Board Members Present: Chase Den Beste, Marty Beech, Annette Pearce, Kim Ross, Alden Hutchison
Invited Attendees: Rev. E.N. Hill, Alessandra Nysether-Santos
Unable to Attend: Sally Andersen

The meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM with opening words and chalice lighting led by Chase Den Beste. Following a check-in with all attendees, the agenda was reviewed and revised. Marty requested the addition of a discussion item regarding how the congregation will celebrate Rev. E.N. Hill’s upcoming departure.

The board unanimously accepted the consent agenda, which included the April 2025 finance reports and April 2025 meeting minutes.

Rev. E.N. Hill provided monthly notes highlighting the success of the recent flower communion service, which had excellent attendance. She reported that the Southern Region has expressed support for establishing a right relations team within the congregation.

Chase Den Beste addressed the upcoming General Assembly and checked with Alessandra regarding potential delegates to send. The board discussed representation at the UUA General Assembly, with reference materials available at the UUA website.

Alden reported that while she was unable to check in with Alessandra this month, she noted Alessandra’s excitement about Harmony Camp planning and acknowledged her hard work on this initiative.

The board made a motion to approve up to $1,000 for retroactive reimbursement of Alessandra’s moving expenses from 2023. The motion was approved.

The board reviewed the Music Director report and recommendation. A motion was made to hire Valerie Howington as music director, which was seconded and followed by discussion. The motion was amended to establish a start date of June 2nd. The amended motion passed unanimously.

Chase Den Beste presented information about the AUUMM conference scheduled for Atlanta, July 23-27, 2025. The costs discussed included registration fees of $475-$525 (after May 31st), hotel accommodation for four days at $850, and a one-year AUUMM membership at $90. The board discussed reimbursement procedures, with options for either reimbursement or advance payment.

The board considered three options for the legacy giving tree: offering it to the Friends of Wakulla Springs for a donation, selling it for a set amount, or gifting it. Since previous attempts to sell the tree had been unsuccessful, the board made a motion to donate the legacy tree to the Friends of Wakulla Springs. The motion passed unanimously.

Discussion of the Member Pledge Program (MPP) and board members’ shared responsibilities was scheduled to come before the June meeting.

Kim Ross and Erika Frisby addressed training plans and the development of a right relations team. Reference materials from the UUA Leader Lab core leadership courses were provided for review.

Rev. E.N. Hill provided follow-up on the mission-aligned rental policy, with documentation available for board review.

Chase Den Beste addressed ongoing questions about liability insurance requirements for sponsored groups TIRA and TCAC. Communications from Adriane dated April 19th and May 19th were reviewed, requesting updates on decisions and language for rental documentation. The board noted that non-sponsored facility users must obtain general liability insurance, while clarification was needed for sponsored groups. Chase agreed to follow up with Adriane on this issue.

The board discussed filling calendar commitments, including lockup checks.

The meeting concluded with consideration of the transition process for incoming board members at the next meeting.