Minutes of the Vestry Meeting - October 19, 2015

Formation

Evening Prayer and Thanksgiving & Prayer Requests
The vestry assembled in the church for evening prayer at 7:00 PM followed by offered prayers of thanksgiving and intercession.

Attendance
Present at the meeting were: the rector, Kristin Orr; the senior warden, Diane Walsh- Madden; the junior warden, Anne Edwards; vestry members Bob Burgwald, Nichole Dailor, Bob DeOliveira, Ted Stone, Jim Whitfield and Hans Zigmund; the treasurer, Debbi Huggett; and the clerk, Susan Marquis. Vestry members Rob Carrier, Patti Pohrte, and Cynthia Turnquest were absent.

Parish Stewardship

Minutes from the last meeting
Jim Whitfield moved to accept the minutes from the September 19th vestry meeting. Bob Burgwald seconded. The motion was approved with one abstention from a vestry member who was not at the September meeting.

Treasurer’s Report
Debbi Huggett reported that the past month has been unexceptional and that she had nothing to add to the materials she had sent out electronically to the vestry. Hans Zigmund moved to accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented. After a second by Jim Whitfield and a vote, the motion was approved.

Rector’s Discretionary Account
The rector provided a report for the Rector’s Discretionary Account for the third quarter of 2015. The end date was incorrect and should be changed to the end of September 2015. Hans Zigmund moved to accept the report as amended, and Anne Edwards seconded. The motion passed.

Information

Rector’s Report
—Pastor Orr commended the members of the re-organized men’s group after their first meeting of the year. They plan to meet monthly for prayer, study, and outreach.
—The All Souls’ Day service will take place on Monday, November 2nd. This is a fairly new and growing service in which we remember those who died in the past year and others. People are invited to bring photos or other small mementos of those who have died.

Upcoming Parish Events
—October 25th: parish photo for the Flossmoor Village Yearbook to be taken after the 10:00 am service
—November 1st: the rector’s annual open house
—November 2nd: All Soul’s Day service

Discussion and Decisions

Columbarium
In the days following the last meeting, vestry members examined and made comments on the three plans that landscape architect, Scott Mehaffey, presented. Pastor Orr collated these and shared them electronically with the vestry. Pastor Orr stated that the vestry will not be making any final decisions about the columbarium plans until we receive some minor adjustments and cost estimates from Mr. Mehaffey. Construction will not begin until at least next spring. The rector spoke with former vestry member Mark Moxley about the project. Mark believes that replacing the gravel walkway is something that we could do on our own. He also suggested that, if seating walls are constructed, they should not be skateboard friendly.

Door Replacement
The vestry has received estimates for replacing the door to the alley parking area from two companies, A Better Door and Preferred Window and Door. The estimates include the cost of replacing the door as well as widening the existing frame from 32” to 36”. Both estimates also include the separate cost of installing an automatic door opener. Following discussion, the vestry decided to replace the door and frame but not to install the opener until later since the sidewalk leading up to the door would need repair before the door opener would be useful for accessibility. There was support of A Better Door due to personal recommendations. Hans Zigmund moved that we accept the bid of A Better Door to install a commercial grade door and that it and any additional costs for locks be funded through the building maintenance fund. Bob Burgwald seconded, and the motion was approved.

Fall Pledge Campaign
Pastor Orr reported that a pledge mailing to all parishioners will be sent out within the next few days.
The vestry decided to have vestry members speak briefly about pledging at church services in early November with some core ideas that include:
—how we cannot put a price tag on community
—in what ways people are touched because this parish exists
—how pledging is more than giving to another charity since it is not only good for the community, but it is also good for us
The tentative speakers’ schedule is as follows:
November 1st - possibly Cynthia Turnquest and/or Patti Pohrte with Jim Whitfield as a back-up
November 8th - definitely Bob Burgwald at both services
November 15th - possibly Rob Carrier at 8:00 AM and definitely Bob deOliveira at 10:00 AM

Closing

Following prayer, the vestry meeting ended at 9:15 PM.
 The next meeting is scheduled for November 16th at 7:00 PM.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Marquis, Clerk of the Vestry

Approved:  November 16, 2015