Setting mandatory values to create default panel

Hello,
         I am trying to set, using gconftool-2, mandatory values to
define a default panel for any created user.  I wish to have some
values be mandatory (panel_size, panel_background_type,
hide_button_pixmaps_enabled, hide_buttons_enabled) and also a few
defaults (object_id_list).  When I set the values using gconftool-2
(gconftool-2 --direct --config--source
xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.mandatory --set
/apps/panel/profiles/default/panel/bottom_panel/panel_size --type
string panel-size-medium), I can verify it is set using --get option,
and creating a new users, log in as that user and the panel is built
based upon my configuration.  When I log off the account and out of
gnome, gconfd write numerous error messages (Error setting value for
`/apps/panel/profiles/default/panels/bottom_panel/panel_size': Can't
overwrite existing read-only value: Value
for`/apps/panel/profiles/default/panels/bottom_panel/panel_size' set
in a read-only source at the front of your configuration path).  I see
this message for each value I set mandatory.  What would be trying to
change this value?  Why at log out would something try and change the
read-only value?  This is getting frustrating.  There is very little
information I can find in regards to this issue.  What does gnome do
when logout is selected.  If the values are being written to lacl
config for the user in ~/.gconf that is not read-only and also would
be the same value.  I am using gnome 2.2 on RHEL WS 3.0.