Hello again. And welcome to the summer, though I am grateful for the few drops of rain before the drought sets in. I have been away for a while recently and missed the May Board meeting, leaving things in the very capable hands of our Vice-President, Elizabeth Iachelli, who chaired the meeting with her usual grace and aplomb.
First, I need to say a big thank-you to Paul Gellman and his musicians (and Amy Block, of course) for putting on an unforgettable evening on May 3rd. Not only was the music and dancing entrancing and the silent auction items superb, but the event, directly and indirectly, brought in about $5,000 towards our Raise the Roof Campaign. Also, my profound thanks to all those “Hallies” (Joyce Babula, Laurie McDonald and many many others) who worked so hard behind the scenes to put it all together. It was truly a joint effort. It was also an example of precisely why the Hall is such an important part of our community. Where else could such events take place?
We have found another generous ally in our search for roof funding. This time it is the Village Liquor Store, who have a “1% Club” that will donate 1% of its August sales to the Raising the Roof campaign. Thank you, Michael Brown.
You may remember that we have been concerned about the deterioration of the windows in the Hall and have been soliciting help in replacing them. Well, thanks to the Gabriola Lions and a grant from the RDN’s Community Grant Fund, we plan on getting started on the project in the next few weeks. Budget Glass was selected and will be starting work shortly. Thanks to all involved.
The next project is to install gutters around the roof. Funding from the RDN and the ever-generous Gabriola Lions has already been received for this project. The Hall owes so much to the assistance of the Lions over many years.
On another front, I want to report that we have had some very encouraging discussions with the RDN’s Emergency Services section and our RDN Director regarding the Community Hall potentially being designated as an emergency reception centre. There are several very legitimate technical issues that need to be resolved before any final decision is reached and we are working on these. If we can overcome them, then the Hall would be in line to be identified as the emergency reception centre for the south end; if not, then we recognise that it would be in the best interest of our community to support another alternative location for an emergency reception centre. I will keep you informed as things progress.
The next major event at the Hall will be the Friends of the Library Book Sale on Saturday, June 1st, and Sunday, June 2nd, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Be there!
Click image for larger poster
Another “don’t miss” coming up is Mara Brenner’s Gabriola Dance troupe performance of “The Giving Tree” and “Where the Sidewalk Ends” on June 8th at 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM, and June 9th at 1:00 PM. Gabriola Dance has proposed (and we have accepted!) that the proceeds from this event go towards our Raising the Roof Campaign. A heartfelt thank you from us all. We are getting ever closer to our target.
Finally, initial plans for the 2019 Salmon BBQ are well underway. Julie Stewart, the coordinator, made a report to the Board this month and we are all convinced that this year’s event will be the best ever! We have already begun soliciting for prizes for the raffle and auction – so if you can help, our door is open.
Best wishes to you all.
Peter Jones
President
Community Hall Association