The most common thing that I have had people say to me over the winter is that they are looking forward to having a “normal season” at the Resort. I certainly agree that it is time. Time for all of this snow to melt, time for the summer to begin, and time for a beachside lemonade. I can almost taste it already.
As announced last spring, a new Picnic Shelter (called the Boat House) has been set up in Moose Park. It will be painted this summer but it is ready to use and has now been added to the list of the many community facilities that are available to all Annual Campers, for either private or public events. These facilities are appropriate for many types of functions. In the past they have been used for multiple night events such as reunions, weddings and pre-tying the knot parties, as well as for shorter single day events like a family baseball tournament or a kids only campfire. There is no charge to use these facilities (but you do need to clean up afterwards). Random use of these facilities is encouraged, however, some require a bit of advanced preparation work. Reservations can be made by contacting the Events Coordinator. Here is a complete list of what is currently available:
– Dock Area firepit
– Moose Park firepit
– Swimming Beach firepit
– Beach Picnic Shelter
– The Boat House picnic shelter
– Common room in the Store Community Building
– Parking lot at the Store Community Building
– Moose Park open space
– Group Camping area in Moose Park
I had a discussion with a Wildlife Officer a while ago about alcohol and ATVs. He made it quite clear that in Alberta there is no legal way to transport alcohol on an ATV, even if the packages are still sealed. Some people have been ticketed on the assumption that after consuming, they will undoubtedly end up riding the ATV back to their lot. Other people have had their driver’s license taken away for operating an ATV while under the influence. These rules apply the same way regardless if the violation happens on public land or on private land. All of this means that it is illegal to bring a six-pack to visit your lake friends if travelling by ATV. Obviously, this is something to be aware of.
The Fall Barbeque went over very well last season, even though it was thrown together at the last minute by the Campers Club Council. I have been asked about having another barbeque day this year, but earlier in the summer and with some kid’s activities on the same day. This event needs a little more advanced planning and a lot more help. If you would like to help with this event, please contact the Events Coordinator.
Thank you to all of the volunteers over the years who have helped out by attending and leading meetings, running a kid’s station, doing some grocery shopping, flipping burgers at the barbeque, directing traffic, or anything in between. This includes those people working behind the scenes, and those who were willing to stand in front of the Annual Meeting and answer the hard questions. It is because of you that our lake community is getting the reputation of being so friendly. New people are always surprized to see everyone give them the “Fawcett Lake Wave”, as they drive by each lot.
Events at the lake have been quite limited the past couple of years, so the Campers Club has become a little short-handed. Each year there is a need for someone to sign the cheque when purchasing the fireworks, or to tell the person behind the barbeque where the extra propane is. Please consider if you are interested in supporting the people who hold these events by working at home to answer their questions in advance. These roles are necessary, but they are not intended to be done at the lake. Specifically, we need a Treasurer who is considered to be independent (in other words, not me). Of course new event ideas are always welcome and volunteers are always needed at all levels of participation. If you think that you are able to help in any way, even just for a single event, contact the Events Coordinator.
The Campers Club has started a new procedure in recent years that allows Guest Fees to be paid by etransfer, as well as by cash or cheque. There is more information about Guest Fees on the payment envelopes, which are available by the Notice Board in front of the Store Community Building. There is also a section of the Resort website which shows more information about the Campers Club (including Guest Fees), as well as how to contact some of the volunteers. There is a link to this section in the Contact Us page.
In case you don’t remember, the Annual Meeting was held a little differently last year. In order to limit the attendance, only specific Campers Club volunteers were invited. However, the Minutes of the Meeting were published to all Annual Campers, and are still available on the Resort website. Some of these items are also partially repeated here in this newsletter. An important item that was announced at that meeting is a change in our voting process. In the past this process was simply by a show of hands (it was never a secret ballot). From now on, any issues that are to be decided by a general vote will be summarized and presented online after the meeting, with an electronic public vote being held shortly afterwards.
The Annual Meeting is expected to be an open meeting again this year. It will be held on the Sunday of the May long weekend (which is May 22) at 1.00pm. Everyone is welcome to present or discuss the issues and to help plan the events of this season.
See you at the Lake