Feb 1st, 00:00

This is the time of year the TBT Board of Directors begins planning for the next fiscal year that begins on June 1, 2010. Soon the finance committee will begin working on our overall budget. The Director of each office will make plans for what they hope to accomplish next year and project their budget needs. Each office plays a vital role in the governance of our Temple. My sincerest thanks go to all our Directors who have volunteered their time and effort towards that goal. Your efforts have made TBT a better place and those efforts have made my job much easier. Now is the time we begin the process of selecting candidates for election to next year’s Board of Directors (BOD). The process begins with a nominating committee chosen from the BOD and the general membership. All officers are elected for a one year term and can serve, if re-elected, for a maximum of three years. The nominating committee begins by canvassing the present BOD to find out which officers, if eligible, would like to continue in their position. Then the nominating committee looks to the general membership to find qualified candidates for open positions. Any congregant may make it known that they wish to be considered for a position on the BOD. The nominating committee will then recommend to the BOD a slate of officers. If the slate is approved, then it will be voted on at the May congregational meeting. If there are other eligible candidates who wish to serve as an officer, then their name will also appear on a ballot at the May meeting. Remember, any congregant in good standing can run for any office. I mentioned above that the nominating committee looks for “qualified” candidates. So what makes a candidate qualified? The overwhelming quality needed is an enthusiastic wish to make TBT a better place and willingness to volunteer time and effort towards that goal. Some offices need Directors with certain skills, but I assure you there is a place on the BOD, or on a committee, or on a specific project, or in some other capacity for anyone that wishes to contribute a little of their time to help with the continued success of our Temple. It is my experience that the rewards of volunteering far outweigh the cost of your time. Please let the TBT office or the nominating committee know of your interest in serving. I have been involved with a committee for almost two years that has been reviewing our Constitution and By-Laws. It had not been reviewed for over ten years and I realized that there were a number of instances where our current actions were different than what was required in the By-Laws. On some issues the By-Laws need to be changed and on some issues the BOD needs to change what they do. The discussions involved in this exercise have been absolutely fascinating. Excluding me, the committee consists of some of the most brilliant and thoughtful minds in our Temple. Sam Prum, Kathy Sapiro, Cindy Jacobson, Elaine Socol and Miriam Van Raalte have spent dozens and dozens of hours in meetings and in research at their homes. Each item has been looked at from various perspectives before any recommendations were suggested. Although it sounds like a cliché, words cannot express my gratitude for their collective efforts. The recommended changes will be presented to the Board of Directors over the next two months. If approved, those recommendations will be presented to the congregation for discussion in April and May in a Town Hall format. You will then be asked to vote for the proposed changes at the May Congregational meeting. As always, you may contact me directly at gregoryweitzman@aol.com or (714) 336-7313