Janurary 12th 2005

Attendees; Vern Barnet, Joe Archias, John Shelton, Alan Abrams, Tyler Endsley and Jim Houx

1) The minutes from our last meeting, September 8th, 2004 were approved.
2) Reports;
· Joe discussed the upcoming interfaith dinner to be held on Sunday Jan. 30th  sponsored by the city of Leawood and urged attendance by all.
· Treasurers report – we were unable to determine our exact financial situation due to a glitch in the financial analysis program – which we hope to remedy soon. Vern stated that CRES was in satisfactory financial condition.
· Tyler Endsley, Vern’s new assistant, was introduced and gave a brief summary of his background. We are unanimously pleased that Tyler has chosen to join the CRES staff.
· Vern reported that his role change to more writing, teaching and consulting was going well.
· Vern reported that the October 13th conference was a success.
· The annual CRES Thanksgiving dinner on November 21st was discussed and it was agreed that it was once again a success.
· Vern reported on a December 31st IFC event where David Nelson officiated.
· The publication of Many Paths is now on schedule and a blog is planned.
· Vern shared a draft copy of the CRES Office Handbook which is substantially finished. When asked what its purpose was, Vern admitted that he needed a document that reminded him what he was supposed to be doing.
·  Vern reported on his teaching experiences at CBTS and Unity – all positive.
· Vern’s new writing opportunities include: articles for Camp magazine, Spirituality and Health for PDR, The Best of Vern, a compilation of the best K.C. Star articles that have been published and a new book – Why We Are All One.
3)  Interfaith Council Update; Vern attended a dinner on January 8th hosted by a group of interfaith consultants who came to Kansas City to help support and evaluate the IFC with their developing organization. Vern was most complimentary. Vern shared a revised history of the K.C Interfaith council and reported that the transition away from CRES’ leadership was going very well – pending adequate financing.
4) Upcoming CRES programs were mentioned
· Journey to Understanding – Jan. 27th NCCJ
· Clergy and Lay-leader conference May 11th 9-3, Nazarene Theological School
· Hindu and Cowboy – Community of Christ – fall
· Thanksgiving 2005 – Sunday Nov. 20th, 6pm
5) Suggested award recipients for Nov. 20th event; Robert Stephen and Bishop Boland
6) Next meeting – April 21st – same place, same time – Thanks John Shelton!

Attendees included Vern Barnet, Joe Archias, John Shelton, Alan Abrams and Jim Houx; regrets from Bob Stephan and Anton Jacobs.

Minutes from the June 16th meetings were approved

- Finances – we reviewed the financial handout and it was agreed that we need to develop quarterly reports to better understand CRES finances since our board meetings are now quarterly. We also agreed that we need to add a line in the financial report for depreciation of fixed assets. The depreciation schedule for our computers and printer is three years. Otherwise the CRES financial situation is stable.
-
- The Ministers report – the change of M.O. from networking to writing, consulting and teaching is going well. Vern continues to see an increase in speaking requests – particularly in the health care field. Vern is almost caught up on the Many Paths schedule. The marketing is going well for the October 13th conference. We reviewed the Office Handbook which is progressing – reviewed handout. Vern has had several opportunities to participate in local radio and TV programs, maintaining CRES’ public presence. Vern discussed CRES’ co sponsorship of Matthew Fox visit to Kansas City on October 1st and 2nd – unfortunately the same time that Huston Smith is in town.
-
- Interfaith Council Report – a. Technical Assistance Grant awarded: consultation, perhaps some money for equipment and legal work, b. consultation (organizational and funding) with Clark Lobinstine (DC) and Sam Muyskins (Wichita) being scheduled thru Bud Heckman, Religions for Peace—USA; c.. funding possibility / future after Jan 1, 2005; d. task forces responding from push from Simon; e. revised IFC Spkr Bureau appears in current Many Paths, and a  History of IFC will be in the Oct issue.
-
- Upcoming major programs – The Hindu and Cowboy will be presented September 28th, 6pm at Saint Paul Seminary. We discussed the recent meeting at Donna Ziegenhorn’s regarding the future of the Hindu and Cowboy. The Clergy and Lay-leader conference on October 13th at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral was mentioned. The Thanksgiving dinner to be held on Sunday November 21st at 6pm is developing
-
The next Board meeting is Wednesday December 2nd.

June 16th, 2004

The minutes from the last meeting on March 17th, 2004 were approved.
Treasures report – Vern discussed a hand out showing the CRES financial condition which is favorable.
Ministers Report:
· Discussed Simon’s accident which delayed progress on some issues
· Vern is getting a continuing stream of requests for speaking engagements
· Vern mentioned a booklet by Steve Jeffers – Spiritual Care for Cycles of Life
· Vern gave a brief Interfaith Council report
· Vern discussed Simon’s interaction with The Interfaith Council – needed more supervision at first but picking up fast. When funding for Interfaith Council runs out at the end of 2004, Simon’s employment status will need to change. CRES will loose some of the funding for Simon’s work time.
· Vern discussed his upcoming teaching assignments at Unity and Central Baptist Theological Seminary.
· Anton Jacobs’ recent essay and presentation to John Shelton’s Rotary Club was recognized and applauded.
· Vern announced the upcoming Clergy and Lay-leader conference on Oct, 13th at Grace and Holy Trinity.
· Vern previewed the November 21st, 2004 CRES Thanksgiving dinner 6 p.m.
     The Board accepted Jane Heide’s resignation with thanks for her contributions and      regret that she is leaving the group.
       Additional Business included the suggestion that fees be raised for Vern’s appearances to perhaps $400. It was suggested that a letter be sent to The Kauffman Foundation requesting payment to Vern for his participation in their program, and also to NCCJ.
       The Hindu and Cowboy presentation at the Harmony luncheon was discussed.
      A mid year fund raising letter was discussed – Vern will prepare and send it to the Board for comments.
      The next meeting will be on September 8, 2004 – 4:30-5:45 John Shelton’s Office

Dear Board members:

The following motion has been unanimously passed by voting members of the CRES Board using electronic communication as provided in our bylaws:
 Moved: That Budget line item "175 Medical Insurance" be allocated $800 for the current calendar year and that monies may be expended from that account for insurance or direct payment for medical or dental care.

Thank you all.

March 17, 2004

1. Attendees: Alan Abrams, Joe Archias, Vern Barnet, Jim Houx, Anton Jacobs, Rick Childs, John Shelton.
2. Minutes from Dec. 3rd, 2003 were approved.
3. Treasurers Report: Financial documents were reviewed and generally indicate that CRES is financially sound – which was substantiated by Vern’s comments. However there was an anomaly in the financial reporting that was not explained – Vern said he would attempt to solve the reporting problem.
4. Minister’s Report: Vern said that the CRES transition was going well – better than he expected. There is some fall out however – for example The Pan-Buddhist Council has folded. The Interfaith Council is evaluating their future – Simon is supporting their efforts via the Kauffman Foundation grant. Vern’s speaking engagements are increasing and he is teaching more. Classes on the New Testament and the Old Testament at Unity Village are going very well. Vern has received over 300 comments – about evenly split pro and con – regarding the Gibson movie and Vern’s commentary. Vern expressed appreciation for his relationship with the Catholic community in KC. Vern also discussed the three metaphors for reacting to terrorism – treat as 1) criminals 2) declare war 3) heal it as a disease.  * The Board endorsed the idea of Vern writing an essay on terrorism regarding how to think about and deal with it.  The article will be published in Many Paths and perhaps elsewhere.
5. “The Hindu and Cowboy” April 15th   performance at a luncheon Harmony fundraiser and later at a Shawnee Mission High School will enhance visibility for this project.
6. A Clergy and Lay-Leader Conference is scheduled for May 12th.
7. Thanksgiving Dinner honoree suggestion is Marc Wilson – curator of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the venue might be the newly remodeled Visitation Church.
8. The Journey to Understanding for 50 high school students at the Kauffman Foundation takes one day of Vern’s time each year and has not been a paying assignment. The Board recommends writing the organizers to request funding for CRES’s future participation.
9. John Shelton will open an account for CRES to be able to receive stock certificates as donations – Board approved.
10. Houx expressed desire to make more of CRES’ revenue available to support Vern’s living expenses – including earnings for all of his direct activities, including upcoming books. Donations to pay for expenses and Many Paths.

NEXT MEETING – June 16 or 23 - TBA

1. Attendees: Anton Jacobs, Bob StephAn, John Shelton, Joe Atchias, Vern, Rick Childs, Alan Abrams, Mahnaz Shibir, James R Houx

2. Minutes of Oct 29 meeting were approved.

3. Treasurer’s report – We reviewed the Statement of Position and see CRES finances apparently stabilized for the present.

4. Minister’s Report: Vern distributed a Spirituality in Health brochure for an Institute on whose board he serves and a booklet, Spiritual Care for the Cycles of Life, prepared with assistance from Interfaith Council members. Also Vern's teaching assignment at Unity Village was mentioned.

5a. “The Hindu and the Cowboy” generated just under $1,000 in expenses and $625 in donations. With appreciation for the $1,000 loan from John van Keppel, the Board agreed to repay the loan in full with thanks.
 5b.  The Thanksgiving Sunday Dinner was great success and we anticipate doing it again in 2004, the 20th year. [Dennis Moore sent a letter, the text of which is appended below.] The financial report was as follows:
       $1620.88 catering bill
           $74.49 printing
         $111.25 table rental
           $30.00 staffing
         $100.00 award
       $1936.62 total
        $2194.00 amount received

6a. The Board voted to accept proposed guidelines for allocating the Kauffman Fund’s $5,000 grant as follows:
     $  700 Web-site Maintenance & Fees
     $1300 Many Paths Newsletter
     $2000 Other staff support
     $1000 Professional oversight
 6b. The Board discussed the future of Interfaith Council in the context of what CRES will become in January, 2004. The lengthy discussion, including a helpful analogy by Joe’s “Vern feeding the neighbors” story, was successful in informing and aligning the attending Board member’s understanding about Vern’s vision of CRES’ future. There was considerable discussion including 2 no votes on changing the tag CRES line. The Board did amend the tag line slightly by suggesting Vern leave out “among peoples” in his preferred version. The Board’s suggestion thus reads: “CRES: promoting understanding of all faiths through consulting, teaching, and writing.”
 6c. The Board voted to retain Vern’s title as “president” and to change his “minister in residence” title to “minister emeritus” in order to indicate his semi-retired status which will restrict his networking activities.

7. The next Board meeting will be  March 17, 2004 , same location     —jrh
 

 Dear Vern:
 Thank you so much for the wonderful honor given me on Sunday night.  It was a delightful evening of fellowship, and I will always treasure the beautiful award you gave me.  Stephene and I both enjoyed sharing this memorable Thanksgiving meal and celebrating our nation’s most precious liberty, freedom of worship.
 Thank you for the work you do in keeping the many faiths in our community working together. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me whenever I may be of assistance to you or the Interfaith Council.
Very truly yours,
DENNIS MOORE
Member of Congress

03 Oct 29
 

1) Attendees: Vern Barnet, Joe Archias, Jane Heide,  Larry Guillot, John Shelton, Jim Houx
2) Minutes of 8/27/03 meeting approved
3) Treasurers report - Larry G. discussed handout
4) Retreat Report - Joe A. reported on the CRES September 21st  Powell Gardens retreat

5) Vern reported on the application for a Kauffman Foundation $24K grant to support the Interfaith Council. Dianne Hershberger of Harmony was a key contributor to developing the grant. If CRES receives the grant, David Nelson will manage the IFC and CRES will get some funds for consulting. We hope that Harmony will take responsibility for IFC management in the future since CRES will no longer manage the IFC.

6) We discussed Vern's 10/29 KC Star column - Huston Smith interview.

7) *The CRES Thanksgiving dinner will be held Nov. 23rd 6-8 at St Andrew Christian Church, 13890 W 127. We expect ~ 140 attendees. Dennis Moore will be honored by CRES. In planning publicity. Vern suggests that Bob Stephen,  Joe Archias, or other Board members write an article for the KC Star.

8) Vern suggests that the new reformed CRES can use much simplified bylaws, and that board meetings be held once per quarter. We may use a small executive committee to meet regarding business matters, and then have a larger meeting of friends/advisors periodically for information sharing and feedback. The presently envisioned committee structure would be abandoned and replaced by ad hoc working groups as needed, to give more flexibility without the maintenance of ongoing committee structure.  Vern noted that very few changes might be necessary in the Agreement between CRES and him.
 The board also discussed and agreed on a new approach for funding CRES programs and supporting Vern. In the future, the funds raised by CRES will be used to support Vern's "ministry", including financial support for Vern just as if he were a minister in a church. The board will
continue to have oversight on the finances but expect Vern to receive a monthly salary as available, and that salary be a top priority. {This represents a change in planning from the goal of making CRES a sustainable organization without Vern to a goal of supporting the personal ministry of Vern through CRES.

9) **With regret and sincere gratitude we accepted Larry Guillot's resignation from the board

10) The next board meeting will be Dec. 3rd at John Shelton's offices, 4717 Grand - 7th fl. (east of Winstead's on the Plaza)

jh/vb

* Planning for Annual Thanksgiving Sunday Interfaith Family Meal Convocation, Nov 23 Sun 6-8p, St Andrew Christian Church, 13890 W 127.  Greetings from American Indian, Bahá'í, Buddhist, Christian (Protestant and Roman Catholic), Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, Sikh, Sufi, Unitarian Universalist, and Zoroastrian participants begin the full thanksgiving feast. This year we honor Congressman Dennis Moore for his work on behalf of interfaith understanding. This annual celebration was begun in 1985. Mail your check ($18 adult, $16 child) to CRES, Box 45414, KCMO 64171. Info: 816.753. 1633, leave a message at 913.649.5114, or email
thanks@cres.org or visit www.cres.org.

** Passed Unanimously: That the Board accept the resignation of Larry Guillot with deep appreciation for his service promoting interfaith understanding as CRES board member, treasurer, and chairman, for his leadership in helping to make the Gifts of Pluralism conference a reality, and for the many other ways Larry has befriended the cause of interfaith relationships. We are grateful for his continuing involvement in CRES programs and wish him the very best in all the ways he supportsa vibrant Kansas City area community.

VERN’S LAST BOARD EMAIL:
Dear Board members:
 We meet next Dec 3 Wednesday at John Shelton's office, 4717 Grand, 7th Floor, the Oppenheimer Company. We'll have a bunch to talk about!
 Here are three reports:
 1. We've received $600 in designated contributions toward the expenses (so far paid $625) of the wonderful, staged reading of "The Hindu and the Cowboy and Other Kansas City Stories." Many thanks to John van Keppel for his advancing the money which I anticipate we will be able to repay in full before the end of the year.
 2. Our Annual Thanksgiving Sunday Interfaith Family Meal Convocation was held in the extraordinary sanctuary of St Andrew Christian Church in Olathe. Joe presented Congressman Dennis Moore, joined by his wife Stephene, with this year's award for his "leadership in the community and in the US Congress honoring the many paths of faith and the American tradition of religious freedom." Dennis said that of all the awards he has received, this was the most meaningful, and he spoke to us about the meaning of faith in a democracy.
 Speakers from the Kansas City Interfaith Council began the evening, and the texts at each place enabled everyone to join in the telling of the American Thanksgiving story in the ritual meal, with recognition of our failures, and recommitment to the ideals we cherish and work for.
 This may have been the largest dinner yet. Financially, we about broke even, with an apparent surplus when one counts the easily identifiable items listed below.
  $1620.88 catering bill
    $74.49 printing
         $111.25 table rental
           $30.00 staffing
         $100.00 award
        $1936.62 total
        $2194.00 amount received
 3. This meeting of the Board might be the time for us to reconsider how we frame the work of CRES. We have used the tag "promoting understanding among peoples of all faiths." I suggest that we change that to something like "multi-faith resources for the community" in order to de-emphasize the networking we have done in the past. We can specifically list *consulting *writing *teaching. Whether or not we are awarded the Kauffman Fund grant (we should be informed by Wednesday), this slight redefinition may help us all to think about CRES in a way appropriate for our new situation.
 With respect to the Interfaith Council, which meets Dec 11, if CRES is awarded the grant, we will contract with David Nelson to oversee the Council, with some administrative support from CRES built into the funding, toward a spin-off by the end of next year. If we do not get the grant, the Council will have to manage without CRES support beginning January 1.

And a word of gratitude:
 4. I appreciate the support I've received in response to the 1700-word attack on me and my work in The Jewish Chronicle, and I'm glad to report that Rabbi Cohen, who wrote the editor of The Star, has agreed to see me, and Alan Edelman, senior consultant for the Jewish Federation, initiated a friendly meeting with me. Many other conversations and contacts have been quite helpful. I have not responded to the attack in print because it was so over-the top anyone who knows me could figure out that charges are not  justified. I hope this unanticipated exercise will be fruitful to all parties.

NOTE: Minutes, financial reports, the Board meeting schedule, committee membership and job desriptions, and other Board information is posted at, or accessable from,  http://www.cres.org/team which has been updated. Also updated is  http://www.cres.org/services.htm.

03 Aug 27

1) Attendees; Vern Barnet, Joe Archias, Bob Stephen, John Shelton, Larry Guillot, Mahnaz Shabbir, Jane Heide, Alan Abrams, Rick Childs and Jim Houx Special guest Janet Baker
2) Minutes from last meeting approved
3) Guest Presentation by Janet Baker – Funding, grant writing and fund raising short and long term. Janet shared several ideas with the board and volunteered two hours per week to help with fund raising. Vern suggested that Janet work on the CBS video distribution project.
4) Treasurers report by Larry G. – review handout. Larry suggested that we need a cash projection for the rest of the year.
5) Jane Heide reported that a stage reading of the Moasic play will take place on Sunday Nov. 2 at the Bruce Watkins Cultural Center. “Friends of CRES” will be invited – which include board members of all partner groups of CRES – i.e Harmony, NCCJ etc.
6) Vern’s report included;
· Upcoming programs – included in last Many Paths
· CRES transition plan options review – Vern expressed his preference and in that regard asked for a motion – 6e from agenda – to be passed by the board to help clarify his current thinking about the direction he and the board might take to best support the desired outcome. (Passed)
· The Interfaith Council and Moasic are connected and need support for their future continuation – Harmony may be able to adopt these groups in the future. The new scaled down CRES would continue to publish some form of Many Paths which is a valued form of interfaith communication in the community.
· Resolution 6d from the agenda was proposed and passed.
· Vern will communicate with all of CRES’ partners re. these transition issues.
· The Board retreat will be held Sunday Sept. 21 at Powell Gardens, 10:30 a.m. and will be a spiritual celebration of our success – and focus on our individual spirituality. A brief program lead by Vern will be followed by lunch – (PFYOL)
7) Anton Jacobs was elected to the Board
8) Meeting was adjourned
 
 

REFERENCE: ITEMS FROM AGENDA
 

           6d. Resolved: that the CRES Board appreciates concerns from various faith communities about the financial condition of CRES and encourages ideas such as fundraising dinners within each community.

 6e. Moved: that the "transition plan for a sustainable CRES" (see right column) be modified to reflect
 * The recognition that the goal of a sustainable CRES with a transition from Vern Barnet as minister in residence to another person as Executive Director does not seem realizable within the financial resources likely to be available
 * The desire of the CRES Board to encourage other groups to support the KC Interfaith Council, Mosaic, and the networking services CRES has provided to the community, with the expectation that CRES support for these functions will cease through an appropriate transition period ending around Dec 31 this year.
 * The desire of the CRES Board that CRES become a leaner organization
focused to support the ministry of Vern Barnet to the community through his writing, teaching, and consulting.
 * That appropriate changes in the Bylaws and the Agreement between CRES and Vern be prepared for Board action at a forthcoming meeting.
 

03 July 30

NOTE: Minutes, financial reports, the Board meeting schedule, committee membership and job desriptions, and other Board information is posted at, or accessable from,  http://www.cres.org/team which has been updated. Also updated is  http://www.cres.org/services.htm.

1. Present were Allan Abrams, Joe Archias (chair), Vern Barnet, Rick Childs, Larry Guillot, Jane Heide, Jim Houx Jr, Mahnaz Shabbir, John Shelton, Robert Stephan, John van Keppel, Dan Johnson, Ahmed El-Sherif (guest), and Chuck Stanford (guest).

2. Minutes--The June 25 minutes were approved.

3. Guest Presentations--Ahmed El-Sherif, the founder of the American Muslim Council-Heartland Chapter, and Chuck Stanford, the Buddhist member of the Kansas City Interfaith Council, discussed the importance of CRES to the Kansas City community. Ahmed described CRES as "the sunshine of Kansas City," and emphasized the particular importance of Vern's work. He said that CRES has played a very significant role in interfaith relations, and has been especially helpful to the Muslim community in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy. Ahmed added that it is important for the work of CRES to continue. Chuck said he shared Ahmed's view, and described the Interfaith Council as "a shining jewel of Kansas City." He voiced concern about recent discussion about the IFC becoming a separate entity from CRES, and said that he couldn't imagine the Council surviving without Vern's support.

4. Reports
     (a. and b.)--Joe and Larry incorporated the chair and treasurer reports. Five reports were passed out: a Statement of Activity, Monthly and Year to Date ending 03 June 30; a Statement of Position comparing 02 Dec 31 and 03 June 30; a Year to Date Statement of Activity; a Statement of Position comparing 03 May and 03 June; and a Statement of Position comparing 03 June and 03 July.
      On the Statement of Position comparing 03 June and 03 July, Larry called attention to the July 30 listings of $5,736.83 in total current assets and $-8,513.75 in net income. On the Statement of Activity report, he noted that as of June 30, total income was $16,137.23, office expenses were $8,288.46, office support was 10,535.51 (including 7,856.98 for the administrative assistant's salary), program support was $6,073.42 (including $5,625.00 for the program associate's salary), and total expenses were 26,557.14. So, total net income was $-10,419.91. He noted that while expenses were running close to projections ($8,463.80 for one-half year, with the annual projection $15,000), total income is several thousand dollars behind ($20,179.23, with the annual projection $60,000).
      John van Keppel said that CRES was too dependent on donations, and that if it is to continue to exist, it should focus on obtaining grants and gifts.
      Joe said that the disparity between expenses and income has been addressed in several meetings. He also said that if any one of several significant grants had been obtained this year, CRES' financial situation would be much better. Joe noted that Vern said the Oct 1 conference, "Introduction to World Religions and the Faith Communities of Kansas City," could earn as much as $8,000, and that other sources of additional income were possible. Joe asserted, however, that the financial crisis is at such a critical point that the Board needs to consider taking steps immediately to assure the survival of CRES until at least the end of the year.

     (c.)--Vern passed out a four-page document about CRES' purpose, achievements, community support, and stakeholders. Those present took turns reading paragraphs from this document. Vern also pointed out that his own thoughts about CRES' current crisis are listed on the back of the printed agenda for the current Board meeting. He also told those present that he was proud of the impact that CRES has had on the community, and feels blessed by the support of the Board and other people in the Kansas City metro area as CRES has tried to increase the visibility of local faith groups. Vern thanked everyone for their help in reaching the important decisions that were going to be considered or made later in the meeting.

     Since less than 10 minutes remained in the allotted time for the meeting, in order to discuss later agenda items, the group skipped four items under Committee reports--5a. Finance Committee, (5aa.) Collection of CBS video prospect names, (5b.) Board Development Committee, and (5c.) Program Committee/Mosaic.

6. New Business
     (a.)--Suzanne Dotson's resignation from the Board of Directors was unanimously approved, and her offer to become a member of the CRES Advisory Board was unanimously accepted.
      (b.)--Robert Stephan was unanimously elected to serve on the Board of Directors.
      (c.)--Joe said that the Aug 27 Board meeting would take place at 11935 Riley in Overland Park (the usual site), but that the location of subsequent meetings is undecided. Larry suggested that more than 75 minutes be allotted for Board meetings.
      (d.)--The Board retreat will be held on Sep 21 from 9a-4p at Powell Gardens. Plans for leadership and content will be discussed soon.
      (e.)--It was  moved and seconded that with regret and praise for his work as program associate, Dan Johnson’s position be terminated as of August 15; that with regret and praise for his work as administrative assistant, Kevin Wehner’s position be terminated as of August 15; and that as availability and funding permit, assistance for specific projects may be engaged. Mahnaz questioned if this is the only alternative, given the present financial crisis. Larry said that the option being considered reflected the present financial reality, and that if another approach is to be considered, it must include obtaining immediate funding. Larry said that the shortest-term possibility is to use the money generated from the Oct 1 conference. Vern said that he grieves about terminating the positions, but feels that for the moment it is the only way of remaining solvent. He added that if the financial situation improves, after Aug 15, Kevin and Dan might be approached about working on a project-by-project basis. The Board passed the motion unanimously.

     The Board also unanimously voted that the Board proceed with distribution of the CBS videos for the purpose of soliciting major contributions to the ongoing work of CRES. Vern emphasized the need to obtain additional names of people who could possibly make a large contribution after seeing the video.

     Two other ways of addressing the financial crisis were offered. Bob suggested that members of the IFC contribute money, and Vern said that although this hasn't happened in the past, precedent was broken at the last Council meeting and the financial difficulties were discussed, and the senior member of the Council has since written to other members requesting help. Mahnaz proposed that everyone who receives Many Paths should pay for it. Vern said that many people who haven't contributed recently have just been eliminated from the Many Paths mailing list after being given one or more  opportunities to make contributions.

7. Adjournment--Vern again thanked everyone for helping to address the current financial crisis, and thanked Bob for joining the Board during this transitional time and expressed appreciation that Jane Heide’s schedule now permits her to participate in Board meetings.
 The next meeting is Aug 27 Wed 4:30-5:45p.

03 June 25

NOTE: Minutes, financial reports, the Board meeting schedule, committee membership and job desriptions, and other Board information is posted at, or accessable from,  http://www.cres.org/team which has been updated. Also updated is  http://www.cres.org/services.htm.

 1. Present were Allan Abrams, Joe Archias (chair), Vern Barnet, Rick Childs, Larry Guillot, Jim Houx Jr, Dan Johnson, John Shelton, and John van Keppel.

2. Guest presentation—omitted this session.
3. Minutes—TheMay 28 minutes were approved.

4. Reports
      (a and b) Chair and Treasurer—Joe and Larry incorporated the chair and treasurer reports. Four reports were passed out—a Statement of Activity, Monthly and Year to Date ending 03 May 31; a
Statement of Position comparing 02 Dec 31 and 03 May 31; a Year to Date Statement of Activity; and a Statement of Position comparing 03 Apr and 03 May. Also, Larry distributed a sheet that elaborated upon these statements and designated possible plans for reaching original budgetary estimations for 2003.
     Larry pointed out that the 1,000 listed as a restricted gift in income item #006 on the Monthly and Year to Date Statement of Activity is a loan, rather than income. He also noted that since the
original expense estimates for Mosaic's Life Stories Project didn't include promotional costs, the expenses now are estimated at around $21,000. He recommended that a special executive session be held with a Mosaic representative to discuss this budget and asked if CRES would be liable for expenditures. Vern said that it is hopeful that Mosaic leaders will obtain grants, and that they know CRES is not responsible for any debts incurred. Larry stressed that CRES now has only $7,126.64 in assets, and should be closely watching its income and expenses every month. He said that if this income generation doesn't improve, CRES will need to examine ways of cutting expenses. Jim said that he will be doing some marketing studies in the next few weeks that should provide a better insight into CRES' financial future.
     John vK expressed concern that no provision for a healthcare program for Vern is provided in the budget, and other Board members also voiced their concern. John also said he feels that Vern should be reimbursed for his previous, considerable  consultation help with the local Islamic and Jewish communities. Also, John suggested that perhaps a well-financed organization should take over some of CRES' responsibilities. Vern said that this could considerably lighten CRES' responsibility. He noted that this was reviewed before the interfaith conference two years ago, but CRES, like the other organizations studied, was considered to have a unique function in the community, and therefore mergers were not recommended.
     John S encouraged increasing the visibility of the Passport program by seeking support form The Kansas City Star and other local businesses and organizations. He said that this could help CRES to find more funding sources. Several Board members suggested actively encouraging local religious groups to explain the Passport program to their members, and Larry recommended approaching foundations about running the Passport program.
      (c) Minister--Vern said that Chuck Stanford and A Rauf Mir, members of the Kansas City Interfaith Council, will be meeting to discuss how to use the CBS video, "Open Hearts, Open Minds," to
promote CRES. The July issue of Many Paths will contain an "Interfaith Passport Guide," a directory of selected places to visit. Vern joins Ahmed El-Sherif, A Rauf Mir, and Mahnaz Shabbir in presenting an "Introducing Islam," co-sponsored by the U S State Department, at Unity Church of Overland Park on June 26. — Another program in this series, featuring Imam Sayed Hassan Qazwini of Detroit, will be presented on Sep 9 from 6:30-8p. Vern moderates a panel of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim speakers at Village Presbyterian Church June 29. He teaches "Exploring Religion" at Ottawa University's Corporate Woods campus Mondays 6:30-9:30p Aug 18-Oct 6. A solicitation letter from Juan Rangel of NCCJ and Diane Hershberger of Harmony has been mailed out to 523 people.
     (d) Program Associate--This month, among other things, Dan researched the information supplied in the "Interfaith Passport Guide." He also has been researching potential new Board members. He passed out material about three possible candidates, all prominent residents of Wyandotte County--Therese Horvat, Judge Cordell Meeks Jr, and Terry Woodbury--and briefly discussed their
background.

5. Committee Reports
      (a) Finance Committee--This committee met on June 4, and discussed ways of improving CRES' financial situation.
      (b) Collection of CBS video prospect names--Board members are encouraged to soon provide names of potentially significant donors that should see the video, "Open Hearts, Open Minds" so
that a final list can be established.
      (c) Board Development Committee--This committee met on June 20, and discussed the necessity of identifying the particular skills and experience that are now required when selecting new Board members. Also, the committee agreed about the necessity of making selections from a larger pool of strong applicants. The next meeting will be on July 25 from 11:30a-1p.
      (d) Program Committee--Vern requested that the Programs committee work on raising the visibility of the Passport Program, and the Board then unanimously passed a resolution to have it do so.

6. Other Business   (a) Clergy Conference--A workshop for clergy and lay leaders, "Introduction to World Religions and the Faith Communities of Kansas City," will be presented by Vern, the Rev. David E. Nelson, and other resource people on 03 Oct 1 from 9a-3p. This will provide a valuable service to the greater community while aiding CRES' financial situation.

7. Adjournment--The next meeting will be on Wed July 30 from 4:30-5:45p
 

03 May 28

Minutes from Board Meeting 03 May 28 Wednesday 4:30-5:45p

1. Present were Allan Abrams, Joe Archias (chair), Vern Barnet, Zohreh Behbehani, Rick Childs, Larry Guillot, Jim Houx Jr, Dan Johnson, Mahnaz Shabbir, and John van Keppel. Regrets from John Shelton.

Greetings and Opening Round Robin—Mahnaz has resigned from her position with Carondelet Health to pursue opportunities that utilize her talents and interest in public speaking, writing, and diversity awareness. She also may seek to form a not-for-profit corporation that will support these efforts. Board members expressed their enthusiasm for this important career move, and offered their ongoing support. A party for Mahnaz is set for June 19 Thu 4 pm at Carondelet Health. Larry’s daughter is being married July 5.

2. Guest presentation— omitted this session.

3. Minutes— The minutes from the Apr 30 meeting were approved.

4. Reports

(a/b) Chair and Treasurer— Joe and Larry incorporated the chair and treasurer reports. Four reports were passed out—a Statement of Activity, Monthly and Year to Date ending 03 Apr 30; a Statement of Position comparing 02 Dec 31 and 03 Apr 1; a Year to Date Statement of Activity; and a Statement of Position comparing 03 Mar and 03 Apr. Larry said that for 03 Jan 1 through 03 May 1, expenditures are $31.24 over projections, and income is $11,797.17 behind. Vern noted that the April figures don’t include May expenses and contributions from efforts to contact Many Paths subscribers.

Larry voiced concern over the lack of income, and said that this needs to be addressed immediately. He said that although plenty of people in the metro area now regard understanding world religions as very important, many financial decision-makers residents haven’t yet developed an appreciation for the importance of interfaith work. This makes fund-raising difficult. Larry expressed the need to generate funds through program service fees, grants, and personal donations. He suggested that CRES explore the possibility of linking up with an educational institution, such as UMKC or Rockhurst University. He also recommended that CRES have a collective meeting so that people working in each component are aware of the current financial crunch. To help address this issue, the Board accepted Vern’s suggestion to include volunteer staff members and Mosaic folks at the Board retreat at Powell Gardens Sept 21.

Mahnaz told of 19 national organizations receiving substantial, Anti-Bias Project Award grants from the Chevron-Texaco Foundation and the National Conference for Community and Justice. She said that perhaps CRES should pursue such grants. Mahnaz suggested that the Finance and Fund Development Committee consider additional activities, such as a fund-raising dinner. Joe suggested that the reason our Chevron-Texaco Foundation grant proposal failed may be that it did not indicate that we could not do the work they wanted without their funding.

Vern said that from the beginning of CRES, he was aware of the difficulties involved with pursuing grants for religious dialogue. Vern mentioned that the July issue of Many Paths supplement will provide a directory for the use of the Passport, and additional sales of the Passport may provide some income. He also reminded the board of his previous suggestion of holding a half-day session for clergy on the topic of world religions, with a special focus on Islam, but would need promotional support to make this financially effective. He said that before and after the 2001 interfaith conference, a special committee explored whether the Interfaith Council should become part of Harmony, NCCJ, or Spirit of Service (which no longer exists), with those organizations and the Council represented.  Vern said that the committee concluded that because CRES was unique, such an action was inadvisable then. However, he added that one way of reducing the support CRES provides to the Interfaith Council would be for the IFC to become a part of Harmony or another organization, with Harmony paying Dan’s salary. (The Reference Material on the Agenda suggests such alternatives as item e under “Vern’s ‘transition outline’ for a ‘sustainable’ CRES.”)

(c) Minister— Vern distributed the “CRES News” portion of the June Many Paths which reports a number of activities. In addition, Vern noted that the prayer he gave  before the Kansas House of Representatives is included in the new book, For Praying Out Loud. Vern recently host a committee planning a celebration for the return of Joe Amrine, set to be freed from Death Row after being falsely imprisoned for 19 years. Vern also congratulated the organizers of the ISNA Central Zone Conference for a wonderful event, and expressed thanks for the hospitality shown to CRES board chair Joe Archias and others associated with CRES and the Interfaith Council.

5./6.  Committee Reports/Committees Meeting Times  (Committee responsibilities are listed on the agenda.)

Administrative Committee— No additional news to report.

Programs Committee—This year, its focus includes Mosaic activities, especially the Life Stories Project.

Finance and Fund Development Committee— A meeting will be held on June 4 at  4p at the MAINStream office, at 95th and Nall in Overland Park. Before the meeting, Larry, Vern, Kevin, and Dan will gather at the CRES office to discuss some specific financial issues.

Board Development Committee— A conference call of members was held on May 12, and a meeting will take place on June 20 at 11:30a at the offices of Piper Jaffray, 11150 Overbrook Rd. #300 in Leawood. Chairman Shelton invites people to bring their lunch. One of the concerns is to develop an orientation for new Board members.

Public Relations— Allan and Jim plan to set up a meeting soon.

7. Other Business

a. Mahnaz said that The International Visitors Council, part of the U.S. State Department, has funds to support dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims, but the money must be used by the end of Sept, so several events now are being planned. Mahnaz and Vern are serving on the local committee.

b. Mahnaz wondered whether Mosaic’s Life Stories Project would generate enough income to offset expenses. Mosaic is approaching potential donors in an effort to raise $15,000 for the project. Vern said that Donna Ziegenhorn and others working on the project are confident that revenues will offset expenses. Vern reported that a working draft of the play has been completed and showed a copy.

c. The commercial version of the CBS-TV documentary, “Open Hearts, Open Minds,” which features CRES, will be used to help fund-raising efforts. It will be mailed out along with a letter to selected potential donors.

8.  Adjournment—The next meeting will be June 25 Wednesday 4:30-5:45p.

03 April 30

1. Present were Joe Archias (chair), Vern Barnet, Rick Childs, Larry Guillot, Jim Houx Jr, Dan Johnson, Mahnaz Shabbir, John Shelton, and John Van Keppel. Regrets from Allan Abrams, Jane Heide, Zohreh Behbehani, and Suzanne Dotson.

Opening Greetings and Round Robin--Mahnaz said that the ISNA Central Zone Conference will he held May 23-25 at the Convention Center of Overland Park. A dinner on Saturday, May 25, which costs $30, will feature singer Yusuf Islam (a.k.a. Cat Stevens). John S. was delighted at the turnout of 125 people at the lecture by Judeo-Islamic Studies Prof. Ross Brann at Pembroke Hill School on Apr 6. CRES was a cosponsor of the event. John VK attended the lecture by author Daniel Maguire, the author of Sacred Choices--The Right to Contraception and Abortion in Ten World Religions," at the Folly Theater on Apr 10. Rick will lecture on "When Religion Does More Harm Than Good" at the Unity Temple on the Plaza on May 9.

2. Guest Presentation--omitted this session

3. Minutes--The minutes from the March 26 meeting were approved, although Larry expressed the need to clarify the part referring to financial records.

4. Reports

(a and b) Chair and Treasurer--Joe and Larry incorporated the chair and treasurer reports.  Four reports were passed out: a Statement of Activity--Monthly and Year to Date ending Mar 31, 2003; a Statement of Position comparing Dec 31, 2002 and Mar 1, 2003; a Year to Date Statement of Activity; and a Statement of Position comparing February 2003 and March 2003. Larry found no problems with the Statements of Activity, but said that printer and car assets should be listed on the Statements of Position. He also recommended that Dan Velicer be asked to give Kevin help in the posting of assets.

(c) Minister--Vern said that it would cost $1.75 per copy to have President Grant McMurray's Community of Christ denomination headquarters make reproductions of the CBS video Open Hearts, Open Minds, and that the commercial rate would be $2.75. The question was raised whether the quality would be the same.  Some Board members said that they would like to distribute the videos very soon, but CBS hasn't given approval yet. Vern was asked to give the invocation at a Pat Roberts event, and on Apr 30 at Village Shalom Art Gallery he will moderate a multi-faith panel discussing artist Dylan Mortimer's Museum of Faith Analysis. Many other activities are reported in the forthcomung Many Paths, a copy of which was passed around the table. Vern emphasized staff efforts to support the work of the Interfaith Council's EPS Task Forces. Vern also mentioned the work priorities that have been established for Dan--phone calls for donations, support for funding work, working on Passport companion booklet, an article about the Muslim groups in the area, planning for the Dec 7 Unity interfaith event, working with Board committees, coordinating EPS Task Forces, coordinating IFC reports for Many Paths, writing features about IFC members, writing articles about Interfaith Pioneers, and writing up minutes from Board and IFC meetings.

(d) Program Associate--Dan mentioned some of his work for April, including raising around $700 during his donations calls; participating in a Life Stories Project meeting with Joan Israelite; attending the GKC Chamber of Commerce program on Interfaith Work in the area; writing the Interfaith Pioneers article and Kara Hawkins feature for Many Paths; and attending, as well as writing summaries of, the lectures by Prof. Ross Brann and Prof. John Esposito.

5. Award--The Board approved extending a formal invitation to Congressman Dennis Moore to accept the CRES annual Thanksgiving Sunday interfaith award.

6. Board Committees--All of the Board committees agreed to meet soon. Committee leaders are: Joe, Administrative and Programs; Suzanne, Finance and Fund Development; John S., Board Development; and Allan, Public Relations. Jim suggested that Dan be added to the Finance and Fund Development Committee.

7. Mosaic Life Stories Project-- Harmony and NCCJ have agreed to cosponsor the project; a productive meeting was held with Joan Israelite, the executive director of the Arts Council; a general use funding proposal and $15,700 budget was drafted; a funding request was submitted to the Neighborhood Tourism Development Fund; a May funding meeting with David Ross is being scheduled by Larry; within the next two weeks requests will be submitted to the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Fund and the Curry Family Foundation; and a complete draft of the script will be done by June 1.
    Larry said that since CRES has agreed to go forward with this project, funding should be vigorously pursued, especially due to the economic hard times. He suggested pursuing individual and grant money. (Vern is currently providing supporting materials for Valerie Sieverling's efforts to preprare grant proposals.) Larry said that although the Life Stories Project interviews and transcriptions have cost CRES no money, the theatrical presentation portion of the project erequires an estimated $15,700 in funding. The budget for this CRES project should be integrated with the basic CRES budget. The project currently needs $1,000, and John VK agreed to meet this need by underwriting a loan for $1,000, which he eventually will be reimbursed. Since John made this generous loan, the motion for the Board to advance $1,000 to help meet current project expenses was withdrawn.

8. Adjournment--The next meeting will be on Wed., May 28 from 4:30-5:45 p.m.

03 March 26

Minutes, CRES Board Meeting 03 March 26 Wed 4:15-5:30p

AT THE BANK OF BLUE VALLEY, 11935 Riley

1. Present were Allen Abrams, Joe Archias (chair), Vern Barnet, Zohreh Behbehani, Rick Childs, Suzanne Dotson, Larry Guillot, Jim Houx Jr, Dan Johnson, Mahnaz Shabbir, John Shelton, John Van Keppel, and Donna Ziegenhorn (guest).  Regrets were received from Jane Heide, John Shelton.

2.  Guest Presentation--Donna Ziegenhorn delivered an update on the MOSAIC Life Stories Project, under the auspices of CRES. She has interviewed and recorded some 60 people representing all religions on the Interfaith Council, and transcription of the tapes is nearly complete.  Donna next plans to create a manuscript for a play based on several of the interviews and hopes to have a draft finished by the end of May. She then will seek feedback on the script, and focus on the production aspects of the play.  Tentatively, three performances are planned, all on the weekend of October 24.  Union Station may be the venue, but other possibilities are being explored. The Board members present expressed their satisfaction with the good progress that has been made on this project, and indicated they want to continue helping with it.  Several Board members said that they want to preserve--and possibly later utilize--all of the transcribed interviews.  Mahnaz said that perhaps they should be published as a book.

3.  Minutes--The minutes from the Feb 26 meeting were approved.

4.  Reports (a ) Chair (b)Treasurer (c) minister (d) program associate

     (a and b)  Joe and Larry incorporated the chair and treasurer reports.  Four CRES financial statements were passed out:  a Statement of Activity--Monthly and Year to Date ending Feb 28, 2003; a Statement of Position comparing Dec 31, 2002 and Feb 1, 2003; a Year to Date Statement of Activity; and an Income by Account Summary/Income by Source & Account Summary for 2003.
     Larry commended the ongoing accuracy of CRES's records on income and expenditures, but expressed his confusion over some of the ways in which financial figures are presented.  He said that some adjustments need to be made, including the separate designation of restricted and unrestricted assets.  Larry added that a better understanding of terms used in the QuickBooks program is necessary.
     Vern said that due to CRES's active involvement in projects during the next few months and the irregular accrual of income, he expects that CRES will lose money over the next few months before fundraising restores our now healthy surplus.

     (c)  Vern is putting together an Interfaith panel to discuss an art show ("The Museum of Faith Analysis")  at Shalom Village. Also distributed were copies of the Interfaith Certification progrom brochure.

     (d)  Dan reported that Mahnaz did a great job of coordinating Cover the Uninsured Week in the Kansas City metro area in March, and that he arranged the Interfaith Prayer at the March 14 Interfaith Breakfast.  IFC members American Indian the Rev Kara Hawkins, Sikh Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, and Muslim A Rauf Mir participated in the prayer, as did Christian Sister Paddy Lorenz and Jewish Rabbi Scott White.  Dan read the Buddhist portion in place of Lama Chuck Stanford, who was ill.  Larry praised the wonderful interfaith work that Mahnaz has been doing, and the others present agreed.

On March 18, Vern, the Rev David Nelson, and Dan met with the Rev Sharon Connors from Unity Village, and offered suggestions for her plans to hold an Interfaith event Dec  7.  After that meeting, the Task Forces of the Kansas City Interfaith Council met jointly.  Dan will be encouraging them to arrange meetings, and focus on their current main task:  to expand upon their statements in the Concluding Declaration from the Oct 27-28, 2002 Interfaith conference.

5.  Election of Officers--Joe (chair), Larry (treasurer), and Jim (secretary) were unanimously reelected.  Larry said that CRES bylaws require the election of specific officers, including a vice president, and Suzanne was re-elected to this office.

6.  Adjournment--Because substantial time had been given to Donna's report, further discussion was omitted.

7.  Other Business--Board members who had read Mary Sanchez's recent article on Ahmed El-Sharif encouraged others to do the same. It is on the bottom of the page http://www.cres.org/ahmed .

8.  Adjournment--Next meeting will be on April 30 from 4:30-5:45 p.m.

03 Feb 26

1. Greetings — Present were Allen Abrams, Joe Archias (chair), Vern Barnet, Rick Childs, Suzanne Dotson, Jim Houx Jr, Dan Johnson, Mahnaz Shabbir, John Shelton, and John Van Keppel. Regrets were received from: Larry Guillot, Jane Heide.

2. A guest presentation was omitted this session.

3. Phone list initialing — Dan Johnson soon will be calling people on the mailing list to gain feedback about CRES programs and to inquire about donations.  Board members have suggested that at the beginning of the calls, names of specific Board members should be mentioned if the call recipient is familiar with any of them.  So, Board members were asked to put their initials by names on the CRES mailing list in cases where they are willing to have their name mentioned during the calls.

4. Approval of past Minutes was postponed.

5. Reports (a) Chair  (b) Treasurer  (c) Minister  (d) February program assistant
     (a)  Joe reported that a fundrasing letter to accompany distrubution of a videotape of the CBS program has been drafted. [See 11b below.]
     (b) Four financial statements were distributed:  a Statement of Activity for January 2003; Statement of Position comparing December 2002 and January 2003; complete 2003 Budget;  and a Year to Date Statement of Activity.  John vK raised the issue that the annual budget doesn’t include remuneration for Vern, and was particularly concerned that Vern isn’t provided with health insurance. Vern expressed his gratitude for the concern of John and others present.  Vern said that he does receive some money for use of his home as an office space, and suggested that any additional discussion of his funding be referred to the Finance Committee.
     (c) Vern said that he recently has been spending considerable time dealing with specific issues involving the Islamic and Jewish communities, but soon will be handing off the responsibility.
     (d) Dan discussed the work that he has been doing for CRES in February.  This included representing CRES at community events, writing/editing/photography, participating in meetings, helping to coordinate an upcoming event, and other tasks.

6. A motion to approve the “Draft Job Description for CRES Associate Director for Programs” was adopted unanimously.

7. A motion the “Proposed Budget for 2003” including funding for a half-time associate director for programs was adopted unanimously.

8. The resume of Dan Johnson, who worked as a contract employee in February, was distributed. A motion to retain Dan Johnson as half-time associate director for programs was adopted unanimously.

9. The following nominations for officers for 2003-2004 were made: Joe Archias, chairman; Larry Guillot, treasurer (with staff support), Jim Houx, secretary (with staff support). No other nominations were made for the elections, which will take place at the annual meeting March 26.

10. Although May and June dates were suggested for a Board retreat at Powell Gardens through the courtesy of DST (Joan Horan), the Board preferred one of the following dates in September: 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, or 28, with Vern to check availabily and report to the Board. [Sep 21 Sunday 9a-4p has since been scheduled.]

 11. Other Business
 a. MAINstream Portal — Vern said that MAINstream has asked CRES to participate in a web portal, perhaps named “Progressive KC,” with other like community organizations, with a fee of $600. Vern suggested a $100 contribution, but Board members felt that such exposure wouldn't be worth paying more than $20 for, and recommended that CRES should pursue being listed as a link on the website, since MAINstream already has a link on the CRES website.
 b. The issue of distributing to 60-100 potentially significant donors the video of the CBS program, “Open Hearts, Open Minds,” which featured CRES, was discussed. Mahnaz said that she is helping to distribute the video, and that CRES could buy copies through her for $10 each. Other Board members wondered if CRES could simply copy the video, and then distribute it without having to pay this fee. Mahnaz recommended that CRES write a letter to CBS, asking permission to copy the video, but others recommended that directly contacting personnel with whom she already has spoken would be a good idea.  Joe recommended first contacting the Community of Christ Church about possible arrangements for making copies there. Dan proposed that if copies could be made or obtained cheaply, perhaps a quantity larger that 60-100 should be made, since the video could be used for other publicity purposes. Vern suggested that perhaps the video should contain both the CBS program and a program made at Holy Trinity Cathedral 2002 September 11, although some people present were concerned about the length of such a video. Vern was asked to call CBS to inform them of our plans.
 c. Vern asked that Board members indicate the committees on which they will serve. Those who signed up at the meeting are:  Programs: Joe and Rick ; Finance and Fund Development: Suzanne, Joe and John v K; Board Development: Joe; Public Relations: Allan and Jim.

12. Adjournment — Because of the time, a process review was omitted and the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted, Jim Houx, secretary (notes prepared by Dan Johnson and checked by JH)

--------------------
Reference Material

Vern’s “transition outline” to making CRES sustainable”
   a.  Abandon goal of paying Vern a salary and instead focus on the future.
   b. By 2003 June 30, have funding for, and employ, a Program Director, or earlier on a parttime basis.
   c. By 2004 January 1, have funding for an office outside Vern’s home.
   d. By 2004 June 30, promote the Program Director to Executive Director and retire the position of minister-in-residence.
   e. If we discover that sufficient funding is not available, enter into discussions with Kansas City Harmony or some other group to host the Kansas City Interfaith Council, Mosaic, and other CRES programs.

Standing Committees with draft descriptions

Each committee should detail its responsibilities for review by the Board with an outcome statement, strategies and milestones.

0. Administrative Committee
    Meet between Board meetings as necessary and prepare guidance for the Board as appropriate

1. Programs
   Oversee, prioritize, support CRES ongoing and special programs and activities

2. Finance and Fund Development
   Advice the Board on budgetary and financial concerns and support

3. Board Development
   Recruit and train new board members and develop board skills

4. Public Relations
   Consider how best to convey the meaning of the work of CRES to the community and support the promotion of particular programs