U.U. Rowe Camp and Conference Center Board Meeting
November 16, 2008
Karin Broadhurst, Sue Baldau, Simon Delekta, Pamela Vernick, Guy Thompson, Margaret Woodside, Granger Macy, Linda, Cathy Perkins, Liza McKinley, Doug Wilson, Felicity Pickett
minutes accepted as corrected.
Youth Reps: exploring roles of youth reps Pam is chairing committee: contacting current youth reps, explore campers and camp staff for new reps could this be done as an internet blog with an online youth council with reps to board
Salary Committee: staff interviews are done with resulting job descriptions
Development- Dining room floor project
e-mail out to New Years group, slow fund-raising for new cabin- check in with Judd Fred and Simon looking into developing a Naming Policy
Doug's Report "The mood is good, life is good"
Working towards more harmony between kitchen and camp staff Center Post out and good Question about remortgaging property in event of downturn to protect bulk of property Doug likes not going to breakfast and is drowning in email...looking towards a Sabbatical in 09
Director's report (Felicity)
Kitchen transition- huge learning curve esp with ordering Abby has does a marvelous job stepping in, Helmut has provided valuable assistance with ordering.
Have a summer cook and are putting together cooking team that will work together with camp on programs Orchard Guest House- waiting on reasonable price for concrete, can start immediately what ever that means Work week- getting art room ready for insulating
Marketing- looking for church reps
Letter from descendants of Perseverence Smith
lawsuit- trying to be moved to NY
Diversity Karyn L led board and staff on an exploration of our racial identity and it's effect on community. Some of the insights included: the definition of racism as a system of white advantage. We explored what having a race means to us, which means what being the default race is white in our culture means. We examined what assumptions we carry and how they play out in community. This involved identifying the contents of our "knapsack" of advantage.
Suggestions for actions included: Pledging to seriously consider any feedback from a person of color. Listen even if you feel defensive or it seems like it's off the wall (like sexual harassment it's about whether you offend someone not whether you meant to.
Baby Steps:
1. Be engaged in exploring your racial identity. What does it allow you? work on your list of advantages. How does it effect the way we see the world, the media, politics everything..
2. Understand the way we experience the world is filtered through our racial identity ( it's complicated and we're human) 3. Be able to recognize the difference between intent and impact.
Someone's feeling are always legitimate, expect to encounter anger, maybe you barely stepped on his toe, but 10 people before you stomped on it. You need to keep doing the work even if it is uncomfortable and people don't accept or welcome you.
4. Go outside you racial comfort zone
5. Reframe problems- not a "black" problem but a youth issue 6. Be willing to talk about race.
8. READ- things written by people of color, black, Asian, Hispanic press, look for other sources of information 9.Ponder why being racist os such a big deal to white? People use what they have to get what they need.
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