November 2009
Dear members and friends of CAMMAC,
Over the past year I have been doing a lot of thinking as to how we can ensure that CAMMAC will be going strong when our grandchildren and their children are ready to become a part of the CAMMAC family. I have a new grandson and seeing him and thinking about his future has pushed me toward this reflection.
CAMMAC has been going now for some 56 years and it is, as you and I both know, a remarkable organization that has had an enormous positive impact on the lives of thousands of persons – both children and adults.
We have all been able to benefit from learning and developing our musical skills under the guidance of skilled professional teachers in a non-competitive atmosphere of friendship and in a spirit of genuine support for one another. If we are to ensure that CAMMAC is able to continue to maintain itself and to nurture amateur musicians of the future, it is incumbent upon us to do our part. A bright future for CAMMAC is something we all want.
But how can we make it happen?
How can we ensure that this new and wonderful lodge that we have constructed at Lake MacDonald gets its growing pains behind it and concentrate on moving forward with the remaining renovations of the older buildings that we know are so desperately needed? How can we ensure that the quality of instruction at our camps remains High and that the musical programs are of the best quality possible?
We are blessed to have had a wonderful Artistic Director over the past 12 years at Lake MacDonald – Elizabeth Little. She worked so very hard to keep up the great traditions begun by Madeleine, George, Carl and Frances Little and then continued under the outstanding musical leadership of Jan Simons. Now we welcome a new Artistic Director – Patricia Abbott. We are all delighted that Pat knows CAMMAC and loves the CAMMAC that we all care so deeply about.
But when you are running an organization which is essentially financially autonomous, you must prepare for the future. It doesn't come about by itself. We must strengthen CAMMAC financially so that we move toward the development of sufficient reserves and a 'rainy day' fund to allow us to get through any problem we may encounter.
We have been through a difficult period. We have had major problems with the new building though no fault of our own. Particularly the mistakes in the conception of the septic system have led us to undertake a lawsuit in an effort to obtain just compensation. This has eaten up time and money and been a major source of stress for all of us.
The lawsuit is very advanced now. Witnesses have testified and experts have studied our situation and we are increasingly confident that we will obtain a just settlement that will allow us to make the repairs we need. But we must be patient as lawsuits are slow moving – justice takes time!
In the meantime, we need to be able to strengthen our programs, our marketing and our revenues while keeping our programs accessible to our members and their children and grandchildren.
We need to remind ourselves that CAMMAC is fundamentally sound financially. If we did not have the lawsuit and the problems with the new building we would be in a positive financial situation. But we need to ENSURE THAT OUR FUTURE IS SOLID and complete this period of transition.
Today I am writing to tell you that some donors have stepped up to the plate and have decided to challenge us by offering to double any funds we can raise by the end of this year up to a maximum of $47,500. For every dollar that you and I give to CAMMAC, they will match our gift up to a total of $47,500. This is a golden opportunity for us to help CAMMAC.
We can, I believe, give CAMMAC a major boost in a period which has been a difficult one by responding to this challenge. Therefore, I am writing to you to appeal to your love of this organization which we all cherish. I am giving $1000 and I am asking you to dig deep and to give as generously as you can. Of course, all gifts will receive a charitable receipt. All gifts will be doubled, up to $47,500 provided they are received before the end of the year.
Sending your gift now can ensure that CAMMAC will remain strong and vital. We have done it before and we can do it this time. We can help ensure the future of CAMMAC in this challenging period.
CAMMAC counts on its members and friends. You know and I know that CAMMAC friendships are unlike any other. Many couples have met at CAMMAC.
CAMMAC members and friends have helped us build our new building and have helped us in so many ways in the past. Now is the time to step forward and to invest in CAMMAC's future.
Our lives are short and we are only given so many opportunities to do significantly positive things during our lifetimes. This is one such opportunity. Let's take up the challenge offered by the group of donors and fully meet it.
Please take a moment to fill in the attached form and to send in your contribution now. We will keep you up to date as to how our campaign is going via our website (www.cammac.ca – check it out as Peter Lowensteyn has done a lot of volunteer work updating the site www.cammac.ca ).
Thank you for your past support of CAMMAC both as volunteers and as donors. If you are someone who has never given a gift to CAMMAC, won't you consider doing so? Don't you think that CAMMAC is a worthwhile organisation to pass on to the next generation? Help us to maintain a strong and vibrant CAMMAC for amateur musicians – for ourselves, for our children and our grandchildren. We can do it but we need your help.
In the spirit of the founders of CAMMAC who believed in their dream and built it!
Remember, it is up to us to maintain that dream!
Sincerely,
Harry Qualman
Board President
P.S. Thank you for acting now and helping to ensure the future of CAMMAC for the next generations. Please also take a moment to join, if you are not already a member, the Friends of CAMMAC. This monthly donors club, of which I am a member, helps us to ensure a bright musical future for CAMMAC and the next generation of CAMMACers. For those who are already members, THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. Even a small monthly gift is a big help to CAMMAC so if you can join, please do so.
