Koolaree AGM: Planning for camping
By Keith Simmonds
Thirty people in attendance at Camp Koolaree’s Annual General Meeting on Saturday April 6 voted to do all they could to run camps at the Kootenay Lake facility this summer. Increasing the size of the board from five members to eight, the meeting adopted a budget designed to allow the camp to operate in the black, and developed a fund-raising plan to complete paying down the camp’s twenty five thousand dollar debt. A new finance committee was formed, while other folk volunteered to help get the message out to friends and supporters.
The Society Board reported that donations of $14,000.00 had been received in the past two weeks, and laid out a plan of action that will, it is hoped, result in the balance of the $26,000.00 debt being cleared within the month. A further $11,000.00 will need to be raised before the camp commences operations in June. Several ideas were put forward at the meeting as people volunteered to make the connections needed to raise the funds and keep kids coming to camp at Koolaree this year. Folk were optimistic that supporters of Camp Koolaree will come forward with all the help needed.
A motion was passed calling on the Camp Board to present the budget, debt reduction and fund-raising plans to the spring meeting of Kootenay Presbytery, the regional body of the United Church of Canada. Those at the meeting hoped presbytery members would see the response of camp supporters and respond favourably themselves.
“We are so encouraged,” said Board Chair Robin Murray, “by the funds coming in, by the numbers of people who attended the meeting, and by the enthusiasm and positive energy of everyone who’s responded to the camp’s call for help. We are convinced we will be able to meet our targets and satisfy the churches concerns about finances and volunteers.”
Koolaree supporters will be contacting past campers, and community supporters with a variety of ways to help keep the camp going and kids going to camp. For more information, or to donate, contact a United Church, near you, or check out one of the Koolaree facebook pages.
