Cemetery Commission Minutes, 04.20.2023

GUILFORD CEMETERY COMMISSION MEETING
Thursday 20 April 2023 9:30 am Carpenter Cemetery

Cemetery Commissioners Present:
Eric Morse, Kyle Parker, Verandah Porche, Carol Schnabel

Absent:  Nancy Detra

Members of the Public Present:
Rodney Bell, Dick Clark, Karen Murphy, Shaun Murphy

Call to Order:
The meeting was called to order at 9:30 am

Approval of Minutes:
The minutes were approved as submitted.

New Business:
Carol took open meeting laws training and said we need to elect officers at this time.
Kyle was chosen to be Chair and Carol will be secretary.

Broken stone in Groll Cemetery- we can see about trying to fix it.

Rodney Bell came to talk to us about what he does when asked to dig for a burial.  He does all the cemeteries in Guilford and Brattleboro and some other neighboring towns.  Recently he has done green burials upon request, burying people in a shallower grave, and sometimes in baskets or burial shrouds rather than caskets.  

Karen Murphy pointed out a stone that has some of the names buried – Kyle offered to fix that.

Old Business:
We reviewed the final mock-up for the brochure and authorized Nancy to go ahead and have 100 copies made.

We spoke more about PVC pipes for flag holders.  We also discussed with Dick Clark  the plastic flag holders that can be bought through the American Legion.  Carol will go to the meeting next week to see about that.  She also will see if the Legion is interested in helping us get a more accurate record of veterans buried in our cemeteries.  

Kyle is working on a prototype for signs for the cemeteries.  

Carol reported on the up-coming VOCA meeting.

Actions to be Taken:
We will assess condition of cemeteries prior to the May meeting:
Carol and Nancy:  Carpenter, Lee, Wilkins
Verandah: Billings, Groll
Eric: Blanchard, Stark
Kyle:  Maplehurst, Elmurst

Eric will call Chuck Clark about a tree that needs to be taken care of.
Eric will contact the two families seeking gravesites.  
Carol will attend the meeting at the Legion.
Kyle: Cemetery signs and fix stone at Carpenter Cemetery

Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 am.

May meeting- Maplehurst Cemetery