Thirty-eight years ago, the Landis Conference Center (now known as the Meeting House) was completed. Since 1985, the building has been the home to Scout meetings, Star Parties, classes and presentations, weddings, and memorials. Performers for our Landis Full Moon Music Series discovered its outstanding acoustic properties.
The years have seen many improvements: a deck and, in 2013, new windows, flooring, and other upgrades. However, the years and Upstate New York winters have taken their toll. It became evident that some serious rehabilitation was required.
The Meeting House renovation was the target of our 2022 Annual Appeal, and those funds allowed the repairs to begin, but there was much – too much – to do beyond what those donations funded. Just this year, however, the Nicholas J. Juried Family Foundation provided a $40,000 grant for the purpose of renovating the Meeting House.
The Nicholas J. Juried Foundation is no stranger to funding local projects. Mr. Juried grew up in the Schoharie Valley, and his foundation has used its resources to support the county’s nonprofits like the Jefferson Historical Society and the Old Stone Fort. With those funds and the efforts of our team of construction volunteers, we were able to achieve our goal.
The exterior renovations now are now nearly complete: new windows, sliding doors, and siding that matches the emergency shelter annex, which was built with New York Rising funding.
We are thankful for the many hours of time and expertise donated by the construction team. The core group included Peter Bakal, Shawn Bevins, Craig Blevins, and Landis Board president Jim Paley.
Future improvement will be focused on the interior, with new sun-blocking shades, new tables and chairs, and a Smart Board and LCD projector, all of which will enhance presentations and classes.
Two snakes and one bat were evicted when they were discovered as old windows were removed. We hope they’ve found suitable accommodations elsewhere.
