December 10, 2015

The December meeting was held on the above date at the Tabernacle Town Hall. The President called the meeting to order at 7:35 PM followed by the flag salute and moment of silence. There were 9 members present: Ann Franzen, Mary Ann Silvers, Bob Boer, Eileen Chesla,, Betty Gerber, Penny Jones, Donald Gerber, Harry Silvers and Sue Shannon. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer’s report showed a beginning balance of $14,694.44.. Deposits totaled $248.63, while there were debits of $179.61 .The ending balance was $14,763.46.

OLD BUSINESS

The Second Annual Tree Lighting was a success with about 400 attendees, Santa and Mrs. Claus, singers, musicians, cookies, cocoa and cider. Tony Russo graciously donated the 14 foot tree for the event.

The 2016 Budget was voted upon by the membership after being presented at the November meeting. Penny Jones made the motion for approval, and it was seconded by Eileen Chesla. The budget passed with an affirmative voice vote.

There was further discussion of the by-laws of the Historical Society. It was decided that the members would review the proposed changes, and that a final vote would be taken at the March meeting.

The next meeting will be held on March 10. There were no volunteers for refreshments.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 PM.

November 12, 2015

The November meeting was held on the above date at the Tabernacle Town Hall. The President called the meeting to order at 7:40 PM followed by the flag salute and moment of silence. There were 14 members present: Ann Franzen, Irene Abrams, Jackie Krantz, Dee Collins, Mary Ann Silvers, Bob Boer, Eileen Chesla, -, Peggy Pitney, Betty Orme, Edna Seebode, Ken Yates, Dorothy Yates, Harry Silvers and Sue Shannon. Also in attendance were six guests: Carol Suplee, Jim Suplee, Sarah Robbins, Karen Robbins, Lynn Mullen and Jim Mullen.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer’s report showed a beginning balance of $14,595.70. Deposits totaled $98.74, while there were no debits .The ending balance was $14,694.44.

OLD BUSINESS

Approval was given for reimbursement to Ann Franzen for $50.62 for the Historical Society banner we ordered.

On October 13 volunteers cleaned the Pepper House. Special thanks were given to Jim and Carolyn Cuviello, Peg Pitney, Ann Franzen, Mary Ann Silvers and Jackie Krantz.

The President reported that work is expected to start soon on replacing the Pepper House roof with new charcoal gray shingles. She also said that the program previously scheduled for our December meeting has been postponed until February.

NEW BUSINESS

Mary Ann Silvers presented the 2016 Budget. Members were asked to review it for approval at the next meeting. She also announced the donation of a kitchen hutch and an arm chair by Betty and Mike Hogan.

The Tabernacle PTA Community Night will be on November 13. Help is needed to man the table. On December 4 the Community Tree Lighting will be held with the partial sponsorship of the Historical Society. All are encouraged to attend.

After our business was concluded we had a presentation by a guest speaker, Carol Suplee on the Native American, the Quakers and the early days of Willingboro. Afterwards, Mrs. Suplee autographed copies of her books for our members.

The next meeting will be held on December 10. There were no volunteers for refreshments.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 PM.

October 8, 2015

The October meeting was held on the above date at the Tabernacle Town Hall. The President called the meeting to order at7:40 PM followed by the flag salute and moment of silence. There were 12 members present: Ann Franzen, Irene Abrams, Jackie Krantz, Dee Collins, Donald Gerber, Mary Ann Silvers, James Cuviello , Bob Boer, Eileen Chesla, Judith Witowski- Argentine, Peggy Pitney and Sue Shannon.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer’s report showed a beginning balance of $14,629.57. Deposits totaled $13.63, while debits were $47.50. The ending balance was $14,595.70.

OLD BUSINESS

Tabernacle Community Day has been re-scheduled for Oct. 11. Volunteers are needed for this event, and also to clean the Pepper House on Oct. 13.

We continued to review and amend our by-laws in preparation of applying for 501(c)(3) status. The revision of our mission statement in Article II was approved after a motion made by Ann Franzen and seconded by Eileen Chesla. Articles V and Vi were discussed extensively, but not yet adopted.

NEW BUSINESS

The possibility of another Christmas Tea fundraiser was discussed. It was decided that we would not sponsor the Tea this year.

All members are invited to attend a meeting on October 22 to discuss future needs for space in the township.

Mary Ann Silvers announced that speakers have been lined up for the next two meetings. Carol Suplee will speak at the November meeting about Native Americans and the Quakers. The December meeting will feature a presentation by Hal Pschunder on the 150^th Anniversary of Lincoln’s Assassination.

The next meeting will be held on November 12. Sue Shannon will provide refreshments.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 PM.

September 10, 2015

The September meeting was held on the above date at the Tabernacle Town Hall. The President called the meeting to order at7:40 PM followed by the flag salute and moment of silence. There were 11 members present: Ann Franzen, Irene Abrams, Jackie Krantz, Dee Collins, Donald Gerber, Mary Ann Silvers, James Cuviello, Carolyn Cuviello, Harry Silvers, BobBoer and Sue Shannon.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer’s report was given by Ann Franzen in the absence of the treasurer. Our beginning balance was $13,097.28. Deposits totaled $3178.12, while debits were $1575.83. The ending balance was $14,699.57.

OLD BUSINESS

The President thanked all those who donated their time, money or both to make our Chicken Barbecue a success. We will be sending the Methodist Church a check for $200 for the use of their hall. Donald Gerber reported that 285 half chickens were ordered and the dinner was sold out. Fewer advance tickets were sold this year, but more were sold at the door. A motion was made by Bob Boer and seconded by Jackie Krantz to reimburse Ann Franzen $20 for tablecloths purchased for the dinner. This motion was passed by the membership.

Mary Ann Silvers reported that the termite problem at the Pepper House has been addressed. The kitchen floor boards were removed so that the underlying soil could be treated. Treatments were also applied for powder post beetles and hornets. The kitchen floor has been put back in place. It was also noted that missing trim on the Cemetery building has been replaced by Steve Scanlon.

NEW BUSINESS

A motion was made by Ann Franzen and seconded by Bob Boer to reimburse Mary Ann $27.50 for the Corporate Annual Report filing. The motion was approved.

The President told us that she spoke at the recent Township Committee meeting in support of a bond issue that will include improvements to the Pepper House.

We will need update By-Laws before we apply for 501(c)(3) status. After much discussion, Articles I, III and IV were amended and approved by the membership. It was decided that Article II and the rest of the By-Laws would be considered at the next meeting.

A date was set for cleaning the Pepper House – October 13 at 9:30 AM. Volunteers are needed.

Tabernacle Community Day is scheduled for October 4. Volunteers are needed to set up and man a table for the Society. The President will be out of town and cannot attend. Ann Franzen volunteered to work the event if someone volunteered to help. We also need a chairperson to research a fundraising Christmas Tea.

The next meeting will be held on October 8. Ann Franzen will provide refreshments.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:20 PM.

June 11, 2015

The June meeting was held on the above date at the Tabernacle Town Hall. The President called the meeting to order at 7:40 followed by the flag salute and moment of silence. There were 14 members present: Irene Abrams, Dee Collins, Donald Gerber, Mary Ann Silvers, Ann Franzen, Sue Shannon, Betty Gerber, Peggy Pitney, Beverly Gibson, Bob Boer, Eileen Chesla, Judy Argentine, Midge Hangley and Betty Orme.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer’s Report showed a beginning balance $12,698.06. There was a deposit of $1015.71 from the Strawberry Social, the sale of ornaments and plates, dues and donations. Interest earned was $3.22. Debits included banners, pencils, plants and strawberries for a total of $599.71. The ending balance was $13,114.06.

OLD BUSINESS

The President reported that our $500 scholarship was given to Aleks Hill who worked on the Cemetery project.

Ann Franzen told about the success of this year’s 3^rd Grade Tour. 62 children were on the tour given by our guides and the staff of the Town Hall. The children received Historical Society pencils as a souvenier.

The Society celebrated our anniversary at the Memorial Day Parade with a float, new banners and an open house at the Pepper House. Mary Ann presented the memorial wreath from the Society. She also planted geraniums to decorate the Pepper House and Indian Ann’s grave.

Donald Gerber reported on the Strawberry Social. It was moved to the Methodist Church because of threatening weather. A profit of $441.94 was realized this year. There was a discussion about whether to move the event permanently to the Church. We also

brainstormed about alternate, less confusing names for the Strawberry Social. “Strawberry Day” and “Strawberry Celebration” were among the ideas mentioned.

Ann Franzen displayed the newly-purchased banner of the Historical Society. This was purchased from Staples for $50.62.

The President told us about the status of remediating termite damage at the Pepper House. We will need to remove some of the floorboards in the kitchen so that the area can be sprayed and repairs made. The Township will cover this project, although we may need to pay some costs. Donald Gerber made the motion to begin work on the project and to cover any costs not paid by the Township. Bob Boer seconded the motion & the membership approved it. Mary Ann also asked for a motion to have the chimney capped at the Pepper House to keep birds out. This was so moved by Judy Argentibne , seconded by Peg Pitney and carried by the membership.

A Pot Luck Picnic will be held at Donald Gerber’s house on July 9. This dinner will be special, because it will mark our 40^th Anniversary.

NEW BUSINESS

We will be represented at the Pine Barrens Festival on the evening of July 25. Volunteers are needed to man the booth and to create an interactive display.

Fund raising ideas were discussed. Amon them are a community Yar Sale, a Historical Tour, an Antique Show and more Dine and Donate nights..

Judy Argentine is working on transcribing some of the Oral Histories in our collection.

The next meeting will be held on July 9 at Donald Gerber’s House to celebrate our 40^th Anniversary and to plan the Chicken Barbecue. The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 PM

May 14, 2015

The May meeting was held on the above date at the Tabernacle Town Hall. The President called the meeting to order at 7:35 followed by the flag salute and moment of silence. There were 13 members present: Edna Seebode, Betsy Piner, Harry Silvers, James Cuviello, Carolyn Cuviello, Irene Abrams, Jackie Krantz, Dee Collins, Donald Gerber, Mary Ann Silvers, Ann Franzen, Sue Shannon and Betty Orme.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer’s Report was given by Vice President Donald Gerber in the absence of Treasurer Peg Pitney. The beginning balance was $13,109.85. There was a deposit of $75 from the Dine and Donate at Upper Crust and also two annual dues were paid for another $10. Interest earned was $3.21. The only debit was $500 for the Seneca scholarship, and the ending balance was $12,698.06.

OLD BUSINESS

The President reported on the $75 profit from the Dine and Donate Night and also on the money sent to Seneca to cover our scholarship.

Harry Silvers told us that Steve Scanlon has offered to make the repairs on the Cemetery building for free. He will raise the building and fix the leak on the corner.

Volunteers were requested to help with the Spring Cleaning at the Pepper House and Friendship School in May. Ann Franzen, Beverly Gibson and Mary Ann Silvers signed up for this.

Ann Franzen relayed the plans for the 3^rd Grade Historical Tour we do each year. This year it is scheduled for June 1, with a rain date of June 5. Pencils were purchased as a little souvenir for the kids. They are white with our name in navy print. Donald Gerber made a motion to reimburse Mary Ann Silvers the $108.24 she spent on the pencils. Jackie Krantz seconded, and the motion carried.

A discussion took place on ways to celebrate our 40^th Anniversary. Two lawn banners have been purchased. They will be used in the upcoming parade and later will be in front of the Pepper House. Ann Franzen made a motion to reimburse Mary Ann Silvers for the $41.97 spent on the signs. Betty Orme seconded, and the motion carried. A driving Tour of historic sites is also a possibility for the Fall. A planning session for this will occur sometime after the Strawberry Social.

NEW BUSINESS

Plans were discussed for the Memorial Day Parade. We hope to have a float with people dressed in colonial costumes. The Pepper House will be open for tours and we will sell our plates, afghans and ornaments.

Donald Gerber explained what needed to be done for the Strawberry Social. Members were asked to volunteer to bake cakes, cut up strawberries and work during the event. It was agreed that the child’s portion would increase to $3, while all other prices remained the same. We will need to buy hot dogs and rolls as well as table covers.

We received an estimate from Carlson’s Exterminators (Lethal Pest Solutions) to combat termites and carpenter ants in our historic buildings. They quoted us $802.50 each for the Pepper House and the Cemetery, and $321 for the Friendship School. In addition, they offered to do annual pest management (excluding termites) for another $802.50. After a discussion, it was agreed to call another company to bid on this work. In the interim, Ann Franzen will take a carpenter bee trap to the School house.

We are gathering prices for a permanent banner for the Society that we can display at every event.

Another discussion centered on fund-raising ideas. Ann Franzen will explore the historic tour idea, while Mary Ann Silvers will research an antique show and Edna Seebode will look into a yard sale for the community.

The next meeting will be held on June 11. Betty Orme volunteered to bring refreshments. The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 PM

April 9, 2015

The April meeting was held on the above date at the Tabernacle Town Hall. The President called the meeting to order at 7:35 followed by the flag salute and moment of silence. There were 11 members present: Irene Abrams, Dee Collins, Edna Seebode, Betty Gerber, Betty Orme, Sue Shannon, Bev Gibson, Bob Boer, Harry Silvers, Don Gerber, and Mary Ann Silvers. There were also 2 visitors at the meeting: Bruce Powell and Joe Barton.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer’s report was given by Mary Ann Silvers in the absence of Peg Pitney with a beginning balance of $13,106.51. The income was only the March checking account interest payment of $3.34 with no expenditures bringing the balance to $13,109.85.

OLD BUSINESS

Insurance payment was received by Franklin Insurance Co. and the 2015 policy was issued with a statement of “additional insured” sent to the Tabernacle Township for proof of our insurance.

Dine and Donate Nite did not have the expected turn out as the last time. Mary Ann is still waiting for the check from Upper Crust with an approximate total of $60.

Ava Silvers will not be redoing the signs for the Strawberry Social due to the largeness of the project.

Scholarship money will be sent to Seneca High School in the amount of $500.

NEW BUSINESS

Spring Cleaning of the Pepper House and the Friendship Schoolhouse will take place the week of May 11. Bev Gibson and Mary Ann Silvers have volunteered to clean.

The THS will be having its 40^th Anniversary this year. A committee was formed to come up with ideas to celebrate this event. Sue Shannon and Mary Ann Silvers were the first to join this committee.

Further business was discussed as follows:

The Burlington County Board of Freeholders have sent out notices of applications for their Historic Preservation Recognition Program. Mary Ann Silvers placed the name of Aleks Hill in nomination for this honor. Aleks Hill was the young man who worked on his Eagle Scout Project at the Tabernacle Cemetery righting and cleaning the headstones and drawing up a chart of the burial plots with names and dates in Oct. 2014.

Mary Ann brought up the idea of having the Pepper House and other buildings in our care looked at by an exterminator. Donald Gerber suggested that Mary Ann look in the past minutes to when it was done last. The exterminator used then was Carlson’s Exterminators.

Edna Seebode will bring refreshments to the May’s meeting.

The meeting was adjorned at 8:00pm.

Edna Seebode presented her husband’s life work and passion of model making and carving by talking and showing us his work through pictures.

Submitted by

Mary Ann Silvers for Ann Franzen

March 12, 2015

The March meeting was held on the above date at the Tabernacle Town Hall. The President called the meeting to order at 7:35 followed by the flag salute and moment of silence. There were 15 members present: Penny Jones, Irene Abrams, Dee Collins, Dot Yates, Edna Seebode, Carolyn Cuviello, Bob Boer, Harry Silvers, Bruce Powell, Peggy Pitney, Don Gerber, Mary Ann Silvers, Ann Franzen, Sue Shannon and Bev Gibson. There were also 6 visitors at the meeting: Bert Butts, Janet Wolf, Peggy Singer, Jim D’Aloia, and Marlene D’Aloia.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer reported a beginning balance of $14,222.96. There were 4 items of income and 3 interest payments totaling $45.55. The sole expenditure was $1162.00 for insurance, leaving an ending balance of $13,106.51.

OLD BUSINESS

Ann Franzen reported on a follow-up meeting of the Tree Lighting Committee held on Jan. 15. Those present reviewed the success of the inaugural event and discussed plans for next year. The next meeting has not be scheduled, but will be in Spring or early summer.

NEW BUSINESS

The insurance bill has been paid. The Tabernacle School District will be adding the Friendship School (which stands on school district property) to their insurance policy. We will continue to carry the school on our policy as well. Donald Gerber asked if we need to list the Tree Lighting event on our policy as the Strawberry Social is listed.

Our application to use the Town Hall has been filed and is pending a copy of the insurance policy listing the township as “other insured”.

We will be giving a $500 scholarship to a graduate of Seeca High School who meets our criteria.

Steve Scanlon has been consulted about the repairs needed to the right outbuilding at the Tabernacle Cemetery

A dine & Donate night is to be held at Upper Crust on March 23. The restaurant will donate 15% of the orders to our Society.

Mary Ann reported that her granddaughter, Ava Silvers, will be re-painting the Strawberry Social signs as part of a service project. A sample of the work will be available at the next meeting.

The 3^rd Grade Tour has been scheduled for June 1, with a raindate of June5. Ann Franzen, Mary Ann Silvers, Beverly Gibson, and Peg Pitney have volunteered for the day.

The next meeting will take place on April 9. The meeting was adjourned at 7:55, and refreshments and a program followed. Bruce Powell presented a talk entitled “Through My Father’s Eyes” which featured memorabilia, dioramas and models related to his father’s service in World War II.