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Meet Our Parish Men's Society: Ensuring Church and School Grounds Maintained with Care
Two dedicated groups under the auspices of the St. Anthony Parish Men’s Society make sure the grass is cut, the snow is removed, and building exteriors are in good condition at both our church property and at St. Dominic School. They offer their time and talents to make sure our parish and school are kept welcoming and attractive.
Elmer Maas has a team of between six to seven men who take care of the church grounds, and Ken Klauser leads a team of 11 who keep the school grounds tidy.
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Elmer has been leading the mowing at the parish for the last 45 years and has taken care of the snow removal for the last 43 years.
The method for keeping the church grounds mowed involves each man taking a turn as the mowing is needed. In spring and early summer, the task usually is needed once a week — when the weather turns dry, the interval may be two weeks.
“When you get done when it’s your turn, you call the next person on the list,” Elmer says. “And when you see it needs cut, you do it then.”
The St. Anthony mowing team members each purchase the gasoline for the mowers. Those working on the larger field bring their own mowers — the men taking care of the lawns around the church itself use the parish machine.
When snow removal is needed, Elmer and the others use a truck equipped with a plow.
This work came about in 1978 when a parish trustee asked Elmer to take on the task.
Ken Klauser also has a schedule for the maintenance team taking care of the school grounds.
“I send out a notice in an email at the beginning of the mowing year, about April 1,” he says. “I thank them for their stewardship and ask if they’re willing to keep working. I’d say 99 percent say ‘yes.’”
After each man has taken his turn mowing the school grounds, he will call Ken, who then contacts the next person on the list.
“Those who farm, I call to cut when they don’t have a harvest season,” he says.
Ken has been coordinating the school mowing for about eight years. The Men’s Society provides the mower and the men purchase the gasoline. The area to be cut at St. Dominic School is 11.6 acres.
“It takes about six hours and about 10 gallons of gas,” he says.
As for keeping the school grounds picked up, the principal will send notes home with the students about a workday. Parent volunteers will join Ken’s team to clean up the ball diamond, gather leaves, trim shrubs, and so forth.
When there is work to be done, Ken finds that our parishioners respond in a spirit of stewardship.
“It is just tremendous,” he says. “People can see what stewardship does.”
Ken also works in coordination with the school principal for other tasks that must be done, such as painting on the school exterior, and power washing paved areas. If there is a special school event and the grass must be cut, the principal also will notify Ken.
