The regular monthly meeting of the Vestry of R. E. Lee Memorial Church was held Monday, May 19, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall of the church.

Present: Buddy Atkins, George Brooke, Molly Brown, John Burleson, Jay Crawford, Roger Crockett, Susan Cross, Bob Glidden, Elizabeth Harralson, Julia Littlefield, John Milford, Dick Rathmell. Woody Sadler, Gretchen Walden, The Rev. Thomas Crittenden, and Bob de Maria, Acting Clerk. Absent: Bridget Kelley-Dearing

Approval of the Minutes: The April minutes were presented and approved with a noted change of Ascension Sunday to Ascension Day.

Committee Reports:

• Finance Committee: No Report
• Property Committee:  John Burleson reported that the Property Committee met to arrange for air conditioning to the Chancel Area. The committee reviewed the bids and selected the Rockbridge Farmer’s Co-op’s bid of $2998.00, which was 60% less than the other bid received. The Rev. Crittenden added that they plan to re-wire the Sacristy in order to install a heater. Motion was passed.

John then raised the question of the removal of the dormant boiler in the undercroft and the unused radiators in the church. The committee invited Dick Rathmell from the Columbarium committee to their next meeting.

George asked about the issue of the globes in the chandeliers in the nave of the church. The existing globes were hand-blown and tinted deliberately – they are not discolored.

George addressed the question of signage for the church. The Rev. Crittenden said that he and the Senior Warden are investigating it and will report back to the Vestry.

• Administration and Personnel: Bob Glidden reported that this committee has been inactive for two years but is now being reactivated. The Rector and the Senior Warden suggest that the committee be composed of the immediate past Senior Warden, the present Senior Warden and the Junior Warden plus three members not on the Vestry. They have two members right now and wish to have nominations for a third, preferably a woman with management experience.

The committee was called together to discuss Sharon Massie’s contract. Sharon was employed for the academic year and the contract needs to be renewed by the end of May. The committee met and invited Bridget Kelley-Dearing and Frances Grist to attend because of their involvement with Sunday School. The Committee recommended to the Rector that we continue Sharon’s employment through the next academic year. (No action needed)

The Reverend Crittenden announced that the Rev. Bob Crewdson will attend the June Vestry meeting.

• Columbarium Committee:  Dick Rathmell reminded the Vestry that there are two portions of the Columbarium, the Scatter Garden and the Niches.

In regard to the garden, the committee discussed three proposals for the garden and decided to accept Buster Lewis’s proposal. Buster suggested that we relocate the St. Francis statue to a central location in the Garden. The committee decided that it would be proper to get at least tacit approval from Jim Osborne, who contributed to the establishment of the Garden in memory of his late wife. Jim will come to Lexington and meet with Buster to view the plans.

The committee also proposes that they have an additional load of top soil brought in to bring the level of the garden in one area up to grade. Buster believes that it can be done.

Dick has e-mailed Madison Spencer concerning the niches (Arks) and they have not yet replied. Dick said he can go to Lynchburg to see how the construction is proceeding. Dick said that they have asked the Rev. Crittenden and Pam Simpson to be the final arbiter of the arks’ design. Dick said and the Rev. Crittenden agreed that there will be Scriptures and Symbols added to the arks. This has not yet been finalized. Dick said that we have sufficient contribution for these niches, but the committee needs to have discussion about several policy matters, including what to charge for scattering ashes or for placing cremains in the niches. The arks will contain 15 niches each.

Campaign Committee:  Bob spoke in Barton Dick’s stead. Bob handed out reports prepared by Barton. We have raised $565,000 and our goal was $650,000. The $650,000 was set because that was the amount of money in the Jones bequest that could be matched.

Barton’s report indicated that we have already generated $7,700 in earnings and that indicates that we have generated 104% of Kirby Smith’s feasibility report, which suggested that we had the capacity to raise $550,000 in a capital campaign. Bob said that $409,000 has already been received. Bob noted that the committee has had no success raising any additional pledges for the past five months so it is wisest that we close the campaign early in the Fall or late in the Summer so that it does not interfere with the Every Member Canvass.

Bob noted that we have significant deferred maintenance on the church and Parish House and this will necessitate another campaign in the future, but not before the pledges are paid off for this campaign. Bob then briefly discussed and explained items contained in the Campaign’s spreadsheet. Following a brief dialogue, Bob asked for three members of the Vestry (one from each class), John Burleson, Woody Sadler, and Elizabeth Harrelson, to meet with him, Junior Warden George Brooke, Treasurer Buddy Atkins, the Rector and the Campaign Steering Committee to prepare recommendations for the Vestry regarding the allocation of unassigned revenues.

• Green Committee:  Molly announced a public program on June 11 at 7:00 PM, to which the committee has invited the recycling coordinator to address future public recycling plans once both Buena Vista and Lexington begin curbside recycling. John Burleson designed a flyer that the committee can post around the grounds and Elizabeth has written an article to be included in Cross and Crown and the News Gazette.

Old Business:

• Mutual Ministry Review: Bob said that the Mutual Ministry Review discussions went off well. There were a dozen representatives for both the Middle and High Schools. The Young Adults were not too well represented but the meeting was still effective. There was sizeable attendance at the mid adult and seniors’ group discussions. Bob has shared comments and ideas with the Rev, Crittenden and Bob will meet with a committee to proceed with a written report to the parish. Bob invited members of the Vestry to participate and he will schedule a meeting, preferably before the June Vestry meeting.

New Business:

• Boiler Removal. The Property Committee had met to discuss the removal but had deferred action. Bob has spoken with Tom Hart and Tom believes that the wainscoting behind the radiators has not been significantly discolored or harmed and that it will most likely require some cleaning once the radiators have been removed.

Bob added that we have received a favorable bid to remove the boiler, the pipes and the radiators all in one action. He added that there will be eight holes in the floor of the nave where the pipes connected to the radiators and they will require plugging and patching. This is the first step necessary in our beginning to clean up the undercroft. The bid for removal is $3,600.00.

Bob noted that the Vestry had allocated $180,000 for renovation of the kitchen and air conditioning in the Parish Hall. To date, we have spent approximately $162,000 so we have a surplus of authorized funds and Bob proposed that the Vestry extend the $3,600 amount to cover this the boiler removal. He added that it will be the most painless way to begin renovation of the undercroft. He requested authority from the Vestry to use the remainder of the previously approved $180,000 for use in renovating the undercroft.

Motion: That the Vestry approve use of the remaining allocated funds for the renovation of the kitchen and air conditioning of the Parish House to pay for the removal of the Boiler and the radiators and other work in the undercroft. Moved (Woody Sadler) seconded (Julia Littlefield) and passed unanimously (14-0).

Tom Hart has already removed the drop ceiling in the undercroft in order to get at the pipes for removal. The removal work is scheduled for the week following the 4^th of July.

• Comments by the Wardens: Neither Bob nor George had anything further to report or discuss.
• Comments by the Rector:  The Rev. Crittenden had no comments pertinent to the moment. He added that at the retreat, he had discussed some Vestry activities that he had in Tallahassee. He had discussed at the retreat the desire to facilitate time for the Vestry members and the Rector to meet outside of the monthly meetings. He noted that this would build membership and leadership.

He would propose that we consider adopting five- or six-week sessions for the next academic year dividing the Vestry into groups of five. He proposes that each group would meet with the Rector three times during a six-week period. The details are not formulated but he wanted to propose the idea for the Vestry’s consideration and possible development during the next few Vestry meetings.

Bob noted that it was difficult recruiting parishioners to stand for Vestry election and the additional time commitment might result in some parishioners not willing to make the additional time commitment. Roger added that there are several parishioners committed already to existing Sunday School programs and this might not be convenient. The Rev. Crittenden said that this kind of conversation will be helpful in formulating his idea.

Meeting was adjourned at 6:31 p.m.

Julia Littlefield before offering the closing prayer noted that there were 50 participants at the recent United Thank Offering In-Gathering and they collected $1,461.01. Anita has written a check for that amount to go to the       Diocese and that money is combined with moneys from In-Gatherings at all the other churches in the Diocese. The Diocese then sends a “big” check to the National Church. Every year, the National Church makes grants from these funds.

Julia then offered the closing prayer in thanksgiving for the In-Gathering.

R. J. de Maria
Acting Clerk to the Vestry