President's Message — July/August 2008 A Few Brief Words From The Incoming President. This is an excerpt from a brief talk I gave at the annual meeting. I tried to briefly state my thoughts and focus for the next two years. I will give you an insight into what I believe is important and what we should be doing to make Or Rishon a warm and friendly place; a caring religious community. I could make some jokes about the president taking out the garbage, which I did last Saturday, but in reality, trying to fill Cal’s shoes is going to be hard. He left a huge legacy. I’ll make this short – like me. I’ve had a lot of people ask: so what are you going to do when you become president. A few old things, a few new things, but mostly what the congregation wants. I have a simple philosophy. I believe that first and foremost this is a sacred institution. The board is only here for guidance, and to ensure that we remain a place where we all feel welcome, have a holy community, and a place for prayer. Everything else is window dressing. By this I mean that we shouldn’t get caught up in the minutia, which as we all know sometimes happens. Let’s start with the old. I’ve been working with Cal and a few others the last few months to ensure that this is a smooth transition - no big surprises. I actually had some formal training in March at the Scheidt seminar given by the URJ for incoming presidents. Some of the ideas I picked up will influence the things I want to accomplish in the next two years. First and foremost on everyone’s mind is the report and recommendations from the Neighborhood meetings. I have been saying for a long time, that I am committed to following through on whatever the committee recommends. I am very aware that the recommendations are really the wants, desires, ideas, and voice of the congregation. Second, I’ve already heard loud and clear that there isn’t enough communication about what the Board does. I’d like to fix that in several ways. Keeping in mind that Board sessions are open, I’m encouraging everyone to attend at least one Board session a year. More if you can. Closely associated with a policy of open communications, we’re starting a formal board training program. This program is meant to enhance the effectiveness of the board. But it is open to all congregants. That way, we encourage all of you to think about contributing by a stint on the board. Third, I think we need a focus on our financial health. Let’s stop using the term fundraising and start using the term Financial Health. We need to look at the status of our financial health differently if we want to improve it. To this end, Lynn Dean will be heading up a committee to examine all aspects of improving our financial health. Next, I’d like to mention involvement. We often say we want to be more connected, to feel closer to G-d, to have a more tightly knit community. The best way I know to achieve this aim is to participate more – to get more involved. So this will also be one of my focus areas. One last item. When I said better communications, I meant it. We, - the Board, will communicate with you. But you can also communicate with us. Stop telling your friends what you like and don’t like. Tell us. My number and every person on the Board will have their number listed on the web site, the bulletin and on Temple letterhead. Call us. Ted Blumenstein tedbee@surewest.net (916) 788-8254 (home) (916) 316-1671 (cell)