<div dir="auto">I don’t know what Darryl means by “facilitated discussion and decision making”. It seems to me that facilitated discussion and decision making are two different things that appropriately follow different procedures. Like most organizations we use Roberts rules of order in the congregational meeting. The elected president of the congregation normally chairs such a meeting. This is a procedure designed for decision making. It is quite different from a facilitated discussion, such as Darryl led in the recent meeting about the ministers’ performance. </div><div dir="auto">I don’t think we can turn the congressional meeting into a facilitated discussion with a discussion leader who decides who can talk, what they can talk about and how long they can talk. </div><div dir="auto">The congressional meeting must be open to everyone and should be on zoom for those who can’t physically attend. It should require a quorum. None of these things applied to our most recent facilitated discussion.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><br><div class="gmail_quote" dir="auto"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, Aug 25, 2023 at 2:27 PM Darryl Ting via Fuusm-l <<a href="mailto:fuusm-l@fuusm.org">fuusm-l@fuusm.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Tom,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I’m generally very much
in favor of the new procedure. The more clarity we can bring to our
procedures the better. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">But I think two issues
need to be modified in the proposal.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.5in;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">1. New
Business item … To preserve the congregation’s access to the Congregational
Meeting agenda, language needs to specify the process … to whom the
notification of the New Business item is addressed. And that the
item shall be added to the agenda (no Board approval required).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.5in;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">2. Congregational
Meeting by petition … As a practical matter, Congregational Meetings by
petition will most likely be about issues that require facilitated discussion
and decision making. Not necessarily skills the presiding officer may
possess. Please include language that the organizers of the petition
should provide the facilitator if facilitated discussion and decision making is
required. The presiding officer should still control the making and
voting on motions.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.5in;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Thanks,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Darryl</p></div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.5in;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt"><br></p><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:times new roman,serif;font-size:large"><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, Aug 15, 2023 at 10:51 AM Tom Cunningham via Fuusm-l <<a href="mailto:fuusm-l@fuusm.org" target="_blank">fuusm-l@fuusm.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px"><div style="line-height:1.5;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif">Dear FUUSM congregation,<br><br>Attached is a proposed Policy and Procedure on Congregational Meetings. If adopted, its purpose would be to strengthen FUUSM's process of democratic governance by promoting efficient congregational meetings, in which voting members have an informed and meaningful opportunity to vote on FUUSM business. </div><div style="line-height:1.5;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif"><br></div><div style="line-height:1.5;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif">At our meeting last evening, the Board of Trustees decided that we want to move forward with adopting this. To do so, we decided we will discuss and vote on a motion to adopt the Policy and Procedure at our next meeting, Monday, September 11 at 6:30. </div><div style="line-height:1.5;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif"><br>As always, anyone interested can attend that Board meeting. Or, if you prefer, please let any trustee know your thoughts or questions on this proposal anytime before. (The seven trustees are cc'd individually on this email.) </div><div style="line-height:1.5;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif"><br>Thanks!<br>Tom Cunningham<br>President, Board of Trustees</div><br></div><div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px"><br></div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px">
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<div><i><span style="font-family:"system-ui",sans-serif;font-size:9pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0)">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br></i></div><div><span style="font-family:"system-ui",sans-serif;font-size:9pt;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><i>I've changed my email address -- please use: </i></span><span style="font-family:"system-ui",sans-serif;font-size:9pt;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><a href="mailto:HoldtheG@proton.me" target="_blank">HoldtheG@proton.me</a></span></div><div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:9pt;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">Thanks,</span><br></i></div><div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:9pt;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><i>Tom</i></span></div>
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