May 10, 2003 DSC Board Intensive and Minutes

In attendance: Ann, Cassie, Martha, Corty, Jane Grace, Jackie, David C., Dottie and Barbara.

Shared appreciations of how things are going in Deep Spring were passed warmly around.

Shared concerns centered on many aspects of our sangha life and formed these general themes as places where we are still growing:

Sangha Communication and Boundary Issues

It is still imperative that we create better and better lines of communication for Deep Spring. 

Idea: Perhaps dividing the local group into groups for each board member to reach by telephone now and then. Each sangha member would have a rep on the board.

Idea: Using the Forum computer program as a way to disseminate current concerns and issues.

Idea: a different newsletter that would be more casual, current news.

ACTION ITEM: Dottie will take this on--a very informal news sheet. Set up a place for responses. A small budget--start with 100 copies--two sided--Kinko's--on color paper--with Linda Kurtz--passed out at Sunday sittings--listing the volunnteer opportunities--mostly single theme--a few classifieds--anyone can advertise.

Idea: Using class time to communicate sangha concerns 

Financial Clarity

At present the financial reports and statements are not as clear as they might be. Martha Zingo declared her desire not to continue as treasurer. David Coupland agreed he will take on the treasurer job.

11:00 DISCUSSION:
BARBARA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH DEEP SPRING

BOARD recognized unanimously: the Aaron material and archives are of primary importance for Deep Spring. More and more of our public face should include Aaron.

ACTION ITEM: The formation of an Archive Committee: A four person group--an overseer, a transcriber, a listener/reader/ indexer person, someone to create a tape library making copies of the tapes, holding the masters in the archives. The Archive Committee should be created to be presented to Barbara on her return. Jane Grace, Ann, Martha and Kate will meet on this subject.

Perhaps the open Board position would be a person interested in this. This new group needs to identify the tasks and goals. All committees have charters and this one could also.

We used the document prepared by Ann, Corty and Barbara to focus our discussion.

• As Senior Teacher, Barbara felt the buck stopped with her if any misunderstandings were taught in the classes by the other teachers.

• Boundary issues come up for Barbara re: counseling and meditation teachings. A useful tool might be dana for meditation teachings and sliding scale for counseling.

• There's a real feeling that Barbara is not here very much in town. Something to bring into awareness for Board and Barbara. Barbara expressed financial reasons for her travel retreats, but she is not going to do any more that do not include Aaron.

She believes that she must be manifesting these invitations from out of town. And her work in other towns has added to the success of our retreats here in Michigan. 12-15 persons in our June retreat are from out of town.

And since she's not here all the time, she is not a leaning post for us. We are learning from each other.

What is Deep Spring when Aaron and Barbara are not here?

• Now we have three retreats. Could we have three workshops as well and let people from out of town come to those?

Deciding Retreats: Barbara wants to hear from all segments of our population even if we can't be all things to all people. A small group could be created to offer a template to the Retreat Committee who would then set some specifics and recommendations for board and Barbara approval. In the past, that committee never planned the retreats, just carried out the board directions.

This is changing: board less details, committees bring recommendations. How can the Retreat Committee look at the diverse needs? Beginners don't have a spokes person. Have we outgrown our spring retreat?

Barbara's concern: She would love a senior retreat. Teachers not coming to the June retreat--why? Don't know the best way to do it--can't do four one week retreats.

• Legal and Financial issues around Barbara's publication of Aaron materials.

Clarify this. Do her heirs own her writings. Who holds the copyright? Deep Spring? At present Barbara owns it, Deep Spring can publish and distribute it. This needs to be a legal statement and copyright ownership. Newest book is different and Barbara and Hal have assumed all the cost of self-publishing.

Barbara's will must be clear about the distribution of her assets in this matter in the event of her death.

Deep Spring should separate out and clarify the cost and income from Aaron materials.

12:30: Break for lunch

Regarding Barbara's document, the board agreed on some deletions and additions.

ACTION ITEM: Corty will incorporate the changes and get it out to each and then we can use it with the sangha. 70% cement (definitely not hardened yet).

1:00 DISCUSSION:
THE ROLE OF THE SANGHA IN DECISION MAKING

The Board as a group recognizes that we must include the entire sangha as much as is logical in the decisions that we make for the future of Deep Spring. We need to be gentle and inclusive in our approach to the sangha. We can use the language: "Here is how the Board sees it and we invite feedback.' We can put this out in the newsletters, the Forum on line, bulletin board notices, phone calls, email surveys, etc:

Some Possible Topics:

1. The Aaron presence if Deep Spring as an essential part

2. The Buddhist or non-Buddhist aspect of Deep Spring

3. Barbara's role as described in this document--a perfect topic for the first discussion.

4. The archiving of Aaron materials--what are your suggestions, can you help?

ACTION ITEM: The Deep Spring Center organizational chart needs redoing. Dottie will rough up something for the September Board retreat.

ACTION ITEM: BOARD RETREAT CHANGED FROM AUGUST 3 TO SEPTEMBER 14, 9-5. Cassie will inform Barbara. Board self assessment and governance as topics.

Nominating issues.

ACTION ITEM: The creation of a Retreat and Workshop Needs Group to develop the calendar outline/template for a year, any year. When Barbara comes back---Jackie from the retreat committee and Board, Dave Coupland from the teachers, George as no-frills and senior meditators, Markus to represent the beginners.

This group gives their recommendation to the Retreat Committee. Just a sketch, not specific dates, general purpose of workshops not specifications. Fill the spots across the year with all kinds of Deep Spring events beyond the classes. Jackie Deron will contact the above persons to set up this group.

FINANCE COMMITTEE will be meeting May 18, 3-5 at Coynes'. David Coupland, Bernie Coyne, Ann Barden, David Brown, Martha Zingo. A review of where we are just now, looking at the budget and issues for the year ahead, handing off the treasurer job and setting the next meetings time. What is the charter for this committee?

NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE--Delyth is joining the committee, Roann, Nicholas, Jane Grace and Barbara and they will meet in July.

Minutes for April 29 read and approved.

THE ROLE OF THE SANGHA IN DECISION MAKING

Do we agree with this written statement? Corty gave the history of the Sangha Development Group and their questions about the role of the sangha. This document is the work of that group as a place to start. Carol Blotter, Anna Marie and Jack, Corty and Cassie. This group grew out of some dissatisfaction about Board-Sangha relations and the discussion of membership in Deep Spring and open board meetings among other things. The quarterly sangha meetings grew out of this. We've learned that board and sangha can work well together.

We're a board led organization. The Board decides -- paying attention to where people are. Or the Board waits to move the sense of the organization before it makes a decision. A dynamic of mutual influence. The Board says it will not use its power to make a decision until there is a consensus as general practice. In extraordinary situations the Board might make decisions quickly. 

We want to empower a broad-based community participation. We're at a crossroads deciding this and it will be vital influencing Deep Spring for the future. Both ways work.

This document reflects the dreams of some as to the decision making process in Deep Spring.

Sense of the Meeting, Sense of the Sangha--a Quaker term. Our sangha is so dispersed and doesn't come together. We want to lead the organization to find a shared vision. We're bound together by the teachings--not life style. In diversity is strength. If we leave people out, they won't want to give their time and energy/money. It has to be bigger than the board. People move away if they don't feel involved.

The Teaching process is top-down and the Board is more circular. This complicates things.

It gets fuzzy if we take input and then don't act on it. So we must say that we receive your input and we intend to act on it. It's all about skill. We often ask for input far too late in the process. Votes and consensus are not it, it's just the sense of what the group thinks. 

The commitment of this board becomes process. i.e.--this workshop/retreat for the year issue--we can put the template out there and ask what kinds of stuff have we missed. Get the input early enough so people are not locked in. The decisions are not made until the template has been discussed by the sangha. There could be a meeting like the altar meeting. "Come if you care.' Over time there will be a consultation period, a review period, then a decision period. This is a culture that we are building. This is not a social meeting--a laboring meeting that is inclusive. An issue driven meeting.

This document is a guideline of the principles of what we are trying to do.

Sangha Development Group and Board can dialogue on the implementation of these ideas. The next document should come from the board and lay out the process of decision making as we see it.

ACTION ITEM: CORTY AND ANN TO WORK ON THE NEXT DOCUMENT BEFORE THE JUNE BOARD MEETING.

The Board will meet next on June 30th.

Respectfully submitted,
D.A. Coyne