is ill)
§
Utilize the welcoming
congregation process for JTW (Bill Gardner working with Fred Muir to develop
program for UUA)
The committee wants to be
better organized and provide direct service. It will hold a conclave this spring
or fall on anti-racism. There will
be an anti-racism sermon contest that is open to all lay and clergy, with a $500
honorarium. The sermon will be given at the annual
meeting.
Public Witness:
Richard and the Rev. Barbara Wells attended a
seminar in the spring. Richard is working on how to bring
information to the district.
acquainted with her
position. See attached report.
Staff
is going to represent the district at the various installation services
happening around the district.
scheduled the
Rev. Bill Sinkford for the 2004 JPD Annual Meeting which will be
held on March
19-20, 2004.
Services to RE professionals is improving with a move to Dept. for
Ministerial and Professional Leadership. The UUA also approved in principle
a
task force report on credentialing RE professionals. It will also
eventually include
administrators and music directors.
Future Dates: January 10-11, 2003 Arlington,
VA.
March 7-8, 2003 Lancaster, Pa. (Richard will
contact)
May 16-17, 2003 Drayton Manor (retreat)
July 11-12 TBD
Question for
liaisons:
How would your congregation
become more anti-racist?
Julia Sayles, Secretary
Dec. 5, 2002