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Vestry Meeting Minutes
Items of Interest from
1892 to 1925
At the vestry meeting of Feb. 28, 1895, a meeting was called
for the purpose of making definite arrangements for the disposal of lots in the
cemetery, some arguing that lots should be free to parishioners. Mr. George
Clewett stated that when we are ready to put a pump in the cemetery, he would
do the work free of charge.
On January 5, 1892, the Rev. Mr. Fortin was called to the
parish at a salary of three-hundred dollars per year. At the April 10, 1893
vestry meeting, the Rev. Fortin allowed the five ladies present to vote. This was
certainly a violation of “Canon Law” at the time! It would be another
seventy-five years before a woman was elected to the vestry at St. John’s in
the Wilderness.
In 1894, it was noted that the organist’s salary was
seventy-five cents per Sunday; the clergyman’s salary was four dollars per
Sunday. From 1891 to 1897, the parish had seven different regular clergymen,
not counting many different supply ministers who served for a Sunday or two at
a time. On Nov. 13, 1896, a special meeting was held to consider the
possibility of holding church services in the winter. A motion passed that
services should be held on the second Sunday of each month at 3 p.m. Mr. Gesner
to hold services for five dollars for each service.
On April 26, 1897, a call was issued to the Rev. H. S.
Streeter, who became the first clergyman of the parish who made his residence
in White Bear Lake. From a newspaper of about 1900 we read:
“Henry Stephen Streeter born in Paxton, Mass. in 1864, completed
regular schooling and taught high school before enrolling at Seabury Divinity
School where he graduated in 1897. Immediately after his ordination he came to
White Bear Lake. During his service here, as rector of St. John’s church he has
gained the respect and affection of his people.”
Rev. Streeter remained here until
1901.
In 1901, plans were made to install electric lights in the
church.
In 1902, a clear title was secured for the cemetery.
In April of 1906, the vestry made an inquiry regarding a
morning service for the summer months. The rector, Rev. Mr. Shutt, informed
them, “It would be impossible for him to change from the 3:15 p.m. time.” The motion
was made:
“That the rector appoint a committee to see the Bishop and find
out if he can provide someone to give us morning services during the summer.”
At the vestry meeting of May 5, 1906, plans to hold
morning services were discussed and a letter read from the Bishop in which he
stated that the hour of the service would depend on the clergyman in charge. He
thought he could supply someone for the morning service, if the compensation
could be increased from five dollars to ten dollars a service. On May 12, 1906,
a motion was made that Mr. Shutt’s stipend be increased from five dollars to
seven dollars-fifty cents per Sunday. Apparently the parish was unable at this
time to get a morning service.
Then on May 6, 1909, on the eve of the “horseless carriage,”
the vestry spent an entire evening discussing the matter of clearing the church
yard and installing new hitching posts for horses! The first rectory was the
old Cobb residence at First and Banning. Later, on March 17, 1910, Dr. T. C.
Fulton offered to sell the house on First Street, opposite the church, for a
net cost to the parish of $2,500. The taxes on that house in 1908 were $42.80. On
the next Sunday, the clergyman announced,
“We have arranged to purchase a rectory, and we are asking for a
special Easter offering to help in the purchase.”
On March 25, 1914, at a special vestry meeting, the
congregation voted to enlarge the old church to meet present needs, instead of
attempting to build a new church. On April 14, 1914, the vestry appointed a
building committee. An addition to the church, called a vestry room, was added.
On Aug. 3, 1914, the vestry approved the payment of $902 and authorized
officers of the vestry to borrow an additional $400 at 6% interest from the
First State Bank of White Bear to pay the balance of our outstanding bills on
account of church improvements.
From 1901 to 1922, the parish had eight different
clergymen, including the Rev. C. Herbert Shutt (St. Paul), who was here eight
years, and the Rev. E. C. Biller (Grafton, N. D.), who served here seven years.
On May 5, 1916, Rev. Biller proposed that the vestry meet once a month. The
vestry was not in favor of this, so no action was taken. On Sept. 27, 1916, after
deciding that installing a hedge would be too expensive, it was recommended
that an iron fence be built on church property to keep people from walking on
the lawn. Hitching posts were donated by Messrs. Warner and Rene. On Feb. 27,
1917, it was proposed that the term of office for vestrymen should not expire
at the same time, and vestrymen would serve for one year or more. It was also
decided that if a good tenor could be obtained, it would improve the choir a
good deal!
On April 3, 1918, the motion passed that a one-hundred
dollar Liberty Bond be purchased out of the Guild Hall Fund. Also:
“It was Mr. Rene’s desire that in the future all cemetery plans,
etc., be handled by the vestry as a whole, instead of the cemetery committee...
that he be relieved from further duty on said committee.”
It was decided that the present committee would continue
to handle cemetery matters. On July 16, 1918, the cemetery committee reported
that additional property for the cemetery could be purchased for $350. From
1898 to 1920, a cemetery committee was appointed, and from 1920 to 1930, the
vestry again took charge. Later, a cemetery board took charge once again.
On June 20, 1922, a surprise party was held to celebrate
the 75th. birthday of Mrs. Charlotte Benson, our oldest parishioner. In 1923,
Mrs. C. P. Noyes promised one thousand dollars, should we decide to build a new
church. She remarked:
“To hold two hundred would be large enough, better a small one
filled than a large one empty,”
and
“Let it be stone or brick, not stucco.”
From 1923 to 1926, the Rev. John Temple had a ministry
here that would include tearing down the old original church and building a new
one. In 1924, the word was received that Lady Paul had died May 22 at the age
of ninety-five years.
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