YOUR LLCRAS EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTORS AT WORK IN 2019/2020
“To work for the best interest and welfare of the community. To strengthen co-operation and
promote cordial relations between members”
(per our Constitution and By-Laws; copy available upon request)
LLCRAS Executive & Directors have had a year like no other. COVID-19 has kept us from gathering together and made fundraising and relationship building extremely difficult. Although LLCRAS continues to find all types of ways to communicate with our membership; we thought we would do a recap of our term so far.
October 18, 2019 – New Executive and Directors voted in.
October 19, 2019 – Hall entertainment by live band, Judy Tuesday. Profit $702.50 to LLCRAS.
October 2019 – Newsletter informing people of changes in the LLCRAS and encouraging volunteers to join in many of our newly formed committees.
November/December Newsletter – Continue to inform our membership about LLCRAS activities.
November 29, 2019 – LLCRAS meeting at the Community Hall.
December 1, 2019 – Indoor Vendors Market at the Community Hall.
December 7, 2019 – Christmas Dinner with Santa and crazy gift exchange at the Community Hall.
January 2020 Newsletter – Information re upcoming events at the Community Hall; Winterfest, Perogy night, Shepherd’s pie and potluck dinner night and continue to remind people to stay connected and pay their membership.
January 24, 2020 – LLCRAS meeting at the Community Hall. (Last meeting before COVID-19 interfered)
February 15, 2020 – Winterfest dinner, auction and dance. Profit shared 50/50 with LLCRAS and LLVFD (Financials available to membership at the June 20th meeting)
March 2020 Newsletter – Membership drive; calendar year; dues are payable on January 1st of each year. Early Bird Membership Contest to win a LLCRAS T-shirt. Still asking for membership committee volunteers. March 1st – 65 paid members, 8 Lifetime (voting) and 2 associate members (non-voting)
March 2020 Newsletter – Information of upcoming events including LLCRAS meetings scheduled for
March 13 and April 10 (subsequently cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions)
March 20, 2020 Newsletter – Advising our membership all our scheduled events are cancelled due to COVID-19. LLCRAS advises we have contacted MLA Jackie Tegart, the United Way and UBCM regarding Fire Hazard Mitigation for 2021 (too late for 2020). Also contacted Claire Trevena, MLA, Ministry of Transportation and spoken with Michelle Schilling, Operations Manager, MOTI regarding our deteriorating road, concerns of rock debris in the canyon and flooding and debris at the red bluffs.
Newsletter included more information about our Membership Contest; unpaid members will not receive our newsletters and other membership incentives after March 31st.
March 2020 Newsletter – Explains voting vs non-voting members; encourages paid members to join the Members of Loon Lake Road Community Agricultural and Recreational Society FB page. Lays out several perks of being a paid member.
March 31, 2020 – On March 1st LLCRAS Membership had 65 paid voting members; 2 associate non- voting members and 8 life time members. On March 31st LLCRAS membership had 139 paid members; 5 associate members and 8 life time members. We more than doubled our paid members in that month.
Linda Smele and Monty Bryant won our Membership Drive Contest; a Loon Lake Logo T Shirt designed by another Loon Laker, Janet Harman and their membership is paid until 2021. Congratulations and thank you to all who participated in this contest.
April 4, 2020 Newsletter – LLCRAS COVID-19 Exposure Control Plan sent to the Membership.
April 8, 2020 – Special LLCRAS Executive and Directors Meeting – to ensure the Society continues on with necessary items in progress.
April 2020 Newsletter – Inform our membership of expected roll out of the new website on May 1st; advise membership the special meeting on April 8th was to facilitate an outstanding request to amend our Minutes of our AGM on October 18, 2019; request to follow Robert’s Rules of Order as required by our Constitution and Bylaws. Members were offered a copy of the amended minutes upon request.
May 2020 Newsletter – Successfully rolled out our new website www.loonlakecommunity.ca So much information and fun contests to enter. Continue to ask for help from other community members to join the maintenance committee. The Community Hall and the surrounding grounds is in need of a lot of TLC and it is too much for two people to handle. no one stepped forward to sign on to the repairs and maintenance committee. In the meantime; LLCRAS organized two work bees; Sat May 30 and Wed June 3 10 am to noon.
In this newsletter we advised our Membership that Thank You cards had been mailed to Members of the Loon Lake Volunteer Fire Department who recently left the fire protection service. Some of these firefighters were long time members and had served during the Elephant Hill Wildfire of 2017. Their service to our community was greatly appreciated. LLCRAS received a lot of positive feedback from those receiving these cards.
LLCRAS was made aware of a possibility of grant money being available for high speed internet service in rural communities. An internet provider (such as Xplornet) must apply for the grant. We followed up with a request for Sally Watson, Director, TNRD to look into this on our behalf. We have received further information from Ron Storie, Director of Community Services, TNRD; that a survey will be forthcoming and we should ensure our community responds in order to better our chances for better service.
May 30, 2020 – Work Bee to maintain the Community Hall grounds. Large area was mowed and weed whacked; picnic tables were sanded and painted; lots of forest debris (fire hazard) was removed and taken to the Loon Lake Transfer Station. A Fire Smart assessment of the area was performed. Lots of fire debris on the Annex grounds.
June 3, 2020 – Work Bee to continue maintenance at the Community Hall grounds. A rock was removed and a step was built at the entrance to the concession building. Barry and Janet Harman donated all their labour and the materials needed for this job. Several other volunteers sanded and painted picnic tables; planted flowers; mowed and weed whacked and continued to remove fire hazard debris on the Community Hall grounds.
June 2020 Newsletter – Due to COVID-19 changing the world and making us cancel our scheduled LLCRAS meeting in March and April; the LLCRAS Executive has announced an outdoor meeting to bring everyone up to speed since our last meetings Jan 24, 2020 and our Special Executive and Directors Meeting April 8, 2020. Our Outdoor Meeting date Saturday June 20, 2020 at 10 am will require physical distancing protocols; people to bring their own chairs and the hall will not be open to the public.
June 19, 2020 – Work bee to continue maintaining the community grounds. Lawn maintenance around the community hall and upper parking lot was done. Sanding and painting of the picnic tables on the Annex grounds (Firehall) and volunteers also continued painting of the picnic tables at the Community Hall. Work started on the outside recycling station. Acting Fire Chief Daryl Hart has advised LLCRAS that the fire fighters have looked after the property around the Firehall Annex once already this year and will continue to maintain around the perimeter of the Annex.
More items your LLCRAS Executive and Directors have been doing for your Community:
Obtaining advice and quotes for improvements to your Community Hall; including but not limited to replacing windows; insulation; heating; kitchen renovations; bathrooms renovation; securing permission with a possible donation for a Sea Can to be placed behind the Community Hall.
Establishing a Grant Writing Committee for Capital Expenditures.
Securing donations for the LLCRAS throughout the year with volunteers communicating with possible donators and leaving a LLCRAS Donation Letter with the business.
Rolling out a new and improved website www.loonlakecommunity.ca Including recognizing our Volunteers, Donators and Local Shops and businesses.
Sending regular communications to our membership via regular newsletters sent to paid members by email and Canada Post.
Creating a new Members of Loon Lake Road Community Recreational and Agricultural Society FacebookPage with daily updates.
Creating paid LLCRAS Membership interest with contests and perks.
Establishing a Volunteer Appreciation program to reward those who show up for these activities.
Expanding our allowable “Sunshine” criteria to connect with other members of the Loon Lake Community; for example, Thank You’s; deaths, births etc.
Following and sharing COVID-19 updates and how this is affecting our Community and beyond. Requiring our core Cooking Committee Volunteers to have a valid Food Safe Certificate (copies on file); Same with Serving It Right for our bartenders.
Establishing all types of manuals, folders and other information for the LLCRAS to continue to follow and amend as necessary. For example: Food Safe, COVID-19, LLCRAS Personal Information Protection Policy.
Ensuring bills are received and paid on time; including making sure our Insurance Policies are meeting the LLCRAS needs. Using the bills to assist in looking into ways to make the Community Hall more energy efficient and possibly be eligible for Grant Money.
Implemented a new Volunteer Appreciation Program; volunteers names will be placed in a monthly draw to win a gift card or other prize at the LLCRAS Executive and Directors discretion. As with any “club”; same volunteers continue to turn up over and over again. This information may also assist with choosing a Citizen of the Year award.
Created Work Bees as a way to continue maintaining our Community Hall building and grounds. We have encouraged the Maintenance Committee to stay on with maintenance work under this umbrella. We still appreciate all their efforts and intricate knowledge of our facility and grounds.
Completion of the LLCRAS brochure for handouts to members of the Loon Lake Community.
LLCRAS doesn’t believe a day goes by when one or more of the Executive or Directors are not diligently working on improving the LLCRAS and the Community at large. Some of our efforts are just starting to come to fruition. We hope you will allow us to reap the seeds we’ve sown over the past several months and trust us when we ask for your votes of confidence in matters concerning the community.
Sincerely,
Karen Macdonald
LLCRAS President
On behalf of the Executive and Directors
Contact: llcras.boardofdirectors@gmail.com
250-459-2281
