Splinters From The Board Archive
Communication, Compassion, Healing and Money
At the start of the November meeting President Patricia Wright read a card we received in response to condolences we sent the Monte Vista UU Church in Montclair, CA. Their church was vandalized — most of the windows were broken — by someone who was not connected with the church. The insurance company has been helpful, and they are returning to normal operations.
The Board then heard a special presentation by the Committee on Ministry (COM), represented by Sue Stoyanoff and Margot Page, and also by Ken Brown, our Congregational Life Regional Staff member. They have developed a plan to bring our community to more open communication, compassion, and healing. They proposed a Congregational Assessment by Regional Staff. This will consist of multiple focus groups led by Regional Staff, which will discuss a series of openended questions. For a more detailed discussion of this process, please see the article by the Committee on Ministry in the column to the left in this issue of the newsletter. The Board accepted the COM proposal and authorized the expenditure of $500 to cover the expenses of Regional Staff.
The Board then turned its attention to the Report of the Committee on Money, which will be presented and discussed at the second town hall meeting on December 6, 2015 at 12:30 pm. President Patricia Wright had prepared a Power Point presentation of the recommendations, and each slide was reviewed and discussed. Ron Crane, chair of the Committee on Money, was a guest at the meeting, and responded to various points. There will be a congregational business meeting to vote on the Committee’s recommendations.
The Board set the date for this meeting as February 14, 2016. There will be a third town hall meeting on January 17, where the Board will present its own recommendations.
The Board then discussed the Garden of Eternity. Construction on the Garden is almost complete. Thirteen memorial bricks have been purchased. The Board elected to extend the $500 price for a brick to January 12, 2016. There was a general discussion of other policies relating to the Garden. Some policies are still being formulated, and will be revisited by the Board at a later date.
President Wright reminded the Board of the importance of its role in fundraising. She asked the members of the Board to commit to making their pledges before the December meeting.
— Cynthia Cottam
Financial Issues Dominate Board Discussions
Vice President Dan Nannini welcomed our Sabbatical Minister Tera Little to her first Board meeting with us on October 13. She expressed excitement about the opportunity to be with us over the next three months.
Dan reviewed our covenant, and the Board passed the consent agenda. The Board then discussed the plans for Town Hall Meetings to discuss with the congregation the recommendations of the Committee on Money on November 1, December 6, and January 17. The Board discussed a motion that the Board, along with the Committee on Ministry, approve the use of sabbatical funds to hire the Rev. Rick Hoyt-McDaniels to support UU Santa Monica in the creation of a plan that incorporates vision and mission into the recommendations of the Committee on Money. This motion failed.
The Board passed a motion for the Finance Committee to obtain three bids for a CPA to review our financial practices and make recommendations for financial operations that would be put in some kind of report. It was noted that there is currently no money in the budget for this, but Board members felt it would be good to get an idea of how much this would cost. The details of our financial recording sometimes change, because of the changing personnel on the Finance Committee, and everyone feels it would be better to stick with one officially sanctioned method.
Kim Miller gave the treasurer’s report, which follows this column.
Beth Brownlie gave an update on the facilities projects. We are having some problems with the irrigation system that will require expenditures from the facilities budget. Work on the Garden of Eternity will begin on Monday, October 19. Beth Brownlie proposed a method of thanking all the leaders in our congregation. Everyone was in agreement that thanking people is an excellent idea. However, there were various concerns about how best to do this. The conversation will be continued at a subsequent Board meeting.
The Board then reviewed an example of a policy about service dogs in the church. Treasurer Kim Miller offered to draft a policy that would be in compliance with California law. The Board will review this at an upcoming meeting. The Board briefly discussed the investing of a CD that matured recently. As we go forward, we would like to participate in more socially conscious investing.
— Cynthia Cottam
Garden of Eternity and a New Path to Membership
Vice President Dan Nannini chaired the meeting of September 8, as President Patricia Wright was on vacation.
We were happy to welcome back the Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur, who lit the chalice.
The Board passed the Consent Agenda and then proceeded to a presentation by Alison Kendall and Roxanna Vera on the Garden of Eternity (GOE). Alison reminded us of the generous $10,000 donation from Ray Goodman and the matching grant from the Spirit Level Foundation. She put up the plans and mentioned the task force and Town Hall meetings that have taken place. Ray Goodman, Helen Brown, and Ernie Pipes of the GOE Task Force were all present as guests at this meeting. The Board passed a motion authorizing the Green Living Committee/Garden of Eternity Task Force, in collaboration with the Facility Development Committee, to execute this congregation/Board-approved project.
The Board also approved the Tiered Funding Proposal for the purchase of commemorative bricks. There was concern that we need a less expensive option for commemoration, and the Board will consider a proposal for such an option in the future.
Bryan Oakes presented an overview of the Facilities Development/Design Committee for the new Board members, explaining its membership, procedures, and past, present, and future projects.
Olga Felton has agreed to be the new chair of the Membership Committee. She asked for the Board’s support for creating a new path to membership process, and we were glad to give her that support. She will be changing the meeting times to Sundays and is hoping to involve more people to do specific tasks, even if they don’t want to be committee members. We were happy to welcome her into leadership.
Rev. Rebecca discussed her upcoming sabbatical, which will begin on September 28 and end on January 5, 2016. Tom Peters was present as co-Chair of the Committee on Ministry. Rev. Rebecca reviewed some of the details of how things will function in her absence. The Rev. Tera Little will be our part-time Acting Minister during the sabbatical. She will work closely with President Wright and the Committee on Ministry.
Beth Brownlie gave an update on the SoUL lighting project. The electrical wiring has been replaced. The task force is still trying to obtain one more quote for the installation of the LED lighting. The fixtures are being ordered. Once an installer has been chosen the work should proceed fairly quickly. The project continues to be well within budget.
The Board reviewed the agenda for its annual retreat as well as plans for its hosting of the Second Sunday Supper on September 13.
The Board wants to remind everyone of the church-wide compassionate communication workshop on October 3.
— Cynthia Cottam
Sanctuary Rewired; Theatrical LED Lighting Next
The meeting of August 11 was our last meeting with Nica Eaton-Guinn, who has been with us over a year, first as our intern minister and then as our summer minister. She expressed how much she has enjoyed working with our congregation and her gratitude for our time together. She also reminded us that UUA policy requires that she not be involved with our congregation for a year following her departure. She has a new job as a Contract Minister at UU Studio City, which will begin September 21 and continue for 10 months.
President Patricia Wright praised Nica for the membership forum she led on August 2. The forum was well attended and useful, and we now have a new chair of the membership committee: Olga Felton. We are excited to welcome her into leadership here at UU Santa Monica. Patricia also reported that during Rev. Rebecca’s absence, requests for information that fall outside of the normal duties of staff will be funneled through Patricia and decided by the executive committee.
The consent agenda was approved, including the Annual Meeting minutes, which will soon appear on the website. There are no new members this month, and membership remains at 338. The generous congregation donation for July totaled $990.
Cathy Gentile, representing the Faith in Action Commission, reported that they are interested in having a banner at church representing the idea “Standing on the Side of Love; Black Lives Matter.” Exact wording and design would need to be decided. The Board felt that this should go before the congregation for a vote, and the committee will begin working on that process.
The Board briefly discussed the tiered-funding proposal for the Garden of Eternity. The Board agreed with the proposal in general but felt that there remain some questions to be answered about the mechanics of the process, and the Board tabled the motion for approval. The Board is sending the motion back to the Green and Garden of Eternity Committees for a proposal which answers the remaining questions.
Treasurer Kim Miller gave the treasurer’s report. We are only one month into the new fiscal year, and our income and expenses always fluctuate month to month. For July, pledges are $4,000 less than budgeted. Rental income is $1,000 more than budgeted. Total support expense is $4,000 less than budgeted.
Joe Engleman, Member-at-Large, reported on his progress with assessment and possible survey planning. The Board decided to wait until after the Board Retreat in September, when Board goals will be set for the year. Assessment will be tied to goals.
The Board affirmed the appointment of Steve White to the Finance Committee.
Brad Hutchinson, representing the Facilities Development Committee, reported on the SoUL (Sanctuary Upgrade Lighting) Project. The Sanctuary has been rewired and the conduit is in place. The next phase involves the purchase and installation of programmed theatrical LED lighting. The Board requested that Brad obtain three bids and return with the bids and a recommendation regarding them. A contract will be drawn up for the chosen vendor, and the contract will be reviewed and ultimately approved by the Board. The Board reviewed the UU Santa Monica policy for engaging independent contractors.
Three facilities expenditure requests came before the Board. We need 50 new chairs for the upper Forbes classrooms to meet our needs and those of our rental groups. The City of Santa Monica has evaluated our water use, which currently is high enough to potentially result in fines. The city recommends changes in our landscape and irrigation in the courtyard and cottage area. The FDC had requested these funds come from unrestricted savings, but the Board felt they should come from the Facilities Upgrade Fund and, therefore, do not require Board approval. The third request was a proposal for Ralph Mechur Architects to design a new corner sign, as ours is broken. The drawing and rendering will need to go before the Architectural Review Board. Both the landscaping and signage work will be cheaper if they are done at the same time as the Garden of Eternity work. The Board approved the expenditure of $1,500 from the Building Fund for Ralph Mechur Architects to prepare drawings for congregational approval and Santa Monica/ARB approval.
— Cynthia Cottam
13th Month Pledge Drive Reduced our Deficit
All members of the Board were present for this second meeting of the new church year held on July 14. We acknowledged that Nica Eaton-Guinn, our former intern, now summer minister, is beginning her last six weeks with us. Her last day will be August 23. We know we will miss her lovely presence among us.
Sue Stoyanoff attended as a representative from the Committee on Ministry (COM), which plans to send one member to each upcoming Board meeting.
President Patricia Wright reminded us of our Board covenant and our commitment to respectful communication. We also agreed to begin slowly reviewing some of our policies to identify items that need to be brought up to date to reflect our current practice and to identify issues that are not currently addressed.
Following adoption of the Consent Agenda, Kim Miller, our treasurer, gave her report. She reviewed the end of fiscal year summary, which appears on page 5 of this issue. The total net income stands at a deficit of -$59,820. This money will be transferred into the operating budget from unrestricted reserves. Kim commended the Pledge Committee for conducting the 13th Month Pledge Drive. This has not been done in our church before, and it netted $8,200. Pledges constitute about 70% of our income. Total pledges collected for the fiscal year ending June 30 are $378,000, as compared to $410,000 budgeted. This total includes the 13th month contribution. Without the extra contribution, our fiscal year net income would approach the -$72,000 deficit predicted in the budget. Kim stressed that fundraising is of vital importance to our community and cannot be a task that is left to the Pledge Committee alone. Fundraising is a joint responsibility of everyone in the congregation and we must all work together to achieve a successful outcome.
The Board discussed ongoing plans for our daylong workshop on “Connecting our Community through Listening and Talking.” The workshop will be facilitated by Mary Mackenzie, MA, and the entire congregation is encouraged to attend. The workshop takes place on October 3. Watch for further publicity and opportunities to sign up.
The Board decided to plan regular meetings with the congregation, perhaps quarterly, to facilitate congregational communication with the Board. This was a suggestion that came out of the governance workshop led by UU Pacific Southwest District District Executive the Rev. Dr. Ken Brown on July 11.
The Board continued to plan for its annual retreat, to take place September 12. They also agreed to host the Second Sunday Supper on September 13.
The Board reviewed a summary of its progress so far on its consideration of governance change and its intention to appoint a Governance Task Force.
— Cynthia Cottam
UU Santa Monica Sends 25 to GA
The meeting of June 9 was the first meeting of the church Board year. We welcomed Vice President Dan Nannini, Treasurer Kim Miller, and member-at-large Joe Engleman. All three will be serving their first term.
This meeting also marked the first meeting with Nica Eaton-Guinn as the part-time summer minister. She will continue meeting with the Board in July and August.
The Board was given an orientation where the consent agenda was defined, the statement of responsibilities read, and the finance reports explained.
The consent agenda (consisting of a variety of written reports reviewed by board members in advance of the meeting) was passed, but the finance reports will be moved to the discussion agenda starting with the July Board meeting. New members are Michael and Eileen McCormick. Membership total now stands at 335. The Board will be working on becoming more transparent with the budget and offering real-time updates.
The Board approved the appointment of Margot Page to serve on the Committee on Ministry. She is an addition to the committee.
The Board confirmed the appointment of Charles Haskell for a third two-year term as editor-in-chief of the UU Santa Monica newsletter.
UU Santa Monica delegates for the upcoming General Assembly in Portland, Oregon from June 24 to 28 will be Abby Arnold, Peggy Rhoads, Rick Rhoads, Amy Brunell, Roberta Frye, Barbara Gibbs, and Patricia Wright. The alternate delegate will be Alan Brunell. Other attendees from our church include Joanne Brownlie, Beth Brownlie, Karen Canady, Nica Eaton-Guinn, Dan Patterson, James Witker, Kim Santiago-Kalmanson, Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson, Ned Wright, and eight members of YRUU. A worship service will be conducted by GA attendees on August 9.
The Board is working on a survey that will allow members of the congregation to voice their opinions of the church in an anonymous manner.
— Leonard Cachola
Goodbyes, Greetings, and Gratitude
The meeting of May 12 was the last meeting of the church Board year. We said a grateful goodbye to our departing Board members: Barbara Gibbs, who served as Vice President for three years; Kit Shaw, who served as Treasurer for three years; and Pat Gomez, who served two 2-year terms as member-at-large. There will be an orientation for next year’s Board at the next meeting on June 9.
This was also Rev. Bijur’s last meeting with the Board before beginning her maternity leave. Part-time summer minister Nica Eaton-Guinn will meet with the Board in June, July, and August.
The Consent Agenda was passed. New members are Paul and Suzan Matueszewki, Tony Patel, and Ruth and Allen Potts. Total membership now stands at 333.
Charles Haskell presented a motion from the Finance Committee that the Board establish an account with the UUA Common Endowment Fund by setting up the account and depositing $10,000. The Board voted to table the motion. There will be a Town Hall meeting in October for the congregation to discuss the establishment of an endowment fund and the desired amount of the deposit.
The Board voted to allocate $2500 from unrestricted funds for the World Café, to be held on October 3, 2015. The World Cafe will be an event open to the entire congregation and facilitated by Mary Mackenzie, a certified trainer of Nonviolent Communication.
The Board approved the appointment of Barbara Kernochan and Leon Henderson-MacLennan to serve on the Committee on Ministry. They will replace Kris Langabeer and Alan Brunell, who are stepping down after completing their 3-year terms of service.
The Board was pleased and grateful to accept a $10,000 gift to support two of our four lead singers for a year. Our anonymous choir-loving donors are making this contribution for the second year in a row.
The Board discussed plans for reviewing and acting on the Committee on Money recommendations. First, the recommendations will be discussed at the Board retreat this summer. Second, there will be a Town Hall meeting in the fall for further discussion and education of all, to be followed by a congregational business meeting, also in the fall.
The Board continued moving forward with its exploration of policy-style governance by discussing leadership for creating a Governance Task Force to better educate the Board and the congregation about governance.
The Board will be attending the Annual Meeting, and will schedule a retreat for summer or early fall.
— Cynthia Cottam
Getting Ready for the Annual Meeting
The Board conducted a long and business-packed meeting on April 14, which mainly involved items presented in preparation for the Annual Meeting on Sunday, May 17. Several of us missed our bedtimes.
President Patricia Wright reported that the Rev. Dr. Ken Brown, Congregational Life Staff in the Pacific Western Region of the UUA, will spend the weekend of July 11 and 12 with us. He will conduct a Governance Workshop on Saturday morning and stay to give the Sunday sermon.
Our intern minister, Nica Eaton-Guinn happily reported that she successfully passed her interview with the Ministerial Fellowship Committee in Boston.
The Board passed the Consent Agenda, including the membership report. Brigham Johnson is a new member and Marjorie and William Anderson are reinstated members. Current membership stands at 330.
Alison Kendall and Ray Goodman gave a presentation outlining the proposal for the Arizona Garden Project from the Garden of Eternity and Green Committees. The Board passed a motion endorsing the proposal and approved its placement on the Agenda for the Annual Meeting for approval by the congregation.
The Committee on Money presented the Board with a draft report of its findings and recommendations. The Board expressed the need for time to thoroughly review the report and to hold meetings with the congregation. The Board voted to place a draft summary report of the findings on the agenda for the Annual Meeting. No action will be taken at the meeting.
Treasurer Kit Shaw presented the 2015-2016 budget. A town hall meeting to address the budget is scheduled for April 19. The Board voted to approve the budget and place it on the agenda for the Annual Meeting. The budget proposal will be mailed with the Annual Meeting materials.
The Board reviewed the Nominating Committee’s list of nominees for the 2015-2016 Board year. This list appears on page 1 of this newsletter and it will be mailed in the Annual Meeting packet.
Beth Brownlie reported on Phase 1 of the Sanctuary Lighting project. Phase 1 is concerned with safety, and will involve replacement of the Sanctuary wiring and placement of switches to enable all lights to be turned on and off. The Board approved a contract with Hakim Electric in the amount of $16,700.
The Board approved a Board of Directors Statement of Responsibilities, which is guidelines of general expectations for duties and responsibilities of Board members. The Guidelines are based on a document from the Annenberg Alchemy Leadership Seminar.
There will be an orientation session for new Board members on May 19.
— Cynthia Cottam
Town Hall Meeting on Budget April 19
The Board had its first meeting using a consent agenda on March 10. This means that minutes and staff reports are read by Board members prior to the meeting and passed as a block, without discussion. Any questions are taken care of before the meeting, and if any member of the Board has an issue to discuss, that item can be pulled out of the consent agenda and placed on the discussion agenda. We can already see that the consent agenda will save significant time for more substantive discussions.
UU Santa Monica has three new members: Beverly Shoenberger, Norman Richey, and Dierdre Dietel. We have four reinstated members: John Penney, Gary Post, Julie Wright, and Lance Richter. Our current membership stands at 327.
The re-roofing of the Forbes Entry is now complete, so that water drains away from the building. The windows are being repaired because they are very old and leaking. The resulting crack in the wall is repaired and the entry repainted.
The Board has been working on a Statement of Responsibilities for members of the Board. The template for this document came out of the Annenberg Foundation’s Alchemy Leadership Seminar. At this meeting, the Board reviewed edits recommended by the Nominating Committee. Work on this document is ongoing, and the Board will return to it at our next meeting.
Our treasurer, Kit Shaw, reported that pledges are down for February. Fiscal year to date pledges received are $252,915 versus $290,000 budgeted. Rental income has remained higher than predicted by $20,000. Consequently, fiscal year to date total income is $342,452 versus $364,652 budgeted. Total program expenses are $17,000 less than budgeted. This gives us a net deficit of $60,815 versus $49,014 budgeted, about an $11,000 larger deficit than predicted. Since pledges and other income fluctuate, this deficit will continue to change as we approach the end of the fiscal year June 30.
Current 2015 pledges stand at $363,234. Paid pledges for 2014 are $379,683. The Board looked at a draft budget for 2015/2016. The Finance Committee has not yet been able to agree on a final budget to recommend to the Board.
The Board will need to vote on a final budget at its next meeting in order to present it at the Annual Meeting on May 17. There will be a Town Hall meeting on finance and the budget on April 19. The Board decided to reach out to the leadership in the Pacific Southwest District (our UU regional leadership) for help with conflict regarding governance in our congregation.
— Cynthia Cottam
Consent Agenda Will Make Time for Deeper Discussions
The Board began the meeting on February 10 with our chalice lighting, covenant and check-in. We expressed our happiness with the large attendance at our Sweetheart Chili Second Sunday Supper, and we ate a few leftover cornmeal muffins.
We proceeded with our investigation into using policy governance in our church. Patricia Wright led a discussion about the best way to proceed to get the strongest and most effective Governance Task Force, which will be in charge of fashioning a proposal for governance change.
The Board then discussed a draft of a Statement of Responsibilities for Board members. Several changes in wording were suggested. A revised draft will be presented at the next Board meeting.
Patricia Wright, Rebecca Bijur and Beth Brownlie recently attended the Annenberg Alchemy Leadership Seminar. One practice recommended at that gathering is to move to the use of a consent agenda. This means that reports are issued to Board members a week prior to the meeting, and that they read them and resolve questions ahead of time, then accept them together at the meeting without discussion. This practice is common and frees up time for substantive discussions. The Board agreed to transition to a consent agenda for the March meeting. The attendees will continue to consider other “best practices” introduced at the meeting.
The membership report reveals that after removal of all members who made no pledge contribution in 2014, membership stands at 321. We have two new members: Olga Felton and Andrea Steffan.
Nurit Gordon, Church Administrator, reported that the south sanctuary heater was repaired. It had not worked all of last winter due to a wiring problem. The flat roof over the Arizona entry has also been repaired. We have new credenzas for all Forbes classrooms. She also reported that the 2015 pledge commitments stand at $380,984. The goal had been $450,000 in pledges to meet a budget of $410,000. Our pledge receipts year-to-date (July 1 to January 31) are $223,535, as compared to $242,742 budgeted.
Rebecca Bijur reported that she and Intern Minister Nica Eaton-Guinn have just returned from the UU Ministers Association CENTER Institute, attended by 450 UU ministers and students. They both described a stimulating, thought-provoking experience.
Kit Shaw presented the treasurer’s report. Total income is $306,254 compared to $317,719 budgeted. Total expenses are $360, 878 compared to $367, 659 budgeted. We have a significant underpayment of pledges, but increased rental income continues to help balance this out. Net income is deficit ($54,624) compared to deficit ($49,940) budgeted. Excluding the value of our property the fund report reveals our total assets to be $1,047,508.
The Board approved the Empty Bowls fundraiser and anticipates receiving a proposal addressing design, installation and fundraising for the Garden of Eternity at the March meeting, which would ultimately be considered at the Annual Meeting.
— Cynthia Cottam