MINUTES

First Unitarian-Universalist Church of Detroit

Meeting of the Governing Board

September 13, 2004

 

 

ATTENDING:

Charlotte Allen, Incoming Trustee

Linda Darga, Social Justice Trustee

Colleen Dolan-Greene, Moderator

Jim Harvey, Vice Moderator &Strategic Planning Trustee

Rev. David Parke, Interim Minister

Bob Lauer, Treasurer

Carolyn Ludwig, Religious EducationTrustee

Howard Malzberg, Guest

Kathy Rock, Worship Trustee

Irene Schultz, Incoming Trustee

Jon Schultz, GuestDan Secrest, Canvass & FinanceTrustee

Ruth Seifert, Incoming Trustee

Lynda Smith, Immediate PastModerator

Kathe Stevens, Secretary

Janet Thompson, Building & FinanceTask Force

Jenny Teed, Director of ReligiousEducation

Dan Wiest, Incoming Trustee

Len Zettel, 1st UU Webmaster

 

 

Agenda attached (items in italics are attached to the original minutes filed with the Church Office).

 

Rev. David Parke opened the meeting at 7:07 p.m. with a reading from Lord Acton, 19th century liberal religious activist.

 

Two congregation members asked to be added to the agenda, and it was agreed they would go prior to the printed agenda:

 

1. Janet Thompson reported on her assignment as a member of the Building and Finance Task Force to meet with Njia Kai of Camp Detroit and the DV Studio regarding the Skillman Foundation Faith-Based Initiative sponsorship of A Call To Service (ACTS). Njia is responsible for an ACTS after-school program for children on Monday and Wednesday nights 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. from September to June. The Church provides rent-free facilities and Skillman provides money for instructors, supplies, and snacks. The funds are split among five churches in eight clusters. We are the only successful cluster. The program is being renewed for three years. Director of Religious Education Jenny Teed plans to be involved but is unable to do so this year. Therefore, it was MOVED that First UU Church is supportive of Njia continuing the program this year, which means the Church is making a commitment for the use of space Monday and Wednesday nights 3:00 p.m.to 6:00 p.m. from September to June [Linda Darga/Dan Wiest]; CARRIED.

2. First UU Webmaster Len Zettel reported that the Minister and the DRE have working PCs with broadband access to the Internet. Len loaned some equipment for the DRE's use,which he may need returned. The building is now wired as an Internet hotspot. Since Colleen had distributed a list of First UU Board of Trustees, 2004-2005 with addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, Len raised the question of posting personal email addresses on the Church's website. After hearing some negative reactions, Len volunteered that there may be additional email addresses available at the Church's website, and if there are, these could be established to contact Board members.

 

TREASURER'S REPORT: Treasurer Bob Lauer distributed Revenue and Expense August 2004, Balance Sheet Final at June 30, 2004 and Prior Year End, and Revenue and Expense June 2004. Bob reported we are seven months behind in the mortgage and have received a shut-off notice for the gas. Expenses were down in July and August but so were revenues. Bob strongly recommended cuts to save $35,000. There followed a discussion on finances and how to generate revenue. Dan Secrest will call Minister Emeritus Larry Hutchison to see if he applied for this year's Veatch Grant. Gwen Winston may also have information, since she has been involved in grant writing.

 

MINUTES: After review of the April 12, 2004 minutes, it was MOVED that the minutes be accepted as presented [Carolyn Ludwig/Dan Secrest]; CARRIED. After review of the June 14, 2004 minutes, it was MOVED that the minutes be accepted as presented [JimHarvey/Dan Secrest]; CARRIED.

 

MINISTER'S REPORT: Rev. David Parke's report had been sent to Board Members by email. He requested that the Board act to set his housing allowance be at $10,000 per his email report. This is a formality for tax purposes. It was therefore MOVED that the Board shall designate $10,000 as Rev. Parke's housing allowance retroactive to August 15, 2004 [JimHarvey/Dan Secrest]; CARRIED.

 

MODERATORS REPORT:

a) Memorial Fund Committee Chair: The Board was advised by Colleen that Mary Neale has resigned as Chair of the Memorial Fund Committee and that Mark Bendure has agreed to be new Chair of the Memorial Fund Committee. It was therefore MOVED that Mark Bendure appointed as chair [Linda Darga/Dan Wiest]; CARRIED.

 

b) Protecting our 501(c)(3) status: Moderator Colleen Dolan Greene distributed a September 9, 2004 letter and Request for Action from Trustee Mark Bendure regarding an opinion concerning the limits of political activity allowed by our 501(c)(3) status. A particular concern is to have printed material reflect our non-profit status, especially the Church Newsletter inserts to conform to the non-profit status. All content for the newsletter must be submitted to the Newsletter Editor by the deadline. Therefore, no one can give Church Administrator WendiWinston anything past the deadline to insert in the Newsletter. It was therefore MOVED that the deadline newsletter editor Irene Schultz establishes the deadline, and no one can put anything else in the newsletter [Linda Darga/Charlotte Allen]; CARRIED. Rev. Parke will speak to Wendi about the motion and the deadline.

c) Recommendations for a New Board Secretary: Colleen reported that Board Secretary Kathe Stevens was resigning after serving as Board Secretary since 1996. Colleen pointed out her summary of the First UU Constitution re Secretary and asked for recommendations for a replacement.

 

TASK FORCE REPORTS AND ACTION IF NECESSARY:

Colleen asked, how are we getting to the big picture? We need to use the Task Forces formed at the Church Retreat to create our strategic plan and asked: should the committees function as they have or have the Task Forces meet instead?

 

a) Worship and Ministry Task Force: Carolyn Ludwig and Charlotte Allen of Worship and Ministry reported that this Task Force has met twice. Charlotte observed that the Task Force is hoping to build up lay leadership. There was a discussion on milestones and applause. They are looking at policies.

 

b) Growth and Outreach Task Force: Dan Wiest of Growth and Outreach reported on the welcome back to WSU students, the table at Dally in the Alley, and the Task Force's focus on visitors. There was a suggestion to put an ongoing ad in the "South End". The Outreach toWSU sign will go on the Church lawn on 9/25. Jennifer Teed put together a Growth at 1st UU -how you can help... questionnaire.

 

Carolyn Ludwig reported on the MOSES rally on September 26th, recommending that the Church get involved. Rev. Parke asked that everyone attend the rally; Detroit needs MOSES, we need to commit personally and as representatives of the Congregation.

 

Building and Finance Task Force:

The first item discussed was the request from the Building and Grounds Committee that Colleen had shared with the Board by email: a request to use Memorial Fund money to pay the cost of painting the west windows on the Church sanctuary and staining the east sanctuary doors. B&G sees these items as the highest priority during the next six months with an estimated cost of $400.00 for the doors and about $6,800.00 for the painting. The Memorial Fund has money available and this is just the type of project the Memorial Fund was created to cover, so it is an appropriate use of the funds. Therefore it was MOVED to do as B&G had requested [JimHarvey/Dan Secrest]; CARRIED.

 

Jim is checking rentals; there has not yet been an assignment regarding sharing the sanctuary. There followed a discussion on rental policies and the need to circulate the policy developed last Spring. An October meeting agenda item was proposed: review the building use rate for single event users. Rev. Parke is willing to work as executive energy. There was a discussion on a building use manual: Colleen asked, "what is our philosophy, who and what and when regarding use of the Church?" We should not use the security system to govern that.

Overall Strategic Planning: The question remains, how are we getting to the big picture of growing this Church? What is the big picture of things we need to have 500 families in five years? This is a core question. How are we going to create our Strategic Plan? Rev. Parke reported that during a meeting with the Moderator it was suggested we give executive energy to the Task Force by creating a "secretariat", which would consist of the chairs of the task forces, perhaps the recording secretaries, plus the moderator, minister, and one or two other people to ride herd on the task forces. The Strategic Plan ought to list priorities and should have a time frame. It was pointed out that the Board created task forces consisting of Board members, and at the service yesterday members volunteered. It was suggested that the size of the secretariat may be too big, perhaps something smaller would work; maybe just Colleen and Rev. Parke.

 

NEW BUSINESS: Jenny Teed has applied for a scholarship for the Heartland District Fall Training Institute. She asked if there were funds available to send growth committee membersto the "Planning for Growth and Vitality" workshop. Cost per participant: DRE $150, team(four members) $450. After some discussion about available funds, Rev. Parke offered to contribute$100 and Bob Lauer offered to contribute $200 to send a team from 1st UU. The Women's Alliance will be asked to contribute the balance.

 

Following a discussion on the Coalition for a FAIR Michigan, which is working to defeat Proposition 2, a proposed amendment to Michigan's Constitution to deny same-sex couples the rights of marriage, it was MOVED to implement the following:

 

RESOLVED that the First Unitarian-Universalist Church of Detroit, MI,adopts a corporate position in support of legal recognition of marriage between members of the same sex on an equal basis with marriage between members of the opposite sexes; and be it further resolved that First Unitarian-Universalist Church of Detroit, MI make this position known through the media, through denominational gatherings, through banners and signs, and through all other appropriate means

 

[Colleen Dolan-Greene/Linda Darga]; CARRIED. This resolution will be presented to theCongregation for a vote as soon as possible in accordance with the Church's Constitution andBy-Laws.

 

TRUSTEE REPORTS: Report to the Board, September 13, 2004, Religious Education.

 

ADJOURN: The meeting adjourned at 9:30.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Kathe Stevens, Board Secretary