1. Call to order by Jean Hanson, Co-chairperson at 4:20 p.m.

Individuals present: Harriet Persons, Eileen Fix, Chuck Anthony, Becca DuBey, Jerry Neath, Jean Hanson and Mark Hanson

2. Approval of Minutes of August 18th meeting.

Moved and seconded that they be accepted. Motion carried.

3. Committee Reports

Note: while each of the following are technically "subcommittees" of the RCCC Committee, we will refer to them as "committees."

a. History: Jerry Neath

1) Rutland Center Cemetery the first burying place in Dane County: Joan Gefke: Joan was not in attendance at this meeting.

2) Nothing special to report from Jerry. Brief discussion of the "first burying place in Dane County" which Joan was researching.

3) Middlebury Church in Barneveld : Jean told about Myron and Doris Bacon's trip to visit the Middlebury Church in Barneveld on August 24.  Mark described how the church had been modified with a basement, a front anti-room and steeple. It's original design appeared to be almost identical to our church.  (Later in the meeting Becca mentioned that there was an entrepeneur in Milwaukee who essentially offered mail order churches to budding organizations back in the 1850s.  Since our church seems to be very similar to the Middlebury Church, is it possible they were from the same source?)

4) Beckman's Mill: Becca visited the Beckman's Mill outside of Beloit (ten miles west on H and Mill Pond Rd.) recently and talked with them about their restoration.   Was active in the early 1800s.   Mill was falling apart in the 1880s. Group got on the historical register and had an assessment.  They did all the work themselves, including rebuilding a dam.   What they have done is "just incredible."   A mill, home, cooperage and other buildings and an outhouse are on the property.

5) Gap Church between Albany and Monroe: Becca visited recently.   Walking in "just takes your breath away" she reports.  The structure was restored by Albany citizens.   Becca met with the lone surviving member of the church.   It has an attached community building that had been imported from another location.   A "really charming place," she says.   Reminds her of what could be done with our church.   Building is wider and taller than ours and has a cemetery attached.   During the restoration, they gutted the church, which had been abandoned for a long time.

6) The committee suggested that we might want to have a field trip there in the spring.

7) It was suggested that individuals consider filling out the "Wisconsin Historical Society Application for Entry, The Registry of Interested Person" form to show an interest in this project.  Someone pointed out that if the old Hwy 14 is expanded, it could cut into church cemetery property.

b. Cemetery: Jennifer Ehle

1) Custody of material we gather. (Was agreed at the August 18th meeting that this subject needs further review.)

Myron was to have discussed this with the town board.  Jennifer and Myron were not available to discuss this point.

c. Church Restoration: Cindy Bacon

1) Becca: Progress on physical assessment of building:  Nothing new

2) Myron: Landscape specialist Al Miller was to do an assessment of the grounds.  No report

d. Church Registration: Becca DuBey

1) Becca: Progress on application to Wisconsin Historical Society

Letter from Historical Society (Daina Penkiunas): "Property is "potentially eligible for listing in the National Register in the area of the history of religion."  Ms. Penkiunas said that this is only a preliminary assessment, and that "substantially more information will be needed for a successful National Register nomination."  Recommends a consultant be hired to help with the application form.  The application process can take about one and a half years, according to information provided by the Historical Society.

Question: what would the consultant charge and what is the advantage to proceeding with this application.   Need to have someone check this point.

2)  Long range plan: Jean pointed out that we need at some point to sit down and develop a long range plan for the property.  This could be done after we have a better handle on many of the questions we have been raising.  Jerry pointed out that it is unlikely that the church would be used by any organized religion.  But it could be restored to the point of being used for special events.

e. Grants and Finance: Myron Bacon

1) Becca: Progress on learning about grant application process and making a list of possible grant-giving organizations that might help: nothing new at this point.   Depends on whether we want to go for national registry or not. Beckman's people said, don't think you have to have all your money together before you do anything.

2) Jean: Donations to the Friends organization.   Jean met with Dawn George, who has prepared a list of people who have contributed with the amounts.  Jean has copies.  As of Friday $5873.14 has been contributed.  Dawn has sent thank you notes to each contributor and provided Jean with a list of their names.  Township also said "they might have some money for us." (This includes the money raised some years ago by the group which included Orin Otteson.)

3) Letter from Rev. Jim Christiansen in Madison. Asked whether it would be possible to establish a fund in memory of Rev. Roy Boserman, who had been affiliated with the United Brethren Churches.  Possibility of a memorial fund worth pursuing. 

f.  Public Information: Mark Hanson

1) Mission statement: Myron, Jean and Mark: Needs committee approval. The following statement was presented to the committee for discussion:

The Rutland Center Church and Cemetery Committee seeks to secure long term funding that will make it possible for the Town of Rutland to restore the church, provide for the continuing preservation and possible expansion of the cemetery, consider registering the building on appropriate state and national registries, encourage the development of genealogical records for those interred at the site, and ultimately make the church available on a nonsectarian basis for weddings, funerals, services and meetings.

Comments:

-Need something about educational function.

-Becca wonders if "possible expansion of the cemetery" implies profit making.

-Question of separation of church and state should be resolved more definitively.

-Question of what we will do if becoming registered on any of the registries appears to be more than we would wish to pursue.

-Members present agreed that the mission statement should be reviewed further at our next meeting.

2) First draft of brochure ready for review. The first version was generally well received but the following suggestions were made:

-Rotate application form.

-Mission statement: needs to be approved first.

-Change organization of How You Can Help.

-"The interior furnishings remain essentially in tact." might be better than reference to the Mite Society. Leave Mite society out for now. Left to Mark's discretion.

-Picture of cemetery: lighten if possible.

3) Becca: has minutes from Mite Society that were just contributed which might have additional information.

4) Printing was discussed: new printing firm in Oregon might help.  No other suggestion made. It was noted that color printing will be relatively expensive.  Committee needs to determine number of copies it will require.

5) Road sign promoting website : Mark Not complete yet.

6) Forming a 501C3 : Mark's lawyer friend has been out of town.

4. Old Business

Possible Anthony gift of land to project: Jean has been discussing with Elaine Karls, a member of the Anthony Family, the possibility of their giving additional land to the church.  The corner lot is for sale.  Elaine said they were thinking of buying that lot and giving it to the church in return for the township adding a building site to the rest of the farm.  She asked if that would satisfy the needs of the church. T hat corner lot could be parking space and land in between could expand the cemetery, following that line of reasoning.  Town of Rutland thinks that the building lot could be added to the Anthony property, but they are waiting for the County to give its approval.  Elaine Karls met with Mark and Jean Sunday.  If the gift would change their capital gains situation, they might not be interested in the swap, she said.

5. New Business

a. Distribution of brochure: who, how, when: Not discussed because the mission statement was not approved at this meeting.

6. Next Meeting: October 13, 2003 at 2:00 p.m.

Topics for discussion:  Mission Statement, Long Range Planning, and possibility of forming the committee into a non-profit 501C3 as defined by the State of Wisconsin.

7. Adjournment: at 5:55.

Prepared by Mark Hanson
September 22, 2003

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