The Rev’s Room

 As I return from General Assembly in Minneapolis, I am experiencing a wide variety of emotions and thoughts, in relation both to our fellowship and to our movement as a whole.  Perhaps one of the main things is the realization of just how isolated and insular we have been, out here in southeastern Iowa.  Spending time with over three thousand UUs, from congregations across the US, was tremendously inspiring and energizing!  There are lots of great ideas out there, and a world of possibilities.  But because we are so far away from the center of things, we miss out on the opportunity to experience the wider world of our faith.  So there is a certain loneliness I feel, as well.  One of the missions for this year is to help us to be better connected to the larger movement.  It will be good for us all.  Keep the faith!  Roger

From the President 

You might not know it from the weather, but we are now officially into summer.  Recent rainfall has put a lot of strain on people, especially those who have had to clean out their basement several times from flash flooding.  Hopefully as we progress into July the weather will improve

and we can dry things out.  The weather has helped bring to our attention the condition of our building.  We have leaks in our roof and problems with our siding.  Our gutters and downspouts are in poor shape.  We have a leak under our sink that needs attention.  And our bat problem seems to have returned.  All problems that the Council will be addressing in the coming months. The sink leak and bat problem are being addressed using funds budgeted for building repairs.  The other repairs are another matter.  Several years ago the leaders of the congregation set aside a substantial amount of our cash into an endowment.  This money resides in several CDs that rollover on an annual or semi-annual basis, with the interest coming into our general fund to help with day-to-day expenses.  They also set aside a capital fund to deal with major repairs and building issues.  The idea was that when the day came that we needed to address things like furnaces, roofing, siding, and major building repairs we would have a nest egg from which to draw cash to help with these matters.  At our July meeting the Council will take up the issue of getting some professional quotes on replacing our roof and addressing our siding problems.  More than likely we will need to pay for such an estimate, and a couple of individuals have been suggested as possibilities for handing the job.  Once we get these estimates we will have a better handle on how much of our endowment and capital fund we might need to expend in order to take care of these issues.  As any homeowner will tell you, a leaky roof is a dangerous thing.  For every leak you see there are likely several you will not see, and the damage done by these leaks can be substantial.  Replacing our roof will not be cheap.  We have had informal estimates in the past that ranged anywhere from $40,000 to $50,000 and up, depending on how much damage was found under the sheeting.  When you add new gutters and downspouts to the cost, as well as repairing the siding, we could end up needed a significant amount of money to repair our building.  According to our by-laws the congregation must act before any funds are spent from the endowment or capital fund.  The Council has the power to tap into the capital fund in case of emergency, which we did when the furnace died a few years ago.  But this time, as we are not in an emergency situation, the Council will eventually be approaching the congregation with recommendations for dealing with this building issue.  But first the Council will get some expert advice, seek out estimates to help get a precise handle on the costs, and look at our financial situation thoroughly before we bring the matter before the congregation.  As this process moves along I will send out e-mails and letters to the congregation to keep you up to date on what is happening.  Eventually we will have a congregational meeting to look over the Council recommendation and act on it.  Notice will be sent out well before that meeting so that members and friends can come and participate in this process.  If you have questions, as always I can be reached by e-mail (panther78@gmail.com), phone (319-601-1364), or by stopping and talking after services on Sundays.  Rick