This section includes five documents that were presented to the UUCF board on July 11, 2000 in conjunction with oral presentations. There were other presentations, but there are no associated public documents. In addition, an excerpt from the board minutes reporting the presentations, as well as some related e-mail appears. Format has been modified for the web, but the content is unchanged.
Parts of the minutes not related to the present issues were edited out. Contrary to what might be inferred, Michael Berger did not attend the meeting. He did, however, contribute to the document presented by Rosalie Clavez (his wife).
Subject: Board of Trustees Minutes July 11, 2000 Meeting
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 22:49:45 -0400
From: "Ranthard"
To: [UUCF Info]
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax
Board of Trustees
Minutes of Regular Meeting
July 11, 2000
Trustees in attendance: John Cunningham, President; Nancy Rooney, Vice President; Kurt Jensen, Secretary; Paul Kohlbrenner, Treasurer; Suzanne Weiss, Assistant Treasurer; Nancy Commisso, Mary Foster, Lynn McMartin, and Tim Wendel. Summer Minister Rev. Karen Tse was also in attendance.
[...]
Open Forum for Visitors:
Robert Moore summarized the content and purpose of a petition sent to the
congregation through a letter dated April 18, 2000. He introduced several
signers of the petition who also made oral presentations to the Board.
These
included Zeena Zieberg, Marsha Swett, Craig Goff, Rosalie Clavez, John
Krutilla, Pat Moore, and [Anonomous-2]. Zeena Zieberg, Rosalie Clavez (with
Michael Berger), Robert and Pat Moore, Steve Clapp, and John Krutilla
provided copies of transcripts to the Board. Marsha Swett and Audrey Van
Vliet provided additional written remarks. A transcript of Craig Goff's
written remarks is to be provided to the Board in a few days. Remarks by the
speakers included concerns over the past years with the senior minister,
with
the Board's performance, and with a variety of organizational and worship
issues. Petitioners requested that a conflict resolution professional be
used to resolve their issues. There was a brief discussion of what results
the petitioners expected from their petition, and who would be involved.
Robert Moore then requested that the Board receive the petition, with 120
signers, under the following conditions: That the signers remain
confidential
to the Board and that their names not be made public to the ministers or to
the congregation until after the conflict resolution process had concluded,
that there would be no attempt to contact any of the petition signers until
after the conflict resolution process had concluded, and that the
credentials
and objectivity of the conflict resolution specialist would be vetted by
representatives of the signers as well as by the Board. The Board
unanimously rejected these conditions, and Robert Moore declined the
opportunity to present the petition.
[...]
Respectively submitted,
Nancy Commisso
Secretary
Subject: RE: July 11 Board Presentation
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 01:15:41 +0000
From: Alisa Joaquin
To: [UUCF Chat]
Choose the right path and true destiny will be revealed.
Choose the wrong path and destiny will also will be revealed, though it may not be true destiny.
Choose to do nothing is the same as choosing the wrong path.
Make a choice, destiny calls.
Crane
Subject: RE: July 11 Board Presentation-Craig Goff's Role
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 09:47:35 -0400
From: "Edward Cacciapaglia"
To: "'UUCF Chat'"
CC: "'Birds Of A Feather'"
Dear UUCF members and friends,
The rather long speech that Craig Goff (Steve Clapp's forward e-mail gave to the UUCF Board on July 11 should not be taken lightly. Craig was UUCF Board president 1997-1998 and he was "under attack" as a "defender of the status quo" by some of the same people he has joined in signing the petition for a mediator. Many of the items Craig brings to light to those who choose to read and hear him (rather than defend "My Minister right or wrong") are symptomatic of the ministerial abuse many of us have felt; the same abuse some spoke up against in the 1997-1998 time frame.
While a majority at UUCF may not to want to know about the behaviors Craig outlined, I believe actions (and inaction) speak louder than words. The failure of the minister to try to make amends to those he has offended speaks louder than any pontifications from the pulpit about forgiveness. Like so many others, I rarely attend Sunday services at UUCF any longer. A sad loss but I refuse to be a sheep.
So to paraphrase Ann Landers, "It time for UUCF to wake up and smell the coffee."
respectfUUlly sUUbmitted,
Edward Cacciapaglia