RE: insurance

**"Jack Hale" j*@knoxparks.org**

Dear Ken-
Your reaction is certainly understandable, but the board of directors of an
organization (or other such "responsible parties") have 2 major roles.  One
is to keep the organization focused on its mission, and the other is to make
sure it survives and thrives.  It is certainly reasonable to discuss whether
building skateboarding parks falls within or relates to the mission of a
church.  It is also reasonable to discuss whether the risks associated with
a course of action might imperil the church's survival.  Availability of
insurance brings the latter discussion down to the level of the operating
budget - how much are we willing to pay every year to be able to support
this activity so that the assets of the church are not at risk in the event
of a lawsuit?  In community gardening we need to be prepared to have
discussions like this all the time.  Best to be prepared to talk with folks
about the value of the activity and its relationship to their "mission" so
that, as you suggest, questions of liability and risk don't become the whole
story.
JH

Jack N. Hale
Executive Director
Knox Parks Foundation
75 Laurel Street
Hartford, CT 06106
860/951-7694
f860/951-7244

-----Original Message-----
From: community_garden-admin@mallorn.com
[c*@mallorn.com]On Behalf Of Minifarms@aol.com
Sent: Friday, October 07, 2005 7:47 AM
To: community_garden@mallorn.com
Subject: [cg] insurance

I mentioned to the church where I am a member about building a skate board
"park" for the kids.  The first question was "What about  liability."   If
we
let liability determine what we do, whether a  church or a community garden,
then we will do nothing.  That is the price  we pay in a culture that
believes
that "it was not my fault and I will  sue."

Ken Hargesheimer

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