Dharma Rain - Board Minutes
Board Minutes - January 12, 2006
Present: Gyokuko Carlson, Kyogen Carlson, Gary Oshiro, Fumyo Mishaga, Kisei Martin, Kei'un Lewis, Jeanna Moyer, Kat Strieby, Sherman Coventry, Shisei Niski
Meeting started at 7:10pm
1) Welcome New Directors. The continuing Board members welcomed Jeanna Moyer,
Kei'un Lewis, and Fumyo Mishaga to the DRZC Board.
2) Approval of minutes from prior meeting. Shisei moved that the Board approve
the last version of the minutes from November. This motion was seconded and
passed unanimously. The Board discussed the email approval of the same, and
decided to set up a Board-only Yahoo! group to facilitate the process.
3) Open Forum for Member concerns. No members brought forth concerns, neither
in person nor by email.
4) Date for next meeting. The next Board mtg was set for 9 March, 2006.
5) Treasurer's report. Gary Oshiro gave the Board copies
of Income and Expense and of Financial Position, both reports showing the Center's
financial activity
through 30 November, 2005. The Center is again in the red, but finances are
not as bad as they look at first glance, as there are a number of big deposits
to go in this month and the Annual Campaign isn't reflected in the numbers
yet. Maintenance, interest expense because of the house sale/house purchase,
and repairs are still the biggest drains on the budget. The good news is that
income is up, donations are up by nearly a factor of four compared to the prior
year, and fundraising is up: we've collected $13,000 for the roof alone. Residential
is doing well, and Zendo rental income is doing better than expected.
6) Residential program. The Sangha House and Dharma house are full, but there
are changes coming soon as current residents leave and others enter. Some of
the residents are undecided, as well, so it's hard to know what the residency
situation will look like at the end of Spring Term. The Board also discussed
the possibility of creating a new category of resident: the long-term lay resident.
As policy stands now, lay residents are accepted for a set period of time,
two years or less. This new kind of resident would be longer-term, but self-supporting,
unlike the monks. The Board discussed the definition of this role and the commitment
the resident would make to the residential community and the Temple. In the
end there was no motion made, but the Board agreed that the abbots should continue
to look into the possibilities
7) Operations Report (Gyokuko). The Temple has accepted a donation for carpeting
for the Dharma House office. The job will cost about $2500, of which we will
pay $1000, the donor picking up the balance. The Zendo roof is still in limbo.
The Operations Committee is still trying to get bids, but it's a bad season.
We have started the paperwork on the photovoltaic system, however — no
money has changed hands, but we've agreed to do it and the bid is locked in.
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8) Apprenticeship report. There was no report on Apprenticeship.
9) Membership Report. We have three new members, two of whom are former
members who let their membership lapse and recently rejoined. There is no one
in
the queue right now to be contacted in person. We currently have 163 members
in the data base, and Kakumyo's keeping an eye on Wednesday night class regulars
that we might approach about membership. The Board also discussed Sangha
growth in general. Although DRZC has no “target” number for membership,
paying more attention to membership is desirable for many reasons: growth
will help the Sangha be self-sustaining well into the future; a large Sangha
will be in a better position to move if a large all-in-one facility should
come on the market; and care for membership, for being thoughtful and welcoming,
is simply right for it's own sake.
10) Ethics Policy update. Kyogen sent the board members the Ethics Policy
to date, by e-mail. The Board generally agreed that the document is going in
the
right direction. The committee is stalled right now, but there is some hope
that there will be something to show the Sangha by the Spring Forum. Jeanna
joined the Ethics Committee so there would be two Board Members participating.
11) Communications update. The Spring Sangha Forum is scheduled for 2 April,
2006. The focus of the forum will be the Ethics Policy and the calendar, with
short presentations also from the Treasurer and the Operations Committee. The
new web site is almost done — the designer will come to the Dharma House
to train Genko to maintain the site. It was decided, informally, that the Board
Minutes will no longer go on the bulletin board in the Zendo, but will appear
in the newsletter and on the website. The board also agreed to talk at the
next meeting about the location and presentation of our printed materials to
avoid confusion with ZCO's materials.
12) Bookstore ideas/issues. Fumyo is in the process of rewriting the procedures
and policies for the bookstore. The Bookstore is disorganized at this time,
with no real procedures for inventory or getting sales numbers to the Treasurer.
It also is selling a bewildering array of items, many having nothing to do
with our temple or even Buddhism. Fumyo asked the Board to put the bookstore
on the agenda for next meeting, so it could discuss reorganization, priorities,
and the policy statement. The topic will be taken up next meeting.
Kyogen then moved to adjourn. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 9:02
Respectfully Submitted,
Kat Strieby
Secretary
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