1. Beaver Valley Seniors – Branch 44
BEAVER VALLEY SENIOR CITIZENS’ – BRANCH 44
Report to West Kootenay/Boundary Regional Meeting – Balfour B.C.
January to December 2017
April 3, 2018
Our membership in 2017 was 72 members, with 15 new members and 1 Life Member. To date, we have signed up 65 members with 6 of them being new members. We hold our monthly meetings on the second Thursday of each month with the exception of July & August. We averaged 18 members in attendance at our monthly meetings.
In 2017 we held a number of activities for our members. These included:
On Mondays, we hold bingo from 1:30 to 3:00.
Tuesdays we held Carpet Bowling with two sessions, from 10 to 11 am and 11 am to 12 pm. There were 8 teams playing 7 games from January to April 2017. This was then followed by a wrap-up Tournament. All the bowlers enjoyed a toonie lunch put on by the Village of Fruitvale for all seniors. The Fall session then began October to December 2017, again we had 8 teams playing 7 games. This was followed with a wrap-up Tournament in January 2018.
Wednesdays we have Ceramics from 9 am to 12 noon.
On the 1st, 3rd, 4th & 5th Thursdays and the 2nd Wednesday we have cards (cribbage and whist) from 1:30 to 3 pm.
In March & April 2017, A Representative from the Volunteer Income Tax Program was available at the Beaver Valley Manor every Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. to help Seniors in the area prepare their Income Tax.
In December, we purchased Liability Insurance for our facility at a cost of $693.00 per year. We rent our facility from the Beaver Valley Manor Society and they discovered that we did not have Liability Insurance for this facility. In today’s society, they and we felt that it was imperative to have liability insurance.
Additional things are done by the month:
January – Patricia Ceechini, Mayor of Fruitvale, Installed the new Executive of Branch 44.
March – Gave two $250.00 Scholarships to the J.L. Crowe Scholarship Committee for two Scholarship Awards to be given to two students from the Beaver Valley who are continuing in education. Donated $200.00 to the 2017 55+ BC Games, Zone 6. Agreed to send 2 Delegates and 1 Visitor to the Annual AGM of the Senior Citizens’ Association of B.C. held in Houston.
April – Sent 2 delegates 2 guests to the Spring Regional Meeting of the West Kootenay/Boundary in Trail.
May – Sent 2 delegates to the Annual General Meeting of the Senior Citizens’ Association of B.C. in Houston.
June – Received approval of our Grant Application to the Columbia Basin Trust Community Initiatives Grant for the purchase of a new sound system, new serving carts and an additional cupboard for our Kitchen.
September – Agreed to send 2 delegates and as many visitors as would like to go to the Fall West Kootenay Boundary Regional Meeting in Grand Forks.
October – Sent 2 delegates and 4 visitors to the Fall West Kootenay/Boundary Regional Meeting in Grand Forks. Agreed to change our meeting day from the 1st Thursday of the month back to the 2nd Thursday of the month.
December – Held our annual Christmas Banquet catered by Erin Fance. Those who attended enjoyed a very good meal, with entertainment provided by Ted Okkerse. We also had a Donation Box available for non-perishable items for the Food Bank. As well, in December, we enjoyed a Christmas Light Tour provided by Beaver Valley Recreation and the Beaver Valley Nitehawks hockey club. The cost to those who went on this tour was $5.00 per person. Those who attended enjoyed the tour and then met after at the BV Manor for Coffee, Tea and goodies. Held our Annual Elections for Branch 44 Executive.
Finally, the coordinator of the Beaver Valley Age-Friendly Community, Vickie Fitzpatrick continues to hold Monthly Toonie Luncheons on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at the Fruitvale Community Hall. All seniors from the Beaver Valley are invited to this Lunch at a cost of $2.00 each. The attendance averages 140 to 200 people. In addition, Branch 44 is given the opportunity to sell memberships at these luncheons. Also, the Village of Fruitvale prints a Newsletter every month, that is distributed to the Residents of Fruitvale and Branch 44’s Activities are printed in this Newsletter.
Respectfully Submitted
Cliff Johnson
President