Executive Committee Regular Meeting February 4, 2020

Executive Committee Meeting

1119 Johnston Street

February 4, 2020

Approved Minutes

Call to order by President Jackie Phelps at 5:56 pm. The meeting was held in the church building at 1119 Johnston St, Building #12

Attendance:
Officers and committee chairs

• Jackie Phelps - President
• Bruce Snow - Treasurer, Web site Committee
• Mary Guirard - Vice-President
• Michael G. Waldon - Secretary
• Emily Carline - Publications Committee
• Hunter Miller - Services Committee
• Scott Ferguson - Social Concerns Committee

Other members in attendance

• Caroline Rice

Chalice Lighting - President Jackie Phelps performed the Chalice Lighting Ceremony with a moment of reflection to open the meeting.

STATUS OF ACTION ITEMS FROM PRIOR MEETING - The single action item from the previous Executive Committee was "Revise the first visit web page - Bruce." Bruce did update this page immediately following the last meeting.

Officer reports

• President -   Jackie commented that we need to be more welcoming to people of color and those not born the US. 

• Secretary - Minutes for the prior Executive Committee Regular Meeting January 7, 2020 were approved. It was decided that the secretary has responsibility to announce future EC meetings.

• Vice President - RE - we have a 9 year old coming on Sunday and need someone to volunteer to provide RE for older children. Mary will research the available UUA RE curricula. There was a discussion of finding volunteers for RE for older children.

• Treasurer -

                Treasurer's Report, February 2020

• Checking: $9,314.79
• Savings: $11,557.93
• PayPal: $96.80
• Total: $20,969.52

•  Income: $1358.09
•  Expenese: -$1237.49
• Net: $120.60

• $625 J Alfred Mouton, Johnston St rent
• $93.93 Jackie Phelps reimburse changing table
• $60 Dallas Trent ? 3 days child care
• $58.56 LUS
• $225 Linda Schaller - reissue of check #2360
• $75 Melanie Morel-Ensminger honorarium
• $100 Dallas Trent ? 5 days child care

Committee reports

• Membership - The chair position is vacant, and we are in search of a .member to take the job.
• Services  - Hunter -
• reached out to Louisiana Books for Prisoners
• need an information handout on how to give a service.
• Social Concerns - Scott -
• January
• 11 - *CCL Meeting was held at 11 am featured ‘Better Angels’
•  12 - UU the VOTE Watch party was held at Church with 120 watch parties for a total of 1500 folks. Four of our members and Dallas (our babysitter) attended the Watch Party. UU members from a few selected congregations reported on what they have been doing and are planning regarding voter suppression, voter registration and other initiatives.
• 17 - We participated in a 'War is not the Answer' peaceful assembly led by Woody Martin from 4-5 pm at Putnam Park
• 18 - Thanks to Kiera and Philip Frey for helping to plant trees and teaching others how to do it at Acadiana Park 'Trees Acadiana Arbor Day Planting'.
• 19 - We posted announcements about Diane's Compassionate Communications fundraiser
• 21 - MTM Hearing re. law suits over statue; Judge delayed until April 27th; we should encourage Fellowship members to attend
• 28 - UUA Love Resists Group: Topic: Anti-Racist Practice for Immigrant Solidarity E-Course 6:45-8:45 pm, Church building. Heather Vickery and Lucy Duncan led the webinar which focused on White Supremacy culture. We discussed methods of counteracting our behaviors which reinforce this mindset. Reference materials are available via the Slack and Blog announcements. Diane Kirksey, Scott, Jackie, Daniel, and Jason attended.
• 30 - VITA training 5-7:30 pm
• 31 - hunger-striking detainee released on bond from Lasalle Correctional Center -- in part -- due to Nel Hahn's hard work with LA-AID and Freedom for Immigrants! Now he is in Seattle with family. Some of our members took training and provided transportation and other assistance for this effort!
•  February
• *ALL MONTH* - donations drive for MTM -- see blog and Slack announcement for more info
• 4 - Downtown Faith Alliance meeting 10 am (Jackie)
• 6 - Webinar “Prophetic, Not Partisan: Understanding IRS Nonprofit Regulations for Your Congregation,” 6:45 pm; in the Church building (more info in Slack announcements)
• 6 - VITA training 5-7:30 pm
• 13-15 Volunteer for Vagina Monologues - see announcements
• March
• 6-7 - Roots Camp 2020, Baton Rouge, activism and education
• April
•  27 - rescheduled MTM Hearing re. law suit over the Mouton statue

• Publications - Emily
• Made a brochure for pledge drive
• Will be spotlighting black UUs on social media
• Web site - Emily showed a prototype new home page

Old Business

1. This coming year the UUA General Assembly (GA) will be held June 24-28 in Providence, RI. We discussed the need to identify who our two delegates are going to be, and whether we are going to offer any financial assistance. Jackie is going and is willing to serve as a delegate. Mike moved and Mary seconded a motion to pay registration fee for our delegates. Mary proposed to lower the amount to $200. The amendment was accepted and approved. The motion was deferred to future consideration.
2. A business meeting for 2020 for elections is required by our bylaws. Last month the determination of the specific date was tabled. The EC will set the agenda which will include the election of officers for the new church year. Diane Kirksey is now nominations committee chair and is accepting nominations from the membership. It was moved and approved to set the meeting date as April 26. In addition to the election of officers, agenda items will include discussing what charities we wish to support next year, and showing our newly revised web site,.
3. Our 2020 pledge drive is ending. Pledges failed to meet our goal. 
4. PFLAG-Lafayette will use our building for their March monthly meeting on Thursday, March 5th.at 6:00 pm.  
5. Mike will set up a building use calendar.
6. The Move the Mindset matching appeal just announced in early February for Black History Month. We had previously discussed structuring one of the services around it. The EC agreed previously to match up to $250 from directed contributions from members in February.
7. The new member and on-boarding procedures. Emily was looking further into this along with the web page committee. Emily will incorporate this information on our web site.

New Business

1. Diane Kirksey will be hosting board members training for our members and interested members from the community. Plans for this training was discussed. 
2.  Diane also requested the opportunity to demonstrate some methods she uses in her Compassionate Communication courses.
3. A motion was approved to buy 8 new chairs. Mike will follow up on this purchase. 
4. The cost and need for buying a changing table was discussed. Jackie will investigate more options.
5. Costs for the Arthur Headly dedication and service were discussed. Emily moved that the Headleys should be reimbursed by the Fellowship. They should have only paid for the minister's $75 dedication service fee plus half of travel. The remainder of this expense will be taken from Honorarium budget.

Adjourn 7:03 pm

NEW ACTION ITEMS

• Mary will research the available UUA RE curricula.
• Mike will purchase 8 new chairs for the Fellowship
• Mike will implement a building use calendar
• Bruce will reimburse Eva and Heath Headley for their excess payment 
• Emily will compile new member information for the revised web site

Approved by the Executive Committee March 3, 2020
Minutes compiled by Mike Waldon, Secretary