Minutes of CUUPS, Inc. Annual Meeting
22 June 2007
The meeting began late to accommodate latecomers.
Board of Trustees members present at the meeting: Aisling (Maureen Duffy-Boose)-President, Rev. Bonnie Dlott-Corporate Secretary, Rev. Adam Robersmith-Ministerial Liaison and Niko Tarini-Recording Secretary, Membership & Chapter Coordinator.
Attendees checked in representing members and chapters.
Chairs were rearranged to facilitate communication and hearing during the meeting.
Aisling presented the items that she wanted to discuss. First, we have discovered that changes to membership procedures are not actually mandated by the bylaws and can be changed by consensus. In order to further streamline our procedures we are changing the number of members needed to form a chapter. The requirement for having three Continental members per chapter was created in 1987. This number was set in order to provide enough income to provide each chapter with hard copies of two journals and the salary of a paid office person. The Board doesn't think it is fair to take that much money now since we have no paid staff and are not sending many large mailings.
The new procedure would only require that one person will have to be a Continental member in order to form a chapter. Membership dues will also be reduced. We are asking for discussion on the proposed changes on the web lists.
Secondly, we are proposing that we completely change the hierarchy of how one belongs to CUUPS. Instead of having a large number of people who belong both to a chapter and to Continental, the majority of members would only be members of their local chapter. Members would belong to chapters and chapters would pay dues. Members will have polity and autonomy as chapters in relation to CUUPS, Inc. and would not be required to be members of a chapter and Continental to be recognized.
Chapter dues might have to go up because we have a set yearly budget that need to be covered. We need at least $4000 a year to cover them. Chapters would collect there local dues however they choose and then pay their CUUPS, Inc. dues from the money.
The following are comments to the proposed structural revisions:
Mike Walker is interested in improving communication for CUUPS nationally. Improving web resources. He felt that we would be hobbling ourselves by not collecting enough money to offer more services.
David Pollard, "I like personal dues going down. Earth-centered folks are more working class than most members in the UUA. We can always do more fund-raising. If we get a bulk rate account we can do mail calls for donations for specific causes."
Aisling commented that our web hosting is currently free, she and her spouse Bri are handling the website.
Comment: "That may change so we should have a backup plan and funds"
Comment: "Dues being reduced makes more sense as it's hard to have the members of my chapter sign up for Continental."
Comment: "The dues reduction will make things easier for families that are on one income."
Comment: "I like the option for membership but don't want to drop the individual membership."
Comment; "CUUPS is a membership organization, changing to a predominantly chapter organization is a 90º turn. I'm concerned about that, I'd like to see more value added for the money spent on dues."
Adam Robersmith: "Considering the changes in the way the UUA recognizes Independent Affiliates, we have to re-examine what we do and how we do it, and change will be inevitable."
Aisling: "Lance, if you could, formulate a response in how 'that 90º turn' might not serve us."
Lance: "It would put too much administrative burden on chapters."
Comment: "I'm very concerned about the Independent Affiliate issue. Are they just trying to streamline GA programming?"
Adam Robersmith explained the IA changes. The UU camps and conference centers cooperating as one group was given as an example of what the future might be for the theologically-based UU groups. A single point of contact would make it easier for the UUA to communicate with and supports the theologically-based groups.
Comment: "That's what the UUA is, an umbrella for theologically-based groups."
Aisling presented two things we had to do before ending the meeting. Two amendments to our Bylaws/Regulations. The first was updating the address for our official office in Ohio. This amendment passed by consensus.
The second was a change for elections notification. The amendment calls for CUUPS to post an elections announcement on our web page, email a notice to all members with email addresses, and mail a notice to those members who have requested one. This amendment also passed by consensus.
Aisling reported that the Church of the Larger Fellowship has rejected the idea of creating a CLF CUUPS chapter. They already have a large active Pagan group within the CLF and did not feel that a CUUPS chapter would be needed.
Maggi Joseph volunteered Celestial Celebrations Circle, a Texas CUUPS chapter to process the next election ballots.
David Lane, Michael Walker, David Pollard, Aisling and Niko.Tarini are the nominees on the current elections slate. We now no longer have an uncontested election.
The meeting was adjourned early, before noon, by consensus to allow attendees to return to the convention center and get to the Independent Affiliates meeting with the UUA Board.
