Several donations to the Building Improvements Designated Fund were made in June and July totaling $13,000! These monies are so helpful to us, especially now that we have really depleted our funds and were praying for no big emergencies. And, of course, it was all in God’s good timing as our dear old 33- year-old faithful HVAC unit breathed its last big sigh, and rather than prolong its life with a repair, we were able to approve its replacement, thanks to these additional funds! Thank you, thank you, thank you to our generous donors! And just a reminder to everyone that if you wish to make a donation now, Catherine can record it as an early contribution to the Capital Campaign that won’t kick off until 2024.

The tree work in the east parking lot is finished, and it is a safer area because of all the work that was done. The HVAC unit for the west wing was installed on July 5 and is working beautifully, and we were able to get by without having to rent a portable unit for the Girls Rock Camp while we waited for all the parts to arrive. Our 33-year-old unit servicing Seminar B and C and the parents’ room is awaiting a service call because of problems with the thermostat. Oh, please, hold on a little longer! We are working on a project to cordon off areas to prevent parking for football games along our 5th Avenue frontage, which will enable us to protect our sidewalks and retention ponds, and hopefully make life easier for Doug Kiker (Football Parking Czar).

At long last, we have a firm date of August 21 for the installation of the solar panels on the education wing & youth room roofs. It will be a 3-day job. Maybe we should schedule a party! Thank you again to our three families who donated the funds for this energy- and money-saving venture.

Glenn Mans and his wonderful group of CourtYard Volunteers (CYV) have been doing heroic work in the courtyard to mitigate drainage problems. Glenn has been collecting data on the percolation rates in various areas during rain events and testing the effect of their efforts. We are so appreciative of that hard physical labor, especially in this heat, and are holding our breaths that we will be spared catastrophic rain events now that hurricane season is underway. 

We will be recruiting volunteers at the Time and Talent sign-up to help with various work projects that we have in mind. We love our volunteers! Look for our table on August 13.

Pictured clockwise from the top left: Kitty Williams, Brian Martin, Larry Alsobrook and Tim Clanton, Andy Ingram and Larry Alsobrook, and Judy Mans and Mary Aplin. Not pictured: Candice King and Dave Kramek.