Convenors – September Start Up Dates

It’s that time of year when we start up our activities again.

Please send me the date you’ll be starting up in September. If you won’t be continuing as a Convenor, please ask whether someone in your activity would be interested in volunteering for the role, and let us know.

Thank you! I hope you’ve had—and are still having—a wonderful summer, with at least another month or so of warm weather to enjoy.

Lorri

Whacky BBQ/Corn Roast Cancelled

With regret, we will be cancelling our Wacky Western BBQ and Corn Roast, which was rescheduled for September 17. Thank you to the members who showed their support by purchasing tickets. You will receive a full refund. Please stop by the office at your convenience. We will be returning to our regular hours at the beginning of September – Tues – Friday from 12 to 3 pm. This is now an “event in a box”, maybe to be revisited someday.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the members who responded to the survey. I hope you will indulge me as I explain some important realities regarding our Club that you may not be aware of.

The Past

51 Years ago, our founding members envisioned a place where they could go for fun, activities, and socializing. They made it happen, and that is why we are here today! Unfortunately, time does not stand still, and we respect that everyone has an opinion; we will never make everyone happy. It is your decision whether you believe in and want to be a supportive member of the Club’s future.

The Reality

I have heard it mentioned on more than one occasion that we are changing our mandate to a corporate foundation formula. I would like you to understand that we have NO choice. As wonderful as the memories of the past are, the record-keeping and reporting requirements of days gone by are not what we have to comply with today. Our finances, for example, are now recorded in QuickBooks, accounting software for non-profit organizations. QuickBooks simplifies the process and allows us to generate reports required for our government submissions. This was also a recommendation of SALC, as we were the only organization being served by our Provincial Representative that was using an antiquated system.

ONCA – The Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act.

The Act provided a three-year transition period for charities to comply. This ended in 2024. Our non-compliance could affect our charitable status, and we would risk non-compliance with the Canada Revenue Agency. Simply put, if we did not make changes to comply, we could lose our Club.

ONCA REQUIRES:

• Articles and By-laws

Our founding documents had to be updated and clearly state components like membership, voting rules and directors’ terms. We must have at least 3 directors to comply. It is worth noting that if we had not updated our By-laws, what we in the past referred to as our Constitution, they would have been automatically replaced with what ONCA says.

• Ongoing Filings – such as the Annual Charitable Information Form must be submitted once a year to maintain compliance. We do not prepare income tax forms; this is the charitable equivalent. It requires us to keep accurate financial and membership records. Again, failure to comply could result in complications and fines with Revenue Canada.

ONCA also has the right to do spot audits.

SALC – Seniors’ Active Living Centres – Provincial Funding Source

If we comply, we receive up to $55,000 for operating and maintenance costs. A special grant is also available for one-time projects. The maximum considered for a special grant is $15,000, divided among over 400 Senior Active Living Centres. This year, we received $2,600. We requested installation of handicap door openers, which will soon be mandatory. This special grant will not cover the cost of this request.

We must provide 20% matching funding toward the Club’s net annual operating and maintenance costs.

To be eligible for SALC funding, we must provide a variety of active and passive programming. SALC has now focused on health-related programming. This is reflected in our Lunch & Learn Sessions.

To comply with SALC funding requirements, we must provide reports, including budget and actual figures, for approval. Between SALC and ONCA, we must provide:

• A review of cash handling policies, our assets and inventory, physical assets and equipment
• Bank statements which have been reconciled.
• Expense receipts and appropriate documentation
• Board minutes and resolutions (for auditor)
• Contracts and agreements with vendors (for auditor)
• Grant and funding agreements (for auditor)

Our total revenue this year was $109,588.

Our Total Expenses were $118,774

Our Deficit was $9,186.

Because our revenue was over $ 100,000, SALC required us to submit a full audit performed by an independent, professional public accountant. This cost $13,000.

The stark reality is that if we keep going in this direction, the Club will not exist in 12 Years!

Our membership is also aging out – We need to recruit younger members for sustainability.

My purpose in writing this is to share the reality that the Club cannot continue as it has in the past. That is why we have been working so hard to update our procedures. We are not trying to make things difficult as we ask for convenors’ assistance in keeping accurate and timely reports. We also must actively fundraise.

Events that were “free” to members in the past must be re-evaluated. For example, the Corn Roast was “free” to members, but the Club still covered the expenses. I hear you when you say $25.00 is too much for a hamburger/hotdog. I researched other events of this nature, and the amount was reasonable from a fundraising standpoint. The event is more than the food. It is an afternoon of fun entertainment, a chance to socialize with friends and an opportunity to support your Club.

A small fundraising component must be built into events. Whenever possible, sponsorship is solicited. This is harder to secure in our current economy. It is also not “free”. Organizations that provide sponsorship funding also want access to our members through advertising or a microphone at our events. Is this something you are comfortable with? For the most part, I have protected the Club from this.

Did you know we subsidize Christmas Dinner? The catering cost has been about $5.00 more than we charge, and if we have live entertainment, that is an additional cost. Something to think about.

The cost of membership is another issue that has been raised.

For comparison –

Georgian Shores is $40 per year, $50 after April 1

Askennonia is $55.00 per year

One last word about tradition –

It has never been my intention to ignore tradition. I have taken events and tried to take them to the next level with table settings and decorations, while respecting important components such as speeches, member acknowledgments, etc.

Combining the BBQ and Corn Roast last year was a financial, logistical and manpower decision. It didn’t make sense with our limited volunteer pool (people physically capable of doing the work) to have two events within approximately 3 ½ weeks of each other. I also heard that some people had cold food last year. The logistics of how the food was served were the same as they have always been, i.e., a cooler to keep corn warm. This is an easy fix: use steam trays for events where hot food is being served.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope it gives you a better understanding of how we are trying to change to meet the requirements placed upon us. Our founders did not have to meet today’s compliance and funding standards, and it has been a challenge.

Lynn Davis

Thank You!

Thank you, Bay Shore Members

I want to take a moment to thank our members who came out to our AGM yesterday.

We had a great turnout; 52 members came to our meeting, and we were able to approve the amendments to our By-Laws.

I appreciate your support!

Lorri

P.S. Good luck, Judy, with your knee surgery today!

Bid-Euchre – Were Back!

BID-EUCHRE IS BACK!

We are very excited to get back to our regular Bid Euchre game,

Tuesday, August 18th @ 6:30 pm

Looking forward to seeing all of you back!

Elaine & Lidia

Minute to Win It

It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere

Minute to Win It

We had a wonderful time, with everyone participating in the games Nadine and Lynn had put together.

In teams we played Beer Bong, without the Beer; a Dice Game; Bouncing Ping Pong Balls across the table into a cup; Building a Kite and see who can throw it the farthest; a Mixed Up Card Deck 1st Team to get them in Order; and putting a Cookie on our forehead without using our hands and get in our mouth. Everyone had so much fun, and laughter trying to beat the other teams.

Lynn cooked up her hotdogs and carmalized onions, which seemed to go quickly – everyone was hungry this time.

Once again, thank you to all who participated and those that volunteered. This time we had a lot more Bay Shore members, than Community.

Wonder what the girls will cook up for our next It’s 5 0’clock Somewhere…   stay tuned!!

L0rri

Lunch & Learn

Hospice Penetang – Tomkins House

Tomkins House offers a warm, home-like setting for people in the final weeks of life, Providing comfort, dignity, and compassionate care. The residence includes private rooms. with Murphy beds and private washrooms, allowing residents and their loved ones to feel supported in a peaceful environment.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, support is available from the time of diagnosis. Individuals and families do not have to face the journey alone, and there is no fee for services.

Tuesday, July 14th

Lunch, chat, and beverage at Noon!

JoAnn Warren, Community Engagement Lead,

Hospice Penetang- Tomkins House

Joins us at 1:00 pm

to discuss everything Tomkin House. Please join us if you would like to get more information, have questions. Then we proceed with our…

General Meeting at 2:00 pm! 

General Meeting Agenda

• Nominations & Election
• By-Law Proposed Amendments
• MPP Dunlop
• Mayor/Deputy Mayor Candidates Meeting
• Bingo
• Chairs
• Line Dancing
• Age Friendly Expo/Sr. Symposium
• Trunk Sale – July 18
• It’s 5’oclock Somewhere – Minute to Win It
• Washroom Cleaner
• Hot Water Tank
• SALC Special Grant
• Garden
• Suggestion Box

Lorri

Lunch & Learn

Hospice Penetang – Tomkins House

Tomkins House offers a warm, home-like setting for people in the final weeks of life, Providing comfort, dignity, and compassionate care. The residence includes private rooms. with Murphy beds and private washrooms, allowing residents and their loved ones to feel supported in a peaceful environment.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, support is available from the time of diagnosis. Individuals and families do not have to face the journey alone, and there is no fee for services.

Tuesday, July 14th

Lunch, chat, and beverage at Noon!

JoAnn Warren, Community Engagement Lead,

Hospice Penetang- Tomkins House

Joins us at 1:00 pm

to discuss everything Tomkin House. Please join us if you would like to get more information, have questions. Then we proceed with our…

General Meeting at 2:00 pm!