The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by the Rev. William Coyne, Interim Rector.

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1 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE VESTRY OF ST. STEPHEN S EPISCOPAL CHURCH HELD ON 15 JUNE 2017 AT 6 PM AT ST. STEPHEN S HALL 54 SOCIETY STREET, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA Present: Absent: The Rev. William Coyne, Interim Rector Diane Aghapour John Burrus Michael Fenwrick Susan Roehrich Virginia Runge, Senior Warden John Shannon Robert Waters, Junior Warden LaShawn Watson Zeh Wellington John Byrnes Mary Hamill Charles McLendon By invitation: Wayne Helmsley, Choirmaster The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by the Rev. William Coyne, Interim Rector. After an opening prayer by Fr. Coyne, the members of the vestry reflected on I Corinthians 4:1-5 Offer of New Organ The first item of business was to consider an offer of a new organ for the church from a parishioner. Wayne Helmsley, St. Stephen s Choirmaster, was at the meeting to describe the generous gift and provide some history on the organ now in the church. It is a Hugo organ, so called because it was acquired after Hurricane Hugo damaged so much of the city in Therefore, it is almost 30 years old and increasingly becoming obsolete. It is totally digital. If something serious happened, it would be hard to obtain parts. Replacing it is one of the church s long-term projects, for which there is no funding available at present. A few weeks ago the donor approached Wayne and told him that he/she wanted to make a substantial gift to the church and aske Wayne for a recommendation. Wayne suggested a few inexpensive projects, then mentioned the need for a new organ. They liked that idea, and when Wayne said it could cost as much as $100,000, they did not flinch. A couple of weeks later, the donor couple came to him and said they were serious. Bob Waters and they had a further conversation, by which time Wayne had obtained a more up-to-date estimate for the cost from the manufacturer s representative: $150,000. The donor and rector & 1 Minutes of 15 June 2017 St. Stephen s Church Vestry Meeting

2 wardens went to Christ Church in Mt. Pleasant to see and hear the organ there, which is the latest installation in the area by the manufacturer, Allen Organ. The donor liked it and stated that they were ready to proceed. Wayne conveyed the donor s requests: 1) the gift is to be anonymous; and 2) they would like there to be a line item in the church s future budgets for maintenance of the organ. The new organ has a ten-year warranty. We do not require any additional insurance for it, as we already have enough. Susan Roerich asked whether the soon-to-become old organ can be donated to a struggling church? In theory, there is no reason why we cannot; but Wayne recommended that if we do, the receiving church should state in writing that the organ has been given as is. The receiving church will have to pay for its removal and transportation. Bob Waters said that, although nearing 30 years, our organ would be an upgrade for St. Mark s Church. In answer to Zeh Wellington s query, Wayne noted that the new organ will have a new cabinet, which is included in the purchase price, as is installation. All that for which St. Stephen s is responsible is an electrical inspection. There is no training required to operate the new organ. One thing, though: the PA system will have to be moved to accommodate the organ. Virginia Runge asked why not acquire a pipe organ? Wayne replied that those cost far more ($500,000 to $1,000,000); and the pipes would be a challenge: they must be in a climate-controlled environment and the wood and leather require regular maintenance. Michael Fenwrick asked about the down time between removing the old organ and installing the new one. The answer is: two weeks. After a few more questions and answers, it was moved by John Burrus, and seconded by Diane Aghapour, that the vestry accept the gift of the new organ from the donor, subject to their conditions. The motion carried. Virginia stated that this would not have happened without Wayne s outstanding musicianship. The donor should be thanked for their gift but otherwise this should not be discussed. Wayne and George Hiatt, who is the Allen Organ representative here (as well as organist and choirmaster at St. Johannes Lutheran Church) will take the next steps. George is anxious to get it done. Wayne Helmsley left the meeting at this point. Approval of the Minutes of the 18 and 25 June Vestry Meeting Fr. Coyne moved, and Virginia Runge seconded, that the minutes of the vestry meetings held on 18 and 25 May be accepted. The motion carried. Event Coordinator 2 Minutes of 15 June 2017 St. Stephen s Church Vestry Meeting

3 John Shannon reported that a position for an Event Coordinator (instead of Wedding Director as originally proposed) was advertised within the parish; and that a couple of members had expressed interest in it. Fr. Coyne, John Byrnes and he met to interview a candidate who is well-qualified, Allison Coliskey. Allison recently moved to Charleston from New York and attends services at St. Stephen s with her fiancé, Cary Briggs. In New York, Allie was the executive director of the New York society of the Colonial Dames of America, a non-profit association and membership group which operates the Abigail Adams Smith Museum in Manhattan. Diane Aghapour moved, and Robert Waters seconded, that Allison Coliskey be offered the position of Event Coordinator. The motion carried. The Event Coordinator will report to the Rector. As agreed, it is a 1099 independent contractor job and paid on a per-event basis. Scholarships Zeh Wellington moved, and Diane Aghapour seconded, that the vestry authorize the grant of four scholarships of $250 (total: $1,000) to be drawn from the Emma Watson Fund. The motion carried. New Rector Announcement Although he has accepted our Call, due to the still-incomplete background report by Oxford Document Management Company, the bishop will not allow us to announce that the Rev. Adam Shoemaker is our new rector. Four references are needed to complete the report. Adam Shoemaker has called all of them and each one promised to send theirs in. (One contact at Duke said he never got the form.) Diane urged the vestry members not to discuss this situation with parishioners to avoid creating a misperception. Virginia said that Erin Bailey has still not called the other two candidates to inform them that they were not chosen. This bureaucratic delay does not affect Fr. Coyne s departure. Diane said that the vetting process is thorough. In the future, Fr. Coyne suggested, it might be desirable for all three candidates be vetted at the same time. Memorial Garden Report Bob reported that there is a big azalea plant in the Memorial Garden where some headstones are projected to be placed. The plant was to have been removed to make room for the markers. Now the committee recommends keeping the plant and instead eliminating headstones #17 and #19. Virginia Runge moved, and Zeh Wellington seconded, adoption of the Memorial Garden Committee s recommendation. The motion carried. Buildings & Grounds Committee Report Bob Waters delivered the Buildings and Grounds Committee report. New Ramp: Committee selected the higher of the two quotes received ($6,430) to replace the ramp. 3 Minutes of 15 June 2017 St. Stephen s Church Vestry Meeting

4 Extension of Emma Watson Memorial Parkway: this will cost $2,580. Rectory Renovations: Total estimate for maintenance and repairs is $13,000. The biggest item is $9,000 to seal the lead in the window frames and trim paint. He received a 49-page report indicating that there is lead in the windows, baseboards, doorway to living room and all bedrooms on the third floor, and the third-floor baseboards. Report was necessary due to a law mandating testing when children under six are in a residence. (We have shared the report with the Shoemakers.) The testing alone cost $900 but the inspectors will have to return to check the work when it is completed, for another $400. Inspectors and painters all must be certified by HUD. Virginia will do a conference call with the Shoemakers to explain all this. We don t have to test and repaint the Parish House or Sunday school areas since they are not residences. Michael Fenwrick asked whether, in addition to sharing the testing report, we should ask the Shoemakers to sign a release about the paint in the apartment? Virginia said she would ask Ben Mack about the advisability of doing that. Bob noted that the Buildings and Grounds Committee members been working very hard on the rectory renovations. Front Doorstep of Church: Zeh asked if the discoloration on the repaired front doorstep of the church was going to be eliminated? The repairman came once but it has come back. Bob said that it is caused by many years of chemicals leaching up through the cement. Walk for Water Fr. Coyne received a note and a plaque from Walk for Water thanking the church for its participation. Tea Time Committee Susan Roehrich reported that seven teams are there to help the hosts. Hosts provide the supplies. There are a lot of open dates. (No one has signed up for August.) If no one volunteers, then there will be no tea time. Interim Rector s Report Chancel chairs: Fr. Coyne said that it would be more beneficial for him to work with Wayne on the new organ than on new chancel chairs. He has been in contact with Adam Shoemaker on certain matters, like some upcoming events. There is going to be almost no facetime for them in Charleston until after Bill has left to do things like change the bank account signature cards. Virginia will chair the next vestry meeting as the Coyne s will be away on vacation. New Business 4 Minutes of 15 June 2017 St. Stephen s Church Vestry Meeting

5 Missions Group: Zeh Wellington requested permission to write something about People Against Rape (PAR) in The Deacon. PAR is a sexual assault advocacy program offering free support and services for adult survivors of sexual assault in the Tri-County Area (Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley counties) One of the under-served needs of this organization is replacing sheet sets for survivors assaulted in their homes. All bedding goes directly to survivors to replace that which might have been present during the assault. This is an opportunity to help assault survivors restore their dignity and help with their healing process. Zeh is collecting donations of new, still in the packaging, unused twin, full and queen sheet sets. It is his hope that St. Stephen s parishioners will donate and help members of our larger Charleston family during their time of need. Vestry was in favor of this initiative. Parking (continued): Michael Fenwrick reported that he had spoken with a parking ticket lady about our situation. He told her his idea of the city selling three-hour parking decals, valid for one year, for St. Stephen s parishioners. Proceeds from sales would go to the city and Ansonborough neighborhood Association. She said she would take it up with her superiors. It is just a concept, he doesn t know if it will be accepted. Sanders-Clyde teacher appreciation luncheon: this event was a success. There was lots of food. The new principal is fantastic. Veterans: Michael Fenwrick believes in supporting veterans. A group he knows, Military Community, helps veterans to find housing. He said that there are a lot of homeless vets; sometimes they are discharged from hospitals into their cars for want of a home. The group has a wish list, which Michael will send to the vestry members. The group has been given a house by the city to collect furniture to give to vets. They only have to move it somewhere else. Contact info: Maria Roland, merolnd@mccunite.org. Tel.: Financial Report Financial reports and updates were circulated prior to this meeting by . In summary, spending is tracking well with budget, there are no red flags. Susan Roehrich moved, and Virginia Runge seconded, that the Treasurer s report be accepted. The motion carried. Adjournment Diane Aghapour moved, and Bob Waters second, that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried. After a closing prayer by Fr. Coyne, the members of the vestry dispersed at 7:35 PM. Respectfully, John Shannon, Clerk 5 Minutes of 15 June 2017 St. Stephen s Church Vestry Meeting