Vestry
Meeting Minutes for December
St. James’ Episcopal Church
(To be approved
at next meeting)
December 15, 2009
Present:
Junior Warden, Larry Johnson; Vestry members Al Lacock, Larry Shoffner,
Mary
Springer, Suzanne Tourtelot, and Kay Wayman; Treasurer Jerry Wayman,
Clerk
Susan Walter, Priests Ben Helmer and Betsy Porter.
Ben
opened the meeting with prayer and called the meeting to order at 4:58 PM.
The
November minutes were reviewed; Larry S moved they be accepted.
Kay seconded
and all voted aye.
Treasurer's Reports & Comments
1.
Kay
moved to accept the treasurer's reports; Suzanne seconded and all voted
aye.
2.
Jerry
Wayman presented the Budget for 2010. He explained the deficit of
$9406 makes
some items at risk of being funded. All agreed that we need to do
a better job
of explaining the budget to the congregation and to make it clear how
serious a
deficit budget is. Copies of the budget will be available two
weeks before the
Annual Meeting (January 24); at the Annual Meeting, we will go over the
budget
step by step. Ben suggested asking those that pledged to pledge a 13th
month as a way to raise needed funds. Larry S moved the budget be
accepted;
Suzanne seconded – all voted aye.
3.
2009
Tithe to diocese – Budget vs. Actual - Jerry noted tithe payments to
date based
on our estimated income in the 2009 Budget are $393 over what the
amount would
have been based on our actual income. After discussion, all
agreed to pay what
we tithed rather than make an adjustment.
4.
Larry
S suggested we close the library and organ subaccounts in the
designated funds
and transfer the money to the operating account to reimburse operating
funds
that were used to fund library and organ items. He moved we
transfer $92.91
from the library subaccount and $160.52 from the organ
subaccount. Mary
seconded the motion; all voted aye.
5.
Safe
Deposit Box signers – Jerry asked that
the office administrator be added as a signer on the safe deposit box
when the
new vestry term begins as the office sometimes needs access to
documents stored
in the box.
Old
Business:
1.
Columbarium
update – Al
Lacock reported that Armento extended the expiration date on the
proposal for
the Columbarium to March 11, 2010. He also asked for 10-15
minutes at the Annual Meeting to explain the project to the
congregation.
2.
Stair chair – Ben
polled
people that would use a proposed stair chair and the unanimous desire
was for
an inside chair. Ben received a quote for $3300 plus installation
for an
“Electraride Elite” and we will talk about this at the Annual Meeting.
3.
Gutters – Larry
Johnson found someone to clean the church gutters who
will give him an estimate later this week.
New Business:
1.
Convention
delegates & alternates – The
2010 Convention is February 19-20 at St. Paul’s in Fayetteville.
Suzanne Tourtelot and Mary Springer were elected delegates; Kay and
Jerry
Wayman are the alternates. Ben reminded all that there is $800 to
cover
expenses.
2.
Annual Meeting
Plans – The business meeting
will be held in the sanctuary. Discussion of the budget and a 13th
month pledge, installation of new vestry members and wardens, receiving
reports, discussion of the Columbarium, and discussion of a chair lift
are some
of the items on the agenda. A potluck will take place in the
undercroft
following the business meeting. ECW will provide the meat; attendees
will be
asked to provide dishes of their choice.
3.
MDG
balance - $147 remains in the 2009 budget to fund Millennium
Development Goals.
Larry S moved the money be sent to ECHO;
Suzanne seconded and all voted aye.
4.
Vestry retreat –
Ben scheduled a vestry
retreat at Hillspeak on Saturday, February 6, from 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM for all current and new
vestry members. We will talk about what we want to accomplish in the
year
ahead, a possible additional service, the ministry of welcome, how to
improve
our facility and so on.
5.
Yearend bonuses -
$1500 is in the 2009 budget
for staff/employee bonuses. The treasurer and warden will attend to
that this
week.
6.
Ben appointed a
staff performance and review
committee. Members are Larry
Johnson, Larry Shoffner, and Kay Wayman. Reviews will
probably be held in January.
7.
Newcomers’ Event
– We plan to hold an event for newcomers at St. James’
sometime before Lent. This will be a get-together with shared stories
to enable
new people to connect more easily to the church and congregation.
8.
Motion to
reconcile Administrator's pension for 2005-2009: It was
moved by Suzanne Tourtelot, seconded by Larry Johnson, that an amount
of $6,757
be applied to pension payments due to Susan Walter, for the period
2005-2009
inclusive, and that she will continue to receive pension payments at 9%
as
required by diocesan canons. The funds for retroactive payments
are to be
taken from the Mission Opportunity Fund. Carried. (BEH)
There
next scheduled meeting of the Vestry is February 6 at the retreat.
There will
be no January meeting.
Betsy
closed the meeting with prayer. The meeting was adjourned at
approximately 6:30 PM.
Submitted by Susan Walter
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