Isles of Shoals Association (Unitarian Universalist), Inc.

ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Virtual Meeting 

Present: Ali Walton, Molly Mansfield, Deb Walton, Miriam Coe, Linda Pollack-Johnson, Cory Easter, Nick Bresinsky, Patti Washburn, Tom Smurzynski, Rosemary Smurzynski, John Anderson, Cheryl Doty, Lisa Jennings, Tricia Coleman, Carrie Jones, Patti Washburn, Sarah Hawkins, Suzy Bender Binzel, Nicholas Baudler, Amy Meek, Fiona Monllor, Phil Quatrochi, Arlyn Weeks, Hope Thurlow, Joni Abadessa, Joe Watts, Karilyn Heisen, April Rosario, Jessica Ann Hessel, Julia Manners, Peggy Saunders, Lawrence Saunders, Bonnie Smith, Marlene Smurzynski, Janice Prochaska, Rebecca Emerson, Plasha Will, Ted Trainer, John “Tony” Thomas

Not able to attend (ISAUU Board of Directors): Tricia Coleman, Deb Weiner Soule, Jocelyn Pierce, Lisa Nelson

The meeting was called to order at 1:02 PM.

Opening Words | Ali Walton

A brief welcome from Ali due to the tight schedule for this meeting.

Star Island Corporation Update | Joe Watts, SIC CEO

Joe said thank you to ISAUU for all that you do for Star Island!

Conference Season Update:

  • 2024 was a successful summer on Star Island, had a great group of employees both seasonal pelicans and year-round staff

  • Many conferees visited, and a few mentioned this was the best year

  • SIC continues to build on food service improvements from last year, and there are still room for improvement in the coming years

  • The Island had mixed success with housekeeping and cleaning this year and will be looking to make improvements for next year

  • The Island had record high conference enrollment in 2019 pre-pandemic and the SIC is still building back up towards that level post-pandemic

    • Crossed the 19,000 bednights goal (2,904 people), last year it was about 18,000 bednights, so this is improving,and the SIC is hoping to get 20,000 bednights total and get back to pre-pandemic levels

  • The SIC brought back Room & Board discounts this past summer (about $72,000 given) and a record amount of financial aid from SIC aside from other conference partner programs, this is a significant increase

  • The SIC made additional intentional efforts to welcome new people to the Island this summer: including a rotary group, church groups, and the September Open House - in total over 500 new Shoalers came to the Island to a planned event; SIC will be reaching out to those folks with offers to come to conferences next year

  • Renovation work continued on the Island this summer including on the Art Barn, Cottage C, the front porch stairs to the hotel, and the replaced pier crane (now bright yellow); installed a walking labyrinth on the Island too

  • On January 13th a storm did damage that needed repair in the spring including: repaired pier railings and fixing the Chapel path

  • Ongoing renovation projects include work on the underworld/Pelican Hall on the lower level of the hotel, that is the big project for next year

  • The theme this past year was “growth,” “kindness” was a theme for the year before, and soon the SIC will announce the theme for next year

  • Specific thanks for the $45K gift to the SIC from ISAUU this past year, Joe said it makes a huge difference in being able to work on the many projects and efforts, such as those he had just mentioned

  • Joe also noted that folks in the Island community are reaffirming that we need places like Star Island to ground us and refresh us and to help us make a difference in our own lives and in the world; this can be a light that keeps burning bright especially during difficult times

  • Joe recognized the SIC Board, including Ali, for the good work that they do

  • He shared the invitation to come to Starry Night, the SIC fundraiser coming up on Saturday, November 16, 2024 from 5:00-7:30 pm at 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH.

  • He reminded us that the Holiday Auction for Star Island is also coming up soon, more info to be announced online

  • Finally, Joe reminded us of the SIC Annual Fund, SIC hasn’t reached their goal this year and are still hoping to finish strongly this year so please donate if you haven't this year. Thank you

Presentation | Climate Adaptation Planning on Star, by Karilyn Heisen

Questions and Discussion

**Commencement of Business Meeting**

President’s Report | Ali Walton

Ali started by sharing some history for context: The ISAUU formed in the late 1800s and oversaw some of the programming on Star Island before the Star Island Corporation existed. When the Island changed ownership and the SIC was created, the ISAUU retained a small role in the function of the island: (1) the ISAUU President sits on the SIC Board of Directors, and (2) the ISAUU runs the Shops on Star with all proceeds going back to the Island.

Ali gave a brief overview of finances, in that the ISAUU gives money to Star Island in four ways (and keeps very little money for the organization itself as the purpose of the ISAUU is to give funds and not hold them):

  • Conference grants

  • Religious Professionals grants

  • Small one-time project funding for the SIC on the Island

  • End- of-year financial gift to the SIC as an Annual Fund donation

She share the major ISAUU accomplishments for this year:

  • Strengthened the ISAUU social media presence

  • Updated the website

  • Created gift cards for the Shops on Star

  • Held a successful membership drive and increased memberships

  • Created a Shops Advisory Committee to review high level decisions and do planning for the shops

  • Contributed $64,251 Annual Fund gift to the SIC this fall! Made possible by making over $200,000 in sales in the Shops this year

Ali gave thanks to all ISAUU members for making this all possible

Minutes of 2023 Annual Meeting | Molly Mansfield for Cheryl Doty

A mistake was identified on last year’s Annual Meeting Minutes: Under the heading “Minutes of 2022 Annual Meeting” the scribe had written that we “Moved to approve the meeting minutes from the Annual Meeting 2023” and that was supposed to read, “from the Annual Meeting 2022.” That has been corrected.

Moved to dispense with reading meeting minutes from the Annual Meeting 2023, available on our website shoals.org, and this passed unanimously.

Moved to approve the meeting minutes from the Annual Meeting 2023 and this passed unanimously too with one abstention.

Shops on Star Committee Report | Patti Washburn

  • Very successful year in the shops due to the tremendous work of the shops committee and so many volunteers

  • Continued collaborative efforts with the SIC were also part of the success

  • Shops Advisory Committee - six members to do longer term planning and to advisory on higher level issues

  • Shops on Star Committee - five new members and now a total of 14 members

  • New staffing model of Julia with two assistants worked well

  • Surpassed $200,000 in sales this year! A huge accomplishment

  • Passing the reins on to the new Chair, Gabby Prochaska

  • Patti named and thanked the individual members of the Shops on Star Committee for their hard work and contributions

Religious Professionals Grants | Miriam Coe

  • For almost 20 years the ISAUU has been providing these grants to religious professionals who have not yet experienced a conference on Star to come to the island without being in a ministerial role

  • Originally these were offered only to clergy but since 2023(?) we expanded to offering these to all religious professional

  • In 2024 gave six grants to religious professionals

  • Thanks to the committee this year: John, Susy B, Lisa Linda Marlene Deb Weiner

Conference Grants | Cory Easter

  • Total $13,628 grants (about 11% increase from prior year)

  • Thanks to the committee members (see photo of slide to write this in)

  • Conferences who received grants this year are: (write in from list on slide)

  • Looking to increase the total number of grants for next year

Treasurer’s Report | Cory Easter

  • Fiscal year runs Nov. 1 to Oct. 31

  • Memberships (two ways, in the shops in person and on the website)

  • $6,200 a little over in memberships this year

    • Big effort to clean up our membership database

    • Use Square as the point of sale system and gave the shops staff the ability to look up membership status in the moment

    • Did an email solicitation for membership renewals in the spring - this was successful in renewing and we plan to do it again this coming year

  • Total income: $209,000 approx. (see slide)

  • On-going effort to bring back out of print books:

    • “The Bear Who Missed the Boat” - sold some copies this year

  • Conference grants 11% up

  • Religious professionals 213% increase

  • Total grants just over $18,000 this year

  • Previous $45,000 to Star Island for special projects

  • $46,223 total grants to Star Island

  • $64,251 this year - increase

  • Surplus of about $13,000 for the year

  • Cash and assets: as of this point $73,200 cash on hand (check number), UU Common Endowment Fund investment and as of Sept 30th value was $43,424.69, an increase from the prior year; reviewed the Shop’s inventory, Fixed assets, and total assets too

  • Financial situation is terrific

  • We haven’t done the planning yet but we plan to increase our grants for next year and to do some minor purchases for the shops as well

Nominating Committee Report & Elections | Molly Mansfield

Thanks were given to this year’s Nominating Committee for their work to bring new members to our Board: Nick Bresinsky, Ali Walton, and Molly Mansfield.

We presented these candidates for a 2 year term from 2025-2026:

  • Ali Walton - President

  • Cheryl Doty - 1st Vice President

  • Patti Washburn - 2nd Vice President

  • Lisa Jennings - 3rd Vice President

  • Molly Mansfield - Board Secretary

  • Cory Easter - Treasurer

  • Patricia Coleman - Assistant Treasurer

  • Deb Weiner Soule - Membership Secretary

In addition we presented:

  • Marlene Smurzynski - for a 1 year term

  • Deb Walton, Nick Bresinsky, Linda Pollack-Johnson, Carrie Jones, Jocelyn Pierce, Suzy Bender Binzel, Sarah Hawkins, and John Anderson - for a two year term

  • And our new nominees, Nicholas Baudler, Amy Meek, Fiona Monllor, and Lisa Nelson - for a three year term

We also nominated Miriam Coe as a new Emeritus Board Member. We nominated Molly Mansfield to serve as ISAUU Nominating Committee Chair again in 2025.

We nominated Gabrielle Prochaska to serve as Special Advisor to the ISAUU, per her role as 2025 Shops on Star Committee Chair.

Molly shared our new member nominations and small bios about each person:

  • Gabby Prochaska: Gabrielle Prochaska first experienced the beauty of Star Island at the age of 19 with what was to be her future husband and it was another case of love at first sight. Many years of attending, volunteering, and raising 3 All Star 1 sons followed. In 2017, Gabrielle made the leap to give back to the wider island community by joining the Star Island Corporation. Since then she has been active in multiple arenas including the Rutledge Marine Lab Committee, All Star 1 Executive Committee, Star Island Marketing Committee, and most recently joining the Shops on Star Committee.

  • Nicholas Baudler: Nicholas Baudler first learned about Star Island while in college when he visited as a personal retreater. He didn't know it at the time, but that experience would lead to some of the most meaningful relationships that he has cultivated in his life! The following summer, Nicholas applied to be a Pelican and worked four consecutive seasons between 2010 and 2013, and continues to volunteer as much as time allows. Nicholas became a corporation member in 2017 and attends the Pelican Reunion conference annually with his brother. He currently lives in Portland, Maine with his two cats, Copernicus and Minerva, where he works in the jewelry industry as a gemologist and service specialist. Nicholas is very much looking forward to yet another way he can help serve and benefit the island community that's offered him so much over the years!  

  • Amy Meek: Amy first came to the island at age five, and grew up attending UCC (Star Gathering) conferences sporadically, as her father was often asked to be minister of the week (later her parents would chair UCC 2). From age thirteen on, Amy came to the island every year, spending her high school years attending the UCC/Star Gathering Youth Conferences before becoming a Pelican after her freshman year of college. Amy worked a total of nine full seasons (1998-2003, 2009-2011), plus various other volunteer runs, end-of-seasons, close-ups, etc, doing everything from Truck Crew to Bellhop to Carpentry to Laundry to Night Crew to Res Life. Amy served on Pel Council several times over those years, taking and printing many a Pel crew photo, organizing Pelican Papers, and posting meeting minutes in a most important Pelican information hub: the bathrooms. Amy has attended Pel Reunion since 2013 and YAC (in the process of a name change to You Are You) since 2014, has co-chaired both conferences, and is a member of each of their steering committees. Amy is a Star Island Corporation member of over ten years and has served on the Marine Lab Committee. Amy has volunteered in the Shops many times over the years, especially enjoying the Book Store. She is, in particular, thrilled that her ‘books by former Pelicans’ display idea has finally come to fruition. Amy is incredibly excited to join the ISAUU board and looks forward to this new connection to her very favorite place on earth.

  • Fiona Monllor: Fiona Monllor grew up Unitarian as part of Central Unitarian Church in Paramus, NJ.  Her family began attending All Star II in 1986 and she's missed very few years since.  In 2002, her husband and stepdaughter joined her.  Cooler heads prevailed in 2009, and she did not bring her 3-week-old twin boys, but they have been coming since 2010.  She is a member of SIC and has served on the Council of Conferences as well as the Finance Committee.  Fiona has also been volunteering for years to help cook the delicious food by Fink's which is served at the Regatta and this year's Open House.  She is thrilled to find a new way to support the island as a member of the ISAUU board.    

  • Lisa Nelson: Lisa Nelson first came to Star Island for IA week in 1972 at the age of 3. She continued to come as a conferee with IA until 1986, then became a Pelican, serving full season 1987-89, working in the kitchen, bakery and lobby store, and end of season in 1990-93. From 1989-90 she also served as the Pelican representative to the Star Island Corporation Board. After taking time off for medical school, residency, and starting a family, Lisa returned to Star with her husband and 2 daughters in 2009 to serve as island doctor, and has continued to come yearly as a conferee and/or island doctor for IA week ever since. She has also served on the Health Committee since 2019. This past summer, Lisa's daughter Madeleine served as a Pelican for the first time, and her sister Deborah will be conference chair for IA week in 2025. Her whole family is committed to Star Island as their spirit's home.

Members in attendance voted to accept all the membership changes and to elect the four new members to our Board of Directors. All were unanimously approved with one abstention. We also recognized Miriam Coe in her new role as an emeritus non-voting board member. (see notes in my script)

Voted to accept the committee reports - passed unanimously with one abstention.

**Adjournment of Business meeting**

Post-meeting presentation: Beloved Community on Star Island, by April Rosario

Questions and Discussion

Transitions | Ali Walton

Ali Walton spoke to recognize Miriam Coe for her years of service on the ISAUU Board of Directors and to welcome her as a new emeritus member. Miriam has served for over twenty years, longer than our records go back. Miriam contributed significantly to the Clergy Grants program and helping it grow into the Religious Professionals Grants too.

Patti Washburn served as the Shops on Star Committee Chair from 2019 to 2024. She will remain on the Shops on Star Committee and ISAUU Board of Directors she is passing the reins to Gabby Prochaska as Shops Committee Chair. She has given thousands of hours of service to the ISAUU. She has helped improve the Shops systems and made the Shops successful with record sales. She has also helped the Shops to continue to have positive collaborations with the SIC.

Meeting was adjourned at 2:53 pm.