Letter From The Board

Sep 29

Written By Digital Producers

Each month a member of the Board of Trustees writes a letter to the congregation that outlines the projects and plans discussed at the most recent monthly board meeting.

Letter From the Board Schedule, 2024

Board letter schedule: This letter goes in In Touch the second Thursday of each month.

February - Michael

March - Kathy

April - Jo

May - Amy

June - Mary

July - Kate

August - Laird

September - Jack

October - Michael

November - Jo

December - Mary

January - Jack

November 2024

By Joanne “Jo” Reichle

Events at North Chapel

To echo Michael’s message for October…in any given month, there are many events held at North Chapel such as concerts, community discussion forums, meetings, and weddings. We need North Chapel members to be stewards during these events to make sure things run smoothly. These events are an important source of revenue for North Chapel. A steward is needed at the event to provide guidance and answers to questions that may arise. There is no physical activity needed. Depending on the event, the time commitment ranges from 2 to 6 hours.

Volunteering for a concert is a great way to get to hear a FREE concert and to give some of your time to North Chapel. Our Administrative Assistant Joanne Boyle is the NC steward for these events and could use some helpers. Email Joanne at: jm.boyle57@gmail.com.

Board leadership, Composition and Committees

We are discussing the future leadership for the Board of Trustees as well as creating more concise and streamlined ways to run North Chapel effectively and efficiently.

Mary Blanton and Kathy Astemborski are finishing up their terms as board co-chairs at the end of December 2024.

If you are interested in joining the board and/or the finance committee please contact Sherry Belisle, Nominating Committee Chair, at sherry.belisle@gmail.com. If you are not able to commit time monthly, yet would like to help, please let us know. We can always use your talents and assistance!

Pledge Drive as of November 19, 2024

Pledge drive update. So far, we have had 42 pledges for 2025 for a total of $63,460, which is less than ½ of our pledge goal. Please keep in mind that it takes significantly more cash flow to keep the doors of North Chapel open and the lights on.

Huge, huge shout out of appreciation for Ann Wynia, who is working with two others to create North Chapel’s 2025 budget. Ann…you are amazing!

Fundraising

Huge thank you and shout out to Mary Blanton for making the wreath sale such a great success! What’s in your Wheaties, Mary, that gives you so much energy?! $6000+! WOW

Another huge thank you to Kate and many others for putting together a dance party on November 16 that raised $1226. There were 40-50 people, it was fun, and we are hoping to do it again in 2025!

North Chapel Insurance

We are revisiting North Chapel’s insurance coverage to ensure that we are following insurance guidelines for all the activities, events, and fundraisers. Always good to revisit and be familiar with our insurance guidelines.

Meeting adjourned at 7:25pm, and the board went into executive session until 7:40 pm.

Wishing you all a fun, fruitful and safe holiday season…cheers!

October 2024

by Michael Zsoldos

In the October meeting of the NUCS board, Leon shared that our SE director, Tatum Barnes was the recipient of the Young Professional Award at the Vermont Conference on Recreation. Way to go, Tatum!

Our community is so lucky to have Tatum leading Spiritual Education at North Chapel. Tatum has been assisted in this important work by his wife, Taylor Barnes, as well as Pluto Bierne-Freiman. Thank you, Tatum, Taylor, and Pluto for all that you do to support the spiritual education of our children.

David Freiman started leading the OWL sessions on Oct. 27th. OWL is an acronym for Our Whole Lives, a multi-faceted sex education curriculum that seeks to provide accurate and developmentally appropriate information for everyone - kindergarteners, adults, and senior citizens. The next meeting for OWL is this Sunday, 11/17 at 11:30. If you are interested in attending, please email David Freiman directly. dfreiman@yahoo.com

I will be installing custom vinyl window inserts in the Sanctuary with Radek Marzec’s help in early December. These are the same inserts that you see (or maybe haven’t seen—they are practically invisible!) installed in the windows of the library, parlors, stairwell, and SE space. They are very easy to measure and order and can save you hundreds of dollars in heating bills this winter. Feel free to email me at michael.zsoldos@gmail.com or speak to me after one of the services if you are interested in getting your home windows measured.

The Pledge Drive letters were mailed out on Oct. 20th with a heartfelt letter from Cliff and Kate Johnson talking about why our welcoming faith community is so important to them. This year, North Chapel has a fundraising goal of $130,000. If you are reading this letter, it is likely that you have started considering North Chapel to be your spiritual home. Pledging provides the board with the confidence to know that there will be enough money coming in in 2025 to start budgeting for the upcoming year.

I invite you to pledge as soon as you can so you can cross it off from your to-do list!

In any given month, there are many events held at North Chapel such as concerts, community discussion forums, meetings, and weddings, and we are looking for North Chapel members to be stewards, attend the event, and make sure that things run smoothly. These events are an important source of revenue for North Chapel. Whenever an event is held, a volunteer from our community is needed at the event to supervise the event and answer questions. The time commitment ranges from 2 to 6 hours, depending on the event.

Volunteering for a concert is a great way to get to hear a FREE concert and to give some of your time to North Chapel. Our administrative assistant Joanne Boyle attends almost all of these events and could really use some helpers. Email Joanne at: jm.boyle57@gmail.com.

September 2024

By Jack Nelson

The Board of Trustees meeting opened at 5:30 pm on September 17th.

The minutes from last month’s meeting were approved.

The treasurer’s Report was approved. A motion was passed to put $57,000 of Peggy Kannenstine’s bequest into a one-year CD.

The board needs to find a replacement for Ann Wynia as treasurer.

Leon reported that last Sunday there were only 15 people who attended because of Covid.

Old Business

1 - Mary Blanton will look into having the driveway crowned.

2 - The wreath sale has started.

3 - Laid Bradley is working on replacing rotten wood on the church.

4 - Jeneura Wetmore is writing an article for the Vermont Standard about our Tesla power wall.

5 - North Chapel is now buying its heating oil from Irving Oil.

6 - Kate Johnson is organizing Soup on the Green and other fund raisers.

7 - The pledge drive will start October 20th. The goal will be $130,000.

8 - The fall potluck will take place on October 19th.

9- Jo Reichle, Mary Blanton, and Joanne Boyle met to discuss rentals at the North Chapel.

10 - Finding a replacement for Diane Mellinger was discussed.

New Business

1 - The next board meeting will be on October 8th.

2 - Tatum Barnes will discuss SE curriculum on October 6th. October 20 will be OWL’s first meeting.

3 - Pluto Beirne-Freiman has been helping Tatum.

4 - The board needs to find a new chairman.

The meeting adjourned at 7:05.

August 2024

by Laird Bradley

The Board’s August meeting was held with all hands on deck with Joelle Seavey welcomed as she begins a 3 month tenure as a non-voting participant.

The minutes and Treasurer's report were approved unanimously as the first order of business followed by a presentation made by Ann Wynia of the 2025 UUA Organization’s retirement plan. The Board voted to have the North Chapel adopt the reinstatement of the UUA minister’s retirement plan.

Leon provided an update on a very successful Brave Light trip in his Minister’s Report highlighting the experience by noting Pati Hernandez serving as the main speaker in place of Tim DeChristopher and Sherry Mitchell, who had to cancel.

Amy has agreed to assist Leon with financial reporting and filing. She provided an update on the year-to-date financial accounting. Additionally, the Board reviewed the program’s application and medical release documents and confirmed the insurance coverage for participants.

After a brief Executive Session, the Board began a discussion about how best to handle rentals. Zoe and Joanne have completed a facilities handbook to assist in understanding the spaces and help with organizing use.

Several questions were posed with the idea proposed to form a task force to review rates, establish protocols to coordinate events on behalf of the North Chapel.

Old business updates included:

Installation of Tesla Batteries in the next two weeks will enable NUCS to provide a safe place for people to gather in the event of emergencies;
Michael and Radek with measure the Sanctuary Windows to order vinyl storm panels.
Laird is obtaining an estimate to repair two areas of water and snow damage on the southwest and northeast intersections of the Sanctuary with additions.
Irving Oil was selected based on price for the upcoming heating season.
A Back-to-School party was scheduled for August 27th.
Michale volunteered to attend the Woodstock Selectboard meeting to secure approval to sell food on the Green during foliage season.
Dana Hale is working on setting up an Outdoor Gear sale
And we discussed the idea of hosting a photography session as a fundraiser.

New Business:

Pledge drive dates were planned with a potluck in October.
The Christmas wreath sale starts in September and Mary is looking for volunteers!
The Board sadly signed cards saying goodbye & good luck to Anne Dean and Chris and Barbara Bartlett they move to Maine and California, respectively. They will be deeply missed.
The nominating committee is tasked with the impossible in finding a new Treasurer to replace Ann Wynia.
And another seemingly impossible challenge is replacing Diane Mellinger, who is retiring from her role as music director.
There will be a UUA retreat at the Norwich UU Church. Sign up online.
A driveway repair estimate is being solicited from Schulz Excavation.

We wrapped up on time and adjourned at 7:30.

July 2024

By Kate Johnson

July 2024

The board met on July 16, 2024 at North Chapel.

Present: Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Kate Johnson (by Zoom), Amy McElroy, Jack Nelson, Ann Wynia, Michael Zsoldos.

Dana Hale attended for the last time as our visiting guest. Thank you, Dana!

Joanne Boyle attended to discuss North Chapel Committees.

Not Present: Leon Dunkley (at Brave Light / Star Island), Jo Reichle

Ann reported on the Treasurer’s Report which was approved. Of most significance, there was an update of $2000 worth of new pledges and a generous gift to North Chapel from Peggy Kannestine to be used to support the maintenance of the building, peace, and musical ministry.

Joanne presented a document showing descriptions of all of the committees. In summary, Joanne asked that the Buildings and Grounds Committee description be updated and to have an official Building and Grounds Committee with a chair. Rentals currently fall under Building and Grounds however, there is not an official Building and Grounds Committee and Joanne has taken on the work. This needs to be remedied with an official addition of a Rentals Committee and someone(s) to be onsite for all events. Several board members are to meet with Joanne to discuss further and the board discussions of the various church committees in general will continue.

A final review of the finance letter to the congregation was made. The Board approved to send the letter after one revision was made.

A fundraising update was made and the fundraising group has decided to postpone the back lawn dinner event to the spring and focus on selling food and drinks on the Green during foliage season. A social back to school event will take place on August 27th. This type of social gathering is a good way to bring in new families to North Chapel. The bulb sale will not take place this fall per usual but may be picked up in the spring.

The Byrne Foundation granted North Chapel $10,000 for the Tesla Power wall expenses. The board plans to use this money and social justice funds to pay for this project. The costs include an upgrade to the electrical panel to support the power walls.

For a while now, the board had been exploring a change in North Chapel’s oil supplier and contract for next year in order to reduce oil costs. Irving’s price is better than our current price with Dead River and they will credit North Chapel $100 for new customers participating in the program and the new customers will get the church’s commercial price so a motion was made and approved that we contract with Irving.

North Chapel now has a Matterport 3D Virtual Tour of the North Chapel, which can be used for promoting rentals. It can be viewed from the church website. It was done by Drew Parham of Green Mountain 3D.

June 2024

By Mary Blanton

The board met on June 18th, 2024, at the North Chapel.

Ann presented the treasurer’s report. We discussed the financial position of North Chapel and Ann recommended that we put a freeze on new expenses. We have one more month of dues for the UUA. The 5% revenue from the endowment is based on a three-year average of the fund’s value.

We reviewed ideas from the retreat. Mary asked us to consider the following questions:

How do we move towards the vision of increasing the size of our church community and creating a path towards a sustainable future? How do we invite others to join us in making this vision a reality?

Mary and Kathy had drafted a letter to be sent to the congregation about our financial situation. After a discussion, it was agreed that Kathy and Mary would re-work the letter to reflect our discussion. Jack is concerned that this year is going to be bad, and next year is going to be worse. We discussed putting a freeze on expenses. Revenue is looking OK, but the board would like to get rid of the deficit before increasing any expenses. The board feels a commitment to support our employees.

Kate gave us a fundraising update about the Long Table Event, which she and her committee hope to hold later this summer. She suggested it could be a big “U” shaped table (U for Universalist. Or two U’s for UU). She is also interested in promoting family friendly events on the back lawn. The picnic after the last day of school was a huge success and another one is planned for the first day of school in the fall.

Leon reported that there have been all kinds of activities going on in the church at the same time. Great energy. There was a great meeting of the Social Justice group and pastoral care is going well. He is still hoping to present some ideas/content from the UUA conference as part of an upcoming service.

Leon updated us on Brave Light. Sharon Academy and Woodstock High School have shown good interest. Cut-off is at the end of next week. Leon will let the board know if we have the minimum number of people signed up. With fewer than twelve local kids, Brave Light will not go forward in 2024. The program is planned for four days and three nights.

Amy asked about Leon’s pay and Brave Light. We budgeted $23,800 of Brave Light funds for Leon’s compensation. We deferred $3,800 from the 2023 budget and it will be taken this year.

Amy met with Leon about Brave Light 2024 planning, project reporting, and the 2024 budget. Amy has been added as a signer for the Brave Light checking account at Mascoma Bank. She will meet with Leon again to complete the 2024 Budget. She will also maintain the Brave Light file archives, and plan to report to the board monthly.

We are hoping to install two Tesla Power Walls at the church. Mary sent a letter to the Byrne Foundation requesting $10,000 for help purchasing the Tesla power walls. If we do not get this funding, we may put off the power walls until next year, due to the discussion of enforcing a freeze on new expenditures. Mary will ask Jill Davies about Woodstock’s overall plan for climate resilience and how the church could be a part of it. She will also contact the Hub to get input on possible funding for the energy efficiency projects and the power walls.

As we increased our rentals, we talked about how to involve other people in the rental process.

We need a church representative present to act as host on the day of the event. Joanne has been doing this, but she needs help working with people who want to hold events at North Chapel. Do we need to assemble a group of people familiar with the building, who are able to answer a renter’s questions?

Do we need a Social Committee / Chairman? Or a fundraising and grant writing committee?

The meeting was adjourned at 7:30.

Present: Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Leon Dunkley (via Zoom), Kate Johnson, Amy McElroy, Jack Nelson, Jo Reichle, Ann Wynia, Michael Zsoldos

Not Present: Dana Hale, Laird Bradley

May 2024

By Amy McElroy

The board met on May 21, 2024 at North Chapel.

Present: Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Leon Dunkley, Dana Hale, Kate Johnson, Amy McElroy, Jack Nelson, Jo Reichle, Ann Wynia, Gina Auriema
Not Present: Michael Zsoldos

Highlights of the meeting:

The board welcomed Dana Hale as our three-month visiting Board of Trustees member.
The Vermont 2023 Childcare Bill, Act 76, imposes a 0.44% payroll tax on all church wages that will go into effect on July 1, 2024. Employers may elect to cover the tax in full or split it with employees with 0.33% paid by the employer and 0.11% paid by the employee. The board voted and agreed to pay all of the 0.44%.
Act 76 also requires all non-profit organizations to participate in providing unemployment insurance coverage. The board voted and agreed to pay the 1% unemployment insurance.
Ann Wynia reported that the Finance Committee recommends getting a $10,000 cd for 7 months. The board voted and agreed to do this.
The Path of Totality musical event took place at North Chapel on May 18. There were four performers. It was wonderful.
June is Pride Month. The Woodstock Pride Festival is May 30 to June 2. Jane Hufferdine ordered solar rainbow lights that will be projected on the front of North Chapel for the month of June.
Brave Light planning is underway and is scheduled to take place in July with a trip to Star Island if enough kids sign up.
Updates will be made to the electrical panel to support two new Tesla power walls. These are batteries that will support part of the church’s electrical system if we have a power outage.
A video is being made that highlights our beautiful church building and grounds. This will be used to market North Chapel as a venue for weddings and other gatherings.
The board is exploring a change in North Chapel’s oil supplier and contract for next year in order to reduce oil costs.
A board retreat will take place Saturday, June 1, 1-5 pm. Finances and visioning for the future will be topics of discussion.
Gina Auriema and Mary Blanton attended the 191st Vermont Quebec Universalist - Unitarian Convention (VQUUC). Gina explained what this organization does. There are 24 member UU societies - 23 in Vermont and one in Canada. The convention allocates monies from its endowment fund to member societies. North Chapel has received funds from this organization for the past several years.
Kate Johnson and a group of younger North Chapel members and attenders have been discussing some fundraising ideas for North Chapel. Kate presented three of their ideas.

Hosting a nice dinner in the church backyard.
Celebration for end of school or start of school for families.
Taking advantage of the Woodstock Green – For example, soup on the green or selling food at the Wassail Parade or the weekly farmer’s market.

The board agreed that Sustainable Woodstock can use North Chapel to store e-bikes free of charge during their e-bike event August 22nd - 25th.

April 2024

by Joanne “Jo” Reichle

The Board of Trustees met, 5:30-7:30pm, at the North Chapel on April 16, 2024

Present: Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Leon Dunkley, Kate Johnson, Amy McElroy, Jack Nelson, Jo Reichle, Ann Wynia, Michael Zsoldos

Visiting guest: Jayne Hufferdine… Jayne…thank you for your time and input!

TREASURER’S REPORT:

The board reviewed financials, which were accepted with unanimous approval. Our on-line auction reached its goal of $15,000! Organizing and executing the on-line auction is time consuming, perhaps others may assist in 2025? Cheers to all who volunteered many, many hours to make this auction so successful.

BUDGET:

Continued planning and discussion around our plan of action should there be an expected budget deficit for 2025.

ANNUAL BOARD RETREAT:

The board will meet on Saturday, June 1, from 1:00-5:00 pm at North Chapel. Our 2024/25 budgets will be the focus of this retreat.

LEON’S SABBATICAL:

Leon expressed his gratitude to our community. Leon’s immersion in healing with music, food, connections, and theological self-reflection broadened Leon’s awareness of self, the needs of our congregation within our community and what justice can be.

COMMITTEE CAFÉ:

The first committee café was a success! The Committee Café will meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm. It’s a great opportunity to become more familiar with NUCS committees, the members, and the needs of our NUCS community… a great way for members to connect.

KITCHEN UPDATE:

We believe the kitchen sink drainage, or lack of, issues have been resolved. Our stove is fixed, and Deb Rice is creating “kitchen use” guidelines and training for those using the kitchen facilities. Deb…thank you!

WINDOW INSERTS & TESLA POWER WALL:

Further information is required before a vote on how to proceed is taken.

PRIDE MONTH:

Jayne Hufferdine volunteered to purchase and install solar-powered pride lighting for the front of our building during the month of June. Jayne hopes this will further connect our congregation with the community, especially the youth. Jayne…thank you!

POETRY FEST:

At no cost, beyond the use of our building, we have been asked to host the Woodstock Poetry Festival on Friday & Saturday, June 21 & 22. For more event information… Arts + Culture | Seven Days Vermont (sevendaysvt.com)

OWL PROGRAM:

Tatum Barnes, our SE Director, is reaching out to families to see if they would be interested in having the OWL program offered at North Chapel. Families have responded that they would be interested in the program. Please continue to contact Tatum if you are interested in learning more about or participating in this program. Tatum…thank you!

As members of the North Chapel Board, we agree to:

~ Be present to others and mindful of the needs of our community.

~ Speak the truth.

~ Listen with patience and an open mind and heart.

~ Articulate North Chapel values and champion initiatives that support them.

~ Do the work that is ours to do and share the load.

~ Commit to continuous learning and self-assessment.

~ Ask challenging questions.

~ Encourage creative tension, among ourselves and in our community.

~ Take care of myself and of others.

~ Bring joy and kindness to what we do.

Cheers…Jo

March 2024

by Kathy Astemborski

The Board of Trustees met at the North Chapel on March 13, 2024

Present: Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Kate Johnson, Amy McElroy, Jack Nelson, Jo Reichle, Ann Wynia, Michael Zsoldos

Jayne Hufferdine attended as our visiting guest.

Deb Rice attended to provide a kitchen update.

Not present: Kathy Astemborski, Leon Dunkley (on Sabbatical)

Deb Rice provided a kitchen update as there have been ongoing issues with the sinks. The grease trap is not working properly and for now we are asking that the kitchen only be used as a warming kitchen. Deb suggested that we provide training to people who are using the kitchen regarding taking precautions to avoid overflow. Laird offered to work with Deb to find solutions to the issues. Thank you Deb for all your hard work on this challenging issue!

The Treasurer’s Report included an update on our pledges. We have almost reached the budgeted goal for pledges which is $120,000. The recommended amount to pay towards annual UUA dues is $12,750. Our community approved a motion at our annual meeting to pay half that amount, $6,750. The payment will be made in that amount.

The Board is regularly including an agenda item for our meetings entitled, “Visioning”. This is an ongoing conversation where we brainstorm creative ideas to support the North Chapel’s growth and sustainability. This month’s discussion focused on committees. The questions posed to the board were - are the current committees operating effectively? How do we find new members for committees lacking people power? Should we restart the Committee Cafe? While some of these questions will be ongoing discussions, it was agreed to reach out to committees to gauge interest in resuming the Committee Cafe which is a quarterly meeting where all of the committees come together to discuss what they’re working on, share strategies to address challenges, and share a meal and fellowship. An email went out after the board meeting to the various committees and, due to the positive response, there is a Committee Cafe scheduled for April 9, 2024.

Board Members reviewed the annual meeting questionnaire results and holding potlucks was a popular activity suggested by many. The Board is considering making potlucks a monthly event on the third Sunday of the month, starting in April.

As mentioned in last month’s letter, Tatum Barnes, our SE Director, is reaching out to families to see if they would be interested in having the OWL program offered at North Chapel. Eight families have responded that they would be interested in the program. Please continue to contact Tatum if you are interested in participating in the program, or would like to learn more about it.

February 2024

By Michael Zsoldos

In the February 20th meeting of the NUCS board, Tatum Barnes (our inspiring youth Spiritual Exploration leader) proposed that we create a small group ministry for OWL, which stands for Our Whole Lives, a multi-faceted sex education curriculum that seeks to provide accurate and developmentally appropriate information for everyone--kindergarteners, adults, and senior citizens. Tatum experienced the training in OWL as a teenager and he recommends it highly. OWL is based on the premise that parents are the child's primary sex educators. Tatum is looking to develop a group of parents committed to talking, reflecting, and collaborating on supporting their children with topics related to sex, gender, and relationships. The group will be starting in the fall of 2024. If you're interested or if you have further questions, Tatum asks that you email him. (tatumali1030@gmail.com)

Deb Rice reported on the state of the plumbing issues in the kitchen. She and Laird Bradley have scheduled multiple repair appointments with plumbing companies this past month to get the kitchen sinks to drain properly without flooding the kitchen floor.

There was lively discussion around getting more members of the congregation to participate in committees. Our 3-month guest Board member, Jayne Hufferdine, (who is herself a new member) suggested that short videos be made by the Board and Committee members describing why they are involved, why they enjoy the work, and what they get out of it, to familiarize the congregation with the tasks that are necessary to keep the church running, and to recruit new people to those committees. Jayne suggested that a social media committee be formed; she feels that the North Chapel website is very difficult to navigate, particularly on cell phones. Jayne feels that younger people (like her) are looking for the kind of community that North Chapel provides, but our website and communication of who We are should be easier for prospective members to access.

I am very grateful for Jayne’s ideas. Board Members can become so focused on the immediate work that the North Chapel needs that we aren’t always aware of how best to reach new people (because we’ve been at North Chapel so long!), or how to involve new church members in shouldering some of that work. If you are interested in becoming involved on a committee or are skilled or have a passion around website design, video editing, or posting video, please reach out to me, Joanne Boyle, or any of our board members. We welcome and value your input!

January 2024

By Laird Bradley

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met on January 16, 2024, in the library at 5:30 with all members present, except Leon Dunkley who is away on Sabbatical. As a first order of business Joanne Reichle was welcome at the new non-voting board participant for a three-month period.

Kathy Astemborski and Mary Blanton led a ‘Visioning’ discussion regarding goals and aspirations for North Chapel in 2024. Among the ideas are:

Engage members by encouraging participation in small tasks limited in scope and time.
Define expectations for members and share them with new (and existing) members.
Distribute the new North Chapel brochure more widely and make members aware of it.
Consider reorganizing the committee structure to reduce the number and increase the scope of oversight to make them more effective.
It’s exciting to see new families at NUCS and the board is looking for ways to celebrate their presence and connect busy parents in a way that is meaningful, but not overly time consuming.
The Board recognizes that communication styles have evolved Relying on relatively long and complex written formats could and should be modified to take better advantage of social media.

Michael Zsoldos provided an update on the design of thermal vinyl inserts for the Sanctuary windows. The extraordinary size of the windows requires special technical consideration.

Laird Bradley provided updates on the plan to install two Tesla Powerwall’s by SunDial Solar. The firm would also upgrade a non-code component of the North Chapel electrical system. The installation and integration of the batteries will be at no cost with a 10-year lease obligation to Green Mt Power to rent the system for $55. per month. The necessary upgrade will cost $775.00 A motion was made and unanimously approved to accept the contract and lease enabling North Chapel to be more resilient against the effects of power outages and to offer shelter to our membership and community in the event of emergency.

Richard Schramm recommended that a Board member replace him in his role as the financial liaison with the Canaday Foundation, the donor of funds for the Brave Light Program. It involves a significant sum of money, and a basic threshold of oversight is a reasonable expectation. Amy McElroy volunteered to step in to sign checks, accept statements and provide monthly reports with input from Leon who administers the program.

The Thompson Senior Center sent a thoughtful thank you for North Chapel’s donation of the proceeds from the Christmas Eve collection plate.

Richard Waddell was attending his last official meeting as an outgoing Board Member and former President. We are grateful for his kind and generous service.

A basic overview of the protocol for the Annual Meeting was discussed and Michael Zsoldos suggested the kids attend and partake of the potluck and pizza, rather than have a separate event.

The Board entered Executive Session to consider the 2024 Budget, Unsung Hero award(s), Annual Report and consideration of the new board and committee members. The Meeting was Adjourned at 7:30pm

December 2023

By Jack Nelson

The meeting started at 5:30 PM, 12/19/23.

The November minutes were reviewed and approved.

The Treasurer’s Report was reviewed and approved.

Leon reported on services, Brave Light, sabbatical (starting 12/27/23), and the Peace Vigil.

Michael Zsoldos reported that all window inserts have been installed except in the sanctuary. Michael is going to see if the sanctuary panels can be two high.

Sanctuary insulation will be discussed next meeting.

Laird Bradley will be meeting with Sun Dial to discuss the Tesla Power Wall.

Emergency telephone numbers were distributed.

The Christmas Collection will go to the Thompson Senior Center- Meals on Wheels.

The Unsung Heroes will be recognized collectively this year.

Cleaning up the storage spaces of the Church will take place 1/23/24.

The Annual Meeting will take place at 11:30 AM on 1/28/24.

The Board went into Executive Session at 6:45 PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 PM.

November 2023

By Kathy Astemborski

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met in the library on 11/21/23.

We opened our meeting with a remembrance of Peggy Kannenstine who passed away on 11/20/23. She was a vibrant, beautiful, creative member of our community and she will be deeply missed.

After a review and approval of last month’s minutes and treasurer’s report, we continued with a conversation which we started in the October meeting on Visioning. In the early months of 2023, small group conversations were convened to talk with community members. The intent was to listen to community members on what draws them to North Chapel, what events do they want to see at North Chapel, and how can we remain a welcoming space for people in our larger community. Mary Blanton was a leader in these conversations, and we asked her to revisit the experience and outcomes.

To begin, Mary read the mission of the North Chapel: Guided by Universalist principles, the North Chapel aspires to be a congregation that nurtures the growth, and supports the needs of its members, sustains a strong spiritual life within a loving church community and seeks to have a positive impact on the world around us.

We discussed the outcomes of the visioning groups where the questions posed had been:

How does the NC attract and engage more people and the activities and mission of the church?

How do we as a congregation engage with the wider Woodstock community?

We discussed social justice opportunities as well as how to address the incredibly complex issues facing our world today in a way that respects all perspectives. The suggestion was made to hold a “peace vigil” where we could be together in community, with little conversation - just a safe space to have some music, some quiet, and be in community. A peace vigil is scheduled for 12/16/23 and we look forward to being together in solidarity in support of peace.

We are incredibly grateful for the efforts and leadership of Michael Zsoldos in securing window inserts for many of our NC spaces that will make our building warmer and more economical to heat while maintaining the beauty of the North Chapel. We are continuing to look at expanding this project to the sanctuary - thank you Michael!

The Board reviewed the North Chapel Emergency Procedure so that we have a process in place to respond to weather/other emergencies that may arise, particularly in the cold weather months. It was agreed that the community will be apprised of situations that may arise by email. Please advise the church office (Joanne) if you have updates to email changes.

October 2023

By Michael Zsoldos

Treasurer Ann Wynia reported that the rentals of the North Chapel are up and that the recent fundraisers (October soups on the Green, the Christmas wreath sale, and donations) have been very successful. She and the board are hoping that this trend continues through the annual pledge drive. The pledge drive skits during the services have been a hit. Special kudos go to Diane Mellinger for her brilliant and funny adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” on the Nov. 4th service.

Mary Keeler Rowe and her husband Steve have donated several boxes of books on death and dying. Anne Marinello and Leon have been discussing plans for a program on the subject. Seth Webb, who is serving a 3-month long guest board participant, thought that a program like this would be welcomed by younger members of North Chapel who may be dealing with these issues with their aging parents.

Leon is planning a sabbatical from January 1 to mid-April. Gwen Groff will cover Leon’s office hours and other ministerial duties while he’s away. Anne Marinello and Laura Foley will continue providing home visits as needed.

Michael Zsoldos has measured 17 windows throughout the church and has placed an order for window inserts. By mid-November you will see these installed in the office, parlors, library, stairwell, SE room, and the Chapel.

On Oct. 12th, NC board co-chair Mary Blanton attended a virtual board retreat by the UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association). There was a conversation about visioning for the future. Some of the questions Mary posed to the board to think about were:

When we use the word “church,” what are we imagining?

How can we learn what younger members and young families need and make a place to include them?

What NC community activities are meaningful and in line with our mission?

Seth Webb said that one of the barriers for him in coming to the North Chapel was the word “church.” And I think Seth is right, “We” (the NC Board) often refer to North Chapel as “the UU Church.” Seth realized after he started coming to the services that the North Chapel is a community of people who are engaged in supporting each other’s spiritual growth that he knew that we were a good fit for him. He feels that younger parents are looking for this kind of spiritual community—we just need to do a better job of putting our “content” out and reaching them.

We will be revisiting these questions at our November board meeting.

September 2023

By Richard Waddell

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met in the church library on September 19th, 2023.

Ann presented the treasurer’s report which was approved. A $2500 grant was received from VT Community Foundation for flood repairs. Grants are now being reported in the Financial Report as a separate line item. It was agreed at the March meeting that the church could use money in the Social Justice fund for the kitchen stove project. It is not known if this will be needed due to grant monies received. Ann will not withdraw funds from the Social Justice fund for now.

The church needs internet in the sanctuary and the social hall. Jim Langhans came to the meeting and estimated that we would need three Eero access points. The total cost will be $1,482. Mary is investigating using ECFiber for the internet service.

Leon sent a Brave Light report to the funding panel in which he noted that only half of the money that was received has been used. He would like the remaining funds for a second conference for 25 participants to take place next summer.

Leon is planning a sabbatical after Christmas, from January 1 to mid-April. Plans are still needed to cover for him when he is gone. Mary will contact Gwen Groff to see if she can cover pastoral care and other duties for Leon while he is on sabbatical. He will not take any vacation until after his sabbatical.

Michael, Mary, and Kathy met with Tatum Barnes and he has signed his contract to become the SE program director. Everybody is very enthusiastic about Tatum running the SE program. There was a send-off gathering for Monica on her last Sunday. Kathy read a letter to the board from Monica.

There will be a Fall Community Dinner in the social hall on Saturday, October 15th. It will be a group of circle dinners, rather than a potluck. Bingo will be played.

Plans are being made for our annual Stewardship Pledge Drive. There will be three inserts explaining the church’s finances in the first 3 October Sundays in Order of Service. The pledge drive will start October 15th and end November 19th. The Finance Committee has recommended that the goal be $160,000. Mary and Kathy will write the pledge letter.

Mary and Kathy will attend a UUA virtual board retreat on October 12th. Other board members can also attend. Mary will email info about the retreat to the board.

Our annual wreath sale has begun. There are 3 or 4 people helping Mary.

Ken Woodhead is working on a Foliage Season Fundraiser. He and Tambrey Vutech will sell soup and rolls on the Woodstock Green on Sunday & Monday afternoons – Oct. 8&9, 15&16, 22&23. They need 3 or 4 more people to help them. Some kitchenware from North Chapel, like crock pots and other pots, will be needed.

Michael is looking into buying window inserts for church windows and he is moving forward with this project.

Maryann presented an updated draft of the North Chapel pamphlet based on input that she received from board members. The board made suggestions for additional modifications to the draft pamphlet. She will make the changes and submit a new updated pamphlet to the board with the suggestions provided.

Maryann also gave an update on the “Tell My Story”. She is working with Anne Marinello hoping to line up the facilitators for this program.

A big thank you to Maryann, who has completed her three months on the board as a non-voting participant. Seth Webb will be the next non-voting board participant for the next three months.

Meeting adjourned at 7:30 pm.

August 2023

By Mary Blanton

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met in the church library on August 15, 2023. Mary read a letter from Richard Schramm telling us that he is resigning from the board. His term is up in January, but he asked that his resignation be effective now. We are grateful for his years of service to the church and on the board and are sorry to see him leave the board.

Ann Wynia presented the treasurer’s report, reviewing highlights from financial reports. Going forward there will be separate line items for the new stove and the flood remediation costs.

Leon presented a very upbeat report on the success of Brave Light. Twelve young people from the Upper Valley and twenty young people from Taunton, Massachusetts participated in the four-day Brave Light retreat on Star Island. He said it was a fantastic experience for the young people and the staff. Rev. Robin Junker (minister at First Congregational Church in Thetford) and Tatum Barnes (North Chapel) assisted Leon in running the program. The young people from Taunton were part of the Building Bridges Conference, led by Rev. Christana McKnight and April Rosario. The two speakers, Sherri Mitchell and Tim DeChristopher, were wonderful. Leon and the other participants are enthusiastic about planning a Brave Light retreat for next year.

Leon is planning a sabbatical after Christmas, from January 1 to mid-April. We will be making plans to cover for him when he is gone.

The new stove has been installed and a warning for people with pacemakers is posted on the wall. Instructions for the use of the new stove will be written up and posted. Mary and Gina will look at the pots we now have and remove the ones that are not compatible with an induction stove. We will purchase new pots and pans as needed. The board expressed its thanks to Laird, who made the stove project happen.

On Monday July 10th, the North Chapel’s back yard sustained extensive damage from flooding of the Ottauquechee River. Bruce Schultz filled 2 dumpsters with debris and silt, brought in 2 loads of gravel for the washed-out driveway and regraded the parking area and driveway. His bill was $11,780. Grants are currently being written to cover the excavation costs. Joanne organized a cleanup day the Saturday after the flood. Many attended raking, pruning, and cleaning silt out of the pizza oven, the gazebo and the trash/recycling shed, which had been moved from its foundation. The Carriage Shed of White River Jct. put the shed back in place for us at no charge. Radek fixed the gazebo, power washed the pizza oven, and power washed the shed. He also painted the church sign and Gina had it repaired at Anything Printed.

Michael, Mary, and Kathy met with Tatum and Monica concerning the Spiritual Education program. We had offered them both a job starting in September. Unfortunately, Monica plans changed, and she can only continue until mid-September, as she has decided to leave the area to pursue the possibility of attending graduate school. Tatum will start in September. The board discussed details of compensation and hours of commitment for Tatum and came to an agreement on the terms of the contract.

We are planning a welcome to fall community dinner on October 14th in the social hall. Each table will be organized as a circle dinner with its own host and menu. Stay tuned for more information. Kids are welcome to attend. Bingo will be part of the evening entertainment.

We discussed plans for our fall pledge drive, which will begin October 15 and end November 19. The Finance Committee has recommended a goal of $160,000. They will be creating inserts for the Sunday order of service filled with information about the church finances. The Welcome and Engagement Committee will also be holding a meeting for the new members and new attendees to help them understand our church’s financial issues. Skits are being developed to be part of the service during the pledge drive.

Maryann Postans has created a draft brochure for the North Chapel. It includes information about the church staff, church committees, church community activities, finances, and photos. She presented it to the board and asked them to submit suggestions for changes to her.

Maryann and Anne Marinello met via Zoom with Dana Christian Lee, Director of Programs & Development of Tell My Story to explore holding a Tell My Story community event. This program deals with youth mental health. It includes a 45 minute film, What I Wish My Parents Knew, and a 45 minute discussion facilitated by one person from the church leadership and a local mental health professional. The board agreed to have Maryann pursue this.

Meeting adjourned at 7:30 pm.

July 2023

By Laird Bradley

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met on July 18th at 5:30 with the first order of business to welcome Maryann Postans as a non-voting member of the board replacing Kate Johnson, who is stepping down after completing her 3 months term. We thank Kate for her creative and thoughtful participation.

Ann Wynia presented the Treasurer’s report with everything in good financial order. She notified us that Chris Lloyd, who gave so generously of his time, energy and skill over his many years of membership at NUCS bequeathed a substantial donation to help continue our mission.

Leon was away attending the Brave Light trip to Star Island facilitating discussions and interactions between and among the participants. Leon continues planning for a 3–4-month sabbatical, which will be tentatively followed by two month-long retreats in 2024. He has established a sabbatical committee to assist in this process.

Mary introduced the idea of our returning to an ‘open-door’ policy for the Church. She noted that prior to the pandemic Radek and Agata would unlock the doors to allow access throughout the day. The Board decided, after discussion, to continue the current approach, which is to open the door as required for scheduled meetings and events. However, Michael suggested that we post a notice of how to reach somebody if assistance or access is needed.

Cleanup has been ongoing with damage assessments and restoration plans proceeding. The shed was lifted off the foundation pad and the firm that installed it will use their equipment and expertise to reset it. Radek plans to power-wash the shed, and pizza oven shelter to remove the silt and staining and he will also repair the gazebo. The Church is eligible for FEMA assistance in these efforts and will apply for funding.

A special note of thanks will be given to Bruce Shulz who reacted quickly and professionally to clean the yard and driveway. Radek and Agata are, as always, critical to the care of our Church and grounds and have gone ‘above and beyond’ to help in the flood recovery work.

Schedule coordination continues for SE as Monica transitions out in September and Tatum assumes her role and responsibilities. The Board deliberated over whether there is a dual mission to provide for the needs and capabilities of children older and younger than 4 years of age.

The Finance Committee reported that 2/3 of this year’s budget is funded by pledges with the average pledge at $1,000. The Committee has dedicated itself to a policy of financial transparency, rather than handling these matters ‘behind closed doors.’ We all share the responsibility and obligation to set goals, make decisions and provide funds as necessary to maintain our property and fulfill our mission. It was noted that this can be very dry stuff.

A variety of ways to make this information process more palatable were considered, including a Bingo Night or potluck dinner held in conjunction with delivering a dollop of droll financial detail.

Segueing from one financial matter to another. The annual budgeting process will be made more secure and sustainable over time by achieving the goal of reaching the endowment goal of $500,000. The Board is developing a plan to re-energize the effort post-Covid and return to a pro-active process of organizing and implementing the annual Pledge Drive.

A bullet list of next steps:

Set up a pledge drive team.
Target the pledge drive from mid-October through mid-November
Mary and Kathy will approach a team leader & set up the drive calendar.
The Board will provide information about pledging to new members.
Mary suggested introducing new members by a brief profile in InTouch

As we all know, ‘Winter is Coming’…if it ever stops raining. Mindful of that reality-Michael has volunteered to research installing thermally efficient window inserts. We all enjoy the light and view they provide, but not the breeze. The Carbon Neutral Fund has $2,550. left to put towards this worthy endeavor.

The meeting adjourned at 7pm.

June 2023

By Jack Nelson

The Board met on June 20, 2023.

Laird Bradley reported that the new stove for the kitchen will arrive on June 22.

Leon’s sabbatical was discussed. The board needs to know Leon’s plans before the next Board meeting so that the Board can plan for his absence.

There are two strong applicants for SE director. The board voted to extend an offer for one candidate to be hired July 1 and extend an offer for the second candidate to be hired September 1. One would be for younger children and one for older children.

Rentals were discussed. Some people are using church space and not paying rent, but are offering other services to the church.

Report from community conversation- next steps

-Finance Committee is helping to monitor church finances, and they have offered to help educate the church community on the finances.

-PayPal has been implemented on the website, and the website has been modified making donations easier to do.

-Welcome and Engagement has potlucks and circle dinners moving forward.

-Pizza night is starting.

-Mary suggested a pizza party for new members. Mary will ask Sherry if it can be combined with a potluck for the entire church community.

-Wednesday browbag lunches are starting back up.

The Board thanked Kate Johnson for serving as a non-voting participant for three months.

Meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm.

May 2023

From Richard Schramm

The Board met on May 16, 2023. A major focus of the meeting was connecting the North Chapel to more young people in the Woodstock area. The discussion included the Brave Light student exchange project, a relationship with a minister in Portsmouth, NH doing innovative religious education, and our efforts to find a new Spiritual Exploration Coordinator. Even the discussion of moving from a warming to a full-fledged cooking stove in the Kitchen had implications for our relationship with the Change the World Kids. Other items discussed were social justice, finances, rentals, the discontinuation after two years of the Reopening (Health and Safety) Task Force and the upcoming community conversation.

Leon reported on Brave Light. He and Judy Williamson were involved in a study of Children and Youth that inspired the development of the Brave Light Student Exchange Project. The project is designed to bring rural and urban students together from the Woodstock and Boston areas to explore issues like racism, climate change and sustainability. It received funding from a variety of foundations, nonprofits and individuals totaling around $130,000.

In his update in the Board minutes: The project has evolved due to covid. They are scheduling one event at Star Island for this year. Leon guesses that the Taunton church may have as many as fifteen kids attending. Nine kids from Sharon Academy and Woodstock are expected. Sherry Mitchell and Tim DeChristopher will be the speakers at Star Island. Leon is very excited about these two individuals. Since there is only one event scheduled so far, there may be enough money to do another event next summer at Star Island.

In thinking about how Brave Light affects the North Chapel, Leon wrote: Brave Light is an exploration. It is an experience of discovery. It rose from an institutional concern about the experience of children and youth in our area. This is an institutional concern. It belongs to all of us…The North Chapel congregation is aging… The vitality of the church depends on our ability to attract young people.

Turning to matters of spiritual exploration, Leon spoke of building a relationship with Kirsten Hunter at South Church in Portsmouth, who has been involved in innovative religious education programs. He feels that Kirsten could help us think about how we might build our SE program moving forward. This fits well with our current effort to engage a new SE Coordinator and expand our SE Program.

In an article Leon referenced, Kirsten writes: I would say our biggest challenge is a willingness to change. Our congregations have not been great at centering children, youth, and young adults, and they are our future. Young people nowadays are terrified about the world they are inheriting; they need pastoral care and opportunities to develop spiritual practices that can help them cope with an uncertain future. (see https://www.uuworld.org/articles/hauser-harper-religious-ed)

On other matters Laird Bradley reported on the status of cooking in the NC kitchen. The current system is being replaced by a new ventilating and fire prevention system and an energy saving induction stove. The Change the World Kids contributed to the support of this new system, strengthening our relationship to this important group of active adolescents. This will enable them to return to the NC for their community dinners and to work with programs like Ken Woodhead’s Soup for those who need it.

The finance report focused on putting some of the cash holdings into interest-bearing accounts. Of special financial importance was the 2023 Spring Fling Auction Report. The auction started March 6th and ended April 2nd with 186 items for sale. The total revenue was $18,823.83, with the net after expenses around $18,300, well above expectations. Nice job Mary Blanton, Joanne Boyle, Diane Mellinger, Sue Rubel and all those who participated in the auction itself.

The Board expressed its appreciation to Zoe Potter for her work redoing the church bulletin boards.

The Board ended its meeting with a discussion of the upcoming community conversation based on a series of individual and small group meetings. The discussions were about ways to attract and engage more people in the work and mission of the North Chapel while increasing financial support in the process.

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Richard Schramm, Jack Nelson, Ann Wynia, Michael Zsoldos.

Note: Kate Johnson attended as part of a 3-month non-voting “internship” program to introduce the work of the board to members. Amy McElroy joined as well in the much-appreciated role of note taker and minutes producer.

April 2023

From Kathy Astemborski

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met on 4/18/23 via zoom. All Board members were present and we began the meeting by ringing the bowl to bring members present. After checking in, the minutes from last month and the treasurer's report were reviewed and approved.

Leon’s Minister’s Report focused on updating the Board on the Brave Light project which continues to evolve and move forward.

The Board approved Jo Reichel as a new member of the finance committee. Welcome Jo and thank you for taking on this important role!

Laird Bradley has been working diligently on getting the kitchen stove replaced. This has been a lengthy project complicated by electrical work and fire suppression system requirements. Our next step is making equipment decisions. Thank you Laird!

Michael Zsoldos has been guiding the process for finding a new SE director after Chloe moved on to her next exciting opportunity. The Board will continue to support this process. It’s been wonderful to have so many new young families present at Sunday services and we want to support these families by continuing to build our SE program.

The Annual Board Retreat will be held June 3 at the North Chapel. On June 4 we will have a community conversation, and potluck!, after the service that day.

The Board completed our meeting with a conversation about envisioning the future of the North Chapel. While the tasks associated with conducting Board business are critical to our work, we also want to put thought and energy into planning for the future. Thinking creatively of the many possible opportunities before us is the fun part of Board business and we want to continue these conversations at future meetings.

The Board agreed to meet in person for our next meeting which will be held May 16 at the North Chapel.

March 2023

Treasurer Ann Wynia reported that pledges continue to come in for 2023 with 71 received by the March meeting. Cliff Johnson and Anne Dean have volunteered to serve on the Finance Committee.

Leon said that he would be attending the Northern New England UU Ministers Assoc. retreat at the end of March. Brave Light preparations are ongoing and 4 students from WHS were signed up with an enrollment goal of 15 students from Woodstock/Upper Valley and 15 from Boston.

Leon also mentioned that he is in the planning stages for his upcoming sabbatical scheduled for 2024. Leon has a sabbatical planning group and preparations will be made for guest speakers in his absence.

Leon will be attending the UUA annual assembly in Pittsburgh from June 21-24.

A highlight of the conference is the Henry Ware lecture, which will be delivered this year by the author Professor Imani Perry. Members of the North Chapel may be able to attend virtually—look for a forthcoming announcement with those details.

Michael Zsoldos mentioned that a plan was in place for a send-off and appreciation for SE coordinator Chloe Powell for April 2nd. Monica Horowitz is serving as interim SE coordinator while a job search is completed.

By the time of this meeting (March 21), Mary was happy to report to the board that the virtual auction had raised approximately $16,000.

Laird Bradley reported that the installation of a new Fire Suppression system a new induction stove will be happening in the coming weeks which will bring the kitchen into compliance with state fire ordinances and allow the NC to host dinners and for people to use the kitchen for food preparation. Funds from the Change the World Kids, the Byrne Foundation and the NC Social Justice Fund were put to use to purchase the stove, the fire suppression system, and to pay for the electrical and installation.

Rentals of the various spaces within NC are coming in. Window Dressers has booked the social hall from 10/27-11-1.

The NC Board will be having its annual retreat on the afternoon of June 3rd.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael Zsoldos

NC Board Member

February 2023

The Board met on February 12, 2023 by zoom. The first order of business was to welcome and thank Amy McElroy, who has agreed to take the board minutes and Jack Nelson who has joined the board. Kathy Astemborski and Mary Blanton were elected as the new Board co-chairs.

Leon reported that even though there were a few on-line technical difficulties, he felt that the annual meeting was a success. There were several significant discussions about budgeting items at the meeting. Leon has been busy with two recent memorial services for Kay Camp and David Donath and the Ukrainian peace vigil that was held in the church with several other churches participating in the service. Brave Light is accepting registrations and he said there was a lot of interest being expressed by Sharon Academy students.

Ann Wynia reported that the North Chapel has now received $120,000 in pledges, which was the amount specified in the 2023 budget. However, only 66 people pledged this year as compared to 89 in 2022. Richard S. suggested we have a further conversation about stewardship.

Next, we turned to the discussion of a new kitchen stove. Laird reported on the 2 proposals for a fire suppression system and a new stove. A proposed budget is $15,000 to $18,000, which would include the fire suppression system, an induction stove, and the necessary construction. The Change the World Kids are willing to pay for part of the cost, if they can get grant money. A question was raised about ownership of the kitchen if the CTWK financed part of it. Richard W. suggested writing a grant to the Dorothy Byrne Foundation and Mary suggested applying for a Faithify grant. Richard W. and Mary will both write the necessary letter/essay for the grants and Laird will review them. The Board agreed to move ahead with this project.

The Reopening Task Force reported that as of March 1st masks would be recommended, but not required. Contact tracing will be continued. The board unanimously approved.

There was a brief discussion about coffee hour. One of the big pots is broken and only regular coffee is being made in a smaller pot. It was suggested that we investigate a Keurig so that people could make single cups of decaf.

As part of the Rebuilding and Restructuring Task Force, Richard S. has studied the church’s financial situation. He reported that we had a gap between costs and revenues, with a proposed deficit projected for 2023 of around $30,000. If not for Brave Light funding, which is $15,000, the deficit would be $45,000. Leon will take his sabbatical in 2023 and we will continue to pay his salary. The church needs to plan for that and for other big expenses down the road. Richard said that over past 10 years regular revenues have declined and expenses have increased. If you don’t count the PPP and grant monies we have received in the past few years, we have been running a deficit since 2018. We need to think creatively about how the church can raise $30,000 to $40,000 to help reduce the deficit. Currently the Endowment Fund is $220,000, with a goal of increasing it to $500,000. This information will be shared with the Leadership Council on 2/26/23.

Mary addressed the congregational aspect of the task force. She and Kathy are holding informal meetings with small groups of members of the congregation asking them to envision the future of the church. They are gathering ideas for the financial, organizational and social restructuring of the church. These meetings will continue through April. They are excited to be meeting with people and have received many good ideas about reconnecting with each other through classes, group projects, circle dinners etc. And the importance of publicizing the activities. They would like to hear ideas from members in all age groups.

Chloe Powell, our SE Director, is leaving to become the Director of the Chandler Music Hall in Randolph. We discussed the recruiting and hiring process for finding a replacement. Mary asked, “How do we combine the spiritual vision with the practical in hiring the new Spiritual Exploration Director?” Michael has offered to come up with a job description, post it, and participate in the interviews. There has not been a specific SE contract before and that issue needs to be explored. Leon said that this is a great opportunity to pull the parents together and get input from them, hearing their hopes and concerns. Let’s harness that energy. Mary will ask Michael to lead the effort to pull the parents together and hear their vision. Leon has already been talking to Michael about this. Having a meeting with parents over a potluck dinner was suggested. Mary asked, “What is our spiritual vision for SE?” Ann answered that there should be subtle ways that children learn that church school is different from regular school. For example, their own chalice or other special rituals. Stressing kindness.

Neil Marinello has an office at Sunset Farm that sustained substantial water damaged. He would like to use the little room next to the SE room downstairs for his counselling business two or three hours per week while his office is being repaired. Neil suggested a rental fee of $100 per month. This would be for two or three months. The board agreed to Neil’s proposal.

There have been two funerals at the North Chapel in the past few months. A contract is required for all rentals of the property, except for funerals. Mary wondered if the church should require a contract or simple agreement for funeral use of the church. Without a contract is there a liability issue for the church? Ann will check our insurance policy. Leon suggested that any such form should not be burdensome for family members since they are grieving. Cabot Funeral Home purchased a large screen TV receiver for the social hall that they planned to use for overflow guests at Kay Camp’s funeral. They have donated it to the church.

Mary will reach out to Margaret Edwards and David Green about providing music programs again in the sanctuary. Ann suggested that the church get more involved in promoting the programs if they start up again. In the past the church has received part of the proceeds from the programs.

Bookstock rents space in the sanctuary for programs. Richard S. suggested that North Chapel do a better job promoting these events. Maybe also offer use of other space in the church, like the parlors. Richard S. asked board to support increased collaboration with Bookstock. The board agreed that they support this.

In reaction to the large power outage in December, Richard S. wrote a policy for emergency preparedness for the church. He said that a decision-making procedure is needed for those first aware of an emergency at North Chapel. We have contact info for committee chairs and other church leaders, but there is no established procedure for who to contact, and who to contact next, if somebody cannot be reached. In this situation Leon was unreachable as was one of the board chairs. Who makes the appropriate decision? In this case board members did. Laird suggested looking into a Tesla Power wall. As this could mitigate power outage problems.

Board members: Kathy Astemborski , Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Leon Dunkley, Jack Nelson, Richard Schramm, Richard Waddell, Ann Wynia, Michael Zsoldos.

Annual Meeting - 2023

This year’s annual meeting was held in the sanctuary on Sunday, January 29th using the OWL technology, so that people, who couldn’t attend, could zoom in from home. Kathy Astemborski and Leon Dunkley welcomed the members in attendance and on zoom and spoke about how we are building back after almost 3 years of COVID disruption and that our congregation is the body of our church.

The business meeting began with Polly Forcier of the nominating committee, nominating Richard Waddell for Moderator, Judy Williamson for Clerk of the Meeting and Ann Wynia for Treasurer. Polly continued by nominating Jack Nelson for a three- year term on the Board and Cliff Johnson and Anne Dean for the Finance Committee. All were seconded and approved. Richard Waddell thanked Chris Bartlett for his service on the Finance Committee and Clara Gimenez and Judy Williamson for their service on the Board.

The Annual Report was presented to those in attendance for their approval. A discussion followed and Ann W corrected the amount we paid for UUA dues. The amended report was seconded and accepted.

Mary Blanton reported on the Stewardship Drive, saying only 62 people had pledged this year for a total of $106,000 towards our revised down goal of $120,000. Last year 82 people pledged. She said that even though the pledge drive was over, she hoped more pledges would come in so that we would reach our goal.

Jack Nelson reported on the seriousness of the church’s financial situation. 2022 has ended with a $9000 deficit. The projected deficit for the 2023 budget is $31,000. He said the Finance Committee report is quite dire given our present circumstances. He explained that in the past few years, our expenses have been offset by fewer expenses, the PPP loan and various grants, which we no longer have. He added that, without further action, the deficit could grow to between $30,000 and $50,000 a year. Richard Schramm added that the Board has agreed to a Task Force that includes Chris Bartlett, Ann Wynia, Jack Nelson and himself to work on recommendations to help alleviate the debt situation.

Questions regarding the 2023 finances included: 1) SE expenses. Are there plans for hiring someone to replace Chloe and how would that affect SE expenses going forward? Leon responded that expenses would not change. Sue Rubel asked, “Have we budgeted enough to attract someone to replace Chloe?” Kathy A. replied that the Board will discuss this and get Chloe’s ideas regarding hours needed, etc. as we look for a new SE Coordinator. 2) Building rentals are increasing and this could help offset some of the deficit. 3) More young families are attending our Sunday service.

Jack Nelson reported on the amounts of money in the church’s various accounts. Frances Uptegrove asked about moving money from the Wells Fargo account to a more socially conscious banking institution. Jack responded that they could look into another brokerage foundation. Laird Bradley responded by adding that Wells Fargo had lower fees, etc. He added that he will also look into other institutions.

After further discussion the 2023 budget was voted on and approved.

Leon gave an update of the Brave Light Project. He referenced the history of the Brave Light Project, noting that it dated back to the Children and Youth Task Force that NC had initiated several years ago. This year long conversation led to Brave Light. He described the project as one that would bring together teens from the Woodstock and Boston areas. They would meet for a weekend in Woodstock, another in Boston and end convening at Star Island. The theme would focus on climate change - with Star Island being a significant example of climate change in action. The project received $90,000 from the Canaday Foundation, $20,000 from the UUA, a grant from the Byrne Foundation, and gifts from two private donors for a total of $130,000. COVID prevented the program from going forward last year. Leon said that the project is now moving forward. Between now and the end of February or early March, they are hoping to recruit and enroll 30 students. Leon encouraged anyone who knew of students, who might be interested in enrolling, to contact him.

Pierre Fournier asked a question regarding how many students would be participating in the program. Leon’s response was that the project had lowered the number of students to 15 from each location. The program would start with a first meeting in mid-June, a second meeting in July, and the third meeting in August.

Laird Bradley gave an update on the status of the kitchen and the stove. In February 2022 an electrical fire burned wires in the stove, and it is not repairable. The stove did not have the needed or proper ventilation. He reminded us that the kitchen, when remodeled, was designated as a warming kitchen only, and not a cooking kitchen. Food preparation can be done elsewhere and brought to the kitchen. The cost of venting the stove was between $30,000 and $40,000. In the state permitting process, they make no distinction between a non-profit church kitchen and a commercial kitchen. He described a chemically vented system to vent the kitchen/stove as a less expensive option. The proposed ideas for the kitchen include an electric stove top with a convection oven. Currently the costs are between $10,000 and $12,000. Laird added that they (CTWK and NC) are looking for alternative funding resources.

Kathy Astemborski and Judy Williamson, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, presented the Unsung Hero awards to Mary Blanton, Deb Rice and Danelle Sims.

In his closing words, Leon again alluded to COVID and how it hit us hard. It has changed us, and we are trying to figure out how to come back together as a community. He added that the strength of our heart is powerful, and it will draw people to our community.

January 2023

Ann Wynia (Treasurer) reported that the deficit for 2022 could be about $23,000. - possibly less due to fund raising activities not yet in the financial statements.

She added the pledges received for 2023 thus far are $89,000 from 39 family units, with more, hopefully, to come.

The Christmas Eve collection was donated to the Claremont Food Bank.

Leon spoke of ways he has been exploring to rebuild community spirit - post COVID.

He also spoke about the Brave Light Project and the connections he has made with Woodstock Union High School and Middle School, and the the Sharon Academy.

He added that the Pastoral Care needs have increased over the past few months, and that Anne Marinello and Laura Foley are a tremendous help with helping to meet these needs.

Laird Bradley gave an update on the new kitchen stove possibilities and costs. He has been exploring these possibilities with the fire inspector for the past few months. He added that the CTWK would like to contribute; and that both NC and the CTWK are exploring possible funding possibilities.

The January meeting will include work to organize a Leadership Council and an SE job description and evaluation - Regarding Chloe’s work and what she anticipates for the next SE Director.

Board members: Kathy Astemborski , Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, Leon Dunkley, Richard Schramm, Richard Waddell, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia, Michael Zsoldos.

Annual Board Meeting - January 29, 2023

This year’s annual meeting was held in the sanctuary using the OWL technology, so that people, who couldn’t attend, could zoom in from home. Kathy Astemborski and Leon Dunkley welcomed the members in attendance and on zoom and spoke about how we are building back after almost 3 years of COVID disruption and that our congregation is the body of our church.

The Annual Report was presented to those in attendance for their approval. A discussion followed and Ann W corrected the amount we paid for UUA dues. The amended report was seconded and accepted.

After further discussion the 2023 budget was voted on and approved.

Kathy Astemborski and Judy Williamson, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, presented the Unsung Hero awards to Mary Blanton, Deb Rice and Danelle Sims.

December 2021

North Chapel’s financial situation was one of the main topics of the last Board meeting, which took place on December 20, 2022. Ann Wynia reported that, although there are still some additional funds arriving from recent fundraising efforts, the deficit projection for the year is close to $23,000. This of course is a source of great concern for the board. Chris Bartlett joined the Board to speak in more detail about NC’s financial situation. He gave a quick tour through the budget. He pointed out that, although in the last few years we have been able to fill the gap, there is a structural deficit in the budget and our expenses are greater than revenue. It is important for congregation members to be aware of this situation. The Board will continue their efforts to communicate through meetings, the pledge drive, and face-to-face conversations about the Endowment Fund.

Following Richard Schramm’s suggestion, the Board will also consider appointing a separate task force to assess North Chapel’s resources, both in financial and our human capital of volunteers, contributors, and members, and see what structural changes may be appropriate to address concerns.

As of December 20. North Chapel pledge had received pledges of about $88,000 from 39 people.

The Board brainstormed about opportunities to create a sense of community and welcome new and current members, particularly families. A number of ideas were suggested, including a movie night, a musicians night, and some volunteering or social justice projects.

The Board continues to monitor the Covid situation. The Covid Task Force will meet in January, and the guidelines will be reassessed at that point

Leon reported on his work with the pastoral care team. He also reported on the Brave Light project, which is scheduled to commence this summer, although with some changes to accommodate budgetary constraints.

The Board continues to explore options to replace our kitchen stove that are compliant with the Fire Marshall guidelines and allow North Chapel to host events such as the Cabin Fever dinners organized by Change the World Kids. Change the World Kids has generously offered to purchase the stove for North Chapel and the Laird Bradly is working on finding the most suitable system for our needs.

From the Board: Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, Richard Schramm, Richard Waddell, Judy Williamson, Michael Zsoldos.

November 2021

The Board met on November 15th, 2022. Discussions included the treasurer’s report (noted that pledge letters have been mailed). Ann Wynia said we may be able to keep the 2023 deficit at $20,000.

Leon introduced Emily Swomley who will be the MA coordinator for the Brave Light project. Emily gave everyone a summary of her background and said she was very excited to be involved in this important project. The dates for the Star Island activities have not been finalized but will be in early 2023.

The Covid Task Force has recommended that the mask mandate continue indefinitely but they will revisit this after the holidays. NC committees and outside groups using the church may create their own mask policies.

The CTWK have offered to purchase a new stove for the kitchen. A notice will be posted in the kitchen about requirements for the stove—it will be for warming, only. The NC will cover the electrical costs related to the new stove.

The Leadership Council Update scheduled for November 20th was canceled; hopefully it will be held in January. Several board vacancies will be available in January. We have found a replacement for Clara Gimenez who will be leaving the Board at the end of December.

Following a brief Executive Session, the meeting was adjourned.

October 2022

In his Minister’s Report Leon thanked Michael Zsoldos for helping to arrange a good turn out of new families who attended the SE event on 10/02 following the Sunday service. He added that he feels good about the the three gatherings that the Welcoming and Engagement Committee is arranging for new people attending NC.

He also expressed interest in supporting the CTWK cabin fever dinners that they hope to continue again beginning in early 2023 at NC. A new stove and oven will be needed to be installed for these dinners. Mary Blanton will work ARC and the CTWK regarding possible grants and the purchasing of a new oven for the church. Laird will also explore finding a new stove that will allow NC’s kitchen to function as a properly vented kitchen verses a warming kitchen.

The Board reviewed Ann Wynia’s Treasurer”s Report. Ann noted some changes: Fundraisers does not include the $1600 raised from the bulb sale. She added that financially NC is carrying a deficit of $22,000. This will increase to about $30,000 by the end of the year.

Regarding the heat in the sanctuary, it was decided to keep it set at 66 degrees (verses 68 degrees). The ceiling fans will help bring the heat down verses rising to the ceiling, thus keeping the sanctuary warmer. We were reminded that the ceiling insulation for the sanctuary is coming.

The COVID Task Force reported that masks could be optional, but decided to keep masks required for the time being, as Covid cases are rising.

The Task Force will continue to meet monthly to monitor the need for masks.

The Stewardship Drive is commencing. Mary B. And Kathy A. are drafting a letter to send out to the congregation by the end of October.

The letter and pledge forms will be sent early November to all members and attendees of NC. There will be reminders in the Order of Service; and Service Coordinators will also remind those attending Sunday services of the pledge drive. The goal of the pledge drive is $140,000, with the hope that people will give more.

Regarding the Leadership Council update: it will include Board members, Committee members and chairs, and other interested persons. It was decided to make it a Zoom meeting. A date might possibly be November 20th following the Sunday service. The Board will review this date at their November meeting, and progress from there.

Deb Rice has signed North Chapel up for the Wreath Sale again this year. She is looking to get younger people involved. She would like those who are willing to make calls for wreath sales.

The Hash Dash is a go again this year for early November. Ann W. is planning for about 150 dinners this year. (Last year is was 125 dinners.). the prices has been increased to $17/dinner. She plans to get more volunteers as the dinner approaches.

Regarding the Halloween party for the children, it was decided to have the kids wear their costumes to church October 30th, and to have the kids included in the service that morning, and not have a Halloween Party at the church.

Kathy A. Asked for clarification for the Nominating Committee, as two people will be going off the Board in January. Possible nominees for a Board position were discussed, as were possible nominees for the Worship Committee. The Worship Committee is also looking for new Service Coordinators and possible persons to offer Reflections for the Sunday Service.

The Finance Committee is also looking for new members. (The new member(s) would need to be members of NC.)

Reviews and Evaluations for the Minister, Administrative Assistant and the Music Director will be coming up in November.

September 2022

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met on Zoom on September 20th, 2022. Richard Waddell and Leon Dunkley were unable to attend.

This was our first meeting since our Board retreat, so we discussed several issues that were raised then. First, we want to do more outreach to new people coming to our Sunday services by planning a welcoming event. No specific outreach was planned, but we will ask the Welcome and Engagement Committee to consider planning an event. Second, we want to reach out to the SE parents inviting them to an input/planning event. We discussed the SE program and how to learn what the parents want. As an SE parent, Michael responded that he wanted a safe community where the children feel free to ask questions. The number of children coming to SE is growing and we talked about the possibility of getting parents involved. Michael said he thought that parents were waiting to be asked and would likely respond positively. We decided to plan a meeting after the church service on October 2nd for all SE parents and children who have been participating in the SE program. Michael will get the names of all the parents and invite them to a meet and greet. Pizza will be served as an early lunch. Mary will be in touch with Chloe to learn where she might need support. Lastly Mary talked about plans for a Halloween party on either Saturday afternoon, Oct 29th or Sunday, Oct 30th. Mary has reached out to Linda Galveo and Fran and Ralph Lancaster to see if they would be willing to help. She will attend the get together on Oct 2nd to talk with Chloe and SE parents for ideas and to learn about other Halloween events planned in Woodstock that might conflict with our plan.

Ann Wynia said that pledges were coming in after Shannon sent emails to members reminding them of the amounts still owed. She added that we will not break even this year as we are currently $18,000 in the hole. Funds have now been moved to M&T Bank (formerly People’s) and she said the transition has been confusing. She reported that we have three new members in our North Chapel Endowment Fund Legacy Society.

Several alternatives to the Board current meeting time were discussed, as Kathy works fulltime, and Tuesday can be challenging for her. Ultimately the Board agreed to keep the present time as it worked best for everyone: 6:30 to 8:30 on the third Tuesday of each month.

Since Leon was not present, we were not able to ask him about the status of Brave Light. Kathy spoke with him before the meeting, and shared that the minister from Taunton has left, so Leon is now working with someone from the UU Church in Dorchester, MA. He will give the board a full report at the October Board meeting. His current plan is to reach out to schools starting October 15th, with sign-ups by January 1st.

The Pledge Drive was next on the agenda. Richard W was unable to find a chairperson(s) to organize the Pledge Drive, so we discussed how to proceed without an identified chairperson(s). The Board reviewed suggestions from previous pledge drive coverings various options. It was agreed that the list of people to whom we send a pledge letter, needs to be cleaned up. Ann W, Mary and Joanne volunteered to go through the Directory and clean it up prior to sending out a pledge letter. Ann also suggested that the first letter sent should be a strong one and eye-catching. She also felt that we need to mention the costs of running the North Chapel. The letter would also include a pledge form. In addition, she suggested that pledge cards be put in the pews at the church. Mary will talk with Joanne to see if there are any left from previous years. We discussed Denise Lyons’ suggested 5-step process that the pledge drive could take. We were also reminded of the importance of thanking people for their pledges. Kathy will connect with Denise Lyons about the pledge letter. The goal is to have the letter go out November 1st. Kathy will have a draft of the letter before our next Board meeting.

Committee reports were discussed next. Richard S complimented the Music and Worship Committee on the depth and breadth of their report. Kathy will reach out to Gina on the Building and Grounds Committee regarding the stove situation in the kitchen of the social hall.

Ann plans to do the Red Flannel Hash Supper in November as she has the past two years - i.e., take out only. She will not need a stove then. We talked about bringing back the Leadership Council, which includes board members, committee members and chairs and those involved in various activities separate from committee work. Kathy said she and Richard W will plan to set up one in the next month or so. Do we also need to resurrect the Committee Café?

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia, Michael Zsoldos.

July 2022

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met July 17 th and discussed several matters of ongoing interest and concern.

The Reopening Task Force continues to report encouraging news regarding the local Covid numbers, which have declined substantially in the past couple of months. It is clear everyone thinks it would be wonderful to reach the safe stage where we sing without masks and enjoy listening to the choir again. However, we aren’t quite ‘there’ yet.

Chris Bartlett provided guidance to the Board on our current financial position and recapped the ways we’ve managed to keep NUCS solvent in the past few years. He stressed that we cannot rely on ‘good luck’ as a long-term strategy.

In an effort to provide for a more secure financial future he outlined an approach that would create a $500,000. endowment fund. This fund would optimally generate sufficient interest income to off-set the deficits caused by a combination of increasing operating expenses while faced with the demographic trend of an aging membership and few new families joining North Chapel. There is currently the sum of $250,000 invested towards the goal, which is an excellent start towards a sustainable financial situation, but inadequate to cope with an emergency needs at the same time.

Leon reported that he’s been very busy extending support to our UU community members as part of his pastoral care role. There is ongoing conversation about the various ways ‘pastoral care’ is defined traditionally and in an aspirational way. The Board is considering ways that our membership might be able to fulfill some requests and roles that are outside of the customary definitions of pastoral care but would be very beneficial to those in need envisioning a ‘two-tiered’ system with a core of standing leadership and a few volunteers who might be called upon from,time to time.

Leon noted that we haven’t had any children attending services requiring care since July 4th, however, we have noticed there are some ‘green shoots’ with inquiries from families with young children looking for information about how NUCS and Spiritual Education (SE).

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia, Michael Zsoldos.

June 2022

All members of the Board were in attendance except Michael Zsoldos and Judy Williamson, who were not available on this date.

Ann discussed the Treasurer’s report. She remarked that this is our “lean time” of the year, but that this is a normal part of our usual financial cycle and she expects it to even out as it has in the past. She noted that NC received a gift after the gathering at the dog park in memory of Wendy Smith. NC has also received a generous gift from Wendy’s estate, which will be added to the Endowment fund. The Jantos fund has been moved to our new, interest bearing, money market account at Mascoma Bank.

Leon started his report by praising the work that the North Chapel community has done during yet another difficult year. He is especially happy about how the Spiritual Exploration program is going. For the summer, Leon plans to invite young families to join him for small-group wood-fire cooking events outdoors. Leon and Chloe meet with parents and seek their involvement in SE activities, but Leon is interested in recruiting other North Chapel members in addition to parents. This would reflect the interest of the North Chapel community as a whole in the SE mission.

Generally, SE is discontinued in the summer, but the Board resolved that this year it didn’t seem logical to stop the program just when participation is increasing and when the children have the opportunity to gather safely outdoors. The Board agreed to reallocate certain funds so can continue during the summer.

Leon also praised the North Chapel community – in particular organizers Richard Schramm, Anne Macksoud, Chris Bartlett, Anne Dean, Diane Mellinger, Joanne Boyle, Mary Blanton, Gina Auriema- for the powerful and lovely service for David Doolittle, despite all the Covid challenges. He believes it served well the needs of the family and of the community.

Richard Schramm and Mary Blanton reported that the numbers are finally moving in a hopeful direction, which has allowed the Task Force to recommend that singing be permitted in the sanctuary, with masks on.

Richard Wadell discussed the rollout of the Endowment campaign, and conveyed some of Chris Bartlett’s plans for the initiative. One of the tasks for the board is to identify “partners”, i.e., volunteers who will talk with prospective donors about the endowment and the Legacy Society.

At Richard Schramm’s request, the Board also discussed the Board’s responsibility to ensure pastoral care for North Chapel’s members, and whether we need a new committee to focus on this area. Leon observed that Anne Marinello and Laura Foley are already doing some work on this area, as part of his Pastoral Care Team. The Board emphasized the importance of giving more information to the community about the Team. The Board also discussed the options for expanding into other areas of community care, and the availability of resources to do so. Leon will continue working with Richard Schramm and other board members to develop the scope and mission of this possible committee.

Mary Blanton suggested that members of the Board take the lead in a soft restart of our coffee hour by offering a lemonade hour on the porch. No food for now, just an opportunity to gather outside and sip some lemonade after the service.

We hope to see many of you there.

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia, Michael Zsoldos.

May 2022

All members of the Board were present for the May meeting except for Kathy Astemborski, Clara Gimenez and Michael Zsoldos who were all out of town.

Ann Wynia reviewed the Treasurer’s Report/Financial review and said that we are on target for meeting our expenses. She is awaiting word from Deb Rice on the final figures for the Spring auction and also indicated that the UUA dues are lower than anticipate. She said that Jim Swift’s term on the Finance Committee has ended so a new member must be identified ASAP. Ann is opening a new account at the Mascoma Bank to the temporary restricted funds (roughly $36,000).

Leon is excited about the number of young children who are coming on Sunday mornings (around 8 – 10), adding that he is thinking of what Chloe’s needs might be in the future. He hopes to have a planning session before sitting down with parents regarding the direction of the SE program.

The Reopening Task Force reported that they have heard from members on four areas, those being masking, singing with masks, capacity limitations, and the use of our facilities by outside groups. The main question remains whether or not we can loosed up in any way while the infection rate hovers at around 14%. They noted that the Hartland UU church has been singing inside with masks since they reopened. They decided to hold the course for now until more information is received.

Other Committee Report were reviewed and discussed.

For the Board of Directors: Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Leon Dunkley, Clara Gimenez, Kathy Astemborski, Richard Schramm, Richard Waddell, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia, Michael Zsoldos

April 2022

The Board met on April 19th at the Thompson Senior Center to learn about technology for meetings that combine in-person and on-line participation (so called hybrid meetings). Center Director, Deanna Jones, generously hosted the meeting and demonstrated how this technology (use of what’s called an OWL device) operates and enhances the experiences of all attendees of hybrid meetings. Six Board members and Leon Dunkley were present, two were on-line, one was absent.

Everyone felt that the technology would be of considerable value for all hybrid meetings at the North Chapel and potentially of help with Sunday services. They gave Richard Schramm the go ahead to fundraise to cover the cost of the OWL ($999.00) and to explore ways to show our appreciation to Deanna and the Thompson Center.

Ann Wynia presented the Treasurer’s Report, noting that postponement of the Brave Light project meant that funds to cover Leon’s time spent on the project were postponed as well. Any adverse effects on this year’s budget, however, could be offset by drawing on NC reserves held by the Vermont Community Foundation. Ann was also working to reduce the hours needed for bookkeeping services.

On other financial matters, the Board agreed to pay the UUA dues for 2022-2023 of $11,479. They also agreed to move $4711.62 (the current value of the Jantos Fund) from the Vermont Community Foundation into a separate local account to make it easier to access and more transparent in its use.

Leon Dunkley reported that he had been engaged in a wide range of UU-related activities, including a meeting of the UU Minister’s Association, a conference of UU professionals of Color, and a UU service in Arlington, MA where he offered the reflection. He will also be attending General Assembly in Portland, Oregon in June.

Leon is starting to plan for his sabbatical which may come in 2024. He receives one month of sabbatical for every year he has served North Chapel where he is now in his fifth year. The Board will soon need to join Leon in planning for this time away.

Mary Blanton and Richard Schramm, Co-Chairs of the Reopening Task Force, reported that Covid conditions in Vermont have been worsening so that masking, social distancing and other safety restrictions on the use of the North Chapel facility will remain in place for the time being.

The Board reviewed information from Gina Auriema about fire damage to the stove and arrangements for its repair. Laird Bradley mentioned several different stoves he felt would better serve our needs. Although the Board decided to go ahead with the repairs at this time, it agreed that we needed to look more closely at how the NC uses the stove and kitchen, and whether a new and different stove might be a wise choice for the future.

The Board agreed to change its start time to 6:30 starting in May to better accommodate working members, and then adjourned.

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia, Michael Zsoldos.

March 2022

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met on March 15, 2022.

Treasurer Ann Wynia reported that she “knows where every penny in the budget is.” Occasional consultations with an exterior QuickBooks consultant are helping to ensure that her budget calculations are correct. The insulation of the Sanctuary ceiling still needs to be finished and should be completed later in the summer.

Leon has some upcoming travel to regional and national UUA conferences that he is looking forward to participating in. He shared that the congregation has been recovering well from the emotional 2/27 Zoom bombing during the community conversation.

Mary Blanton submitted some new figures for the church rental policy of the Sanctuary, parlors, social hall and grounds. These align with the amounts other UU’s are charging in VT and the rates are negotiable.

Chloe Powell introduced herself to the board and shared her ideas for recruiting other children and families to the SE program. In addition to being a musician, Chloe also works for BarnArts and plans to bring International musical groups to upcoming church services in April or May, including Lakou Musik from Haiti.

The reopening task force reported that the entire sanctuary will be open for services and that congregants will be asked to socially distance and mask whenever they are in the buildings. The choir remains on hiatus and humming will be encouraged, rather than singing during services.

Our online presence will continue but just with opening words and reflections as opposed to the entire service.

Richard Schramm is researching the purchase and use of 360-degree cameras and microphone units that can be placed in the middle of a table during a church group meeting, such as Amazing Grays and Covenant Groups to improve the experience of people participating in the meetings remotely. The camera and microphone quality of these units are superior to those in phones and laptops and would allow the voices of those attending in person to be captured more clearly.

From the Board: Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, Richard Schramm, Richard Waddell, Judy Williamson, Michael Zsoldos.

February 2022

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met on February 15, 2022.

Ann Wynia (Treasurer) reported to the Board that North Chapel has received almost $135,000 as of February in pledges for 2022.

Leon informed the Board that the timeline for the Brave Light Project may be disrupted due to the high Omicron infection rate, particularly in the Taunton, MA area. Therefore, the first meeting for Brave Light will probably take place in August at Star Island. He remains cautiously hopeful not to have to defer part of the program into next year.

This past month the Board created a job description for the SE position, and hopes to have an SE Committee in place soon to support the SE Coordinator (Chloe Powell), and to help develop the program.

Leon reported that approximately 100 non-members of NC continue to view the online Sunday services. With the help of the Welcoming and Engagement Committee he hopes to connect with these people and explore their interest in North Chapel.

Also a Pastoral Care Committee will be developed to support Leon and connect with church members who may be requesting assistance of some kind.

Board members are engaging with the various church committees and volunteering to become members of these committees, so that the Board is more informed with the workings of the committees.

With the help of Sherry Belisle the Board explored the role of the Nominating Committee, and how the Board supports nominations for positions on committees and on the Board (as members rotate off at the end of their terms). The Nominating Committee can communicate with persons suggested to explore their interest in joining various committees and/or the Board.

Discussion of reopening the church for worship will be subject to the Reopening Task Force recommendations. As of this writing the task force suggested in person services to begin March 13th.

We planned for a Community Conversation on Sunday, February 27th via Zoom to explore how members are doing since in person services were suspended in December, and to get a sense of their priorities moving forward. If there is a large enough attendance Board members will help facilitate when those attending break out into small groups.

Unfortunately, the Zoom conversation was abruptly and violently (verbally) interrupted early into the meeting. Since then there have been two meetings to help process the pain and shock of what many experienced. The Board hopes to have another Community Conversation in the near future.

From the Board: Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, Richard Schramm, Richard Waddell, Judy Williamson, Michael Zsoldos.

January 2022

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met on 1/17/2022. Board members checked in, and the minutes from the December meeting were approved.

Leon updated us on the Brave Light Project. The enrollment period for the project was supposed to be completed by late February, but because of the high Omicron rate in the Taunton area, it is unclear when the program will start. Housing for the participants is a very big concern as the participants will meet in Woodstock, Taunton and on Star Island. Leon thinks that the project will still be finished by the end of 2022, but it could also be extended into 2023. The funding for the project was supposed to be for 2022, but it could be reduced for 2022 and part of it moved into 2023.

Leon said that the Taunton community is sponsoring a weeklong conference on Star Island this summer and that it would be wonderful if our community could participate and get to know the Taunton community. We would need to figure out the costs before planning to do so.

Leon asked about the difference between the Minister’s Discretionary Fund and the Jantos Fund. The Minister’s Fund is a petty cash fund in the operating budget from donated monies, such as the Christmas Eve donations. The Jantos Fund is separate from the Discretionary Fund and has its own mission statement.

Ann Wynia presented the 2022 budget. The board reviewed it line by line. She reported that we have a $36,470 surplus from 2021 and suggested that $35,000 be moved into the Reserve Fund at the Vermont Community Fund. Both the budget and her suggestion were approved by the board. Pledges in the amount of $130,000 have been received so far. She is hoping that a few more will come in as some members have still not pledged this year.

The Annual Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 30th at 11:30 on zoom. A zoom link will be sent out to the congregation in several emails. Michael Zsoldas will be nominated to replace David Parker on the Board. There will be an annual report from the Board, Michael Stoner and Denise Lyons will give a summary of the Pledge Drive and much more.

There was a discussion about the church’s involvement in social justice issues. Richard Schramm spoke about the SPARKS project and Mary Blanton talked about social justice speakers that have come, or will be coming, to give a reflection. A small group of church members has been, and continues to plan events, such as the social justice film series, that are open to the North Chapel and the wider community. It was suggested that Leon could present meaningful actions from the pulpit. Michael Zsoldos talked about the soup project that CTWJK and Ken Woodhead are again doing. Interested church members can help with prep work for the soup preparation by contacting Ken. Soup is made on Tuesdays.

The rental fees are again being reviewed. Mary B asked the question, “Are we charging fees to generate income, or should we be offering space to community members as a good neighbor?” Mary and Kathy will gather information from other churches and local venues and present it at the next board meeting. Mary Hawkins has asked to resign from her position as head of the rentals group. Laird commented that maintaining our old NC building is important. Leon noted that he hoped Ben Hogan would use his office for a few hours each week to practice. He noted that Ben brings energy to the church through his music.

A Community Conversation has been scheduled for Sunday, February, the 27th at 11. Hopefully Leon will lead the conversation. He advocated for some ambiguity to allow people to find one another in unlikely conversations.

Mary B shared that the Welcome and Engagement Committee is reaching out to all the members listed in the directory. We need to restart a Pastoral Care Committee, as there are many in our community who are facing challenges. Richard S suggested that we might respond to the needs of our community by offering the Clearness Committee.

We will be continuing online services until the Omicron positivity rate declines. The Health and Safety Task Force is continuing to monitor the situation.

Several Board members asked about the SE program now that we are back online. They were also curious about the SE program that Chloe Powell, the SE director, was developing. It was suggested that Chloe come to our next board meeting to talk about her plans.

The board then moved into a short executive session to talk about salaries.

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia, Michael Zsoldos

November 2021

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met on 11/16/21. Board members checked in, and the minutes from the October meeting were approved.

Ann Wynia presented the treasurer’s report and expressed some concern that the 2021 pledge goal of $140,000 might not be met. $132,044 has been received at this time. She will call those that have not fulfilled their pledge. Our 2022 goal is $140,000 and currently we have received 24 pledges for a total of $45,600. A suggestion was made that the service coordinators speak about the pledge drive for the remainder of the year.

Richie Thompson repaired the hearing devices and donated $200 toward the repair costs to help bring some of the costs down.

Leon updated the board on the Brave Light Project. He has not yet heard from the UUA funding panel, but he learned that his grant proposal is in the final round of the process. He hopes to hear soon. Shannon Kenison has agreed to work with the Brave Light Project on the financial aspects of the project. Kristen McIntyre has created a Brave Light link on the North Chapel website. There will be bio. page, a schedule of planned activities and who will be implementing them. A registration fee will be needed to cover the cost of rapid COVID tests to be used at the beginning of every event.

Denise Lyons and Richard Schramm are part of a strong team working closely with Leon on the Brave Light Project. It was suggested that there be a monthly report similar to Ann’s Treasurer’s Report on the Brave Light Project. These monies will be kept in a separate account from the Church’s accounts, with monthly accounts of the progress to date. Richard will be a signatory on the Brave Light account (instead of Ann). They will report their progress to the Finance Committee. Leon is working with Vali and Steve Stuntz at WUHS to help implement the Brave Light Project at the school.

Leon highlighted new people that have asked to be added to the North Chapel’s directory. He hopes to have a new member gathering sometime in the future and suggests that long standing members be part of this gathering. He called our attention to two people who had recently attended our Sunday service: Gretchen Stoddard, the former minister in Norwich and the son of Mounir Saʼadah’s, a North Chapel minister in the “60s and ‘70’s, and his wife and daughter.

Leon invited the Board to consider what our pathway to leadership might look like. What are the different energies to welcome new members? He suggested we consider what their likes and interests are and reach out to them. He emphasized that new members have much to give. How can we get to know them?

Richard S. asked if Leon’s board reports were available to the congregation at large. Perhaps they could be posted as they are very informative. He added that they could offer more of a sense of connection for those in the church. He suggested that perhaps Leon could modify his Board reports for the larger community.

It was noted that Chloe Powell has been hired as the new SE Coordinator.

Gina Auriema reported on work that Radek has done in the Parsonage and shared photos of his work. She has spoken with Laird about being a liaison between the Board and the work being done at the parsonage. Radek has done work in the garage and the barn at the back of the building. He removed all the rotted wood, reinforced the beams, and added cement footings. Because of the work he has done, water is no longer going into the garage. She added that Radek has saved the church about $30,000 with these repairs. Gina has many before and after photos and videos she is willing to share.

There was a discussion concerning rental issues and the need for a Rental Committee
Last year the Rental Task force developed guidelines regarding available rental space and consulted with other organizations to determine pricing, etc. Currently rental requests come to Joanne. She cannot take on this task unless we want to increase her hours, which she doesn’t want. Therefore, we need to start a rental committee. Mary Hawkins has agreed to be the point person and will be listed on the website as the contact person. Barbara Bartlett will assist her. They will take another look at the non-profit rates and in doing so may make some adjustments in our fee schedule. They need to consider the heating and cleaning costs so that NC is not losing money. Laird is willing to offer guidance to Mary and Barbara. The new committee is Mary, Barbara and Laird.

December is the time for staff reviews to be done. Forms are available for these reviews and they need to be done by the December board meeting. Clara and Richard W. will do Leon’s review, Mary B. and Richard S., Joanne’s and Clara and Kathy, Diane’s. Ann said that the amount budgeted for 2022 is the same as last year.

There was a mention of the Clearness Committees and their similarities to the work of the Pastoral Care Committee. Members of the congregation might reach out to them if they were in need of some support/assistance. Richard S. will meet with Leon to help him understand more about how Clearness Committees work.

David Parker is working on a Supportive Coop to respond to struggles people in North Chapel might be dealing with.

We talked about the possibility of having an on-line Leadership Council meeting in January. This would consist of Committee chairs and other church members who wished to attend: An on-line version of the Committee Café suppers that were held quarterly before the pandemic. Also, we hope to have an on-line Community Conversation. Both of these could update our congregation on the happenings of the church and help identify people who might be struggling, so that other people can reach out to them.

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, David Parker, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia

October 2021

The October meeting of the Board was on the 19th. Ann Wynia reported that it looks like we will meet our goal of $140,000 and the Stewardship Committee set the 2022 pledge goal of $145,000. Shannon Murray has agreed to be the new bookkeeper replacing Margaret Hawkins. She will also do the bookkeeping for the Brave Light Project.

Annual reviews for our staff will be completed by the end of December. Kathy Astemborski will be the lead person for Leon, Richard W will do the same for Diane and Mary will be responsible for Joanne. Recommendations for salary increases will be sent to the Budget Committee.

Denise Lyons and Michael Stoner are coordinating the 2022 Stewardship Drive and have prepared a letter that will be sent to all members asking that they return their pledge amounts to Ann within a few weeks of receiving the pledge form. They are also asking Board members to complete a video about the importance of the Stewardship Drive that will be included in the InTouch each week.

Leon reported that Chloe Powell has agreed to coordinate the SE program and she will work closely with Leon and the Board going forward. He would also like to develop a core of substitute teachers to help support her. He also said that the Brave Light project is moving forward and that he will make the initial introduction of the program at the Sunday service on October 31st and will add more details on several following Sundays.

The Reopening Task Force has focused on the indoor worship activities to make sure that all attendees are masked, complete contact tracking details before entering the sanctuary, and maintain appropriate social distancing.

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, David Parker, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia

September 2021

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met on 9/21/21 via Zoom. Board members checked in, and the minutes from the August meeting were approved.

Ann Wynia presented the Treasurer’s Report. Ann reminded us that Margaret Hawkins is stepping out of her role as Bookkeeper as of the end of October. To date, a replacement has NOT been found. However, Ann’s efforts to follow-up with members regarding unpaid commitments from the 2020 Stewardship Drive has proven fruitful. Otherwise, ongoing expenses and year-to-date revenue are on track to meet budget projections.

Leon provided the Minister’s Report updating board members on recent developments relative to funding of the Brave Light Project. For all intents and purposes, the project is now FULLY funded! Leon’s outreach to community members for assistance in planning how to engage local youth in this project has been productive. At Leon’s request, Richard Schramm and Denise Lyons have volunteered “to anchor the project in the realm of the practical”. Efforts to find an appropriate person to serve as a part-time administrator (tracking expenses, paying vendors, making logistical arrangements, etc.) have not yet been successful. The need to engage the congregation in the project was recognized; Leon has plans to do so in a future Sunday Reflection.

Leon shared the nature of his discussions with members who may be steering efforts to re-create the SE Program. On October 10th, Leon and David Parker will be hosting a Lasagna dinner for families who previously participated in the SE program and families who are newly engaging with the NC community. To date, efforts to identify a part-time SE Coordinator are ongoing.

As follow up to our ongoing discussion regarding ways to re-engage members in some of the various social action initiatives of which there is long-standing tradition within the NC community, Richard Schramm announced the first in a series of film screening / discussion groups to occur soon.

Mary Blanton reported on the latest efforts of the Reopening Task Force to prepare for indoor services in October including the purchase of air purifiers suitable for the size of the chapel. With our return to indoor services, the Reopening Task Force in its current form will be dissolved and replaced with two smaller task forces charged with: a.) reevaluating our COVID safety measures as the nature of the pandemic evolves, b.) evaluating the use of various technology options for making North Chapel services accessible (and possibly interactive) to people remotely.

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, David Parker, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson and Ann Wynia.

August 2021

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met on 8/17/21. Board members checked in, and the minutes from the July meeting were approved.

Ann Wynia presented the Treasurer’s Report. Margaret Hawkins is stepping away from her role with finances at the end of October 2021 and Ann is looking to find someone to replace her with experience with QuickBooks. The North Chapel has received the award from the Canaday Foundation for the Brave Light Project and there was discussion about necessary documentation for tracking use of the funds.

Leon provided the Minister’s Report which focused on the Brave Light Project. Leon has been reaching out to local community members that may be of assistance in planning how to engage youth for this project. Leon has also reached out to Paul Sawyer from the Hartland UU Church, regarding applying to the UUA for the additional $20,000 needed for the project. Leon is hoping to create an advisory group to help with this exciting project. Leon also discussed the need to rebuild the SE program and noted there has been a surge of new young families moving into the Woodstock area.

In a follow up to a previous discussion regarding ways to address social action issues within North Chapel there were some suggestions made. These included the possible use of films, reflection spots within the service, and organizing local organizations for social justice.

Task force reports were reviewed with discussion regarding the Reopening Task Force’s concerns about opening inside with the increasing numbers of covid infections. The Task Force recommended meeting outside through September. Meeting inside will require the use of masks and social distancing.

The hope is that our new fans will be installed in the sanctuary ceiling by early September.

There was discussion regarding Board terms and leadership on the Board. One member will be transitioning off the Board in January of 2022 and we will be in need of a new member.

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, David Parker, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia

July 2021

The North Chapel Board of Trustees met on July 17th 2021 for it’s Summer Retreat, which was attended ‘in person’ with enthusiasm! Special reports were delivered in a comprehensive update on activities and aspirations for the North Chapel in several areas.

Ann Wynia provided the Treasurer's Report and a financial review for board approval and consideration. Pledges are on track to meet the budget expectations and with fundraisers exceeding those goals at 66% of the annual target. Covid has presented significant challenges to generating an income by renting space, however, the gradual reemergence from stringent restrictions is anticipated to generate renewed interest in hosting events, weddings, etc.

Leon delivered the positive news that the Canady Foundation has agreed to underwrite a substantial portion of the Brave Light project with $90,000. Grant. Denise Lyons, Richard Schramm and Richard Waddell are exploring other options for funding the remaining $40,000. required to support the program.

Michael Stoner and Denise attended to provide guidance on the upcoming Stewardship Drive with ideas about how to increase engagement and deliver the message in a more compelling and fun way. The emphasis will be on using video vignettes to share individual expressions of how members see their commitment to creating and sustaining our shared vision of meaningful outreach and support to our community.

The pragmatic and essential need to fund our mission in a sustainable manner was the subject of a report by Chris Bartlett. He outlined the issues of a membership in transition that has altered the traditional structure of giving. Covid and the resulting shutdown impacted traditional giving and served to underscore the need to diversify and develop alternative revenue resources.

It was noted that a positive outcome of those dark days has been the dramatic increase in the number of young, forward looking families moving to rural Vermont. The migration of energetic and creative people presents an opportunity to replenish membership ranks with newcomers who’ve chosen to live here and are seeking a place where they might connect and contribute in their new community.

Richard Schramm proposed a social justice/climate change initiative and passed out an article brought to his attention by Hope Yeager ironically titled “Seven Ways We Might Avoid Change” that cleverly expressed how institutions and individuals often sabotaged their good intentions by digressing into bureaucratic minutia and rigid insistence on ultimately self-defeating rules and routines. Richard identified several area organizations that are succeeding admirably in their missions and suggested making a more direct connection by having ‘days of action’.

As we approach the anniversary of her contract, the board was unanimous in praise for the wonderful work Joanne Boyle has done in her role as secretary acting as the binding force of our UU universe by keeping us all informed in a time when personal contract has been so limited and difficult.

In addition to those special contributors the following attended; Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Leon Dunkley, Clara Gimenez, David Parker Richard Schramm, Richard Waddell, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia and Deb Rice.

June 2021

The Board met on 6/15/21 in person with one board member on Zoom. Board members checked in, and the minutes from the May meeting were approved.

Ann Wynia gave the Treasurer’s Report/Financial Review which was accepted by the Board. Between January 1 and June 10, operating revenues have exceeded expenditures by almost $17,000 as pledges continue to come in. Several other gifts are expected soon. The remainder of the carbon neutral grant ($9000) will be applied to the cost of installing six ceiling fans in the sanctuary over the summer.

Leon provided the Minister’s Report. He expressed his appreciation for the support he is getting from the Committee on Ministry and then discussed the reopening of Sunday services outside on July 11th. He felt he is not alone with developing the summer services. He is working closely with the Worship Committee and the Reopening Task Force. Concerns raised in the discussion included how to respond to adverse weather (heat or rain) and whether we needed to re-survey the congregation now that the Governor has reopened the state 100%.

The Reopening Task Force reported later in the meeting that it is sending an update on its work and the results of its member survey out to the congregation in June and will follow that with detailed information and guidelines for the outside reopening the week prior to July 11th.

Leon also reported that we should hear from the Canaday Fund by the end of June or in early July about his Brave Light Youth Exchange grant application. The Brave Light Project is an interpersonal and cross-group growth initiative that brings a cohort of high-schoolers from the Woodstock area into a sustained and fruitful relationship with a similar cohort from an urban setting outside of Boston. During residential weekends, the groups will learn about issues of food security and economics, environmentalism and sustainability. Brave Light provides the opportunity to establish intercultural relationships that are challenging and constructive.

The UUA General Assembly will be virtual again this year (Stacey Abrams is a featured speaker) and the ministers of Hartland, Norwich, and the other Upper Valley UU churches are planning the annual collaborative service for late August. This includes deciding whether the service will be in-person or online.

The Board then discussed finding new leadership for the Stewardship Drive and taking steps to have a Spiritual Exploration Coordinator in place for the fall. After discussing the budget for the S.E. Coordinator position, the Board agreed that there were adequate resources to fund this position. It is expected that the coordinator will plan the program and recruit volunteers to help on Sunday mornings with the various age groups.

The Board discussed inviting young families to the church for a picnic dinner and an ice cream social and decided to do that on Sunday, July 11 at 5:00, outdoors behind the North Chapel.

The Board will have its annual retreat, 9:00 to 1:00 on July 17th. The agenda will focus on the longer-term financial challenges facing the North Chapel. It will include the Stewardship Drive, the Endowment Fund, and the Canaday Grant as part of its deliberations on ways to increase revenues and control expenses. With regard to the Endowment Fund, it was noted that Chris Bartlett will be sending out a letter to the congregation explaining new and important next steps in building this critical fund to support the North Chapel.

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, David Parker, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia

May 2021

The Board met on 5/18/21 and, most importantly, met in person. It was wonderful to see each other in full, and to feel the connection of actually sitting together. Board members checked in, and the minutes from the April meeting were passed. There was a brief review of the financial reports and some discussion about possibly purchasing overhead fans that could assist in pulling heat down in the winter, and pushing heat out in the summer months.

Leon provided the Minister’s Report which included some reflection and discussion on the tumultuous world events that continue to impact us in so many ways. Leon also provided a remembrance of our dear friend, David Dolittle, who recently passed away. He will be greatly missed. The application for the Brave Light Youth Exchange Project which has been made to the Canaday Foundation has made it through the first round of the grant application process. On to Round 2! The application was slightly amended to reduce the planned number of visits between the VT participants and the Taunton, MA participants from 4 to 3. A general outline looks like the first gathering would be in Woodstock, the second gathering in Taunton, and the 3rd get together would be on Star Island. The Canaday Foundation has a strong focus on climate change, and Star Island would be an excellent place for the participants to learn about both the impact of climate change, and how we can respond in a responsible way. We discussed a little more detail about the process for this project should the grant be awarded.

Barbara Bartlett was able to join the meeting to update the Board on the incredible work the Rental Task Force has completed. They have fulfilled their mission, and Barbara came to the Board with an overview of what they have accomplished. The Task Force has been meeting since July, and the identified goal of 2021 is to generate $12,000 in revenue. The group did a huge amount of research in the area to determine appropriate rates to charge for various rental opportunities. Our church is in a unique situation in that people renting the church for events (weddings/funerals) don’t have to be a particular denomination, which broadens the potential interested parties. The Board extends their sincere appreciation and thanks to the Task Force members: Sabrina Brown, Mary Hawkins, Jenny Gelfan, and Barbara Bartlett.

There was discussion about the Spiritual Education (SE) program at North Chapel, currently without a coordinator and somewhat in limbo. As Leon noted, “A strong SE program is the lifeblood of the church” and the Board will be working to proceed mindfully in getting things up and running again. With the uncertainty of what re-opening looks like, we will be continuing to think about how restructuring the SE program should occur.

The Re-opening Task Force will be sending out a letter with a survey about re-opening. The Board is hopeful to get a great deal of response from community members to influence how we proceed. There are Community Conversations scheduled for 5/23 and 5/24 to hear how people are feeling about gathering in person again. David Parker and Mary Blanton have also scheduled brown bag lunches to invite people to come and have conversation about how they’re feeling about re-opening so that we can proceed in planning which takes into account the community’s thoughts and concerns. The brown bag lunches will begin on 5/26/21 at 12:00 on the church lawn – please bring a chair and your lunch.

The Board has landed on a date for the Annual Retreat – July 17 from 10:00 to 3:00.

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, David Parker, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia

April 2021

The Board met on April 20, 2021, via Zoom. All Board members were in attendance and joined during the meeting by Gina Auriema and Chris Bartlett for special presentations. Following a brief check-in and approval of the March Meeting Minutes, Ann Wynia presented an overview of the North Chapel’s current financial statements. For the first time, the financial reports had been prepared by our still relatively new, part-time bookkeeper, Margaret Hawkins. Ann shared with the Board that she was working with Margaret to resolve some formatting issues. Though noted that the “Fundraising” numbers were not reflective of some revenue from the auction that came in from PayPal, overall, the North Chapel’s financial picture is currently sound.

Following our Treasurer’s report, our attention turned toward Leon for our monthly Minister’s Report. Leon’s focused primarily on two initiatives about which he is excited. The first involves his being approached by an associate, the Reverend Pratiman Dharm of the Spirit and Love Fellowship community in Montclair, CA, to support her in completing the requisite steps toward achieving her full fellowship over the next two years. Leon shared that supporting Reverend Dharm with her social justice work will not be time consuming for him and will present an outreach opportunity for the people of North Chapel as well. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

The second initiative presented by Leon was the Canaday Foundation’s Brave Light Youth Exchange Project. Leon shared the good news that the funding application previously submitted by North Chapel had passed the first round of review and hence, will move forward in the consideration process. If approved, the project would provide urban youth with the opportunity to experience our rural environment and, in-turn, local youth, the opportunity to experience the urban environment of their counterparts.

Following Leon’s presentation, Board members considered the degree to which these initiatives align with the mission of the North Chapel and to what degree Leon would need administrative support to ensure his ongoing commitments do not suffer, as well as to safeguard against his experiencing burn-out.

Later in the meeting, the Board was joined by Gina Auriema of the Building and Grounds Committee to share the results of her investigation into the scope and cost of replacing North Chapel’s front / side lawns which were badly damaged this past winter. Given our hopes to make North Chapel a desirable option for weddings and other events, it has been deemed that this improvement is a worthwhile investment. However, the Board is mindful of budget constraints and therefore, concluded that it is prudent to explore all options.

Following Gina’s presentation, the Board was joined by Chris Bartlett who provided an update on recent progress relative to the Endowment Fund initiative which had been placed “on hold” last year due to COVID. Chris explained to Board members that our efforts to reach out to North Chapel members to discuss the options they have for “contributing” to the Endowment

Fund is vital to its success. Chris also shared that he would be speaking at the upcoming Community Conversation about this important initiative.

Finally, Richard Waddell, Richard Schramm and Mary Blanton shared with the Board their vision of the agenda for the upcoming Community Conversation which would be largely devoted to break-out discussion groups for exploring questions and concerns members have relative to North Chapel’s re-opening plans. The Reopening Task Force is committed to providing all members with a forum for sharing their concerns, as well as to creating a reopening plan that is reflective of the values which we hold dear as a UU community.

With an eye toward re-opening, Board members agreed to meet in-person at the North Chapel for its next meeting.

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Gimenez, David Parker, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia.

( This letter has been edited to reflect that Margaret Hawkins is the bookkeeper, not Mary Hawkins. JMB)

March 2021

On March 16th the board again met at 5:00PM on zoom.

Ann Wynia started us off with the treasurer’s report and said that the church is in “good shape” financially. The church has received several notable gifts from nonmembers. Akankha Perkins has agreed to write thank you notes for all of the gifts. The Social Justice money will be kept as a special fund until another project is decided upon, as it cannot go into the general fund. Ann also said that the bill for the grease trap repair and the revamping of the pipes underneath the sink was well under the estimate. The QuickBooks work/transfer is in progress. In closing Ann noted that the treasurer’s job has changed over the 30 plus years that she has held the position and that possibly Joanne and/or Mary Hawkins will take it on in the future. Ann will continue on the board for another year as we move into this new system.

Leon reported that our online services continue to reach many that are unknown to us, though recently two new families have contacted him. David Parker wondered how we might have a conversation with the people who have been joining the Sunday service for the past year and invite them to be part of our congregation once we meet in person. He mentioned that both In Touch and the website are great resources for them. Leon has been the face of the North Chapel for those visiting us online, so could he invite our Sunday service followers to join our next Community Conversation, which is scheduled for Sunday, April 23rd at 11:30. If a significant number of people attended we could create breakout groups with a moderator. Leon wondered what the North Chapel will look like on reopening, saying that a hybrid model may be most useful, but we will have to see how that would work. We talked about the format and time frame for a memorial service for Wendy Smith. The family has already had a burial service in New Jersey, so there is not a pressing need. We will explore ways of holding it in person when it gets warmer, rather than having a zoom service. Wendy was an active member of both the Oneness groups and Wednesday Poets. Wendy Smith’s family has asked that memorial gifts be sent to the North Chapel.

The primary discussion involved plans for a task force focused on reopening the NC for in-person worship. Mary and Richard S. are serving as facilitators and David Parker, Anne Macksoud, Joby Thompson Gina Auriema, Jayne Wolfe, Chris Bartlett, Joanne Boyle and Leon(ex officio) will form the task force. Some of the issues the task force will be considering are as follows: 1. Building on the previous “normal” and what we learned from the pandemic to create a “new” North Chapel, 2. Respecting the needs of members and friends of the North Chapel, ensuring their safety if they choose to participate in in-person activities, 3. Providing, to the extent possible, access to participating remotely in many of the church groups, recognizing that different activities lend themselves to in-person and/or remote participation, and 4. Considering ways to continue partial videoing of the services and supporting efforts to expand membership and increase financial sustainability. The task force will develop a questionnaire for all members to complete and all suggestions will be welcomed. Ideas for a reopening plan were discussed including have a “soft” reopening in the summer, followed by a grand reopening in the fall. We could use the backyard during the summer months and then move indoors when it becomes too cool to hold services outside.

Looking towards the future, plans were discussed for our annual June Board retreat, which will serve as our June meeting and will likely be held at the church. Several fundraising ideas, such as a yard sale or dinners to go, were discussed and we thanked Anne Dean again for the successful auction.

The board went into executive session to discuss the official launch of the Endowment Fund in May.

From the North Chapel Board of Trustees: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Clara Giminez, David Parker, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia

February 2021

The Board met on February 16 via Zoom. The Board welcomed two new members, Kathy Astemborski and David Parker. As usual, the meeting started with Ann Wynia’s overview of North Chapel’s finances and an update on current fundraising efforts, including the online auction that is currently open. A particularly important development since our last meeting was the news that the Small Business Administration has granted the requested forgiveness amount to pay our PPP loan in full. The budget looks in good shape for now, and the Board is looking ahead at new fundraising opportunities and major changes that may happen later in the year, as North Chapel reopens. Ann noted that, as more members and donors use electronic payments to make donations instead of checks, the fees paid to credit card companies and PayPal continue increasing. Some members many not be aware of this cost.

Leon reflected on the road traveled since the pandemic started and how well North Chapel has fared. He also reflected on the road ahead, and when and how, the transition from online services to some in person worship may occur. Leon also updated the Board on the application to the Canaday Foundation for a North Chapel project that, under Leon’s leadership, would create a program of exchange, experiential learning, and cooperation between high school students from our communities and youth from the Boston area.

In the context of Leon’s report, members of the board also expressed their support and welcome to the Soup Program Ken Woodhead and Michael Zsoldos are doing with the help of Change the World Kids. The group is now using North Chapel’s kitchen once or twice a week, following safe Covid protocols and attending to the instructions from Buildings and Grounds to ensure safe use of the facilities.

The Board continues to monitor the pandemic developments and carefully consider all aspects of the reopening process, which may be still a few months away. A task force will be appointed soon to start a more focused discussion of the process. The Board also looked at the challenges ahead and discussed concerns about the financial stability of North Chapel, in light of its aging membership and the financial challenges we may have next year. The group discussed fundraising possibilities for the summer and fall, and strategies to attract new members to bring additional energy to the congregation. In that regard, it was pointed out that our Sundays e-services are garnering 200 - 250 views every week. As we consider reopening, it is important to consider this “virtual community” and seek new strategies to maintain their engagement with North Chapel and welcome them when we rejoin in person.

Gratefully, the Board: Richard Waddell, Kathy Astemborski, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Anne Dean, Leon Dunkley, Clara Gimenez, David Parker, Richard Schramm, Judy Williamson, and Ann Wynia.

January 2021

The Board met for the January 2021 meeting on the 19th. Ann Wynia presented an overview of the finances and responded to questions. She also noted that starting next month following the Annual Meeting, Margaret Hawkins would take over responsibility of managing QuickBooks. She also provided a summary of the 2021 budget that the Board approved—this will be presented at the Annual Meeting.

Following Leon’s report, we discussed plans for the Annual Meeting and reviewed the agenda. We then had summaries from the teams who worked on our two priority agenda items: Renewing our Membership and Achieving Financial Stability. After that, Gina Auriema and Mike Zsoldos joined us to talk about the kitchen repairs and use, especially preparation of soups for the Food Shelf. Richard acknowledged Chris and Anne Dean for their service to the Board and everyone agreed that we will miss them.

Chris Bartlett, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Anne Dean, Leon Dunkley, Clara Gimenez, Richard Schramm, Richard Waddell, Judy Williamson and Ann Wynia

December 2020

The Board meetings continue to be held monthly via Zoom.

As of the December Board meeting Ann Wynia reported that 61 people (pledge units) have made pledges totaling $119,000.

Regarding the Christmas Eve service collection, the decision was made to split the collection with half going to The Haven and half to the Minister’s Fund.

Leon is working on writing to the Canaday Foundation for a grant. The grant criteria are as follows: environmental issues/advancements, children and youth issues/concerns/expansion, and housing concerns/possibilities. Denise Lyons has offered to help with the grant writing. Anne Dean has also offered to help.

Leon also talked about the Pastoral Care Committee he has begun creating, and the various individuals he has recruited.

There was discussion regarding the Annual Meeting in January, which included Committee positions which need to be filled as well as two new Board members to be confirmed at the meeting. Both Chris Bartlett and Anne Dean are rotating off the Board.

The Board continues to explore ways to expand interest groups. Two book clubs will be starting led by Mary Blanton and Sherry Belisle. Anne Dean has started a single women’s group. Feel free to contact them if you have interest.

Leon hopes to start a class in UU history with the help of Ron Miller.

Joanne Boyle has reached out to groups that have checked in with NC’s Facebook activities.

As time gets closer to re-opening the church, a task force will create an infrastructure that will help to make this transition possible. There will be a period of transition which will include social distancing and wearing masks. Online services will not continue in the same format, while NC hopes to continue with some kind of video presence. There will be a re-entry to a hybrid program.

The SE program has expanded to including adults (parents) in their meetings. This offers connection as well as support and affirmation to the parents efforts and involvement.

Ways to connect with people relatively new to Woodstock, as well as, reaching out to longer term residents of Woodstock who have previously been involved with NC, to create new kinds of connections.

The Endowment program has raised about $160,000; and is on hold until spring when approaching the broader church will begin.

Possible fundraising activities for the warmer weather include: organizing a yard sale; possibly creating a supper-to-go (similar to the Hash Dash); Anne Dean might consider another online auction; the possibility of offering a food truck with the yard sale.

Anne Dean reported that the Carbon Neutral Task Force has successfully completed the insulation of all the walls of NC as well as the ceiling of the sanctuary.

The Finance Committee is working on a draft for next year’s budget. Ann Wynia will send it out to Board members for review and comments.

A transfer of Quick Books desk top to Quick Books online will begin by February or March of this year. Margaret Hawkins has expressed an interest in working with this project. The Board approved the purchase of a desktop computer, monitor, and video camera, as well as making an offer to Margaret Hawkins to do the work. Ann Wynia will work with her to make the transition happen.

There was some discussion regarding North Chapel’s new website, and possible additions to be included to the website, especially regarding handicapped information on the site.

Gratefully, the Board: Chris Bartlett, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Anne Dean, Leon Dunkley, Clara Gimenez, Richard Schramm, Richard Waddell, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia.

November 2020

The board once again met on zoom. When we met in October, and reviewed the reopening protocols, we hoped that we might be able to meet in person in the parlor in November, but the number of COVID cases was once again increasing, so zoom was safer. Here is a summary of what we discussed.

We welcomed Richard Schramm to our board. He has been appointed to fill Marcia Petersen’s position on the board, following her decision to step down.

Ann Wynia reported that the pledges are coming in and that people are responding to the board’s suggestion for increasing their pledges by 10%. This extra amount will help keep the church running smoothly in this challenging time. We applauded Diane’s creativity with the pledge drive in our online services. The initial phase of the Endowment Fund is finished and it will be opened up to the wider church community in the spring. In its present state it will generate about $8000 yearly for our general operating budget. The long-term goal is for the fund to be able to generate $25000. We are still looking for someone to manage QuickBooks, though there are several promising candidates.

Leon reported that his Pastoral Care ideas are developing well. He has several promising candidates for the committee, and he will pursue getting help from Heather Leavitt on Pastoral Care development. This month, he officiated at three weddings, which followed the state COVID guidelines. He and Geraldine are continuing to tailor materials to the needs of the SE families. They offered a UU parenting class the last Sunday in November and on Wednesdays in mid-December, will begin individual meetings with families. He is also working on his long-term goal of connecting with the Thompson Senior Center and the WUHS Interact Program. He is also interacting with CTWK, regarding intergenerational activity possibilities with the Thompson Senior Center. He noted that families new to Woodstock are looking for ways to connect with others, citing the success of the Chamber’s initiative of “meet people in our community” on the Green.

As mentioned in the first paragraph, our reopening plans have been put on hold for at least the next few months. The infrastructure and protocols are in place for a time that it is safe to reopen. When reopening is possible, Change the World Kids may be using the social hall for their meetings, as the group has grown too large for their space in the parsonage. Their Christmas Heart Project will be put on the website.

Richard Waddell will be the board liaison with the Research and Development Committee, helping to develop strong fund-raising goals for 2021. Several new fundraising ideas are being explored. He is also looking into possible sources for more grant funding. Richard reported that we have raised the matching $10,000 needed to receive the final $10,000 from the Byrne Foundation. This money is earmarked for continuing the project of making our church carbon neutral. He reported that the Rental Task Force has developed some wonderful ideas for 2021. We also discussed ways the community might celebrate the end of the pandemic, such as joining forces with CTWK and planting trees at the East End Park.

The board has been considering possible ways to expand interest groups in our North Chapel community. The walking group has been a big success, but has had to take a pause, due to the new state regulations. We may be able to partner with the WEMC to create online course offerings of UU philosophy and history. There is a book club starting in January and several other possible groups are being considered and may also be starting in January, so stay tuned!

Geraldine reported on the concerns of families, during this difficult time. Stress is fueling a feeling of lack of connection. The Worship Committee is exploring ways for the children to be involved in the Christmas Eve service. We want to let the families know that the North Chapel is here for them.

The board went into executive session to discuss annual reviews for staff.

North Chapel Board of Trustees (Chris Bartlett, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Anne Dean, Leon Dunkley, Clara Gimenez, Richard Schramm, Richard Waddell, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia.

October 2020

The Board had a full agenda for the October meeting. Here’s a summary of what was discussed.

Ann Wynia reported that the Endowment Fund has received $157,000 and over $20,000 has been promised. NC is approaching the end of the UUA Fund Forgiveness period and will need to plan for the increase in annual UUA dues in the future. Going forward, we will need to recruit someone to manage bookkeeping aspects for QuickBooks and Ann will continue the Treasurer’s responsibilities.

Leon is working with Joanne on three weddings that are going to be held later this fall. He has several strong candidates for the Pastoral Care Committee and will continue to explore other individuals who might be interested. Leon will continue to work with the other two local UU ministers regarding how we are all doing during the pandemic and their plans for potential small programs.

The Covid-19 Working Group’s survey indicates that most members do not wish to return to in-person Sunday service until it is safe to do so. The board discussed options for small group gatherings; these would require pre-registrations, social distancing, wearing masks, setting maximum number of participants, temperature checks and sign-in for contact tracing. Chris will contact Buildings and Grounds and Joanne regarding a potential plan.

Based on Ken Woodhead’s concern about local food insecurity at this time, he hopes to make soup and bread available through the Food Shelf, using our kitchen to prepare soup. The board approved this pending confirmation with the Food Shelf on details.

For the Renewing Our Membership discussions Anne is exploring starting a women’s group and Clara hope to begin a local LGBTQ group this fall; Judy and Leon are exploring ways to maintain a presence at WUHS and also thinking about having social events in the future with SE families; Mary and David Parker started a walking group and Jenny Gelfan’s Creative Writing Course in full and going well; and Richard and Laird have received names of people who attend our remote services via Facebook and YouTube and will review the lists to remove names of NC members and work with Joanne on how best to reach the others regarding how they can help support the NC.

For the Achieving Financial Sustainability discussions Ann, Mary and Leon are considering asking pledging units to increase their annual pledges by 10%; Laird and Marcia said that a task force has been formed to work on expanding rental income with a focus on wedding planning and Sabrina Brown has joined the group; Clara, Richard and Judy are hoping that we will have raised enough money through the ongoing fundraisers to match the Byrne Foundation challenge; The Endowment Fund has begun the “soft launch” and there will be an emphasis on securing members to provide for bequests to the fund in their wills.

The board went into executive session to discuss annual reviews for staff.

Richard Waddell for the Board (Chris Bartlett, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Anne Dean, Leon Dunkley, Clara Gimenez, Marcia Peterson, Judy Williamson and Ann Wynia)

September 2020

We gathered once again via Zoom for our September meeting, while looking forward to a time when we will be able to meet once again in person. Much of our meeting time was devoted to considering ways to maintain and improve engagement now, and how to plan for our eventual re-opening.

A small group led by Richard Waddell has been studying the possible re-opening of North Chapel, but in a recent survey most people said that they did not feel ready to attend an indoor service at this time. We are so fortunate that our online services have been getting better and better, thanks to the hard work of the Worship Committee, Rev. Leon, and our music director Diane Mellinger. It is heartening to note that 85% of those who took the recent survey said that they do access the online services. Richard’s group is also working on precautions we need to take as we look forward to a possible first step towards reopening, which might mean allowing small groups to meet in the church building. With cold weather coming soon, we will continue to explore the idea of opening in a smaller way.

Currently many points of engagement are available, even though we cannot all meet in person. Leon has started his Digging Deeper series; Pentangle films on the North Chapel back lawn have been very successful; the new church website is being developed; the Wednesday Poets book has been published; the Walking Group is active on Thursdays; and Vespers services have been held on the back lawn. We continue to offer many other activities via Zoom, and they are all on the website calendar and highlighted in the weekly InTouch emails.

Board members have also been working in two-person teams, focused on renewing our membership and providing more points of engagement. Mary and Chris have been looking at expanding Interest Groups; Anne D and Clara have been focusing on the 50s & 60s age group; Ann W. and Marcia on the 70’s age group; Judy and Leon on Children, Youth, and Families; and Laird and Richard have been looking at the needs of remote participants.

In these difficult and unusual times, one of the main priorities of the board is to improve opportunities for connection and engagement while keeping an eye on a future time when we will all be together again in person. We hope to see you soon.

For the Board,

Chris Bartlett, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Anne Dean, Leon Dunkley, Clara Gimenez, Marcia Peterson, Richard Waddell, Judy Williamson and Ann Wynia

August 2020

Your Board has had a very busy Summer identifying new priorities to keep us all connected and financially stable during what we are now finding is the new normal. During our Retreat we took a closer look at what we needed to focus on in order to insure the overall wellbeing of our Church community in the future. As our financial stability is of the utmost importance, we established task force groups to look at growing pledge revenues, expanding rental income opportunities, developing new fundraisers and increasing interest income. There were many other facets of the Church to review and expand on as well. To that end we established a number of other task forces to look at them.

So far, the following things have emerged from these task forces as we move into the fall.

We will have a community conversation on September 6 at 11 am and September 7 at 9 am.
Leon and Geraldine are creating an all new Spiritual Education Program.
Mary and David have created a walking group.
The Men’s group is looking for new members.
There will be a new Women’s group for single women.
Fall classes in a variety of topics are being considered. Do you have something you would like to teach??
The Covenant Groups will again be offered.
A new LGBTQ Center may be established at the North Chapel.
A Vesper Service has already taken place on the back lawn of the Church.
A new Fundraiser to purchase Spring bulbs is a foot.
A soft launch for our Endowment Fund will begin in September.
A questionnaire is being created to find out when and how you might be comfortable attending a Sunday service in person.
The Worship Committee has expanded the Sunday service to include more of the Congregation.

To learn more about all these initiatives please read the announcements each week in the In Touch.

Fall is definitely in the air and we have such an exciting fall planned for everyone. I hope you will find something that is of interest to you and will participate. We all look forward to connecting with you more.

From your Board of Trustees: Chris Bartlett, Richard Waddell, Marcia Peterson, Judy Williamson, Anne Dean, Clara Gimenez and Ann Wynia.

July 2020

As July rolled around, it was remarkable to see Woodstock come to life with activity in the village growing from a gradual trickle to a steady stream. But while many stores and other businesses are reopening, the North Chapel is transitioning a little more cautiously.

You may have seen the back lawn open up for Music by the River concerts, and you may even have participated in a masked, socially distanced committee meeting or group gathering at the church. But for the moment, we feel it is not yet appropriate to schedule most larger church gatherings such as our regular Sunday services. We have an expert task force monitoring the situation and will keep you updated as conditions change.

One meeting recently held at the church was the board’s annual retreat which had us gathered at tables arrayed around the periphery of the social hall. It was an important meeting that focused not only on the reopening issue referred to above, but also on the two main long-term objectives and priorities that will occupy most of our time over the next few years: efforts to renew and revitalize our church membership and strategies to achieve a long-term sustainable financial position. (For those interested in reading the detailed background document that framed our discussions, you can access it here.)

The board reached several important conclusions on these issues which we can summarize only briefly here. However, we would be happy to elaborate on these decisions and to answer all of your questions at the Community Conversations we have scheduled for September 4 and 5. More details of that gathering are provided in a separate article elsewhere in the Quest.

Regarding the challenge of renewing and revitalizing the church community, we committed to reversing a decades-long slow erosion in church membership by creating a series of programs and activities designed to attract several new groups into the North Chapel community. We plan to provide new ways to interest and engage the 70+ age group, recent retirees in their 50s and 60s, and children, youth and young families. For each group, we will focus on long-term residents as well as new arrivals to the community. We also intend to broaden church groups to attract people with specific needs or interests (e.g. lecture series, ongoing classes, a men’s group, a book or movie group, etc.) and also to reach out to the significant number of remote participants who have connected with us through our online services.

To respond to an unsettling forecast of future financial deficits, we have initiated a series of actions that will focus on enhancingMeeting efforts to expand four main sources of income – to grow pledge revenue, to expand rental income, to develop new fundraising opportunities and to create a North Chapel Endowment Fund.

These are all long-term activities that are vital if we want to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of the church. However, they can only be effective if we can succeed in engaging all members of the North Chapel community to provide their support. But knowing our membership as well as we do, we are confident that such commitment will be forthcoming.

We welcome your thoughts and suggestions about these vital plans and look forward to a full discussion in the upcoming Community Conversations.

North Chapel Board of Trustees (Chris Bartlett, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Anne Dean, Leon Dunkley, Clara Gimenez, Marcia Peterson, Richard Waddell, Judy Williamson, Ann Wynia.)

June 2020

The Board held a meeting on June 12th via Zoom. The Board retreat, which was scheduled for this month, has been postponed to July with the hope that we will be able to meet in person at that time.

The Board first reviewed and discussed the financial statements. Much of the discussion focused on current fundraising efforts. Ann Wynia and Anne Dean reported on the success of the online Silent Auction, which has raised over $8,000. Chris reported that Pentangle is interested in hosting some concerts on our lawn this summer, as it has done in previous years. Pentangle will take care of the logistics and ensure that all required Covid-19 precautions are followed; the public will have no access to the North Chapel building. The Board agreed that this was a viable plan; Chris will continue the discussions with Pentangle. The Board is also aware of the need to create alternative solutions to some of our traditional Fall fundraisers, which may not be feasible in times when social distancing is recommended.

The Board then attended to Leon’s report. Leon commented that the North Chapel community responded beautifully in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. Leon spoke of how our response needed to be consistent with both our private and public dimensions. The North Chapel community came out with a gesture that was gentle and compassionate, but also wise and brave. Leon observed that in this time of crisis and troubling political action there is a hunger for more conversations about race, moral leadership, compassionate response. Many people are yearning for this type of community. He pointed out that his response statement, “Enduring with”, which was posted in North Chapel’s Facebook page, had been read by more than 7,500 readers. The number of viewers of our Sunday services is also consistently higher than our membership numbers, sometimes exceeding 500 views. Thus, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to continue engaging in these conversations. Our engagement also presents a good opening to reach out to young people, who are truly interested in having meaningful conversations about race.

Leon also discussed future plans for SE. Leon and Geraldine are working on a project to create Spiritual Individual Exploration Plans, a term taken from the “Individual Education Plans,” that are developed in the school context. It will allow each child to explore, with Geraldine’s and Leon’s guidance, the issues that interest them, at their pace. As Chris pointed out, it also provides an opportunity for outreach to young people who may not have been connected with SE or attending Sunday services.

The Board went over the Agenda for the July retreat, which, in addition to the immediate issue of the reopening process, will center on exploring short to medium-term strategies to renew membership and attain financial stability.

The Board reviewed Committee Reports and SE’s update on current activities. The Board also discussed Geraldine’s transition and the new search for an Administrative Assistant to take care of the office tasks that are no longer being covered after Geraldine’s departure.

For the Board,
Chris Bartlett, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Anne Dean, Leon Dunkley, Clara Gimenez, Marcia Peterson, Richard Waddell, Judy Williamson and Ann Wynia

May 2020

The meeting was held on May 19th via Zoom. The minutes of the April meeting were approved and following that assignments for writing the Board report for the Questwere made, as follows: June—Chris, July—Clara, August—Anne, September—Marcia, October—Richard, November—Mary, and December—Judy.

The Treasurer’s Report and financial statements were reviewed and discussed. Some people have reported problems making donations following the weekly on-line service using PayPal. Ann W will provide assistance to those who have noted this. Chis said that the church has lost about 15% of its income over the past few years and we need to focus on rebuilding our finances. In 2021 we will have a projected deficit of approximate $20,000. Much work will continue on planning for the future. Following this, the report was approved.

Leon spoke about the fear and anxiety in the world right now and wonders how North Chapel can and should respond to all the turmoil. He expressed gratitude to the Committee on Ministry, the Pastoral Care Group and the Worship Committee and he is pleased with the way the online services are going. He speculated that the online services will continue for a long time and spoke of imagining how we re-engage and planning on how we could gather safely when that is possible.

The Board discussed the draft agenda for the June retreat that will be held via Zoom on the 16th from 1:30 – 5:30. Chris and Richard will consult with Richard Schramm on how he handles breakout groups on Zoom since we will have several during the retreat.

Committee reports were reviewed, the plans for Geraldine’s transition and Joanne Boyle’s taking on many of her administrative activities were discussed, and there was an update on Strengthening Families.

The meeting adjourned at 6:42pm.

For the Board,
Chris Bartlett, Mary Blanton, Laird Bradley, Anne Dean, Leon Dunkley, Clara Gimenez, Marcia Peterson, Richard Waddell, Judy Williamson and Ann Wynia

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