CIC Call Descriptions

Intro to Descriptions:

In 2021, as I stepped into the role of Call Shepherd, I realized that I didn't really understand all the Calls: what purpose they each serve, and how they function. It occurred to me that having a list of Call descriptions could be helpful to other folks who may have been wondering what a particular Call is all about. It may help someone decide to join a Call that already exists, or see a need and create a new way to serve our group.

So, with the help of so many of you, here are descriptions of the various CIC Calls that volunteers have taken to make CIC the vibrant community that it is! Thank you all so very much!! Carol Rainwood

Altar Tender (by Zoe Dailey)

The intention of it will be unique and vary depending on the person who answers the call. For me (Zoe): ideally I have arrived with sufficient time to inhabit the act of setting up sacred space. Ideally this flows naturally from my heart and I am resonating with the Energy of the space as people arrive for service and beginning to weave those together as the circle forms. One of my favorite parts is when one of the kids wants to help!

Audio Assist Co-coordinator

Benevolence Shepherd

Bev's Team: Shopper

Call Shepherd (by Carol Rainwood)

• Is a member of Steering Circle & attends monthly Steering Circle meetings and Town Hall. Presents reports about projects/plans, & Call updates & gets feedback from SC members. Sends written report to the Town Hall Clerk, who posts meeting minutes on Wavelinks.
• Submits articles/Call needs to Wavelinks newsletter, and updates/removes the articles as needed.
• UPDATES the CALL LIST as Calls are created and filled, or an existing Call is changed-volunteers coming on or leaving. Sends updated list to Website Editor to be posted.
• Recruits new volunteers to fill Calls when a Call has an opening either by asking folks individually, or via Wavelinks newsletter, and during announcement time at Celebration.
• Helps find Leaders/Coordinators for certain events, such as our Retreats in Spring and Fall. May assist with getting volunteers for Holiday events such as Easter, Passover Seders, Solstice, Christmas Eve.
• In preparation for Annual Meeting in January: reaches out to everyone who has taken a Call to find out if there are changes to their Call. Presents a report at the meeting with an overview of the various volunteer roles that keep CIC moving.

Celebration Candle Provider

Celebration Flowers (by Karen Lohmann)

Celebration Music Co-coordinator (by Penny Purkerson July 2021 )

Celebration Musician (by Teasy Ryken, Ryan Stephens July 2021)

Celebration Planning Committee: (by Jo Curtz, Jodi Kline Sept. 2021 )

Celebration Set up/Take Down Coordinator

Celebration Set up/Take Down Team

Chanting Group Leader (by Jo Curtz Sept. 2021)

Children's Room Assistant & Children's/Youth Teacher Assistant (by Peg Henry)

Children's Snack Coordinator (by Gordon White)

• Just before each quarter begins: send out an email for volunteers to sign-up to provide snacks during the quarter, using a "pages document" with all Sundays listed for that quarter.
• Each Friday before Celebration that week, send a reminder to the person who signed up.
• Types of snacks include rice crackers, popcorn, baby carrots, apple slices, etc.

Community Support Team (9-24-21 by Sabra Hull)

What We Do:

• Receive and clarify the requests for help
• Bring the request to the community through email, announcements, & Wavelinks
• Coordinate the delivery of the service by communicating with the volunteers and the requester.

Kinds Of Help (But do not let this list limit your ideas!) include but are not limited to:

• Providing meals to a person or family
• Providing rides to CIC , appointments, other events
• Help with technology
• Heavy lifting
• Help with access to the recordings of the CIC celebrations
• Errands
• Occasional Light household help (fixing a leaking faucet, installing a donated airconditioner) for someone who has no other options for assistance

Frequency

The frequency of requests and general activity for the Community Support Team is variable and unpredictable, as is life. Sometimes an individual will need an intensive pulse of support due to their circumstances, and sometimes months will go by with no requests. The CIC Community is generally very responsive to requests, and only rarely is it challenging to find help for a Community member in need.

Nature Of The Work

The Community Support Team works collaboratively. We communicate amongst ourselves when a request arises, and decide who among us is willing and able to coordinate the request, or how coordination will be shared.

Limitations

• Occasionally there are requests and the volunteers' availability or ability falls short of the expressed need.
• We are typically not able to provide long term care, medical care, ongoing financial help
• Sometimes a requester needs help in creatively envisioning a solution that does NOT involve CIC

Community Support Team Coordinator

Computer Tasks Assistant (by Thad)

Connections Committee (by Hugh O'Neill, Cindy Guertin-Anderson, Megan Parke July 2021)

When hiring is done, the committee helps with the structure and the process and some of the paperwork (e.g. job descriptions). This can take several hours depending on the amount of hiring we need to do. The other main task is to help resolve disputes or disharmony between CIC members or within the community. This task varies with the situation. In one example, several meetings with CIC members were involved, an agreement with next steps was reached and some monitoring was completed.

Once a year, CC collaborates to develop, edit, distribute, collect, analyze and summarize the CIC Annual Evaluation. We then present to Town Hall. This takes several hours once per year.

Dances of UNIVERSAL PEACE- LEADER: (by Jo Curtz Sept. 2021)

Requirement for this Call is that the person be a mentored leader for the Dances of Universal Peace. (See their website for info.) In CIC, Jo Curtz is a dance mentor and Ted Ryle is a mentor in training.

Dharma Group, Convener (by Betty Hauser July 2021)

The texts are chosen by the participants, usually written by Buddhist teachers. The discussion is organic so some days there is a lot of discussion and some days very little.

Donations Shepherd (by Pat Starzyk Sept. 2021)

People donate money via PayPal, checks or, if they have a WSECU account, by direct transfer. The Donations Shepherd transfers the money into the donations account, and sends an acknowledgement card to the donor to thank them, letting them know that this card can be used for tax purposes. The donation stays in this Donations account unless the donor requests that it go to the Operating Budget or to Benevolence Fund. Sometimes the money is used for special projects, approved by Town Hall - for example: lunches for the Interfaith Works Shelter, paying for groceries when we have a family in sanctuary, and funds given to a musician for setting up our music for Zoom.

If a donation is made in honor of someone an email is sent to notify that person, unless the donor requests otherwise, or the honoree is deceased.

Sometimes there are special projects, like the lunches for the Interfaith Works Shelter, and these donations are transferred to the Benevolence Fund so the Benevolence Treasurer can write the checks. The Donations Shepherd doesn't write checks since there is limited activity.

Drum Circle Convener

Edit Ft Flagler/Retreats Binder

End of Life Circle Conveners (by Karen Lohmann, Hilarie, Leeann )

• Karen Lohman, Hilarie, Leeann and others have made presentations/workshops to small groups on Advance Care Planning,
• Spoken with folks & answered questions about end of life planning, funeral options, options for afterdeath planning, and about Karen's home funeral/ home vigil services.
• Have offered grief support to those who are experiencing a loss, or anticipating a loss of a loved one.
• Visited with CIC members in the hospital (also part of Karen's Chaplain work.)
• Witnessing of the end of life story for CIC members.
• Led Celebrations on the topic of Death and Dying.
• Promotion of education about death, and normalizing of death as a part of the life cycle.

Financial Audit: (by Betty Hauser, Pat Starzyk July 2021)

Finance Shepherd

1. Member of the CIC Steering Circle
2. Communicate to the community the financial health of CIC via reports at Townhall and Annual Meeting
3. Propose a budget
4. Annual Meeting
5. Calendar

Financial reports are generated for every Town Hall and for most Steering Circle meetings: The treasurer makes available bank balances and two spreadsheets, one for expenses, and the other for income, or pledges received. The Finance Shepherd interprets the data and generates a summary spreadsheet report for the Community. This report includes the amount spent on line items, remaining funds, bank balances, and a comparison between the percent of available budget funds and the percent of the remaining year. These reports are stored in the CIC Google Drive under "Finances"

During the later part of September, a draft budget for the following year is made. This draft budget is projected from expenses of the current year. This DRAFT budget proposal is presented to the SC, adjusted, and then presented to TH for discussion and approval. Once the DRAFT annual budget for the upcoming year is approved by TH, then the Pledge Drive begins by the Pledge Shepherd. Pledges from members and participants fund CIC expenses. If pledges fall short, the draft budget is amended at the Annual Meeting in January.

Annual meeting: occurs at the end of January and most of the pledges have been recorded. Annual meeting is also when the community checks in with itself and a big part of that is the budget for the year. A more finalized budget is presented and the community at the annual meeting comes to consensus and the budget is approved. Afterwards the minister's contract is signed by a representative from town hall and the minister.

Calendar of Events for FInance Shepherd:

• September
  • make a very "drafty" budget for the next year
  • Present to SC
  • Present to Town Hall for approval
  • Monthly budget report SC and TH
• October
  • Pledge Shepherd leads a Sunday Celebration/pledge drive kick off
  • Monthly budget report SC and TH
• November
  • Monthly budget report SC and TH
• December
  • Monthly budget report SC and TH
• January Year end budget report
  • Annual Meeting, Budget approval

Fundraiser Committee:

The 2022 committee brainstormed many new ideas, resulting in the first new fundraiser: the October 2022 "Movie Night in the Barn". For this event, the committee outlined the project plan, and recruited and led teams of volunteers to accomplish specific tasks.

Gompa Caretaker

Greeters

Interfaith Works Program Council Delegate: (Karen Tvedt, Ted Ryle, Jonnel Anderson Aug. 2021)

The Program Council includes delegates of faith community member organizations, and affiliate members. Its purpose is to promote cooperative relationships among diverse faith communities and affiliate members; propose, plan, and carry out the projects, programs, and events of Interfaith Works as approved by the Interfaith Works Board of Directors; act as liaison between Interfaith Works, members, and the wider community; and advise the Board of Directors regarding critical decisions.

All Faith Community Delegates shall: serve on one advisory council and attend its meetings; speak for and vote on behalf of their faith community; act as a liaison between Interfaith Works and their faith community; and advise the Board of Directors of Interfaith Works regarding critical decisions. Decisions are made during meetings by majority vote of those delegates at a meeting or their proxies, at which a quorum is present. The Program Council meets monthly except July, August and December.

Jonnel Anderson, Ted Ryle and Karen Tvedt currently share responsibility for representing CIC on the Program Council with the understanding that CIC has only one vote during the Annual Meeting and other times when the Program Council votes. The time commitment for Program Council meetings is approximately two hours a month. Committee participation and reporting back to CIC likely averages another two hours a month.

Labyrinth Walk Convener

Medical Equipment Shepherd (by Donna Spencer)

Meditation Group Convener

The Convener sends out a Zoom link on Monday before the Tuesday morning gathering. The announcement includes who will do the reading. The Convener ensures there are readers, & keeps track of the time during the meeting.

Ministers of Presence (by Karen Lohmann)

Phone Directory: Online Data Updater

Phone Directory Compiler

Makes corrections/additions and sends them to our Phone Directory Online Data Updater.

Pledge Shepherd

1. Initiate the annual pledge drive with a celebration in October
2. Track pledges and follow up with members. Make announcements at CIC and in Wavelinks, using the pledge thermometer graphic.
3. Follow up with members who haven't yet pledged, and maybe approach new participants.

Pledge Sunday Celebration occurs mid to Late October and is led by the Pledge Shepherd. Themes from the past have included a rotating pot Luck on Zoom, plays featuring stories about giving and generosity, potluck analogies, a little summary of CIC anticipated expenses for the upcoming year. During this time members and participants email, write down, or communicate to the Pledge Shepherd the amount they wish to pledge for the year. Pledges are not necessarily one time payments but are often given throughout the year. They are promises to pay over the course of the year. Many people are now making monthly automatic payments, but still need to confirm their yearly contributions to balance the budget. PLEDGE INFORMATION AND AMOUNTS ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. JUST THE TREASURER, PLEDGE SHEPHERD, FINANCE SHEPHERD, AND MAYBE A DESIGNATED ASSISTANT KNOW WHO GIVES AND HOW MUCH.

Often, follow up is required to ensure all pledges for the current year are received. This information is recovered from the pledges-received spreadsheet. An email or two to the pledgers is sometimes required. Sometimes pledges cannot be honored by the member, and that's ok. Follow up is important because if there is a surplus of pledge funds compared to expenses, the extra income helps finance the following year. This excess is called "carry over."

For the remainder of the calendar year, the Pledge Shepherd verbally reminds folks to pledge during CIC announcement time and submits written updates in the Wavelinks newsletter. Pledge drive progress is recorded and presented using a pledge thermometer graphic. As the year closes, follow up with members who have not yet pledged, are contacted. Also new participants and members can be approached at this time.

Annual meeting occurs at the end of January and most of the pledges have been recorded. Annual meeting is also when the community checks in with itself and a big part of that is the budget for the year. A more finalized budget is presented and the community at the annual meeting comes to consensus and the budget is approved.

Calendar of Events

• September
  • Finance Shepherd makes a very "drafty" budget for the next year.
• October
  • Pledge Shepherd leads Sunday Celebration/pledge drive kick off
  • Track down outstanding pledges
  • Record pledge amounts for next year
  • Announcements at Celebration and in Wavelinks
• November
  • Track down outstanding pledges
  • Record pledge amounts for next year
  • Announcements at Celebration and in Wavelinks
• December
  • Track down outstanding pledges
  • Record pledge amounts for next year
  • Announcements at Celebration and in Wavelinks
  • Check if all possible pledges for following year have been made
• January
  • Track down outstanding pledges
  • Check if all possible pledges for the year have been made
  • Record pledge amounts for next year
  • Announcements at Celebration and in Wavelinks

Potluck Coordinator

Prayer Support Team

The team works separately and remotely....that is we receive requests and Corey shares them with the group who each make a point to try to hold and uphold that prayer request either for a set amount of time or over a period of time that they determine sufficient.

The group does not have regularly scheduled meetings but has met in person several times over the past couple of years.

Racial Justice Sub-Committees

The subcommittees are:

• Assessment of CIC as an organization:
  This aspect of exploration will assist us in understanding our commitments to racial justice that are present, or lacking, in administrative and personnel issues as well as our marketing (website, social media) and associations/relationships with other communities or organizations.
• Discernment of community privilege:
  Asking questions such as, who are we....racially, gender, economically, age, spiritual/religious background, depth of familiarity with racial justice/equity concepts, rates of home ownership, insurance, savings stability, substance abuse history, etc. Determining areas of held privilege is recommended by Ijeoma Oluo for people wanting to discern the capacities in which they will be most effective as allies or workers for racial justice.
• Audit of CIC canon:
  An exploration of songs, authors, religious texts, and practices to help us see what are our spiritual and cultural "norms" and examine the ongoing sources that reinforce these norms. Asking questions such as, "What is missing? What or how do we want to be?"

Salmon Sale Coordinator

Salmon Sale to benefit Community Kitchen: Donor

Social Justice Committee (by Betty Hauser July 2021)

Social Justice Committee Convener (by Betty Hauser July 2021)

Songbook Tender

Steering Circle

Summer Soiree Coordinator

Summer Soiree Promoter

The Community Kitchen (TCK):

TCK Coordinator

• Emails volunteers to fill volunteer spots: for shopping, cooking, serving, & delivering the food.
• Shops for the food, unless a volunteer steps forward
• Oversees the kitchen and team of volunteers on the 2nd Saturday

The Community Kitchen Volunteers

It is a lively afternoon of community, cooking and togetherness. We welcome all who are interested to join us for a Saturday!)

• 1-2 volunteers are needed to shop for the food. This takes about an hour or perhaps less, for the more experienced shopper.
• The Cooking Shift: A group of about 5 volunteers meets from 2:30 - 4:45PM, to prepare the meal of enchiladas, corn, salad with veggies, chips and salsa and a dessert. Volunteers for this shift will wash and chop vegetables, make enchilada filling, cook the meal and package up some to-go meals. Light cleaning as well as setting up the food for serving is also needed for this shift.
• The Meal Serving Shift: a group of about 4 volunteers meet from 4:45 - 6:15PM to serve the food to the guests, by lining up and helping dish up the meals. During Covid times all of the meals are served to-go and there is no interacting with the guests, as Staff passes the food to the guests via a passthrough doorway. Light clean up is also needed during this shift.
• The Meal Delivering Team: 1-2 volunteers deliver a portion of the to-go meals to local shelters. It's helpful to have a vehicle that has enough room for several large boxes, and trays of hot and cold foods.

Town Hall Clerk (by Karen Tvedt Aug. 2021)

Town Hall Facilitator

• Leads the monthly Steering Circle meeting and Town Hall.
• Ensures that the Steering Circle and Town Hall agendas are created and sent out to members, with enough time allotted for discussion topics and reports.
• Facilitates discussions at these meetings, summarizing salient points and verifying the accuracy of the summation.
• During a meeting: works with participants to ensure that the meeting is flowing, and adjusts the agenda as needed.
• Helps participants move toward consensus. If we can't reach consensus, works to recognize concerns raised, and facilitate discussion.

Town Hall Regular

Update Bylaws & Articles of Incorporation

Wavelinks Newsletter Editor

Wavelinks Newsletter Email Distributor

Wavelinks/Website Photos

Wavelinks Poetry

Website Editor

Welcome Committee

Zoom Technician

Arrive at Celebration 20-30 minutes early, to set things up. Training is required and can involve one or more sessions of working with an experienced Zoom Tech to learn the ropes.