The Fisherman’s NetThe newsletter of St. Andrew’s-by-the-Sea

Volume 23, No. 2 • Advent 2014

Greetings to you during this Advent season. This is my first letter to you as your new Senior Warden. It is certainly an honor and privilege to serve you, and I am

excited to give back to a community that my wife, Martha Byam and I, and our two daughters, Emily and Sarah have enjoyed for so many years. In July of 2013, Emily was married at St. Andrew’s, complete with huge thunder claps, a light rain, and lots of humidity, in a truly joyous ceremony. It has reminded me once again of all the wonderfully committed people, both now and in the past, who have served our community so well throughout the years.

It’s always good to be mindful of all the marvelous work done in the life of St. Andrew’s. From mid-May through October amazing teams of volunteers graciously serve in baptisms, weddings, memorials, and our Sunday worship services. Even after the season is over, there are many who make sure everything is ready for our next season. We are so grateful, and a special thanks to all who make it possible.

Our 138th season this past summer began with Alex Ross and his uplifting bagpipes to stir our souls. Our Sunday worship services were blessed with some wonderful ministers. Paul Dykstra once again played the organ and arranged for a variety of superb musicians. For our last Sunday, Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld, bishop, Diocese of NH honored us for the second year in a row, and Alex Ross closed the season playing his bagpipe.

An exciting year ahead – We have a wonderful Executive and Chapel Committee, many who are new and inspired with the prospects that lay ahead. Many others have chosen to volunteer for one or more of our committees. Without their service we would not be able to do all that we do. And we always welcome new volunteers as well.

I am very pleased to report your Executive Committee has committed to a ‘Planning Process,’ to create a shared vision for what we can accomplish in the next few years, and to explore new ways to grow as a community with, and for others. Tony Codding with his previous experience has graciously volunteered to lead us in this initiative.

Our new Jr. Warden, Greg Kann has been tackling a host of issues. Working non-stop since August, he has certainly earned the right to hibernate for the winter. Greg has overseen the repairing of our lych gate and bell, restoring our sign on Ocean Boulevard, making plans to repair the slate roof, the Hoffman window, and restore the Reed window (more details later), to removing & trimming trees, dealing with mice, ants, a security alarm, fall clean-up, and preparing for winter; there has been much to attend to for our beautiful chapel.

As many have done before us for decades, we are called upon as good stewards of our charming chapel to preserve its beauty for generations to come. So we hope you will graciously consider supporting our preservation efforts to restore and preserve our stained glass ‘Reed’ & ‘Hoffman’ windows, and contribute whatever you can. Your gift will help to sustain the joy for all those who will come to worship at St. Andrew’s-by-the-Sea for many years to come.

Next summer our Sunday services will begin on Sunday, June 28 and continue each Sunday through September 6, Labor Day weekend. So please mark your calendars.

Although we have closed the chapel for the season, we are reminded of the beautiful summer mornings soon to come, and the joy of worshipping again at St. Andrew’s-by-the-Sea. If you would like to contact me anytime, please feel free to email me at Garyfincke@comcast.net, or call (603) 997-1375.

May you be blessed with peace and joy during this Holiday Season, and throughout the New Year.

Faithfully yours,

Gary Fincke Senior Warden

Chapel PreservationAs you know our Chapel was built in 1876. It is in great shape, especially for a 138-year-old building. The foundation and substructure are in excellent condition. However some restoration is needed.

Lych gateThe lych gate’s rotted wood sections and gates are being

replaced. Fortunately we have an experienced carpenter in historical restoration. He is using northern white cedar beams, which were used in our area 150 years ago. They are excellent for rot resistance. The

roof shingles have been restored to their original half round shape as shown in this c. 1910 picture.

Hoffman WindowThis beautiful 90” circular stained glass Tiffany window at the rear of the Chapel was designed by Charles Platt, and executed in the copper foil technique in 1909 to honor Richard Hoffman. An internationally acclaimed pianist from England, he served as organist and choirmaster at St. Andrew’s for 27 years. The window has been inspected and is in excellent condition. However, the masonry repairs of many years ago have deteriorated. A temporary patch has been applied to prevent further water damage at the bottom of the wood frame, and the restoration will be completed in the spring.

Reed Window - Angel with Scepter This is the first stained glass window you see as you enter the Chapel, furthest back on the Gospel side. In 1916 this beautiful Tiffany window was installed in memory of Mary Reed. In 2005 inspections were performed on all the windows. However stable but fragile, the Reed window needed to be monitored. Two independent professionals’ recent inspections have now concluded it needs restoration. Over the winter a specialist in the protection and restoration of antique windows will remove and restore the window. The wood frame and sash will also be repaired to allow the window to open, and to provide needed ventilation during summer services.

The preservation and repairs are expensive. Your tax-deductible donations are most appreciated. For more information, please contact Greg Kann at Gregkann@comcast.net.

Greg Kann, Junior Warden

Garden Crew & Volunteers WelcomeMany thanks to our wonderful team, Mary Fuller, Sara Hall, Carol O’Leary, and Jay & Shelley Lord for their help with this year’s maintenance of the garden. We are also developing a plan for a new garden on the north side of the property under the existing trees, and we’ll be planning a clean up for May. Volunteers are always welcome! No experience or expertise required, just come to help out. If you would like to have some fun and join us, please call Martha Byam at 603 772-0170. Martha Byam, Garden Committee

Page 2 The Fisherman’s Net Volume 23, No. 2 • Advent 2014

The Fine Print - The Fisherman’s Net is the official newsletter of St. Andrew’s-by-the-Sea, the Episcopal summer chapel in Rye Beach, N.H. It is published twice yearly, once in the spring and again in Advent. The Fisherman’s Net is mailed to all friends of St. Andrew’s free of charge. It is also available for everyone to download at standrews-by-the-sea.org/newsletter. Note that the paper version is printed in black-and-white, while the downloadable version is in full color. Therefore, even those who receive a paper copy of the newsletter may wish to download a color version as well. Your articles are solicited and are always welcomed. They are best submitted electronically. Text may be emailed directly to editor@standrews-by-the-sea.org, and word-processing documents may be attached to an email. Be sure also to attach any image files you’d like included (the higher the resolution the better). The editor uses Microsoft Publisher 2013 and has import filters for most file formats. Feel free to call him at 603 842-2968 if you have any questions, but especially if you are unable to submit your article electronically. All articles are subject to final edit, and may or may not be included in future issues of the newsletter.

Weddings & Volunteers WelcomeSt. Andrews hosts 18 to 22  weddings a season in our beautiful Chapel by-the-Sea. Weddings support much of St. Andrews’ yearly expenses, and are a very important part of our ministry.  While the v o l u n t e e r W e d d i n g Coord inator oversees all the wedding arrangements, v o l u n t e e r s are needed to help at each rehearsal and wedding. A member of the Wedding Committee assists the wedding party by making  sure everything runs smoothly, and answers any questions or concerns that arise. If you have interest in volunteering as a member of the Wedding Committee, we welcome you. We will be meeting in early May to assign each wedding and review procedures. Please contact Sandra Gavutis, Wedding Coordinator at sgavutis@gmail.com for more information and to volunteer. 

Sandra Gavutis, Wedding Coordinator

Hospitality & Volunteers WelcomeI would like to thank all the volunteers who helped this last season. It was great to have everyone’s support. Without all of your help, our coffee hour would not have been a

success. As we all know, it is important for our Chapel to be a welcoming community, and having our little gathering after the service, providing goodies

and coffee, adds a great deal of camaraderie. So again, a Big Thank You to all of you. If you would like to volunteer, have some fun, and

help in any way, we welcome you! Please contact Babs Pringle at dobey324@cs.com for more information. May you all have a wonderful and healthy winter. God’s blessings. Babs Pringle, Hospitality Chairperson

Please designate my gift to the following*

❏ Area of greatest need ❏ Window restorations ❏ I’d like to volunteer ❏ Please add me to the email list

Name(s): ___________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address: ___________________________________________________________

Email: __________________________________ Phone(s): _________________________

Comments: ________________________________________________________________

Enclosed is a check in the amount of $________ made payable to St. Andrew’s-by-the-Sea (Please write ‘window restoration’ in the memo line of your check) *All gifts are tax deductible as allowed by law

Please return this form to St. Andrew’s-by-the-Sea, PO Box 555, Rye Beach, NH 03871-0555

Volume 23, No. 2 • Advent 2014 The Fisherman’s Net Page 3

We very much appreciate your support to preserve our historic chapel for generations to come.

Please consider making a contribution to restore and preserve our stained glass

windows.

St. Andrew’s-by-the-Sea30 Church Rd.PO Box 555Rye Beach, NH 03871-0555

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

St. Andrew’s-by-the-SeaThe Episcopal summer chapel in

Rye Beach, New Hampshire

Volume 23, No. 2 • Advent 2014

The Rev. Robert E. Stevens, Jr., VicarGary Fincke, Senior WardenCarl Eric Johnson, webmaster & editor

Email: info@standrews-by-the-sea.orgWeb: http://standrews-by-the-sea.org

2015 Worship ScheduleSundays from

June 28 through September 6

8:00 am Rite I Holy Eucharist10:00 am Rite II Holy Eucharist with Music