September 10, 2008

Dear Supporters of the Marianist Family Ministry:

Thank God for His mercy in sparing the CFL Center in Topsail, NC any significant damage from last Saturday’s encounter with tropical storm Hannah.  In case you haven’t heard, the worst of the damage was a few screens blown off and rain water coming in underneath the oceanfront door in the dining room.  Unfortunately, Hannah forced us to put off a really important annual town hall meeting on the future of the property and the ministry.  I can’t help wondering what message the Lord was trying to send us.  Was it that we are not yet at the right point to offer alternatives to the sale of the CFL property or visions of the future of the ministry?   I don’t know.  The storm serves to remind us all of the vulnerable environment in which the CFL property is located.

I want you all to know that we have established a new date for the town hall meeting.  It will be held on Saturday October 25. 2008.  The agenda is as follows:

·          9:00 am Prayer Service with Father Richard Kuhn, S.M.

·          9:45 am     Break

·         10:00 am Board business meeting followed by Town Hall Meeting-speakers please confirm your attendance via email.               

·          1:00 pm Lunch

We will be meeting at the Diocese of Raleigh’s Catholic Center in the Hardigan Room located at 715 Nazareth Rd in Raleigh , NC   27606 .

The Board has been extremely busy over the past couple of weeks in both preparing for the town hall meeting and in refining where it stands on what would constitute an acceptable proposal to suspend its decision to close and sell the CFL property.  I am attaching a copy of what the Board has adopted as its “bottom line” criteria.  I am requesting that all supporters of the family ministry, especially those of you who are the most vehement supporters of retaining the property, closely read the criteria that the Board has adopted.   These criteria are directly related to the data that drove the Board’s decision to sell the Center and move the ministry in a different direction. At this point, the Board’s data driven decision continues to be unchanged.  We are in the process of negotiating and signing the real estate sales contract.  All existing contracts, with deposits from weekend renters, through the end of the year, are being honored.

t is critical everyone understands the importance of this ministry and its corporate status. The Board is legally responsible for the ministry and its assets.  No one should be acting on behalf of the Ministry without the Board’s awareness, and in the case of financial matters such as collecting funds, without the Board’s approval.  To do otherwise is to create confusion, and disunity.

I trust that everyone will read the criteria document (below) prior to the meeting. I also trust in the goodness and love of each of you to keep all lines of communication open and honest as we navigate this process.

The Board will operate in good faith and will need your support regardless of outcome. We ask you to trust that God really is in charge of everything we do and rely on Him and His Mother to help us move the ministry forward. I have said it before but I believe it needs repeating. The ministry is NOT the buildings. We are the ministry, serving God. He will bless us abundantly if we unite to keep our mission alive and that is, holding family sacred. I look forward to a blessed, Marianist Family Ministry meeting with you all.

Continued prayers,

Tina Bauman,  Chair, MFM, Inc.

 CRITERIA FOR PROPOSALS TO SUSPEND SALE AND CLOSURE  OF THE CFL CENTER

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MFM, Inc. Board of Directors - September 6, 2008

 Background:

The MFM, Inc. Board of Directors in June 2008 agreed, by consensus, to proceed with the sale of the CFL property on Topsail Island .  This decision was based on a review of multiple years of declining attendance at MFM programs, reduced participants at weekend rentals, increasing year-to-year operating deficits, outstanding construction and bank debts, steadily declining donations, looming reconstruction costs related to the dining hall building, a very disappointing Capital Campaign response and a largely unresponsive volunteer/support base. This decision was announced to over 800 former contributors and previously involved families at the end of June by means of letters and emails.  Since that time, various persons in the community have indicated that they want to have the Board rescind its decision, rescue the CFL property from sale and see it continue to be the location for MFM summer and weekend programs.  The Board has indicated that it is open to hearing proposals from the community and has previously laid down the following general criteria to be met for consideration:

 

·        Proposals must be in writing;

·        Proposals need to withstand the test of financial analysis; and,

·        Proposals must clearly demonstrate a realistic plan for fulfillment of the MFM mission, elimination of operating deficits, elimination of our debt, and increasing attendance at programs.

 

Up until this time, the MFM Board has not set a specific group of “Bottom Line” criteria that proposals must meet to suspend its decision to sell the CFL property.  The following proposal sets out “Bottom Line” requirements. 

 Criteria:

 In addition, to the previously laid down general criteria indicated above, the following specific criteria must be met by December 31, 2008, in order for the Board to suspend its decision to close and sell the CFL Center :

        Carrying out the Mission : A commitment by at least 20 families to initiate and participate in family programs in their local communities with the dual objective of keeping the family program alive throughout the year and finding new blood to attend programs at CFL. Commitments will be demonstrated by producing a list of those persons/families that have initiated and are carrying out family circles, parish family-oriented programs and the like.

        Donations: Raising of $200,000 in donations by the end of 2008; commitments for raising $100,000 in 2009 and  a solid plan for raising $100,000 in 2010 and succeeding years (2008 donations to cover debt, operating deficit and dining hall building rehab; 2009 and subsequent year donations to cover increased full time staff, building of reserves and operating deficits);

        Program Attendance/Support: Obtaining commitments from at least 100 families to attend both the 2009 Summer program as well as at least one MFM weekend program in 2009 (commitments are to be demonstrated by deposits of $200 for a summer week reservation and $50 for a weekend reservation – deposits will be non-refundable unless the Center closes)…as well as a solid marketing plan to assure that attendance numbers will continue at those levels (Note: CFL fees can be expected to increase by as much as 15%);

        Active Service: Commitments by at least 50 persons/families in the community to actively serve on one or more of the following committees that support MFM/CFL, for a minimum period of 1 year:

 o    Development Committee 

o    Marketing Committee

o    Facilities/Maintenance Committee

o    Marianist Program Committee

 Commitments will be demonstrated by providing a list of the persons/families who are actively involved, and the specific details related to that involvement. (Note: It is essential that all committee members and committee chairs understand that committees are accountable to the Board of Directors for responsibly carrying out their activities.  This includes responsibility for financial commitments and safety.  Any activities to be carried out at by committees are to be reported on a regular basis to the Board of Directors)

          Site and Volunteer Coordinator An on-site, Board approved Site/Volunteer Coordinator will need to be identified to oversee all CFL operations following the departure of the Current CFL Director. In the same way as the current CFL Director reports to the Board of Directors for legal and operational purposes, this Volunteer Coordinator will be responsible for the daily operation (including all rental activity), maintenance and repair of the facility. The Board has final discretion in approving, requesting a replacement or terminating the person in this position.

 Marianist Family Ministry, Inc.

         

Christian Family Living Center