Standard Operating Procedures
From Interweave Continental
This document should be updated at least annually to reflect actual practice and Interweave Continental Board decisions. (see Standard Operating Procedures Recommendations 2006/11/03-05)
Mission/Vision
Interweave Continental is a membership organization actively working toward ending oppression based on sexual orientation and gender identity, recognizing that we will not be free until all oppression is a thing of the past. We are an affiliate organization of the Unitarian Universalist Association and UU principles guide our work. We value and affirm the lives and experience of Queer people of faith, regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, income level, and ability. By providing and supporting leadership and working in collaboration with other organizations of similar vision, we strive to connect and nurture all Queer individuals, communities, and groups and their allies. (Adopted by Annual Meetings at Convo 2005 and Convo 2006)
Other Documents
Interweave Continental Bylaws, Convo Planning Manual, Interweave Continental Board
Incorporation
Interweave Continental, Inc. was incorporated in Massachusetts in February 1996.
The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) classifies Interweave Continental, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) religious and educational organization. This means that donations to it by US citizens are tax-exempt.
Interweave Continental is not incorporated in Canada, but has an informal relationship with the Unitarian Canadian Council / Conseil Unitarien du Canada (CUC). Canadian citizens may make tax deductible donations to Interweave through the CUC.
Annual Business Meeting
Interweave Continental's annual business meeting is held at Convo.
Board Meetings
The board meets at General Assembly, at Convo, at the Interweave Continental Board Retreat, and monthly by conference. The president arranges for the call. These have recently been on the first Sunday of each month at 8pm North America Eastern Time.
Officers and Board
The elected leadership positions are president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. There may be up to 12 board members. Elections are held at Convo. Ideally, six board positions would be up for election each year. The slate of nominees is prepared by the nominating committee and circulated to the membership before the annual meeting.
Board members are expected to attend board meetings at Convo and GA, and to participate in conference calls. Attendance at the annual meeting is particularly important.
During 2004, the Board developed and adopted a portfolio system of Board member responsibility.
If there is a vacancy on the board, it is filled by a selection and vote of the board.
Finances
The treasurer presents a year-to-date financial report and proposed budget to the annual meeting. The final fiscal report must be completed 30 days after the close of the fiscal year, and it is circulated to members by publication in the next issue of the Interweave World.
Nominating Committee
This committee is composed of five members, one of whom is carried over from the previous nominating committee. All are elected at Convo.
Interweave Chapters
Interweave has historically been an individual membership organization, but is currently moving toward equally valuing individual and chapter members. At the October 2004 Board retreat, the following decisions were made:
- Groups may become affiliated Interweave Continental chapters by paying the annual chapter dues of $100 US. Any group in sympathy with Interweave’s principals may affiliate; it is not necessary to be attached to a congregation.
- Individual and chapter members will be equal in standing, except for voting rights as outlined in b. below.
- Dues-paying chapters will be allowed to send voting delegates to Convo as follows (plus as many non-voting members as they wish):
- Small chapters, fewer than 10 members, may send 2 voting delegates to Convo and will receive 5 newsletters per issue.
- Medium chapters, from 10 to 25 members, may send 4 voting delegates to Convo and will receive 10 newsletters per issue.
- Large chapters, over 25 members, may send 6 voting delegates to Convo and will receive 15 newsletters per issue.
- Chapters will enjoy the following benefits:
- A certificate of membership/affiliation
- Being listed on the Interweave Continental website with a link to chapter website
- Annual mailing of all IC chapters and their contact info
- A Board liaison whom they may contact directly with any questions or concerns
- Access to a closed email list for chapter leaders
- Delegate voting rights as outlined in b. above
- A dedicated section of the Interweave World for Chapter News submissions
Interweave World
This is the newsletter of Interweave. There are six editions per year. Newsletters will be sent to members only. Each member will be notified that his/her membership is expiring when the last newsletter of his or her membership is sent. A follow-up notice will also be sent. If there is no response before the next newsletter mailing, the newsletter will not be sent.
Address
Mail is forwarded from the post office box at 45 State St. #380, Montpelier, VT 05602 to the Interweave secretary who distributes it to the appropriate person.
Convo
At the October 2004 Board Retreat, the following purposes of Convo were identified: annual business meeting, timely/relevant workshops, socializing, networking, board meeting, visibility for IC leadership, queer-specific worship, strengthening relationships with other UUA Affiliates, quality & accessible fun, and leadership development.
The board is responsible for selection of the Convo sites. A Convo Site Application and letter will be mailed to interested parties between Convo and GA two years prior to the Convo in question. The board will accept proposals for Convo sites until that GA, and applicants may speak to the Board at the GA Board meeting. The Board will select from the applicants and announce the site by Convo one year prior to the Convo in question. At least one member of the local Convo planning committee selected must have attended Convo at least once prior to hosting.
At the 1999 Convo, the board agreed that the following criteria and process would be used in selecting a Convo site:
- That the site be some distance away from both the prior GA and the next Convo and from the last Convo if possible.
- It would be handicap accessible
- A strong local committee with the possible exception that if there is a special benefit from holding Convo in a certain area (such as in a very conservative area or an area that has a large minority population). Regardless, volunteer energy is important and, generally, it is good to have a local Interweave group.
- Possibly there should be a special program at Convo if it is in a sodomy state.
- There should be a written proposal
- Convo should be financially responsible and be able to provide at least some scholarships
- Good transportation access
- Inexpensive housing should be available
- Home hospitality should be available
- Child care should be available
- It would be good if it was in an area of multi-cultural diversity
- There is a Convo planning manual to assist the local chapter in planning Convo.
At the October 2004 Board Retreat, the Board agreed that it would take responsibility for the following aspects of Convo planning and execution:
- Providing a template for the Convo weekend schedule
- Selecting a theme for Convo each year
- Selecting a site for Convo each year
- Providing one workshop of the Board’s choosing at Convo each year
- Handling continental publicity
- Handling registration, once IC has an administrative staff person
The local site will be responsible for all other aspects of planning and execution, including local publicity. Any profit generated from Convo will be split between the local site and the Board 60/40.
Fiscal Year
The board voted in 1999 to make the fiscal year April 1 to March 31. This was done so a budget can be adopted at the Convo board meeting.
Reimbursement for Board Expenses
A reimbursement form should be filed with the treasurer. Expenses should be either a routine part of office expenses of things specifically approved by the board. Reimbursement for board travel to Convo is available on a case-by-case basis when it is requested from the board.
At Convo 2001 the board voted to adopt the following policy on board reimbursement/assistance: Any board member in need of financial assistance is encouraged to apply for funding toward travel, housing or registration costs of Convo and/or General Assembly. Board members who need assistance should submit their applications in writing to the board president, stating the need, by December 1st for Convo and by April 1st for GA.
The president, in consultation with the vice president, treasurer, and secretary, will make a decision and inform the applicant(s) within one week. The treasurer will cut checks and mail them as soon as possible. Receipts must be submitted to the treasurer for all money spent and any excess funds must be returned.
In the event that requests outnumber available funds, the board president will put funding on the agenda of the next meeting/conference call to problem solve and help with fundraising.
All board members are entitled to, and encouraged to receive, acknowledgement of their in-kind donations to Interweave.
Web Site
The Interweave web site is linked to the UUA web site and it is accessed through the UUA web site and the OBGLTC page. I can be accessed directly at http://interweave.uua.org. It is hosted by qrd.org, "The Queer Resources Directory" The full URL is http://qrd.tcp.com/qrd/www/orgs/uua/uu-interweave.html. There are multiple links from uua.org to the Interweave site.
Electronic Communication
There are four Interweave lists. Interweave-a is an announcement list. Interweave-b is a discussion list for Interweave board members. Interweave-c [?] is a list for Interweave chapter leaders. Interweave-d is a discussion list open to everyone.
Affiliations
Interweave is affiliated with the UUA and works cooperatively with OBGLTC. As there has been much confusion amongst IC members in the past about the distinctions between the organization of Interweave Continental and the UUA Office of BGLT Concerns, the Board and an Office representative determined the following distinctions at the October 2004 Board Retreat:
- The Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns, or the OBGLTC, is part of the structure of the UUA and as such is funded by the UUA. The Office works largely with congregations, and cannot participate in plenary business in any way.
- Interweave Continental (IC) is an affiliate organization of the UUA and as such pays dues to the UUA. IC is a grassroots membership organization owned and funded by its membership, works largely with individuals, and can lobby for resolutions and vote to endorse them if an eligible delegate speaks on behalf of IC.
- The Office and IC will not share funds.
- The Office in the past has responded to inquiries regarding IC by sending out IC literature. In an attempt to clarify the distinctions between the Office and the organization, the Office will now forward inquiries to a member of the Board for direct response.
Banner
The current banner was designed and created by Jane Dwinell and Dana Dwinell-Yardley. The former banner, sadly lost, was designed by BobBi Keppel. The banner is kept by the Interweave treasurer or secretary. It is carried in the banner parade at GA and is displayed at Convo.
GA Programming and Activities
Interweave generally has a small number of program slots at GA. The use of this time is determined by the board. Interweave sponsors a dinner at GA, usually Saturday night, which is not part of GA programming and is held at a restaurant near GA. Interweave has booth space at GA which is frequently a space shared with OBGLTC. An effort is made to have an Interweave hospitality suite and to host a youth reception during GA.
Mark DeWolfe Award
This award is given annually by Interweave to someone who has given great services to the goals of Interweave. It is presented at GA. The board makes the selection. The selection of the award winner should be made by the end of February in order to allow time to get information to the people planning the Awards Breakfast. The award includes an engraved gift based on a howling wolf motif.
Sermon Contest
Interweave sponsors a sermon contest open to anyone who has given a sermon on a b/g/l/t topic during the previous year. (Jan. 4, 1998 and March 28, 1999 were the dates for the 1999 contest). An ad hoc committee makes the selection. The winner is invited to give the sermon at GA in one of the Interweave program slots. The prize is $250. The amount of the cash award was changed to this figure in 2000. All contestants should be notified as soon as possible after a decision has been reached. All submissions become the property of Interweave. There has been discussion of publishing a booklet of winning sermons.
Alcohol Policy for the Interweave Suite at GA
At the 1998 Convo a policy regarding alcohol at the GA suite was passed. The policy states that alcohol brought by an individual into the Interweave suite at GA is the personal responsibility of that individual, that no alcohol will be allowed at youth designated events at GA, and the no Interweave money will be spent on alcohol at GA.
Commitment to anti-racism
At the December 1999 retreat, the Interweave board made a commitment to anti-racism work, and to working with trainers from the Journey Toward Wholeness group. This commitment includes application of an anti-racist perspective in all programs and activities and to outreach to other UUA affiliate groups that are concerned with multiple oppressions. The Interweave web site has a statement of the board’s commitment to anti-racism.