Minutes – April 16, 2015

The fifth meeting of the Carleton Interfaith Chaplaincy Council took place on Thursday April 16, 2015 at 2:30 pm in the Interfaith Chaplaincy Centre.

There were informal introductions before the meeting began.

Present
Ryan Flannagan, CU Student Services
Karen Green, CU Equity Services
Bertie Mo, United Church
Michael Perkin, Ecumenical Chaplaincy and Anglican Church
Scott Goldstein, Jewish community
Brian Laughton, Ecumenical Chaplaincy and Presbyterian Church
Tom Sherwood, Volunteer Interim Coordinator
Laura Storey, Director, Housing and Residence Life
Sid Ypma, Christian Reformed Chaplaincy

Regrets and
Absent Friends of the Interfaith Chaplaincy
Sikander Hasmi, Leslie Macdonald-Hicks, Tim McCauley, Michael Sakran, Roseann O’Reilly Runte, Aisha Sherazi, Arran Thorpe
Note: In the future, the second person from the Roman Catholic chaplaincy (in addition to Fr. Tim) will be Andrew Nobauer.

  1. Tom called the meeting to order at 2:30 pm
  2. Opening Devotional An excerpt from Diving Deeply, a 2013 book of Lenten meditations, was distributed and considered. Written by Tom, it narrates the importance of food in campus chaplaincy, and specifically mentions the Carleton Pause Table.
  3. Approval of Agenda
  4. Approval of March Minutes
  5. University Reports
    • Ryan reviewed a number of practical and logistical items:
      • WiFi in the Chaplaincy Centre
      • email address and accounts for Interfaith Chaplains and the Council
      • the T27A door
    • Laura briefed the Council members on Residence Life.
      • There are 3600 beds in Residence at this time,
        • 71 ResFellows,
        • 8 Residence Managers
        • 5 of these live in apartments on campus
        • 3 do not live in.
      • The ResFellows are recruited in January each year.
      • ResFellow training will be August 17 to 28 this year.
      • The Interfaith Chaplaincy could do an information table for the ResFellows and all ResLife staff in late August, likely the last week, date to be determined.
      • Are there any gender-specific floors in Residence? – generally only 2.
      • Theme floors? – usually 4 or 5
      • The proposed new residence building, north of Leeds House, is planned to have 500 beds in suites for upper year and graduate students. Dates of construction and opening will probably be determined in June.
      • How many physically disabled students receiving attendant care services? – between 50 and 100.
      • If the Interfaith Chaplaincy wishes to inform ResLife of a specific event or program (like the Stress workshop) how best to do it next Fall? – Laura replied that she like to be the contact, and would be happy to work with the CICC on program. Scott and Laura consulted specifically on Big Questions programming for Fall 2015.
    • Karen reported that Carleton would be connecting with the culminating events of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, May 30th to June 3rd, and hoped that Equity Services would be able to partner with the Interfaith Chaplaincy in promotion, consultation and possibly hosting on-campus events. Since Tom and Bertie are already connected with programs that weekend, and Bertie has been involved with TRC issues for several years, it was agreed that she would take on this portfolio for the next month. (Bertie and Karen met together about this as soon as the CICC meeting concluded.)
  6. Program
    • Dealing with Stress Workshop (March 9)
      • Tom reported that this was held in the CIC Centre, and about 15 people attended
    • Careers related to Religious Studies Workshop (March 23)
      • Tom reported that this was held in the RELI Seminar Room (in 2A Paterson Hall) and was attended by about 15 people.
    • Publicity for these two events in Today@Carleton raised awareness on campus of the presence of the new CICC.
    • The April Pause Table began on Monday April 13 and will go to the last day of exams, Thursday the 23rd. It has been well-organized by Meg and is receiving more than 1000 student visits per day, some days 1200-1500. Ryan Babcock, an alumnus of the Ecumenical Chaplaincy has been an amazing volunteer – several 6-hour days. The list of faith communities contributing food, volunteers and clergy leaders is a long one: Grace Presbyterian, Trinity Anglican (Arran), Resurrection Anglican, Riverside United, Rideau Park United, St. Giles Presbyterian, St. Aidan’s Anglican, St. Mark’s Anglican, Resurrection Lutheran, Journey Church, Carleton Memorial United, St. Alban’s Anglican, the Stittsville-Richmond team, Southminster United, the Ottawa Muslim Association, the Quaker Meeting, Scott (Hillel House), Trinity United, St. Matthias Anglican, Centretown United and the Glebe Minyan… at least. We’ll correct and complete this list at the May meeting.
  7. Other Business
    • Sid reported that the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS — http://www.cacuss.ca/) is animating two national consultations about multifaith space and interfaith chaplaincies on Canadian campuses. One is at the CACUSS agm in BC in May, but the second is in Toronto in June, and Sid has been invited to it. The group has funding to fly people like Sid in for the consultation.
  8. Next two meetings:
    • Friday May 22nd at 1 pm 
    • Thursday June 25th at 1 pm

The May meeting will need two hours.

I will be sending out various constitutional documents a few days ahead of time, and we will use the meeting to edit/improve/add/subtract. We hope to establish a Draft Constitution, Protocols and MOU for the 2015-16 year (July 1 to June 30).

The June meeting will need 90 minutes. It will include a report by Sid from a national consultation

The June 25 meeting will be my last as the Volunteer Coordinator. When I said Yes to the President last Fall, it was for the period from Dec 1 to June 30. If we adopt the constitution that I will be sending out prior to the May meeting, the members of the Council will need to recruit someone to be the Coordinator for a 1-year term, July 1 to June 30, 2016. I will support that person and the Chaplaincy as Past Coordinator, but from off-campus for 6 months – available by email and telephone. I plan to return in January as “added value” — an extra volunteer chaplain in the Centre and an extra member of the Council if desired.