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Dear Parishioners:
You will have the opportunity to meet the following candidates at a forum to be held on January 22, following the 10:00 am service. They look forward to answering any questions you may have at that time.
The Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 29, following the 9:30 am service. A budget presentation for 2012 will be given, retiring Vestry members will be honored and new Vestry members welcomed.
Our By-Laws state: "Nominations for any office to be filled at an Annual Meeting may also be made at such meeting by any member of the Parish authorized to vote." The Election Committee has determined that any candidate previously nominated for the 2012 slate may note be nominated from the floor.
Our By-Laws also state that if you cannot attend the meeting, you can appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf. The following process has been determined for proxy voting:
- Let the office (office@ccneedham.org) know you will be voting by proxy and designate the person who will be your proxy by 10 am on Friday, January 27, 2012 (two days before Annual Meeting).
- Obtain a proxy ballot here or from the church Office.
- The designated proxy shall hold the proxy ballot and vote on behalf of the member at Annual Meeting once all motions from the floor have been heard and voting is open.
We look forward to seeing you at the Forum on January 22 and at the Annual Meeting on January 29.
Sincerely,
The Election Committee:
Sue Fleming, Chair
Betsy Keener
Ed Brailey
Mary Ann Ryan
Sally Baker
Mike Niden
Candidate Statements
Warden: Joe Leghorn
How do you believe you can best serve the life and mission of Christ Church?
I have to be honest, I wait to be called rather than seek positions. When called, I try to do the best that I humanly can, with all the imperfections attendant to that status. Skip and other friends asked me to come forward this year, and after much careful consideration, I accepted the nomination. Because I strongly believe in tolerance in thoughts and ideas, as well as all people, and open, frank and civil discourse, fulfilling the responsibilities of Warden will be made easier in a faith community. I am also someone who does not believe in “kicking problems down the road.” Dealing with issues, whether it’s a matter of governance or property maintenance, taking care of it today is always better. Deferred maintenance is always more costly and more disruptive.
There are a few ideas that I will try to advance if elected Warden. Among them is to further the “Greening” of the physical plant to achieve as low a carbon footprint as possible. To use the vacant lot to assist in teaching young and old about sustainable gardening and the interactions of the church year and the annual cycle of life. We need to make use of all of our talents and treasures to teach and to support the various ministries of the church.
In what parish activities have you been active? (At Christ Church and in other parishes, where relevant)
My real engagement with the true community of Christ Church began when I attended the first Men’s Retreat in 2003, I think. Since then I have been a regular participant in this revitalizing annual event. The friendships developed and nurtured through this event are both true and deep. Since then, I served on the Vestry, co-chaired the Long Range Planning and the Safe Parish Policy Committees. On behalf of the Vestry, I negotiated the License Agreement with the library for use of the parking lot. I also taught the J2A program for two years. (The best part of the teaching was being received while the group I taught was being confirmed). As a family, we have been active in many fund raising events and Shelter Cooking, among other things.
Vestry: Cecile Huttenhower
How do you believe you can best serve the life and mission of Christ Church?
I can bring a new perspective to the issues we deal with.
In what parish activities have you been active? (At Christ Church and in other parishes, where relevant)
Music; shelter cooking; Sunday school
Vestry: Jennifer McCracken
How do you believe you can best serve the life and mission of Christ Church?
I believe I can best serve the life and mission of Christ Church by being an active member of the church community. A faith deeply rooted in God and a desire to live a gospel centered life are what keep me fully engaged in our parish. Each new church year I re-assess where I am putting my energies and try to be open minded and open hearted about where I can best served the people of Christ Church. I have participated in many of the ministries over the years and now I would like to bring those experiences to the vestry table. Moving forward, I want to challenge myself with something new and learn about the mission of Christ Church from a different perspective. It is by worshipping together in community, remaining fully engaged in parish life, and listening to God that I believe I can best serve the life and mission of Christ Church.
In what parish activities have you been active? (At Christ Church and in other parishes, where relevant)
Over the sixteen or so years that I have been a member of Christ Church I have been active in a wide variety of ministries. Church school and children’s chapel when my kids were young, shelter cooking, intercessory prayer group, Haiti, Common Cathedral, youth group, and women’s spirituality are some of the things I have been active in.
Vestry: Brian Muckerjee
How do you believe you can best serve the life and mission of Christ Church?
I live in Needham with my wife Alexa and our two children, Kathryn, age 8, and Brendan, age 5 (both enthusiastic members of Children’s Chapel!) We have lived in Needham for 9 years. I’m an attorney in Boston, focusing on corporate risk management.
I’m excited for the opportunity to join the Vestry committee. I think becoming a member of Vestry is a great way to assist the Church with its current missions, as well as helping guide it into a successful future. To that end, I think my experience in advising corporate clients with business, operational and legal matters will help me to provide the same type of valuable guidance to the Church. Above all, my priority as a Vestry member is to be a good steward and make sound decisions that will allow the Church and its community to continue to grow and thrive.
Vestry: Jim Prescott
How do you believe you can best serve the life and mission of Christ Church?
Due to my involvement as a Parishioner, for the past 32 years, and the various committees, etc. during that time I have a pretty good sense of where things are at within our church. I no longer have young children so I am not much help when it comes to everything that makes up our church school. My knowledge of the Bible and the traditions of the Episcopal Church are limited so I do not offer a lot when it comes to Church Services, adult ed., etc. What I do bring is passion for two things. First, to do whatever I can to help the youth of our church stay connected and active within our church. Also to continue working to have those safety nets in place for the difficult times any teenager can run into throughout those years. I know it is cliché, but the children really are the future. Second, to continue a constant effort to keep this great building in sound condition. Keep it evolving as time goes on and stay ahead of costly and disruptive emergencies. By doing this our Preachers can preach, our teachers can teach and our Parishioners have a comfortable place to worship and share in fellowship.
In what parish activities have you been active? (At Christ Church and in other parishes, where relevant)
- Parish Social Committee ( many years ago )
- I am in my sixth year as an adult leader with the High School Youth Group
- I have been on Vestry twice before
- I am on the Property Committee
- I Bowl in the church bowling league.
Vestry: Dorothy Rifai
How do you believe you can best serve the life and mission of Christ Church?
I can best serve the mission of the church by regular attendance at services and participation in some of the many outreach programs offered, and by devoting time to contemplating the church's direction and my role in it. I am a good listener, and I talk to visitors and try to share with them my experience of Christ Church as a friendly and welcoming community.
In what parish activities have you been active? (At Christ Church and in other parishes, where relevant)
At Christ Church I have been a member of the Altar Guild, and this year I have sung in the choir. In my former church, I was a member of the vestry, and I taught Sunday School when my children were in elementary school.
Clerk: Heidi Fieldston
How do you believe you can best serve the life and mission of Christ Church?
I have been a member of Christ Church since 2004, although there are times when I do not attend Sunday worship for many months. My work as an Episcopal priest is assisting parishes, both Episcopal and Lutheran, on a short term basis as Interim or Supply clergy. Supply clergy fill in when the rector/pastor is absent on a Sunday morning. An interim priest serves a parish during the period between rectors, generally one to three years. I am currently serving as Interim Priest at Trinity Church in Randolph and expect to be there for another year. While I do this work which takes me away from Christ Church, I feel spiritually sustained by being a continuing member of the community.
In what parish activities have you been active? (At Christ Church and in other parishes, where relevant)
I am honored to be nominated to continue serving Christ Church as Clerk to the Vestry. Over the past several years serving has Clerk has enabled me to continue to contribute and be involved in the life of Christ Church and I deeply
Diocesan Convention Delegate: Emilie Hitron
How do you believe you can best serve the life and mission of Christ Church?
In addition to continuing to work with the International Medical Team through Circle of Hope and the Community Concerns Committee, I look forward to serving as a representative to the Diocesan Convention. With my years at Christ Church, I feel I can represent our church.
In what parish activities have you been active? (At Christ Church and in other parishes, where relevant)
International Medical Team/Circle of Hope; Sunday school teacher; Vestry
Diocesan Convention Delegate: Paula Beckerle
How do you believe you can best serve the life and mission of Christ Church?
I have served on Vestry for the past three years. During that time I participated in the Church School Task Force and the Communications committee which recently completed new standards and procedures for Welcoming Newcomers to Christ Church. My role on Vestry and it's subcommittees has given me a great opportunity to learn about the day-to-day operations of Christ Church and the many ways in which we carry out the core mission of our parish. This experience has prepared me to serve in a different manner, as delegate to the Diocesan Convention.
In what parish activities have you been active? (At Christ Church and in other parishes, where relevant)
I have been involved in many ministries at Christ Church which include: Shelter Cooking, Community Concerns, Giving Tree, College Cookie Drive, Garage Ministry, Visiting Lay Minister and the Bowling League. I have also enjoyed sharing time with our youth as a story teller for Children’s Chapel for the past 8 years, and currently teaching the 3rd and 4th grade Sunday School class for the third year in a row. For the past three years I have devoted a great deal of my time to Circle of Hope, which has been extremely rewarding. I joined the Circle of Hope Board of Directors in 2010.
I thank you for the opportunity to serve Christ Church and give back to a community that has given so much to me.
Deanery Delegate: Barbara Baker
How do you believe you can best serve the life and mission of Christ Church?
- Participating in all aspects of church programs and services
- Outreach to parishioners in need
- Acting as a responsible Christian
In what parish activities have you been active? (At Christ Church and in other parishes, where relevant)
Vestry; shelter cooking; choir; Sunday school teacher; Be-Safe program; eucharistic minister; bible study; Fair table chairman; delegate to convention; lay reader.
Deanery Delegate: Sara Young
How do you believe you can best serve the life and mission of Christ Church?
To best serve the life and mission of Christ Church, I’m hoping to be elected as a delegate to the Deanery meetings. The Deanery represents various divisions of the Diocese of Eastern Massachusetts; at these meetings, discussions take place which involve the lives of other Episcopalian churches. I will be able to share our ideas and listen to – and learn from – the representatives of other churches wrestling with similar issues.
In what parish activities have you been active? (At Christ Church and in other parishes, where relevant)
I have been and continue to be active in choir, which is a joy for me. I continue to be a lector with enthusiasm! I have been and hope to be again a delegate to the Deanery meetings. |
