Lots of great ideas Theresa! As far as breaking down the state coordinator, I have no problem with the site, list admin and being the contact point for the media, etc. I think it would be better if someone else coordinated legislative and educational aspects of it. I can help, but I don't have the time to head them up. I am going to add the Hall of Fame to the site. Walt suggested it recently and it is a very good idea. We need to show the positive side of this so people in our communities can see that these places can be fixed. Hopefully that will generate more interest. There is not a main Hall of Fame main page yet- please stand by. I have placed one cemetery in the Hall of Fame- Spring Friends Cemetery in Hendricks Co. This is the cemetery Jessica Felix has her students working in. It can be accessed at http://www.inpcrp.org/HallofFame/hendricks_spring_friends.html. I have also added a page for Tipton Co. which can be accessed through the county coordinators page. Joan has sent me some more pictures and info that I will get posted soon. If you have any candidates for the Hall of Fame please send them to me, but be patient about getting them posted. I've had some free time and am taking advantage of the great weather to get some restoration work done in Franklin. Thanks, Brad -----Original Message----- From: Theresa Berghoff [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, October 08, 2004 4:06 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [INPCRP] A novel way to raise money for a cemetery I'm glad this calendar/ fund raising discussion has come round to the structure of the INPCRP. Some of us have been talking about this recently. While it would be nice to have money for cemetery projects, the structure needed for a 501c3 organization could be a burden and go against the grain of some of us independent minded preservationist. I do think that we need more structure than we have. We have made great strides this summer. Having Brad come on as webmaster & update the website has made a world of difference. When Lois resigned, she broke down the State Coordinators job description into 3 parts-webmaster- spokes person to do PR & work with the Legislature - list monitor. We need to think about where we want to go & what positions we need to get there .We have 2 new County coordinators, but most of the 92 counties are not covered. We need more visibility, that's what the t-shirts and requests for letters to legislators,and county prosecutors is about. Most of the state doesn't know we exist. Having some organization is helpful when we go to the Legislature. Education is needed in these areas: 1 cemetery care, maintenance, & repair guidelines for Township Trustees, Cemetery Associations & the people they hire. 2 preservation project guidelines for Boy Scout & Girl Scout Councils, schools ect. 3 cemetery visitation guides for libraries, & genealogy societies. 4 recording methods for County Recorders . 5 cemetery law for the general public Maybe we could joint venture some education material with the IN Township Association, IN Historical Society, Historic Landmarks Foundation, or DNR-DHPA. Other ideas I have heard: more workshops & work days more school projects like Rhonda Stoffer & Jessica Felix are doing work with the Ball State Landscape Architecture & Historic Preservation program meet with IN Prosecutors group create a Hall of Fame for restored cemeteries vandalism response info for cemeteries reunion for workshop people Scott talked about doing a book of restored cemeteries So what about any of this? Theresa

Not too long ago there was some discussion of creating some sort of certification for cemetery restorationists. This idea, however, didn't seem to really catch on. I would like to bring this issue back into play. There are several professional who are essentially operating as a full time business. These individuals refer to themselves as professional cemetery restorationists, or something similar. On the whole, they are performing an excellent service and should be commended for their efforts. These individuals have every right to refer to themselves as professional cemetery restorations. This title, if you will, indicates that these individuals have attained a certain level of proficiency in restoring cemeteries and carries significant weight in their interaction with township trustees and other cemetery owners. But what about the rest of us? I have been to a number of workshops now and my personal observation is there are many dedicated individuals performing cemetery restoration using the proper restoration methods, but who are not compensated other than occasional donations from the trustees, family members, etc., to help defray their costs. I personally fall into this group. I have a full-time job but I am doing a lot of restoration and am quite proud of my efforts, and always strive to follow the generally accepted methods and techniques. I have not attained the level of proficiency as some of the professionals, and as such would not attempt the very difficult restorations. When I discuss restoring a cemetery with a trustee or other cemetery owner, I describe previous restoration efforts to assure them that the cemetery will be properly restored. But I don't feel it is proper to refer to myself as a professional cemetery restorationists for several reasons. Since I am doing restoration work to honor the memory of our pioneers and not really doing this for a living, I don't feel it would be proper to refer to myself as a professional. And it would not be fair to the true professional restorationists to imply that I have attained their level of proficiency. But I would still like to be able to have some sort of title or uniformly recognized designation to indicate to the trustee or other cemetery owner that I do in fact possess the requisite proficiency to perform the restoration work being considered. Not for my own ego mind you, but for the piece of mind of the cemetery owner. I would therefore ask that we pick up the discussion of developing some sort of certification. I realize that the professionals and others performing cemetery restoration are a diverse group. But I think that we can really pull this off. I am a certified public accountant during the day and perform cemetery restoration during the weekend and other odd times. As such, I have experience in what it takes to create a universally recognized certification. I would like to propose the following ideas as possible steps in creating a cemetery restoration certification. These are merely ideas, so don't anybody yell at me. But I think by putting these ideas on the table we might be able to collectively generate viable ideas as to how to pull this off. The first step would be to select a method of organization and elect or have a respected group appoint a "governing body." I am using the term governing body loosely for lack of a better term. So don't get hung up on terminology. We would need a group of respected restorationists that could enact standards that everyone as a whole could accept. This group could be an independent body selected by the restorationists through some sort of election process. Or this group could be chartered under the auspices of the state in some manner or another, possibly even established by statute as a subdivision of DNR or the Indiana Historical Society with an appointed governing body. The governing body itself would ideally consist of three or five individuals. We wouldn't want so few that one or two individuals could unduly influence the body as a whole, but we wouldn't want so many that nothing could ever be accomplished. I can tell you from experience that governing by committee rarely works. The individuals selected as members of the governing body would have to be respected by the restoration community as a whole. It would probably work best if the governing body consists of several professional restorationists as well as member of the restoration community who, while they may not be performing restoration on a full-time basis, have demonstrated a high level of proficiency and knowledge in proper restoration techniques. A methodology would also be needed for a plan of succession of the members of the governing body. It would be ideal if their terms were staggered so there would always be experience on the board, but new members would be coming on periodically so they could bring new ideas while learning the workings of the board by the experienced members. The next step would be to determine what type of certification we would want to have. The certification would need to indicate to the public that the holder of the certification has in fact achieved a certain level of proficiency and that every effort would be made to perform the cemetery restoration by following the proper techniques and methodologies generally accepted by the restoration community as a whole. I'm not sure what a proper title would be. Something like "certified cemetery restorationists" perhaps? Or "certified by the _____" with the blank being the name of the governing body mentioned earlier. To mean anything the holder of the certification would need to demonstrate that he or she has in fact met or exceeded the requisite standards set by the governing body to earn the title "certified cemetery restorationist" or whatever. So once the governing body, with the input of the restoration community as a whole, has determined the title, the governing body would need to determine what standards one must meet or exceed in order to earn that title. It would need to be decided how high to raise the bar in relation to earning the certification. The standards shouldn't be so high that only the true professionals could attain the certification. What would be the point in that? We might as well leave the professionals to call themselves that and let the rest of us remain out of the loop. But of course, we would not want to set the standards so low that the certification could be attained by those individuals not possessing the skills needed to be able to restore a cemetery in a manner that restorations as a group would deem proper. I would thus propose that the governing body determine certain standards one must achieve in order to earn the certification. We all agree that there are certain do's and don'ts. For instance, everybody should know that it is never acceptable to place a tablet stone in wet cement, support a stone with metal, etc. The governing body would need to prepare written standards which collectively encompass the acceptable standards a "certified cemetery restorationist" would follow in restoring a cemetery. The ideal, in my opinion, would be for the governing body to prepare a working list of these standards and to expose them to the restoration community as a whole for public comment. After a reasonable deadline, probably three months or so, the board would gather up all the public comments and after careful consideration and deliberation develop the standards. The concept of "generally accepted" standards comes into play here. Not everyone will agree with all the standards, but we would all have to accept them if we wish to attain the certification. And again, the standards could not be so high that few could follow them, but not so low that the certification would result in certified individuals who are not really capable of performing proper cemetery restoration. The Graveyard Preservation Primer by Lynette Strangstad and other generally recognized restoration publications would probably be a good starting point in the development of these standards. There would also have to be a process for amending the standards from time to time. As we all are aware, the generally accepted best practices for cemetery restoration evolves over time. What may have been acceptable by many restorationists years ago might not be considered acceptable today. Next, the governing body would need to determine the process to certify how an individual has in fact met the requirements to earn the certification. For instance, the governing body might require some sort of written exam, workshop attendance, documentation through photos and written narratives of prior restoration efforts, a hands-on examination, or a combination of these or other methods that would satisfy the governing body that an applicant does in fact possess the necessary requisite knowledge and ability to earn the certification. I would also like to suggest some sort of on-going continuing education requirement. For instance, as a CPA, I am required to attend 40 hours each year of continuing education, usually in the form of classroom training, in order to retain my certification. This is an excellent way to see to it that a CPA keeps informed and abreast of the current best practices. I would like to see some sort of one-day workshop concept or something similar where a certified cemetery restorationist could keep abreast of best practices. A hands-on workshop at a cemetery would probably be more useful than a classroom setting. But a combination of the two might not be a bad idea. A round table discussion of newly discovered best practices or other sharing of information could only serve to help all restorationists. In addition to the standards developed by the governing body, it might be a good idea if certain recommended practices could be issued. These recommended practices would not be a part of the absolute do and don't standards, but rather, would be more in the form of suggestions, recommendations, etc., to assist a cemetery restorationist. I'm thinking here perhaps the recommended slot mix formulas, recommend types of epoxies, etc. And I think developing a written code of ethics would be a good idea. The code of ethics, if nothing else, should be made a part of the certification in such a way that an individual who holds the certification would pledge to follow the code of ethics and lose their certification if they don't I would also like to see some sort of outreach or education program developed. Remember not too long ago where a group of boy scouts performed some restoration work in a cemetery. It is always great when volunteers step forward to help restore a cemetery, but we were all horrified to learn they were cleaning stones with a power washer. This is of course one of the absolute don'ts. Maybe in addition to the recommended practice for cemetery restorationists, there could also be a list of recommendations developed for volunteer groups that want to do some basic restoration, but don't know how or don't know what jobs they are capable of performing and which ones should be left to a certified restorationists. Possibly a brochure, info published on various websites, etc? It would also be a good idea if all the county historical societies, libraries, etc., were made aware of the existence of the cemetery restoration governing body and its recommended practices. It might even be a good idea to publish a list of the certified cemetery restorationists so that a boy scout group or other volunteers could seek advise from a nearby certified restorationist before they attempt restoration efforts. And on a delicate subject, there would need to be some sort of fee structure. I would envision that an individual would need to submit a fee to the governing body when then apply to be certified. The organization, particularly if the organization is independent and not affiliated directly with the state, would need to have some funds to cover its basic expenses. What do you all think? I think something like this would provide the tools for those involved in cemetery restoration to improve their efforts. Keep your eye on the big picture. We need to stay focused on the actual results achieved. Will this help achieve a high standard of quality in the restoration of the cemeteries? I believe strongly that it would. Larry Tippin Putnam County Coordinator ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brad Manzenberger" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, October 08, 2004 8:04 AM Subject: RE: [INPCRP] A novel way to raise money for a cemetery > Lots of great ideas Theresa! > > As far as breaking down the state coordinator, I have no problem with the > site, list admin and being the contact point for the media, etc. I think it > would be better if someone else coordinated legislative and educational > aspects of it. I can help, but I don't have the time to head them up. > > I am going to add the Hall of Fame to the site. Walt suggested it recently > and it is a very good idea. We need to show the positive side of this so > people in our communities can see that these places can be fixed. Hopefully > that will generate more interest. There is not a main Hall of Fame main page > yet- please stand by. > > I have placed one cemetery in the Hall of Fame- Spring Friends Cemetery in > Hendricks Co. This is the cemetery Jessica Felix has her students working > in. It can be accessed at > http://www.inpcrp.org/HallofFame/hendricks_spring_friends.html. > > I have also added a page for Tipton Co. which can be accessed through the > county coordinators page. Joan has sent me some more pictures and info that > I will get posted soon. > > If you have any candidates for the Hall of Fame please send them to me, but > be patient about getting them posted. I've had some free time and am taking > advantage of the great weather to get some restoration work done in > Franklin. > > Thanks, > Brad > > -----Original Message----- > From: Theresa Berghoff [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Friday, October 08, 2004 4:06 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [INPCRP] A novel way to raise money for a cemetery > > > I'm glad this calendar/ fund raising discussion has come round to the > structure of the INPCRP. Some of us have been talking about this recently. > While it would be nice to have money for cemetery projects, the structure > needed for a 501c3 organization could be a burden and go against the grain > of some of us independent minded preservationist. > > I do think that we need more structure than we have. We have made great > strides this summer. Having Brad come on as webmaster & update the website > has made a world of difference. When Lois resigned, she broke down the State > Coordinators job description into 3 parts-webmaster- spokes person to do PR > & work with the Legislature - list monitor. We need to think about where we > want to go & what positions we need to get there > > .We have 2 new County coordinators, but most of the 92 counties are not > covered. > We need more visibility, that's what the t-shirts and requests for letters > to legislators,and county prosecutors is about. Most of the state doesn't > know we exist. Having some organization is helpful when we go to the > Legislature. > > Education is needed in these areas: > 1 cemetery care, maintenance, & repair guidelines for Township Trustees, > Cemetery > Associations & the people they hire. > 2 preservation project guidelines for Boy Scout & Girl Scout Councils, > schools ect. > 3 cemetery visitation guides for libraries, & genealogy societies. > 4 recording methods for County Recorders . > 5 cemetery law for the general public > Maybe we could joint venture some education material with the IN Township > Association, IN Historical Society, Historic Landmarks Foundation, or > DNR-DHPA. > > Other ideas I have heard: > more workshops & work days > more school projects like Rhonda Stoffer & Jessica Felix are doing > work with the Ball State Landscape Architecture & Historic > Preservation program > meet with IN Prosecutors group > create a Hall of Fame for restored cemeteries > vandalism response info for cemeteries > reunion for workshop people > Scott talked about doing a book of restored cemeteries > > So what about any of this? > Theresa > > > > ==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== > THIS IS A CEMETERY ----- > "Lives are commemorated - deaths are recorded - families > are reunited - memories are made tangible - and love is > undisguised. This is a cemetery. > "Communities accord respect, families bestow reverence, > historians seek information and our heritage is thereby enriched. > "Testimonies of devotion, pride and remembrance are carved > in stone to pay warm tribute to accomplishments and to the life - > not the death - of a loved one. The cemetery is homeland for family > memorials that are a sustaining source of comfort to the living. > "A cemetery is a history of people - a perpetual record of > yesterday and sanctuary of peace and quiet today. A cemetery > exists because every life is worth loving and remembering - always." > --Author unknown -- Seen at a monument dealer in West Union, IA >

Brad, I'm glad you are ok with taking care of the website, being list administrator, and media coordinator. You are doing a fantastic job! I just thought we should revisit the recommendations Lois made, so we could cover everything, and not have anyone get overwhelmed & burnt out. I hope Angela Tielking will be the official spokesperson for legislative issues. Angela,if you are out there, please think about it. You have done a great job so far. You have a good grasp of the issues, you are very articulate, and when you speak people can tell your heart is in this work. Larry, Wow . You have put a lot of thought into the idea of certification.I will have to read your e-mail again to absorb it all. We have been down this road before. I remember there were some people who had been doing restoration for a long time who kind of took offense at the idea. In a way I understand that. I also know there are alot of people in this group who are very independent and some days not 3 of us could agree on a thing. You are however right about the need to be recognized as preservationist with some training and experience. And we don't want every Tom, Dick, & Harry out running around claiming to know how to restore tombstones & making a bigger mess. So I guess this needs more discussion. Are there any other states with certification? Does the Association for Gravestone Studies or the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training give anything to their workshop participants? Theresa Berghoff Brad Manzenberger <[email protected]> wrote: Lots of great ideas Theresa! As far as breaking down the state coordinator, I have no problem with the site, list admin and being the contact point for the media, etc. I think it would be better if someone else coordinated legislative and educational aspects of it. I can help, but I don't have the time to head them up. I am going to add the Hall of Fame to the site. Walt suggested it recently and it is a very good idea. We need to show the positive side of this so people in our communities can see that these places can be fixed. Hopefully that will generate more interest. There is not a main Hall of Fame main page yet- please stand by. I have placed one cemetery in the Hall of Fame- Spring Friends Cemetery in Hendricks Co. This is the cemetery Jessica Felix has her students working in. It can be accessed at http://www.inpcrp.org/HallofFame/hendricks_spring_friends.html. I have also added a page for Tipton Co. which can be accessed through the county coordinators page. Joan has sent me some more pictures and info that I will get posted soon. If you have any candidates for the Hall of Fame please send them to me, but be patient about getting them posted. I've had some free time and am taking advantage of the great weather to get some restoration work done in Franklin. Thanks, Brad -----Original Message----- From: Theresa Berghoff [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, October 08, 2004 4:06 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [INPCRP] A novel way to raise money for a cemetery I'm glad this calendar/ fund raising discussion has come round to the structure of the INPCRP. Some of us have been talking about this recently. While it would be nice to have money for cemetery projects, the structure needed for a 501c3 organization could be a burden and go against the grain of some of us independent minded preservationist. I do think that we need more structure than we have. We have made great strides this summer. Having Brad come on as webmaster & update the website has made a world of difference. When Lois resigned, she broke down the State Coordinators job description into 3 parts-webmaster- spokes person to do PR & work with the Legislature - list monitor. We need to think about where we want to go & what positions we need to get there .We have 2 new County coordinators, but most of the 92 counties are not covered. We need more visibility, that's what the t-shirts and requests for letters to legislators,and county prosecutors is about. Most of the state doesn't know we exist. Having some organization is helpful when we go to the Legislature. Education is needed in these areas: 1 cemetery care, maintenance, & repair guidelines for Township Trustees, Cemetery Associations & the people they hire. 2 preservation project guidelines for Boy Scout & Girl Scout Councils, schools ect. 3 cemetery visitation guides for libraries, & genealogy societies. 4 recording methods for County Recorders . 5 cemetery law for the general public Maybe we could joint venture some education material with the IN Township Association, IN Historical Society, Historic Landmarks Foundation, or DNR-DHPA. Other ideas I have heard: more workshops & work days more school projects like Rhonda Stoffer & Jessica Felix are doing work with the Ball State Landscape Architecture & Historic Preservation program meet with IN Prosecutors group create a Hall of Fame for restored cemeteries vandalism response info for cemeteries reunion for workshop people Scott talked about doing a book of restored cemeteries So what about any of this? Theresa ==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== THIS IS A CEMETERY ----- "Lives are commemorated - deaths are recorded - families are reunited - memories are made tangible - and love is undisguised. This is a cemetery. "Communities accord respect, families bestow reverence, historians seek information and our heritage is thereby enriched. "Testimonies of devotion, pride and remembrance are carved in stone to pay warm tribute to accomplishments and to the life - not the death - of a loved one. The cemetery is homeland for family memorials that are a sustaining source of comfort to the living. "A cemetery is a history of people - a perpetual record of yesterday and sanctuary of peace and quiet today. A cemetery exists because every life is worth loving and remembering - always." --Author unknown -- Seen at a monument dealer in West Union, IA --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Y! Messenger - Communicate in real time. Download now.