Grave Concerns Association Meeting Minutes
April 19, 2010

Call to Order

The Grave Concerns Association meeting was called to order at 4:30 P.M., on April 19, 2010, by Chairperson Laurel Lemke.

A warm welcome was extended to all those who were present.

Attendance

Lorna Gifford, Michael Hardie, Becky Huber, Dan Lasham, Laurel Lemke, Joe Lewis, James Senko,  Henrietta Schwartzentrub, Carol Slaughter, Carla Wutz, Karen Young.

Approval of Agenda

Chairperson, Laurel Lemke provided an overview of the agenda.  A motion was made and seconded, and passed to accept the agenda.

Minutes

The minutes of the March 15, 2010 meeting were read by the secretary. There were no additions or deletions.

A motion was made and seconded, and passed to accept the minutes as read.

Treasurer’s Report

The Treasurer’s Report was given by Chairperson, Laurel Lemke.

End of MARCH 2010

WSH                                                            $  572.96

America’s FCU checking                                 $ 15,573.57

America’s FCU Savings                                  $  50.01

Grand Total $ 16,196.54

A motion was made and seconded to accept the Treasurer’s report and to pay the bills that need to be paid.

(To that date April, $190.00 in donations, uncleared check of $766.30 to Columbia Manufacturing for flag pole and State of Washington flag, uncleared check #1065 to Rosemary Chaput)

Committee Reports
Event Planning Committee – Laurel reported that Chairperson Rosemary Chaput made the arrangements for the 43 headstones to be delivered to the cemetery by Mt. View Funeral Home.  Carla Wutz is in charge of going out the day before and flagging the grave sites where the stones will be installed. Lorna Gifford will provide refreshments. Laurel reported that there will be volunteers from Emmanuel Lutheran Church and a group of Boy Scouts. The Reverend Patty Becker will be available to provide a small memorial for the family of Byus Neese # 807.

Historical Committee: This committee needs a chairman.

Project needs:  documentation of events, scrapbook & photographs. There was nothing to report as the committee has not met with Laurel to go through the materials which have been collected..

Research Committee Chairperson–Becky Huber continues to investigate whether have any of the former patients buried along the perimeter of the cemetery were veterans, who would be able to have military markers. Becky and Carla Wutz indicated they together on looking through the Armed Forces National Archives.

Fundraising Committee Chairperson- Lorna Gifford, Allan Bornstine
Projects: On-going fundraising. 
Lorna discussed options and ideas for future fundraising projects. She announced another spaghetti feed at Casa Mia on April 28^th to provide a Modern Woodman Hometown “Hero’s Award” to the Grave Concerns Association. This will provide a $100.00 award to the Grave Concerns Association. Becky Huber donated a pair of tickets for Lakewood Historical Society’s Max is Back for a fundraiser at the event.

Volunteer Coordinator/Committee Michael Hardie reported that he is coordinating a volunteer network. He will contact the United Way and will create a way to document volunteer hours.

Publicity Committee Laurel recommended that a GCA banner be made to use at events, including helping to identify our meetings in Quarters 2 . An updated brochure also needs to be done. Michael indicated that the designs should have pertinent information on the upper third of the front panel of the brochure.

A motion was made, seconded and approved to set aside up to $500. to cover the cost of a banner and the brochures. Michael Hardie will look into the program design for the brochure. Lorna Gifford will research the banner. Laurel explained that an article will be in the Suburban times and will cover the April 24^th event.

GCA would like to have a “give away” for the May event. We discussed several options for give aways (pens, buttons, window decals, bracelets, reprint of out article that ran in the Associated Press). The item needs to have OptumHealth’s logo. A motion was made seconded and approved to spend $200 on the giveaway items.

Old Business

Flag Pole-has been ordered, the hole will be dug on April 22^nd.

Park Benches –It was reported that the city wants a particular type of bench installed in the park. Further research is currently underway.

Museum-We have the opportunity to have a spot at the Western State Hospital museum. We need to be thinking about what we would like our exhibit to look like. The Historical committee has been asked to work on the project.

New Business

Laurel reported that she contracted with Ruth Soto, who has a business called “The Office Zone” to assist with QuickBooks setup and support. She will help get the paperwork complete for 2009, to be ready for tax preparation. Ruth Soto worked three hours to date (at $25/hr nonprofit rate for a total of $75 to date). More work needs to be done on our 2009 records. A motion was made and passed to approve up to $150.00 on book keeping assistance.

Markers have been ordered and the family of Byrus Neese will be at the cemetery on April 24^th for a small memorial.

Lorna explained that Modern Woodmen has a Plant a Tree Program. She wanted to know whether GCA wanted to plant trees at the cemetery. Laurel provided some background on two tree plantings (2000 and 2001) that failed to thrive and a plan to do create a prairie and oak tree planting that was not completed. Jim Senko explained that we have 1/3 rd acre along the fence where we might plant tree. The discussion was tabled until the next meeting.

Announcements

Lakewood Parks Appreciation Day April 24, 2010 (9:00 AM).

Home Town Hero Award & Spaghetti Dinner at Casa Mia April 28^th (6:00 PM).

Lakewood Historical Society Fundraiser, May1, 2010, “Max is Back” vaudeville show.

Historic Fort Steilacoom and Civil War Re-enactment, May 1-2, 2010.

Adjournment

Meeting was adjourned at 6:00 P.M. by Chairperson, Laurel Lemke. The next general meeting will May 17th, 2010 Board Meeting at 4:30 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. Held at the historic Fort Steilacoom, Quarters 2 building on Western State Hospital grounds.