Facility
Good place to meet – 3 buildings
Year round facility
Only winter retreat spot
Annual women’s retreat – restorative place
Carriage House – good for youth groups
Strength with stones which is different from other assets.
OMC retreat: sometimes crowded but smaller space is more intimate
Full on weekends
Emotional attachment for people in the south like we in mid coast and north feel about. We need to be sensitive to that.
Schools and other nonprofits can hold meetings/conferences there
Bedrooms and bathrooms are good
Nice eating space
Staff is welcoming
Variety of menus offered
Porch provides an out-of-the world experience

Location
Lovely spot
Beautiful place
Fabulous place
A gem
Peaceful like no other
Like no other place as an adult where you can get in touch with yourself and with God
Grounds and setting are spectacular
Never find another place like it
Location for Southern Maine
Lake front property
Beautiful setting of the lodge
Wonderful retreat location

Costs/Value
Beautiful facility and high money value.
Value is sell it
Love RC but it’s a luxury
Rockcraft is the very core of personal well being
Cozy meeting space – wonderful in all ways

Benefits
Great for youth fellowship groups
Excellent place for the youth who are the future of the church
This is where the money should go-it is a gem -beautiful location
Wonderful director
Spiritual place on a lake
Used heavily on weekend by churches
Never be able to replace it
More school groups using it during the week
Year around facility
Goes often on own
Beautiful fireplace
Food is excellent
Small area for gatherings
Family reunions - well used and well loved

General Comments
--A fully functioning retreat center is great! It would be missed. There is some history and tradition that is important to a few
-This is wonderful site. Create a spiritual committee for Rockcraft that would create programming for people who want to be on pilgrimage, confirmation retreats, etc. There could be a programming entity in our conference for Rockcraft alone.
Keep it but lease it and let someone professionally run it and we get some income from the lease.

Rockcraft – Cons/Liabilities

Facility
Structure
Slate roof needs replacing
Water damage in buildings
A little “tired” as a facility
Building code problems?
Maintenance issues
Needs a lot of work
A lot done, but much more needed
Leakage/damage from leakage
Infrastructure problems
Buildings are high maintenance
-Major repairs needed, especially roof to main lodge. It will probably cost $100,000 for that repair, yet all the rooms show leaks on the ceilings. No funds for this kind of repair.
-Limited maintenance and grounds work around the place, due to funds
Many safety issues were resolved, but many are still problems
Expensive to maintain
Interior
Dorm style rooms
Uncomfortable and cold
Lighting is bad
Winter eating is uncomfortable
No breakout spaces
Meeting space is small
Need more handicap assessable spaces for lodging
No bathroom space at boathouse
Dorm sleeping
For the older people not good
Not handicap assessable
Least flexible place
Not a place for children
Bathroom is not private
Small dining area
Rooms are small

Location
Regional issues/ distances
Underutilized maybe location and/or marketing
It is four hours away from where I live and there is no interest in my church to go there. It is too far to travel for an over night.
Location is not convenient for much of the state.
Problem for people over 100 miles
Location for a lot of the state
Long distance
Too far away, and inconvenient location for many of us in the rest of the state

General Facility
-- Facilities do not meet the comfort needs of a contemporary market -- people want hotel rooms, privacy, and creature comforts (single & double rooms/private baths)
Empty during the week
Needs to be used year round
Maintenance issues
Cost of food expensive
No planned program
Limited to non-profits
Utilization has fallen off
Will end year with deficit
Being able to use it - full most weekends
Under utilized
Maintenance
Not used enough especially during the week
Weekends tough to schedule – next to impossible – book more than a year in advance
Lots of land – but can’t do much with it. PL land more useable

Costs/Value
Terms of cost not getting best use
Heating cost
Not efficient to run
-If it is not making money, putting more money into program, staff and maintenance does not justify keep it going.
-Registration process has become prohibitive. deposit of half the cost months ahead of time.
Expensive to heat – consider green technology
If sold, PL could be developed and put conference office at PL
Are there restrictions on RC if sold? On the $?
Asset to develop into a retreat center

Drawbacks
-Not enough of a user-base; people do not seem to have the same level of interest in the kind of programming that can be offered there
Not promoting itself
IRS ruling for non-profit use only
Inability to stand on its own dollar wise
How great a gift is it?
Poor advertising
Lacks an endowment
Shore frontage a concern
Beach use
Limited facilities for what to offer
Have to have certain number of people meetings and meals
Expensive to rent
Drawbacks Cont’
Under utilized during the week
Shifting tax piece
Problem with scheduling
Not a good retreat center for older adults
Churches have to pay to use the facilities
Limited use of program
Weekends are booked so churches can not get in
Down time is expensive.-needs to be fixed up
Not charging enough for the usage
Limited occupancy by conference
Not used much during the week
Can not have profit making use it
No availability to expand use on weekends as so busy
Difficult to promote use during the week

General Comments
Diminishing # of groups can use it now
-The overall consensus among the group present was that we should sell the Pennell Center and Rockcraft and make PL a year round facility. We discussed BTS and their decision to sell the historic campus and to move to Husson. That was a bold and difficult decision but was the best thing to do to be true to their mission and to be good stewards of what they had asset wise. In a decision like this you are between a rock and a hard place and you will never keep everyone happy.
-If it is not making money, sell it and build into the master plan of PL a year round facility for office, outdoor ministries, resource center, etc.
-What is the ethical responsibility to the Connecticut Conference? They gave it to us to use, not to sell. If we sell it shouldn’t we give half the money back to the Connecticut Conference? They probably could use it and would be happy to get the money.
-Thought it should have been sold 10 years ago, but southern churches were adamant that it not be sold. If sold it would provide $ for other projects
-Don’t want to look gift horse in the mouth but endowment not provided to run and maintain it
Likes the simpler life at PL
RC is a luxury we can no longer afford
Embarrassment to the conference
Not going to grow if we are not good stewards
Emotional baggage
Limited due to non-profit groups, not weddings or private reunions or family gatherings (due to Town of Sebago questioning non-profit status about taxes)
-Staff extremely busy so not able to help with other things, like organizing volunteers or seeking other groups for week-day use.

Rockcraft – Stewardship

Best Stewardship
Not good stewardship to keep selling off parcels
Are we marketing properly?
Are we marketing property broadly enough?
Can Rockcraft or Pilgrim Lodge recruit further away, like United Church of Canada or neighboring states?
Have Rockcraft and Pilgrim Lodge under Bryan Breault leadership and
Have programs at Rockcraft for adults like Pilgrim Lodge is for youth

Use
-We are not sure about the distinction between this and the previous question; we would not suggest the Conference develop the property further, and wonder whether keeping it is the best stewardship, given the limited use by our churches
Rockcraft “vacant” weekdays
Move Pennell Center to Rockcraft
-Staff isn’t there full time, 5 days a week. Are we running the entire building for a few people, when we could perhaps use another location or consolidate spaces?
Expanded use by others for our valuable properties
Churches not using it as a retreat center
Renting it out to another group
Conference has something better to do with the property?

Maintenance
Routine maintenance required for good stewardship
-Professional management of woodlots
Many maintenance problems at Rockcraft and Pilgrim Lodge
Logging of Rockcraft woodlots helps to maintain the forests, even if not a lot of money is gained from the sale.

Other
-Considering the apparent value of the property, over against the value of what we are doing with it (the number of our members actually using it), it would seem that we should sell it
-While we affirm the value of retreat centers, we do not think we are getting $4 million worth of programming out of this facility
-Three lots sold at Rockcraft were away for the center, so has not negatively impaced main property
Pilgrim Lodge “vacant” basically October to May
Will invasion of Milfoil in Sebago Lake change value of Rockcraft?
-Is there pressure on community to pay taxes? Rockcraft is a beautiful site but it is not easy to get to
-The Conference is strapped for money. Last year we were $30,000 in the red and will probably be the same amount in 2007. How can we improve our facilities when we are strapped for funds?

-Perhaps small sections across the road at Rockcraft could be sold to pay for maintenance and needed repairs to Rockcraft without jeopardizing the beauty of the place.
-Should trails at Rockcraft, specifically, be available for outside groups, better marked? This might bring in others for paying use of the space.
When Conn. sold it for $1 someone should have thought about it then

Rockcraft – Options

Sell/Move
-Sell it and expand Pilgrim Lodge to include year-round retreat facility or similar capacity
-Sell it and use funds to support future retreat-style ministry and programming (of the kind Rockcraft had been used for); many other retreat centers exist, and it would make sense to subsidize programming at existing facilities, until the time if and when we might want to build or own facility.
-Two people had been to events there - over 5-10 years ago- Turn it back to a hunting lodge
Sell off the land and retain the lodges.
Highest return for Rockcraft is the land that it is
Better as money than land
Sell all and rebuild the farm house as a conference center
Use assets from Rockcraft and Pennell Center to refresh Pilgrim Lodge and build a new green building for retreats and office space.
Building should be a green building
Sell to a developer
Sell some of the buildings and keep some for what is best for use to use
Look at selling
-By selling the money value could enhance the total ministry of the conference and build a year around facility at Pilgrim Lodge and enhance conference programs.
Build a Rockcraft Retreat Center at Pilgrim Lodge
See Rockcraft go away
Sell 90 acres and keep the lodges
-Sell all the area across the street with a deeded access to the lake. Use the money to develop the bath house into a conference center, chapel and rest use for maintenance.
If selling it churches should have the first refusal

Build New / Rehab
Rebuild but keep the property
Heat the buildings year round
Build a teleconference center at Pilgrim Lodge
Joint development deal with Rockcraft
Build an administrative office at Pilgrim Lodge
Charge more for the use of Pilgrim Lodge
Build the green building close to the road
Concern for putting money into building when it is not being used to its fullest

Keep / Alternate use
Concern for space at facility maybe use one of the buildings for office space-
Why not use Rockcraft as a retreat for the coordinating council
Conference office at Rockcraft in new building
Carriage House would make a good office space
A year round camping place for all
Look at expanding the ministry
UCC home for the elderly and retreat center
Make it a ministry for most displaced people in Maine
Partner with a developer to build a year around retirement place
Have activities during school breaks midwinter and spring
Research what commercial space might use it
-Use the upper floor of the boat house and put in a restroom
Create cooperation and then rent out to profit making groups
Open to Clergy free for the midweek as a rest, renewal and relaxing spot
-Is there a way that Bangor Theological Seminary could use the facilities?
Adopt a room or building for maintenance

Other Comments/Questions
-Can we carry out the mission of providing desired retreat and educational programming without having the liability of property management? It would seem a reasonable option to consider
How many are using the facilities and what churches are they from?
It seems that is worth quite a bit - probably not $4 million, but substantial maintenance
Have volunteers do the work repairs like Habitat for Humanities
-The overall consensus among the group present was that we should sell the Pennell Center and Rockcraft and make PL a year round facility. We discussed BTS and their decision to sell the historic campus and to move to Husson. That was a bold and difficult decision but was the best thing to do to be true to their mission and to be good stewards of what they had asset wise. In a decision like this you are between a rock and a hard place and you will never keep everyone happy.
Put money into refurbishing Pilgrim Lodge
Property far more valuable and could not be replaced at that cost
Move pilgrim Lodge to Rockcraft
More central meeting space for retreats (Pilgrim Lodge)
Corporations not charged but make a donation to the conference for the use
Not replaceable
Market all three sites

Rockcraft – Questions

About Facility
Is this what we want it to be? Probably not - but there are significant challenges in overcoming location, and changing needs/patterns of potential users
Fund raising efforts?
What is the maintenance cost to repair?
RC is a luxury we can no longer afford
Corporations use the facilities by donations
Adult program paralleling Pilgrim Lodge
It has a lot of potential

About Land
How many acres at Rockcraft?
How much do we get from the selected cutting of the wood lots?
Should trails at Rockcraft, specifically, be available for outside groups, better marked? This might bring in others for paying use of the space.
What is the best stewardship of the land?

About Cost/Value
What are the facilities worth? It seems that is worth quite a bit - probably not $4 million, but substantial
Are there restrictions to sell the buildings?
If sold, PL could be developed and put conference office at PL
Are there restrictions on RC if sold? On the $?

About Marketing
Opportunities available during the week—Are we marketing it effectively?
Can Rockcraft or Pilgrim Lodge recruit further away, like United Church of Canada or neighboring states?
Any marketing to NH or MA groups?
Marketing is very important
Marketing effectively?
The website is nice
Brochure needs to be updated with look of the 2000’s
Market to use the school vacations more effectively
Post the calendar on the website so people can see what is available
Marketing it to use the facilities more during the week

About Use
How many are using the facilities and what churches are they from?
Two people had been to events there - over 5-10 years ago
How many of the events over the past few years were UCC events?
How were they distributed over the associations of the conference?
Break down of youth groups, adult and family church usage
Use by other denominations and collect a fee
About Use Cont’
How many of our churches use Rockcraft and where are they from?
Who has used the facility outside the Maine Conference churches?
What is the potential use outside the UCC?
What is the church and non church usage?
What is the church and conference use?
How many different churches use the retreat center?
How many different associations use the retreat center?
How many non profit groups use the retreat center?
What is the number of days per year the center is used?
What % of the conference uses it?
How many are using Rockcraft Retreat Center?
Continue to have volunteers work on the gardens
More school functions held at the retreat center
Have more planning workshops from non-profit businesses
Competition limits the use of the center because it is dated and not assessable
Use day trips more
Use the retreat center as a meeting between immigrant youth and American youth
Winter deacon’s retreats
Women’s retreat
Church wide retreats
Individual visitations
Men’s retreat
How many of the events over the past few years were UCC events?
How were they distributed over the associations of the conference?
Is it being used the way we want it? No
Churches not using it as a retreat center
Renting it out to another group
Conference has something better to do with the property?
Use be taxed on % of value

Other Questions
How does it fit with the mission statement of the Maine Conference?
Housing market now is not good. Is this the best time to sell?
What is the conference plan and purpose for the retreat center?
What is the 5 year plan of the conference for the best use of all buildings?
-What are other denominations and conferences doing when they are reviewing their assets for potential sales?
We should be spreading the word of Jesus Christ In all we do
Again most present had been or their churches had been to Rockcraft Retreat Center
When Conn. sold it for $1 someone should have thought about it then
Explore the IRS possibilities—income from not for profit/ corporations