Board Working Meeting Minutes

Board Working Meeting: May 28, 2015

Meditation from Tradition Two read.

Roll Call: Ines, Mary Jo, Majbrit, Martin, Larry. Quorum present.

Larry volunteered to chair meeting.

 

Item 1: Ines impartial inquiry update: Rec’d note from Trudy, Kim and Kristina in addition to other items they wanted included. One was something they found that they wanted board to know about.

   Ines said: Board has no record they have addressed any of the issues that have come up. Clear job descriptions missing. ?s Sam’s management style. Wants to record review with Sam.

Martin: Questioned whether the Board is clear there is a set of complaints by Sam about Kim; if recorded, will Sam be entitle to recording; Board entitled to someone accompanying us as Sam is also entitled to someone to accompany him. INES: Can Record, transcribe, sent back to Sam to confirm that he said what was transcribed. Suggests Sam not bring another party to meeting. All board members are welcome.

MJ: Notes to Files by Sam: What CEA said is the ‘intent’ of the note what was they meant to be. Sam cc’d MJ and another board member, he did not put his notes in their files. Notes should not be available to just anyone. OK says CEA that he did that. INES: What value are those notes to board; Board has valid complaint against Sam.

MJ on email sent to Ines from Sam that included his hand-written notes. Happened 3 weeks ago and board not notified. Staff questioned code of conduct they should abide by. They saw notes on top of papers laying there.

Larry: Memos to file needs to be disclosed. Give Ines direction on Kim’s request for any complaints made against her.

Majbrit: She thought Sam had not complained about Kim but instead he was going to address a problem with her.

MJ, Majbrit, Martin, no complaint by Sam against Kim. Kristina disciplined for insubordination.

Larry will talk to CEA and report back in two weeks to see what they say the liability issue may be. For right now don’t disclose anything subject to what may be discovered down the road.

Martin, OK with that. CEA should see documents in email to see what they are dealing with. MJ wants to be part of phone call to CEA. Okay by Larry.

Re: notes to file, MJ sent board what she could find at the time, didn’t send all of them.

Next: MJ email about if Majbrit wasn’t available, can someone else be available to be copied into communications.   Larry says general policy should be if someone supposed to be in loop, whatever emails came should be sent to that person even though they not able to handle work.

*Two people supervise DC is an unfair burden; need to consider how to best set up DC.

OVERSIGHT OF OFFICE:   Martin: moving DC and Annual Board visits to DC. Larry says office situation should have an extra visit done and do face-to-face talk with staff.

Larry willing to go after June 30^th, talk to Sam and rest of staff and to Patricia to get general sense of what going on. Annual trip should happen also.

Board discussed timing of annual audits of DC and office, trips to visit with staff, and general oversight of the DC and office. Once Ines’s report finished, then can go out to CA.

Moving the DC. May have to move items in DC and reduce space available. (MJ)

Larry: Seek professional opinions on storage racks. Don’t go out, go Up. Explore in the future where we going and how to serve the fellowship. Separate office and DC?

Ines: worthwhile having a consultant to evaluate space and say what can happen within that space.

Martin: factor in two visits to DC in six or 7 months. Should do OSHA and consultant both.

Motion: 1) To explore finding a storage for all materials not necessary in the warehouse.

            2) Get a professional consultant to say how best to use space, reconsider trip.

MJ: Sam suggested investigate offsite storage for archive materials; receipts; Spanish workbooks,

Offsite storage of not used items then see what professional consultant suggests. Ines-yes. Label boxes appropriately.

Majbrit: board actually creating a procedure of how to handle things coming up at the office. Good thing to get things solved.

Martin: remaining agenda items:

11^th tradition,

Board service and membership

Laundry list

Laminated slogans

EU committee budget

Motion: budget for Helsinki budget Finish IG wants Board to fund $800 so their budget can be pulled together. They lack this amount. Convention site will collect fees and 7^th Tradition. And send to board after they cover their expenses first. They will repay as much as possible.

Ines okay with ‘grant’, one time deal. Martin offers increasing EU committee budget to 800 Euros and leave it to EU committee to determine how that money spent. Committee already has $600 budget.

Motion: That the Board increase EU budget for 2015 to 70/mth which is 840/yr to use as they see fit while mindful of traditions. MJ, Martin, Larry, Ines, Majbrit approve.  

Have these working sessions more often. Martin likes, once a month, 4^th Saturday, 9 a.m. ET

Next meeting June 27 at 9 a.m.;

Closed with Serenity prayer at 10:35 a.m.