Carry on as usual until the funds run out, become a community centre, create a partnership with another organization or sell the building. Those were the four options discussed at the Humboldt Senior Citizens Club Inc.'s annual general meeting held Thursday, February 7 at the Seniors Hall.
Despite weeks of advance notice for the AGM, the number of non-members rivalled the number of members in attendance.
After hearing and reviewing the usual financial statements and committee reports, a lengthy discussion resulted from president Marguerite Cunningham's report.
Cunningham began by re-emphasizing the need for more volunteers and more participation from the club's members, a point that was brought forward by other executive members in their annual reports.
"There are not enough members to maintain the building," she said. "Our members who are 75 years old and older are not capable of doing the work that is necessary."
Despite the progress the present board has made during its term - the past three years - there is more that needs to be done. But there is a lack of volunteers and lack of interest when it comes to getting involved with the activities.
"From what I can see, we cannot continue in this manner," said Cunningham.
This was a sentiment shared earlier in the meeting by board member Syd Helmkay as he outlined the many improvements that were undertaken and realized in his three-year board term. He noted, the club needs to raise approximately $2,000 per month, just to keep the doors of the facility open.
"We are barely keeping our noses above water when it comes to raising that amount," he said.
"We need people to come forward to help."
Last fall, the board met with City council to see if the City would be able to help the seniors with the maintenance of the building.
According to Cunningham, the City indicated it would be willing to look at the possibility when developing the 2013 budget.
"The City is here to support the seniors," said Darrell Lessmeister, Director of Community and Leisure Services for the City of Humboldt. "But the City is wanting direction from the seniors regarding the future of the facility."
Shirley Guest, chair of Partners Family Services, was one of at least three non-profit organizations in attendance, and she applauded the seniors for the very successful Soup Kitchen held weekly in the hall, operated by Partners Family Services.
"As a community we would like to see better support of the seniors, but we too are looking for direction from the Seniors Club," Guest said.
Cunningham put forth four options she believes the club needs to explore as potential avenues to follow.
Option one is for the club to carry on in its present form. With the money that is presently sitting in the club's account and without any fundraising efforts, the hall could be maintained for approximately six more months.
Option two is to explore the possibility of going from a seniors hall to a community centre with the provision that the hall could still be used as a gathering place for the seniors.
The third option would be to lease the building to another organization, potentially creating a partnership, thus allowing seniors use and access to the hall.
The final option would be to sell the building and donate the proceeds to a charity, as outlined by the club's bylaws.
After much discussion regarding finances and procedures, a motion was passed in which the seniors club would undertake a feasibility study on options two and three regarding the future of the hall.
A special meeting will be scheduled within the next four weeks, where the seniors club will extend invitations to all non-profit clubs and to the City to discuss the future of the facility.
The club has inked a May 30 deadline for completing the studies and making a final decision on the future of the facility and the club.
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
