Ethics and Reconciliation Council Recommendations

In January, 2020, the EAR Council made these recommendations to the Mountain Stream Board of Directors. The Board will be considering these recommendations in the coming months. The board is currently working on several of these recommendations. For example, ethics documents for board, teachers and staff have been adopted. A standardized board recruitment process is nearly finalized so that we can go forward to expand the board. Board meeting dates and times are on the website (click this link), and board meeting minutes are available by request.

  1. A process for hiring employees be formalized and agreed upon by the Board

  2. Weekly staff meetings to include all staff when possible and include some teacher involvement. This might be done on a revolving basis among the teachers. A teacher might be included in one meeting per month.

  3. The mission statement be revisited and perhaps revised to include reference to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

  4. If “family style” of operation is adopted, a clear and transparent structure to define and address issues of decision making, transparency and interrelationships between employees, board members, teachers, volunteers be created that is reviewed by all and adopted by the Board.

  5. A code of ethics based on the five precepts be created and adopted for staff and for the Board to sign. This code could be revisited and agreed upon once a year.

  6. Board meetings, dates, times put on the website. Also, the agendas and the minutes made available to everyone. Similarly, financial statements available on the website.

  7. Regrow Board to at least 5 members.

  8. John Travis instead of being called and functioning as the Guiding Teacher, he will function as the Founding Teacher. As soon as the Board is expanded, John can step away as a member of the Board and focus his participation on teaching and leading retreats.

  9. Expand the involvement of volunteers to enhance spirit of community engagement and in time to lessen the burdens on staff time.

To contact the Ethics and Reconciliation Council:

Maeve Hassett, Chairperson
Paul Steege
Anita Hansen