St. Joseph Catholic Church - Neptune at 28172 Nature Avenue, Hinton, IA 51024-8553 US - NEPTUNE PARISH POLICY

These policies have been created by various parish groups with the approval of the pastor. Cemetery 1. Families are to comply with all the rules and regulations of the cemetery. 2. No permanent trees, plants, shrubs, flowers, or embellishments of any kind may be placed upon the burial lot. 3. All Memorial Day memorials are to be removed by June 15 or they will be discarded in order to make it easier for mowing. This shall be announced several weeks before Memorial Day in the bulletin. [Parish Pastoral Council—18 June 1997, updated 16 January 2002] 4. All memorials are to be removed by November 1. [Parish Pastoral Council—16 January 2002] 5. All headstones (marking two or more graves) are to be placed on the west end or in the center of a burial lot with the front facing west. [Parish Pastoral Council—26 June 2002] 6. All footstones (marking one grave) are to be placed at the west end of the grave with the front facing west so that grave is east of the stone. Footstones are not to be used if the headstone is being used to identify individual graves. [Parish Pastoral Council—26 June 2002] 7. Persons wishing to have headstones and footstones installed are to contact a member of the Cemetery Committee in order to mark the location of the stone so that they do not interfere with grave digging or cemetery care. Stones misplaced will be moved at the expense of the family. [Parish Pastoral Council—26 June 2002] Education 1. There shall be the St. Joseph Church-Neptune Education Fund with donations and monies to be held in the Diocese of Sioux City’s Catholic School Foundation in order to help fund this parish’s Investment in Gehlen Catholic School. [Parish Pastoral Council—19 January 2000, reviewed 16 January 2002] 2. Parish Fundraisers Instead of a parish Chicken Supper, each August or September a collection shall be taken. $50 per couple and $25 per single person will be requested and collected from donors. [Parish Pastoral Council—18 June 1997, reviewed 16 January 2002] Parish Funds 1. The use of moneys from the Parish Improvement Fund shall only be used after the approval of the Parish Pastoral Council members. [Parish Pastoral Council—23 July 1997, reviewed 16 January 2002] 2. The use of moneys from the Parish Cemetery Fund shall only be used after the approval of the Parish Cemetery Committee members. [Fr. Mark J. Stoll—24 July 1997, reviewed 16 January 2002] 3. The parish will not borrow money from any financial institution, other than the Diocese of Sioux City, in order to pay our Gehlen investment debt. [Parish Council/Fr. Raymond Weiling--?; Parish Pastoral Council—20 January 1999; amended 16 January 2002] 4. Money received for rental of the church hall, chairs, and tables shall be placed in the Improvement Fund to be used for the purchase of new chairs, tables, and other equipment. [Parish Pastoral Council—17 May 2000, reviewed 16 January 2002] 5. Parish Pastoral Council 1. The operation of the council has been determined by the Constitution of the Parish Pastoral Council. [Parish Pastoral Council—18 June 1997, reviewed 16 January 2002] 2. Minutes of the parish pastoral council meeting and the parish’s financial situation as discussed by the council shall be published in the parish bulletin after each meeting after approval by the pastor and council president. [Parish Pastoral Council—18 June 1997, reviewed 16 January 2002] 3. Terms for committee members shall have no definite length, but at least a one-year commitment is expected from members and up to three years if elected president of the committee. [Parish Pastoral Council—17 March 1999, reviewed 16 January 2002] 4. Parish Rentals 1. People wishing to rent the Parish Hall and/or chairs and/or tables for non-parish functions (i.e. meetings, showers, dinners, etc.) need to contact Dawn to check on availability and to make arrangements. 2. Cost for rental is: For Parishioner use For Non-Parishioner use Hall $25 $50 Chairs (old) .25c .25c Tables (white top) $3 $5 Tables (brown top) $5 $10 3. All fees for all rentals are to be paid before items are picked up or the hall is used. 4. All renters are required to sign-out and sign-in the property they rent at the time they pick up and return the rented items. This is done by filling in the next lines on the items rented sheet on the bulletin board. This provides information about the location of the rented property, when it was picked up, and when it was returned, and the exact number of chairs and tables rented. 5. All rented items are to be removed from the stage. Items set up in the hall and the 75 new chairs are not to be rented out unless all items on stage are rented out or other arrangements are made. 6. Rental of chairs and tables are for three (3) days unless otherwise arranged. If items are not returned within three (3) days (or time arranged) another 3 days use will be charged. 7. There is no charge for hall rental for funerals and parish functions hosted by parish groups (i.e. Altar Society) for parish business and/or entertainment. 8. Since the hall is used by wedding parties for preparation before the ceremony, $25 will be charged if either the bride or groom is a parishioner or was baptized here and $50 will be charged if neither bride or groom is a parishioner or were baptized here. 9. In all cases when the hall is rented, renters will need to sign the “Facility Usage/Indemnity Agreement” that releases the parish from liability due to negligence or fault caused by the renter. 10. When the use of the hall is complete, the renter is asked to leave the hall as it was found. Cleaning supplies can be found in the kitchen and women’s bathroom cabinet. 11. 1.5% late fee will be added to fees not paid after 30 days. 12. In addition to the standard rental price ($25 or $50) and the signing of the “Facility Usage/Indemnity Agreement”, each hall renter is to write a second check of $25 to “St. Joseph Church-Neptune” before the date of the use of the hall. This check will be returned to the renter if Dawn believes the hall was cleaned adequately in accord with #10 of the parish rental policy. Renters not cleaning the hall properly will forfeit their deposit to the Altar Society. 13. [Pastoral Council, updated 23 October 2002] 14. Parish Hall Rental Deposit Policy 1. In addition to the standard rental price ($25 or $50) and the signing of the “Facility Usage/Indemnity Agreement”, each hall renter is to write a second check of $25 to “St. Joseph Church-Neptune” before the date of the use of the hall. This check will be returned to the renter if Dawn believes the hall was cleaned adequately in accord with #10 of the parish rental policy. Renters not cleaning the hall properly will forfeit their deposit to the Altar Society. 2. To ensure that the deposit check is returned, renters are required to: a. Clean the bathrooms (Clean up any messes on the floor, toilets, sinks, mirrors (cleaning these areas if necessary with proper cleaning products); mop up any water, pick up any trash, empty the trash cans and install new trash can liners). b. Clean the steps of the side entrances. c. Clean the kitchen areas (Clean up any messes on the floor, sinks, stoves; mop up any water, empty trash can and install new trash can liner, wash all parish silverware, utensils, coffee pots, etc. that are used and return them to the locations they were found, remove all food items from the refrigerator.) d. Clean up hall area (Wipe off tables, chairs, and serving area; vacuum the carpeting, [in the winter] return the thermostat to below 55 degrees.) e. Take home the trash for disposal. f. Used dish towels are to be taken home, laundered, and returned within seven (7) days. 3. Cleaning supplies can be found under the kitchen sinks and in the cabinet in the women’s bathroom. 3. Vacuum cleaner and mops can be found in the closet in the kitchen. (Sometimes the vacuum cleaner is on the stage. Another vacuum cleaner can be found in the belltower storeroom north of the sanctuary.) Please return the vacuum cleaner(s) to the place they were found. 4. Trashcan liners can be found in the center doors of the cupboard along the north wall in the room between the kitchen and the furnace room. 5. Your effort to leave the Hall in the same or cleaner condition than found will be greatly appreciated! 6. Altar Society--St. Joseph-Neptune, 30 October 2001 Salaries 1. Parish salaries for the pastor, the housekeeper, and the bus driver are to be paid first before other bills are paid. [Parish Pastoral Council--?(before 1996), reviewed 16 January 2002]

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