Sangha Meeting Notes June 13

June 13, 2021

Attendance:
Eleven sangha members were in attendance. In addition, Linda Besant facilitated, John Jennings took notes, and Peter Frothingham was Zoom host.

Attendees put forth the following topics for discussion:

1) Covid safety considerations for the sangha picnic on Sunday June 27th:

  • Covid infection rates for those who are not vaccinated remain high. We must still exercise precautions and encourage anyone not vaccinated to wear a mask and maintain social distancing, even outdoors.
  • Those who have planned the picnic followed CDC guidelines. There will be no indoor activities or use of kitchen facilities, only the restrooms will be open. The picnic is not a potluck, there will be no sharing of food or utensils. The children have learned and follow appropriate behaviors.
    [Note: this picnic was subsequently canceled due to extreme heat.]

2) Considerations for reopening the urban center:

  • Some sangha members are eager for the urban center to reopen.
  • Lama Eric and sangha leadership have committed to maintaining access via Zoom once we do reopen, so that those who have joined the sangha from afar during the past year can still have full participation. That has taken a great deal of technical preparation, and acquisition of a projector and large screen. That technology is ready for use as of this week, but there are still technological challenges being worked to make sure the Zoom connection will work.
  • When we do reopen, we must follow Oregon Health Authority requirements for faith-based communities depending on the current risk level in Multnomah County, in addition to CDC guidelines. These include occupancy limits; requirements for signage, cleaning and sanitation; monitoring; policies concerning vaccination and proof of vaccination; and masking requirements if we have a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated attendees.
  • Linda Grove, Lama Eric, John Jennings, and additional volunteers are working on preparing for these complex requirements.