Annual Meeting Review
May 20, 2007
I thought it was a pretty good annual meeting, with a good turn out. We held the annual meeting in place of the 2nd service on Sunday May 20. It felt a little odd to only preach once on a Sunday, but the idea was that we would have 2 RE programs as we normally do. That way parents of children could attend the 9:30 service and the 11:00 am meeting, while their children went to RE classes twice, with 2 different sets of teachers, etc. I don't have hard numbers, but just from looking, I'd say attendance at this year's annual meeting was a little better than last year.
Outgoing President Mary Quinn kept things moving and honored some staff and committee chairs. After some important discussion, the Asset Management Task Force proposal passed easily,.
I heard comments of concern about several key areas: financial transparency, loss of old members, membership numbers, and the Pet Blessing service on Memorial Day weekend.
Transparency about the budget.
It was pointed out that what was shown to the congregation was a summary, and not an in depth report that would show, for example, what we're paying for building or health insurance, and salaries for individual employees.
Another issue was seeing exactly what was spent on say– building and grounds in the last year. Although this wasn't brought up at the meeting, saying what was spent on building and grounds in a particular time period isn't as straightforward as it sounds because we have line items for utilities, contract labor, building repair, and so forth, any one of which, a portion could be considered for buildings and grounds. The "contractor" line item not only pays for building contractors but for our musical accompanists.
It was clear to me that the sense of the meeting is– and was at the last Town Hall meeting– that we need a financial reporting system that better serves what people want than the current system. So, as I understand it, the Congregational Treasurer and the Business Administrator, perhaps along with the Finance Committee, will take some time in the coming program year to develop more financial reporting transparency, and perhaps a "dashboard" which would contain a half dozen to 10 key metrics as to spending and budgeting.
The board of trustees already hears from the Business Administrator as to the monthly budget variances (if any), and while most people in the congregation aren't interested in monthly financial reports, that information should be available to congregational members and to committees who have an interest in a particular budget area.
It was also pointed out that (1) there used to be a budget "hearing" in advance of the annual meeting, so people could ask more in depth questions there rather than at the annual meeting, and (2) such meetings were so poorly attended that it was decided to stop having them. Nevertheless, it seems that bringing back such a meeting will be a good idea. So, I for one, will plan on it, probably a week or so before the annual meeting in May.
There was some confusion as to committee budgets– most committees don't make budget requests anymore (a few do), and the budget has been relatively static. There was some question as to whether committees get monthly budget reports or not. I'll ask our Business Administrator to make sure these get sent monthly.
Loss of old members.
A couple people pointed out that some members of Eliot have left over the last several years. It was also noted that over 50 new members were listed in the Sunday bulletin, but what about the old folks who used to be here?
Rev. John Robinson, the minister who retired before I got here told me that something like 1/3 of the congregation turned over during his first couple of years at Eliot. His personality and style were substantially different from his predecessor, Rev. Webster Kitchell. My personality and style is probably as different from Rev. Robinson's as his was to Rev. Kitchell's.
I've also read that on average about half of a UU congregation will turn over every 8 years, with the number being slightly smaller for larger congregations like ours.
Bonnie and I have been here 5 years now. When one prominent lay person told me she was leaving to go to 1st Church, I asked her if there was anything I could do to change her mind. She told me no, she preferred the minister over there, and that people's personalities are who they are.
I and our Membership Coordinator have made some inquiries, and heard good stories. People mostly make up their minds as to their satisfaction and commitment to church on their own. And we will continue to reach out, but in a more coordinated effort in this coming year. This is something new, it hasn't been done before, and it is an effort to reach out to long time members and to those in their first year of membership to make sure we are doing what we can to help folks fit in and find a place at Eliot.
Of course, if someone is on the verge of leaving because they are upset about something– perhaps they have an issue with a minister or staff member or church program, it is wonderful if they would tell someone. We can't read minds. It's great to approach someone directly, but there is always the Lead Minister's Relations Committee (LMRC) which is composed of Luis Ortiz, Julie Triplett, Rich Vaughn, Kathleen Mead, and Kim Fitzgerald.
With our LMRC and membership coordinator, plus any tips I get at coffee hour, I plan on phone calls and visits and emails to try and keep in touch. If you or someone you know would like to chat over lunch or over the phone or at church, please let me know.
Membership numbers.
Someone wondered aloud if Eliot had not shrunk in membership in the last few years. They recalled hearing a figure of 770 members.
From 1984 to 1994, the number of adults ranged from 402 to 458, and the number of kids from 183 to 295. From 1996 on the number of adults has hovered in the 550 range. Right before Rev. Robinson retired, the membership rolls were scrubbed to remove people who had died, left town, that sort of thing. In February 2002, just before we arrived, the reported membership was 576. In February 2007, the reported membership was 522. As of the annual meeting, membership was at 548.
You can also look at congregational commitment in terms of total expenditures. Other than a blip in 2002, there has been a steady upward progression.
1999 $443,600
2000 $474,820
2001 $488,200
2002 $527,000
2003 $497,000
2004 $497,000
2005 $499,000
2006 $516,500.
Memorial Day Service.
Several people balked at the notion of a Pet Blessing Sunday being held on Memorial Day. That has been the tradition since before I got here. It's probably one of those Sundays– like Easter– where some people come and love it, and others stay away. I have heard it is very meaningful for the people who come. It is also a Bergfried weekend, so it doesn't fit the "regular" Sunday format.
We do pay extra attention to our veterans during the Sunday closest to Veteran's Day, and to our own Eliot folks who have passed on at our Circle of Life service the first Sunday of the calendar year.
I appreciate the thoughtfulness of people at the annual meeting. I especially appreciate the hard work of our board of trustees and lay leaders. Everyone is trying their best to be earnest, authentic, and to do what's best for the congregation's future.
It is a blessing to be together. –Daniel.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Genius Ignored
Genius Ignored
Earlier this year, a 30-something man, wearing a ball cap, long sleeved tee shirt and jeans played violin in a subway tunnel, at the top of an escalator in Washington, DC next to a trash basket. He had his violin case near him. An occasional passerby would toss him some change.
He had a couple people pause, slow down. Over the course of 45 minutes that morning he played a variety of classical pieces, including Chaconne from Bach's Partita #2 in D minor, considered one of the most difficult violin pieces to master (according to the Washington Post).
The subway violinist, Joshua Bell, routinely fills concert halls around the world, and is considered one of the finest classical musicians in the world. He was playing "some of the most elegant music ever written on a $3.5 million Stradivarius."
What happened? Over 1,000 people simply walked by. At a music hall, Mr. Bell might get upset at a cell phone call. In the subway, he admits he would have been happy with any acknowledgment.
As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm the inherent worth & dignity of every person. But I know that in my rush to get things done– people to visit, promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep– I can miss beauty, I can miss genius, I can miss the ordinary wonderfulness that is all around me.
Are you feeling rushed and overburdened? Do you have time for beauty?
Not all of us are virtuosos, but we each bring something unique and interesting to our religious community. We can each be a witness to beauty as well as truth.
There is one curious thing about the violinist in the subway. There was one class of people who tried to stop and listen, but they were physically pulled away– children. Sometimes our children are our best guide to the opportunity to get out of heads and experience beauty & wonder.
May your actual children or inner child stop for beauty, because if you don't, what else are you missing?
Earlier this year, a 30-something man, wearing a ball cap, long sleeved tee shirt and jeans played violin in a subway tunnel, at the top of an escalator in Washington, DC next to a trash basket. He had his violin case near him. An occasional passerby would toss him some change.
He had a couple people pause, slow down. Over the course of 45 minutes that morning he played a variety of classical pieces, including Chaconne from Bach's Partita #2 in D minor, considered one of the most difficult violin pieces to master (according to the Washington Post).
The subway violinist, Joshua Bell, routinely fills concert halls around the world, and is considered one of the finest classical musicians in the world. He was playing "some of the most elegant music ever written on a $3.5 million Stradivarius."
What happened? Over 1,000 people simply walked by. At a music hall, Mr. Bell might get upset at a cell phone call. In the subway, he admits he would have been happy with any acknowledgment.
As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm the inherent worth & dignity of every person. But I know that in my rush to get things done– people to visit, promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep– I can miss beauty, I can miss genius, I can miss the ordinary wonderfulness that is all around me.
Are you feeling rushed and overburdened? Do you have time for beauty?
Not all of us are virtuosos, but we each bring something unique and interesting to our religious community. We can each be a witness to beauty as well as truth.
There is one curious thing about the violinist in the subway. There was one class of people who tried to stop and listen, but they were physically pulled away– children. Sometimes our children are our best guide to the opportunity to get out of heads and experience beauty & wonder.
May your actual children or inner child stop for beauty, because if you don't, what else are you missing?
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Mens' Advance in Review
Men's Advance in ReviewI think there were something like 30 men at any given time, maybe 40 men total over the weekend. Someone had arrived Tuesday, another arrived Thursday but left before Saturday-- such is the nature of fitting communing with nature into your schedule.
The age range of the men at Mens' Advance was from 10 to 60+. The food was better than ever. The pig was good, and we had asparagus, fruit compote, creamed corn, and 3 different kinds of pie. Not to mention the beverages of all sorts.
A little early for the morel mushrooms, but plenty of box turtles, june bugs, ticks, and taningers.
The weather was quite unusual. No rain. I've been told this has been the case in maybe 5 of the last 17 mens' advances. Plus it was cloudy Sunday morning, which meant the sun wasn't streaming in to the tents and heating them up by 7 am, so one could sleep in a little, if one liked.
The camaraderie was excellent as usual-- that's really the main reason to go. The check-in Saturday night was emotionally significant, and honored each man's story and contributions.
Did I mention the weather was beautiful?
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Town Hall Meeting Reviewed
Town Hall Meeting Reviewed
Held after services on Earth Day, April 22, 2007
Although an 'official' transcript of what was discussed at the Town Hall Meeting is forthcoming, I thought I'd share some thoughts here.
Advance Notice of the Town Hall Meeting's Purpose?
Several people at the meeting said that there was no advance notice of the meeting's content purpose. The reality is that newsletter articles were posted on April 7 and on April 21. Additionally, there was almost a full page article in the March 10 newsletter about the Asset Management Task Force (AMTF).
Fairly regularly, individuals will complain that they haven't been informed about something when the information was printed in their newsletter, in their order of service, on the web site, and occasionally announced from the pulpit. To some degree, communication is a two way street. It won't do us much good to put it in the newsletter if people won't read it.
The AMTF looked at our 1998 Bergfried policy, and how restricted funds are designated. You can read more about their recommendations in the newsletter and on the web site. Basically, it says the 1998 Bergfried policy statement is pretty good, but it doesn't reflect actual practice. So the principles will be the same, but the language will be updated. Also, that there should be a board representative to the Bergfried Committee, that incoming board members should visit the Bergfried property, among other things.
Transparency & Accountability in Financial Matters.
Some folks said they wanted Chapel financial information in an easier to understand format than the monthly balance sheets we currently post on the Trustee section of the bulletin board in between the sanctuary and the fellowship hall. One man noted he's reduced his financial pledge to zero because of his frustration.
I noted that I too was frustrated with our system and that the board and I had engaged a consulting firm (KEB) to document our administrative procedures, and that we had some administrative process issues involved.
Meanwhile, I am asking the congregation's treasurer and our business administrator to get together and see if they can come up with something more in keeping with what will be useful to people.
Building and Capital Advisory Committee.
Board president Mary Quinn noted that a task force was being organized to look at our building usage and repair. She also noted that although we have over $100,000 in the Preservation Fund to patch up the sanctuary, it is likely we will need another capital campaign (the last one ended several years ago) to replenish the funds.
Opportunity for Input.
A long time member was concerned that the attendance did not seem to be high at the town hall meeting, and that there should be more frequent meetings and that younger people should attend.
My sense is that we could schedule more town hall meetings, but I don't know about the attendance. I agree more regular congregational input can be a good thing. Perhaps we could do electronic surveys, or somehow give folks more opportunities to be consulted in ways they would actually take advantage of.
Something to remember is that often times, people won't attend a congregational or town hall meeting when they think things are going well– why bother? They may be more likely to attend when they have a beef or are unhappy about something. When that's the case, it can skew the tenor of a meeting.
Congregational Delegates and Voting.
Eliot Chapel gets more delegate slots for General Assembly (UUA) and District Assembly (DA - for Central Midwest District) than we usually have people willing to attend.
The story is that before Bonnie and I got here, no one acted as a delegate from Eliot Unitarian Chapel to either GA or DA. Occasionally, there is something important to vote on. There is usually a Social Action Initiative or bylaw change or election at the GA or DA.
Who gets to be a delegate? Since there was no process or call for a process before Bonnie and I got here, and since there have always been more delegate slots than actual delegates, the de facto process that evolved was that if someone wanted to be a delegate, they contacted me, and as along as they were a member of Eliot in good standing, they became a delegate.
One criticism of DA & GA delegates is that they tend to vote their individual whim, rather than the considered deliberation of the congregation or the congregation's leadership. This leads to the charge that decisions made at GA (in particular) do not accurately reflect a congregational wishes, and that in fact, congregations are largely in the dark regarding what happens at GA, and therefore GA resolutions and business have little connection to congregational life.
The people who run GA recognize that, which is one reason why they have encouraged congregational presidents to attend GA as delegates by refunding their registration fees.
In the last couple of years, I have asked people to be a delegate for the purpose of an absentee ballot, so we could begin to participate more in the wider denomination. I have laid out what the matter is to be decided, and what my opinion was, then asked them to make their own choice. After tallying up all the choices, the majority opinion was voted on by all absentee ballots. This ensured a democratic decision was reached, and that the congregation spoke "with one voice" rather than the many individual voices of whoever happened to self-select as a delegate.
This approach was challenged at the Town Hall Meeting in the sense that one person in particular thought that those delegates who attended a DA or GA meeting ought to be able to vote their (the delegate's) opinion and not the board or congregation's opinion because the delegate might learn something at the meeting that the congregation could not have known about in advance.
This makes a certain amount of sense to me, and I will discuss it with the particular individual and with our congregation's board of trustees. Ultimately, we'll do a survey via order of service or newsletter or internet survey, to get the congregational opinion.
Want to give input?
Meanwhile, if you have input on the delegate process, transparency in financial matters, or anything else, feel free to contact me at daniel at eliotchapel dot org or (314) 821-0911.
Thanks!
Held after services on Earth Day, April 22, 2007
Although an 'official' transcript of what was discussed at the Town Hall Meeting is forthcoming, I thought I'd share some thoughts here.
Advance Notice of the Town Hall Meeting's Purpose?
Several people at the meeting said that there was no advance notice of the meeting's content purpose. The reality is that newsletter articles were posted on April 7 and on April 21. Additionally, there was almost a full page article in the March 10 newsletter about the Asset Management Task Force (AMTF).
Fairly regularly, individuals will complain that they haven't been informed about something when the information was printed in their newsletter, in their order of service, on the web site, and occasionally announced from the pulpit. To some degree, communication is a two way street. It won't do us much good to put it in the newsletter if people won't read it.
The AMTF looked at our 1998 Bergfried policy, and how restricted funds are designated. You can read more about their recommendations in the newsletter and on the web site. Basically, it says the 1998 Bergfried policy statement is pretty good, but it doesn't reflect actual practice. So the principles will be the same, but the language will be updated. Also, that there should be a board representative to the Bergfried Committee, that incoming board members should visit the Bergfried property, among other things.
Transparency & Accountability in Financial Matters.
Some folks said they wanted Chapel financial information in an easier to understand format than the monthly balance sheets we currently post on the Trustee section of the bulletin board in between the sanctuary and the fellowship hall. One man noted he's reduced his financial pledge to zero because of his frustration.
I noted that I too was frustrated with our system and that the board and I had engaged a consulting firm (KEB) to document our administrative procedures, and that we had some administrative process issues involved.
Meanwhile, I am asking the congregation's treasurer and our business administrator to get together and see if they can come up with something more in keeping with what will be useful to people.
Building and Capital Advisory Committee.
Board president Mary Quinn noted that a task force was being organized to look at our building usage and repair. She also noted that although we have over $100,000 in the Preservation Fund to patch up the sanctuary, it is likely we will need another capital campaign (the last one ended several years ago) to replenish the funds.
Opportunity for Input.
A long time member was concerned that the attendance did not seem to be high at the town hall meeting, and that there should be more frequent meetings and that younger people should attend.
My sense is that we could schedule more town hall meetings, but I don't know about the attendance. I agree more regular congregational input can be a good thing. Perhaps we could do electronic surveys, or somehow give folks more opportunities to be consulted in ways they would actually take advantage of.
Something to remember is that often times, people won't attend a congregational or town hall meeting when they think things are going well– why bother? They may be more likely to attend when they have a beef or are unhappy about something. When that's the case, it can skew the tenor of a meeting.
Congregational Delegates and Voting.
Eliot Chapel gets more delegate slots for General Assembly (UUA) and District Assembly (DA - for Central Midwest District) than we usually have people willing to attend.
The story is that before Bonnie and I got here, no one acted as a delegate from Eliot Unitarian Chapel to either GA or DA. Occasionally, there is something important to vote on. There is usually a Social Action Initiative or bylaw change or election at the GA or DA.
Who gets to be a delegate? Since there was no process or call for a process before Bonnie and I got here, and since there have always been more delegate slots than actual delegates, the de facto process that evolved was that if someone wanted to be a delegate, they contacted me, and as along as they were a member of Eliot in good standing, they became a delegate.
One criticism of DA & GA delegates is that they tend to vote their individual whim, rather than the considered deliberation of the congregation or the congregation's leadership. This leads to the charge that decisions made at GA (in particular) do not accurately reflect a congregational wishes, and that in fact, congregations are largely in the dark regarding what happens at GA, and therefore GA resolutions and business have little connection to congregational life.
The people who run GA recognize that, which is one reason why they have encouraged congregational presidents to attend GA as delegates by refunding their registration fees.
In the last couple of years, I have asked people to be a delegate for the purpose of an absentee ballot, so we could begin to participate more in the wider denomination. I have laid out what the matter is to be decided, and what my opinion was, then asked them to make their own choice. After tallying up all the choices, the majority opinion was voted on by all absentee ballots. This ensured a democratic decision was reached, and that the congregation spoke "with one voice" rather than the many individual voices of whoever happened to self-select as a delegate.
This approach was challenged at the Town Hall Meeting in the sense that one person in particular thought that those delegates who attended a DA or GA meeting ought to be able to vote their (the delegate's) opinion and not the board or congregation's opinion because the delegate might learn something at the meeting that the congregation could not have known about in advance.
This makes a certain amount of sense to me, and I will discuss it with the particular individual and with our congregation's board of trustees. Ultimately, we'll do a survey via order of service or newsletter or internet survey, to get the congregational opinion.
Want to give input?
Meanwhile, if you have input on the delegate process, transparency in financial matters, or anything else, feel free to contact me at daniel at eliotchapel dot org or (314) 821-0911.
Thanks!
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