Community Decision Making Meeting:   1/12/10

Present:  Emily, Lea, Alex, Carol
Regrets and Input from:  Raja, Alice, Ethel

We reached consensus on the annual renewal of the decision on decisions which provides for how we would make decisions in the event we did not reach consensus.   Members can find the text on the website under “administrative.”

2. We received the treasurer’s report, including review of historical cash flow:  received $346 during calendar year 2009.  Our current balance is $660.00.  Our annual expenses have been running between $670 and $700 dollars.   During 2009 we spent:  $500 on childcare; $122.75 for communications (newsletter, mailings, domain hosting), National Havurah Committee $36.00; Checking account fee $12.00.   Total:  $670.75.  Members have donated the cost for copying of the Nishmat Shalom brochure and recent repairs to the Torah.  We know there are some checks that have not been deposited and the balance may be adjusted.  At next CDM, we will discuss whether to do a further appeal for this year.

We budgeted for 2010 as follows:
$480.00 for childcare  (12 Sat am services)
$125 for communications (newsletter, mailings, domain hosting)
$12.00 for checking account fee
$36.00 for National Havurah Committee
$55.00 for Tu B’Shvat
Total: $708.00

Tu B’Shvat Seder Saturday evening 1/30/10 – Rivka is the host and main organizer; she has sent out an email invitation to the group and requests RSVPs.  There are 20 seats; 9 people have RSVP’d as of the sending of the draft minutes.

Calendar updates:  
Saturday mornings:  February 20, March 20, April 17, May 15 (Alex volunteers) -- all 3rd Shabbat mornings
June12 (Emily volunteers) -- 2d Shabbat morning
Potential hosts please get in touch with Vicky and/or Ed.

Erev Shira/Musical Evening:  Claire will host on Saturday evening, March 13th.   Ethel has volunteered to assist.

CDMs Tues March 16th (Ethel will host) and June 15th (Emily volunteers).

18th anniversary Shabbat:  We agreed we would designate May 15th as the celebration of the 18th anniversary of Nishmat Shalom.  Anyone interested in planning this event should contact Alex.  We encourage people who haven’t participated in Nishmat Shalom for a while to join the celebration.  We celebrate the longevity of our minyan and appreciate all the work and dedication it takes.  

Instead of having a separate meeting to discuss liturgy, we decided to calendar time to discuss ideas for services (such as different readings and songs, variations on how we do things) at our next CDM in March.

How is kavanah giving going? Note: kavanot are the spiritual intentions presented before each reading of an aliyah from the Torah.  We had consensus that it’s been going well; it helps to have people prepared in advance.    We appreciate our leyning and davening coordinators who have arranged this!

Discussions after lunch:  We have had some facilitated discussions and some informal time.  If anyone would like to lead a discussion, please contact Lea.  (If someone else would like to be the contact, please speak up!)  Otherwise, we will continue our informal afternoons.

Proposal to store digital documents on the website (Nishmat flier, fund-raising letter, etc.).    
This was raised by Raja who could not attend the meeting.    We agreed that if Raja has the ability to create a section of the website for document storage, keep it updated, and make that accessible to Nishmat members but not others, he should go ahead.   If he needs more information or access, he should contact our other webgabbaim or bring it to the next CDM.  

Inter-CDM decisions:   We co-sponsored a concert in November and the recent service in support of Women of the Wall.  These decisions were coordinated by Vicky and Carol.

 Inter-CDM decision coordinator: Raja volunteers.  Thank you!

Agenda for March meeting:
-Treasurer’s report - including timely deposit of checks and possible follow-up appeal funds. Investigate whether we have solicited people who are on email list but not newsletter list
-Discussion/evaluation of non-Shabbat morning events.
-Ideas for services

Form June: Plan appeal letter and follow-up by email.  
Calendar July months forward.

Please contact Alex to add agenda items before the March CDM