Unitarian Fellowship of Longview

Emergency Board Meeting

Sunday, September 4, 2005

Members in attendance: Jay Noble, Frank Herbert, Huey Mitchell, Jessica Noble, Betty Golding, Peggy Nader, Helen Ausman

Friend(s) in attendance: Sky Mitchell

President of the Board, Huey Mitchell, called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m.

It was determined that minutes needed to be kept. Sky Mitchell volunteered.

Huey explained that the meeting was being called to discuss the proposal that the Unitarian Fellowship of Longview "adopt" a family that has been displaced because of Hurricane Katrina and a committee be established to facilitate that endeavor.

Huey explained that he had contacted Marolen Mullinax and asked her to chair the committee if the Board was in favor of the project. Marolen unhesitatingly accepted. They discussed who else would be especially helpful on the committee and decided to ask Gayle Heard, Jay Noble, Barbara Cavin and Tina Rushing, Gayle and Jay were contacted and said yes. Tina and Barbara were not able to be contacted.

Huey asked for discussion on the proposal.

Peggy said she has always believed that charity begins at home and that we should look within our Fellowship to see who needs help.

Betty and Frank said that their families had the support and necessary financial resources available to rebuild their lives.

Sky explained that her vision was to help the extended families of Friends and Members of the Fellowship, but also to reach out to a family with no ties to our community who would need long-term help in getting help and establishing a new home.

Huey asked the group to consider how much money we were willing to spend.

Frank suggested that the committee investigate what funds were already available to the hurricane victims.

Jay said that Paul Blakely would be very helpful to have on the committee because of his ties to Habitat for Humanity. Everyone agreed that he would be an asset and that he should be asked to be on the committee. Huey said he would speak to him.

Huey stated that people needed to be moved out of the Maude Cobb Convention Center as soon as possible because of the extremely stressful conditions.

Sky suggested that an announcement be made that a collection would be taken up next week to help the people displaced to our area.

Huey suggested that an announcement of the Board’s decision for our Fellowship to Adopt A Family had been approved and that a special collection would be taken up today as seed money for that project.

Everyone agreed that Huey’s suggestion should be followed.

Jay suggested that it would be prudent to open a separate account for this project.

Peggy asked if there wasn’t already a line item in the budget for this type of thing.

Jay said that this project would go way beyond what that line item was set up for.

Huey said he believed another account was necessary and after more discussion everyone agreed.

Jay suggested we call Marolen in to participate in the discussion.

She was called in.

Marolen asked if she could have a co-chair. Gayle was suggested and Marolen agreed that Gayle would of great help.

Marolen then explained what she had observed and learned from her visits to Maude Cobb to help and how she would begin going about identifying a family we could help.

Jay asked her if she had any idea of the cost this would incur. Marolen said that could only be determined in time as things unfolded.

Frank made a motion that the Unitarian Fellowship of Longview adopt a family identified by the Adopt A Family Katrina Hurricane Relief Committee in order to facilitate their transition to financial independence by the methods determined by the committee.

Peggy seconded the motion.

It was passed unanimously.