March 25, 2002 Board Minutes

In attendance: Barbara Brodsky, Jane Grace Bowman, Kris Kurnit, Aiji Pipho, George Sanfacon, Dottie Coyne, Su Hansen, Jackie Deron, Pat Shalis, Cassie Cammann, Corty Cammann.

1. Welcome to Su Hansen, our new office manager, and Jackie Deron, one of three new board members. Ann Barden is absent tonight and Cassie is coming later tonight.

2. Minutes from February approved by email. Minutes of January now complete with item B. Notes from the Board Intensive, 02/02/02, were also distributed.

3. Review of February ACTION ITEMS
a. done-Dottie restored item B into January minutes.
b. done-Aiji invited Cassie to attend this meeting.
c. Pat is working on the new financial reports. By next meeting we'll have the full first quarter reports to review before we begin WEB posting. This remains a carry-over ACTION ITEM.
d. done-Su Hansen is in the office and Alice has carried out the transition and training.
e. BAG--our new Board Advisory Group--is a proposal that is on the table to be decided when the new Board is settled in and takes hold. In the interim, Kris and George will continue to receive the minutes and pertinent email.
f. Su is our first employee. Pat realizes forms need filling out, paycheck, deductions, fed stuff--insurance ramifications workman's comp. at the state level not the fed level.
ACTION ITEM: Dottie will contact our insurance company, Ufer on Stadium, regarding the insurance ramifications of our having an employee.
g. done-Barbara has expedited the sangha meeting summary to the community.

4. Committee Reports

A. Financial, Pat Shalis

four pages:
#1. February, 2002- profit and loss, budget vs. actual. This month vs. the budget that we have.Feb had a lot of retreat receipts but the other categories were lower and so were the expenses. Actually March retreat income also came in December 2001.
#2. Everything to date for this year. An accumulation of Jan and Feb even though the title says Jan-Dec. It will grow all year. It shows actual and budgeted.
#3. A breakdown of the actual income and outgo each month--year-to-date.It doesn't show the budget.
#4. Profit and Loss to Date (without budget) all months totaled.

Board decided to leave in place the $250 purchasing options for the Treasurer. This means that the treasurer can use discretion to purchase items up to $250 in value without Board approval.

B. Newsletter, Jane Grace

1 handout--quotes from Joe Mason, newsletter publisher. We inquired about a four-page center of a different color--calendar and retreat information.

quote 1--costs of 16 or 20 pages, 600 or 700--what we're getting now.
quote 2--with color insert added
quote 3--recent "bleeds" on the cover photos--so expensive.
quote 4 at bottom-- envelopes to be inserted into the newsletter for donations.

The additions indicate that the envelopes and color paper add only $116 for 600 ordered. The publisher mails them out from Florida at bulk mail rate and Barbara gets a box here. Our budget for newsletter is $2400 for the year--we do three a year, once before each retreat. We can see how the envelopes work in bringing in income. Alice made up a new form for books and retreats and newsletter donation. The word "subscription" will not be used. "Donations are welcome, our costs to send it to you each year is $10."

ACTION ITEM: Dottie, Aiji, Jane Grace will bring to the Board similar inserts and newsletters from other organizations for some additional future discussion.

The sixteen-page newsletter with color insert and envelope, costing $504 is the choice of the Board tonight for the upcoming newsletter. The envelopes will have our address only and the color insert will have directions about donations as well as our calendar and retreat information.

C. Retreat Committee, Jackie

1 handout. Two things were learned on the March retreats: Howell will not let us in future until 6:00. We have to pay extra. So let's get the price on this. We also ended up buying their bottled water as they said their water was not good.

But they were wonderful retreat experiences. It worked well not to eat in the dining room. This was done for both March retreats. It helped the quiet space. The committee is meeting tonight. There were 22 at the second retreat. It could have been 24. Second retreat--half experienced, half new. Everyone liked the mixed group. Others prefer a more focused experienced retreat. Some don't even want dharma talks. That's what the no-frills retreat is about. Two retreats are more work for Barbara. There was no one to help bring stuff back and unload it. She needs more help.

Who decided whether there are one or two retreats next winter? It is a teaching opportunity for the teachers. Barbara is willing to do it either way. If we keep the November and June at Emrich for the larger crowd, then Howell is a nice change, smaller and simpler. We have no reservation for Howell next winter. We have Emrich tentatively for next winter.

Tonight the Board is leaning towards two large retreats November and June at Emrich and two small retreats in the winter at Howell. Barbara feels that the experienced students ground the beginners. But John only gets to one of them if we have two winter retreats.

ACTION ITEM: Jackie will connect with Barbara on these retreat decisions.

D. Web Site, Su 1 handout from Alice Britt. No discussion for lack of time.

G. Teacher Group, Dottie 1 handout with numbers of students we are currently servicing and plans for upcoming classes. No discussion for lack of time.

5. Task Force Updates

David Coupland and Jack will be reporting to Su and she will report to the Board.

Jack asks us to move the sangha meeting to Ann Arbor area for a shorter time. Board approves this task force holding the April 21st meeting at Cammanns' house.

1 handout. David submits a written report about a writing a business plan for purchasing a building. His group will meet in April. They wish to present a draft of their plan at the sangha meeting. No discussion for lack of time.

6.  New Business

A.  Appointment of interim officers

Kris outlined the work of the president--facilitating the agendas and between meeting communications. The OM will take a good deal of the work. Aiji offers to hold one of the interim positions. She will have email in two weeks. We're looking for a president and vice-president who is the back up for the president. George spoke to the vice-president duties. Confers with the president. Barbara: Could we rotate the job for three months while the new board settles in and then decide on these two officerships. Kris: Sounds very difficult and confusing. Pat: set a target month so we aren't in this situation for too long.

July is suggested as a target month for final selection of officers. Aiji will take the president job for now. As a chartered nonprofit board in the state of Michigan we must have all four officered named. Pat offers to be listed as vice-president if Jane Grace will assist Aiji.

ACTION ITEM: WE WILL REVISIT THIS AT THE NEXT MONTH'S MEETING.

D. New Brochure, Kalindi and Dottie

1 handout. A very rough version of the brochure was presented with a request for Board members to review it and email any suggestions to Dottie or Kalindi. No discussion for lack of time.

E. Cassie's thoughts about joining the Board.

1 handout- Cassie's letter. She hopes it all is congruent with the present Board's approach. She feels that we need more sangha participation. The Board has shouldered a lot and now that has to change in opening up to the sangha. She sees her prime interest in sangha building. She has email. She travels a week a month.

A big welcome to Jackie and Cassie as new Board members.

A loud hip, hip hooray for Kris and George as they end their active Board duties. Pat suggests a dinner to honor Kris and George and celebrate them. Soon we will have a date and a place.

F. Tricycle renting our names, Su and Barbara. The Board decided not just now--sell them an ad in our newsletter--reconsider this again in the future.

1 more handout. George and Kris present a "famous last words" handout.

Meeting adjourned at 9:15.

14 handouts and Su's beautiful new business card.