Calendar @ 1st UU
in Columbus
and Beyond
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Quarterly Meeting with Board Members
Attendance:
Scott Burch (Committee Chair)
David Carr (Board member)
Gretchen Faulstich (Board Chair)
Barb Fisher (Board member)
Michael Greenman (Committee/Board member)
Ronda Sly-Jones (Committee Vice-Chair)
Youth Scholarships – It was widely agreed that permanent scholarships named for individuals who have a significant history of justice work at First UU should be created. The scholarships will be funded by the committee and awarded annually with the assistance of the Sunday School program. This will be voted on by the committee before being sent to the Board of Trustees Executive Committee.
Committee budget process – While progress in the annual budgeting process was acknowledged, there is still work to be done. Thoroughly communicating the process for supporting social justice projects, the request for annual support, and the subsequent annual budget will increase interest in and comfort with the projects and organizations selected by the committee.
Congregation-wide project – A large outreach project that would continuously engage a large portion of the congregation has been discussed for years. While the committee has supported a wide variety of justice work over the years, the champion of a single project organized to the level required to interest a large percentage of First UUer’s has not surfaced. Recent interest in poverty and education documented through the fall 2004 BREAD 1-to-1 (survey) process has given the committee some direction for new projects. The Mineral, Ohio project and the YWCA Family Center (Interfaith Hospitality Network) seem to increasingly engage more First UUer’s over time.
Committee communication – Inside the church there has been some progress in this area as well, but again member’s interest and comfort would be increased with communication beyond the mid-year report and annual report required of the committee. After having experienced a long delay, the pending launch of the committee webpage is expected to increase the free flow of information from the committee to the congregation. Outside of the church, free listings in local weeklies could generate more interest in the community in justice activities at First UU.
Committee member term limits – It was suggested that the organic, regenerative nature of incrementally changing committee membership contributes to its long life and success.
BREAD Action Meeting – BREAD challenged its member congregations to attend the Action Meeting in May in the same numbers as they would an average Sunday service. The committee asked for Board support to help make that happen at First UU.