From the SLA: Membership matters
By Rotunno Fish
Membership matters – verb. Yes, membership matters because each and every membership helps to substantiate the SLA as a significant organization. Memberships help to make the SLA a voice that will get attention and hopefully be a heeded advisor on issues that are vital to the health of the lake and watershed. Memberships are, in effect, a vote for the lake and votes count. When the SLA Board or our Executive Director, Rachael DeWitt, is meeting with government officials, the size of our membership is important in giving us a comfortable and impactful place at the table. As our membership has grown with close to 1000 households and over 1600 individuals, we have become a significant voice for Skaneateles Lake. Our growing membership gives evidence to the support of the lake community for the SLA’s mission, the focus of which is, and only is, Skaneateles Lake and its watershed. Every single membership matters.
Membership Matters – noun. These first few months of 2019 have elicited some great membership matters – stories – that will hopefully strike a chord with some who will then follow suit. One of our long- time members whose family has been in the lake community for over 100 years wrote to tell us that she realized that her adult children enjoy the family camp as much as she does. She gave each of them a present of a year membership in the SLA with good motherly instructions that it was up to them to keep their membership up thereafter. They committed to their mother that they would do so. Another lake community resident who was a long-time good friend of our Steward, Al Coon, wrote to say that he wanted to join the SLA and make a donation in Al’s memory. Our Steward, Al, continues to be a support to the SLA. We were particularly thrilled to have two young adults, children of long-time members, step up and join as members themselves and add that they would be reaching out to friends in similar situations – that is still under the roof of their parent SLA members, but adult enough to be members themselves.
If you have never joined the SLA or you need to renew you membership for 2019 you can do so online at SkaneatelesLake.org or call 315-558-3142 for an Annual Member Registration Form.
We thank the following whose memberships and additional generous donations are:
sponsoring the milfoil boat for a day or multiple days – Dawn & Lew Allyn, Johanna & Gianfranco Frittelli, Loren Moranz & John Macallister, Jessica & Patrick Danial, Penny & Bill Allyn, Susan & Carl Andersson, Lynn Cleary & David Duggan, Victoria & Richard Meyer, Patience Brewster & Holly Gregg, Kathy & Paul Leone, John Osborn and an Anonymous Donor:
co-sponsoring the milfoil boat for a day or multiple days: Deborah & Joseph Augustine, The Coppo Family, Nancy & Guy Easter, Diedre & David Aureden, Beth & bob Filiczkowski, The Kelly Family, Linda & Bruce Kenan, Emily & Kristopher Konrad, Judith Krieger, Linda & Russell Ruthig, Skaneateles Sunrise Rotary, Mary Pat & Dan Suits, Nancie & Richard Way, Debra Hurley & Ira Coleman, Maureen & Brian Harkins, Kate & Mont Pooley, Anne & William Lynn, Rebecca Cohen & Brenden McGinn, Joan & Michael Niswender, Eleanor & Ben Ware, Deborah & Joseph Paduda, Julie & Joseph Scuderi, Twin Birch Dairy (Karen & Dirk Young) Karen Yuhas & Jack Riley, Vanessa & Michael Yates, Bartlett Tree Experts, The Jermy Family, Margaret Kelly, Donna & Raymond Kurlak, Mary Jane & Gary Lowery, William & Patricia McAvoy, and an Anonymous Donor;
sponsoring an Invasive Species Monitoring Steward for a day or multiple days: Gretchen & Buzz Roberts, Johanna & Gianfranco Frittelli, Laurel Moranz & John Macallister, Diane Forney, Christine & Edward Szemis, Bettina &Tom Smallman, Ashby & Dennis Longwell, Jen & Bill Warning, Michael Jenkins, Barbara & John Spain. Locust Lane Association, Emily & James Johnson, Barbara & Bot Bolton Smith, Chris & Bob Latella, Romaine & Richard Rood, Theodore & Joan Kuck and the Skaneateles Sailboat Shop:
contributed to the David Lee Hardy Fund in support of our Steward Program: Paula & Edward Conan, Sky Yoga & Wellness, Barbara & Bolt Bolton Smith, Chris & Bob Latella, Romaine & Richard Rood, the Skaneateles Sail Boat Shop and Richard Lynch
