Chapter Musings: People's Warden Report

The Easter-season is in full swing at the Cathedral. The reports presented and discussed at Chapter meeting this week are evidence of the fullness of life in our church and community. The staff reports contained the usual flurry of activity that goes on behind the scenes. With the full complement of staff now in place and mostly up to speed, it is with a great sense of relief and confidence that I track the details of each staff member’s expertise. It is reassuring to know that we have trained and capable staff in place managing the many aspects of cathedral life.

An interesting take-away from the Holy Week and Easter Day attendance figures is that although the attendance for the individual services during Holy Week was down, Easter Day attendance was up. We considered whether this was a concerning trend and what contributing factors might be. For instance, it was noted that the large numbers of people reached through Ashes to Go are not reflected in attendance figures. If we are truly taking our message out into the world, might there be a better measure of our impact?

The busy-ness of the Lent and Holy Week/Easter Day time has passed and now we look forward to new service booklets (a staff and environmental savings move), welcoming baby Green in late April and a special St. George’s Day during which we will celebrate particularly our friends who are 90+ years young (just like the Queen herself who celebrates her 90th birthday this month).

The revised budget (reflecting the more realistic pledges received) has aided the interpretation of our monthly financials and it is heartening to see that there are no unwelcome surprises or concerns at the moment. As a group, Chapter is moving forward with assigning liaisons for each of the goals put forth in the Vision for Mission recommendations. It is exciting to work toward the possibilities envisioned last year for the next 5 years. Knowing where we stand financially is critical for making proper decisions in fulfilling the plan. We are ever mindful of the balance between what we want to do and what we can afford to do.

The bathrooms are coming! Architectural drawings of renovations due in the Great Hall for upper and lower floor rest rooms were shared by Tom Delaney on behalf of the LLC. The upgrade is long overdue and will upgrade our campus tremendously. Once finalized and permits in place the project can get started. I will skirt the issue of specific dates and timing because I know better! But they are coming!

There are several offerings later this spring at Camp Stevens that are open to Cathedral folks. We are encouraging all efforts to build a stronger bond between Camp Stevens and the Cathedral. There is a diocesan youth retreat the weekend of April 29/May 1 and a diocesan Women’s Retreat in May led by the Rev. Laurel Mathewson.

Our final duty was to approve the lay delegate slate for Diocesan Convention which will be held in Palm Springs in November. The delegates are as follows: Lisa Churchill, Martha Curatolo, Susan Hulbert, Guin Kerstetter, Mark Patzman, John Will and yours truly, with alternates Jeff Bates, Todd Hurrell, Jennifer Jow, Jasmin Kaeser and Rob Donaldson.

Until next month, I am your People’s Warden,
  Elizabeth Carey.