Policies, General

5-96.1 There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the four officers of the Board who shall be authorized to act for the Board between Board meetings in such matters as are delegated to them within these policies or by other action of the Board.

5-96.2 At its first meeting in June, the new Board of Trustees shall choose Board members to be liaisons to the major committees of the church.

5-96.4 It shall take an affirmative vote by more than half the total Board membership of the Board of Trustees to pass any motion.

5-96.5 When a meeting of the Board is impractical and the President deems that a matter must be decided upon immediately, a telephone poll of all available members of the Board may be made. An affirmative vote by more than half the voting members will fulfil the requirements of Bylaw 060.3 for a special meeting of the Board.

5-96.6 It shall be the policy of the Board to provide child care for congregational meetings. Details of the arrangements shall be published in the newsletter in advance of the meeting.

5-96.7 No person shall hold more than one elective church office at a time. No member of the Board of Trustees shall serve as a committee chair except as required by the Bylaws.

6-01.8 Voting by Email: Routine or non-controversial motions may be brought to the Board by email. Any member of the Board may offer such a motion to the President, who shall have the Secretary circulate the motion to the Board and tally the votes. Members may vote "aye" or "defer" (meaning defer until the next meeting), and they may change their votes after voting. Members should share their votes and accompanying remarks with all Board members. If more than one Board member votes to "defer," then the motion will be deferred. Otherwise, if the motion receives at least six "aye" votes, the motion passes.

The Secretary shall use the following procedures:

1. The Secretary will set a deadline, probably 6-9 days, for votes to be received. Two votes will be possible, "aye" or "defer" (meaning defer to the next meeting).

2. If any two Board members vote to "defer," then the motion will be deferred until the next meeting.

3. If, after a Board member has voted "aye," another Board member votes to "defer," the first Board member may reconsider his/her vote and vote to "defer." [The assumption here is that the second Board member has indicated that the motion deserves face-to-face discussion and the first Board member now agrees.]

4. If at most one Board member votes to "defer," and if at least six members of the Board vote "aye," then the motion shall have passed.

See also Finances (below)
6-96.1 The Executive Committee shall oversee administration of the budget.

6-96.2 Approval of committee expenditures is generally the responsibility of the committee chairperson or, in the absence of a chairperson, of the Board trustee action as liaison to the committee. The committee chairperson is responsible for keeping committee expenditures within the approved budget. Church members, committees, and employees may commit church funds only by authorization of the Board or Congregation. Expenditures beyond the budget must be approved by the Executive Committee or the Board of Trustees. The Treasurer shall have a signed voucher approving payment before reimbursing anyone for expenditures from any budget category. (Revised 8/02)

6-96.3 Funds from the Lay conference and Travel budget shall be allocated by the Board to official denominational conference delegates (RE, Youth, GA, PNWD, etc) prior to the event.

6-96.4 The Stability Fund shall be managed as follows:

  1. At the end of a fiscal year, excess General Fund income shall be transferred to the Stability Fund. Any pledge payments received after the Treasurer closes the books for a given year shall also be placed in the Stability Fund.

  2. If a deficit arises in the General Fund during the fiscal year the Board may transfer money from the Stability Fund only to pay: a) staff salaries and payroll taxes; b) mortgage payments, and c) costs of repairs for major damage to church property not covered by insurance.

  3. Any deficit in the General Fund at the end of the fiscal year may be covered by transferring money from the stability Fund.

6-96.5 Any deficits in the General Fund which remain after the provisions of the Stability Fund given above have applied shall be handled as follows:

1. During the fiscal year, if the remaining deficit exceeds two percent of the total budget and the Board does not believe the deficit can be made up in the following month, a special meeting of the membership shall be called with at least 14 days written notice to deal with the situation.

2. At the end of the fiscal year, if the remaining deficit exceeds one percent of the total budget, a special meeting of the membership shall be called with at least 14 days written notice to deal with the situation.

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5-96.1 All requests for use of church premises must be cleared through the church office, under the supervision of the Minister and/or the president. If the appropriateness of the proposed use is in question, it will be referred to the Executive Committee. In case of conflicting requests for church use, the following priorities apply:

1. Regularly scheduled church functions
2. Members
3. Rentals

5-96.2 All users of the church building shall pay the required fees as set forth in the current Rental Fee Schedule and shall abide by the Rules and Regulations for use of the church premises with the following exceptions:

  1. Rental fees will only be waived for members and may be waived by the Executive Committee, in the case of an emergency by minister and/or the president, for personal occasions; such as weddings, (including weddings of children of members), anniversaries, memorials of non-members, and as seems appropriate.

  2. Rental Fees may be reduced by 30% for recognized charitable, educational, or social service organizations.

  3. Special cases must be referred to the Executive Committee for consideration.

5-96.3 Any uses of the premises will require a fee for the services of the custodian.

5-96.4 When church facilities are leased or rented over an extended period of time to another institution, that institution shall be required to carry its own liability insurance and the Unitarian Church in Eugene and Lane County named as an additional insured in such policies.

5-96.6 Alcoholic beverages, limited to beer and wine, may be served at official Church functions only. Exceptions, such as champagne for toasting at weddings, may be granted by the Executive Committee.

5-96.7 All church users shall abide by the Eugene City Sound ordinance which prohibits intrusive noise after 10:00 PM.

5-96.8 No animals, with the exception of guide dogs for the blind, are permitted in the building.

5-96.9 Use of church property (interior and exterior) is restricted to the time-frame specified in the Lease Agreement.

5-96.11 A current Rental Fee Schedule and Lease Agreement along with the RENTAL POLICIES AND GUIDELINES shall be an addendum to the Policies.

5-96.1 Any items to be sold, the methods for sale of such items, and any potential remuneration to the Church from such sales, are to be approved by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.

5-96.2 Exhibitors of items of value for purposes of sale of said items must sign a waiver of responsibility form.

5-96.1 Committees not listed as standing committees in the Bylaws may be established by the Board of Trustees as needed.

5-96.2 Unless membership on a committee is specified in the Bylaws, as committee may be made up of any interested members and friends of the church. However, the chairperson must be a church member.

5-96.4 Committee chairpersons shall be responsible for keeping expenditures within the approved committee budget and will present or have presented a signed voucher to the church Treasurer before a request for reimbursement from any budget category will be honored.

5-96.1 The Board of Trustees affirms the official Guidelines of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association regarding confidentiality between the minister and members. A copy of these guidelines is on file in the church office.

5-96.2 The confidentiality of private communications between members of the Board of Trustees acting in their official capacity and other members of the church community shall be respected absolutely.

5-96.3 The church shall keep on file only personal information specifically provided by members and friends such as directory and pledge information. Records of pledges and other donations will be shared only on a "need to know" basis unless specific permission is given by the donor.

See also specific Safe Congregation Policies

1-97.1 Computer programs will not be loaded on the hard drives of the office computers without permission of the Office Administrator and/or the Computer Committee which will consult with the Office Administrator before any program is loaded. All work done by committees shall be saved on disk, rather than hard drive, unless approval is given by the Office Administrator or the Computer Committee. The Office Administrator shall maintain a list of such approved exceptions. The Office Administrator or Computer Committee may remove unauthorized programs and files at their discretion to enhance proper computer use.

5-96.1 The Unitarian Church in Eugene and Lane County affirms and supports its members and friends who, as a matter of conscience, feel that they must refuse to serve their country in military service. (Adapted closely from a policy adopted by the congregation on May 18, 1980.)

5-96.1 Active members and contributing friends will receive one copy of the directory free each year. Additional distribution will be determined by the Membership Committee.

5-96.2 The directory is intended for personal use only. Any use of the directory for commercial purposes or by any organization other than the Unitarian Church in Eugene and Lane County is prohibited. This disclaimer is to be published in the front of every edition of the directory.

5-96.3 As a general rule, the church mailing list will not be provided to anyone outside the denomination. Only the Board of Trustees can override this rule should such a request for use be made.
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See also Budget Expenditures (above)
6-96.1 There shall be one checking account to handle money for the immediate needs of the General Fund. Money not needed to meet the immediate needs of the church and other Fund money should be deposited in federally insured financial instruments such as money market accounts and certificates of deposit for the purpose of earning interest.

6-96.2 The Treasurer's responsibility includes the regular function of moving money between the checking account and higher interest-bearing insured accounts in order to obtain a prudent level of interest income but retain necessary funds on hand to pay church obligations. The Treasurer should consult with the Finance Committee to obtain assistance as may be necessary in identifying the best interest-bearing opportunities.

6-96.3 Reimbursements for out-of-pocket expenses and donations to or purchases at any fund-raisers will not be considered pledge payments.

Agreement and Guidelines
A committee called H.E.L.P. (the Homeless Emergency Living Program) is responsible for clear communication between the homeless family temporarily staying at the church and the Board of Trustees and the congregation of the Unitarian-Universalist Church. The purpose of the committee is to balance the concerns of the congregation and the neighborhood with the needs of the guest family. The church provides a temporary housing situation to enable a family to gather the resources for more permanent housing. Neither the church nor the H.E.L.P. committee is qualified to provide social services, counseling, or substance abuse treatment. The family usually consists of one or two adults with a child or children. Eligible families are referred by First Place or a comparable social service entity that can provide ongoing support and assistance to the family. St. Vincent de Paul administers the Overnight Parking program. The H.E.L.P committee interviews prospective families and supervises the stay of the family selected.

The church and the H.E.L.P committee strive to create a friendly and supportive environment. The family is welcome to attend church events including Sunday services and to participate in the religious education program. If the family wishes, the church will make its newsletter available; however, the family is not expected nor required to join our community as a condition for temporary housing.

In addition to the relevant St. Vincent de Paul Agency Guidelines, the following agreements are the basis for participation in the temporary housing program at this location.

The UU church will provide parking space for one trailer or camper and a maximum of one operable vehicle.

The guest family will have access to the lower level lavatory area containing a sink and toilet. An electric plug-in receptacle and water spigot are available. The church dumpster bin is conveniently located near the trailer site. (Showers and laundry facilities are available at the First Place Center.)

The church phone is not available for outgoing or incoming calls. There is a pay phone nearby at the Safeway store at 40th and Donald and at the First Place Center.

The family’s mail should not be addressed to the church but should continue to be sent to First Place or another safe place selected by the family. A message mailbox for hand delivered communications will be provided near the family’s living space.

There is a required monthly “check-in” meeting with the H.E.L.P. committee. In-between these monthly meetings a designated H.E.L.P. member and a back-up H.E.L.P. member are available for questions and assistance. The guest family will respond to any messages from the committee and its designated representatives in a timely manner and will also attend any specially scheduled meetings. H.E.L.P. Chairperson is _______.

The length of stay is initially a 2- week trial period. After a successful trial period, monthly extensions are possible. The maximum stay is a total of 9 months.

The guest family will keep their designated area neat and clean at all times. Unfortunately the site does not have room for outside storage of tenant possessions nor any non-functioning vehicle. Since the bathroom facility is shared by the congregation and its children at various times during the week, it shall be kept presentable at all times by the guest family. Personal hygiene items and family items such as toothbrushes shall be kept in an agreed upon location. Cleaning supplies will be provided by the church.

No pets of any kind (except a certified service animal) are allowed.

No guns, weapons, alcohol, or illegal drugs are allowed on the church property or in the living quarters at any time. No illegal activity is permitted.

Abusive or aggressive behavior or language by the family or any friends is not allowed.

Smoking can only occur inside the family living quarters or transportation vehicle or outside on the gravel portion of the church parking lot. All cigarette butts shall be placed in an approved fireproof container.

Children under 16 will not be left alone and will be supervised by an adult at all times.

No camping or tents outside of vehicles is allowed.

If this agreement is violated, St Vincent de Paul will be notified and will ask the guest family to leave immediately. Any abandoned or non-functioning vehicles on the property will be towed be First Place.

Additional items specific to selected guest: __________

Cell phone number, a copy of all vehicle registration documents, and emergency and work phone numbers shall be on file at the church office, at First Place and with H.E.L.P. chairperson and with designated H.E.L.P. back-up person.

Only one vehicle can be parked in church parking lot; the other operable vehicle must be parked elsewhere and must not become a problem for any church neighbor.

Homeless family representative: sign and print name
Date:
H.E.L.P. representative: sign and print name
Date:

Copy to Board of Trustees, Church Minister, Church Administrative Secretary, H.E.L.P. Committee members, Bulletin Board, St. Vincent de Paul contact person, Guest Family

6-96.1 A key to the church or any part thereof shall be loaned to persons who needs to use them to perform their duties in a timely and efficient manner. Key holders must sign a statement which shall be an addendum to the policies.

5-96.1 There shall be a Lay Ministry program. It shall operate under guidelines attached to this policy manual and be subject to review whenever the church calls a settled minister.

6-96.1 The only requirement of membership under the current Bylaws is signing the Membership Book. To facilitate integration into the church, new members will be requested to:
   1. complete a New Member Information Sheet,
   2. attend an orientation series conducted by the Membership Committee, and,
   3. participate in an official welcoming ceremony at a worship service.

Lifetime member: a person who has been a member for an extended period of time and is no longer physically or financially able to meet the requirements of membership. Names will be submitted by the membership committee to the Board of trustees for approval.

Resignations: members may withdraw from membership by submitting a written or oral resignation.

Removals of names from the membership rolls: a member may be excluded from membership for cause by action of the Board of Trustees in accordance with the safe congregation policy.

Membership Roll: the official roll for denomination purposes shall be updated annually by the membership committee and shall be submitted to the Board on or before January 20th. A preliminary figure shall be submitted to the board prior to the Annual Board Meeting each January.

6-96.2 New members are to be informed of the general financial condition of the church and the cost to the church of each membership is to be explained clearly.

6-96.3 New members are to be informed on opportunities for participation in church activities and for volunteering time to maintain church operations.

6-96.4 New members are to have read the "Principles and Purposes of Unitarian-Universalism"

6-96.5 A mentor, Board of Trustees Liaison or the minister will help in welcoming a new member in the above ways and by emphasizing that the primary value of each member to the church is the gift of their personhood and not their tangible contributions.

The Board of Trustees encourages the contribution of unrestricted memorial gifts and bequests. Gifts with specified restriction will be accepted only after the Board of Trustees's review. When the gift is landscape material or an art object, the Board of Trustees, or an appointed committee, will consider the compatibility of such a gift with long-range plans, its preferred location, and general suitability. All gifts will be acknowledged and careful record shall be kept of all gifts and acknowledged each year in the Annual Report.

6.01.1 UNDESIGNATED GIFTS POLICY

1) Any bequest, or gift described as "In memory of..." or with similar wording, of any amount, is considered a donation to the Endowment Fund.

2) Any undesignated gift of $500 or more will be transferred to the Endowment Fund, after any outstanding pledge balance is satisfied.

3) Any undesignated gift under $500 will be transferred to the General Fund, after any outstanding pledge balance is satisfied.

5-96.1 The minister's contract and all employee contracts shall be on file in the church office and available to members.

The Nominating Committee is encouraged to invite at-large members of the Board to serve a second two-year term. The Nominating Committee is also encouraged to consider asking the immediate Past President to serve as an at-large member of the Board.

6-96.1 Personnel policies and procedures and job descriptions for all ministerial and non-ministerial personnel shall be included in a Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual which will be maintained in the church office and available to any employee.

6-96.2 The Personnel Committee shall recommend Personnel Policies and Procedures to the Board of Trustees and carry out the same.

6-96.3 The Personnel Committee shall:
  1) Review the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual (at least annually) and recommend changes, if any, to the Board of Trustees.
  2) Review the job performance of non-ministerial employees (at least annually) and report results to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.
  3) Recommend a proposed salary for each non-ministerial employee to the Budget Committee prior to the setting of the annual proposed budget.

6-96.4 The Personnel Committee shall act as the selection committee to fill vacant, non-ministerial staff positions and recommend them to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.

6-96.5 As needed, the Personnel Committee will recommend any reduced, expanded or new staff positions to the Board of Trustees.

5-96.1 These Policies are established by the Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Church in Eugene and Lane County and are subject to change by the majority vote of this Board. These policies in no way alter the Bylaws of the church.

5-96.2 These policies will be reviewed annually by two members of the Board of Trustees between June and November.

5-96.3 New policies shall be:
  1. Reviewed at one Board meeting.
  2. Announced in the next copy of the church newsletter with a contact person listed.
  3. Approved or rejected at a following Board meeting.
  4. Printed in the church newsletter and added to the policy manual within two weeks following passage, and approval of Board Minutes.

5-96.4 A copy of this manual shall be available in the church office at all times. Policies will be grouped together in general categories in this manual, and the categories will be arranged and numbered in a manner determined and revisable by the Executive Committee. Two items will be included in some fashion with each policy, possibly parenthetically at the end of the policy: (1) the date of enactment of the policy and the dates of any revisions to it, and (2) a reference to the number of any bylaw(s) to which the policy is specifically linked.

5-96.1 Candidates for public office shall not be invited to speak in church to promote their candidacy except as part of a public forum to which all candidates for the same post have been invited.

6-99.1 The following are acceptable political activities: Voter Registration. Collecting signatures for non-partisan ballow initiatives. Promoting non-partisan ballot measures.

6-00.2 The following are unacceptable political activities: Promoting a political party. Promoting an individual candidate.

5-96.1 The content, editing, and format of each issue of the newsletter are the responsibilities of the appointed Newsletter Editor.

5-96.2 The Publicity Committee will regularly review Newsletter policy and practices, and shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Editor.

5-96.3 Committee Chairs are responsible for the publicity of matters within their jurisdiction, and for submission of news items relative to their committees to the Newsletter Editor. The Board of Trustees shall give a summary of their actions for inclusion in the newsletter.

5-96.5 Priority for inclusion of items in the newsletter shall be:
(1) Announcements of future church events
(2) News of church programs, events, members, and summary of Board of Trustees actions,
(3) A column by the Minister,
(4) Comments and suggestions submitted by members and friends of the church, and,
(5) Brief notices of community events of probable interest to the church.

5-96.6 The Publicity Committee and/or editor shall set the schedule for the newsletter.

6-96.1 The minister will be entitled to sabbatical leaves based on years of service to accrue at one month for each year of service.

6-96.2 A sabbatical may be taken after the fourth year of service, but accrued entitlement will not exceed six months.

6-96.3 When the minister wishes to take sabbatical leave, he/she will submit a request in writing to the Board of Trustees three months in advance: the request shall be accompanied by a plan for the use of the sabbatical time.

6-96.4 The timing of the sabbatical will be negotiated with the Board of Trustees who will approve, in writing, and who will appoint a sabbatical committee to arrange for normal ministerial tasks during the sabbatical period.

6-96.5 The minister shall receive all regular salary and fringe benefits during the sabbatical leave and this time shall be exclusive of normal vacation periods.

6-96.6 The minister may accept any special funds from study grants, gifts, etc., but shall not accept any ministerial position during the sabbatical leave period.

6-96.7 The minister shall agree in writing to return to this church for at least a year following sabbatical and the congregation shall agree to maintain the ministerial contract for at least one year following a sabbatical.

6-96.8 Sabbatical funds or accrued time will not be a part of any termination package.

6-96.9 A copy of this policy shall be part of any contract (letter of agreement) with a called minister of this church.

5-96.1 The Unitarian Church in Eugene and Lane County is committed to promoting a safe and welcoming environment supportive of personal and spiritual growth. This church recognizes the right of its ministers, employees, contractors, members, and guests to have an environment free of interpersonal violence such as harassment and abuse. Violations would include abuse or harassment of a physical, psychological, or sexual nature.

5-96.2 We believe that harassment and abuse are not the fault of the victim. A person who has been harassed or abused needs support, empowerment, and a structure which provides an effective, safe and prompt response to his or her complaint. We understand that harassment and abuse may not be intentional, but may, in fact, arise through miscommunication or lack of awareness.

5-96.3 When uncomfortable and/or unacceptable behaviors occur, individuals can sometimes resolve the situation themselves through direct discussion with the responsible party. Since this direct approach is not always appropriate, a Safe Congregation Committee shall be formed to provide the church with a means of safely and effectively resolving such situations.

5-96.4 We recognize the right of an individual who is accused of inappropriate behavior to respond to the allegations at least in a written form.

5-96.5 This church supports the policies of the Unitarian Universalist Association and its Ministerial Fellowship Committee regarding professional behavior which are not part of this document. These Safe Congregation Policies and Procedures are also considered to include prohibitions against all criminal behaviors.

5-96.6 Specific Safe Congregation Policies and Procedures which include specific guidelines for the formation and functioning of the Safe Congregation Committee are added as an important addendum to these policies.

5-96.1 On request, cremated remains of members and friends of the church may be appropriately scattered over church grounds, in accordance with applicable Oregon law.

6-96.1 Individuals who wish to sponsor some event or support some view which is not directly part of the regular church functions or programs may do so in their own names, or in the name of the sub-group they represent, upon the endorsement of the sub-group.

6-96.2 An individual or group who wishes the church as a whole to act as a sponsor or as a supporter of a particular secular view or matter of public policy must present the proposed action to the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees may decide to refer the matter to the membership for action or it may act for the membership.

6-96.3 Any proposal to use the name of the church as sponsor or supporter which is referred to the public media regarding the proposal will be disseminated by the Publicity Committee or a Board-appointed spokesperson and will specify the actual vote.