Treasurer Reports (see attached)
- 109k raised this year
- YEAA doing well, close to 28k
- 12k raised from and passed through to Branching Streams
- Plenty of money in the bank across Chase & Live Oak, things look good!
Financials Update
- We continue to segue to Zeffy
Temple Rental Increase
- Current: $900/month rent
- We don’t pay utilities
- We don’t have a formal lease w/ Hogetsu
- Request from Hogetsu: $1100/month
- Paula: Approve one-time boost, create a lease, have written out expectations re: future increases or adjustments for rent
- Unanimous approval – with understanding that we’ll have a more spelled-out rental agreement moving forward
Approval of Ethics & Reconciliation Documents
- Unanimous approval
Visioning Project
- Hogetsu: It’s been a long time since the sangha has done a long-term strategic plan–maybe not since 2007
- How does the sangha know when it’s ready to purchase a building or make growth changes?
- We need to learn more about who we are, our identity, the changes in our sangha, and the Buddhist world since the pandemic
- We also need to have a structure for succession planning. Hogetsu’s original agreement was a 3yr commitment
- Potential consultants w/ background in vision planning to reach out to?
- Renee Michaels (Dave Doerksen’s wife)
- Thomas Bruner
- Lisa Hoffman
- Paula has personal exp with working with external vision planning consultant and found it very helpful; it helped to know what was needed to move toward a vision in terms of financial and human resources
- Bruner might be better for a capital campaign
- Michaels is on-the-ground here, she typically does work with much larger and lucrative orgs but has offered and is interested in ADZG
- This is already one of the stated goals for our YEAA fundraising
- This will be on the January agenda
Fundraising Update
- On point with road map for YEAA
- Raised $12k; $27k total thus far
- Will already gave matching $15k
Board Elections & Survey Results
- Yana & Rick elected to the board
- Trip to SFZC/GGF/TZMC: 35 responded, 19 yes 16 no
- Children’s programming
- 25 people responded; 22 solid no
- If we did children’s programming, we would need people and space to run it, and we’d need to consider legal liability concerns
Appreciation to Reuben for his support and guidance on the board. He could not make it due to family commitments. He stepped in during a critical transitional period. Thank you Reuben!!
Committees
- Finance committee: Nothing to report
- Fundraising committee: Nothing to report
- Promotions committee: Nothing to report
- Technology: Nothing to report
- Hospitality and sangha care committee: Nothing to report
Guiding Teacher Report
- Rohatsu
- Several people said they’d “never seen people work so harmoniously together” – “warm blanket”
- Practice leadership felt like they could make their own decisions without checking in with Hogetsu
- Changes: orientation 1st morning, no discussion during tea
- Considering starting orientation + zazen the night before sesshins
- Tenzo Mike → Tenzo Wade
- Jake has support from Asst Work Leader Andy
- Challenges
- Lot of planning for 2026
- Ritual
- Elaborated a lot of ceremonies this year, consultation, training, etc.
- Hogetsu exploring how to train a priest – several people in discussion
- Solo retreat
- Hogetsu doing 10-day in February
- Doanryo
- Wants more folks trained in doan roles
- Hogetsu creating a practice structure to better orient people to roles, functions
- Branching Streams
- We need a new rep for Branching Streams Council
- PCP
- May be on the brahmaviharas; theme of “tending self and others”
- Including a Paula Arai book
- Sangha advocacy
- Sangha is self-organizing