LA JICARITA CLUSTER     February 17, 2025


The Jicarita Cluster met in the former manse of the El Buen Pastor Presbyterian Church in Chimayo, NM on Monday, February 17, 2025 (Presidents’ Day).
Attendance: Ginna Bairby (Moderator, Taos First); Jennifer Holmes (White Rock); Georgia Ortiz (Chimayo); Paul Fort(Camp Loma Verde); Liz Graham (Dixon, Peñasco); Bill Humphreys (Truchas, Chimayo); Jack Ford and Doris Ford(Los Alamos United) Noami Atencio (Treasurer, Peñasco); Madeline Hart-Andersen and daughter, Elinor(Santa Fe Westminster); and Tiffany Lo-Finch (Presbytery administrator). 
Bill Humphreys  welcomed all to EBP with a few housekeeping items and notes of the neighborhood and the area!
Noami presented the Treasurer’s report: two 2/17/2025 balances: $15,525.38 with Century Bank, and $10,804.69 with Rincones Credit Union. Total: $26,330.07.
Ginna: plans to resign from moderating the Cluster as of June 30, 2025. Several plans for following up were discussed. The gathering recommends disbanding the Cluster. More on the purpose of the Cluster:  See Ginna’s handout (attached to the e-mail edition of these minutes.-re:Presbytery connections; the Cluster can be a voice for the smaller northern churches of the Presbytery; emphasize attendance at meetings of the Presbytery;
comaraderie, fellowship, mutual support; strategizing- maybe call it a gathering” instead of “meeting” 
An action item was decided as presented below…
Discussion followed re: Camp Loma Verde, with several notes here:
The camp is available June-August for rentals, with the 3rd week of July usually the week for a camp (9-12 year olds); some years have had youth weeks;  other rentals have included church and college groups, including a recent and perhaps repeating Baylor University connection.
Noted: COVID presented a huge setback,  prior to which there were full summers of rentals and programs.
- Maybe hold a Cluster meeting AT the camp;
 - consider “youth programming” as a benefactor of church grants;
-Camp Loma Verde: what about the camp board and connections to the Cluster?

• would it be helpful for the camp board to attend meetings of the Cluster? 
• the camp needs water; caretaker’s cabin is in disrepair - needs plumbing; 

- work days: brush, painting, dining hall; communications; 
Action: M/S/C to invite a request from the Camp Board for financial support from La Jicarita Cluster, approval of the funds to depend upon approval by at least a simple majority of the Sessions of the churches in La Jicarita Cluster. 
​LUNCH: We picked up some lunch from the kitchen and met back at our tables for a working lunch!


m/s/c. Reimburse Bill H for lunch costs.  ($125.00 was just over $10.00 per participant) 


m/s/c/ That La Jicarita cluster of congregations dissolves as a voting body of business, and transform to one of community, support, and solidarity, effective June 30, 2025. 


The group agreed on a yearly gathering on the 3rd Saturday of September as a plan.
The next gathering is now scheduled for Peñasco for 9/20/2025, midday, to include a lunch as planned by the host congregation (could be provided or pot-luck or …..) 

The group easily resolved: Happy and deep gratitude to Noami for her work as the treasurer


And similarly: to Ginna, with thanks and accolades for her service in leadership of La Jicarita Cluster in the recent years. 


The meeting adjourned with prayer at 12:57 PM . 


Bill Humphreys, acting secretary for a day




Attached here, I hope:  Ginna handed out the agenda with helpful notes; 2 pages;
Noami handed out the treasurer’s report; also 2 pages