June 2022 Board Meeting Highlights

On Tuesday, June 14, the Board of Trustees conducted our final meeting for this fiscal year. Board President Colette Gelwicks opened and closed the meeting with two poems by Rosemary Wahtola Trommer highlighting the simple wonders that await us every day.

The Board’s Spiritual Practice focused on asking — What do you think the Board will address in the 2022-23 fiscal year? What issues/topics do you anticipate or hope the Board will consider? Responses clustered around considering the 8^th principle, continued follow up on the Trust and Reconciliation Committee’s recommendations, planning and finances, and follow up/next steps for the Committee on Right Relations, including having a covenant ready for congregational adoption at the 2023 Annual Meeting.

Charles (Scotty) Scott presented a brief update on the Committee on Right Relations’ (CRR) work and coordination with one of the enabling action groups formed at the Group Relations Workshop. The CRR has completed a draft covenant and plans to spend next fiscal year educating the congregation about the covenant, helping people to learn how to use the covenant, revising the covenant throughout the year based on congregational feedback, and presenting a revised covenant for a vote at the 2023 Annual Meeting.

Jim Johnston and Rev. Paige Getty presented a brief update on the Group Relations Workshop (GRW) plans for a Facilitated Conflict Resolution Discussion this evening, Tuesday, June 21. The discussion will be held in-person at OBIC, with Zoom access for observation and limited participation. The room set up will be a “fishbowl” with Paige and several participants in the center of Sanctuary C and others gathered around the circle. After the initial discussion begins, people attending in-person will have the opportunity to “tap-in” to the discussion circle. Those on Zoom will be able to submit questions for the discussion circle.

The Board voted to support the Maryland Citizens’ Health Care for All Resolution as introduced by the Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative. The resolution supports three priorities for health equity in Maryland:

1. Automatically enroll all Marylanders eligible for free or very low-cost health care plans in health care coverage except for those who opt out
2. Create state-based individual and small employer subsidy programs to improve the affordability of private coverage to insured Marylanders, including through plans from the Maryland Health Connection, and,
3. Remove immigration status as a barrier to health coverage for Marylanders who would otherwise be eligible to enroll in Medicaid pr private health plans from Maryland Health Connection

This was the last meeting for Colette and Katja, whose terms on the Board end on June 30. Colette thanked Board members and the Executive Team for their efforts over the past year and expressed excitement for the year ahead under Jenny’s leadership and with Melissa Affolter and Laurie Coltri joining.

The next Board meeting led by our new Board President, Jenny Afkinich, will be held on Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at 6:30pm on Zoom.