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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