First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin, Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 6:30 p.m.
First UU Church of Austin, 4700 Grover, Austin, TX 78756 in Room 13
In Attendance:
Trustees: Nell Newton, President; Eric Stimmel, Vice-President; Luther Elmore, Treasurer; Chris Jimmerson, Secretary; Sheila Gladstone, Immediate Past President (Ex-Officio); Margaret Borden; Derek Howard; Aaron Osmer, Youth Trustee; Brendan Sterne; Michael West; Laura Wood.
Executive Team: Janet Newman, Interim Minister (Ex-Officio); Sean Hale, Executive Director (Ex-Officio)
Staff Present: Brent Baldwin, Director of Music
Visitors Present: Kathleen Ellis, Stephanie (Canada) Gill, Kae McLaughlin, Jeanette Swenson, Daesene Willman
Call to Order
The President called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
Adoption of Agenda
The Trustees present adopted the agenda (Appendix A, page 2).
Motion: Brendan Sterne– Adopt the agenda.
Second: Michael West
Discussion: None
Vote: All affirmative
Reading and Lighting of the Chalice
The trustees read the board covenant (Appendix A, Page 1) in unison and the President lit the high-tech chalice.
Visitor’s Forum
Daesene Willman thanked the trustees for being servant leaders and for supporting freeze nights.
Stephanie (Canada) Gill presented the YEW GROVE Pagan Interfaith brochure (Appendix B) and announced the Ostara Ritual & Potluck on March 21 at 2 p.m. She also announced the Grand Re-Opening of the library that will include a book sale and potluck on Saturday, April 17. Book donations will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and the sale will begin at 11 a.m. and go until 2 p.m.
Consent Agenda Items
The trustees had read the consent agenda items prior to the meeting. The President explained that the board would begin following a new procedure for the consent agenda to begin practicing some of the governance procedures from the recent board training on governance and to leave more time on meeting agendas to hold intentional discussion and exercises regarding governance. She noted that:
- Consent agenda reports will be due to the secretary by noon on the Friday 11 days before the board meeting (one week earlier than they have been due)
- Trustees will read the reports and direct any questions for clarification to the authors of the reports. Any policy issues brought up by the reports should be communicated to the President and the Secretary.
- At the actual meeting, the consent agenda items will be adopted but not discussed.
Motion: Chris Jimmerson – adopt the consent agenda items.
Second: Brendan Sterne
Discussion: A trustee asked that if a policy issue were raised by a report in the consent agenda whether it would be put on the discussion and action section of the agenda that month. The President replied that it would depend upon the urgency of the issue.
Vote: All Affirmative
Discussion and Action Items
Nominations Committee: Jeanette Swenson from the Nominations Committee presented the slate for trustees being nominated for the next board year, as well as the Nominating Committee’s suggestion for board appointees of committee chairs (Appendix C). She noted that the Nominations Committee had taken an expanded role this year by conducting leadership training. This seemed to lead to more candidates and those candidates being more prepared and enthusiastic. There were more candidates than positions available. She urged the continuation of leadership development and noted that the openness of the nominating process had also helped.
The Trustees discussed the process for the appointment of the Youth Trustee. The current Youth Trustee noted that no choice had been made yet and that the Youth Trustee process is separate and occurs in September.
Treasurer: The President informed the Trustees that she had accepted the resignation of Luther Elmore as Treasurer due to personal reasons. She thanked him for his amazing work as Treasurer, as did the other trustees. She noted that Kae McLaughlin, Treasurer nominee for the next board year, had agreed to serve as Treasurer for the remainder of the current board year should the board appoint her.
Motion: Brendan Sterne – Appoint Kae McLaughlin as Treasurer for the remainder of the current board year
Second: Chris Jimmerson
Discussion: None
Vote: All Affirmative
Review of New Financial Statements Format (Appendix A, Page 18): The Executive Director (ED) gave an overview of the financial statements in their new format, noting that the summary page provides key information at the top, followed by more detailed notes for those who prefer them. He gave an overview of the balance sheet and the Profit and Loss Budget Versus Actual Summary, noting that the workbook sent to Trustees also contains a sheet with more details for those who want them.
A Trustee noted a concern about plate collections being lower than anticipated and referenced an article that addressed “skimming” of collections within churches. The ED expressed that pledge collections were higher than anticipated and that more church members may be marking their plate donations as going toward their pledges. He also noted that there is always more than one person involved in accounting for plate collections. Luther Elmore also noted that collections for non-profits are separate now rather than split from one collection and that this has worked well but would keep the non-profit out of the church collection numbers as it had been in prior years.
A Trustee asked about whom to address any question about the Financial Statements. The ED responded that such questions should begin with him.
Discussion with Kathleen Ellis, District Ministerial Settlement Representative: The President welcomed Reverend Ellis, who summarized and highlighted information in materials she had brought regarding the settled minister search process (Appendix D). She highlighted the following from the materials:
- The MSR Report Form I will be due soon from the President.
- Begin thinking now about the salary and housing package for the next minister.
- Begin assembling search committee and let them know it can be upwards of 400 hours of work each.
- Appoint a negotiating team: 1 search committee member, one board member, and 1 church elder. They should create a draft letter of agreement or contract.
- Establish a budget for the search committee.
- The search committee will need to plan a retreat, usually a Friday evening and a Saturday.
- Establish a budget for the Installation Ceremony for the new minister.
- Establish criteria for search committee members (examples on pages 5 and 6 of materials).
- The draft agreement must be sent to the transitions office before interviewing can begin. Due October 31 with candidate records seen in November.
- Create a congregational profile and what it wants in a minister. Be honest in profile.
- Search committee will need to be web savvy.
Michael West, charged with assembling the search committee, sought advice from his fellow trustees on making the selection process as transparent as possible. He suggested several methods for inviting applications including an article in the church newsletter, several weeks of announcements and putting the invitation into the Special Notes. He noted that due to timing issues, doing some of these could delay the selection process.
Reverend Ellis noted that the search committee could be assembled as late as May.
The consensus of the trustees was to utilize all of these methods and to have a relatively short deadline for applications once the various announcements have been completed.
Dates, Times and Locations for 2010 Board Retreat and Values/Mission/Ends Retreat: The Vice-President asked the trustees to mark their calendars for May 22 for a retreat at U Bar U and to plan to arrive by 11 a.m. and stay overnight. The costs will be $30 each, which includes meals and housing.
The Secretary asked the trustees to mark their calendars for the values/mission/ends session on June 12, 2010 from 9 am to 4 pm in Austin, location to be announced.
Executive Session: The Trustees entered into an executive session to discuss a personnel matter and those who were not trustees left the room.
Governance Discussion:
Nested Bowls – The Secretary reviewed the nested bowls diagram (page 33 of Appendix A) from the policy-based governance training materials wherein values represent the largest part of our chalice, containing within them the mission, which contains within it the ends statements. He noted that flame of the chalice represents linkage with those we as trustees represent. Good board governance lies within these areas, and policy-based governance would result in four kinds of board policies:
- Ends
- Executive Limitations
- Relationship with the Executive
- Board Processes
These polices will start at the broadest level and work toward the more specific until the board feels comfortable that the Executive could make any reasonable further interpretation of them. The Executive will make any policies beyond that point. To make time for examining governance during board meetings, the board will need to begin delegating policies that are clearly not within the four above, setting any limitations as needed.
Policy Governance the What and Why – Brendan Sterne facilitated a brainstorming session on why we are considering policy-based governance and what it entails both to help trustees clarify the concepts for themselves and to serve as way to begin educating others about it. The trustees brainstormed the following:
Policy Governance, Why?
====================
– Clarify accountability, authority and responsibility
– Staff empowered to do their work
– Board focus on the mission
– We are a growing congregation
– Full board meets 3 hours per month; Executives work 40 hrs+ per month
Policy Governance, What?
====================
– Board creates policies
– Board sets limits
– Board focuses on Vision / Strategy, not administrative details
– Board monitors Executives
– Board deals with policies, *not* individual cases
Policy Agenda Exercise – The Vice-President facilitated a discussion of what items on an earlier board agenda (page 35 of Appendix A) might be delegated to the Executive and which not. The trustees were in consensus that the agenda items involving personal days, pay periods and the rental policy could be delegated. There was some question regarding a proposal for a memorial and how exactly the consent agenda would be handled (would it need to be adopted at all?). The trustees will seek clarification on these from the consultant for moving toward policy-based governance. An agenda item regarding an internal audit committee might be a part of monitoring under policy-based governance.
Linkage – The Secretary facilitated a discussion of how the board could conduct linkage (definition on page 36 of Appendix A) with its moral ownership (definition also on page 36). He noted that the board is clearly accountable to the church members but that at a later time the trustees will discuss that the moral ownership might be even larger. The trustees discussed the following ways to let the congregation know about linkage opportunities and to provide such opportunities:
– “Bridge to our Future” / AI Process
– Senior Lunch
– Board member announce, “Available to chat after service”
– Broadcast emails from individuals
– Holiday events
– Get linkage ideas from the congregation (ask them!)
– Newsletter item announcing new board
– Use specific subject lines in emails
– Phone calls by trustees — gather input
– Phone calls on member’s anniversary of membership
– Board members host house parties
Kitchen Remodel: Michael West stated that a member of the congregation had approached him who might consider providing up to $50,000 in matching funds (not currently budgeted by the church) for a kitchen renovation. He asked if a kitchen had been included in the plans for a potential new RE wing in the future. The trustees recalled that the plans did not include a full kitchen but advised checking with the building committee.
The trustees expressed enthusiasm over the possibility of such an offer and a renovation of the kitchen.
With no further business, the President adjourned the meeting at 9:25 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Chris Jimmerson
Secretary
Note: Appendices B, C and D will be scanned and made available here shortly.
