Minutes April 3, 2006

Nishmat Community Decision Meeting Monday, April 3rd, started at 7:45 at Ethel's
Present: Max, Carol, Lea, Shana, Ethel, Paul

1) CALENDAR and EVENT ISSUES:
Services have been previously set through July.
DECISION: Next CDM will be Tues, June 6, 7:45 pm at Ethel's
DECISION: Target date for next newsletter is first week of August
DECISION: Shana will organize a Saturday evening EREV SHIRA (evening of song); we identifed potential hosts; Shana will work out a date with them, and send it around to the CDM group by email. Singing with instruments may occur before Shabbat.
DECISION: Lea and Paul will discuss possible venues and dates for a HOT SPRINGS RETREAT this summer. (Nathan and Abby from back east will not be joining us this year.) Cost, location and family-friendliness are all considerations.

2) TREASURY UPDATE: (from Alice):
Balance forward 1/17/06: 948.18
Out: Newsletter mailing 61.62
Childcare 120.00
Service charges: 3.00
Dues In: 90.00
Current balance as of 4/3/06: 853.56
Alice noted this did not include any income or expenses related to the Tu B'Shvat Seder, as they have not yet been presented. We in fact received $16.00 from passing the hat on Tu B'Shvat, and Nishmat owes Paul the previously agreed amount of $55 for ritual fruits. Paul will account for all this with Alice.
DECISION: We will increase the amount allocated from the treasury for ritual foods next year from $55 (amount set for this year) to $71 (to include $16.00 received at the seder). We will again pass the hat next year.

3) PUBLICITY AND OUTREACH:
DECISION: We will announce the monthly (4th shabbos) Aquarian Minyan Shabbat morning services through our listserve (in exchange for Aquarian Minyan listing the Nishmat Services). Lea will post to the newslist so they get announced once.
DECISION: Lea will continue posting our events to BayJews and will also post to a national listserve, PlanitJewish.com. We will see if this generates any inquiries or attendance. For all postings, hosts are queried about how much information they want to share on the web.
DECISION: We will update the text on our website to incorporate our more recent information from our appeal letter and brochure.

4) SERVICE COORDINATION:
*Next service (4/29) at Mindy's will be Rosh Chodesh. Max and Paul discussed how to get Hallel materials there.
* A moveable roof rack could make the ark easier to move because then we could use any car to move it. Paul will price one and report back to the CDM. (Max says: Maybe we should look into a smaller ark).
* Carol will get in touch with Vicky and cover whatever Davening coordination needs covering for the May and June services.

5) OTHER COORDINATION:
DECISION: Items should be posted to the agenda by simply sending to the listserve (Paul is a backup). People can all see them and participate if they are posted to the listserve.
PROCESS: Minutes to be taken (by Paul), edited (by Carol), then she'll send out to the attendees before it's considered final.

6) TZEDAKA PROJECT: Shalom Bayit: Lea read a thank you letter she received from the recipient of our "Adopt-A-Family" gifts last December.

7) REVIEW OF BETWEEN MEETING BUSINESS: We ended up being listed as sponsors of April 23rd concert of Holocaust Music at Chabot College, although we told them only that we were 'considering' it. It seemed a worthy cause, but no one thought they'd be able to attend. If you *would* like to go, please let Ethel know--as a sponsoring organization, we have been allocated 2 free tickets.

8) AT NEXT MEETING (6/6):
Set dates for fall
More on retreat
Discuss annual appeal and timing
Editing and adoption of new Torah service?
Roof rack?

A zissen pesach to all, and to all a good night.