Elder Grey Meeting House-Cemetery Association
Officers and Trustees 2023-2024
| OFFICERS | TRUSTEES/TERM | CUSTODIAN/CEMETERY AGENT |
|---|---|---|
| President: Becky Hutchinson Joyce | Wm. Butterfield (2025) | Jon Gale |
| 1st Vice President: Lesley Ortiz | Margaret Downs (2026) | |
| 2nd Vice President: Vacant | Stacey Gray (2027) | |
| Secretary: Deborah Downs | Lee Robator (2028) | |
| Treasurer/Clerk: Linda Hanscom | Kelly Pelchat (2029) |
History of the Association
In the early 1900s, after years of only sporadic use of the Elder Grey Meeting House for Christmas events and evangelical Sundays, a group of neighbors and descendants of those who attended services there in the last century were concerned about the possible deterioration of the meeting house and cemetery from neglect. They decided to hold a "Pilgrimage Service" on August 29, 1926, "to commemorate the restoration of the Old Meeting House to its original condition as our fathers worshiped in it."
Ever since that notable occasion, a Pilgrimage Service has been held each year, now always on the first Sunday afternoon in August.
Two years later in 1928, the Association was formed. Founding officers were Fanny Mills McDaniel, Maria Grey Kimball, Mary Mellen Sinkinson, Ella Libby Bradeen, Ethel Sinclair Downs, Mary Strout Goul, Herbert A. Bradeen, Harry S. Chadbourne, Dr. Ansel S. Davis, and Annie Chadbourne Sinclair.
Today's officers and trustees, including some fourth generation descendants of the founders, proudly carry on the mission of preserving the meeting house and ensuring that the cemetery is well groomed.
In 2013, the Internal Revenue Service granted the Association tax exempt status as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. Deductibility was retroactive to August 21, 2012.
The annual business meeting is held following the Pilgrimage Service in August, and all are welcome to attend.
Mission
The objectives of the Elder Grey Meeting House-Cemetery Association, as stated in its bylaws, include: