Evening Prayer and Thanksgiving & Prayer Requests
The vestry met in the church at 7:00 PM for Evening Prayer and then reconvened in the undercroft meeting room where everyone offered prayers of intercession and thanksgiving.
Attendance
Present: the rector Kristin Orr; the senior warden Anne Edwards, the junior warden Steve Hofer; vestry members Bob Burgwald, Rob Carrier, Alice Creason, Nichole Dailor, Ted Stone, and Zoltan Sziky,; the treasurer Debbi Huggett; and the clerk Susan Marquis Absent: Randy Oyster, Cynthia Turnquest and Hans Zigmund
Parish Stewardship
Minutes
There was a correction in last month’s minutes regarding the names of accounts. The minutes should state that what used to be the Flower Fund has now been renamed the Altar Guild Fund. Rob Carrier moved to accept the minutes as amended, and Alice Creason seconded. The motion was approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Debbi Huggett reported that three months or 25% into 2016, the collections total 23% of the annual budget. She believes that this amount can be made up in the remaining nine months of the year. Expenses are at 26%, or 1% over budget.
The plate collection on Good Friday of $217 will be sent, as is customary, to the Church in Jerusalem.
Some money has shown up in the Columbarium Fund as a result of memorial contributions for Jack Strombeck.
Rector’s Discretionary Account Report
Pastor Orr distributed a report of funds for the first quarter of the 2016 Rector’s Discretionary Account. There had been no activity in the first quarter. Alice Creason moved to accept the report, and Rob Carrier seconded. The motion passed.
Information
Rector’s Report
Pastor Orr noted that the paperwork for the updated signers’ list on the bank accounts has been completed, and she will get the paperwork back to the bank within the next few days.
Another $100 has been donated to the Fish Fry.
The yard service has started mowing for the season.
Wardens’ Reports and Reports from Parish Organizations
Junior Warden Steve Hofer reported on the progress of his parish history project. It is going well, and he is up to the year 1976. He found a list of memorials from 2002 as well as 13 years’ worth of pictures from confirmation classes and some framed pictures of bishops. Steve moved to have Diane Pugh, the office manager, re-type the 2002 inventory of memorials, divided into the areas of sanctuary, nave, and outside. The list will be stored on a disk. Rob Carrier seconded the motion, which then was approved.
Upcoming Parish Events
April 23rd - St. John’s hosts the annual diocesan ECW meeting
May 1st - Blue Jeans Sunday after the 10:00 AM service. Parish volunteers are needed to assist in yard work on the church grounds.
May 5th - Ascension Day with a Eucharist at 7:00 PM
May 21st - Five of our young people will be confirmed at St. James’ Cathedral Discussion and
Decisions
Columbarium Project Update
—Pastor Orr reported that she had a productive meeting with parishioner Mark Moxley and that he has a lot of help to offer in terms of acquiring many supplies at cost, in finding a contractor, and in providing a project management spreadsheet.
—Clarification will be needed in the near future about which permits are needed and when they are needed.
—Barry Berg and his sister Patty are in the process of replacing the broken tiles on the outdoor altar plaza. They originally built this in memory of their sister Betty Berg. In an email correspondence with Pastor Orr, Barry described some of the history of the plaza. He wrote:
The stones in the center were sent to us by friends from all over the world, including stones from Japan, China, Mecca, Norway, the bank of the Seine in Normandy, Arizona river stones, and a volcanic cobblestone pulled from a Roman street. The stones connected by lines forming a circle were all taken from the beach in East Hampton, where our family had a wonderful summer vacation a few months before Betty died.
The three bands of brick radiating from the center stones, as well as the three bands of narrow brick both reference the Trinity. And for a bit of trivia, the short bricks were cut from standard bricks. There were approximately 800 standard bricks that had to be cut in thirds for the required 2400 short bricks. I still have the diamond blade that I bought for this task.
The font used for the lettering was developed in Venice in 1537. I chose Psalm 42 because Fr. Vanderslice read it at Betty’s memorial. When I heard it I was stunned as it is the only other Psalm I know. It is the text of a choral piece I sang when I was in the Episcopal choir in college.—Pastor Orr and Mark Moxley will work on a columbarium design decision sub- committee. Rob Carrier, Ted Stone, and Anne Edwards volunteered to serve on the committee as well. Pastor Orr will ask Cynthia Turnquest to join the committee.
—The vestry will need to work on costs and options for burial.
Review Vestry Retreat
Steve Hofer made a motion that the youth confirmation photos from past years be put in plastic sleeves and placed in a confirmation notebook. Rob Carrier seconded the motion, which then passed. Nichole Dailor suggested that parish member photos be taken and placed on the undercroft bulletin board. Anne Edwards will help with this. Alice Creason volunteered her design skills if the vestry decides to publish the photos as a directory. Pastor Orr asked the vestry to consider over the next month how vestry members as individuals can do something extra to nurture this parish community and to broaden relationships within the parish.
Closing
The meeting ended at 8:40 PM following prayer. The next vestry meeting is scheduled for May 16th.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan Marquis
Clerk of the Vestry
Approved: May 16, 2016
