10-9-2024-Executive Board Meeting Minutes

United Church of Ludlow
Executive Board Meeting
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, at 5:30 PM

Minutes

United Church of Ludlow, 48 Pleasant St, Ludlow, VT 05149
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Present: Bob Malecki, Dean Alexander, Andy Ohotnicky, Bill Kneebone, Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt, Laura Creaser, Pastor Michelle Fountain
Absent: None

1. Call Meeting to Order – Laura Creaser called the meeting to order at 530 PM. Michelle led an opening prayer.
2. Minutes – Board Clerk Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt presented the minutes from the Aug. 7, 2024, meeting for approval. Lisa made a motion to approve the Minutes, and Laura seconded. The motion was approved unanimously. 
3. Deacons Report –Jeremy, Mary, Bruce Bishop are pulpit supply for Oct, Nov, Dec. 
4. Pastor’s Report –  
   1. Michelle will accidentally miss Easter Sunday because of a scheduling glitch. Christine will cover. The Board said that was fine.
   2. Professional development - she finished the course she is taking.
   3. The Racial Justice task force is disbanding, so Michelle is creating a list of racial justice resources for VT Conference website
   4. Michelle volunteered in the NE Kingdom for flood recovery one day.
   5. Pastoral visits are up, supporting Almonds in their moves. They leave Friday to be closer to their kids. She continues to visit Ralph Pace. Bill Kneebone says Ralph broke his ankle so he’s in a wheelchair. She is iIn touch with Kottkamps in VA. She is doing research on the next steps for when people need help, and talked to Senior Solutions. She suggested it would be nice to have a resource list on our website. Lisa will create the page and we’ll work together. It would include Black River Good Neighbors, Salvation Army, Senior Solutions, Senior Center, and others.
   6. She planned John Wu’s service with Carol and Stephanie. It will be held Oct. 26 at 2 PM at Pleasant View Cemetery, followed by a reception with cookies at church.
   7. Singo fundraiser will be held on Nov. 24 to kick off the holiday season. Jane McGarry is donating her time, but we need to pay Sammy Blachette $200 for the music. Michelle suggested Disaster Prep Kits for the beneficiary, since we need to create them and store them. Board agreed to pay Sammy and the beneficiary.
   8. Building Inclusivity Team update - has had 3 mission moments, Christine and Carol and Fra Divine coming up. Dine and Discuss Events kicks off on Oct. 20. Bible study is a challenge because it’s a DVD-based program we can do over Zoom. The committee is meeting tomorrow to draft a covenant for the vote.
   9. We have a couple of kids coming to church so Michelle bought some coloring pages and is brainstorming ways to include them. Maybe we could do Trunk or Treat some year.
   10. Holy Hilarity Sunday is Oct. 20. We need jokes!
   11. Starting Oct 27, she will be looking at Paul’s epistles. Then Advent. Then “God Is” series.
   12. Terry’s out for three weeks for surgery – Nov. 3, 10, and 17. The folk duo John and Trish can come cover music at a cost of $200 on the 3rd. Jane McGarry will do the 10th, and Michelle will ask Steve Fowler to do the 17th. Both for $100. We also discussed ways to support Terry
   13. Michelle hopes to hold a New Member class in November because we have a lot of new people coming. 
5. Receiver of Offerings - Bill Kneebone
   1. Bill asked for guidance on Year-End letters for individuals offering donations. All suggested thank yous should be at the end of the year with the annual statement of giving.
6. Trustees - Dean Alexander
   1. Progress on the sound system and bell - both are up and running. Michelle still has to navigate the logistics of the lavalier mic, the echo, and finding a pocket. Dean says weak battery can impact sound quality, and sound can be adjusted. Michelle will work more with it. Laura Caravatt said  she loves it; she can hear through the speakers. Carol Devine has issues with the headset and would prefer a system that goes right into her hearing aids. On Oct. 20 - Laura, Dean, and Michelle will work with the sound system before church.
   2. Bell - the installer is coming up next week. New parts have been constructed, though we don’t know if the yoke and wheel will have been delivered here yet. If so, it could be finished soon.
   3. Bret will be installing the new remote thermostat system on Oct. 16. Dean and Laura will be present.
   4. Trustee position - two people stepped forward about the position, Nancy Martel and Lauren Stope. We can appoint them now and elect them in January. Dean will reach out to them, and we will vote online to appoint them to fill vacant positions.
   5. Dean would like more regular meetings of the Board, and feels Trustees should meet separately. He says we need long-term planning, and other challenges are looming with building maintenance (roof, trim painting, furnace, structural integrity, etc.) and finances, especially with the recent departure of members who were significant financial contributors. He will head everything up and call a Trustees meeting.
   6. Trustees can follow up on Ring Out Love end of the campaign and when to ring the bell first.
7. Treasurer’s Report – Bob Malecki
   1. Bob presented the Treasurer's Report for September. Lisa made a motion to accept and Laura seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
   2. New Pension Board Plan Adoption Agreement – Michelle looked over and noted she was ok with her current plan.
   3. Insurance/Insurance Review Status - Bob is applying for a less expensive account, flex plan for a smaller church, at more appropriate levels of coverage. It could save us $2,500 annually, but answering certain questions could save us more; he will work with Trustees. The deductible will go from $1,000 to $5,000 for all clients.
   4. Michelle’s Updated Call - Laura says it needs to be gone over before the end of the year. Bob put a cost of living adjustment of 2.5% for all staff in the budget and can afford it.  Proposes switching Michelle from contractor to employee.  From an IRS standpoint, it’s an employee job definition. Would have to offer other benefits. However, a payroll service would cost $600 annually and take care of quarterly taxes to the government and direct deposit to Michelle’s account. The Board agreed to make Pastor Michelle an employee as of Jan. 1, 2025. The others, Terry (organist), Karey (administrative assistant), and Colleen (cleaning) are independent contractors. Bob, Dean, and Laura will meet, possibly by Zoom, to go over the Call and Covenant and make revisions for 2025-27.
   5. Initial 2025 Budget - Bob presented and we commented.
      1.  Lisa will reach out to the Vermont Journal - what does it take to have our church listed there. We need a card ministry volunteer while Anne Oakes is unable.  
      2. We’ll send hymnals to Zoom attendees so they can sing along.
      3. We will ask for a 2.5-3% cost of living increase in their giving on the Stewardship Campaign. 
   6. Vanguard (parsonage sale) Fund - Tabled. We need to discuss how we are going to use it. He would like to make a proposal at the Annual Meeting.
   7. Stewardship Campaign - 
      1. Bob says we need to have a percentage increase needed in donations because we are losing donors. Dean points out that we have a new source of income from the Smith Magris Talc endowment over 30-70 years, based on talc production. 
      2. Timeline - Kick-off Oct. 26, Nov. 3, Nov. 10, and Nov. 17. Stewardship Mission Moment each Sunday – we need three speakers to talk about what the church means to them, focusing on Time and Talent in addition to Treasure. Michelle will recruit three people – perhaps the Thomsons. People will give their Estimate of Giving. Bob will send them the letter a week after with a stamped return address, and Michelle will also email. Make sure the letter says that this replaces our previous Estimate of Giving. Michelle will flesh it out to add excitement for what the church has accomplished and where we’re headed. Will include an ask of 3%.
8. Old Business
   1. The next meeting was tentatively set for Monday, Nov. 4, at 5:30 PM, on Zoom.None
9. New Business
   1. Church Maintenance
      1. Light for stained glass window behind the pulpit- Laura wants this repaired. She has asked for three years but wants it to be fixed for Christmas. Laura asked if Dean and Andy knew who to contact.
      2. Laura said we need railings for the stairs in front of the pulpit for safety. She asked if Dean and Andy know anyone who could do this.
      3. After spending time in the basement with a contractor, Laura recommended a structural engineer come to look at the church inside and outside sometime in 2025.
10. Next Meeting Date was set for Nov. 4 at 4:30 PM over Zoom. 
11. The meeting was adjourned by Laura Creaser at 8:13 PM.

Minutes submitted by Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt, Clerk