The Trustees’ Toolbox
“You fix toilets.”
This was the rather astonishing answer to my question when, after Pastor Gene invited me to join the Board of Trustees, I asked him, “Just what do the trustees do?” I wish I could have seen my face and could remember what my reaction was, but I do know, since I had always held this group in high regard, I was surprised and delighted to be asked, fixing toilets notwithstanding.
I told Pastor Gene I would be honored to serve and went home to collect my toolbox of plumbing equipment. I now have completed my plebe year of my three-year term, and never once was I asked to put my toolbox to use; as I learned, thank goodness, we simply call in the experts to “fix the toilets,” large and small. Phew.
It has taken an entire year for me to finally understand much of what the Board’s responsibilities are, and to learn how much more there is for me to know.
We are a group of eleven, dedicated, as all of our church organizations are, to the well-being of our church community. Our onus is to monitor the health of the physical plant, the church building itself, the campus, the outbuildings on campus, and the parsonage. We also oversee the endowment fund, also known as the Trustee Fund, carefully studying when and where those funds are to be distributed.
Our group of eleven comes to the table with a myriad of valuable life experiences, career expertise, common sense, and the collective passion for the church we love and have been asked to serve.
Traditionally, in our church, the pastor selects the candidates for the Trustee Board. The Church Council then votes to accept, or not, those candidates. Currently on The Board are Pastor Gene and Don Baker, both Ex Officio members, although Don has a vast knowledge of the physical plant and the financials garnered from his many years dedicated to all things SUM. Steve Langin is our Chair, and John O’Neal is the Vice Chair. Cyndy Reynolds is our not-easily daunted Secretary, Matt Jamieson is the man with the real working toolbox and the ability to see and fix the nuts and bolts that don’t cooperate as they should. Mike Ryan, Eric Lemke, Rodolfo Garcia, Craig White and I fill out the slate.
We have been entrusted with the care of an antique building; indeed, with one of Connecticut’s historic buildings, our beautiful red sandstone church. Originally built in 1840, it was later demolished and rebuilt in 1909. Old things often toss surprises our way like the humdinger we discovered this past year, a broken sewer pipe. Experts saw that the pipe had been made of Orangeburg, a very old material made from petroleum and wood/paper products. Small wonder that it was broken. You all know that the repair was costly and demanded patience and ingenuity from all concerned. We stay vigilant, watching, testing, and deciding how to maintain the integrity of all of our buildings while keeping them safe, beautiful, and updated.
Eric Lemke, a licensed drone pilot, recently sent his drone above the church building to photograph the roof, checking to see what needed to be cleaned or repaired. There was some kind of ages-spanning karma going on here, as I imagined the workers who were installing those red roof tiles a century ago looking up, seeing a mechanical bird thingie swooping down on them, and making a hasty exit down their rickety ladders. I wonder if they would have hesitated long enough to take their toolboxes with them…?
We are reaching out to you via The Messenger so that you know who we are and what we do but also to tell you we are on the cusp of an exciting project for SUM! Stay tuned to articles in The Messenger. We will keep you up to date on “what’s happening!!”
-Karen Matheson