So Much To Do On Vencil Island!!!

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Dear River Rats,

I am thrilled to announce the establishment of a dedicated events committee for our beloved island.

However, I'd like to pause and express our deep gratitude to Jeff and Amy Williams first. They have tirelessly championed and orchestrated the island's events for the past 4-5 years. The imaginative and vibrant events they have curated, along with those they took under their wing, have been invaluable in fostering the close-knit community we all cherish so deeply. Their efforts, backed by the dedication of many volunteers, warrant our sincerest appreciation. Thank you, Amy and Jeff, for your commendable contribution.

Over the years, our community events have flourished in terms of both quantity and scale. This growth necessitated the formation of an events committee, as the management became too extensive for just a couple of individuals.

We are pleased to announce Terri Bacon as the chair of the new events committee, supported by committee members Carrie Grad, Sherri Gelvin, Bryan Melvin, Pat Hearity, and Brandon Brown.

Operating autonomously yet with the board's support, the committee will be maintaining detailed records of their meetings for transparency. They will commence their endeavors with a fund balance of $1,166, a sum derived from last year’s Smoke On The Water event and a generous donation from this year's scavenger hunt winners, not sourced from VILA funds.

This fund will be allocated to a distinct checking account under VILA's name at FNBO, independent from other VILA accounts. The board will supervise this account, monitoring expenses and profits derived from events similar to other VILA financial undertakings. Monthly account reconciliations will occur during the board of director's meetings.

Terri will be issued a debit card linked to this account, however, without a PIN to ensure all transactions can be appropriately tracked. Receipts will be forwarded to Carrie Grad and/or Sherri Gelvin, who will co-manage the committee's finances.

For seamless communication, Terri will be assigned the email address events@thevila.org. Additionally, we encourage everyone to engage via the VILA Facebook group page - an efficient platform for community-wide interaction.

We envision the events committee to be self-sustaining, causing minimal to no disruption to VILA's overall financial health. There will be a new line item added to the VILA budget for events, set at an annual budget equivalent to the starting balance in the events checking account, i.e., $1,166.

Any surplus funds from events will be reinvested into future events and capital improvements. Merchandise-related funds will also be utilized towards the same ends.

We wish to confirm that the remaining events scheduled for this year will proceed as planned, with the Poker Run being the first event on Saturday, August 19th. You can find all event details on www.thevila.org and the VILA Facebook page.

Terri and the committee warmly invite anyone interested in volunteering or offering their suggestions for current and future events. Your participation and ideas are genuinely welcomed and appreciated.

We are immensely grateful to Terri Bacon and her team for willingly picking up the baton from Amy and Jeff. We eagerly anticipate what lies ahead and can't wait to experience the magic they will undoubtedly bring to our community's future events.

Thank you,

Trevor Fiala