Membership meeting minutes:

April 25, 2010

 

The meeting was convened at 11:17 AM. 

 

Announcements: 

 

Reading of the Minutes:  Board minutes from January, February and March were read into the record.   A motion to approve was made and seconded- carried unanimously.

 

The Nominating Committee will be Brown, Fast, Stewart-Stand, Martin and Halpern.

 

Committee Reports-

 

Barn- 2 private parties are scheduled in June.  Lower barn floor work may get done this week. 

 

Finance- The April report was shared with the membership. 

 

Our financial situation becomes clearer in the fall, since most expenses come over the summer. 

 

A calendar year fiscal cycle would be easier to maintain but this would require a change to our operating rules.  Stand suggested a committee of the membership look at constitutional change to reinstate a January membership meeting.  Bergherr will represent the finance committee on this group. Stewart-Stand and Eisen will also work on this.  Proposed amendments must be communicataed members at least a month before voting.

 

We will try to reach those members who have not responded to their dues notices before the beach opens.  Second notices will be sent, certified mail, at an expense of about $70. 

 

GBCA is beginning to bring suits against those who do not pay dues in small claims court. 

 

Garbage- No report.

 

Water- Preparing for annual inspection- adding taps for testing, color coded pipes, and directional arrows.  The system is working well.  Water testing for the camp will take place in May.

 

Beach/Lake- Next Saturday at 10am is the beach cleanup.  Rain date is Sunday.  Bring a shovel, rake, or wheelbarrow.  Sand and mulch will be spread. 

 

Rafts should be delivered during the first week in June. 

Town- No report

 

Legal/Sales- No report

 

Camp- Preparations are on schedule.  We have a new Program Director.  Most of the staff is hired including the aquatics director.  Activities will include hiking, community service, a circus, camp-out, and ceramics.  We need donations of yarn, yogurt containers, large-mouth jars, and molds for frozen juices.  If anyone has split wood for camp-outs, please contact Rina Slavin.

 

Maintenance- Sand delivery is done; chair shed at beach is under construction; polyurethane will be applied to the barn floor in early June.  The water in the barn is on. 

 

Environment- $1,200 is budgeted for handball court refurbishment this year.  The Membership voted in January to take down the wall at the handball court and create a basketball court for the Community.  The area could include tables and a barbecue.  A subcommittee to develop a plan has met about four times this year.  Installing two adjustable hoops was suggested.  $1,500 estimated to remove the wall, $3,500 for the two hoops.  Space between slabs, after the wall has been removed, will need filling for about $1,000.  This means an advance of about $4,800 to get this done. 

 

This construction may require a wetlands activity permit from the Planning Board of Lewisboro. 

 

We need an estimate in writing to confirm amount to take the wall down. 

 

Motion (Bergherr):  The Recreation Area Subcommittee is authorized to spend $4,800 to take down the wall at the handball court and install 2 basketball hoops.  This sum will be repaid to the Subcommittee interest-free in the 2011 budget per Levites. 

 

Discussion:  Stand- This is changing a Colony institution.  Levites:  We need to be open to change so as to attract more members into community life. 

 

Camp concern about maintaining a handball court needs to be expressed through a formal request to the Board.  They do like the idea of a basketball court.

 

More uses for the area could be developed as the project takes shape. 

 

Broken glass on the back side of the wall, and vandalism, are downsides of the current design. 

 

There was some concern that cost of this work could exceed the amount anticipated by the Subcommittee.  Anyone interested in discussing that should contact Finkelman and join the subcommittee. 

 

18 voted in favor, 3 against, 1 abstention.  Passed.

 

 

Garbage bags and gloves were distributed for Colony cleanup.

 

Tree work at the beach is done. 

 

Proposed- A shade tree at the beach should be added to next year’s budget.  Could be in honor of one or more past members. 

 

Roads- Grading should happen soon. 

 

Road 4- Hopes to go to press by 5/20.  Upbeat submissions would be nice, to balance the last issue with all the obituaries. 

 

Social/Hospitality- A sign-up sheet for activities was distributed.  Committee met yesterday.

 

Weekdays:  Chorus- Carol Paterno is the director.  Scheduled for Monday nights 7:30 starting 7/5.

 

There will be a meeting on May 8 for prospective chorus members in the teen center.

 

Tuesday children’s movies are on the calendar but need someone to make it happen. Ehnes cannot run children’s movies this year but can help someone else take it over.  Doing so would involve Barn setup, cleaning up afterwards, and selecting titles. 

 

Movies for adults are set on the following Wednesdays: 7/14- Precious; 8/4- the Upside of Anger; 8/25 title not decided.

 

8/11:  Ellen Adelman will run a book discussion: David Benioff- City of Thieves. 

 

Friday folk dancing begins 7/9.  Jim Gold will host, except for 8/6 and 13 when the Beers will perform.

 

7/3 will be a Water Carnival.  Stand will organize but he needs collaborators to organize teams and plan events.  7/3 is also the opening barbecue- as with last year, people are encouraged to bring a dessert or a side dish.

 

7/10 the Clearwater singers will perform at the beach. 

 

7/15 Albie Gorn is coming back with four 1-act plays.

 

7/24 is the Art Show.  Westchester Food Bank will benefit.  The art show is open to friends of community members.  There will be ceramics, a fiber artist, and a jewelry maker.  Contact Judy Fast, Adriana Broberg, or Martha Levites if you know someone who wants to contribute their own artwork.  Donations of artwork will be evaluated for a raffle. 

 

7/31 Trio con Brio will perform with a bassoonist!

 

8/7 is the volleyball competition and barbecue at beach

 

8/14 Upsouth Twisters will perform zydeco music with topical and political lyrics.

 

8/21 is open; possibly Cabaret night with Lisa Haas.

 

The Barn is closed on 8/28.

 

9/4 is the banquet.  Marty Adelman and Ricky Cousins are starting on the banquet show early.  Next year, we might consider working with Big Apple Playback Theater.  Playback Theater is a technique that uses stories from the audience to inspire improvisational performances.   There will be a Playback Theater workshop at Manhattanville College in Purchase this summer. Anyone interested is encouraged to attend public shows of Big Apple Playback Theater in New York City on June 4^th and 5^th.  Information is at www.bigappleplayback.com

 

Chess nights will continue.  All are invited.

 

The social calendar will be published soon.

 

Old Business: None

 

New Business: None. 

 

Meeting was adjourned at 12:43 pm.