• THE BOY SCOUTS DILEMMA
• BUY DISCOUNTED OFFICE SUPPLIES THROUGH THE QUILL PROGRAM
• RETHINKING DUES: CREATING A CULTURE OF COMMITMENT AND GIVING IN YOUR CONGREGATION
• USE YOUR BULLETIN TO PR YOUR BOARD
• A CHARITABLE CHECKLIST AS DECEMBER 31 APPROACHES
  
  

The Boy Scouts Dilemma

The Supreme Court has recently ruled that the Boy Scouts of America can legally discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. The UAHC opposes discrimination against gay men and lesbians, supports civil rights and civil liberties for all people, and in 1987 resolved that sexual orientation should not be a consideration for membership in, or participation in the activities of, any member congregation.

So we are confronted with the following dilemma: If the Boy Scouts of America wishes to continue to identify itself as an organization that includes a clearly discriminatory policy as part of its fundamental charter, can and should our congregations maintain sponsorship of Scout troops or work with the Boy Scouts in any way?

This is a complicated issue for synagogue boards. On the one hand, there is the benefit that scores of our youngsters derive from their participation in scouting and the pride that many congregations take in sponsoring a troop. For numerous synagogues, the Scout troop represents a significant part of their community involvement. In addition, there is the investment of money, energy, and emotion that some constituency of the congregation--often the Brotherhood--has invested in the Scout troop over the years.

On the other hand, there are the clear commitments to tolerance and equality that have been core values of Reform Judaism for decades. For example, many Reform rabbis officiate at commitment ceremonies for gay couples. Indeed, we number among our members--and our leadership--gay men and lesbian women who express personal hurt and are offended because of our involvement with an organization that discriminates against them.

In dealing with this question, some congregations have chosen to disaffiliate entirely with the Boy Scouts, going so far as to close down existing Scout troops. At the other extreme, some congregations have elected to continue supporting their Scout troops and take no further action. In between are the congregations that have indicated that they will continue to sponsor their troop "for the time being" while they try to prevail upon the Boy Scouts to change their policy.

The Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism has adopted a resolution that is strongly critical of the Boy Scouts' policy and labels it irreconcilable with the principles of Reform Judaism. The commission has resolved to support litigation efforts that challenge the discriminatory policies of the Boy Scouts and to work in coalitions to urge the Scouts to change their policy.

Imagine a situation in which a congregation whose rabbi has officiated at a commitment ceremony for a gay couple is asked to welcome a Scout troop that would not allow one of those partners to serve as its leader. That is the dilemma that faces many of our congregations. It serves as a case study of the complicated and often emotionally charged issues with which a synagogue board must wrestle. Although it is difficult to keep all the competing values in balance, that is the very expectation that your fellow congregants placed on you when they elevated you to a position of synagogue leadership.

If your congregation sponsors a Scout troop, you should examine what your policy toward it will be. Expect to conduct your discussion in a spirit of mutual respect and affection, recognizing that both sides engaged in the conversation are motivated by good values and have the overriding interest of the congregation at heart.

For further information, please contact Rabbi Dan Polish, Director of the UAHC Commission on Social Action, by phone at (212) 650-4156 or by e-mail at dpolish@uahc.org.

Want To Save Your Congregation Some Money?
Buy Office Supplies Through The Quill Program

As a trustee of your congregation, you have a fiduciary duty to pay careful attention to fiscal management. You no doubt carefully peruse the budget each year looking for ways to save money for the temple. Frequently you bemoan the fact that much money is spent buying needed supplies at retail prices.

To help your congregation save money, the UAHC has entered into an agreement with Quill, a subsidiary of the office-supply superstore Staples, which will make ordering office supplies easier and more economical. This discount-purchasing plan is now available to all member congregations. Through Quill, you can buy everything from school supplies and furniture to computer software at up to 84 percent discount from list prices, plus an additional 5 percent off only for UAHC congregations, and have your order delivered within two days. Over 200,000 products are available, and delivery is free for most purchases over $45. In addition, you will have access to a toll free customer service hot line and an on-line catalog.

Since the program with Quill has begun, UAHC congregations have saved approximately $25,000. Consider using this simple and efficient way to save money for your congregation.

For more information on The Quill/UAHC partnership, or to enroll your congregation in this program, please click on http://uahc.org/leadership/member/. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Stacey Robinson, Quill National Accounts Manager, by telephone at (847) 876-4204.

Educating members about their obligation to support the congregation through an annual financial commitment is both difficult and extremely important. Rethinking Dues: Creating a Culture of Commitment and Giving in Your Congregation will help you refocus your approach to this critical task. Three-hole punched for easy insertion into your board binder, Rethinking Dues describes specific support systems; suggests criteria for selecting a particular system; offers strategies for marketing, communicating, and handling adjustments within your system; and includes an appendix with sample materials from successful programs.

A project of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations' Ida and Howard Wilkoff Department of Synagogue Management, Rethinking Dues: Creating a Culture of Commitment and Giving in Your Congregation is available free as a service to UAHC member congregations. To obtain this pamphlet, please call (212) 650-4040 or e-mail synagoguemgmt@uahc.org.

You work month after month at late-night board meetings grappling with such topics as budgets, Break Fasts, and long-range planning, as well as with last-minute crises. Although you seem to have no time to catch your breath, your fellow congregants will bemuse you with questions like "What exactly does the board do?" and "Why does everything take so long to get done?"

A monthly board column in the bulletin can enlighten your members about issues within and without the congregation and serve as a great public relations tool for the board. Consider including the following types of information:

• New board members' profiles, highlighting both their temple and professional experience. Your members will be impressed with the caliber of their leadership.

• Newly created policies and the process that shaped those positions. Your members will appreciate both the deliberative process and the result.

• How the temple's money is spent-basic budgetary information, as well as uncommon expenditures for things like security, new kitchen equipment, or helping those in need.

• The board's stand on community issues that directly and indirectly affect temple members should be publicized. An article in the bulletin of Congregation Emanuel, Denver, CO, described the process and decision whereby the board decided to no longer sponsor the Boy Scout troop that had been meeting at the temple in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling upholding the right of Scouting USA to discriminate. An article in the bulletin of Temple Israel, Long Beach, CA, explained why the board voted to endorse passage of a public school bond measure and encouraged its members to vote in favor of that legislation.

Board briefs can effectively bridge the communication gap between the board and the members you serve.

Many people make charitable contributions at the end of the calendar year. Now is the time for the board to devise an appeal that will influence your members to include the temple on their list of year-end donations.

Neal Frank, the director of Development at Temple Israel in Minneapolis, MN, suggests the following five gentle reminders to help promote year-end donations to the synagogue:

1. Charitable giving benefits members as well as the temple, so encourage your members to accelerate their annual commitment or make an additional annual or endowment contribution. The gift will make a difference to the temple and does, of course, result in a tax benefit to the member.

2. Appreciated assets can make great gifts. Your members can receive tax deductions for the full, fair market value of their gifts of appreciated securities owned for at least a year and a day, and neither the members nor the temple will have to pay capital gains tax on such a gift.

3. Tax-wise charitable gifts often require advance action. Because stock transfers and gifts of real estate may require substantial paperwork and timing (completion before December 31), it is critical to recommend getting started on this right away.

4. Charitable gifts can be accelerated. This information may be very useful to your lucky members whose income is higher than anticipated, who may have extra cash on hand, or who are concerned about potential changes in the tax law.

5. A life-income plan may make sense for some of your members at this time, especially those who cannot afford to give up current income from retirement-related assets. These deferred-giving plans allow your members to establish a gift arrangement now, obtain current tax benefits, create a stream of lifetime income, and provide a future gift to the temple.

For further information, please contact the UAHC Development Department by phone at (212) 650-4140 or by e-mail at development@uahc.org.

Share Your Ideas and Input

Do you have

• Programs that have worked well in your congregation?
• Topics about which you would like more information?
• Suggestions for future Inside Leadership articles?

For our December-January issue: Share ideas on how to use your Nominating Committee to help develop potential leaders.