Minutes March 29, 2005

*The Community Decision Meeting (CDM) took place Tuesday evening, March 29th, at Ethel Murphy's, starting at 7:45PM.

CALENDAR & NEWSLETTER PLANNING
Set calendar and newsletter schedule through the summer.
(We are already set through June for Shabbat mornings)

Proposed dates:
Shabbat services for 3rd Shabbat Mornings:
6/7 CDM at Ethel's
7/16 - Place to be decided
7/23 - Hot Springs (CONFIRMED WITH NATHAN)
8/20 - Place to be decided
9/17 - Max to host?
9/20 - CDM at Ehtel's
(Yom Kippur is Thurs 10/13; we MAY HOLD A NEILA/BREAK-FAST)
10/22 (Sukkot) -- we'll ask Claire to host.

Ethel will call Marcia to re-confirm her ability to host
services (CONFIRMED AS OF 4/4/05)

NOTE THAT NEXT NEWSLETTER IS LIKELY TO GO OUT IMMEDIATELY
AFTER THE NEXT CDM Carol will call Vicky, to let her know that she is available as a backup for supporting the newsletter.

TORAH SERVICE
By the end of the summer, Carol would like to generate new siddur pages. WE DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF ONE OR MORE SPECIFIC LITURGY PLANNING MEETINGS BUT WE DID NOT SET ANY DATES.

* We discussed the prayers for Country and Israel, INCLUDING REVIEWING ONE POTENTIAL TEXT, and concluded there's very little enthusiasm for including them in our siddur.
However, before this is conclusively decided, there is a call to the community at large to pipe up if anyone wants to have
a specific text mentioned.

WE ARE INTENDING TO INCLUDE A PRAYER FOR PEACE AND A HEALING PRAYER.

WE SPENT a few minutes DISCUSSING the Blessing for Healing AND THE RANGE OF VIEWS ON IT WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. WE DEFINITELY WANT IT AS PART OF THE SERVICE, AND THERE WAS SUPPORT FOR OUR CURRENT PRACTICE OF JUST SAYING THE NAME OF THE PERSON WE ARE THINKING ABOUT. WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN
AFTER LUNCH DISCUSSION ABOUT IT. CAROL MAY COORDINATE AND TRY TO DO IT IN MAY, WITHOUT MAKING A PROMISE.


BUDGET AND FINANCE

Treasurer's report will need to be sent in a separate email (including # of new donations and amounts, and outgo since
last meeting)

Payment of outstanding bills for this year's TU B'SHVAT SEDER-- fully authorized

Budget clarification -- with Nishmat events, the person whose responsible for the event should stay within the budget.

No plans at this moment to purchase any further chumashim. Donations are always welcome. Ethel thinks we should get the Etz Chaim, and will look for a used copy.

PROPOSED AND APPROVED THAT A MEMBER MAY REQUEST A PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR MONIES SPENT ON BEHALF OF NISHMAT SHALOM.

Raja SUBMITTED HIS RESIGNATION AFTER SIX YEARS AS TREASURER AND WE EXPRESSED OUR APPRECIATION. MAX WILL SERVE AS INTERIM TREASURER SINCE HE IS CO-SIGNER ON THE ACCOUNT. WE WILL SEEK A NEW TREASURER!

*As Raja had also used his P.O. Box as our mailing address, we will need to find a new mailing address. For the interim,
Max provide labels so that important mail (such as checks) can be forwarded to him.

CAROL WILL PRICE OUT P.O. BOXES, BUT WE NEED TO BE SURE ANY PLACE WE FIND IS CONVENIENT FOR THE NEW TREASURER. ALSO PROPOSED THAT WE CONSIDER *NOT* PUBLISHING AN EXTERNAL ADDRESS (e.g. through the Resource Guide).

FINALLY, ETHEL PRESENTED A NUMBER OF ANNOUNCEMENTS OF EVENTs AROUND THE COMMUNITY THAT SHE HAS RECEIVED.

FOR next agenda:

1)Tzedaka project.

2)Final decision on prayers for Country & Israel.
3) Decision on PO Box
4) Outreach through Bayjews.org