FRS Parish Committee Policies
1.1 Philosophy of Governance
The FRS uses democratic processes throughout its governance. That governance begins with statements of vision and mission as expressed by the congregation and voted on in congregational meetings. The Parish Committee uses those statements to guide its own strategic decision making and to formulate clear, written policies to delegate management decision-making. These policies are carried out by FRS staff members, officers of the church, committees, appointed task forces and subcommittees, and program volunteers.
The aim of this policy approach is to enable good works to be accomplished without unnecessary obstruction or intervention and to foster creativity in church life.
Specifically, in these policies, the Parish Committee strives:
· To unlock the energies of senior staff, volunteers and committee members
· To free the congregation to expand its aspirations and to undertake shared acts of compassionate service
The Parish Committee devotes its own attention to discernment, strategy and oversight. Thus, it governs primarily by
a.) Understanding the congregation's vision and mission statements and overseeing the periodic reevaluation of those statements.
b.) Setting goals and making strategic choices based on the congregation’s vision and mission.
c.) Writing policies that guide the church’s governance and care of its resources.
d.) Evaluating the congregation's leadership, including that of the Parish Committee.
November 10, 2010
1.2 Parish Committee Covenant
We, the Parish Committee of the First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist, in Newburyport, Massachusetts, agree to serve our congregation’s mission and to do so in respectful relationship with each other. Each of us will act in the best interests of the First Religious Society as a whole. We shall welcome varied points of view, listening with open minds. We will enjoy, honor, empower and respect the value of each member of our committee. We will seek consensus. We will value both full discussion and careful decision making. After deliberation and decision making, we each will support the will of the committee as a whole.
We will attend meetings regularly and prepare with care. We will respect the value of our time together by beginning and ending our meetings on time. We will focus more on strategic leadership and governance by policy and less on reacting to immediate issues or taking up time with administrative detail. We will each be responsible for striving for excellence in our governance, and in the continuation of effective governance, and we will each strive to learn and grow in our Parish Committee work.
November 10, 2010
1.3.1 PC Agenda
Agenda Team: The FRSUU Parish Committee (PC) empowers a team to prepare its monthly meeting agenda. This team consists of the members of the Executive Committee—i.e., a designated member of the Parish Committee, if not the Chair; the minister; and the Business Administrator. This team is responsible for the meeting packet, which shall contain all reports, the agenda, and supporting materials. The Business Administrator will email the packet to the PC no later than five days in advance of the meeting.
Reports: The agenda team will solicit reports and suggestions from the Parish Committee, Leadership Council officers, active task forces, and working groups. All reports must be emailed to the office at least a full week before the meeting. All reports, including those of the minister and treasurer(s), must be in writing. Legal, financial, and informational materials required for review as a basis for decision-making by the Parish Committee must be included in full. If a report contains a proposed action for PC approval, it should be stated clearly in the form of a motion. Late reports will be held over for the following month’s meeting packet.
Discussion and Consent Agenda: The agenda team will prepare a cover page containing the following elements in any order that best facilitates the committee’s work.
· Call to Order – Meeting is opened with a reading by the minister.
· Open Issues – Two to three major topics involving open discussion. All of these topics will bear directly upon the Parish Committee’s discernment, strategy, and oversight roles, especially with regard to creation or amendment of governance policies.
o Members should bring new topics to the attention of the Chair. This ensures that meeting time will be allotted when any research or resources needed to prepare the committee for discussion are completed.
· New Business – Action items, each requiring discussion and voting. For each item, the agenda will identify the presenter, time needed for discussion, and (if practicable) the text of the motion to be acted upon.
· Consent Agenda – These items—covering minutes, reports and documents provided in the packet—require action that the agenda team believes does not require discussion or debate. Parish Committee members are expected to review all items listed before the meeting, and be prepared to responsibly approve them in one vote.
o During the meeting, members may move that any item be removed from the Consent Agenda so it can be discussed before action is taken on it. This approach is ideal for situations in which the item itself is not in doubt, but specific details regarding it need to be quickly clarified or corrected before it is approved.
o If a member believes that an item contained in the Consent Agenda requires extensive discussion, he or she should inform the Parish Committee chair at least two days before the meeting. This will ensure that the chair has the opportunity to explore the item further in light of the member’s concerns, and effectively manage the committee’s time.
Adopted by the Parish Committee on December 8, 2010
1.3.2 Board Committees
Space saved for future policy on governance structure and board committees.
1.3.3 Conflicts of Interest
Members of the FRSUU Parish Committee (PC) will carry out their duties with undivided loyalty to the congregation and its mission. Loyalty in this context means putting the work and well-being of the church ahead of any personal gain. A conflict of interest exists whenever a member or a close relative of a member has interests or duties that interfere with that member’s duty of loyalty. The conflicting interest may be financial, moral, political, or theological, or involve any special privilege.
Conflicts of interest arise when a Parish Committee member:
· Stands to gain or lose because of a PC action.
· Has a fiduciary duty or close personal or business relationship to any person or corporation that stands to gain or lose because of a PC action.
· Holds a substantial property interest in a corporation or business, or serves as an officer or board member of another non-profit organization that stands to gain or lose because of a PC action.
· Cannot set aside his or her personal preferences as an individual consumer of the congregation’s services to vote in behalf of the whole congregation and its mission.
· Faces any other situation that creates or appears to create divided and conflicting loyalties.
The Parish Committee requires each member:
· Each year, by the first committee meeting in September, to disclose in writing all existing or foreseeable conflicts of interest, as well as to do so immediately should any conflict arise at any time. Disclosure forms shall be kept by the Business Administrator and made available to any member of the congregation who requests them.
In each instance in which a conflict of interest is identified, the Parish Committee will:
· Meet to discuss (without the affected parties) to determine whether a conflict exists and how it should be handled. During this period, the affected member will withdraw from the committee. Depending on the seriousness of the conflict, possible responses include:
o Disclosure. A supplemental disclosure form shall be filed by the affected member, who may then continue to participate and vote as usual.
o Recusal. The member shall disclose the conflict and withdraw from the meeting while the item is under discussion or voted upon.
o Resignation. The member shall resign from the board.
Anyone who exercises authority delegated by the Parish Committee is subject to the same standards of loyalty that apply to PC members.
Adopted by the Parish Committee on December 8, 2010
1.3.4 Discipline and Removal of PC Members
The FRSUU Parish Committee (PC) reserves its authority and power under the bylaws to recommend to the Congregation that it vote to remove committee members involved with serious conflicts of interest; acts injurious to the church’s property, financial status, or congregational well-being; or violations of the committee’s covenant.
Pending removal, the Committee will notify the member in writing that his or her voting rights are “suspended until further notice” until the PC completes its investigation of any and all conflicts of interest, injurious acts, or violations. The Committee will offer the member the opportunity for a hearing before the Chair, the voting members of the PC, the minister, the Business Administrator and the clerk.
Attendance: Regular attendance of all members is critical to the committee’s collective effort and effectiveness. A member who must be absent should notify the Chair in advance of the meeting. If a member misses three meetings over a six-month period without such notification or without substantial reason for absence, the clerk will place the question of expulsion before the Executive Committee, which in turn will place the issue on the agenda for the next PC meeting. At that time, the Committee may vote on the question or meet with the member to determine if he or she wishes to continue.
Adopted by the Parish Committee on December 8, 2010
4.0 FRS Policy on Delegation to Staff and Powers Reserved to the Parish Committee
Management
The Parish Committee of the FRS (PC) strives to focus on governance, as opposed to management, of church activities and affairs. It recognizes that, to focus on its core roles of discernment, strategy and oversight, it is essential to delegate the day-to-day managerial tasks of the church clearly and effectively.
4.1 Delegation to Staff
To achieve its goals, the PC delegates authority and responsibility for all operational decisions of the church to the Minister-Business Administrator Team except as is specifically limited by policy.
4.1.1 Global Delegation
The PC empowers the Minister-Business Administrator Team to lead and direct the spiritual, programmatic and administrative work of the church.
4.1.2 Staff Structure
The Minister-Business Administrator Team serves as the head of staff. The Minister-Business Administrator Team is responsible for maintaining a productive and effective senior staff who ensure that staff efforts are directed toward fulfilling the congregation’s mission and vision of ministry and that staff complies with all PC policies. The PC designates the following staff positions as “senior”: Minister, Business Administrator, Director of Religious Education, and Director of Music.
The Minister manages those employees responsible for the church’s spiritual and programmatic work. The Business Administrator manages those employees responsible for the administrative and functional tasks required to carry out the church’s programs.
The senior staff shares responsibility with the Minister-Business Administrator Team for the operational leadership of the church.
Powers Reserved to the PC
The PC reserves for itself the responsibilities stated in the Philosophy of Governance as well as those related to:
- Hiring and firing employees when recommended by the Minister-Business Administrator Team, the Executive Committee, or both.
- Approving the annual budget for submission to the congregation for adoption.
- Filling temporary vacancies among officers.
Any management decision, not addressed by a PC policy, is hereby delegated to the Minister-Business Administrator Team.
Adopted by Parish Committee, January 13, 2011
4.3 FRS Policy on Care for People
With respect to interactions with members, friends and visitors, the Minister and Business Administrator promote conditions, procedures, and decisions that
--are safe, respectful, minimally intrusive
--allow access to the services and facilities of the church
--provide appropriate confidentiality and privacy
--apply the standards of our mission and Unitarian Universalist principles.
The Minister-Business Administrator Team is authorized to take all necessary steps to deal with situations where persons are at risk. All procedures, processes and affiliated insurance policies should be kept up to date by the Minister-Business Administrator Team.
1. Health and safety. All facilities are maintained in a safe, sanitary, and secure condition. Required licenses and inspections are kept up to date, and problems are corrected promptly.
2. Emergency planning. A written plan is in place for responding to emergencies such as medical emergencies, fire, toxic conditions, weather problems, threatening communications, power outages, natural disasters, and other circumstances that create or threaten dangerous conditions. This is especially important during special events, such as the Candlelight Service. The Minister-Business Administrator Team is authorized to provide copies of this plan to staff and volunteers.
3. Sexual harassment. Employees, volunteers, and agents of FRS are prohibited from acts of sexual harassment against any member or participant in FRS activities or against any employee or applicant for employment.
4. Child protection. Because of our special responsibility for children and youth in our care, there is strict adherence to our Safe Congregation Policy for Children, which policy is in adherence to state and federal regulations, including required mandatory reporting. The Safe Congregation Policy for Children is appended to this policy, as Appendix 1. We will respond swiftly and appropriately to a wide range of “unsafe” behaviors, including disruptive behaviors, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation.
5. Nondiscrimination. No one acting in an official capacity for the FRS may discriminate because of race, color, religion, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, national origin or ancestry, economic status, union membership, or political affiliation.
6. Universal access. FRS intends to make its premises and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To this end our goal is to meet or exceed all legal requirements and to engage in continual examination of our properties, practices, and attitudes.
7. Communication of this Policy. The Minister-Business Administrator Team is authorized to determine how to communicate policies and procedures, as appropriate, and create a process to receive questions and concerns about this policy.
8. Violations of this policy. In response to violations of the policies regarding either Sexual Harassment or Child Protection, the Minister-Business Administrator Team is authorized to take disciplinary action, which may include recommendation to the Parish Committee for termination of employment or exclusion from FRS property and programs.
Adopted by the Parish Committee on March 9, 2010
Appendix 1 to FRS Policy on Care for People
First Religious Society
Safe Congregation Policy for Children
I) Volunteers
Young Church teachers must:
- Be active participants in FRS for at least six months before volunteering (exceptions will be made for a parent wishing to volunteer in his/her child’s class).
- Sign a Code of Ethics
- Be high school-aged or older. Teachers under the age of 18 should be accompanied in the classroom by an adult.
Nursery Care Providers must:
- Submit an application for paid or volunteer employment.
- Be certified in infant/child CPR and first aid.
- Sign a Code of Ethics.
Youth group advisors must:
- Be active participants in FRS for at least six months before volunteering. Exceptions could be made in cases where s/he has served as a youth advisor in another UU congregation and can provide references from that church’s minister and/or director of religious education.
- Sign a Code of Ethics, Voluntary Disclosure Statement, and Authorization and Release Statement.
- Submit an application for volunteer employment.
- Be 21 years of age or older.
Coming of Age mentors must:
- Be active participants in FRS for at least three years before volunteering. Exceptions could be made in cases where s/he has been a longstanding member in another UU congregation and has a strong understanding of and commitment to Unitarian Universalism.
- Sign a Code of Ethics, Voluntary Disclosure Statement, and Authorization and Release Statement.
- Submit an application for volunteer employment.
- Be 21 years of age or older.
Our Whole Lives (OWL) facilitators must:
- Be active participants in FRS for at least six months before volunteering. Exceptions could be made in cases where s/he has professional experience in sexuality education and/or has served as an OWL facilitator in another UU congregation and can provide references from that congregation’s minister and/or director of religious education.
- Sign a Code of Ethics, Voluntary Disclosure Statement, and Authorization and Release Statement.
- Submit an application for volunteer employment.
- Be 21 years of age or older.
- Attend a UUA-sponsored OWL facilitators training.
FRS staff who regularly work with children/youth must:
- Sign a Code of Ethics, Voluntary Disclosure Statement, and Authorization and Release Statement.
II) General Supervision Guidelines
All Sunday morning classes will have a minimum of two adults present (or one high school student and one adult). Teachers scheduled to teach or assist shall arrange for a substitute (can be done through the DRE) if they find they are unable to attend when scheduled. Exceptions will be made in emergency situations.
At least two advisors shall be present for youth group meetings. Exceptions shall be made, for meetings that take place during church, in emergency situations.
In an emergency situation, when only one adult is present in the class, that person shall alert the DRE of the situation. Doors to that meeting space shall remain open. The DRE will serve as a second adult in the class as much as possible for the morning.
The DRE will walk through all classes throughout the morning, unless she is occupied with worship circle or other events.
Parents must pick up children in grades three and under immediately at the conclusion of the worship service. If a parent wishes to have an older sibling pick up the younger child, teachers must be alerted and a note will be left in the class folder.
Children and youth are the responsibility of their parents before the Sunday morning worship service begins and after it ends, including the time between choir rehearsal and church.
All children under the age of 12 must have a parent or another designated adult on the premises during Sunday morning services, unless prior arrangements have been made with the DRE.
Parents are welcome to visit Young Church classes at any time.
Attendance will be taken at the beginning of every class meeting.
Prior to any multi-grade Young Church gathering or event (such as Young Church worship circle), all children, youth, and volunteers will meet first in their classrooms for attendance. They will walk together to the gathering. Likewise, at the conclusion of the gathering, children in grades three and under will return to their classrooms to be picked up by a parent.
After a Young Church activity outside of Sunday morning, supervising adults must remain at the site until every child has been picked up by a parent. Prior notification must be made if an adult other than the parent will be picking up the child, or if other arrangements should be made.
III) Field Trip Guidelines
All children and youth must have a signed permission slip/medical release form in order to attend a field trip.
All drivers for field trips must be at least 21 years of age and must provide proof of insurance and a valid driver’s license. The DRE will keep photocopies of these documents on file.
No adult shall be alone with one child during the field trip, including in the car (except in the case of a parent with his/her own child). Exceptions will be made in the event of a medical emergency.
Occasionally, a Young Church class will take a walk within close proximity of the church.
IV) Overnight Guidelines
During church overnights (sleepovers), at least two adults meeting the youth group advisor criteria above shall be present.
All youth attending must have a signed permission slip/medical release form.
Youth shall not leave the premises of the church without prior consent of a parent/guardian.
Exclusive sleeping arrangements are not permitted, and appropriate behavior shall be enforced.
Use or possession of illegal drugs or alcohol are strictly prohibited and will result in the immediate notification of a parent/guardian and expulsion from the event.
V) Nursery Guidelines
Nursery care is available for children ages one to three years.
The Nursery Care Provider shall be assisted at all times by at least one volunteer.
Capacity in the nursery is 8 children, unless additional adults are present.
The room and its contents shall be inspected regularly by the Nursery Care Provider and the DRE. Toys shall be washed regularly.
All parents must fill out a registration form, indicating where they can be found in the sanctuary.
Parents will be retrieved from the worship service at the discretion of the Nursery Care Provider.
No food or drink is allowed in the nursery.
Diaper changes are the responsibility of parents and not the Nursery Care Provider or volunteer.
V) Up and Coming Program Guidelines
One-on-one conversations between mentors and mentees shall take place in a public place. A public place is one where one would reasonably expect to be in full view of other people.
Mentors and mentees should not be alone in a car together, except when written permission is granted by a parent or guardian.
Conversations between mentors and mentees should be considered confidential. The exception is where there is concern that the youth might cause harm to him/herself or another person. In this case, the mentor should notify the youth’s parent(s) immediately. In the case of suspected abuse, the mentor should contact the director of religious education or the minister.
VI) Building Safety
Primary and secondary escape routes shall be posted in all classrooms, and a copy of the fire safety procedure shall be included in teacher handbooks.
Fire drills shall be held for Young Church once a year.
Matches and lighters shall be kept out of reach of children.
First aid kits shall be kept in the Parish Hall (upstairs and downstairs) and in the Lower Meetinghouse.
Cleaning supplies shall be kept out of children’s reach.
Supplies for universal safety precautions shall be kept in the Parish Hall and in the Lower Meetinghouse. All volunteers will be instructed in their use.
The DRE shall receive first aid and children’s CPR training. Per the guidelines of the American Red Cross, this training shall be taken every year.
Unfamiliar people seen on the premises during church school shall be reported to the DRE.
On Sundays the DRE is not present, a member of the Religious Education Committee shall be designated as the program supervisor for the morning.
Parents are responsible for their children during coffee hour. Running, rough housing, and climbing are not permitted.
Fourth Reading of FRS Policy - Care for Resources
Financial Management—The Minister-Business Administrator Team (MBAT), together with assigned staff members in their areas of responsibility, shall be responsible for making day-to-day fiscal decisions within the limits of the annual church budget. The MBAT
(a) shall keep the Parish Committee fully informed on a regular basis of the church’s ongoing financial status, and shall inform the Parish Committee in a timely manner of any projected material deviation from the current approved budget,
(b) may transfer budget amounts between budget line items within a program’s budget, provided that total expenditures will not exceed the total budget for that program and the transferred amount is clearly noted in the financial reports,
(c) shall not allow the total spending for the year to exceed the budget without obtaining Parish Committee approval,
(d) shall not use donor-restricted funds in violation of donor restrictions,
(e) shall not allow the church’s tax-exempt status under local, state or federal law to be jeopardized,
(f) shall not incur debt on behalf of the church without Parish Committee approval,
(g) may apply for external grants, provided the grants are consistent with church mission and vision statements and do not obligate the church to expenditures that would jeopardize its fiscal integrity. The Parish Committee shall be notified of grant activity and grants (if offered) must be formally accepted by the Parish Committee on behalf of the church.
Financial Controls –The MBAT, in consultation with the Treasurer and the Auditor will maintain written procedures which govern the handling of receipts, access to cash and bank balances, payment of invoices and other obligations related to the church’s operating and non-operating budgets including those funds raised through Capital campaigns.
- Only appropriate officers of the church will approve distributions of funds.
- Church accounting records will be reconciled with financial institution statements as often as those statements are issued.
- Those in the approval chain of financial transactions will be responsible for preventing harm to the congregation’s reputation or assets.
- The church will annually undergo an independent financial review.
Document Control - Written procedures will govern the retention and destruction of church documents, providing retention periods for classes of financial, business, personnel and other business records in both paper and electronic forms.
Insurance - The church will maintain adequate insurance to protect against property losses and liability for injury to others. The Parish Committee will annually review the insurance coverage for approval.
Accounting - The church’s financial accounts will follow generally accepted accounting practices followed by congregations of similar size.
Tangible Property - The church will maintain its property and equipment in good working order, subject to reasonable wear and tear. Any sale of property will require the approval of the Parish Committee.
Endowment - The assets making up the church’s endowment will be actively monitored and reviewed by the church’s Trustees. The church’s membership will also be provided with quarterly updates on the performance of the endowment and any other significant developments.
Space - The MBAT will be responsible for approval of space requests consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles and will inform the Parish Committee of each arrangement made. The Business Administrator will maintain written policies related to space use and share the policies with the Parish Committee.
Adopted by the Parish Committee on June 10, 2011
FRS Policy on Evaluation—Second Reading
Evaluation is both backward-looking, as in, “How well have we done what we said we wanted to do?’’ and forward-looking, as in, “Should we be doing different things, or doing things differently?”
An evaluation helps evaluators and the people being evaluated decide whether performance over the past year has met the goals set. An evaluation also allows the evaluators and the people being evaluated to decide whether they need to change goals or performance standards.
STAFF EVALUATIONS
Staff will be evaluated periodically.
The Committee on the Ministry evaluates the Minister, and together the Minister and the Parish Chair evaluate the Business Administrator.
The Minister-Business Administrator Team (MBAT) directs a cycle of evaluation that produces, at minimum, a written evaluation of each staff member not already named above by his or her supervisor. All evaluations are available for inspection by the Parish Committee or its authorized representatives.
PARISH COMMITTEE/MBAT EVALUATION
The Parish Committee and the MBAT support each other in accomplishing their shared commitment to advance the mission and vision of the church. They demonstrate this commitment throughout the year in the following sequence:
1. Setting MBAT goals, Parish Committee goals, and shared MBAT/Parish Committee goals for the next church year at the Parish Committee retreat in June.
2. Engaging in frequent conversations aimed at fine tuning these three sets of goals throughout the ensuing church year.
3. Evaluating what progress has been made on the three sets of goals and what changes in strategy or performance need to be discussed at the next Parish Committee retreat. Time for making such an evaluation will be placed on the agenda of the May Parish Committee meeting, and the minutes of that meeting will include the results of that evaluation. These minutes will form the written evaluation of progress toward goals, and any needed changes in direction, to be discussed at the Parish Committee retreat in June.
Adopted by the Parish Committee on June 10, 2011.
