vermont old cemetery association founded by prof...

GRAVEYARD PRESERVATION IS OUR BUSINESS. VOCA 1

Volume 57, Issue 2 Summer/ Fall 2016

Vermont Old Cemetery Association Founded by Prof Leon Dean (1899-1982) Oct 18th 1958

PRESIDENT’S REPORT Summer/ Fall 2016 The weather certainly has been on the hot side, but I am not complaining as once the grass no longer needs mowing and the leaves start to fall we know that winter is not too far from coloring the Green Mountain white. I still have potatoes in the ground and sting beans to pick. This has been a perfect season for cemetery work and I have been involved in several projects. I have had an exciting year with cemetery restoration in Rutland County and I had the privilege to work with a great group of individuals. I do have to give a BIG THANKS to the Comcast volunteers. This group has completed 2 cemetery projects this summer (The Doty Cemetery in Wallingford and the West Street Cemetery in Rutland). In September, these volunteers are planning on restoration work on the Rutland Town, Center Rutland Cemetery. The work that has been accomplished can be viewed on the VOCA Web and Face book sites. I do have an update on the Rutland West Street Cemetery that I reported on in the last newsletter. The cemetery fence that was damaged by an individual, who drove through it, has been repaired with a nice faux cast iron fence with a new “West Street Cemetery” sign on the double gate. In addition, the stones that were damaged by the vehicle have been repaired and put back in place thanks to some wonderful volunteers that helped in repairing the monuments. The city also replaced maple trees and a new sidewalk in front of this historic, Rutland burial ground. If in the area, please swing by and check out the efforts by the volunteers and city officials. For the 6th year in a row the Rutland Middle School students provided two days of work in Rutland’s Cemeteries for the end of the school year program. I mention this again as this popular program could be utilized statewide by other schools to provide much needed help to communities that need assistance in maintaining their cemeteries. The added bonus by using these young people is that we are creating an interest for a new generation of Vermonters. One of the RMS teachers and I did speak to the Clarendon Select Board recently to offer our assistance in starting a similar program in their community. This is the first summer in almost a decade that I did not work with the Floodbrook School Middle School students in the Dellwood Cemetery. The students studied and cleaned Civil War soldier’s monuments in this wonderful garden cemetery. The cancellation was due to a change in the school’s curriculum. I am happy to report that we will be doing a cemetery project for the 2016/17 school year thanks to the efforts of a teacher (who is also a VOCA member) at the school who advocated for the continuation of this project.


Our web site (voca58.org) and Facebook account continues to generate new members. The VOCA page is exceptional and we are fortunate to have such knowledgeable and dedicated individuals that maintain and update it! We are still looking for a secretary and editor for the organization; please consider stepping up to help out the VOCA. Barry Trudor has updated our mailing list and if you see an error please contact one of the officers. All VOCA officers are unpaid volunteers and I thank them for their ongoing efforts on behalf of VOCA. I look forward to seeing many of you at our fall meeting on October 1st in Middlebury, VT. Additional information regarding the meeting is in the newsletter and on the VOCA58.org. If you have agenda items, please give me call at (802) 773-3253 or email [email protected]. Tom Giffin VOCA President

Fall Meeting Saturday, October 1, 2016

9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. - Coffee Hour 10:00 a.m. to noon - Business Meeting 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch hour 1:00 p.m. Presentation by Steve Zeoli LOCATION: Middlebury VFW 530 Exchange Street Middlebury, Vermont DIRECTIONS: On Route 7 in front of the Middlebury Inn, head north. Travel .03 miles and take the left onto Elm Street by the Mobile station. At the first 4-way stop sign, take the right onto Exchange Street and travel .6 mile from there. The VFW is on the right. The building is bright blue and tan.

MENU: Meatloaf, gravy, mashed potatoes, maple glazed carrots, apple pie, and cider.

Lunch Reservations: $12.00 dollars per plate. Make check out to VOCA Mail to: Dianne Leary 4670 Greenbush Rd Charlotte, VT 05445 Reservations must be received by September 20th SPEAKER: Steve Zeoli, curator of Mt. Independence. 1 p.m. Afternoon presentation by author and historian Steve Zeoli about Revolutionary War artist John Trumbull. Mr. Trumbull was a soldier at Mt. Independence.


Footstones: As provided by the VOCA Bylaws, Article VI-ASSISTANTS TO BOARD, Section 1: A panel of six members shall be appointed by the executive board, shall be invited to board meetings as a part of their duties, and may vote with the executive board.

2015 Wesley Mowry P O Box 297, Hartland, VT, 05048 [email protected] 802-436-3383

2015 Richard Howrigan P O Box 16, Fairfield VT, 05455 802-827-6513

2016 Ruth Barton P O Box 309, Putney, VT, 05301 802-254-1128

2016 Charlie Marchant PO Box 132, Townshend, VT 05353 [email protected] 802-365-7937

2017 Nicole Vecchi 318 Rt 5 South Norwich, VT 05055 [email protected] 802-649-7117

2017 Clayton Trutor 31 Matthew Avenue, Burlington, VT 05408 [email protected] 802-658-3273

VOCA County Representatives (These are people who will come help you with your VOCA grant application.)

ADDISON Diane Leary 802-881-2754 [email protected]

BENNINGTON VACANT

CALEDONIA VACANT

CHITTENDEN Robert Hooper 802-862-0708 [email protected]

ESSEX VACANT

FRANKLIN VACANT

GRAND ISLE Clayton Trutor 802-658-3273 [email protected]

LAMOILLE Deanna French 802-522-2050 [email protected]

ORANGE David Phillips 603-252-7363 [email protected]

ORLEANS Joan Alexander 802-525-6212 [email protected]

RUTLAND VACANT

WASHINGTON Nicole Vecchi 802-649-7117 [email protected]

WINDHAM Charles Marchant 802-365-7937 [email protected]

WINDSOR Ken Barrett 802-875-2941

DUES Dues are for a calendar year: 1 year $10.00, 5 years $40.00, and lifetime is $200.00 (individual members ONLY). A new member joining in Oct or Nov or Dec will have the dues paid applied to the following year. I want to make a donation to the Leon Dean Permanent Fund in the amount of $___________. Make check payable to VOCA and mail to: Barry Trutor 31 Matthew Avenue Burlington, VT 05408


VOCA Barry Trutor 31 Matthew Avenue Burlington, VT 05408 2016-2017 Headstones Thomas Giffin, President 61 East Washington St.

Rutland VT, 05701 [email protected] 802-773-3253

Dianne Leary, 1st VP & Grants Administrator 4670 Greenbush Rd. Charlotte, VT 05445

[email protected] 802-881-2754

Robert Hooper, Assistant Grants Administrator, Membership & Assistant Newsletter Editor

3 Grey Meadow Drive Burlington, VT 05408


Chris Book, Treasurer 44 North Main St. Rutland, VT 05701

802-773-6252

Whit Mowry, Asst. Treasurer P O Box 297 Hartland VT 05048

[email protected]

Secretary - Vacant [email protected] 802-365-7937

Barbara Giffin, Newsletter Editor 61 East Washington Street Rutland, Vermont 05701


WEBSITE Barry Trutor Webmaster [email protected] Tom Ledoux Cemetery Database Administrator [email protected] VOCA Website www.voca58.org

vermont old cemetery association founded by prof...

Documents