Most Recent Minutes

January  19, 2026

PRESENT: Alan Jones, Griffin Jones, Mark Obbie, David Pierce, Beth Thomas, Deirdre Crofton,  AJ Magnan, Brooke Finley, Tracey Howe.  Absent: Seth Thomas,  Special Guest: Darren

CALL TO ORDER: Tracey called the meeting to order at 6:02pm

MINUTES: November 17, 2025

·      Beth Thomas motioned to approve, 2nd by Alan Jones  All agreed.   Moved

1. Archaeological Presentation by Darren Brennessel

  • Darren presented musket balls found at the Seneca Point Hotel site, dating from late 1790s through 1850s, possibly as early as 1600s

  • The musket balls were found within the footprint of the building and showed evidence of being fired and hitting something hard

  • Discussion included whether these were from Seneca Indian trading with French and English for guns and muskets 

  • Additional artifacts included oil lamp parts with patent dates from 1869, door hardware, and cast-iron stove parts 

  • The Seneca Point Hotel was built in 1889 and burned in 1899, holding 65 rooms and 200 guests 

2. Treasurer's Report and Financial Updates

  • Current membership stands at 129 active members, showing significant growth 

  • Membership revenue increased from $4,300 to $6,100, with benefactor memberships more than doubling from $1,400 to $3,200 

  • Save Our Church campaign has collected $1,645 toward the $75,000 goal 

  • Discussion of credit card surcharge issues, with $540 in fees and $169 in surcharges collected 

  • Water tax assessment of $561 annually for the church property was explained as debt service for the water district 

·       Tracey motioned to approve, 2nd by Alan.  All agreed.   Moved

3. Technology and Infrastructure

  • Two Starlink satellite internet systems were obtained for use at the Grange to improve connectivity 

  • The systems can be mounted outside or used portably, with one member offering to donate service 

  • Plans to test the systems at the Grange for improved internet access during meetings and events 

4. Program Planning and 250th Anniversary Preparations

  • April 28th program scheduled featuring Susan B. Anthony presentation 

  • Freedom Festival planned for May 30-31 (renamed Bristol Fun Days for the 250th anniversary) 

  • Discussion of archaeological workshop with Darren for members, potentially charging non-members a higher fee 

  • Plans for cemetery tours highlighting Revolutionary War patriots, with potential Eagle Scout involvement 

  • Proposal for presentation about 250-year-old "drumming tree" on Bopple Hill Road with historical significance 

5. Operational Matters

  • Bylaws review scheduled for February meeting, with plans to go through line by line 

  • Bee removal from church scheduled for March/April at no cost, as the beekeeper wants to keep the bees 

  • Discussion of potential treasurer position changes due to possible relocation, with need for local assistance 

Action Items:

  • Beth: Contact Susan B. Anthony presenter for April 28th program details 

  • Tracey: Submit application for Naples Women's Weekend participation 

  • Brooke: Send bylaws document to Tracy for printing before February meeting 

  • Tracey: Write thank you letter to FLCC's Lenore for recent award recognition 

  • Beth: Follow up with Darren about conducting archaeological workshops for members 

  • Beth: Send letter to barn quilt trail participants to update current status 

  • Dave: Research Jay Ungar payment discrepancy and history book sales revenue 

  • Mark: Investigate credit card surcharge options for voluntary payment 

Decisions:

  • Approved treasurer's report with noted discrepancies to be investigated 

  • Scheduled February 16th meeting at 6:00 PM for bylaws review 

  • Agreed to test Starlink systems at the Grange for improved internet connectivity 

  • Committed to 250th anniversary participation in Freedom Festival May 30-31 

  • Decided to dispose of old display cases at the Grange if no suitable recipients found by spring 

  • Agreed to explore archaeological workshop with Darren as member benefit with potential fees for non-members 

Next Meeting February 16, 2026 6pm South Bristol Town Hall

Meeting Adjourned at 7:42pm

Past Meeting Minutes (PDFs)