Sangha Meeting Notes July 11

July 11, 2021

Submitted by Willa Rabinovitch

  • Opening of the KCC Portland Center has been scheduled for Sunday, August 8. This date allows for the ending of the SCOL personal retreat program. A potluck or brown bag lunch will take place after practice.
  • The monthly work party will take place on August 7 at 10am. Many hands are needed to get the Center ready to open. Asked what motivates people to come help, participants suggested a list of tasks, a schedule, and the option of coming on a different day.
  • Update on proposed reorganization of KCC’s governance:

Among other things, the proposed reorganization plan would: modify Linda Grove’s job description; clarify lines of decision making authority; improve communication and transparency with sangha; and clarify volunteer roles. Sangha members who would likely be working in key roles have reviewed the proposal and are currently meeting with their cohorts to further evaluate the plan. The Board plans to send the proposal to the entire sangha in late August in order to gather feedback and suggestions. The goal is to get widespread and diverse input on the proposed plan, including from younger voices and parents.

  • The Board is also getting ready for the strategic planning process, focusing on the next three to five years. This planning process is not yet scheduled but will be discussed during the July Board meeting.
  • Question: How many members does KCC have?

Anyone who considers KCC their spiritual home is a member. Regular contributors are considered sustaining members. After the last member drive, there were 108 contributing members. Donors of $250 or more in class enrollments and donations totaled 185 in 2020. The Board has a goal of maintaining a six month reserve; currently there is a 4.7 month reserve. This year’s pattern of giving is steady for pledged contributions; one time giving is way down, class donations are way up.

    • Question: How are people feeling about reopening, given the risks?

Views shared by participants:

People should be comfortable wearing masks. Vaccine and masks protect enough to gather with a group. Some have concerns about breakthrough cases and high contagion of new variants. Things are changing and it is difficult to know what conditions will be like at the time of reopening.

  • KCC will still offer zoom once the Center is open. KCC receives updates from a church-based organization about safety. There will be no monitoring of vaccination status. There was a suggestion of requiring proof of vaccination of volunteers. There was also a comment that at some point we need to allow ourselves to not be responsible for other people’s safety, to allow building community without exclusion or inclusion imposed. More compromised people may want to stay away.