Can we
do it? YES WE CAN!
by Peter Irish
At our
Building Faith for a Lifetime financial campaign cabinet meeting in
November, Bishop Claude Miller asked us if we still thought we could
raise the million dollars we need to rebuild, refurbish and repair
Camps Medley and Brookwood. Like my grandson’s cartoon hero Bob The
Builder, we all said "YES WE CAN!" But we acknowledged that it will
take much more work and a little longer than we anticipated.
ACW member Carolyn Howlett,
left, and president Heather Carr, right, joined campaign chair Peter
Irish at the Fredericton Bishop's Dinner
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As I
reflect on the past year working full time (and
then some) on raising money to preserve our diocesan youth camps
for generations yet to come, I offer my heartfelt thanks.
As of Dec.
31, our campaign total is $292,454.99 -- 29 per cent of our $1 million
goal. We are off to a great start.
Because
of the size of the funding required to complete the camps projects,
Building Faith For A Lifetime Phase II was designed as a multi-year
activity. We had hoped for 1,000 donations of $1,000 to make up our
million. Over 100 of our donations and pledges were over $1,000, 20
were over $2,000, 12 were over $5,000. One individual gave $7,200 and
three donations were over $15,000. Leading the way of course was the
Diocesan ACW pledge of $40,000.
Bishop’s
Dinners
Last
fall’s Bishop’s Dinners alone raised more than $86,000. The 900 people
who attended the regional events really enjoyed themselves. Time and
again I heard: “This is great Peter, we have to do this again next
year."
Bishop
Miller was pleased.
Besides
being a great social success, the dinners were an opportunity for Camp
Medley alumni to share some of their camping experiences. Mathew Brown,
Peggy Martin, the Rev. Dr. Chris Brittain, Katie and Micah Peterson,
Hazel Mackenzie, Gray Gillies, Laura Pyne, Caryn Crowe, Hazen Carey,
Lynda Jageo, Matilda Vaughan, Jamie Morell and Marie Helene Marmen all
spoke about how Camp Medley or Camp Brookwood had changed their lives
and urged dinner patrons to give generously to ensure that these camp
ministries continue for the next generation. Each and every one of the
speakers was an inspiring spokesperson for the camps.
The
dinners also succeeded because of the organizing teams put in place by
the archdeacons.
Archdeacon
Walter William’s and his wife Lorna planned the dinner in Woodstock.
Richard Thorne looked after the delightful evening in Rothesay. And
campaign cabinet member/Medley board member Ann Pinnell looked
after the dinner in Moncton. She planned the dinner, managed the
tickets and even took part in the skits.
Stephen
MacMackin looked after the more than 200 patrons at the Saint John
dinner, and I believe he was seconded to Hampton to help his wife with
ticket sales there. Bette Parks planned the Westfield dinner. Not only
did they raise money from donations and pledges but they added several
hundred dollars from the sale of the floral centrepieces on each table,
boxes of mints and everything else that wasn’t nailed down.
Not since
I left Newfoundland have I been as enjoyably entertained as I was at
the Bathurst dinner planned by Laura McNulty. The entertainment
included the singing group "Just Voices", and the vocal arrangements of
Rosalind Kennedy Townsend, Randy Arsenault and Tom Jagoe along with
Hildand Dancers Curt Hadley and Abbie Ronalds.
Archdeacon
John Sharpe chaired the Fredericton dinner and it was great working
with Sharon Simms on some of the finer details. The dinner went well
after I recovered from introducing Bishop Miller and his wife Cynthia
(of course the bishop’s wife’s name is Sharon, Cynthia is Archdeacon
Sharpe’s wife’s name.)
Of course
for every Bishop’s Dinner there was a large supporting group of
volunteers involved at the grass roots level. To each and every one of
them, a hearty thank you for a job well done.
Tammy
Jones, Sandra Thorne, Ann Pinnell, Terry Hutchinson, Heather Carr,
Cheryl Jacobs, Laura McNulty and Wes Cosman chaired the teams of people
from every parish who sold the tickets to get people to the various
venues. These people were the catalyst for success.
One dinner
observation I would like to share was at the dinner in Westfield. Many
of the people who attended that dinner and who gave generously to our
campaign also attended their own million-dollar fundraising campaign
for a new church the week before. Now that is dedication.
We are
encouraged by the comments of people who attended the dinners who said,
"I didn’t know that the facilities were in such rough shape. I will
send you a donation next week. Or a letter from the Parish of
Riverview, who was so impressed with the Bishop’s Dinner in Moncton,
they sent us a cheque and then followed it up with another cheque at
year-end. Or as my friend Betty Kennett said as she gave me her
donation, "I’ll give a little more when I am rich again." And the list
goes on.
Plans
for
2006
I feel
that 2006 is going to be an exciting year for The Building Faith For A
Lifetime Campaign and the camps projects. As I write this The Cabinet,
is preparing to meet on Jan. 26 to begin to plan our campaign
activities for the coming year. Because of the success of the regional
dinners, I can see some type of archdeaconry activity in the fall. I
have already talked with the diocesan president of the ACW about an ACW
activity possibly in May. We will also be working on a "Camp Ministry
Sunday" with Bishop Miller. I plan to attend the Camp Medley and
Brookwood annual meetings to work with them on on-site activities at
the camps. We also need to do some work on our website.
After the
detailed plans and financial requirements for a new main building at
Camp Medley are finalized at the end of January, we will focus some of
our campaign activity on businesses and individuals who may be able to
make a substantial donation to the program. We will be applying this
year to the Anglican Foundation and of course to the foundations that
invited us to apply again for funding from their organization.
I want to
thank the Cabinet, the team of staff and volunteers who help manage the
campaign. They support me in all my activities and were involved with
various parts of the fall dinner campaign: Murry Arnott, Clare Box,
Robert Comeau, Keith Dow, (Archdeacon) Geoffrey Hall, Hazel MacKenzie,
Stephen MacMackin, (Bishop) Claude Miller, Paul Mills, Ann Pinnell,
Fred Scott, and Cecil VanBuskirk.
I
encourage each parish to keep our camps before us. I end this update
with our campaign prayer written by Hazel Mackenzie. Perhaps it could
be placed in church bulletins for all of us to use:
Heavenly
Father, Divine Creator, our spirits sing in praise of your holy
name. We pray that you would inspire our minds with your vision
for Camps Medley and Brookwood and fill our hearts with the joy of
responding eagerly to do your will. We ask this in the name of
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Peter Irish is chair
of the Faith for a Lifetime diocesan youth camps financial campaign.
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