August 26, 2002

August 26, 2002

In Attendance: Ann Barden, Barbara Brodsky, Jane Grace Bowman, Dottie Coyne, Jackie Deron, Pat Shalis. Guests: Carol Blotter, Alice Britt, Su Hansen, Susan Weir (Martha Zingo and Susan Klimist signing for Barbara).

Carol Blotter, representing the Sangha Development Group: two-page handout.

1. Meeting Notes Distribution.
   Discussion around the presentation of the sangha quarterly meetings notes to the sangha at large. It was the consensus to create substantial summaries for the Web with the offer to contact Su, our office manager, if more detailed minutes are needed for any individual.
2. Topics for the future.
1. How our practice of mindfulness can be put to good use in sangha meetings and committee work etc. This will be the topic for September.
2. The governance of Deep Spring has been worked on over the years. Perhaps this needs explaining to the sangha at large. A bridge needs to be made between the board and its plan and the sangha knowledge. Barbara knows the history best. The present board can address the sangha meeting with explanations of our method of governance and answer any questions. This can be the December meeting’s topic.

Susan Weir reported on small Sangha Support Groups, one-page handout:

• How can we know each other? Susan is suggesting support groups for sangha members, supporting meditation practice or community work or whatever the group wants. She is willing to start them, coming to the first meditation classes, emailing to the sangha. After they are started, they are leaderless. Name: each group decides on what they want to be called. Dharma Dudes? Buddha Babes? Deep Springers? Spiritual Friends--Kalyana Mitta is the Pali word for spiritual friend. This is the Theravadan model for teacher. In this way we are all teachers to one another. Spirit Rock has set up practice support groups and calls them all kalayana mitta groups.
• Susan asks for email suggestions. Susan can come to the classes in September 24-26 and after she has introduced it in person, Su can email it to the whole sangha. Perhaps start new groups twice a year and/or reconfigure in the fall.

Minutes for July Board Meeting approved as corrected. Action Items from July--all done.

Financial (Pat Shalis reporting), three handouts:

1. There is a need to reconfigure the budget. We’re halfway through the year and a new budget has been drafted. No financial reports tonight as our accountant is on vacation and did not forward the forms. July/August reports will be attached to the September meeting minutes and will reflect the new budget.
2. First handout--A Budget Summary, monthly and annual, original, revised and net change. This is budget, it is not actual. Pat walked us through the budget, item by item. Some expense projections of the first budget this year have held (black) and some are lower (green) and some higher (red). In the instance of income, some has been higher than expected (green) and some lower (red). With a half year’s experience, Pat has revised the budget to be a more realistic expression of our financial world.
3. Bottom Lines--originally anticipated a shortfall of $150, now more
4. realistically we will have a shortfall of $1980.00. The Board accepts this budget revision. Next meeting we will base the July and August report on the new budget.
5. Second and third handouts--the original budget for the year, the revised one for the year.
6. An Annual Meeting in February -- a State of the Sangha Meeting--is an idea to be pursued in future meetings.

Office Manager Report (Sue Hansen reporting), two-page handout:

• The best help for Su is to keep her informed and the sangha will be informed.
• Guidelines for sangha communications. If Su creates an email outreach (The Relative Reality News) it should contain notices that pertain to sangha members only -- not advertising for other organizations.
• Action Item: The OMA will clarify guidelines for what the OM should send out to the email lists.

OMA Report (Dottie Coyne and Pat Shalis reporting), two-page handout with 8 items:

• Re: Item 2. Put "Personal" in the subject line to reach Barbara directly.
• Re: Item 3. Board approved the handling of first time inquiries to Deep Spring by someone in the teachers group. Action Item: Ann Barden will take this message to the teachers group next meeting. The Board approved the computer care and repair suggestions of the OMA task force. Barbara has a new monitor.
• Action Item: Barbara will tell family and guests that they may not use Deep Spring office equipment. Action Item: Su Hansen will put a note on the computer equipment in the office marking it for use by the office manager only.
• Action Item: Jane Grace volunteered to take Dottie's place on OMA while Dottie is in London.

Nominating Committee (Jane Grace Bowman reporting): Jane Grace and Kalindi and Kris and Barbara met over dinner. Doing a lot of emailing back and forth. Nothing concrete just now. They are putting together a list of nominees and a nominating committee charter.

Newsletter Committee (Jane Grace Bowman reporting): The newsletter is out and is Beautiful!!! This edition is just what the newsletter vision has been.

Volunteer Committee (Jackie Deron reporting): Jackie and Kalindi have met and are in touch. Nothing specific to report tonight.

Teacher Group (Ann Barden reporting): The teachers had their August intensive and are working with teaching non-duality. Kris is stepping down as Board liaison and Cassie may take up this task. Action Item: Ann will ask Cassie to become liaison to the Board from the teachers.

Retreat Committee (Jackie Deron reporting): Jackie reports that they will meet next month. They need new members to their committee and they are working at reconfiguring how they function. Action Item: Ann and Jackie will be meeting soon to talk over the work of this committee.

Fundraising (Ann Barden reporting): A Finance Committee needs to be created with people who understand finances, assets, stocks, investments, money issues. The Fundraising Committee needs to be reactivated. We need ongoing attention to donors. We did pledges two years ago and there has been no follow up. We need an annual event that is a substantial moneymaker. What is the pledge status--Is there information that is useable?? Action Item: Everyone think about these two committees and how they might operate. Come to the next Board meeting with names (ask them first) of people who could serve on these two committees. Action Item: Ann and Pat will meet before the next board meeting to talk about these two committees.

Site Search Committee Report, five-page report:

• Most importantly, the Board must empower a small group to make the decisions regarding a site for the sangha. We have eight or nine names in this report to choose from. We need a workable process to move forward when we find a place. We also need timelines to establish deadlines to get things done. Susan Weir offers her help when we actually find properties. She has rented commercial properties around town.
• Action Item and Questions:
  • Has the sangha approved using building fund monies for start up funding of a rental space? Ann will find out from Kris or George.
  • Who is the Site Search Committee? Jack, Dave Coupland, Leslie Desmond, Corty Cammann?
  • Is there a Decision Tree in place for making an approval right up to the down payment?
• Barbara: Decision with Site Search committee members and the Board. If we rent instead of buying we can act more quickly.  Pat: We can share with the sangha the summary of the process we’re going to use to decide. Our goal -- We must be prepared to move quickly if something comes up.
• Action Item: Ann will ask the Task Force to put together a committee for the Site Search. And give them a timetable to create the committee by the next Board meeting (September) and have a plan by the following board meeting (October).
• Action Item: We must have a Realtor. The task force can find a Realtor. Ann knows of Bob Fisher from Friends Meeting.
• Must the property be in Ann Arbor--or could it be on the rim of town--Ypsi, Saline, Dexter? Barbara’s question.
• The final decision need not wait for a Board Meeting. We empower the committee, which includes two board members, to act. Corty, Ann and Barbara will be on this committee from the Board.

Web Manager: a two-page handout, no discussion.

Next Board Meeting, September 30, 7:00; then October 28, 7:00, November 25, 7:00, January 27, 7:00.

Meeting adjourned at 9:50.