NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF ST. ELISABETH’S
Notice is hereby given of the Annual Parish Meeting of St. Elisabeth’s Episcopal Church, Glencoe, Illinois, to be held in the Living Room on Sunday, January 26, 2020, at 11:30AM, in order: to receive reports from the Interim Rector, Wardens, Treasurer and other Committees and Commissions, and to review the 2020 budget; to elect officers of the parish, vestry members, diocesan convention and electing convention delegates, and other persons to fill vacant positions as provided by canon and practice; and to conduct and transact other business as may legally come before said Annual Meeting of the parish.
Reports are posted on the STAFF, MINISTRY, and FINANCIAL report pages.
St. Elisabeth’s 2020 Annual Meeting Agenda
Annual Meeting Minutes – January 27, 2019
Submitted by John L Tuohy, Clerk
I. Opening Prayer and Call to Order
At Daphne’s request Lizzy Arnell led the congregation in a prayer to start the meeting. Daphne Cody, Rector, called the meeting to order at 11:15 a.m. in the Guild Room of the Church. Approximately 45 persons were in attendance.
II. Appointment of Clerk
Daphne appointed John Tuohy as Clerk of the Meeting.
III. Approval of Minutes
After allowing time for participants to review the annual meeting minutes of January 29, 2018, Anne Tuohy moved, and Kay Rossiter seconded, to approve the minutes as printed in the Annual Report. The motion carried unanimously.
IV. Elections
Glenna Foley, Nominating Committee Chair, referred to page 29 of the meeting packet. She presented the Committee’s recommendations:
Junior Warden: Anne Tuohy (formerly Vestry member)
Vestry Member, term ending 2021: Andrew Edelston (has served as Treasurer this past year)
Vestry Members, terms ending 2022: Kristine Schwandner and Peter Rossiter
2020 Diocesan Convention Delegates: Rich Lesperance, Anne Tuohy, Susan Newcomb
2020 Diocesan Convention Alternates: Tasker Generes, Adrienne Zimmerman, Dillon Shipman
Glenna asked if there were any additional nominations from the floor. There were none. At Glenna’s suggestion, the above slate was approved by acclamation.
Remaining: Rich Lesperance, as Senior Warden (formerly Junior Warden). Vestry members remaining: Polly Baur and Robert Fischer (extending his three year term to 2020 to fill the third year of Anne Tuohy’s Vestry term), and Kara Superfine and Henry Reukauf (2021).
Glenna reported on the status of Baehr Fund Trustees, who
are elected by the Vestry. Ex Officio
Trustees are: Daphne as Rector, Andrew Edelston as Treasurer, Rich Lesperance
and Anne Tuohy as Wardens. Elected
Trustees: newly elected Glenna (term
ending 2023); continuing elected Trustees Phil Miller (2020), Kay Rossiter (2021)
and Joyce Newcomb (2022).
V. Senior Warden’s Report
Glenna expressed her thanks for the privilege of serving as Junior and Senior Warden. She expressed particular thanks for the past year, working with the Vestry and the Rector. She then set out some of the highlights of Vestry activities.
Retreat. In April the Vestry got together for Retreat, which was a rewarding exercise of sharing in community, reviewing the past year and thinking forward to the next. Our Director of Religious Education gave us a tour through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, the program she is using with the children in Sunday school. There was discussion about the state of the Church’s property, and we reviewed a Buildings & Grounds Committee report. It became clear to us that we needed to focus our attention on finances and the state of our plant.
Stone, Sash and Sound. As a result of the discussions at the retreat, the Stone, Sash and Sound campaign was established. After determining that the existing resources were inadequate to carry out the critical needs facing us, we determined to seek pledges from the congregation to fund this campaign, such pledges to be paid over a period of two years. We are extremely appreciative of the pledges received as of this Annual Meeting, over $95,000.
Experimenting with Worship Services. In May and June, we discussed holding services on the chapel terrace, and that occurred in August, under a tent hoisted for the purpose.
In June and July, we invited the Rev. Suzanne Holding, Diocesan consultant, to lead us in a Mutual Ministry Review. In that effort we spent time to review the goals we made for this past year and how good we were in accomplishing them.
Looking forward. Among other things, we set our eyes for the next year on these matters:
(i) focus on financial matters and on repairs to our buildings, and (ii) bringing on board the staff Elizabeth Clemmitt, a Spiritual Director. She will be introduced to the congregation this coming Sunday, February 3.
Daphne thanked Glenna for her tireless efforts over the past four years, and presented her with a present.
VI. French Dip Photo Montage
A small break in the business of the Meeting took the form of a photo collection from the visit of our French friends in October. Daphne expressed thanks to those who put together the video presentation, and to all who participated in the very successful and fun French Dip.
VII. Treasurer’s Report
Andrew Edelston reported that 2018 was a financially successful year. Although he experienced some anxiety when, on December 1, we were some $50,000 (1/5 of the budget) short of pledge revenue projections, by year end we had exceeded budget for pledge income. He encouraged members to consider evening out their contributions over the year to lessen the large payments in December.
We received some $21,000 from Montessori, a very welcome revenue element, although we only ran $14,000 of that through the Operating Fund, placing the remaining $7,000 in the Operating Reserve Fund.
On net, we ended the year with a surplus, some $2,600 – good, although smaller than in recent years.
Andrew thanked Paul Lucas, previous Treasurer, and John Tuohy, Assistant Treasurer, for their help in guiding him into the Treasurer role this past year.
In questions: (i) Phil Miller suggested that consideration be given to transferring $50,000 of the $77,000 in the Operating Reserve Fund to the Baehr Fund, where it would presumably earn more than it is currently doing, and (ii) upon question from Hall Healy, Andrew said that the Diocese suggests that an Operating Reserve Fund be maintained at a level of 20-25% of annual expenditures. Andrew thanked the questioners and said that he would consider, and perhaps discuss with the Baehr Fund Trustees, Phil’s suggestion.
VIII. 2019 Budget
Tasker Generes, Chair of the Budget Committee, presented the budget for 2019, which has been approved by the Vestry. He referred to pages 31-32 of the Meeting packet
Pledges for the Operating Fund, 2019 vs 2018, were down a bit, what with loss of families and other matters. But if we add in the pledges received for the Stone, Sash & Sound campaign, total pledges were up quite substantially.
While for the past couple of years we have not taken all of Montessori income into the Operating Reserve, for 2019 we will take all of that. In addition, since the balance in the Operating Reserve Fund is above the target 20-25% of budgeted expenses, we will pull $17,000 from the Reserve Fund to the Operating Fund.
Other adjustments recognize the usual fine tuning, including inflationary adjustments and modest salary adjustments.
In questioning: (i) Kay asked why there was no expense shown for the new Spiritual Director, and Tasker said that there would be no out of pocket expense to the Church, and (ii) Paul asked why On Line Fees were up so much, and Tasker said that certain other “on line related” expenses were now built into that line item.
Tasker thanked the Budget Committee members for their participation and effort: Daphne, Rich Lesperance, Glenna Foley, Andrew Edelston and John Tuohy.
IX. Rector’s Report
Daphne presented her report, which was attached in the Meeting packet.
X. Appreciation to Retiring Warden and Vestry Members
Daphne explained that the Vestry is the body which runs the Church. It meets once a month. It considers all aspects of the Church’s operation, including religious and spiritual, educational, physical and administrative.
Daphne gave special thanks (and presents) to departing Vestry members (in addition to Glenna, which was highlighted earlier in the meeting):
Libby Hinds – our 8 a.m. participant. Involved in many aspects of the church, including Altar Guild, Buildings & Grounds, an all around leader, often behind the scenes.
Susan Newcomb – extraordinary effort to organize the French Dip, and other events, and her deep thinking and sharp eye for messaging.
Hall Healy, who extended for a fourth year – especially known for his poem writing. Therefore Daphne presented her own poem in honor of Hall’s loyal service.
XI. Lenten Pilgrimage
Cliff Schwandner presented plans for a pilgrimage to Montgomery, Alabama to visit the National Center for Peace & Justice, commemorating African American victims of lynching form 1877-1950. Planned for late March or early April, five days, by car, the trip will go and return by different routes, and the return would include a stop at the Mason Temple in Memphis, TN, sight of Dr. Martin Luther King’s prophetic “Mountaintop Speech” in 1968. Currently some 11 participants have indicated intention to join. Cliff is continuing to make arrangements.
XII. Stone, Sash & Sound
Rich Lesperance made a special thank you to all who have pledged to the Stone, Sash and Sound campaign. Truly impressive: over $95,000 pledged.
XIII. Prayer for the Departed
Pursuant to tradition, at the Annual Meeting prayers are offered for church members who have died in the past year. There was only one funeral this year, for Charlie Newcomb, but it was a special one, attended by many in Charlie’s life, a true tribute to the man. A prayer was offered for Charlie.
XIV. Adjournment
Pursuant to motion made, seconded and passed unanimously, the meeting was adjourned at 12:20 p.m.