Board of Trustees

The members of the Board of Trustees are elected at our annual congregational meeting. They meet monthly and the meetings are open.

2011-2012

Board

President: Ken Clayborn

President-Elect: Katrina Wilson

Secretary: Karen Kehr

Treasurer: Pam Wycliff

Trustee:Linda Becker (3rd of 3-year)

Trustee: Carolyn Andersohn (2nd of 3-year)

Trustee: Art Beuhler (1st of 3-year)

Trustee: Francisco Avila (1-year)

At the December 2011 meeting of the Board of Trustees:

The congregation was generous for the Salvation Army Adopt-a-Family program, gathering monies in excess of targeted amounts.
Pledge revenue is ahead of budget, however, donations are behind. Building Rental revenue is up from what was budgeted.
The wall plaque for the David McNitt remembrance has been engraved and soon will be installed.
The Building and Grounds Committee is moving ahead with the
build-out of the Garden Level of the Gathering Place. They will be finishing the two unfinished walls. They hope to get underway with this the first of the year.
Building and Grounds is looking into enhancing building security and a process for management of building keys. They are also drafting a procedure for building closing after services/events.
There will be a breakfast to kick off the pledge drive this spring on March 4th.
On January 8th there will be a Town Hall Meeting on communications.
The Board will have a retreat on Saturday, January 21 to discuss
long term strategies.

At the November 2011 meeting of the Board of Trustees:

Christmas Day and New Years' Day Sunday services will be held at 10 a.m. both days. There will be one service both Sundays, and a Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m.
Snow Day Guidelines: If the authorities of the county or city say, "stay off the roads" due to the weather, we will call off church services. Church members should tune into WNDU to see if UUFE is listed in the scrolling closing announcements.
There will be a fundraiser meal after church on Dec. 4, catered by Adams Catering. Pam Wycliff volunteered to be UUFE's Chalice Lighter ambassador. The Chalice Lighter program is a grant program for churches in the district. Pam will be gathering details about the program.
Ordination and 50th Anniversary Celebration: Ken Clayborn noted that both events went very smoothly, were well planned, executed and a joy to attend.
Board members agreed. The Board will be reviewing the Strategic
Plan in the coming months. In 2012, the By-Laws and church policies will be updated and reviewed with the congregation.

At the August 2011 meeting the Board of Trustees:

William Becker gave us a summary of the status of the occupancy permit. All code work has been completed except the fire doors between buildings which need to be replaced since they do not meet the most current codes. The board had previously approved upgrades to code. Magnetic door switches will also be installed to automatically close in case of fire. This will prevent propping open the doors and damage to the door verneer. This work is in process. More details will be available in the near future.
A report was shared on the status of the Bylaws Review Committee. Ron Gill and Moxie Robinson have agreed to perform the review with the intent of having an amended document ready to discuss early in 2012. The final goal will be to vote on approval at the May congregational meeting.
The board members were asked to review the Strategic Plan for future discussions.
The upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting was discussed along with committee reports. Board liaisons were identified at the last meeting. The names of these liaisons will be posted on the bulletin board outside the office.
A possible board retreat was discussed so that we might discuss some items which take more time than one board meeting can allow.
Gene Wiswell was selected as Volunteer of the Month.

At the July 2011 meeting the Board of Trustees:

William Becker brought the board up to date on the status of the permanent occupancy permit for the Gathering Place. We are in the process of going though the city inspections, since we have received state approval to proceed. The local inspections have uncovered some items which, until they are addressed and completed, we are still under the temporary permit and are not allowing external rentals of that space.
A meeting of the committee chairs (Committee of the Whole) will be called in early August to discuss calendars and to reinforce the commitment of the board to working with the committees.
A draft of the new list of the Board Member/Committee Liaisons was distributed to everyone. It will be attached to the minutes from the meeting.
Art Beutler reported that there have been several improvements made to the grounds in the last 6 weeks, including new plantings and clean gutters. He requested help from the congregation sprucing up the meditation garden and making it a truly restful place.
This new Board accepted the challenge to put together a task force to revise the By-Laws by the next Congregational Meeting in May 2012. They haven't been revised since 2003.
We discussed the best method to ensure acknowledging memorials. The Board agenda will have a standing item each month to review them.
Pam Wycliff was selected as Volunteer of the Month.

At the June 2011 meeting the Board of Trustees:

At the May 2011 meeting the Board of Trustees:

At the April 2011 meeting the Board of Trustees:

Learned that the Nominating Committee had completed its recommended slate of nominees for 2011-12: Katrina Wilson, board president-elect; Karen Kehr, secretary; Art Beutler, trustee; Carolyn Andersohn, trustee; Francisco Avila, trustee; William Becker, endowment committee; and Larry Cherniak, nominating committee.
Learned that the septic tank hooked up to the Children's House was recently pumped and that the septic system appeared to be very good condition.
Learned that the RE annual summer camping trip will be the first weekend of August at Indiana Dunes
Discussed further the situation concerning the occupancy permit for The Gathering Place. We are appealing the state's denial of a variance for the firewall. William Becker will continue to be UUFE's lead representative in an upcoming administrative review of our permit, and one board member, Greg Koehler or Ken Clayborn, will also be present for the conference call whenever it is scheduled.
Discussed and approved -- with some changes -- the 2011-12 budget that will be presented to the congregation at the May 15 annual meeting for its approval and adoption.
Selected Katrina Wilson as Volunteer of the Month for her work as chair of the Stewardship Committee

At the March 2011 meeting the Board of Trustees:

Reviewed the situation regarding the permanent occupancy permit for The Gathering Place. William Becker, who was been representing the board with The Troyer Group, said approval has been held up by a number of bureaucratic delays. However, The Troyer Group believes approval of a variance to our existing building and a permanent occupancy permit should be attainable by April. The board also discussed potential legal avenues should the outcome be unfavorable.
Learned that Ken Clayborn has accepted the position of president elect, filling the term of Laura Snow, who resigned. The congregation will vote on this at the congregational meeting. The Nominating Committee is awaiting word from a candidate who would fill Ken's position on the board.
Decided to move forward with a Sri Lankan dinner fundraiser in partnership with Eye2theWorld. The event is scheduled for April 10 following Sunday services.
Selected Charles Lane as Volunteer of the Month

At the February 2011 meeting the Board of Trustees:

Discussed a potential joint fundraiser with Joe Rueff‟s non-profit, Eye2theWorld, that would involve a Sri Lankan meal prepared by Ganesh de Silva. Joe said he would draft a specific proposal for the board's consideration.
Approved, after making final revisions, official policies on the following areas: Website, Newsletter, Disruptive Behavior, Archives and Finance Committee.
Discussed the forecasted fiscal situation of the church in preparation for the budget drafting process.
Discussed progress on preparations for our 50th anniversary celebration.
Selected Kenley Inglefield as the Volunteer of the Month for January.

At the January 2011 meeting the Board of Trustees:

The membership committee reported that our membership now stands at 114 members.
A discussion was held to attempt to identify a committee chair and other committee members for the 50th anniversary celebration. This is an important task that needs to be completed soon so that we can select a date and finalize a plan.
Final approval for six policies will be voted upon at the board retreat to be held in February. Four more policies will be presented in draft form. These are Alcohol Policy, Smoking Policy, Chemical Sensitivity Policy and Finance Committee policy.
Annette Long was present for a good discussion about the progress made by The Finishing Task Force as well as the many items still left to be done.
The board discussed the procedure for making the decision to cancel services due to weather and the process for contacting the local media so that the announcement may be broadcast. Greg Koehler is coordinating this.
Two new fundraising ideas were discussed.
The board agreed to schedule a Board retreat during the month of February.
Ken Clayborn was selected as Volunteer of The Month

At the December 2010 meeting the Board of Trustees:

Created a task force to organize the records of the capital campaign and designate individuals to solicit pledges from members who had not already been contacted.
Learned that the Finishing Task Force is beginning work on organizing the former office into a combination office/library area.
Learned that Chuck Bower is now a member of the Committee on Ministry.
Learned that the Worship & Arts Committee is taking steps to make the building fragrance-free, including converting to the use of unscented soaps in the bathrooms and beeswax candles during services.
Learned that the permanent occupancy permit for The Gathering Place continues to be held up in state bureaucracy. The Troyer Group has advised us to treat the temporary occupancy permit as a permanent one.
Reviewed procedures and discussed educational steps to encourage members to use The Gathering Place entrance on Sunday mornings.
Selected Greg Koehler as the Volunteer of the Month for his work in recording interviews with longtime members as part of our 50th anniversary observance

At the November meeting the Board of Trustees:

The Finshing Task Force reported that significant progress has been made on the facility. Annette asked if we could find out when the clock actually starts ticking on the one year "final finishing" commitment from The Troyer Group. The reason she asked is that, to date, we do not have the final approval for occupancy from the State...we have a temporary authorization. This is all due to a technicality with the building code. Greg Koehler will check with Troyer to see what could possibly have held this up for nearly six months. The potential benefit to UUFE might be that the commitment from Troyer to perform these finishing touches could begin when the final approval for occupancy is received.
Greg brought up the fact that we need to update the membership book with new pictures. Ken mentioned that, in the past, the Membership Committee was in charge of this and the board recommended that Membership be approached about having these photos brought up to date.
Katrina reports that Jim Raudebaugh and Chuck Bower will become new members of the Stewardship Committee.
Dedication of The Gathering Place - The scheduling of the dedication is still delayed because of the lack of a permanent occupancy permit (see above).
Six draft policies were considered for approval. At the next meeting they will be approved.
The Board unanimously decided to take Annette Long's recommendation and recognize Rod Liechty for his work on the finishing task force.

At the October meeting the Board of Trustees:

The board reviewed the proposal to borrow money from the endowment to help defray the cost of the mortgage. The proposal will be reviewed at the congregational meeting after the second service on November 7th.
The progress being made by the Finishing Task Force was reviewed as well as proposals for future work. It was noted that the Task Force has already accomplished many of its goals with the addition of the gallery wall, the installation of the new lights in the hallway between buildings and rearrangements of bookshelves and storage areas.
The nine o'clock service was discussed. Several ideas were reviewed to encourage attendance. Whenever pos-sible live music will be used. The student accompanists will be asked to perform at both services (the fund will support a slightly higher stipend).
Moving forward on the policy manual was discussed. A proposed plan was suggested and will be implemented to get the process moving again. Several draft policies are ready for review and will be sent to board members for review and approval at the November meeting.
The board reviewed and approved the Andrew McNight concert for the evening of November 14th.
The Ooey Gooey auction date was confirmed. The date is March 5, 2011.
Volunteers of the Month were approved. These are Art Beutler and Bob Weiland for their help with landscaping duties during the summer and fall.

At the September meeting the Board of Trustees:

Discussed the logistics of the transition to two Sunday services and how that is impacting adult forum and coffee hour.
Discussed the upcoming informational meeting for the congregation regarding the Endowment
Committee's proposal on paying down debt.
Approved a new lease agreement for a new office copier and service plan. This new plan will save about $50.00 per month.
Approved an agreement with First Unitarian Church of South Bend for the temporary use of 92 chairs.
Selected Annette Long as Volunteer of the Month for her work in organizing the Finishing Task Force.

At the August meeting, the Board of Trustees:

Considered a proposal by the Endowment Committee to borrow $50,000 from the endowment to pay down a portion of the mortgage for The Gathering Place and to re-pay that loan from the ongoing collections of Capital Campaign pledges. At least one informational meeting will be conducted this fall and a congregational meeting called later in the fall on this proposal.
Heard a report from the Finishing Task Force. New lighting will be installed in the hallway connecting the old wing with the new wing, including track lighting that would be used to highlight artwork in that area. UUFE may also be in the position to accept upholstered chairs from the South Bend UU church since they won't need them after moving to their new space. The Finishing Task Force is also working on proposals on bulletin board displays, a welcome center for visitors and coat racks.
Learned that the 9 a.m Service Task Force will be promoting the format change with a weatherproof banner to be hung outside the church and editing our existing advertisement in The Elkhart Truth. The task force also has arranged for infant child care at both services to be provided by Lizzie French. There is sufficient funding in the budget for that expense.
Discussed how to best move forward with completing the policy manual.
Reviewed the church's copier rental agreement and a proposal from our company to upgrade to a new machine as part of a renewal of our contract. The matter was tabled for further discussion.
Selected Randi Pickley as Volunteer of the Month for her work on the music class as well as arranging our student accompanist program.

At the July meeting, the Board of Trustees:

Discussed the terms of our lease of the office copier and possible alternatives that may decrease office
expenses.
Discussed fundraisers and our Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans' chapter's role in conducting
fundraisers on church premises.
Received a status report on the Finishing Task Force.
Reviewed the minutes of the task force charged with aiding in our transition to two Sunday services.
Learned that a date has not been set yet for a dedication service for The Gathering Place because Rev.
Amy Debeck is working on lining up dignitaries to attend. Also, while we do not yet have our official
occupancy permit, our temporary occupancy permit is in force and does not appear to have an expiration
date.
Discussed potential music concert fundraisers this fall, and approved the Bob Milne concert fundraiser
for January 2011.
Created a member-to-member service exchange directory in which members can offer their talents to
others for pay or barter.
Selected Katrina Wilson as Volunteer of the Month for her work in organizing the family campout.