Members of OSFR gathered this evening, June 2, 2017 for a social hour of friendship and fellowship before joining ranks to elect the board members of the directors and advisors.
The slate of officers remains the same, with Pam Smith, President, Terry Phelan, Vice President, Michael Roth, Treasurer and President Elect, and Patty Street, Secretary.
A change is found with board members Pam Blasetti, Sandra Hubbard and Bill Latham stepping down, and we thank them profoundly for their service. Sandra will remain as Events Director, for which we are grateful. Pam B. and Bill will remain members, and we thank Pam B. for the delicious food which she arranged for the reception.
Recent changes on the Board of Advisors are that Russ Augsperg is stepping down and Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson has come on, and Tom Kay was elected tonight. Their bios will soon be on the Advisor Page. We thank Russ for his counsel and welcome our two new members.
Sharon Yeago has taken on the task of RiverFest 2018, and we will see it raised to a new level. Under Sharon’s able direction we are assured of a bigger and better RiverFest fundraiser.
Recognition of the Outstanding OSFR Volunteer was manifest by the ceremony of awarding the annual “Golden Grabber” award to your humble historian. This consists of an actual golden grabber (but the gold paint was still a little sticky) plus a wonderful gift card to the Great Outdoors. All of for which your historian is very grateful and somewhat overwhelmed, for it is a true honor. We have many truly dedicated volunteers who all contribute.
Your historian was also honored to be allowed to present a synopsis of OSFR achievements and accomplishments during the past year. These are many, and the list consisted of two pages of single spaced lines.
Without listing all, we can say the categories are donations, rallies/protests, programs/exhibits, outreach (appearing before authoritative groups,workshops, etc.), important speakers/guests at board meetings, events, fundraising, national recognition, media/writing (website overhaul by Susan Giles), feature articles and op-eds, river cleanups, and miscellaneous.
Our group had a major workshop for re-structuring and revision of goals, which defined and put us on the path where we want to be. With consolidation and streamlining, we now have a membership committee headed by Cindy Noel, a Fundraising and Grants Committed headed by Anita Wright, and an Education and Advocacy Committee headed by Mike Roth.
Identified as priority one for now, we have a subcommittee under the E & A Committee to address the phosphate mine threat. And we are about to become a 501 (c) (4).
President Pam Smith has led us through an extraordinary year for OSFR, and we are notably wiser, richer, and more powerful than ever.
We are a force and a voice for the river as never before and we are growing stronger.
Thank you Pam Smith, thank you volunteers, members and donors.
Kudos to you, Jim – the Golden Gripper award was well earned!!