2020-11-02 Convention 52

(Pictured above: The Rev. Dan Leatherman captured the Cathedral's iconic stained glass reflecting off the protective plexiglass shields, while the Bishop readies himself for the start of the meeting.)

CONVENTION 52

The 52nd Annual Meeting of Convention of The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i
Saturday, October 24, 2020
Online LIVE from The Cathedral of St. Andrew, Honolulu, HI

Note from the editor: Since the entire meeting was streamed and recorded, the usual coverage here is very different from previous years. You may view the recorded meeting in its entirety further below. This article will include the behind-the-scenes challenges of preparing and executing our first virtual gathering of the Convention. The official approved Convention Journal and 2021 Budget will also be posted here as soon as they become available.

[November 2, 2020 - Chronicle] This year's Annual Meeting of Convention was like no other in the history of the Diocese. On Saturday, October 24, 2020, Convention 52 was held "virtually" on Zoom, and live-streamed through YouTube. It was likely the shortest annual meeting as well, lasting only 2-1/2 hours.

The Cathedral of St. Andrew in Honolulu served as the home base with only the officers (The Rt. Rev. Robert Fitzpatrick, Chair; Wayne Yoshigai, Chancellor; The Rev. Daniel Leatherman, Dispatch of Business; The Rev. Annalise Pasalo, Secretary) and a handful of staff present, while clergy and delegates were able to participate from the safety and comfort of their homes.

Like much of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic thrust the Diocese into uncharted territory with no instructions to help us navigate life in a year like 2020. Organizers spent months researching, testing, and trouble shooting every aspect of this very important event.

This yearʻs Annual Meeting of Convention theme comes from
1 Peter: 3:21

“Baptism is like that. It saves you now—not because it removes dirt from your body but because it is the mark of a good conscience toward God. Your salvation comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

In early March, the theme and logo for the meeting had just been finalized when COVID-19 reached our shores, and shortly after, the State went on lock down. But when the doors to our sanctuaries were forced to close, our "windows" to online communication burst wide open! The Diocese's Spring Training and Chrism Mass event, scheduled for March 28, was held online. Churches scrambled to learn and explore how to broadcast live services on social media and stay connected through Zoom.

When it became apparent that the pandemic was going to be around for a while, more long-term solutions were put in place: some churches purchased special AV equipment; social media accounts were reactivated and websites brought up to date; online Bible Study, meetings, and even coffee hours after Sunday services formed. The Bishop began weekly video messages and a Wednesday Bible Study series. More than ever, online communication was key to keeping folks connected and informed, and it was inevitable that the Annual Meeting would follow suit.

PREPARING DURING A PANDEMIC

The final decision to go "all virtual" didn't happen until August. Up until then, organizers discussed the possibility of having satellite meeting sites that would comply with crowd size and distancing regulations. The plan was to have delegates from the different regions gather at designated churches with AV equipment and tools in place for a joint meeting online with the other regions. But with the State's plans in a constant flux and the outlook for gatherings uncertain, it was decided to go ahead with an all virtual meeting using Zoom. Participants could feel safe and comfortable at home without having to wear a mask and worry about group gatherings.

"These circumstances forced us to be creative, inquisitive, and willing to learn and adapt," said Rae Costa, the Business Manager for the Diocese who has coordinated the last four annual meetings. "It wasn’t always easy, but in the end, we are all more knowledgeable and happy and excited about all the new things we learned."

Although it took a team effort to bring this to fruition, Rae's leadership was the key to a smooth-running event. Her ability to openly listen, gather information, process, organize, and implement effectively, is a gift to the Diocese. She set up weekly Zoom planning meetings months beforehand, along with pop-up meetings in between, sometimes 2 or 3 in a day! The Communications Design team that Rae is also a part of, held regular meetings to address certain issues.

An important consideration was making sure everyone was trained on Zoom and the voting process. The planning team had no idea what the technical abilities of 200 participants were, but it was likely that some had never used or even heard of Zoom. Devices being used would be as varied as their abilities, so numerous training sessions on the basics of using Zoom were offered all during the month of September. Then in October, training on voting was offered up until a few days before the meeting. Organizers also had to make sure folks had adequate internet capability, and if available, to work with their churches to provide a safe place to access high-speed internet. (Pictured below are screen shots from training sessions on Zoom and voting.)

"Thanks so much for setting up the virtual convention. All your hard work made it so easy to follow and vote. I appreciate the advance training you gave us as well as the video you showed before the convention. It was really a very pleasant and informative experience. Again, thank you so much." - Jean Compton, St. Christopher's

The final step to ensure that things would go as smooth as possible was the hiring of a professional Zoom host. Donald Martin, from Webinerd, located in Boston, MA, was enlisted to run the polls, videos, and make sure the meeting flowed seamlessly. He participated in two of the many rehearsals that took place before the meeting, and became familiar with the agenda and procedures. This freed up other volunteers to back up all areas and serve as co-hosts. There was even a back up host for the host! By the time October 24 rolled around, it seemed as if every detail had been addressed, from staggered check-in times to continuous Zoom reminders during the meeting. Host Donald shared the following text during the meeting: "This team runs a tight ship. Bravo."

"The things we learned for the Annual Meeting are things we are able to take with us and apply to other areas of our work, private, and home life. Zoom is a part of our life now – even our family life as a means of communicating and staying in touch with family near and far." - Rae Costa, Business Manager & Event Coordinator

Photos in the slideshow are from a dress rehearsal that took place on Thursday, October 15. (Photos by Sonny Liu)

THE CONVENTION SERMON

Each year, the Convention Eucharist serves as the official start to the Annual Meeting that usually takes place on Friday afternoon, the day before. Fallout from the pandemic prevented this from taking place, but The Cathedral of St. Andrew held a "Convention Service" on Sunday, October 18, where the Bishop delivered his sermon. He also prepared and pre-recorded the sermon ahead of time and made it available for all churches to share during their Sunday services on the same day. Below is the Bishop's Sermon on video, and also photos from the service at the Cathedral. (Go further below to download and read the text version of his sermon.)

(Click above to view the video)

(Photos of the service by Ann Hansen)

THE MEETING

The 52nd Annual Meeting was set to start at 10:00 AM, but clergy and delegates began checking in at 8:30 AM, a full hour and 15 minutes before the official close at 9:45 AM. Like the in-person meetings, late check-ins would not be admitted after this time and would lose their ability to vote. Delegates were assigned specific time slots to check in so that the Credentials team (The Rev. Mark Haworth and Jill Haworth) would not get overwhelmed. Once checked in, folks could choose to watch the videos playing or do other things while waiting for the meeting to begin.

In the Cathedral, huge plexiglass panels shielded the Bishop and each person's "station" while easily social distancing in the expanse of the sanctuary. Laptops, wires, lighting, and fans transformed the space into a surreal image of tech gone religious. The Rev. Dan Leatherman photographed the reflection of the Cathedral's magnificent stained glass off the plexiglass shields, creating a superimposed image over the kahili and columns.

Not visible to the viewing audience, was a projector and large screen being operated by the Rev. Cn. Sandy Alexander. It was set up down the aisle with messages to the Bishop in giant bold lettering. Canon Sandy monitored the Participants and Chat boxes for raised hands and other activity to alert and keep the Bishop informed.

Several pews over, Executive Assistant Denise Esposito ran the Powerpoint slide show with the assistance of her husband Michael. She also had to coordinate with the elections crew to get validated results onto slides as soon as possible. Having couples and family members work together is especially helpful during these times when social distancing can be a problem. The Rev. Mark and Jill Haworth worked together to get everyone checked-in, while Caren Chun-Esaki and her daughter Leyna handled the election results.

Overseeing the entire operation was its leader, Rae Costa, who had her finger firmly on the pulse of the meeting. While monitoring the Zoom feed, she was fielding text messages, emails and notes from runners, and was ready to jump into action at the first sign of any trouble. Had it not been mentioned, no one would have even known that the Cathedral briefly lost internet connection during the showing of a video. Luckily it was being streamed from our host's computer 5,000 miles away!

Up in the Diocesan offices, Accountant Danny Casey and volunteers manned the phones for anyone needing technical assistance, and monitored emails for resolutions and amendments, while "runners" were ready to physically carry results and important messages back and forth between the Cathedral and office.

The meeting was convened right on time and the Bishop welcomed everyone with a light-hearted greeting involving shorts and wigs (see photo above and/or video below). The meeting proceeded like clockwork and stayed ahead of schedule the entire time.

The two Resolutions up for consideration both passed easily: The 2021 Minimum Clergy Compensation and Benefits Policy (that remains the same as 2020), and Revisions to the Constitution of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Hawai‘i (same resolution from last year that requires passage in two consecutive meetings of the Convention). No new resolutions were introduced, no amendments were proposed, and there was no discussion from the floor.

"Excellent screenshots & explanations! Team did excellent work to prep for today. Love all the videos, too! Mahalo nui loa for all your love & devotion to make today happen!" (Anonymous response)

For the first time in recent memory, the Budget also passed without any discussion. The budget, which had been pared down due to the effects of COVID-19, was shared with all clergy and delegates months before in two narrative videos by the Bishop. He welcomed all questions, comments and requests before the final proposed budget was to be approved by Diocesan Council. This proved beneficial in eliminating drawn out and sometimes even contentious debates that can arise.

Electronic voting through Zoom polls was efficient and accurate which greatly reduced the time it would have taken to count paper ballots. Although the ballots could only be seen by Zoom participants and not on the livestream, results were announced or appeared on the meeting's slides. The success of electronic voting in this meeting will carry over into future meetings. Not only is it quick and accurate, but will eliminate the cost of producing paper ballots, while saving time and manpower required to assemble, collect, and count.

"Our office has had discussions about electronic voting probably since before I came on board. And now, we have completed our first e-vote. The office is in agreement that even in-person meetings will have electronic voting – maybe not Zoom – but definitely electronic." - Rae Costa, Business Manager & Event Coordinator

There were no special orders of business included in the agenda. Normally, there would be presentations by ministries and groups from around Diocese, but with most events and activities cancelled or postponed, there would be no reports. There were however, two videos that were shown during the breaks. The Memoriam video took the place of the traditional Necrology display that appears at every Annual Meeting. The displays contain the names of members in the Diocese who have passed, and this video included photos of most of those individuals. The second video took a look back on an extraordinary year in the life of the Diocese so deeply affected by the pandemic and social issues of our times. Both videos can be viewed further below.

The planning team, who had prayed for a debate-free, "nothing from the floor" meeting, breathed a huge sigh of relief as the meeting neared completion. Although prepared, they avoided the need for more complex tasks with breakout rooms, voting by orders, and additional ballots being launched.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:30 PM, with the singing of the Ho'onani, by the Cathedral's Orvis Scholar Andrew Sakaguchi, accompanied on the organ by Leohone Magno.

God willing, Convention 53 will take place in person on O'ahu, October 29-30, 2021.

To Bishop Bob, the Diocesan Staff, and Convention Leaders: What a spectacular job you all did in putting together this FIRST EVER Diocesan Convention! I was very, very impressed by how well everything was thought through and organized, both today and in the "lead up" to today. But, even more, I was impressed by the way you managed to foster a sense of community today--of all of us being part of a whole--while "meeting" in the most impersonal realm of black screens and profile photos. This was especially aided by the beautiful and touching "In Memoriam" along with video scenes from around the Diocese and responses to the Bishop's Address from members of the Diocese. Thank you for all the hours and hours of work you put into this day! I hope you all sleep well tonight knowing that your work is appreciated and that today provided things for us to reflect upon in our shared ministry through the coming year and beyond. Peace, Diane (The Rev. Diane Martinson, St. Peter's Episcopal Church)

Complete Annual Meeting Live-stream

Meeting pics & your selfies!

One of the highlights of the Annual Meeting is the Bishop's Convention Address. This year, his address was followed by a response that involved four clergy and two lay people. Both the Address and Response were pre-recorded and discussed the bold changes taking place in the Diocese in light of the pandemic and a rapidly changing world. Going forward, the Diocese will focus on issues of justice (reconciliation) and climate change (creation care), the spaces we worship in, and the way we worship. You can view the recorded Address and Response below.

The Bishop's Address

Response to the Bishop's Address

CONVENTION DOWNLOADS:

CONVENTION 53 MEETING JOURNAL

(Coming soon)

APPROVED BUDGET NARRATIVE 2021

APPROVED BUDGET NUMBERS 2021

READ & DOWNLOAD TEXT VERSIONS OF THE BISHOP'S CONVENTION VIDEOS & REPORT:

CONVENTION Sermon

BISHOP'S ADDRESS

REPORT TO CONVENTION

The following videos were shown during the meeting's two 15-minute breaks:

In Memoriam: Necrology Video

Highlights of the Past Year

Dear Bishop... I [wanted] you to know what a great viewing experience it was for me as a "visitor" to "attend" the convention on-line. Everything was so well coordinated and executed (both audio and video), and gave those who have never served as a delegate, a chance to view our Diocese in action. All of the still photos, music, and videos of our parishes and their people in service and fellowship, were especially appreciated. And of course, everyone loved hearing Sandy's professional speaking voice each time as he announced "only 20 more seconds to vote, with 91% having voted so far." Thank you again for making it possible for so many to participate in the Convention virtually. And although we all miss seeing each other in person, this was still an excellent way to gather together as fellow Episcopalians. Please know you all did an excellent job. Take care, and stay safe and well. Aloha, Ruth D. Merz, St. Peter's Episcopal Church

A Special Mahalo from Rae Costa

Whew! Our first-ever, all-virtual 2020 Annual Meeting is done! It was a roller coaster ride for our office and planning team, much like most of 2020.

It was an experience I will not soon forget. There were a lot of details to consider, a lot of variables to take into account, a lot of moving parts to coordinate, but boy, did I LEARN a lot!

My husband is fond of reminding me that God does for me what I cannot do for myself.

Thank you to the attendees who made time in their busy schedules to attend training sessions, read emails, study materials on the website, and participate in the meeting. You followed our recommendations and instructions and helped the meeting run smoothly.

Thank you to the planning team who met for an hour on Wednesday afternoons, some for 11 straight weeks and our rehearsals: Denise Esposito, Danny Casey, Sandy Graham, Sybil Nishioka, Mark Haworth, Jill Haworth, John Lunn, Daniel Leatherman, Caren Chun-Esaki, Janet Makua, Annalise Pasalo, Jaisy Jardine, Mary Ann Lentz, Pam Fern, Lindy Marzo, Louise Aloy, Cindy Cutts, Sharon Billingsley, Ron Morinishi, Bishop Bob, and Wayne Yoshigai. Your feedback was invaluable! Some of you put in even more hours of practice and training to ensure we had contingency plans for our contingency plans. Some of you participated using multiple devices so you were (to borrow a phrase from Dan) lit up like the Enterprise so that we could give our Credentials team and Elections team more “bodies” to check-in and to vote.

"It was one of the best such meetings I have experienced on ZOOM. Congratulations to Rae and her team!"
(Anonymous survey response)

Thank you to the volunteers who came out the day of to help with answering phone calls and emails, behind-the-scenes stuff, and to be runners: Carolyn Morinishi, Kate Graham, Pam Fern, Michael Esposito, and Sandy Souza.

Thank you to those at the Cathedral who helped with set up, clean up, and the Ho‘onani video: Liane Lazo, Casey Santoianni, Heather Patton-Graham, Keleawe Hee, Leohone Magno and Andrew Sakaguchi. If I have missed anyone – please accept my apology and heartfelt thanks!

Three people who went above and beyond and spent way more hours working on this Annual Meeting than Annual Meetings in the past: Sybil Nishioka, who made many of the beautiful videos (Welcome and Reminders, Necrology, Highlights, etc.); Jill Haworth, the Credentials Chair, who worked with a new check-in system that had to be tested again and again; and Caren Chun-Esaki, Elections Chair, who also had to work with a new system and a change of the ballot system mid-way through the process. Mahalo!

We have a great team working in the Diocesan Support Center. In addition to the work mentioned above, Denise created and ran the slide show; Danny helped to answer the phones for technical help; Sandy was the “stage manager” keeping Bishop Bob informed of what was next; Bishop drafted and finalized the Supplemental Rules of Order, long agenda, courtesy resolutions, and recording not one but two budget videos; Sonny did much of the office work like mailing out the gifts and masks, keeping track of and filing the registrations, helping with set up and clean up, taking pictures, and reading my mind for help needed!; and Peter helped take non-Annual Meeting things off my plate. Talk about Teamwork!

And to those of you who helped your fellow delegates prepare – thanks for your service.

Until our next Annual Meeting – stay safe and take care!

With love,
Rae Costa
Business Manager & Event Coordinator

Dear Rae, I've just completed my survey. I said there, and I'll say to you and the team that you all did an AMAZING job with this convention. Your training sessions were timely and on-target, in terms of content and "developing people's skills" for the day. The budget presentation was very clear; also impressive that the bishop sent both a written and an oral narrative. Voting was smooth, too. Overall, a fantastic experience. I hope everyone on the team feels great about it!! With gratitude (and hope that you guys will be able to "put your feet up" for a few days, now! - Libby+ (The Rev. Elizabeth Berman, Holy Nativity)

Closing comments from the editor:

Thank you to everyone who shared photos, especially during these times when we are physically separated. This is the tenth Convention that I have had the privilege to cover, and normally serve as the photographer when we are gathering in person. The meeting and its related activities usually result in 800-1,000 photos. Not so this year, but what a joy it was to receive the "selfies" that were taken during the meeting. It's great to see folks in their safe places and not just in the "boxes" of Zoom. Special thanks to Ann Hansen for the photos from the Cathedral's Convention service, Sonny Liu for the rehearsal pictures, the Rev. Dan Leatherman for the exquisite shots at The Cathedral on meeting day, and the Rev. Annalise Pasalo for the wrap up photo.

A big mahalo also to those who shared comments and responded to the follow up survey that will help in planning future events.

God bless you all. Can't wait for the day when we can be together again in person!

Sybil Nishioka, Editor & Communications Contractor
The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i