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St. John's Episcopal
Tuesday, January 21 2020

The Chronicle, January 21, 2020

Treasurer’s Report

Our current financial condition

Statements of Activities and Financial Position as of December 31, 2019 are available on the parish website.  You can find these reports by following this link and scrolling to the bottom of the page. 

 Bank balances as of December 31, 2019:

  • Operations = $22,898.96 (down from $33,079.30 on November 30, 2019 and down from $67,338.37 December 31, 2018)
  • Designated = $67,222.86 (up from $35,825.06 on November 30, 2019 but down from $90,966.55 on December 31, 2018) Note: This includes $40,000 received from our General (Unrestricted) Account at the Diocese of Olympia.
  • Memorial = $7,718.46 (virtually unchanged since December 31, 2018)

As of December 31, 2019, the balance in our General (Unrestricted) Account with the Diocese of Olympia Master Trust was $410,954.88.  It was reduced by $40,000 in December 2019 and will be reduced by another $80,000 in early January 2020 and applied to our architect’s fees and expenses to-date for their work to replace our sanctuary roof and undertake related structural repairs. We intend to reimburse the General Account with interest from funds raised in our upcoming capital campaign.

Looking ahead in 2020

The Profit & Loss Budget Overview for 2020 (our 2020 Budget) was approved by the Vestry on December 12, 2019.  An update will be posted on the parish website later this week. To access that updated budget, please follow this link and scroll to the bottom of the page. Our current projected deficit is -$107,037.31.

$70,744.43 (66%) of the projected deficit is for mold abatement.

The projected deficit reported last month has been reduced by $63,130.78 due to new and increased 2020 Pledges of $18,080.00 and the reclassification of $45,050.78 in Capital Campaign expenses paid from Operating and Designated Funds in 2019 and January 2020.

The projected deficit will increase as we incur significant additional expenses related to our buildings and grounds, including repairing cracks in the sidewalk, the requirement to add sprinklers, fire alarms, and enhanced bathroom lighting in the area occupied by the Olympia Community School, and other issues yet to be determined.

Our projected Diocesan Assessment for 2020 is $56,346.00.  We have committed to Bishop Rickel to remain current on our assessment payments throughout the year.  In return, he is not requiring us to make any payments in 2020 on the amounts we owe from 2018 and 2019 (totaling $77,000).  He suggested that at the end of 2020—if we have remained current in our payments throughout the year—we may petition for forgiveness of all or a portion of the amounts still owing from the prior years. The January 2020 payment was mailed on January 17.

If you have any questions or would like additional information regarding our budget or financial condition, please contact Cynthia Knapp, our Bookkeeper, at cynthia@stjohnsoly.org or me at bobleroy05@gmail.com.

Respectfully submitted…

…Bob Le Roy, Treasurer

Posted by: Bob Le Roy AT 12:16 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
Tuesday, January 21 2020

Music at St. John’s
by James French

The music program at St. John’s continued with fervor throughout 2019 and into 2020. The Parish Choir continues to sing weekly at the 10:30 a.m. service. The Jubilate Choir sings much of the same choral literature as the Parish Choir, but with a less strenuous schedule. They have special projects with the trebles from the Parish Choir adding to the variety of choral music offerings within the churches liturgy. And of course they join in singing for all Festival Services.

The Compline Choir has increased in size with about 14 regular members that insure an octet minimum ensemble. Performing more challenging literature has stretched each singer’s skill and confidence creating consistently reliable performances of the liturgy needed for peaceful evening worship.  Overall, attendance has substantially increased. The Second Sunday of the Month Compline Service has been enhanced with an organ recital immediately following the Compline Office. This offers local organists an opportunity to have the experience of playing our fine Schlicker Pipe Organ, increasing their skills, while making an evening musical offering to our community at large. Overall attendance ranges between from 20 to 70 souls with the organ recitals being larger.

In the Fall of 2019, Isaura Fernandez Orozco began leading the 6 pm Spanish Service Ensemble with her stunning voice accompanying on the guitar along with Jim Steyn playing trumpet.

The Spiritus Dance Ensemble added to worship for a numbers of Festival Services. However, now there are not available dancers as in the past.

Taizé services during Lent included instrumentalists and vocalists from the congregation and from Olympia Sacred Jazz Ensemble who also offered a Jazz Mass this fall at the 10:30 AM Service.

A strong brass ensemble presence is now emerging with a seven member ensemble participating for Festival Easter Services and during Christmas, as well as trumpets added to services from time to time.

In addition to Sunday services, the singing of a hymn at the Wednesday morning 7 a.m. service continues.

Our 5th Annual Lessons & Carols Service, led by the Parish Choir, the Compline Choir and Jubilate Choir revealed that St. John’s Choirs have grown in size and vocal ability. They confidently led the congregation in traditional Anthems and Carols for the Season.

Our Christine Beckman’s Nookta Rose Baroque concert, this past Sunday was a hands down spectacular success. Christine’s choice of music from the Italian Baroque revealed both the sensitive and the exciting sides of life lived in Italy. Hearing the fine reproductions of period instruments, violins, cello, baroque guitar, and the visually exciting archlute introduced many listeners for the first time to the world of early music.  Expert interpretation of this styled music along with pithy narrative invited all into the magic.

In review, St. John’s Concert Series continued with its traditional procession of outstanding visiting choirs, The Esoterics and Seattle Pro-Musica. However, St. John’s entered into an agreement with the Olympia Chamber Orchestra for their performing their annual season as a part of St. John’s Concert Season and OCO will accompany St. John’s choirs in various projects throughout the year. Many of you enjoyed OCO’s Concerts this past Fall and we look forward to two more this spring, Of Dance and All American Concert. The latter features all St. John’s Choirs along with St. Martin’s University Choirs, Opera Pacifica Chorus accompanied by Olympia Chamber Orchestra in a spectacular celebration of music by Aaron Copland and others.

Gabrieli and Friends Music for Brass and Organ extravaganza with scholar Rebecca Edwards, and the Dedicatory Recital of our finished Schlicker Pipe Organ played by Douglas Cleveland. We thank Bond Organ Builders of Portland, Oregon for stepping up as they work to complete the installation in time for the concert.

The Parish Choir continues to sing weekly at the 10:30 a.m. service. The Jubilate Choir sings much of the same choral literature as the Parish Choir, but with a less strenuous schedule. The Compline Choir has increased in size with about 14 regular members that insure an octet minimum ensemble. Performing more challenging literature has stretched each singer’s skill and confidence creating consistently reliable performances of the liturgy needed for peaceful evening worship.  Overall, attendance has substantially increased. The Second Sunday of the Month Compline Service has been enhanced with an organ recital immediately following the Compline Office. This offers local organists an opportunity to have the experience of playing our fine Schlicker Pipe Organ, increasing their skills, while making an evening musical offering to our community at large. Overall attendance ranges between from 20 to 70 souls with the organ recitals being larger.

A strong brass ensemble presence has emerged with a seven member ensemble participating for Festival Christmas and Easter Services with added brass added to services from time to time just for fun!

Posted by: Jim French AT 12:04 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
Tuesday, January 21 2020

From Lou MacMillan, Chair of the St. John's Renovation Committee:

Since my December report, we’ve forged ahead with design of the roof/structural improvements and Chancel remodel, keeping within budget and on schedule. We’ve also learned a good deal more about how much energy a solar panel array on the Sanctuary roof could produce, for how long, and what it could cost. Read on for more details.

Sanctuary Renovation

KMB finished all schematic design (SD) work for Part I and Part II in January, and is now well into design development (DD) of the Part I roof/structural work. Building on the completed SD phase, we expect DD to finalize all the design, structural, and material details by the end of January. Then KMB will begin working on construction documents (CD), the final detailed plans used for bidding and construction.

The Vestry wisely authorized only schematic design for the Part II Chancel remodel to provide a general scope of proposed improvements to address several key areas:

  • barriers to accessibility
  • cramped space for worship participants
  • poor acoustics and lighting
  • uneven floor, unfinished floor and organ cases
  • integration of new structural elements (wall in-fills, X-bracing)

Earlier this month, KMB delivered the final schematic design materials for use with the upcoming capital campaign. They contain narrative, floor plans, elevations and illustrations. These materials will be distributed in conjunction with the campaign. Bear in mind that the design solutions proposed simply illustrate the general scope of work. If the work is funded and constructed, final design of features – screen walls, altar, ambo (a combination pulpit and lectern), furnishings and finishes – will be refined significantly.

I want to thank KMB, their sub-consultants, architect Clint Pehrson, and Father R.C. for their thoughtful approach to and valuable feedback on the Chancel schematic design. The team has worked hard and well together to get us to this stage of discernment.

In other good news, FORMA Construction, our general contractor, performed a “rough order of magnitude” review of the Part I scope of work and estimated construction will cost $817,000, which is close to our August 2019 estimate.  At this stage of design, this is considered a reasonable margin. As I said, scope, budget and schedule are all aligned – a good thing!

Solar Panel Array

Capstone Solutions, a Redmond-based alternative energy provider, has provided a preliminary analysis of installing a solar panel array on the new Sanctuary roof. The good news is a system is technically feasible, will not void the new roof’s warranty, and depending on its size, could provide all, or nearly all, of our electrical energy (based on last year’s usage).

The not-so-good news is the cost estimates are $100,000 - $120,000. Obviously, this additional cost is a concern, given that the roof and structural work will total about $1 million and the Chancel remodel, if approved and funded, would cost an estimated $600,000.

One option to outright purchase of a system is to finance it instead. One or more investors (donors) could form a limited liability corporation (LLC) and acquire the system up-front to be installed on the roof. The LLC members could recoup their investment through both tax credits and power production paybacks over a period of about 10 years, then transfer ownership of the system to the church for the sum of a dollar. That would provide the parish with another 15 years of service life on a system that’s guaranteed for 25 years. This is just one financing option discussed with Capstone, there may be others.

The Vestry received this information at its January 16 meeting, and will consider next steps. If the Vestry authorizes the addition of a solar panel array, either the “stretch” goal of the capital campaign will need to be adjusted upwards to include the extra cost, or we will need to further explore the financing option with Capstone. Either way, if approved, it will be important to move ahead quickly on a solar array to fold it into the overall project scope in time for construction start this summer.

Respectfully submitted,
Lou MacMillan
Renovation Committee Chair

Posted by: Lou MacMillan AT 12:00 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
Tuesday, January 21 2020

January 17, 2020

Dear Friends,

Another calendar year has passed. The Vestry Class of 2019 participated in its last meeting on January 16, 2020. Be sure to offer "Thanks!" to Catherine Atwell, Mary Knotts, Nicki Weekes and Mark Teply for their service over the past years. Each of them has contributed so much to support St. John's. Please be sure to let them know how much you appreciate their work as I do. As they leave, we will be ready to welcome the Class of 2021! Those members will be elected on Sunday, February 9, 2020 at our Annual Meeting. The meeting will take place between the 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services on that day. Be sure to mark your calendar!

To begin with your Vestry worked on:

                        1. Thank You Notes

                        2. Who to recognize in February at our monthly Recognition Sunday

                        3. Vestry Coffee Rota

                        4. Cleaning Party on January 21, 2020

                        5. Revisiting the Greeter Program at St. John's

                        6. Ways to involve youth

As the King of Siam says to Mrs. Anna, "Etc., Etc., Etc." An oft-quoted line from "The King and I," if you're unfamiliar with that reference. Those "Etc's." included: An update from Lou MacMillan on the Building Renovation Project, Jr. Warden, Ric Weatherman's, sharing the Mold Abatement Estimate, and Financial updates from Treasurer Bob LeRoy. All those reports should be uploaded and be available for your viewing on the website.

Other topics of discussion included what options would work for coverage for Fr. R.C. while he is on Sabbatical. At this particular point, the Vestry understands the financial situation we're in, but realizes it must also make the best decision for St. John's. Certainly extensive thought, guidance and prayer are essential as we contemplate that decision.

Treasurer Bob LeRoy reports that our Diocesan Assessment for January 2020 has been paid! We've committed to being current with our assessment payments; let's continue to work together to achieve this goal. Thanks! Your continued support is noted and much appreciated!

Bob also provided additional information on the Capital Campaign, as well as addressing efforts to ensure all parishioners have had the opportunity to participate in our 2020 Supplemental Pledge appeal. To accomplish this, you should be receiving a letter regarding that appeal shortly. If you have already indicated you can help with an increase in your 2020 pledge or make an additional gift of some sort, please disregard that letter. If you haven't, please take a moment and prayerfully consider it.

Please Note:

JANUARY 31--Please have all Annual Reports submitted to Mary Law by this date so she can have them ready for the Annual Meeting.

I'd like to mention a couple of things before I close. 1.--As Fr. Evan mentioned in his remarks this past Sunday, please remember to wear your Name Tags! If you need a new one for whatever reason, let a Greeter, Usher, Vestry or Clergy member know. Someone will get one made for you. It's a beginning to help us all know each other better. 2.--Please, please, please speak with myself or any Vestry member if you have anything you want to discuss. The more we talk, the more we understand. Again, as Fr. Evan mentioned in his sermon a couple of weeks ago, sitting down and having conversations, be they pleasant or uncomfortable, is something we need to do. I think it helps St. John's when we do.

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at the Annual Meeting!

In the attempt,
Mark Hampton
Sr. Warden
St. John's Vestry 

Posted by: Mark Hampton AT 12:00 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email