Coffee Hour Changes

The management of coffee hour as we have known it will be changing.
Because it was getting to be quite a struggle for members of the
Diaconate to enlist volunteers and because it was taking up a
disproportionate amount of the Deacons' time (which is supposed to
be focused on our worship services) the Diaconate, with the approval
of the Church Council, has given up sole responsibility for coffee
hours after worship. Instead, each committee or group within the
Church has been asked to take on the responsibility for coffee hour
for one month of the year. Also tied up in this new idea is the
desire to to better account for the money spent out of the
Hospitality Budget.

To keep some continuity and provide oversight, a Kitchen Committee
(KC) has been established. It is a sub-committee of the Diaconate
but it will not necessarily include current Deacons. The KC will be
in charge of:
  1. Assisting the Committee in charge of coffee hour each month as
      they get to know the ins and outs of how it's done.
  2. Providing detailed written instructions and descriptions of what
      is expected and where things are in the kitchen.
  3. Keeping the kitchen organized. (The Sexton has the
      responsibility for keeping the kitchen clean BUT we should still be
      responsible in cleaning up after ourselves.)
  4. Keeping the kitchen stocked with the basic necessities of coffee
      hour that are paid for by the Church (coffee, tea, sugar, other
      sweeteners, non-dairy coffee creamer, plastic wrap/bags, aluminum
      foil, napkins, paper towels, dish towels, dish soap, dishwasher soap,
      coffee filters, and sponges)
  5. Approving all expenditures from the Hospitality Budget
       a. preferably prior to purchase
       b. hopefully before submission to the Treasurer for payment
       c. if all else fails, definitely before the Treasurer pays any
           bills out of the Hospitality Budget.
  6. Copies of receipts should be presented to the KC (for budget
     tracking) in addition to the Church Treasurer (for reimbursement or
     payment).
  7. A representative will report on activity at Diaconate meetings.

The Coffee Hour Committee-of-the-Month (CHCM) will be in charge of
finding someone to take care of the following list of coffee hour
duties or doing it themselves for each Sunday of their month:
  1. set up (to include making the coffee)
  2. clean up
  3. providing snack foods (e.g. fruit, veggies & dip, crackers &
      cheese, sweets, etc.).
  4. Providing things like half & half and cold drinks in addition to
      the snacks is OPTIONAL (i.e. provided at the discretion the CHCM, not
      by the Church).
  5. Paper plates & cups are also OPTIONAL for the convenience of the 
      CHCM, as needed or as deemed appropriate. Those items will no longer
      be regularly stocked in the cabinets in the kitchen.

Since all the groups or committee are not the same size, different
ways of handling the coffee hour responsibility are possible. How any
particular month is handled is completely up to the CHCM.
Suggestions include:
  1. They could do all 4 or 5 Sundays themselves. (recommended only
      for the larger committees)
  2. They could use the current calendar system and attempt to get
      other people to sign up to host the coffee hour each Sunday.
      (recommended for the small committees)
  3. They could use the system where committee members do the set up
      & clean up but get various people to sign up to bring food items.
      (recommended for the small-medium sized committees)
  4. They could figure out something new & different to try out on us!
  5. It is recommended that each committee appoint one person to be
      in charge of coordinating things for their month.
  6. The KC will be available to advise and answer questions as to 
      what is needed and where things are. We already have 3 volunteers 
      for the KC so far: Zoë Bigley, Jan Whitfield and Beth Whitney.
      Others are welcome to volunteer.

The following is a list of the committees/groups within the Church
and which months have been claimed to date.
  January - Trustees
  February - Pastoral Relations
  March - Church in Society
  April - Stewardship
  May - Nominating
  June - Organ Society
  July - Christian Ed
  August - Choir
  September - Men's Fellowship
  October -
  November - Church World Service
  December - Diaconate
Note: Due to the nature of the make-up of the groups, it is
acknowledged that there will be some overlap of people who are part
of more than one of the above committees /groups. It would be
appreciated by all if that issue was acknowledged within each group,
with the groups then being sure not to overwork any particular member.