KCC Board Highlights – May 2022

May 23, 2022

KCC BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
May 14, 2022

Dear Sangha,

The March meeting of KCC’s Board focused on the following major topics:

Strategic Planning Update. Board member Ryan Fitz reported that the Strategic Planning Input Team (SPIT) is continuing to review and consolidate community input received through strategic planning listening process. SPIT is aiming to have a summary of the primary themes that emerged from the process by early June. SPIT has also started looking for professional consultants to assist with strategic planning. John Jennings is leading the search with a criteria sheet for the kinds of skills/qualities we are looking for, which will eventually lead to issuing a formal RFQ.

Karmapa Communication Committee. Board member John Rothermich reported on the work of the Karmapa Communication Committee. The meeting facilitator that assisted with the meeting of the Women’s Action Group and Lama Eric a few months ago, LaShelle Lowe-Chardé, is willing to facilitate a sangha-wide meeting where sangha members will have a chance to discuss their reactions to the allegations of sexual assault and abuse of power regarding the Karmapa. This may happen over two meetings instead of just one. The Committee is working to find a date that works for Ms. Lowe-Chardé and Lama Eric for the first meeting, and right now is looking at either June 19 or July 3 in lieu of the normal Sunday morning Q&A session. The Committee is also working on finalizing the agenda for the meeting and is also working on developing a plan for continuing work after these initial meetings, with an initial possible goal to develop a comprehensive KCC Ethics Policy.

Programming Support. Linda Grove provided an update on the work of the ProgramSupport Service Group. The Service Group has been busy organizing and managing many retreats at SCOL over the last two months. The retreats have gone well for participants, but support from staff is becoming a challenge. Both SCOL staff will have departed by early-June, leaving it up to volunteers and the paid cook to support the upcoming month-long retreat. Attendance is down at Sunday sits, and the Committee is not sure why. Lama Eric is going to Spain in September to translate for Khenpo Rinpoche at the Mahamudra seminar in Ibiza. Right now it looks like KCC will not do a Mahamudra Seminar at SCOL due to the one happening in Spain. The retreat schedule for the Fall is in some flux.

SCOL issues. Both paid staff members will be leaving SCOL by early-June so a new SCOL Team comprised of Cynthia Irvine, Brad Upton and Dan Malman, along with current members Peter Frothingham and Linda Grove has been formed to ensure that critical tasks are getting done, including sufficient support for planned retreats. There will be a need to decide whether to continue to try and find one or two paid staff moving forward. Right now, there is no designated Service Group Coordinator for SCOL, making Board oversight challenging. The Board also discussed SCOL expenses and possible alternatives to the increasingly expensive wildfire insurance we have paid for through this year. The next Board meeting will have a focus on SCOL, including a careful review of its annual expenses and projected income.

Additional items of note:

—Board Goals. The Board discussed formulating formal Board goals for the 2022 calendar year. While Board goals are usually determined at this point in the year, we have deferred finalizing formal goals until the strategic planning process is further along. In the meantime, the Board continues to work on its 2021 goals, many of which are still in progress.

— Inclusivity Action Plan: Rosemarie Sweet is continuing work implementing updates and changes to the existing draft plan. Lama Eric is providing input on the changes.

— Board Response to the August 2021 Proposal from the Fundamental Issues Committee: Board member Doug Dunlap is working on drafting a summary of the Board’s response to the initial proposal of the Fundamental Issues Committee last year. This summary will include additional information and explanation about the Board’s response.

— Finance Report: Treasurer Ryan Fitz reported that the total revenue from the recent SCOL retreats was lower than anticipated. As general donations are also down, there is some concern that we will have to look at reducing expenses for the second half of the year to stay on budget. Part of it will be seeing how the Development Committee’s new funding initiatives work out this year.

If you wish to see the full detail of our meetings, the full minutes of each KCC Board meeting are posted after they have been approved by the Board at the following Board meeting (30 days later).

All Board meetings are open to all sangha members. We meet by Zoom on the third Sunday of each month from 1:30-4:30pm. Please join us.

John Rothermich, KCC Board Secretary