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Memo 3: Moving from Program Council to Congregational Councils
April 5, 2004
Index of Leadership Memos
Several difficulties with the current Program Council structure have been experienced in the last few years. First, the basic calendaring and finance functions of the Council are now staff responsibilities. The budget and calendar have become too complicated for volunteers to manage on the small amount of volunteer time they have available. Second, the number of committees that were organized to report to Program Council was too large for the Council to get a sense of the overall program of Eliot. And third, the at-large election of Program Council members has meant the members are not closely connected to the committees themselves. Committee chairpersons have not attended Program Council meetings regularly in recent years.
Instead, the Governance Committee recommended that smaller councils with common interests be set up. They recommended a possible structure for these Councils, but they thought there was a lot of flexibility in the way the Councils could be organized.
The Board is considering a “pilot” Congregational Council for next year. This Council would be in the area of Social Action/Social Justice, and would bring together the various Eliot committees that work in this area. These committees would no longer report to Program Council, but would come together about three times a year for an overview of the entire Social Action program of Eliot. Next year will give us a chance to see how this council structure will actually operate.
Additionally, the Religious Education Committee has already begun to view itself and do its work using a Council structure. We could see a future Council around the area of Activities (Fun Committee, hikers’ group, Life Enrichment Groups, and other social activities). Other areas for possible councils could arise in the course of congregational life. Meanwhile, Program Council will be removed from the congregational organization. This move is heartily endorsed by the sitting Program Council members.
The next memo will give more details on just how we expect to structure these councils.