Having a cemetery commission, let alone one receiving additional
funding, will guarentee nothing. I only know one in the surrounding
area doing what it should (I believe they subscribe to the list). Of
the others, you have the president for life, they meet once or twice a
year over dinner- I have never seen them near a cemetery, and pay to
have work done they never go to inspect, including tombstone
repairs. The next wonderful commission spends all their money on two
cemeteries
which have current burials every year.
There are others just as lame.
You can only hope that this additional money goes to where it can be
monitored and handed out for supplies for volunteer
laborers, that being us. Often this is going to need the ears of the
county council and the county commissioners. My free advice to groups
that are large enough, to have a political action section.
A cemetery commission can grant you funding for your materials,etc. as
long as there is accountability. And as long as you are willing to
pursue it at meetings
and with individual office holders.
The action being taken at the state level
is great, but it will have to be pursued down through the govermental
agencies
until you actually see the result yourselves.
We are not going to see any magical results, just because commissions
get set up and laws get passed. This means diligent efforts from all of
us, regardless
of what happens.
Lee Creed
Greencastle