At the Fall Membership Meeting, held Nov. 19, our Ethical Culture Society unanimously adopted the budget for 2018, totalling $218,391.
Survey and conversations: Also at the meeting, members learned of a new initiative that came from the Board-Program Council retreat in October. We are going to be holding a series of small group conversations in members’ homes. A task force has been created to generate an online survey to develop a focus for the conversations. The task force will look at questions generated at the retreat and will develop the online survey by March/April 2018. We hope to complete the survey by the end of April and to have the house parties begin in late spring/summer/fall of 2018. A preliminary report will be ready by the November 2018 Membership Meeting and the final report will be ready by the Spring 2019 Membership Meeting.
More social media: Sarah Jack is stepping down as chair of Adult Education to work with Promotions and Publications Chair Karen Buzzard to enhance our social media presence. Eric Sandhusen was nominated and voted in to assume the role of Adult Education chair.
Failing furnace: Jim Norman, Building Committee chair, thanked Bob Gordon for his tireless, continued efforts in maintaining the building. He noted that the Society’s 40-year old furnace is on its last legs and the decision has been made to replace it, sooner rather than later, with a more efficient model.
Roof damage: During a windstorm on the morning of the Fall Membership Meeting, a large tree branch fell on a corner of our meetinghouse roof, causing significant damage. Janet Glass, Finance Committee chair, said she is going to be starting a campaign, “Keep the Home Fires Burning,” to raise money for some of the extraordinary costs associated with the building.
Susan Lesh