Agenda for our Annual General Meeting
June 25, 2023 from 10am – noon
- Coffee and snacks!
- Introduce current board
- Explain the ballot process for the current issues and positions up for voting
- Present bylaws and related documents
- Calls for nominees for elections
- Recruit volunteers
- Discuss plans and community input on future CBI activities.
Documents Discussed In Meeting
General Board Meeting Minutes
June 25th, 2023
Board Attendees: Oliver Birchwood-Glover, Amy Blau, Elior Sterling, Shira Adams, Evan Heisman
Expected Absences: Josh, Dana
Member Attendees: Doug Slotnik and Doris Minor, Mikel Breitzstein, Richard and Marcia Middleton-Kaplan, Kate Bobrow-Strain, Lawrence Paeolla, Sharon Kaufman Osborn, Neal Brenner
Convened at 10:30am
Oliver introduced the board, reviewed agenda for the day, discussed effort to update bylaws, code of conduct, and ethics. Briefly outlined elections process.
Questions:
- Neal would like phone numbers, membership roster on paper
- Kate would like high level highlights of what changed in the Bylaws
Introduction of community members present.
- Concerns that more people should come back to the building and would like to have more members present at events
- “moved here beginning of COVID, destroyed chance to get to know people face-to-face, wants more of a social life.”
Amy reviewed budget and finances
- Brief report that was put together for CY 2022 and addendum what has happened since.
- Started 2021, total assets were $45,4xx.62, one year later at end of 2022: $53,xxx.11
- Several nice donations during 2022 helped this
- $50,809.xx currently, after paying several annual bills, but doing well for the year.
- Roof replaced in ~2017 with some repair to roof structure.
- Wishlist: ADA bathroom, security upgrades, air conditioning
- Major expenses: utilities and insurance are main expenses for building, dues to URJ, security system
- Total expenses $7,250 for CY22; some regular expenses donated inkind.
- 15 family membership and 9 family membership. ~$7000
- Detailed general and specified donations received.
- Q: Do we have student memberships? Available but no one currently using one.
- C: We should consider CBI in our estate planning!
- Q: How long have we been members of URJ? Since about 2003. Elior has had meeting with our URJ representative, and she was really helpful with business and community organizing questions. Resources that URJ provides community leadership is important.
- C: Kate was very happy with money raised for roof and other expenses. Even with reduce number of households that are members. Glad we can raise additional donations.
Shira:
- Board cognizant of security issues and concerns: Addressing with building improvements and policies to help us better deal with these. Applying for grant money, coordinating with WWPD on anti-semitic activity in the community.
- C: lights on at strange times? Security lights make building look lit up.
- Elior: it would help to have internet in the building? Security and more hybrid events?
- Looking for more volunteers
- Back to First Friday in person, looking for members to lead or co-lead service
- Continuing to celebrate holidays and different members host
- Pesach seder – lots of community support with donations from area grocery stores
- “If you want it to happen you have to create it”
- Such as Kate started once-per-month Shabbat dinners, Doris started book group that is now an inter-faith Jewish themed book group, Richard, Elior, Rabbi Doug have led torah study over the years
- Helping to bring new Jews in town into community
- Friday Night Zoom candle lighting
- Needs: observances, education for adults and kids, social action in the community, social activities
- Board is small and we are many jobs and functions beyond running CBI, so we depend on volunteers to step up and help
- Shira is unofficial membership committee
- Looking for buildings and grounds volunteers
- As we move past COVID looking to revitalize community and building, seeking input!
Comments:
- C: Concern about conflict with social action activities leading to conflict
- Also concerns about having large enough activities
- Sharon is interested in bringing more students into CBI and wants to reach out to them; yearly volunteer project
- Richard: Pre-covid we had service days we did with Commitment to Community, BMAC branch
- Q: Are there going to be opportunities for continued dialog with board?
- Q: Tradition that things we do are open to non-Jews except for Sukkot?
- Wanted to have spaces to explore Judaism without non-Jews present
- Discussion of how to better approach situations where non-Jews that are not affiliated with CBI
- Pointed to code of conduct for dealing with difficult situations
- Ideas: Pool party, Jews and Brews
- Visiting sick?
- Neal: Meeting has been good to be in amongst people, can we have a meeting like this again, monthly? Would be willing to host once a year.
Elior reviewed preamble of bylaws
Have been working with Amy to get ducks in the row for a 501c3 status as opposed to assumed status that religious organizations get.
No change in statement of purpose from what community agreed upon in 2017, statement of values kept as well.
Elior read titles of sections and highlighted key points under each.
Amy provided a summary of the code of conduct, which applies to membership and visitors, and code of ethics which applies to board members, volunteers, staff, other leadership.
Q: Code of Conduct, will it be posted? Yes, will need to and highlight it. Trying to codify respectful norms.
C: Overtime seen statements of codes of conduct take on a life of their own? How much can it be shortened up by using “we will treat each other with common curtesy”: A: We tried to model this on templates from other communities.
Oliver gave closing remarks.
C: Thanks to board for effort to put together meeting.
Adjurned at 12:10pm