Annual Report 2002 - 2003

Contents

Warrant
Nominating Committee Report
Memorial Gifts
Minister's Annual Report
Adult Education Committee
Building and Grounds Committee
Committee on the Ministry
Denominational Affairs Committee
Hospitality Committee
Human Services
Membership Committee
Music Committee
Parish Committee
Social Action
Board of Trustees
Worship Committee
Auction Committee
Historical Committee
Student Minister's Report
Visiting Group
Women's Alliance
Finance Committee
Proposed Operating Budget - July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004
Canvass Report
Religious Education
Minutes from 2002 Annual Meeting
Proposed Bylaw Changes for 5/28/2003
Renovation Steering Committee

Warrant

Article 1: To act upon the reports of the officers and committees

Article 2: To act upon the 2003-2004 budget recommended by the Parish Committee

Article 3: To act upon the recommendation of the Nominating Committee for the election of officers and chairpersons

Article 4: To determine whether the First Religious Society shall commit to becoming a UUA designated Practicing Fair Compensation Congregation

Article 5: To act upon the changes to the bylaws of the First Religious Society as recommended by the Parish Committee

Article 6: To act upon any other business which may legally come before the Parish.

Nominating Committee Report

Memorial Gifts

Minister's Annual Report

The following members and friends of the First Religious Society have died since the last Annual Meeting (May 29, 2002):

Your church staff has done an outstanding job dealing with a busy and growing institution at a time of transition. In June 2002 we bid a fond farewell to our Music Director of 38 years, Barbara Owen, as she began her retirement. My sincere thanks to our newest staff member, Frances Burmeister, Director of Church Music, who has done an outstanding job in her first year at the FRS; to John Mercer, our able Administrator, whose organizational skills have brought us into the 21st century; to Julie Parker Amery, Director of Religious Education, the heart and soul of our RE program; to Claudia Keyian, Young Church Choir(s) Director, for another great year of music; and to Carol Lattime, Sexton, for all she does to keep the church looking clean and inviting. Bob Straubel has done an excellent job with our landscaping and snow removal. We are also grateful to Dolores Ortiz for her good work and pleasant demeanor as Administrative Assistant until March of this year.

Special thanks also to Joanne Vose, who generously volunteers her time as our Young Church Choir(s) accompanist, Roy Tattersall, all-around handyman, and Head Usher Jim Dyer for his welcoming presence on Sunday mornings.

Highlights of this year (my eighth among you) have included the hiring of a new staff member, Frances Burmeister; the beginning, at long last, of our renovation program -- my sincere thanks to all who have served so ably on the Renovation Committee, and especially to chairman Bill Heenehan and treasurer Anne Verret Speck; our most successful ever services and goods auction (with special thanks to co-chairs Robin Lawson and Candace Erickson); another successful canvass, with thanks to Lynn Kettleson, chairman of the Finance Committee, and his many helpers; the installation of a second communications antenna in our church steeple; continuation of our participation in the Friendship Table at the Salvation Army; congregational participation in the local Walk Against Violence; our first-ever Jazz worship service, coordinated by Tom Stites; participation in the international Rolling Requiem on the anniversary of September 11, 2001; hosting a student minister; and working with wonderful committees of dedicated church folk.

Last year we sent three lay and one ministerial delegates to the UUA General Assembly in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. I will again be attending the General Assembly in Boston at the end of June, along with seven lay delegates and several alternates, and encourage you all to attend the UU Service of the Living Tradition on Sunday, June 29 at the Boston Fleet Center, where four of our Young Church Choir members will be performing in the GA Children's Choir.

The First Religious Society continues to be an Honor Society in its giving to the UUA and Mass. Bay District, and a James Luther Adams Award and Creating Justice banner recipient in its support of the UU Service Committee. We also support the UU Urban Ministry, and assist needy local persons with proceeds from the Swazey Fund and the Swazey Orphans Fund. Our Christmas Eve free-will offering was presented to our Unitarian Partner Church in Ujszekely, Transylvania (Romania) to assist them with various building projects and ministerial support.

Sunday attendance this year has averaged 170, not inclusive of Young Church or Choir. Much of the work of the church is carried out by committed laypersons. Thanks are due to all our outgoing committee members, officers, and chairpersons, as well as to those who will be staying on. Special thanks are due to Gillian Chatfield, outgoing Parish Committee Chair; to Louise VanBokkelen, for her years of service on the Board of Trustees; to Maura Perkins and Stan Cecil, our Co-Treasurers; and to Peg Nicol, our Clerk.

As your minister this year, in addition to the special services mentioned above, I have:

• spoken at the retirement party for Barbara Owen;
• planned and participated in the ground-breaking for our building renovation project;
• supervised our Student Minister, Frank Clarkson;
• led adult education opportunities on "Lifelines: Holding On and Letting Go," "An Introduction to the Bible for Religious Liberals," and "Transcendentalism: A Unique and Unitarian Universalist Spirituality." I also led a walking tour to UU sites in Cambridge and Concord;
• been active in the Swazey Health Fund, Inc. as a board member; in the Greater Newburyport Clergy Association as treasurer; in the Mass. Bay District Chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association; in the Society for Ministerial Relief as a board member; in the Merrimack Bible Society as treasurer; in the Unitarian Universalist Historical Society as a board member and nominating committee member; in the Harvard Divinity School Alumni/ae Council as a director and chair of the celebrations committee; in the UU Church of the Larger Fellowship as a Board Member and chair of the membership committee; and in the Merrimac Cluster of UU Churches;
• served as Class Agent for the class of 1982 at the 2002 20th Reunion Dinner at Harvard Divinity School;
• served as Minister of the Week at the 2002 "All Star II" conference on Star Island;
• attended the fall and spring sessions of the Stone House Study Group;
• participated in the annual joint Martin Luther King, Jr. and Association Sunday services;
• helped out with the "Friendship Table" dinners at the Salvation Army (thanks to Alicia Raddatz for organizing this year), and participated in the annual Walk Against Violence;
• preached in Hampton Falls, NH;
• attended a group assessing the future direction of Newburyport Public Schools;
• spoken to the Women's Alliance about my sabbatical experiences;
• worked at the May Breakfast, and performed in the Variety Show;
• visited with our Young Church classes;
• attended a district Safe Congregations workshop;
• conducted worship services at Brigham Manor Nursing Home;
• took part in the community interfaith Thanksgiving Service;
• contributed two religion columns to The Daily News;
• attended church meetings and social gatherings, called at nursing homes and hospitals, visited and counseled, and distributed charitable funds to needy persons in our community.

And thank you to all of you for your support, encouragement, helpful criticisms, and well wishes, but most of all for your commitment to the First Religious Society. It is an honor to serve as your minister!

Respectfully submitted, Harold E. Babcock

Adult Education Committee

Programs
The First Religious Society continues to offer a broad range of adult education programming. New programs offered by the Adult Education Committee this year were:

Holding on at Both Ends: Lifelines That Connect Us,

Afterwords,

Listening for the Voice of Vocation - 2 sessions,

An Introduction to the Bible for Religious Liberals,

Parents as Resident Theologians,

Transcendentalism: A Unique and Authentic Unitarian Universalist Spirituality - 2 sessions,

UU Field Trip,

The Spiritual Ramifications of Grief,

The New UU or Exploring Unitarian Universalism and the FRS - 2 sessions,

The OpenBook Group.

2. Survey FRS Adult Education Needs. In the spring of 2003, we will conduct a survey of the FRS community to assess needs and preferences for adult education programming.

3. Curriculum Mapping. Based on the results of our survey, we will consult with the UUA to align the FRS's needs for new programming to UUA curricula.

4. Offer New Programs. We are excited at the prospect of our new and improved space and suspect that attendance will increase with its availability. Initial proposals for new programming include:

Outing Club; hikes, canoe trip, etc.,
Day trip to Star Island,
Speaker Series,
Yoga for Men,
Mediation,
Covenant Groups.

Respectfully Submitted,

Rebecca Jordan,
Chair

Building and Grounds Committee

The renovation work is proceeding about as expected, although somewhat behind schedule. Early snow delayed the start of construction and extreme cold slowed progress of the concrete underpinning work. A limited amount of ledge is being carefully removed and this should be complete within two weeks. Our intention is to catch up the lost time and to move in to the offices this summer, with occupation of the renovated Parish Hall next September.

A number of the long-standing deferred maintenance needs, as well as "wish list" capitol improvements (i.e.: installation of a fire suppression system) will be included as part of the renovation project. Other large-scale cycle maintenance projects, however, will persist, such as painting and maintenance of the steeple.

This was also a big year for renovation of the e basement of the Parish Hall by Verizon. At this writing, there remains a punch list of items to complete or repair at no cost to the Church. Verizon will perform this remedial work over the next couple of weeks…that is, if the snow finally departs.

Other activities include development of a comprehensive building condition survey consisting of reports prepared by committee members for every section of the Meetinghouse and the Parish Hall. These reports are being compiled by Greg Garnache and will be budgeted and prioritised by the committee.

Once again we have Vinny Wood and Roy Tattersal to thank for their ongoing contributions to the care and maintenance of the buildings and grounds. This year, there have been a number of projects, which were related to improving the accommodations for the music program, waterproofing and repair to the steeple columns, door and window repair, fixing a number of pews and cleaning out the basement of the parish hall. Thank-you Vinny and Roy.

In closing, let me remind all, that the ability for the congregation to preserve and maintain our singular and historic Meeting House is directly proportional to the participation and commitment demonstrated by those who gather here. We welcome new members to the Building Committee and would be grateful to hear from you. Many hands lighten the load...and inevitably result in a few more laughs. If you are interested and have an hour or two each month, please do not hesitate to call me.

Thank-you,
Peter Erickson, chair

Committee on the Ministry

The committee met seven times throughout the year, focusing on its purposes of (1) providing a communications channel between the minister and the membership and (2) evaluating the minister's performance, setting goals, and making recommendations for changes in compensation. Minutes for each meeting are posted on the church's web-site and are available through the office.

The committee began the year with a focus on setting goals for the minister. This was especially enriching due to Harold's return from sabbatical. Throughout the year, we were guided by Harold's "overarching goal of deepening the spiritual life of church members by increasing connections and providing vision". Each committee meeting included a review of the minister's monthly activity report, which left us impressed with and appreciative of the many services provided. All members and friends of the Society are encouraged to review the monthly minister's reports, which are posted on the web-site and bulletin board in the Parish Hall. Our review of the minister's performance resulted in strong and well-supported recommendations to the Parish Committee for a plan to increase Harold's compensation.

The committee continues to provide a communications channel between the minister and the membership, seeking to hear concerns without judgment and passing them on to the minister or the membership.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Ricker, Chairperson

Denominational Affairs Committee

Discussion and/or preliminary work has begun on the following goals for next year: Fundraiser for Partner Church in Fall, as well as providing more information in general about the Partner Church Program, Increasing awareness of denominational current issues as well as resources/benefits.

Steve James and Rochelle Perry-Platine will serve as co-chairs next year. The Denominational Affairs budget includes membership dues to the UUA and MBD.

Our delegation to General Assembly, Partner Church Program, UU Service Committee, and UU Affiliate Organizations are all supported by the budget of this committee which seemed appropriate.

Benefits of membership in the UUA include: Availability of consultants (This year Wayne Clark in Finance and Liz Strong in RE assisted FRS ), UU World magazine, UUA website (news, resources for committees and members etc.) educational curriculum for children/youth/adults, publication of flyers/pamphlets about Unitarian Universalism and a variety of related topics, support for our district. Benefits of MBD membership include: District Link Newsletter, MBD Website (Access district services and resources), and a variety of local chapter groups including (Ministers Association, Administrators Association, RE Team, Musician's Network, Leadership Resources Council (District Consultants).

Respectfully submitted,
Steve James

Hospitality Committee

The May Breakfast, held on Saturday, May 3, was a rousing success, raising approximately $580.00, a record total considering the breakfast's duration was shortened from 4 hours down to 3. Additional advertising in the form of a sign in front of the church, placed about a week before the breakfast, and flyers distributed around the area, definitely seemed to bring in hungry eaters. All positions were fully staffed and food donations were generous (note: more fruit salad next year!). Additional eggs were bought when it was thought we ran out of eggs (but hadn't), but these were sold after the breakfast and on Sunday after church. Everyone seemed to enjoy working at as well as attending the breakfast and all went away exceptionally well-fed.

At Lucy Lockwood's request, our committee is reassuming the duties of Coffee Hour hosts, and Patrice O'Brien, a new member of both our church and committee, has volunteered to take on this responsibility, with Marilyn A's assistance. Patrice is a former caterer and will be an asset to our committee, I'm sure.

The last event we'll be organizing this year will be the Potluck Supper prior to Annual Meeting on May 28, but we will also be actively participating in Committee Sunday.

I will remain as Hospitality Committee Chairperson.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilyn Davis Archibald

Human Services

UUSCs Guest at Your Table This year the Guest at Your Table program raised a little over $1200, as opposed to $2,000 last year. Not included in that figure are members who send their checks directly to UUSC.

Hollingsworth family Christmas Each year Human Services collects money and gifts for the Hollingsworth family in Ohio. Our church adopted this family years ago as part of the Box Project. This year the committee focused on collecting money for Lou Bertha Hollingsworth's fuel bill. Unfortunately we received only $200 towards the fuel bill, and a few gifts. This annual project seemed to suffer as a result of the new Turning Point children's gift project. The committee is re-evaluating how best to continue supporting Lou Bertha and her family.

UUSC Christmas Cards Eileen Fitzgerald again coordinated the sale of the UUSC's holiday greeting cards. Sales reached $313, and Eileen felt that she could have sold even more, if more cards had been available.

Salvation Army Bell Ringing Betty Pike once again spearheaded the bell ringing in December 2002. Although the weather was terrible, everyone who volunteered their time enjoyed themselves.

Pettengill House Donations A drive for personal care and food items was held in February 2003. The collection went well and the volunteers at Pettengill House were thrilled to receive our donations, especially the personal care items.

Daffodils for American Cancer Society Barbara Burnim again coordinated sales of daffodils. We raised $376, and would have raised more if we could have gotten more daffodils. Walk Against Violence About ten members from FRSUU marched together and carried the banner in this year's Walk Against Violence. We raised over $ 2,000.

The Elms A personal care item drive was held in April and May for The Elms. Though not too much was collected, the people at the Elms were pleased.

Knitting with Eileen This project is still going well. There are a regular group of women who meet for knitting and fellowship twice a month in Parish Hall.

Salvation Army Friendship Table We hosted five Friendship Tables this year with plenty of food and volunteers each time. We have signed up for six Thursdays next year.

New Projects:
Human Services Spotlight The Committee decided that it would be beneficial to highlight some opportunities for human service involvement in the Steeple Bi-Weekly. These articles, written primarily by Alicia Raddatz, covered a variety of topics, from upcoming Human Services events, to volunteer and charitable donation needs of local organizations. Ideas for topics came form Committee members as well as members of the congregation. We will continue to submit Spotlights next year, though more Human Services members will get involved in their writing.

Christmas for Turning Point In a joint project with the RE committee, a toy drive was held for the children living at Turning Point. It was a tremendous success. Each child received at least one toy, as some received as many as three. In addition about six bags of groceries were donated. This food was received at the church after the delivery had been made to the Newburyport Food Bank.

Merrimack Valley Hospice The committee was asked by Merrimack Valley Hospice for any help we could give them in finding volunteers. We responded in February 2003 by setting up a table during Coffee Hour. We hoped to not only find new volunteers but to also educate church members on hospice.

Auction Babysitting Approximately 12 of the church's youth donated their services to the auction as either wait staff or babysitters. But for the first time free babysitting was offered during the auction, and seven young ladies watched our children while bid, bid, bid. This project was a huge success, convincing some people to attend the auction who normally would not have. The idea to offer free babysitting was part of the committee's plan to "minister" to our own parishioners, as well as to do human service projects with the youth of the church.

Swasey Orphan's Fund The Human Services Committee was asked and has agreed to take over the administration of the Swasey Orphan Scholarship Fund. Maura Perkins has agreed to be the treasurer. The first step is to set guidelines for who is eligible, based on Mr. Swasey's wishes, and the limitations of the fund. Second, we hope to increase awareness in Newburyport about this fund. We hope that more publicity will enable us to help more young people and spend more of the excess money in the fund.

All in all it was a very good year. Thanks to everyone on the committee and to all those in the church who helped to make our projects so successful.

Respectfully submitted,

Alicia Raddatz, Chair

Membership Committee

Events

• Co-sponsored the Second Annual Church Picnic at Maudsley State Park, September 2002
• Sponsored two Circle Dinners in October 2002 and May 2003
• Hosted New Member Luncheon in November 2002
• Sponsored the Adult Midwinter Party held at the Dyers in February 2003
• Initiated The Family Variety Show organized by Nancy Crochiere and David Turner in March 2003
• Organized the Second Annual Outdoor Coffee Hour and Committee Sunday in June 2003

Tasks and Projects

• The Membership Committee maintains the Visitor's Table in the church vestibule and staffs it every Sunday.
• Members of our committee participate in all of the New Member Sundays.
• Co-published a new edition of the Member Directory complete with photographs and addresses that is a living document and it easily updateable.

• The Membership Committee plans to recruit two new members in the upcoming year.
• Explore the possibility of adding a new feature to the Steeple Weekly titled "New Member Profiles".
• Develop "The Quick Reference Guide to FRSUU Committees".
• Create a New Member Welcome packet including copies of: The Member Directory, The Quick Reference Guide to FRSUU Committees and Personal Talent Inventory Questionnaire.
• The Membership Committee will be co-chaired by Jane Nocera and Linda Tulley.

Respectfully submitted,

Bettina Turner and Jane Nocera

Music Committee

Congratulations to the search committee, chaired by Robin Lawson, composed of Stan Cecil, Hannah and Sue Creed, Mike Fosburg, Todd Herrmann, Blake Hughes, Alicia Raddatz, Forrest Speck, Mona Straubel, JoAnne Vose, and Jean Wilson!

"Rolling Requiem"
When Frances was interviewing with us, she mentioned that there was an international movement afoot to commemorate the September 11, 2001 tragedy. Choruses around the world would be singing the Mozart Requiem exactly a year later across all time zones. She wanted us to be a part of that. The Music Committee was skeptical that we could pull off such a major undertaking with a director so new and planning that would need to occur over the summer. But we acquiesced with some adjustments and created for the greater Newburyport area a moving musical and spiritual experience this past September 11th with a large community chorus and professional soloists.

That's really been the hallmark of Frances' leadership during this past church season-setting very ambitious goals, moderating them by being open to feedback, and then motivating us to achieve the very best we can.

Youth Choirs
Meanwhile, the Cherub Choir, Young Church Choir, and Teen Choir continue to flourish under Claudia Keyian's leadership. We thank Joanne Vose for her weekly rehearsal accompaniment and Lisa Johnson for her logistical assistance with robes! Four of these young singers have been selected to sing at General Assembly - we are fortunate to have such talent in our church!

Adult Choir
The senior choir continues to add new members. Frances instituted weekly Thursday evening rehearsals, in addition to Sunday mornings, which has added to the choir's confidence and collegiality. It's been a thrill to hear the variety of musical styles and formats explored in our Sunday worship. "Jazz Sunday", with Tom Stites' encouragement, was certainly an opportunity for choir members, along with some talented instrumentalists, to participate in new and exciting ways!

Candlelight Choir
Frances continued the musical tradition of Barbara Owen with a fine Candlelight service for the Christmas season featuring harpist Martha Moor as well as our Young Church and Teen Choirs and an expanded community chorus. The Candlelight Choir, many of whom also participated in the Mozart Requiem, the harpist, and Robert Littlefield on the organ were brought together again for a beautiful "Concert of Remembrance" for the Lenten and Passover season featuring the Requiem and motets of Gabriel Faure. It's anticipated this community chorus will continue to delight us 2-3 times a year.

Concert Series
Once again this year, Jean Wilson, with assistance from Barbara Owen, organized the Music Festival 2003 with a cavalcade of stellar performances: the Seraphim Singers, chamber music from the Italian Renaissance, and Nicholas Kitchen on a Stradivarius violin playing Bach sonatas.

Other Highlights
Additionally, we made progress with our church music program in the following ways:

• Replaced the organ blower with funds from the building renovation project
• Added to our anthem library
• Developed a financial plan for the music program -- looking out to 2006 to identify needs and potential resources
• Raised $1,200 in a special "Walk for Music"
• Proposed by-law revisions related to the committee's role and structure
• With assistance from our architect, looked at some alternatives for adding more "performance" space upfront in the sanctuary
• Conducted a survey of adult choir members

More Thank-Yous!
Special thanks to the Music Committee members who helped make this a special year for the church music program: Joan Carroll, Beth Cawley, Sue Creed, Candace Erickson, Barry Kray, Robin Lawson, Mary Rizzo, Bettina Turner, and Jean Wilson, in addition to staff input by Harold Babcock, Frances Burmeister, Claudia Keyian, and John Mercer!

Please continue to let us know about how the music can enhance your experience in this church!

Respectfully submitted,

Todd Herrmann, Chair

Parish Committee

One of the first Parish Committee decisions was to support the role of Student Minister. Frank Clarkson has been a wonderful addition to the life of the First Religious Society, and we wish him every success in his UU future.

Like many of you, we have enjoyed watching the steady progress of the building renovation project. Throughout the year, we have received regular updates from the Renovation Steering Committee and we are excited by the possibilities the new space will offer.

The Parish Committee has continued to work closely with the Parish Co-Treasurers, the Chair of the Finance Committee and the Board of Trustees to ensure our financial and accounting practices are sound and professional. This has been especially important in this year of building renovations and the associated capital campaign. It continues to be vital to allow for future growth of the church and to offer some protection in uncertain economic times. The Board of Trustees has met four times this year and we have discussed a number of issues, including UUA Investment Policy Guidelines and how best to communicate the work of the Trustees to the congregation at large. At the March meeting there was unanimous approval for term limits for Trustees of the First Religious Society. In May we agreed that we would defer our discussion of Socially Responsible Investing until the fall. I would like to recognize Louise Van Bokkelen for her many years of service to the Board of Trustees. Louise is stepping down as a Trustee at the end of this financial year, and I thank her for her dedication.

Under the able direction of David Turner, the Human Resources subcommittee has been very active in 2002/2003. This subcommittee includes members of the Parish Committee, together with other members of the congregation with an expertise and/or interest in human resources. The subcommittee has continued its work on developing personnel policies and procedures, writing/reviewing job descriptions for all employees and ensuring benefit packages remain equitable. In his own inimitable style, John Mercer has taken the role of Parish Administrator to new and exciting levels. The Parish, (and especially this Parish Chair), owes him a vote of thanks for his communication and organizational skills over the past year.

Thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of the church membership and our Minister, Harold Babcock, we have accomplished many wonderful things in 2002/2003. I look forward to continuing to serve the First Religious Society as a third-year member of the Parish Committee and I am confident that we are well positioned to meet the opportunities that lie ahead.

Respectfully Submitted,

Gillian A. Chatfield,
Chair of the Parish Committee

Social Action

The SAC provided and sold a coffee at coffee hour which is both earth and people friendly. The new coffee is available for sale at coffee hours. A portion of each sale is donated to the UU Service Committee. All reports indicate a member wide preference for this new, very yummy coffee.

The "greening" of the society has begun. Recycle bins are placed in and about the Parish Hall. A large Ecology Tips board was designed and displayed for members at a recent coffee hour. Thank you Liss Campbell! (BUT, we have a lot more to do. Watch for changes. And do contact the SAC with suggestions.)

Four FRS UUs participated in the Peace March in Washington D.C. and many more attended the march in NYC. (We are grateful to the Amesbury Friends Society for the transportation to New York.) Many of the FRS membership participated in the various peace vigils in the area before and during the war on Iraq. Our committee organized several vigils in front of the FRS on Pleasant Street where we were joined by some of the membership and others in the community.

This year's Second Annual FRS Social Action Lecture will be given by the esteemed Dr. Ward Moorhouse on June 8. The June event is the highpoint of the Social Action calendar year. We look forward to a great attendance.

We will have spent our entire budget by June 21, 2003.

Respectfully submitted,

Pat Hurzeler

Board of Trustees

• The Trustees' duties are: (from the Constitution and Bylaws)
• To hold all permanent funds and securities coming into their hands as Trustees,
• To invest, reinvest and do all things necessary to the proper management of such funds,
• To pay over to the Treasurer(s) the income according to the terms of their trust, and
• To pay over any principal only if voted upon by the membership.

The chart below shows the distributions for both the current fiscal year and the year beginning 7/1/03. The first four distributions are received and spent as part of the Society's annual budget. The designated funds (next 3) are distributed to separate organizations (named beneficiaries) for their use.

Recipient	Distribution	Proposed	%Total
Operating Budget	(7/01/02-6/30/03)	(7/01/03-6/30/04)
Parish Fund	$50,560	53,806	61.21
Building Fund	8,452	8,728	9.93
Stover Fund	3,460	3,578	4.07
Fowler Fund	1,145	1,188	1.35
Subtotal	63,616	67,300	76.56
Designated Funds
Alliance	$4,992	5,151	5.86
Swasey Income	5,297	5,476	6.23
Swasey Orphan's	9,663	9,977	11.35
Subtotal	19,951	20,604	23.44
Total	83,568	87,904	100.0

During the twelve-month period through March 31, 2003, the amount distributed from the fund was $83,568. For purposes of determining distributions for the next fical year, the trustees have adopted a policy of averaging ending balances of the endowment for 13 quarters preceding March 31, of each year. For March 31, 2003 the average of the preceding 13 months was $1,758,070. (The previous base had been the prior years' closing values, which were subject to the vicissitudes of the market. The adopted change is in accordance with practices recommended by the UUA.) The proposed distributions for next year total $87,904 as shown in the above chart.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for investing the assets of the endowment. Because of the timing of the submission of this report, it covers the period from March 28, 2002 through March 31, 2003. The total value of the Endowment Fund as of March 31, 2003 was $1,383,538, ($1,327,328 in invested assets plus $56,210 as an outstanding loan). The market value of the Endowment Fund was $1,800,528, ($1,744,318 plus the outstanding loan of $56,210) on March 28, 2002. The investment performance of the fund was a minus 22.6% during the twelve-month period. During the same period, there was a 24.8% drop in the U.S. equity market as measured by the S&P 500 Stock Index and an 11.7% gain in the bond market as measured by the Lehman Aggregate Index. The Endowment Fund is currently invested 83.6% in equities, 11.1% in bonds and 5.3% in cash, (including the $56,210 loan, repaid on 5/10/03).

The following is a reconciliation of the activity in the invested portion Endowment Account held at Paine Webber for the twelve-month period:

Beginning Balance of Endowment (3/28/02)		*$1,744,318
Plus:
	Earnings on Investments	28,193
	Change in Value of Investments	(346,238)
Less:
	Distributions	**(131,509)
Plus:
	Contributions	32,844
Less:
	Other (fees, taxes, misc.)	(280)
Ending Value of Endowment Account (3/31/03)		$1,327,328

* This balance excludes the $56,210 loan.

** This year, the trustees adopted a policy of taking the distributions at the beginning, rather than end of the quarter. This resulted in 5 quarterly distributions during this particular time. This also includes a portion of the loan for the building project and a withdrawal for painting the Parish Hall.

There were 2 contributions to the endowment…a portion of the steeple rental income from the previous year ($25,756) was deposited. Also a stock gift of $6,627 was made to the endowment. The endowment is an important source of funds and security for the Society.

Submitted by Maura Lawton Perkins and Stan Cecil
Co-Treasurers for the Board of Trustees

Worship Committee

Service Assistant
As a result of changes begun during the minister's sabbatical, the Worship Committee was encouraged to take a greater role in assisting the minister on Sundays. To that end, committee members have taken turns each Sunday serving as a Service Assistant. The Service Assistant opens the church and prepares the pulpit and chalice supplies, and after the service, closes the church.

Worship Service Evaluation
An ongoing mission of the Worship Committee is to work with the minister and program directors to evaluate the worship service, communicate with parishioners, and make changes as our congregation's needs evolve. For example, the reading of the Joys and Sorrows, which follows the offering in the Worship Service, is a relatively new ritual that is currently being evaluated. The purpose of the Joys and Sorrows is to express a concern relating to members of our church community, for example, rites of passage, and requests for prayers for those in need.

Chalice Lighting
On behalf of the entire church community, we would like to thank the people who served as chalice lighters this year. A special thanks goes to the Teen Group for lighting the chalice throughout the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Where possible, the assignment of Chalice lighter corresponded to a holiday or special event (for example, New Member Sunday might have a recently enrolled member, and family-oriented Sundays might feature three generations). Also, in order to provide recognition for various church affiliations, we planned to include a chalice lighter from nearly every group and committee throughout the year, and identify them in the order of service.

Filling the pulpit
Arranging for worship services during the minister's Sundays away from the pulpit is the Worship Committee's most important task. We were fortunate this year to have our student minister fill several Sundays. We are also grateful to several church members for their Sunday services: our Minister Emeritus, Rev. Bert Steeves; Steve James and the Denominational Affairs Committee; Tom Stites and the Jazz Service participants; Religious Education Director, Julie Parker Amery; and our delightful Young Church community. Thank you to all for your contribution to the First Religious Society.

Special Events
Other special activities for the Worship Committee included assisting the Membership Committee with the church picnic, and organizing a Flower Communion for 'Welcome Back' Sunday. On that Sunday in September, people brought flowers to share and were encouraged to place them on the arbor set up in the front of the church. One by one, parishioners went to the arbor to add their flower. To watch the arch gradually fill with blossoms and turn from a bare frame into something full and alive, diverse and spirited, and bright with colors and promise, was not unlike our sanctuary filling up every Sunday with us as we come to worship and be together.

May all the ways in which we worship be blessed.

Respectfully submitted,

Cynthia Raschke

Auction Committee

• Netted nearly $20,000, a 30% increase over the previous event
• Attracted 160+ attendees, also a 30% increase
• Involved 40+ volunteers, from the six-member steering committee, to the day-of-event set-up and bookkeeping crew, to the teens who provided free child care.

• Advance planning, which began during the summer of 2002
• The decision to move the auction to a larger facility at Nicholson Hall, enabling us to encourage attendance of friends and family
• The "Wish List" party, which created an early buzz and provided excellent donation ideas
• Changing the date from the Christmas holiday season to the spring, eliminating many schedule conflicts
• The introduction of several new ideas, such as the Easter bonnet contest, to add interest and excitement to the event
• The momentum created by auctions past.

• Donation drop-off/pick-up on three successive Saturday mornings
• Off-site item storage in a secure location
• Adherence to the donation cut-off date.

The steering committee would like to acknowledge everyone who worked hard to make the auction a success. We express special gratitude to Jon Roberts, who not only provides the magnificent cuisine gratis, but also knocks himself out in the kitchen.

Submitted by
Robin Lawson
Co-chair, on behalf of steering committee members:

Candace Erickson, Co-chair
Alex Mezey
Alicia Raddatz
Tom Stites
Bill Zarakas

Historical Committee

Because of the construction work now in progress, Chris and Jean Snow have safely packed up the vestibule exhibit they put together for the anniversary and arranged for the pictures and artifacts to be temporarily stored in the Old Newbury Historical Society. The display case, borrowed from the Historical Society, has been returned.

Barbara Owen and John Mercer have negotiated transfer of our archival material to the new climate-controlled Archive Room of the Newburyport Public Library. Virtually all material dating from 1725 to 1925 was moved there in March. Much of the later material still awaits further sorting and filing by the committee before it can be transferred. Our archives are presently in process of being catalogued and shelved by the library's archivist, but once this is done they will be much more accessible to researchers and genealogists than previously. The Archive Room (located on the basement level of the new library addition) is a pleasant and well-lighted place in which to work.

Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Owen, Co-Chair

Student Minister's Report

My learning agreement called for me to spend on average 12 to 15 hours a week at the church or on church-related work. In the course of the year, I have:

• participated in worship most Sundays
• preached four times
• led two session of the Adult Ed. Class "Listening for the Voice of Vocation"
• led a one-time workshop on "Everyday Spiritual Practices"
• met weekly with Harold for supervision
• participated in Young Church several times
• attended various committee meetings and church activities
• met individually with members of the church community on request

I am grateful beyond words for the many ways this community has welcomed me and taught me this year. I'm particularly indebted to the Parish Committee for its willingness to take me on, and to Harold for his leadership, counsel and collegiality.

I deeply appreciate the many ways you have welcomed me into the life of the church. I have truly enjoyed being part of the FRS community. It will be difficult to leave at the end of the church year, and I will miss you very much.

Respectfully submitted,

Frank Clarkson

Visiting Group

Group membership remains stable at 22. Florence Mercer will head the group for another year.

Our main goal this year of establishing regular visits to our parishioners in nursing homes has not been met. We aim to do that in the new church year.

Respectfully submitted,

Florence S. Mercer

Women's Alliance

In terms of service to First Religious Society we provide the wreaths for the front on the church at Christmas and occasionally provide flowers for Sunday service. We purchase tickets to the FRS winter music series, contribute to the Memorial Fund and the Hollingsworth Christmas Project.

We catered receptions following memorial services for Bob Smart, Margaret Rice and Caroline Dodge.

And last but not least we made a pledge to FRS of $4,000.00 and are committed to $5,000.00 over three years to the Capital Campaign.

Marjorie Babcock, President
Pat Ouellette, Vice President
Lorraine Adelman, Secretary
Cary Plumer, Treasurer

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee is pleased to report another successful year for the church in terms of operating results. Despite a miserable economy which has resulted in a significant reduction in our endowment, we expect to complete the fiscal year in the black. In contrast to prior years, we have decided not to contribute money from the Steeple Rental to the endowment.

Looking ahead at the expected income and expenses for the remaining two months of the fiscal year, we do anticipate ending the fiscal year within the budget approved at the May 2002 annual meeting.

The reasons for this outstanding performance are many and include:

• Pledge and non-pledge contributions are strong but lagging somewhat due to the economy. Thankfully, individual members have paid their pledge early, all of which reflects the high level of commitment we all feel for our church community;
• Fundraising events, such as the annual action, rummage sales, May Breakfast, and Candlelight Service, were strong sources of income, and, often set new records.
• Steeple rental to Verizon and AT&T has provided a valuable source of income.
• We have a full commitment for Steeple Lighting which presents potential opportunities for other additional means of raising funds.
• Committee chairpersons have done an outstanding job of managing expenses relative to their budgets.

More details on the building Renovation Project may be included elsewhere in the annual report outside of the Finance Committee's report.

Our challenge for the remainder of the year is to make sure we all fulfill our pledge commitments. Through the end of April 2003, pledge income is $147,840, which is 12 percent short of where it should be by this time of year. The budget, when adopted, anticipated $209,000 in pledges, but only $194,500 was received. This shortfall has largely been offset by other contributions and the plate collection.

Proposed Budget for 2003-2004

We are able to present a balanced budget for July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. Details of the proposed budget follow this overview.

Thank you for your contributions to our church community. Your efforts have allowed us to achieve another successful year.

Respectfully submitted,

Lynn Kettleson
For the Finance Committee

Budget
The proposed budget for the 2003-2004 fiscal year, presented in detail on the following pages, projects total expenses of $390,819. This represents a 9.5% increase over the total expenses budgeted for the current 2002-2003 fiscal year. Also shown is projected income from contributions (both pledge and non-pledge) of $222,600, which is two percent below last year's and which reflects the effects of the difficult economy. We believe that actual contributions will be stronger, based on our experience this year with non-pledge income as well as canvass comments from members who say that will contribute more if they are able. However, we are being necessarily conservative in our projections. Contributions remain our largest source of income, representing about 60 percent of our funding sources. We are also projecting higher income on rents, based upon the new space that will become available in the fall, and our music committee expects to bring in more from the newly-added community choral performances.

We are again proposing a balanced budget, which represents a major accomplishment for the First Religious Society, especially in the current economic environment. Our current budgeted investment income from the endowment is based upon a prudent amount recommended by our endowment Trustees, and is based upon UUA recommended standards.

Some highlights of the proposed budget include:

• Increased salary of 2.3 percent for all staff and 8 percent for our minister, all in line with our commitment to meet UUA Fair Compensation Guidelines.
• Increased employee benefits, in the form of long-term disability and life insurance for all eligible staff.
• The salary and benefit increases are part of a five-year program to insure that our salaries and benefits are in line with other mid-size UUA Congregations.
• Continued funding for a 14% retirement fund benefit for all eligible employees;
• Continued payment of the annual retirement benefit for the former Music Director.
• Increased funding for the Music program to pay for music and to continue improvements in the Musical portion of the service.
• Continued provision for full payment of UUA and Mass Bay District dues of $48 and $15 per member, respectively;
• Needed repairs for our historic organ (all of which has been funded by a generous and anonymous donation).
• Provision for contingency expenses of $3,300, to account for unanticipated expenses that may occur over the year.
• A one-time $5,000 expense for moving into our new facility prior to the beginning of services this fall.

As in past years, the pledge drive is continuing and will likely not be completed by the end of this fiscal year. In fact, we may again (as we did last year) conduct a limited mini-canvass in the fall to connect with new members and complete some visits from this year (This will include no more than 40 to 50 calls.). At this date, we still have to hear from about 100 parishioners. Despite the difficult economic times, we have seen an average increase among those who have pledged, and we are confident that we can reach the pledge goal of $205,000. Last year's goal was $198,150.

As of May 15, we have received pledges from 145 friends and members of our church with a contribution level of $158,145. The average pledge was $1,091 and the median pledge was $780. The average is an increase over last year's $1003, and the median is an increase over last year's 600.

• 17 pledges are new this year.
• Pledges were increased over last year's pledge by an average of 12.8 percent.
• The 145 members and friends increased their pledges by a total of $20,146 over last year's pledge amount.
• 28 pledges are at or above the Sustaining or Benefactor Level of $1,500.
• These sustaining pledges totaled $85,290 or well over one-half of the amount raised to date.

Gift range	Target # of pledges	Actual # of pledges	Target $ of pledges	Actual Pledge Dollars
Sustaining Level
Above 5000	3	2	15000	18000
3000 - 4999	9	10	36000	34710
2000 - 2999	9	9	22500	19530
1500 - 1999	21	8	36750	13050
General Level
1,250 to 1,499	9	6	12375	10550
1,000 to 1,249	18	17	20250	17540
750 to 999	25	22	21875	16945
500 to 749	50	35	31250	18655
300 to 499	50	16	20000	5425
Less than $300	6	20	1800	3740
TOTAL	$200	145	217800	158145

Respectfully submitted,

Lynn Kettleson
Dorothy DiChiara
Alec White

Religious Education Committee

The size and scope of the Young Church program can be appreciated by considering the numbers: the Sunday morning portion of the Young Church program included 143 children attending on a regular basis throughout the church year with over 160 children having attended at least one Sunday, supporting all of which involved over 70 teachers, advisors, and parent volunteers. Young Church continues to be a key point of entry and connection for many families joining the First Religious Society (FRS) or considering doing so.

The program continued to run with but a few minor bumps during Julie's maternity leave during late August through mid-November. We were delighted to welcome her back along with baby Lily in late fall.

Young Church Curriculum:
The 2002-03 Young Church curriculum continued with the three term format that has been in place for several years. Each term the curriculum follows a theme or topic from one of the five "pillars" such that over a period of five terms, each of these "pillars" of UUA belief and practice are covered in the Young Church classroom program. The theme for each term covers all of the grades, Pre-K up through 8th grade. The themes covered this year were:

Fall -- Continuing Social Action - each class chose and completed a social action project along with learning about important UUA social activists.

Winter -- Values - age appropriate exploration of personal and group values, differences in values, within a UUA framework.

Spring - Our Judeo-Christian Roots - Grades K through 4 focused on Passover, including a very successful mini-Passover Seder which was held at church. Grades 5 and 6 focused on Easter including holding a Tenebrae service (a service in which candles are extinguished as the story of Holy Week is told).

In the spring term thirteen of our seventh and eighth grade students participated in the Our Whole Lives (OWL) program on human sexuality which has won national recognition (including a mention in Newsweek magazine this past year). The OWL program is led by members of our own parish who receive special training and includes guest speakers, films, readings, activities, and much discussion. The four leaders who did such fine work were returning leaders Steve James and Judy Shivik, joined by David Chatfield and Julia Kirst who went through the OWL training program this year.

The New Curriculum for 2003-04:
One of the most important and exciting developments was that of adopting a new Young Church curriculum model that will be put in to place for next year. This culminates an ongoing two-year process of meetings, surveys, research, discussions, outside consultation and facilitation, and much consideration that has included the efforts and involvement of a great many, including the RE Committee, the DRE, Harold Babcock, parents and teachers. We are very excited to have adopted a new model that builds from our current one, based on work done several years ago by our own Todd Herrmann. The new model will allow for the development of more grade-specific curricula while covering the core of a solid UUA religious education over the course of a child's involvement with the program. The new model also offers additional opportunities for social service projects, multi-age and intergenerational activities, and more in-depth coverage of topics. A more detailed presentation of the new curriculum model will be presented to parents and the Parish at the beginning of the new church year in the fall of 2003.

Additional Young Church Activities:
The Nursery Cooperative continued as a warm and welcoming place for toddlers aged one to three in our church. The Nursery operates as a cooperative with toddler parents and others volunteering to work in the nursery every four or five weeks.

The RE Committee helped organize two special services this year, the annual holiday pageant, which this year centered around the theme of "Peace on Earth", and the annual spring Young Church service held to mark the end of the formal Sunday school year. The committee along with Julie Parker Amery (DRE) focused on making both services engaging, youth-oriented, and uplifting. We will continue to refine our efforts but we were generally pleased with both services and the feedback from those attending was most positive.

The Senior Youth Group had an active year with regular meetings and activities, including responsibility for the annual YRUU service in June. Ted Stedman and Eric Gootkind returned as advisors, newly joined by Becky Dill and Ken Okaya.

The Junior Youth Group got off to a good start but attendance petered out over the course of the year. Nonetheless, some good evenings of pizza, discussion, and games were had with advisors Julie Parker Amery, Larry Constantine, Cindy Schartman, and Edson Wodson. Next year the RE Committee and the advisors will assess what can be done to make the Junior Youth Group a more viable activity for our church family in grades 6 through 8.

David Turner did a marvelous job as facilitator for a new and very well received program entitled "Parents as Resident Theologians". The discussion-based series, held over five successive Sunday evenings in March, garnered so much interest that the RE Committee will look at running it again next year, including offering such a seminar to the general public as a way of community outreach.

Several breakfasts were held during the year for teacher training, teacher support and recognition, and for parent discussion and input. The breakfast meetings have not been as well-attended this year as in the past and so we will be considering new times and ways to offer training, support, and discussion forums for both the teachers in the Young Church program and the parents of children participating in our church activities.

Julie Parker Amery continued to write and distribute the "Young Church News," to keep parents informed of the Young Church program including the curriculum, upcoming events, class activities, and opportunities for involvement in the program. Julie also took on the work of writing up the monthly RE Committee meeting notes for publication on the FRS website.

The Coming of Age program, a year-long program of study and activity culminating in the formal recognition of a teen parishioner as part of our adult community, was redesigned this year. We are delighted that it will once again be available as an option to those in Grades 10- 12 next year, pairing each teen with a mentor who will support them in their work toward formally joining the adult church.

Teachers and Advisors:
We are most grateful to the members of our Parish who volunteered as Young Church teachers and youth group advisors during the 2002-03 year. The vibrancy of the Young Church program is reflected in the addition of twenty-three new teachers and advisors to the roster, several of whom represent families that are relatively recent members of the First Religious Society. Our warm thanks to the 44 teachers and 12 advisors this year:

For the coming 2003-2004 year the RE Chair position will transition to a co-chair arrangement with Lucy Lockwood serving in her second year as committee chair, joined by Ellen Foley Sheehy as co-chair. It is anticipated that Ellen will then continue for a second year as co-chair in 2004-2005 with a new co-chair appointed. It is anticipated that the co-chair arrangement will ease the committee chair transition process, help maintain organizational memory and experience, and that the flexibility and built-in redundancy of a two-person team will provide greater support to the DRE and the overall RE program.

Respectfully submitted,

Lucy Lockwood, Chair, RE Committee

The annual meeting of the First Religious Society of Newburyport Universalist Unitarian was convened at 7:40 PM on May 29, 2002 in the Parish Hall on Pleasant St. in Newburyport. A quorum was reached and the meeting began as scheduled.

The Moderator, Florence Mercer, opened the meeting and read the warrant. She introduced the Parish Clerk, Peg Nicol and Marge Peterson. Moderator read the warrant.

Article 1: To act upon the reports of the officers and committees.
Susan Ricker made a motion to accept the reports. Seconded by Roger Hatch.

Florence asked for a moment of silence for friends and members who had died this past year.

The Volunteer of the Year Award was given to Liz Kray and Rochelle Perry-Platine for their work on the 2001 Anniversary Committee.

Todd Hermann, representing the Music Committee, reminded us that Barbara Owen's retirement party is Sunday, June 2nd at 4:00 PM.

The article passed unanimously.

Article 2: To act upon the 2002-2003 budget recommended by the Parish Committee.
Peter Erickson moved to accept the budget as proposed. It was seconded by Betty Pike.

Susan Ricker reviewed the highlights of the budget. The proposed budget projects expenses of $370,358. This represents a 6% increase over expenses of the 2001-2002 fiscal year. Increases include a salary raise of 2.5% for all staff, and improved benefits for all eligible staff (those working at least 1000 hours/year or at least ½ time). The proposed budget is balanced with a 9% increase in contributions. We are a growing community with a budget 50% higher than five years ago.

There was no further discussion.

The motion to accept the budget was passed unanimously.

Article 3: To act upon the recommendations of the Nominating Committee for the election of officers and chairpersons.
Anne Verret-Speck moved to accept the recommendations of the Nominating Committee. It was seconded by Forrest Speck.

Betty Pike reviewed the proposals.

There was no further discussion.

The motion to accept the recommendations of the Nominating Committee was passed unanimously.

Article 4: To act upon the recommendations of the Renovation Steering Committee to approve the Building Renovation Project including: project scope, commitment of funds, authorization for the parish Committee to borrow funds, and project administration.
Lynn Kettleson made a motion to postpone any action on this warrant article until the next meeting of the Parish. Anne Verret-Speck seconded.

A Building Renovation Project Update was handed out with these amounts:

Income amounts in hand, pledged, or conservatively estimated are these:

Capital Campaign	$800,000
Outside funding	$50,000
Additional giving	$65,000
Mortgage financing	$200,000
Total project funding	$1,115,000

The project currently has these as estimated costs:

Construction	$1,053,483
Furntiture and fixtures	$35,000
Fund raising	$8,000
*Debt service	$100,000
Contingency	$125,000
Total	$1,397,015
Minus cost savings	$100,000
Grand total project cost	$1,297,015

* - Debt service on a construction-bridge loan to account for the project taking only seven to nine months while the pledges will span three years.

Lynn Kettleson gave a financial perspective of the project. We have raised $782,000 in the campaign and not all calls have been completed. This is encouraging and is more than was suggested by Wayne Clark in his Feasibility Study. We estimate $800,000 with the final calls. The problem is a $182,000 gap in finances between project needs and money raised.

Peter Erickson suggested that the Renovation Steering Committee report back in September with ideas to cut costs. It was a difficult decision reached by the committee.

Nancy Crochiere presented the Next Steps as suggested by the committee. They include finding means to cut costs and raise additional funds.

Peter Erickson stated that the project has gone well to date with our money well-spent. He worked closely with engineers and architects, all of whom were very professional and put in an outstanding effort.

Much discussion followed. Concerns were expressed about the cost of building prices increasing the overall cost, interest rates going up, or the momentum of the Parish and pledges diminishing. Peter felt that costs would not increase before September as summer is the busiest time for construction. Total construction time would be approximately 6 - 9 months. Questions were asked about borrowing more than $200,000 or borrowing from the endowment funds. These were considered too risky and not our standard practice. Bob Allison suggested giving pledged money "up-front" to eliminate the $100,000 debt service on the construction bridge loan. Anita Wright suggested raising money by "buying a brick" for $1,000. Peter replied that a brick terrace is planned and that was a good idea. It would be not refined in the first phase to save money; then we could run a buy-a-brick campaign to complete it. Another option expressed by several members was to fill the financial gap with increased pledges and proceed with the renovation, perhaps a second phase of canvassing. We have 310 members and 250 pledging units.

Cyd Raschke moved to amend the motion on the floor: "I move that we authorize the building project to move forward on the conditions that the $200,000 gap be filled with fundraising and other reasonable means and authorize the Renovation Steering Committee to enter contracts related to this project in accordance with the bylaws." Dorothy Dichiara seconded the motion.

A vote to oppose the motion postponing action on this warrant article passed.

A vote in favor of the motion as amended was passed with 7 opposed and no abstentions.

The renovation Steering Committee asked for and received a five-minute break.

Motion 1:
Nancy Crochiere made a motion to approve the project to renovate the Meeting House and Parish Hall as shown in the architectural drawings dated April 19, 2002, as well as any site work, consistent with the law and building codes, and as funds committed by the membership allow. Scope of the project to include:

• Fire suppression in the Meeting House
• Office, meeting, and classroom space in the basement of the Meeting House
• Handicap access to the Meeting House
• Landscaping and necessary site work
• Renovation of the Parish Hall
• Handicap access to the Parish Hall
• Access between the basement and first floor of the Meeting House

The Building Renovation Project Estimated Costs will be included in the Minutes to clarify.

Motion was seconded by Lynn Kettleson.

The motion passed with 1 opposed and no abstentions.

Motion 2 read by Nancy Crochiere:
Commit all of the funds pledged and amounts raised in the Capital Campaign to the project to renovate the Meeting House and Parish Hall, including the funds needed to finance the project over the three years of the pledge collection.

Motion seconded by Jim Dyer.

The vote was unanimous, and the motion passed.

Motion 3 read by Nancy Crochiere:
To authorize the Parish Committee to enter into a long-term agreement to fill the gap between the cost to carry out a reasonably complete project as described and authorized in #1 above and the funds pledged and amounts raised in the capital campaign. The long-term borrowing agreement, which will be made at the most reasonable terms obtainable, not to exceed $200,000 in amount and 30 years in length. Payment under this agreement will come from regularly budgeted annual funds of the Society.

Seconded by Anne Verret-Speck.

The Vote on Motion 3 passed unanimously.

Motion 4 presented by Nancy Crochiere:
To create a Renovations Steering Committee, consisting of the individuals named below and responsible for overseeing and the renovation described in Motion #1 above. To carry out its duties, this committee will:

• Manage the project to completion consistent with the approved scope.
• Enter into contractual agreements, by signature of both the Renovations Steering Committee Chair and the Parish Committee chair, for amounts consistent with the amounts committed and authorized by the membership
• Authorize, by signature of both the Renovations Steering Committee Chair and the Project Controller, the Treasurer to pay appropriate project costs
• Regularly communicate project status and progress to the parish Committee and membership

Bill Heenehan, Chair
Anne Verret-Speck, Controller
Peter Erickson, Project Manager
Lynn Kettleson, Fund Raising Chair
Nancy Crochiere, Communications Chair

Motion seconded by Tom Stites.

Susan Ricker amended Motion #4 under the second bullet by inserting, in parenthesis, after the words "Parish Committee Chair" "(and with the approval of the Parish Committee for amounts over $25,000)".

A vote in favor of the amendment to insert a $25,000 limit was passed with 6 opposed and 1 abstention.

A vote on the main Motion #4 as amended passed unanimously.

Article 5: To act upon any other business which may legally come before the Parish.

No discussion

A motion was made to adjourn the meeting.
Motion seconded by Howard Fairweather.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 PM

Respectfully submitted,

Peg Nicol
Parish Clerk  

Proposed Bylaws Changes for 5/28/2003

Renovation Steering Committee

• We encountered more ledge than expected, but less than might have been there. A month of jack hammering, rock splitting, dust creating and diminished hearing for the workers eliminated the ledge.

• Last week gunite was applied to the foundation walls and the slab was poured, making the space appear truly occupiable for the first time. This development allows the acceleration of visible work.

• The finances of the project continue to be in good shape. Pledge collection is slightly ahead of plan. Thank you to all who have made payments. More would be greatly appreciated and will help limit borrowing costs of the project. Expenses have been incurred on a slower pace than expected due primarily to the winter weather and the ledge. The ledge was the biggest unknown, from a cost standpoint and, after having covered that cost, we still have over $50,000 of our original $100,000 project contingency, leading us to feel confident that the full project will be completed on budget.

• The landscape plan is under development. The final engineering for drainage and storm sewer connections was recently completed. The cost of this "infrastructure" work will drive what we have remaining to enhance the completed landscaping. The plan will include use of the large stones removed from the foundation as part of the retaining wall for the patio.

• The legal, survey and historical research work associated with resolving the deed issue continues. We are close to establishing the historic boundaries of the property, which has required research into deeds of other adjacent properties dating back to pre-Civil War times. More recently, the 20' deep strip of land bordering on the parking lot, conveyed by the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority to the Church around 1968, is the subject of conflicting definitions between the surveyors plan and the deed issued at conveyance. To clear this up will require actions by both the NRA and the City Council, both of which must take place before title insurance can be issued and a Land Court filing can take place.

• The schedule calls for a late summer move of the offices to the new space despite a one month delay caused again by the winter weather and the ledge. Renovation of Parish Hall will be done in the early Fall, so the first few Coffee Hours of the Fall will likely take place in the new space (including the patio area, weather permitting).

Respectfully submitted,
Bill Heenehan
Chair, Renovation Steering Committee