Minutes – Council Meeting Jan 2020
Agenda by AH (Chair)
Prelims to settle:
Minute-taking, -posting, and access issues
Setting Time for meeting and agenda items
Leaving time to firm up decisions, actions, and statements
1 Minutes and Matters arising if not part of main agenda
2 team reports and action points for council
E.g. feedback on the solstice day
projects to be approved , and other programme items
3 issues raised by invitation to Sakyong by the Boards and DCL , including statements from LMSC teams, next steps?
4 preparations for Shambhala day, community involvement, survey/ ballot re next strategic steps for LMSC
5 David Schneider resignation letter LMSC response / actions
6 PT feedback
7 Council chair meeting with Trustees this Saturday 11th re: new structure review
8 AOB
9 Next meeting
Present: PB, AH, FH, MK, PG
1 Previous Minutes by MK reviewed and approved
- Action: PG to help MK with upload of minutes to Google Drive. [done]
- Action: AH to organise Google Drive training for rest of Council.
2 Team reports:
- CDI team: John Seex to facilitate sth. about SI and Sakyong? Or rather an external facilitator? Some time between Shambhala Day and June?
- CDI also to host a tea party in context of refurbishing PMH.
- Action: FH to email Jez about Shambhala Day event.
- Action: CDI to define date, facilitator, and process for community discussion, to be circulated among all teams and trustees.
- HW team: nothing to report, other HW member currently away.
- Action: HW team to follow up on Care and Conduct cases (in January).
- P&E team: see P&E minutes (programming, changes, holding space for range of views),
- Action: AH to create simplified protocol for programme proposal form.
- Finance team: LSMC to cut 30% of dues to SE due to reduced income and need for savings. Question of SMR’s return and organisation’s reputation. Need for financial strategy and incremental income growth: rental options, book shop, question of teachers’ honorarium (to be simplified); payment for Oxford group’s rent to be stopped in 6 months; renewal of LSMC lease (Paul V); simplified programme protocol form, improved marketing; Lama Rod programme (£40 per day and person, £20 concessions, + donations in 50/50 split); possible benefactor with £150k and another matching donor with £150k for LSMC property? Patron price to subsidise programme fees? Pricing structure for programmes in general?
- Feedback from Solstice: very successful, warm atmosphere.
3 issues raised by invitation to Sakyong by the Boards and DCL , including statements from LMSC teams, next steps?
+
4 preparations for Shambhala day, community involvement, survey/ ballot re next strategic steps for LMSC
+
6 PT feedback
- Organising a proper discussion and community consultation
- Community to form view together, process
- With input from existing emails and conversations
- Liaise with other groups and centres
- PT feels sidelined, where is the community involvement? Ongoing PT-wide Zoom calls, felt lack of empowerment and agency.
- Question of disaffiliation and its consequences (legal and financial, e.g. Shambhala database, websites, ability to offer Shambhala Training etc.)
- Question of process
- Options: do sth. very soon, something between Shambhala Day and June, and/or gather more information and organise more consultation, more time needed.
- Actions: CDI to define date, facilitator, and process for community discussion, to be circulated among all teams and trustees. CDI to propose consultation to commence prior to Shambhala Day 2020, in a series of meetings over 6-7 weeks with Open Space technology, perhaps facilitated by an external professional. Proposal for process to include comments from Council emails and other input by LSMC members. Shambhala Day to follow a similar model as for Solstice.
- Action: AH to share Cynthia MacKay’s messages to his account.
5 David Schneider resignation letter LMSC response / actions
- David Schneider resigned from his role as Acharya (senior teacher & representative appointed by SMR).
- Council feels this is a courageous step and appreciates his open, heart-felt letter.
- David Schneider is already invited to teach an arts programme and for the Bleddfa retreat.
7 Council chair meeting with Trustees this Saturday 11th re: new structure review
- Action: AH to attend meeting and inform trustees about Council activities: learning curve, not all teams fully formed, concerns about energy/understaffed roles, question of the extent to which community feels exhausted or energised. Community building at the heart of our approach.
- Action: Place special focus on community building and inclusion on next agenda.
8 AOB
- Cailin accepted invitation to join Council meetings as youth representative.
- Action: FH to share Cailin’s text.
9 Next meeting
- Date of next meeting: Monday, 10th February 2020, 6-7.30 pm UK time.