Fall Parish Assembly Agenda

 

 

Meeting Minutes

All Saints Greek Orthodox Church

Joliet, Illinois

 

Event: Fall Parish Assembly

Date: November 24, 2024

Time: 11:26AM

Quorum Requirements and Opening Prayer:

As stated in the All Saints Parish Regulations, a quorum of 20% of pledging stewards/families is needed to conduct a General Assembly. As of 10/24/24, All Saints has 147 pledging stewards/families.  A minimum of 30 Stewards in good standing are required to be in attendance to conduct the General Assembly. 51 Stewards signed in for the meeting. The meeting was called to order with a prayer by Fr. Anastasios Theodoropoulos. 

Election of Chairperson and Appointment of Parliamentarian

Fr. Anastasios opened nominations from the floor for a meeting Chairperson. Christina Xydis made a motion to nominate Sonja Dactilides Chairperson, 2^nd by Gregory Kontos. There were no other nominations. Motion passed unanimously. Sonja Dactilides made a motion to appoint Nick Macris, Assembly Parlimentarian, 2^nd by Kathy Macris. There were no other nominations. The motion passed unanimously.

Approval of Spring Meeting Minutes

A motion was made by George Anthos to approve the Spring 2024 Spring General Assembly Meeting minutes. 2^nd by Mark Anthos.  The motion passed unanimously.

President’s Report – Sonja Dactilides

Sonja wanted to recognize the work of the Parish Council and everything that they focused on from the work on the building, the grounds, the safety and security of the parish and fundraising. She wanted to say thank you to the Parish as well for their support this past year.

Treasurer’s Report – Christina Xydis

The following Treasurer’s report, which included the proposed 2025 Budget was reviewed during the meeting. A motion was made by Kris Wheatly to approve the 2025 Budget as presented. A 2^nd was made by Kathy Macris.  The motion passed unanimously.

Financial Status Report as of November 15, 2024 was presented.

 Account Balances:

Account	Purpose	Current Balance	Earmarked Funds	Available Funds
General Fund	Operating & Maint. Exp.	$81,747.90	N/A	N/A
Capital Fund	Building Improvements	$74,326.55	$40K – Doors	$34,326.55
Memorial Fund	Iconography, Altar, etc.	$46,702.61	$18K – Icons $23K – Cemetery Plots	$5,702.61
Givelify Account	Pass Through Account (Quarterly Disbursement)	$16,399.53	N/A	N/A
Festival Account	Fundraising Income & Expenses	$17,609.54	N/A	N/A

 

Budget Review

• - Current 2024 spending and projections for year-end are on track with the approved 2024 budget of $344,960.75. Year-end projection is expected to be $345,030.39. Variance to budget of less than $100.00
• - Proposed 2025 budget is presented at $382,297.43. Increase by $37K to cover additional maintenance activities, salary adjustments and inflation costs of products and services provided to the Parish. Offset identified between fundraising activities and reduction of expenses and service contracts.

 

 

Capital Fund

• - In 2024, almost $15K was spent on building improvements through this account.
  • o Concrete work - $4800.00
  • o New rails - $576.00
  • o Roof repairs - $2,250.00
  • o Flooring replacement - $1206.17
  • o Storage Shed - $4,514.00
  • o Security Upgrades - $1,519.00
• - While final bids are being gathered, there is $40K earmarked from the Capital Improvement account for the front doors of the Church

Memorial Fund

• - Income to the memorial fund is obtained from specific donations for beautification projects as well as memorials.
• - Currently completing the last phase of the icon installation project. $18K of money in the Memorial Fund is earmarked for the final payment towards the iconography project.
• - As will be discussed under new business, approximately $23K is available in funding from the Memorial fund to be used for the cemetery plot project. The money will be recouped as burial plots are sold.

Fundraising Account

• - Several successful fundraisers were held during 2024
• - Summer festival profit was $48,933.17
• - Golf outing profit was $26,8932.86
• - Current balance in the account will be transferred to the General Fund once all dinner dance expenses have been paid
• - The fundraising account is maintained with a balance of $3K during non-fundraising times.

Givelify Account

• - This account is used as a transitory account with monies collected being reallocated to the designated account at the end of each quarter. This is an online platform that is currently used for collection of candle money, stewardship payments, special donations, and collections for specific ministries. Parishioners are able to give

 

Endowment Fund Report – Michael Cookas – Chairman, Endowment Fund Committee

• - The current balance of the Endowment Fund is at almost $1.3 million. The current return has been in the double-digits at 15%.
• - The majority of the funds were invested in ETFs.( Exchange-Traded Funds) which reflect a very broad market and are paying approximately 4.5%. The Endowment Fund Committee prefers this approach but is also looking at individual stock investments.
• - Over the years, the Endowment Fund has made available $250,000 in interest for use in various projects around the Church. Today, there is over $112,000 in interest available to the Parish.
• - The Endowment Fund continues to acknowledge the great Dr. Peter Nichols, who started the plans for the creation of the Endowment Fund. The Endowment Fund Committee carrys on Dr. Nichol’s legacy.

Philoptochos Report – Nancy Griparis, All Saints Philoptochos President

Nancy Griparis provided a detailed overview of the Philoptochos activities. These activities reflect the Philoptochos' commitment to supporting local schools, community programs, and families in need through various charitable efforts which included the following:

Donations:

• - 35 pairs of sweatpants were donated to Joliet School District 86 for Junior High School Girls to keep in their offices.
• - School supplies were delivered to the YMCA for their after-school program
• - Delivering 25 handmade blankets were prepared for delivery to the Guardian Angel Home.

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Food Pantry:

• - John the Baptist Catholic Church has experienced an increased load of families needing assistance, with the number of families attending their food pantry rising from about 60-70 to approximately 160 every Monday. This increase is partly due to the closure of the food pantry at the Spanish Center.
• - In response to this increased demand, the Philoptochos has partnered with St. John's to support their efforts. They are involved in providing meals once a month and have identified a specific need for diapers among the families served. To address this, they are conducting a diaper drive to help support these families further. The drive is set to end on December 14^th and the Philoptochos is asking the Parish to please donate.

Annual Baklava and Kourambiethes sale:

• - Annual Baklava and Kourambiethes sale is currently underway. The Philoptochos is conducting a Baklava and Kourambiethes sale and is encouraging members to share order forms with friends and family outside of the Parish. They are promoting it as a great gift option for colleagues, employees, neighbors, babysitters, and teachers. Order forms are available on all tables, and they are urging people to place their orders if they haven't already done so.

Veteran’s Day Chili Luncheon:

• - A Chili luncheon was held for Veterans Day which raised $1,000 for “Heart of a Veteran”.

Philoptochos Christmas Party:

• - The Philoptochos Christmas party is scheduled for December 10th at Al's Steakhouse, and they are currently taking reservations.

Breakfast with Santa:

• - The Philoptochos Christmas party is scheduled for December 8th. There will be a Lenten friendly breakfast.

 

Old Business

New Bylaw Approval:

• - The Parish Council worked on revising the Bylaws and presented them to the General Assembly, where they were discussed and approved in December of 2023. The bylaws were then sent to the Metropolis for review, followed by the Archdiocese. The Archdiocese has provided feedback, which are expected to be received by the Parish sometime next week.  If the comments involve significant changes to content or intent, the revised Bylaws will be brought back to the General Assembly for further review, either at the Spring Assembly or a Special Assembly as needed.

 New Business

Cemetery Plots Purchase:

Presented by Nick Polykandriotis, President of the Mykonos Society.  The cemetery plots discussion involved the following details:

• - Opportunity: A person offered to sell 42 cemetery plots at Woodlawn Cemetery. These plots are located in an area known as "Greektown” or the Greek Orthodox section of the cemetery. Nick P, with the agreement of the Parish Council, led the negotiations on behalf of the Church and Mykonos Society. Initially, the seller wanted $3,000 per plot, but through negotiations, the price was agreed upon at $1,500 per plot. The current market value of plots in that cemetery is approximately $4,000 each, indicating the potential for the church to benefit financially from this acquisition. This initiative is seen as a win-win situation, providing a financial opportunity for the church while also utilizing the last funds of the Mykonos Society to support the church's future.
• - Before discussion, The Assembly Chairperson asked for a formal motion to be made from the floor.
• - A motion was made by Gregory Kontos to proceed with the purchase of the plots in Woodlawn 1 Cemetery with the following guidelines.
  • o Funding: The Mykonos Society agreed to donate $40,000 towards the purchase of these plots. The remaining $23,000 needed for the purchase will come from the Church Memorial Fund as earmarked in the earlier Treasurer’s report.
  • o Plan for Proceeds: Once the plots are sold, proceeds from the sales in the amount $40,000 matching the donation from the Mykonos Society will be placed into the Endowment Fund, and $23,000 will be replenished to the Memorial Fund. Any additional proceeds from the sales will be used as deemed necessary by the parish council.
  • o Committee Formation: A committee will be formed, appointed by the Parish Council, to manage the cemetery plots. This includes determining the sale price and handling the sales process.
• - Motion was seconded by Spiro Frentzas.
• - Discussion:
  • o Question from Kris Wheatley: Will there be a separate motion to select the Committee? Answer: The Cemetery Plot Committee will be appointed by the Parish Council. It already consists of Nick Polykandriotis, Nick Andretich and Mary Schmidt. If others are interested in joining the Committee they should approach Fr. Anastasios and the Parish Council
• - Motion Passed unanimously.

Main Building Wooden Door Replacement:

Tom Thiakos and Mike Haywood from the Building Committee presented the discussion regarding the replacement of the wooden doors which included the following details:

• - Condition and Need for Replacement: The current wooden doors are in poor condition, with issues such as rotting and hinges coming apart. There is also a safety issue as they do not have safety push bars for exiting like the lower glass doors. Due to these problems, it was determined that the doors need to be replaced.
• - Type of Replacement Doors: The new doors will be made of fiberglass, which are well-insulated and warrantied for durability. These doors are chosen to avoid issues like warping, which can occur with wooden doors, especially given their exposure to sunlight.
• - Color Selection: The committee will choose the color of the new doors to streamline the process and avoid delays. The decision was made to leave this task to the committee to ensure efficiency.
• - Cost and Bids: The price for the replacement is a little over $40,000. Although one bid was lower, it did not meet the specifications required. Another bid was $8,000 higher, making the selected option the most viable.
• - Funding: The funds for the door replacement will come from the Capital Improvement Fund as earmarked and discussed in the earlier Treasurer’s report.
• - The replacement is planned for sometime next year, and the new doors will maintain a similar aesthetic to the current ones, ensuring continuity in appearance.
• - The old doors will not be thrown away but will be put on display somewhere in the Church Hall.
• - The Chairperson asked for a motion for the approval of the door replacement.
• - A motion was made by Kris Wheatley to approve the Building Committee to proceed with replacing the doors.
• - Nick Macris seconded the motion. There was no discussion.
• - The motion was passed with all in favor and no opposition.

Parish Council Elections:

Current Members Running for Re-election:

• - The current Parish Council members whose terms expired and who are running for re-election include Mary Schmidt, Mike Haywood, Spiro Frentzas, Nick Andretich, Andy Bellos, and Gregory Kontos.
• - New Candidates who have approached Fr. Anastasios are Tim Poulakis, George Griparis, John George
• - Resignations: Christina Xydis and Bill Alexopoulos will be stepping down from the Parish Council prior to completing their terms of office. We thank them both for their commitment and hard work.
• - Election Details: There are seven positions available for election due to the regular cycle. The seven candidates with the highest votes will serve the normal two-year term. It was discussed at the November 11, 2024 PC meeting that the two candidates with the least votes among the elected will serve a one-year term to complete the terms of Christina Xydis and Bill Alexopoulos.
• - Election Date: The elections are scheduled for December 15.
• - Election Committee: The election committee, appointed at the previous assembly, consists of Helen Wallace, Helena Whitmore, and Sue Nelson.
• - Nomination Process: The floor was opened for additional nominations, but no new nominations were made. The nomination process was closed after confirming the candidates.
• - Background Checks and Training: New metropolis guidelines require candidates to complete a background check and youth protection training before serving on the parish council.

Audit Committee:

• - Thank you to our 2024 Audit Committee: John George, George Kappas and Kaitlin Villafranco
• - The audit committee is responsible for reviewing the church's financial records to ensure accuracy and compliance. They also audit the Endowment Fund in conjunction with the church books. The audit is conducted annually, and the report is part of the paperwork submitted to the Metropolis and Archdiocese by March 1st each year. This report helps determine the Archdiocese commitment for the following year.
• - A call for the nomination of the 2025 Audit Committee to be made up of Kate Kappas, Harry Petrakos and Kaitlin Villafranco from our Parish. A motion was made by Christina Xydis. 2^nd by Char Contos.
• - The nominated individuals for the audit committee were approved without any challenges.

Metropolis Center Property:

The discussion around the new Metropolis Center included the following details:

• - Background: The Metropolis had previously sold the property on Burton Place, which was the residence of Metropolitan Iakovos, for approximately $3 million. The funds from this sale were placed in a restricted account for the purchase of a future Metropolis Center.
• - Proposed Purchase: The Metropolis plans to purchase a brownstone located next door to the cathedral on LaSalle Avenue. This three-story home has been owned by the cathedral for many years. The intention is to transform this property into the new Metropolis Center. The Metropolis is seeking approval from the clergy laity assembly to purchase the property and release the funds from the sale of Burton Place for this purpose. The Parish Priest and the Parish Council President are representatives, and two additional representatives need to be appointed to attend the special clergy laity assembly on February 6th, which will be held online.
• - A motion was made to appoint Nancy Griparis and Nick Macris as representatives for the Parish at the assembly. Kathy Macris made the motion, and Mike Cookas seconded it. The motion passed unanimously.

Motion to Adjourn

Motion to Adjourn by Maria Macris at 12:56PM