Splinters From The Board Archive
President Cynthia Cottam dealt with two motions that were adopted unanimously by the board. The first was to continue the UUA Pension Plan as is. The second was to accept the Appraisal Report of Judy Federick’s Oak Street property and to authorize Robert Kory to negotiate with other beneficiaries of the property on our behalf.
As of this meeting the church has 370 members. Carolyn Healy, Kenneth Brown, Esta Spaulding, and Doug Fudge have joined us. During the month of February the UU Santa Monica Generous Congregation Contribution gave $961 to OPCC Turning Point.
The Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur reported on the Small Group Ministry progress saying that her hope is that our first theme on “prayer” will orient more groups intentionally toward deepening the spiritual life of the participants. The minister also reports that she is focusing on working with CLUE to support the hotel workers.
DRE Catherine Farmer Loya highlighted the plans for the Summer RE Programs. Preschoolers will be reprising the Summer of Seuss program, the Elementary and up will be crafting a summer-long hands-on exploration of our seven UU principles. Also, the RE Faith in Action plans for next year will be building community with OPCC.
Administrator Nurit Gordon reported that our new Web developer has started work. She also provided details about the progress toward moving back into the renovated office space very soon. She amusingly added that we have contributed to the homeless population of Santa Monica rats when the ivy wall around the side yard was removed.
Acting Treasurer Alan Brunell guided the board through a draft of the 2014/15 budget. Discussion followed. At the next board meeting on April 8 the board will be voting on the budget to be presented to the congregation at the Annual Congregational Meeting.
The board approved the change orders presented by Beth Brownlie, co-chair of the Building Project. Beth also provided a detailed account of the Office Renovation Budget.
he board voted to approve the minister, president, and the next president to appoint five members to form a committee to focus on recent bequests, creating a list of possible uses for money from bequests, what percentage of the unrestricted reserves of the church is prudent to use to cover projected deficits in annual budgets, and financial long range planning.
The next board meeting will be on April 8. The meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m.
— Bronwen Jones
The meeting began with a chalice lighting from our minister and a reading of the Board Covenant by Pat Gomez. For check-in the Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur invited us to reflect on the theme of the month — Prayer — and Valentine’s Day.
This was followed by a report from the president, Cynthia Cottam, who shared that an independent contractor has been chosen to continue the website development work for Project Dazzle.
The board then unanimously ratified the appointment of Abby Arnold and Jacki Weber to the Finance Committee, replacing Ron Crane and Stephen DePaul. Thanks to Abby and Jacki for stepping up to the plate, and to Ron and Stephen for years of hard work.
As of this February’s meeting the church has 367 members. Vicky Foxsworth, Jeff Pressman, and Jeffrey H. Ellis have joined us. During the month of January the UUCCSM Generous Congregation Contribution gave $887 to the UU Service Committee.
Rev. Rebecca reported that approximately 80 folks signed up for eight Small Group Ministry groups. More than a third are returning participants. During her report, discussion naturally emerged about the upcoming Visioning Town Hall Meeting. In particular the word “growth” was discussed both in terms of the size of the church membership and the fostering of connection and deep community.
Director of Religious Education Catherine Farmer Loya highlighted that the new K- to- 2nd and 3rd-to- 5th grade classes have had a successful launch with full teaching teams during both services. And the YRUU “Big Trip” for summer of 2014 will be a house-building service trip to Mexico with Esperanza International. YRUU will be making lunch for everyone before the Visioning Town Hall meeting in order to raise money toward the trip.
Director of Music DeReau Farrar welcomed James Hayden to our staff as Bass Section Leader. He reported that the second Annual MLK Choral Festival was another great success this year. He also encouraged members with musical gifts to fill out a survey that would begin a database of musicians within our community who would be interested in serving through music.
Treasurer Kit Shaw reported that overall we are doing better than expected in terms of the projected deficit ($18,600) and our current deficit ($4,200). However, she added that we are $45,000 short in actual income for 2013/14 where our budget was based on a $410,000 income from pledges.
Administrator Nurit Gordon reported that our temporary Order of Service Assistant, Robin Wohlman, is doing well. Regarding the facility, all permits from the City of Santa Monica are now approved and so the office staff is hoping to move back into their offices soon. As of January 31, we have received $401,429 in pledges for 2014/15
from 202 members and friends out of 283 households.
The board approved the change orders presented by Beth Brownlie, co-chair of the Building Project.
The next board meeting will be on March 11. The meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m.
— Bronwen Jones
The board welcomes new board member Emily Hero, who has graciously accepted the Member-At-Large position that became open after Bruno Lacombe had to step down due to family commitments. We thank Emily for her enthusiasm and willingness to continue the work.
As of this January’s meeting the church has 375 members. Mary Anne O’Toole, Mark Warkentin, Ed Sais, Lily Sais, and Linda Marten have joined us.
During the month of December, the UUCCSM Generous Congregation Contribution gave $267 to the Simms/Mann-UCLA Center, $2,203 to OPCC and $113 to the UU Service Committee. The large sum to OPCC is largely due to the three Christmas Eve services that were held this past December.
Rev. Bijur was very pleased with the the Winter Holiday services line-up, with 3 Christmas Eve services, a Solstice Vespers, and an AAHS talk. She also welcomed Danny Gledhill, our new Church Accompanist, and Robin Wohlman, our interim Office Assistant. She also reported on a special event whereby 11 church leaders toured OPCC. To quote our minister, it was a “reminder that those who are homeless and vulnerable in our community, as well as those who help them, have faces, names, pains, joys, and stories to share – just as I do.”
Catherine Farmer Loya reports that 5th and 6th grade O.W.L. program will begin January 26. The same day the RE program will be visiting the Turning Point transitional housing shelter, where we’ll take a tour of the facility and prepare bag lunches for the residents. This is part of the Faith In Action Sundays program.
Director of Music DeReau Farrar reports that we have 10 congregations lined up to participate in the 2nd Annual MLK Choral Festival – some from as far away as San Diego. The festival will take place at Throop Church in Pasadena on Sunday, January 19. During March the music program will be performing music by significant female choral composers at our worship services. Also, Farrar reports that Babatunde Akinboboye is no longer with us as he had to resign due to scheduling conflicts. He will fill the Bass Section Leader position as soon as possible.
Administrator Nurit Gordon reports that as of 1/14/14 we have received $406,000 toward a goal of $410,000. She also stressed the need for folks to turn off the heaters when they leave the church.
Board meeting attendees contributed to the discussion about the upcoming Visioning Town Hall meeting on February 23, 2014. The discussion touched on ideas such as investing in the future through an endowment fund, the Memorial Garden, a Congregational Life volunteer, building on Pastoral Care, reaching out beyond our walls and social justice movements.
We talked about how big a church we want in the future, the need for a covenant as to how we take care of one another, and wheelchair access to the 2nd floor of Forbes Hall. The board will be devoting a meeting exclusively on this subject on January 22.
The board approved several change orders addressing the Office Renovation. The board also approved that a church committee may conduct an “Empty Bowls” fundraiser with the purpose of donating money to the Westside Food Bank.
The next board meeting will be on February 11, and Vilma Ortiz will be helping to facilitate the next Newcomer Orientation on February 2. The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 p.m.
— Bronwen Jones
As of this month’s meeting the church has 375 members; Mark Christiansen has joined us. Pat Gomez will be helping to facilitate the next Newcomer Orientation, on January 5.
Church Administrator Nurit Gordon said that the 2014 Pledge Drive result to date is $312,000 pledged by 180 out of 289 households. During the month of November, the UUCCSM Generous Congregation Contribution gave $672 to the Westside Food Bank and $254 to Philippines Relief. Nurit also reported that two new bike racks will be installed in front of the cottage.
Catherine Farmer Loya reported that we have more than a dozen youth in the YRUU program this year. Adult Programs are launching “Wednesday Workshops” to start in February. This will be a chance for religious exploration that will include semi-monthly writing workshops, monthly vespers, and the second half of Building You Own Theology: Ethics, a UU history documentary series.
Director of Music DeReau Farrar reported that we have 10 congregations lined up to participate in the Second Annual M.L.K. Choral Festival in January.
Kit Shaw updated the board on our current financial situation which continues to run at a smaller deficit than expected.
The Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur was delighted to announce that Nica Eaton-Guinn has accepted our offer to be our Intern Minister. Nica is completing her studies at Starr King School for Ministry and comes from a rich background in theater arts, administration, and entrepreneurship. She received unanimous support from the Intern Committee — Barbara Kernochan, Joe Engelman, Bill Nunan, Karen Hsu Patterson, Patricia Gomez — and, of course, Rev. Rebecca your minister.
The Board of Directors authorized the Congregation President to engage an attorney to advise the church in employment law, and to expend up to $5,000 in fees associated with this consultation. According to our Treasurer, Kit Shaw, this employment law consultation was also recommended by the Finance Committee.
A congregational meeting to discuss the vision plan will be held at 1 p.m. on February 23. The next board meeting will be on January 14 at 7 p.m. in Forbes Hall.
— Bronwen Jones
As of this month’s meeting the church has 375 members. Jo An Gaines and Richard Powelson have joined us. Barbara Gibbs reported that there have been 27 new members from Thanksgiving last year to Thanksgiving this year.
Church Administrator Nurit Gordon reported she was able to arrange a courtesy (no cost) examination by a professional arborist of all trees on site, and agreed to forward by email to all Board members a copy of the arborist’s report.
The 2013 Pledge Drive result to date is $236,455 pledged by 107 out of 284 households.
Catherine Farmer Loya, Director of Religious Education, reported on plans to hold an early Christmas Eve family service beginning at 3 p.m., in addition to the traditional 6 and 8 p.m. services. The Neighboring Faiths curriculum is being revised to make it more interesting and relevant to children as well as adults. Sunday morning classes beginning in January should be able to return to the cottage after the main office remodeling
project is complete.
Treasurer Kit Shaw reported that the church still is running a deficit, but that it is smaller than anticipated.
Rev. Bijur would like Board members to thank the 107 households who have pledged so far this year and will forward randomly selected lists to do so. She also updated the Board on the possibility of hiring an intern minister.
The Board of Directors approved allocation of up to $10,000 from unrestricted reserves for expenses related to
hosting an Intern Minister in 2014 to 2015.
The Board of Directors voted that the UUCCSM will no longer hold the Will Wright Pulpit fund — established in or
about 1980 and currently containing approximately $14,000 — as an endowment fund. The principal will henceforth be used to pay guest Sunday pulpit speakers.
Bryan Oakes and Beth Brownlie Oakes of the Facilities Development Committee reported on the office remodel and other projects. First they reviewed an office renovation budget including expenditures for work done to date. The Board then approved a contract for $8,862 for office remodel millwork by Ralph Lopez. Future projects might include a parabolic shade cover for the children’s play area and outdoor lighting in the permanent shade structure. The Board approved entering into a contract with Oakmont Builders, Inc. to demolish and remove the existing south (Arizona Avenue) side perimeter wall and construct a new wall according to the plans currently
being reviewed by the City of Santa Monica, for $44,100.
President Cynthia Cottam said she will approve office remodel change orders that are within the remodeling plan, and will seek Board approval via email for change orders for work that appears to be beyond the plan. The Board approved an office remodel change order to relocate existing fire sprinklers in the middle office closer to the ceiling, in an amount up to $2,000.
The Board of Directors set the date of the next UUCCSM Annual Meeting as May 18, 2014.
— Bronwen Jones
Rev. Rebecca lit the chalice and invited attendees to share what time they get up in the morning. It turns out we have a bunch of early risers. First prize to the 4 a.m. riser, Catherine Farmer Loya. Close second was Cynthia Cottam (4:40 a.m.) and third, Jerry Gates, representing the Nominating Committee, who rose at 5:05 a.m. The
more civilized board members, Rebecca Crawford and Vilma Ortiz, drew a tie at 7:45 a.m. The rest were all in between. Heavens to Betsy!
As of this month’s meeting the church has 375 members. Nicole Robinson and Gerry Venable have joined us.
Church Administrator Nurit Gordon has been busy with all the logistics of the current office renovation. By the time of this writing the Sanctuary bathroom will be done.
Director of Music DeReau Farrar reported that the new layout in the Sanctuary has been mostly extremely positive. The overall balance is better and it is great to see the guest performers on the chancel. The choir is averaging 20 folks per week, which is amazing.
DRE Catherine Farmer Loya reported that the new Children’s Chapel program is going very well. She is enjoying the work to lead a more spiritual program for the kids and connect with them in a more consistent way.
Rev. Rebecca brought to the board the idea that we become a Teaching Congregation again. Now that Rebecca is in Final Fellowship we can welcome an intern minister.
About seven church members are considering joining a 10-day interfaith trip to Israel/Palestine with Beth Shir Shalom and the Islamic Center of Southern California. It will be a beautiful way to visit this part of the world.
Treasurer Kit Shaw presented the Treasurer’s Report saying that there was nothing to highlight this month.
The board approved that the Santa Monica Boy Scout Troop 67 can sell holiday wreaths and that the Girl Scouts can sell their cookies, once again!
Beth Brownlie and Bryan Oakes updated the board on what has happened and their plans. Lead abatement
has finished and so the work on the office can resume. They shared their creative and practical plans. The board voted to approve the purchase of the Tangram furniture as proposed by the Facilities and Development
Committee. Unanimous approval.
Robert Kory has worked very hard on our church’s behalf to settle property issues that arose as part of Judy Federick’s estate. The board unanimously signed the following letter to Robert in recognition of his work: “The Board of Directors of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica would like to express its deep appreciation for the work you are doing on our behalf and on behalf of our entire congregation. We understand full well that the negotiations involved in the disposition of the Federick bequest require time, effort, and considerable expertise. We are so grateful that you have volunteered to assume this difficult task for us. We would not be able to do it without you. Ultimately, the entire church will benefit from your efforts. Thank you for
all the gifts you give to our community.”
The meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m. and the next board meeting will be on November 12.
— Bronwen Jones
Rev. Rebecca lit the chalice and invited attendees to share any stories there might be behind their given names. Some interesting stories emerged with several people breaking with tradition.
As of this month’s meeting the church has 374 members. Sheila Cummins has joined us.
The Generous Congregation contribution in August was $580 going to Camp de Benneville Pines.
Church Administrator Nurit Gordon reported that the grounds have been spruced up and the piano was moved up onto the chancel. Rev. Rebecca has temporarily moved back into her office until the renovations are in full swing.
Director of Music DeReau Farrar reported that the SummerSing was a success. He would like to continue the program next year. He also attended the UU Musician’s Network Conference in July. The choir is back in business and they have moved their position in relation to the piano and organ in order to correct some acoustic problems. Rev. Rebecca and DeReau have decided to accept the invitation to host the UUA Pacific Southwest District Annual Choral Festival on May 14, 2014. And this year’s L.A.-area MLK Choral Festival will be held on January 19, 2014 at Throop Memorial UU Church in Pasadena.
The minister and board welcomed the return of DRE Catherine Farmer who has been on family leave.Catherine reported that there would be a YRUU Barbecue on Saturday, September 21, hosted by YRUU advisor Chris Brown. Also, the de Benneville Pines church camp weekend has meant that RE classes would start a week later than usual, on September 22.
Treasurer Kit Shaw presented the Treasurer’s Report. The board gratefully accepted the appointment of Wendi Gladstone, Karen Patch, and Melanie Sharp to be our Financial Review Committee for 2013.The church approved Faith In Action’s desire to fundraise for the Textbook Fund For Incarcerated Students.
Rev. Rebecca reported on her activities since returning from her refreshing vacation. She also shared the reading “The Wisdom to Survive” by Wendell Berry, which can be found as #465 in our hymnal. This introduced the discussion that followed regarding the visioning process for our church.
The meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m. and the next board meeting will be on October 8.
— Bronwen Jones
dent Cynthia Cottam lit the chalice as Rev. Rebecca was on vacation. Cynthia led a meditation for the check-in,
perhaps inspired by the recent Board Retreat facilitated by Rev. Jim Grant. The President's Report shared that Debbie Menzies and Sheila Cummins are chairing the new Hospitality Committee.
As of this month’s meeting the church has 373 members. Kevin Squire and Jill Doughtie have joined us.
The Generous Congregation Contribution in July was $786. It was donated to Step Up On Second.
Church Administrator Nurit Gordon reported that our net income is higher than expected this month due to
decreased expenses and increased rental income. The church's lobby bathroom will be renovated next. The Facility Development Committee (FDC) has applied for a new permit to replace the one approved by the Architectural Review Board back in 2010. The FDC wants to have windows that are more historically accurate.
Nurit tallied our total membership for 2012 to 2013 as follows:
25 new members
7 resigned
1 transferred
12 lapsed
3 deceased
1 re-instated
Acting DRE Emmalinda MacLean reported that the youth's trip to New Orleans gathered many wonderful stories and it had a significant impact on the lives of our teens. She also said there has been great enthusiasm for James Witker's “Understanding the Bible” course.
Treasurer Kit Shaw presented the Financial Report and year-end reports.
Board discussion followed regarding the visioning process with the congregation. Cynthia suggested that we follow a model similar to that used by the minister selection process, having a series of cottage meetings at the
church and in member's homes during the months of October and November. About an hour was devoted to brainstorming on this subject, much of it focused on how to gather the point of view of the congregation and how that will interface with the vision of our minister.
The meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m. The next board meeting will be on September 10.
— Bronwen Jones
As of the July meeting the church has 374 members. Marybeth and Ben Brownlee have joined us.
The Generous Congregation Contribution in June was $742 going to Common Ground, $37 to the Carlos Franco Memorial Fund, and $221 to the UU Prison Ministry.
President Cynthia Cottam reported that Rebecca will be on study leave from July 10 until August 5 and on
vacation from August 6 until August 20.
First VP Barbara Gibbs reported that 12 new members attended the New Member event on the patio. It was well received.
There will be a board retreat on July 27. The Rev. Jim Grant will facilitate. One of the suggestions by our president is that the board spend some time visioning among themselves in order to prepare for leading the church’s visioning process.
Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur reported that she offered presence and prayers at the Santa Monica College vigil,
Pico Youth and Family/CLUE Walk for Peace, and as a volunteer for drop-in counseling in Virginia Avenue Park in the aftermath of the recent Santa Monica shootings.
Director of Music DeReau Farrar reported that Associate Music Director Dr. Irene Gregorio-Stoup gave birth
to a healthy baby boy on June 22. There will be a choir retreat at Solana Beach on August 24. On July 24 to 28 DeReau will be attending the UU Music Network conference in Dallas. He will also be stepping in as Choir Director for the First Unitarian Church of L.A. for all of August.
Church Administrator Nurit Gordon and all office staff have moved to the Cottage while renovations to the
office take place. Everyone is crowded but doing well.
Acting DRE Emmalinda MacLean reported that the pre-school and kindergarten classes are going smoothly.
There will be a Chalice Camp talent show on August 4. She shared great appreciation for Beverly Alison’s Dalai Lama and prayer flag session. She is very enthusiastic about the volunteer energy of our church. The board asked Emmalinda to share her feedback about our RE program at the end of her tenure with us.
Bryan Oakes attended the meeting to ask the board to approve four contracts: Oakmont for office and bathroom
renovation, A. Giddens for electrical improvements in the office, Ralph Mechur (to prepare drawings for ARB review), and Five Star for sanctuary and office windows and door. All were unanimously approved.
Treasurer Kit Shaw presented the Financial Report and said that the year-end reports will be reviewed in August. Joe Engelman wrote a $400,000 check to the Bank of America account from Drew Still’s bequest.
— Bronwen Jones
The board invited past presidents residing in Southern California to join them at the June meeting. Shown here are Stuart Moore (1969-70), Bill Anderson (1984-87), Ray Goodman (1987-89), Len Adler (1989-91), and Steve White (1991-93). Not present were Ron Crane, Sue Bickford, Jerry Gates, and Charles Haskell. Photo by Rob Briner.
Our minister, The Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur, lit the chalice and remembered those that were hurt and killed in the recent Santa Monica College shooting.
As of this month’s meeting the church has 372 members. Carrie Lauer and Jeremey Arnold are new members. The Generous Congregation Contribution in May was $550 going to the UUA.
There was no President’s report because Cynthia Cottam was on vacation.
In Rev. Rebecca's monthly report she listed who she visited pastorally, which committees and groups she attended, and what she had done as administrative leader of this congregation.
Director of Music DeReau Farrar reported good progress on the “American Singing: Patriotism vs. Pride” Dining for Dollars event on June 23. DeReau and Rev. Rebecca will be starting SummerSing on Wednesday nights during the summer.
Church Administrator Nurit Gordon has spent a lot of time with contractors this month as they move forward with the plans to renovate the office, as approved by the congregation. She has been leading the logistics of moving the office and folks around during this time. Rentals of church spaces are going very well.
Bryan Oakes attended the meeting to ask the board to approve the abatement contractor that his committee has recommended, and the board approved his request. Abatement was to start once the board approved the contract by email, which was accomplished on June 14.
The meeting approved DeReau’s proposal to support the section leaders by increasing next year’s music budget by $3,500. Kit Shaw, our Treasurer, said that the Finance Committee did not support DeReau’s proposal because of the budget deficit. Kit, Bronwen Jones, and Pat Gomez voted no to DeReau’s proposal. Rob Briner, Vilma Ortiz, and Bruno Lacombe voted yes to the proposal. The final decision landed on Vice President Barbara Gibbs, as we had a 3-3 split. She voted in favor of DeReau’s proposal.
The meeting adjourned at 10:08 p.m. and the next board meeting will be on July 9.
— Bronwen Jones