Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist

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Looking Back On Our Future!

The headline may read a little strange but, in part at least, that is exactly what I have been doing. The Facilities Planning Task Force, of which I am a member, has been hard at work completing its findings in preparation for sharing them with the entire congregation during January and February. This is the next step in the process where we will be seeking feedback from each of you on what you think is needed to improve our physical community and how best to fund those improvements. Our report will not contain any final recommendations. That is for the congregation to decide, but neither will it be presented in a vacuum, divorced from the mission or purpose of the church.

As you will hear from our presentation, we firmly believe that our facilities are but one part of the whole that must fit together to support the mission of the church, its ministry, its programming needs and the needs of our staff and governing body. It is therefore, part of a comprehensive long range plan and this is where the headline for this article comes into play. In addition to reviewing prior facilities plans, I came across a comprehensive long range plan started back in 2000 and presented in 2003 covering all aspects of the church. Reading the report, I was amazed at the accuracy of its projections for how we would look in 2011-12 in terms of membership size, staffing, programming and funding needs and of course, the facilities needed to support these findings. It was, in fact, a look back into our future. While some things have changed, it was comforting to read how much has remained the same. While this time around we have broken it up into smaller pieces, we are still effectively in the process of updating our Long Range Plan (LRP). If you look at our Goals for 2011-12 you will see that we have been working on many of the components that together make for a new LRP.

In addition to the facilities team, another group has been tasked with reviewing our organization and staffing needs. Others have been reviewing our governance structure and still more have been working on aspects of our programming and ministry needs. This work will be shared with you during the course of the New Year, beginning with a brief update at the next Congregational Meeting on Sunday, January 29.

A relatively new, but equally important feature of this LRP process has been the work of our Green Sanctuary Task Force. On Sunday, January 29, they will move to have their report and application for Green Sanctuary designation approved by the congregation. All these various initiatives are about our future, some of which I believe I have seen (or at least read about) and it is exciting. I ask that you join in the making of that future.

In Faith,

Ian Sole

President, Board of Trustees

Scott DeVeaux has accepted the position of Acting Director Of Music, effective August 15 through May 31, 2012, and brings to the position a wide range of musical talent and over twenty years of experience.

Our special thanks go to the Search Committee of Bev Thierwechter, Walt Megonigal, Cindy Benton-Groner, Maggie Ober and Rev. Erik Wikstrom for their hard work and diligence during a very thorough selection process which included reviewing seventeen resumes, numerous interviews, and for the top candidates, auditions with our choir. Please join in congratulating Scott and giving thanks to the Search Committee.

As a next step the Board will appoint a Task Force representing the full congregation and charged with identifying the long term needs of our music program prior to completing a search for and appointment of a permanent Director of Music.

TJMC Social Action Council Minutes
Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Present: Edith Good, Sharon Baiocco, Trish Foley, Mary Rose Curtis, Kip Newland, Rev. Janet Newman, Greta Dershimer (chair)
Absent: Dick Somer, Elizabeth Breeden, Marlene Jones, Jean Sorrells-Jones, Cherry Stewart, Cynthia Pulaski, Dan Grogan (Board Liaison)

1. We renewed our covenant.

2. We had a brief oral check-in. The following items were submitted electronically for the minutes.
Emotional Wellness Ministry: The committee has decided to study the process that the LGBT group conducted to have our church receive the designation as a Welcoming Church. This process may be similar to creating a culture that welcomes those who have experienced mental illness in their lifetimes and trust our church community to accept all of their individuality. We have also begun a discussion about how our children who experience aspects of different behavior are supported and welcomed in our RE program.
Food Pantry: With the advent in the Blue Ridge Food Bank of fresh vegetables our volume of processing food grows each month from 1 ton to 2 tons of food. We are also experiencing a growth of those seeking food and are thinking about a discussion about our capacity.
PACEM: We have offered our church site to house the homeless next year for November 26 to December 2, 2011 (Men) and February 4 to 10, 2012 (Women.)

3. We confirmed the electronic vote taken since April 26 meeting to approve the minutes of the April meeting.

4. Information on the Cash Accounts was provided.
The only change was that Partner Church spent $200 to support the travel of a minister from India to attend a dinner at TJMC in June.

5. Information on the Social Action Council Budget for 2010-2011 was provided.
The only change since the April meeting was that the $250 allotted to Partner Church in April has been sent to the UUA Partner Church for deposit in the Olthevitz Church account to assist elderly members whose pensions have been cut by the government.

6. A check on the accuracy of Attendance Records and Materials Submitted Records elicited no corrections. Accepted as recorded.
Annual reports for Chalice Lighters, Refugee Partnerships, and Soup Kitchen have not yet been turned in to the Council Chair. This is a requirement under TJMC policies.

7. New Business
Selection of non-profit organization to receive free use of meeting space in 2011-2012 Program Year.
The Chair distributed a chart summarizing major items of information from the six applications (see attached). No concerns were raised about any of the applications. It was moved and seconded to approve all six applications. After some discussion about Transition Charlottesville, a new organization to TJMC, the motion was approved. Contact information for the approved organizations is attached. This has been submitted to Carole Black, and all applicants have been informed of their approval.

8. Changes in Council and group roles for next program year were announced.
Edith Good has asked to be relieved as chair of Chalice Lighters, and Mary Rose Curtis has agreed to take over that role. Kip Newland has agreed to be the new Chair of the Social Action Council, starting in July, and Greta Dershimer will replace him as chair of UUSC. Special thanks were expressed to Kip for taking on the role of Council Chair. All Council members were thanked for their work this year.

9. The meeting was adjourned at 6:15 p.m.

Next Meeting – Wednesday, August 24, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in Church Parlor

BRIEF SUMMARY OF APPLICATIONS FOR FREE USE OF TJMC-UU MEETING SPACE
FOR PROGRAM YEAR 2011-2012

VA Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance Statewide organization
Prevent sexual and domestic violence; counseling Planning and coordinating activities across local and regional groups Meet 6 to 8 times a ye
All day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

African American Teaching Fellows Local organization
Increase ratios of African American teachers in local schools
Financial, professional, social support to Fellows Training sessions for Fellows, mentors, and some Board members
Focus on leadership and professional skills, interview techniques Up to 4 times a year
Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Blue Ridge VA Chapter of
UN Association of the USA Regional organization (?)
Educate, develop support for UN Present educational lectures about UN mission and issues Meet monthly or bi-monthly
___ times per year (?)
Sundays, 3 to 5 p.m.
Dialogue on Race
Local organization
Promote racial reconciliation, economic justice, equity Planning meetings of Action Teams or business meeting of Steering Committee Occasional meetings
Daytime or evening (?)
Interfaith Gay/Straight Alliance Local faith-based organization
Civil rights for LGBTQ persons Planning and business meetings
Occasional workshops Meet monthly
Rotate from one congregation to another each month
Evening meetings
Transition Charlottesville
Local organization
Just beginning to organize
Energy and environmental issues Planning and business meetings
Possible workshops Meet monthly
3rd Monday of month
ORGANIZATION TYPE OF GROUP/MISSION MEETING PURPOSE FREQUENCY/LENGTH
Organizations Approved for Free Use of Meeting Space in 2011-2012 Program Year
Social Action Council, May 24, 2011

Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance Jeanine Beiber
All-day meetings, 10 am-4 pm
6 to 8 times a year
African American
Teaching Fellows Scott Guggenheimer
Saturdays, 8:30am-4 pm
Up to 4 times a year

Blue Ridge Virginia Chapter of the United Nations Association of the US Al Reynolds (PAUN,TJMC-UU)
Sundays, 3-5 pm
Monthly or bimonthly, fall to spring
Dialogue on Race Elizabeth Breeden
Occasional meetings of Action Teams or Steering Committee
Interfaith Gay/Straight Alliance Linda McNeil
Monthly evening meetings
Rotate among various congregations
Transition Charlottesville Deborah Judson-Ebbets
3rd Monday of the month
Meet monthly

TJMC Social Action Council Minutes
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Church Parlor, 5:30 to 7:00 P.M.

Attending: Elizabeth Breeden, Mary Rose Curtis, Edith Good, Bob Gross, Marlene Jones, Kip Newland, Cynthia Pulaski, Al Reynolds, Jean Sorrells-Jones, Greta Dershimer (Chair)
Absent: Sharon Baiocco, Dick Somer, Cherry Stewart, Dan Grogan (Board Liaison)
Guest: Paul Vaughan, of PHAR (briefly at start of the meeting)

1. The meeting was called to order at 5:35. We renewed our covenant.

2. There were no electronic check-in items submitted for the minutes. Because of the heavy agenda, brief oral check-in statements were postponed to the end of the meeting, and time did not allow for any statements at that point.

3. The electronic vote to approve the Minutes of the January 25th Council meeting was confirmed by a vote of the members present.

4. The financial report presented in the Agenda was taken as information. No questions were raised.

5. The activities and decisions of the Council of Council Chairs were briefly summarized.
New procedures for tables in Social Hall after services appear to be working well.
The Policy and Procedures for the TJMC Food Pantry developed by the Food Pantry group were shared with the Council of Chairs, edited to follow the Policy manual format, and approved by the Board.
A general job description for Council Chairs was approved by the Council of Chairs and the Board.
The Master Calendar for next Program Year is completed and available on the church website. Special note was taken of the fact that the Social Action Council is scheduled to meet on the 4th Wednesday of August, November, January, and April next year.

7. The status of the Social Action Council Budget for 2010-2011 was presented. $65.23 of allocated funds have been unspent to date. $430 of the budgeted funds were still unallocated. The Council voted to give the Soup Kitchen $150 to buy paper products in order to serve food under more sanitary conditions. By a second vote the Council approved sending $250 to the Olthevitz Partner Church to help provide food rations for elderly congregants whose government pensions have been slashed. That left $30 of the Council budget still unallocated.

8. The Chair reported that Council Budget requests for 2011-2012 were submitted to the Finance Committee in January. We have not yet seen a proposed budget.

9. The status of SAC Tasks for this program year was briefly summarized.
1) Elizabeth Breeden and Greta Dershimer presented a check for $2102 (money raised at the March Social Action Collection) at the April 3 Sunday service of Ebenezer Baptist Church, at the request of Pastor Leland Bates.
2) The IHS Meal Bag project has continued through the spring, involving UU Stars children, the Coming of Age group, and the YRUU class in buying food, packing meal bags, or making greeting cards. The project has given TJMC positive publicity through the Daily Progress article and the HIS Newsletter. Margaret Gorman and Leia intend to continue the project next year. From the funds available (allotted) this year $146.55 remains. $500 of the Ford Foundation grant is still unallotted. At the request of the Council Chair, Doug Webbink asked the Board to approve the following: “Move that the Board approve the request to allow any money remaining from the Ford Foundation grant to be carried over to the next fiscal year and to continue to be used for appropriate social action activities.” The Board approved the request as part of the Consent Agenda.
3) The new policy and the application form for Free Use of Meeting Space, as approved by the Council at our January meeting, were approved by the Board as part of the Consent Agenda at their February meeting.

10. The Chair asked Council members to check the accuracy of Attendance Records and Materials Submitted Records appended to the Agenda. No needed corrections were identified.

11. New Business - Selection of recipients for Social Action Collections in 2011-2012 Program Year.
The Chair reported that 15 applications were received by the due date. One of these did not include the required signatures of 3 TJMC members. No application was received for the TJMC Food Pantry because of a memory lapse by the appropriate Council member. After some discussion, and because the TJMC Food Pantry is a church-wide function, the Council voted to accept that as a late application, and to also accept the application that arrived on time but without the required signatures. As a result 16 applications were considered for the 12 monthly slots.

Council followed the recommended selection process, designed to insure that every voice was heard, and that decisions were made objectively and efficiently:
1. Individual Selection – Council members indicated up to 12 preferred selections on their individual lists of applications, without discussion, by making tentative ratings before attending the meeting of High, Medium, or Low for each application.
2. Group Reporting – Individual ratings for all 16 applications were recorded on a large chart on the easel, using colored pens.
3. Adding Up – Total ratings recorded for each applicant were counted up and noted on chart.
4. Identify “definites” – Applicants with highest ratings recorded were considered to be selected recipients. They were given collection dates in the months of the program year when congregational attendance is highest, and total giving is greatest.
5. Discuss “close calls” or Low ratings – The four applicants with the lowest ratings were determined to be non-recipients of collections for the coming program year. Those with “moderate” ratings were assigned collections during the summer months.
The Collection Schedule for 2011-2012 is appended.

12. The Chair asked Council members to recommend people to serve as Council Chair or Co-Chair or Associate Chair for the coming program year. She said that she would send some ideas about possible configurations of Council leadership to members for consideration at the May meeting.

13. The meeting was adjourned at 7:05.

Next Meeting – May 24, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in Church Parlor
Major Agenda item: Decisions about Free Use of Meeting Space applications for the 2011-2012 Program Year.

TJMC SOCIAL ACTION COLLECTION RECIPIENTS
2011-2012

DATES ORGANIZATION TJMC SPONSOR EMAIL ADDRESS (Emails deleted on Web)
July 17, 2011 JABA – Mary Williams
Community Center Donna Baker 
August 21, 2011 Virginia Organizing
Greta Dershimer 
September 18, 2011 On Our Own
October 16, 2011 Food Pantry Elizabeth Breeden
November 20, 2011 African American
Teaching Fellows (AATF) Greta Dershimer 
December 18, 2011 Play Partners Roz Westerman
January 15, 2012 PACEM
February 19, 2012 Public Housing Assoc.
of Residents (PHAR) Greta Dershimer dershimer@embarqmail.com
March 18, 2012 Mental Health America
April 15, 2012 Partner Church
Jean Sorrells-Jones jsorrellsjones@gmail.com
May 20, 2012 Blue Ridge Abortion
Assistance Fund (BRAAF) Sharon Utz sharonutz@gmail.com
June 17, 2012 People Places – COACH
Heather Garrett hgarre@peopleplaces.org