Administration

i spent the better part of the afternoon yesterday finding out how to add our new rector Mary to the Diocesan Payroll service and get her signed up for health insurance. 

Zoraida, the payroll manager, sent me six forms, and on one of them was a statement that for clergy we  need a seventh form.  I managed to download that from the diocesan website -- it was page 11 of a 12 page compilation of forms, most of which duplicated the forms I had been sent and had already printed.

Sara, the benefits administrator, sent me the form for the health insurance.  Since Mary is coming from another parish in the diocese, Sara told me what plan she was in now, but Mary still has to fill out the form anew.

In all there were eight forms. Four the clergy person has to fill out, and four just the parish fills out.  It came to me to send Mary the four for the clergy person so that she could fill them out and send them back to us.  Two of them we need to add to.

The other four are written in such a way that the presumption is that the treasurer will sign them.  I'm prepared to do that.  There is, however, a timing complication - I won't be in New York very much for a few weeks.  In additon to sending Mary the forms she needs to complete, I sent copies of all the forms to the wardens, Radford and Celia, for their information.   The one that came as part of a 12 page packet, I printed and scanned, so as not to confuse anyone with the duplicates in the other part of the packet.


Liz and I are getting as much time here at Heart Lake as we can, and we also are going to Vermont in a week and a half for our granddaughter Juliana's fifth birthday.  So we will be in New York on only a few days before Mary starts at the beginning of October.  We will be there this week Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (Sunday is the Climate March.)  Next week we will be there Thursday only.  (If you count evenings we will be there Thursday evening this week and Wednesday evening next week.)

The week following the birthday party on the 28th, we will wend our way back to New York.  Depending on whether we come by way of Heart Lake, we will get there either on Wednesday or on Friday or Saturday. 

Then comes Mary's first Sunday at St. Mary's as rector.  We'll be there for that.  Probably we'll come back here sometime that week, at least for Columbus Day.  I don't yet know when we'll turn off the water here and drain the pipes. 

I have another task related to Mary while I am in New York.  Mary and her family are moving into the rectory on the last days of September, when Liz and I will be in Vermont.  Since the parish has to pay for the move, I have to arrange for a bank check to the moving company and cash for the tip before we leave.  I also have to reimburse Mary for the deposit to the moving company.

All of this is in addition to the fact that I have to prepare a financial report for the vestry meeting on September 28 -- a day I'll be away so I have to get the report done four or five days in advance. 

All will be well. Deo gratias.