Citizens for Fairfax Community, Inc. (CFC)
Annual Membership Meeting Minutes –7:12-8:15 PM, 12/7/11
CFC’s annual membership meeting was hosted, once again, by Liz and Jason Minor in the Inn at Grace Farm common room. We are very appreciative of their hospitality.
Highlights: ▪ Special thanks to outgoing Trustees Trevor Russell, Katrina Antonovich, Megan Daigle, Eda Kirkpatrick, and Susie Posner Jones.
▪ Welcome to new Trustee Roy V. Hill, II
▪ Our new board is composed of Mary Taylor, Amanda Duling, Liz Griffin, Doug Stuart, Barb Duval, Roy V. Hill, and Mark Hunziker. We can add new volunteers to our ranks, year-round, so anyone who would like to serve their community in this way is welcome to contact us at any time.
▪ Mark reviewed CFC’s 2011 activities and previewed our 2012 priorities:
o A meeting of representatives from the main organizations interested in the future of the Baptist building and/or creating a community center was held in November. The groups represented were the Masons, Fairfax Recreation Department, United Church of Fairfax, and CFC. The Selectboard and Baptist Trustees were unable to attend but expressed interest in participating in future meetings. This group has great potential as a venue for the coming together of the various perspectives and the coordination of future activities and initiatives. The representatives will meet again in early 2012.
o We will shift our focus toward immediate and tangible activities aimed at (1) raising funds and community awareness of the need for restoration of the Baptist building and the creation of a Community Center; and (2) hosting, to the extent possible, community programs this summer. (3) A secondary priority will be to make as much headway as possible on our three long-term projects: assessing the needs and priorities for repair of the Baptist building, planning a capital campaign, and creating an operational business plan for a community center.
o Susie led brainstorming sessions on ideas for this coming year: (1) activities that might be able to happen at the Baptist building, (2) fundraiser activities, and (3) ways to move the planning for a community center capital campaign and business plan forward.
▪ Next Meeting: Tues, Jan 10, 7:00 pm at the Hunzikers’ home
Full Report:Members present (by sign-in sheet): Sally and Wayne Sweet, Roy V. Hill II, Trevor Russell, Barbara Duval, Liz Minor, Doug Stuart, Katrina Antonovich, Mary and Skip Taylor, Mark Hunziker, Liz Griffin, Amanda Duling, and Susie Posner Jones
Business meeting:
▪ Convened at 7:12 PM
▪ The minutes of our last (10/26/10) Membership Meeting were approved. (Moved by Liz Griffin, seconded by Mary, passed unanimously.)
▪ Treasurer Barb Duval reported a balance of $824.20. She noted that during the past year, the raising of funds has not been a top priority, and the spending of funds has not been required. In fact, the current balance represents the proceeds of one modest fundraiser, added to last year’s balance.
▪ Board President Susie Posner Jones thanked the current Trustees for their contributions over the past year, and acknowledged outgoing Trustees Trevor Russell, Katrina Antonovich, Megan Daigle, and Eda Kirkpatrick. In addition, we thank Susie in particular, who has lead CFC as president for the past two years, as well as contributing many hours of grant-writing. All of these outgoing Trustees have run into shifting schedules and family priorities that make future participation as board members impossible; but each has expressed the desire to continue contributing to our work.
▪ New member Roy V. Hill, II and current member with an expiring term, Barb Duval, were nominated and elected to three year terms on CFC’s Board of Trustees. (Motion made by Mark, seconded by Mary, and passed unanimously.) We want to thank Roy and Barb for stepping-up to help our community in this way.
▪ Our new board, then, is composed of Mary Taylor, Amanda Duling, Liz Griffin, Doug Stuart, Barb Duval, Roy V. Hill, and Mark Hunziker. New officers will be elected at our January meeting. Our Bylaws stipulate a Board of six to twelve Trustees, and has provisions for adding members during the year. So anyone who would like to serve their community in this way is welcome to contact us at any time.
▪ Mark reviewed CFC’s activities over the past year and previewed the coming year.
o Our application for a planning grant from the Vermont Community Development Program, and the subsequent denial of our request, as VCDP’s priorities shifted to dealing with the damage from hurricane Irene.
o Our shift, on advice from Preservation Trust of Vermont, to a focus for the near future on more immediate and tangible activities aimed at (1) raising funds and community awareness of the need for restoration of the Baptist building and the creation of a center for community activities; and (2) providing a venue, to the extent possible, for more community activities. (3) A secondary priority will be to make as much headway as possible with volunteer time, on our three “projects:” assessing and tending to the needs and priorities for repair of the Baptist building, planning a capital campaign, and creating an operational business plan for a community center.
o In the interest of the above, a meeting of representatives from the main organizations interested in the future of the Baptist building and/or creating a community center was held in November. The groups represented were the Masons, Fairfax Recreation Department, United Church of Fairfax, and CFC. The Selectboard and Baptist Trustees were unable to attend but expressed interest in participating in future meetings. This group has great potential as a venue for the coming together of the various perspectives and the coordination of future activities and initiatives. The representatives will meet again in early 2012, after getting input from each organization’s membership.
▪ For the remainder of the meeting, Susie led brainstorming sessions on ideas for this coming year: (1) activities that might be able to happen at the Baptist building, (2) fundraiser activities, and (3) ways to move the planning for a community center capital campaign and business plan forward. Many ideas were put forth and will be added to the discussion as we move forward.
▪ Meeting adjourned at 8:15 PM. (Moved by Trevor, seconded by Mary, passed unanimously.)
Next Meeting: Tues, Jan 10, 7:00 pm at the Hunzikers’ home
Tentative agenda:
▪ Election of new officers
▪ Confirm meeting schedule
▪ Events strategic planning for the year
▪ Scheduling the next ‘Baptist building partners’ meeting
▪ Strategic planning for capital campaign and business plan work
Respectfully submitted,
Mark Hunziker, Secretary
