News about Five Oaks

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Pinga

Pinga

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A message from:

Five Oaks' Board of Directors

& Member Working Group (MWG)

Greetings,


The Member Working Group and Board of Directors are extremely pleased to share the following spectacular news:

Five Oaks Board Endorsement Motion

Motion that the Board extend deep appreciation to the Member Working Group for their tremendous passion, time and energy put into the Five Oaks Business Plan Proposal. That the Board endorse the MWG Business Plan dated April 17th, 2017 with minor edits. The Board will regularly monitor all factors impacting the progress of Five Oaks to long term financial sustainability.

Moved by Ron Jewell / Ted Smith. Carried. UNANIMOUSLY!

Note: If this is your first email containing news of our completed Business Plan, you will need to update/signup to be a current member. Once in receipt of your paid dues, we will send you a copy of our report.

Follow the link below to our membership registration page.

Five Oaks Online Membership

If you don't participate in online payments, to arrange payment contact us via Membership Registration Inquiries


With the Board and MWG in full agreement about a new path for Five Oaks, we wish to inform you of a few dates for the membership to review and ponder this new way forward. We will facilitate three Q&A sessions for you, and seek the collective wisdom of the membership. So get your membership today, and join us on this exciting re-birthing journey! Below is a listing of the dates & times.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Fri April 21 ~ Release of Five Oaks Business Plan report to membership

Sat April 29, 1 - 4pm, at Five Oaks ~ Review plan with membership (facilitation of questions, and glean wisdom from those gathered)

If you are unable to attend our April 29th gathering, or have more questions & reflections, we will provide two virtual meetings. Once signed up, we will send you the link to join the conversation.

Mon May 1, 7:30-9pm, Online Call-in Session

Wed May 3, 8-9:30am, Online Call-in Session

RSVP to cindotrilliumuc@gmail.com indicating which event(s) you wish to take part in.


Update On the Process Thus Far...

MWG has been diligently working over these past 10 months to... develop this plan with new interfaith, intercultural partnerships and new ways of delivering programs; streamline all computer support systems (especially online registration); review and develop a sound financial forecast. To implement the plan we have re-imagined the governance model, and created a balance of staff and volunteers who will forge our new path together. Five Oaks mission and vision has been our beacon throughout this journey, so the proposal stays true to our founding principals whilst enabling Five Oaks to soar on the Spirit's breath of life.


Five Oaks Member Work Group (MWG) presented and submitted for consideration our detailed Business Plan to the Board on March 22, 2017. Subsequently, MWG provided conversation forums for board members to bring questions/ponderings forward. The board prayerfully reflected on our submission. On Wed Apr 19, the board completed its discernment. In an unanimous decision, as noted above, the Board endorsed the MWG Business Plan.


DONATE ONLINE Five Oaks Donations (immediately receive an e-receipt)


DONATE BY PHONE OR SETUP WITH PAR at 519-442-3212 x22, Mon-Fri, 9am-4:30pm VISA, MasterCard


Thank-You for continued interest in Five Oaks' journey!

Sincerely,

Members Working Group

Yvonne Stewart, Jayne Little,
Cindo Peterson, Barbara Fullerton,
David Schell, Sharon Hull, Ross Carson

Board of Directors

Chris Grose, Rob Stapleford, Ron Jewell, Pam Byers, Rhonda Johns, Ted Smith, Yvonne Stewart, Jayne Little, Cindo Peterson
 
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Does this belong in R&F? To my eye, it should be in either Church Life or UCCan Talk.

(Yes, I'm being serious.)
 
This is good news, Just a little update I heard about PCTC Calling Lakes Land and buildings still for sale.

2 or 3 deals have fallen through so the it sits .Hope this didn't derail.
 
Not at all, Crazyheart. Our leaders have been in consultation with leaders from other centres, and the Calling Lakes centre provided wisdom too. Part of the feedback was the costs keep coming, and by closing, without a bill of sale in hand, you are in worse situation. You are stuck with costs and no revenue.
 
Good to hear that they are talking to each other and not just struggling in isolation. Learning from another's experience can be as valuable as learning from your own.
 
thanks for now making on-line registration available - much simpler & hopefully might boost numbers! I look forward to reading the report.
 
Yes Five Oaks was our minute for mission this morning. I didn't have the new blurb with me to pass on so the old blurb was read by the reader and then she said "and with a thankful heart I am announcing that Five Oaks have a different Board and are not closing at this time, right Tabitha?" And I said "Yes just like Naramata. Go to the website for more info"
 
Thanks!

It is good to hear the news was out there.
We were shocked to hear about that minute for mission, and were thankful for the action of the conferences to get the word out.

It was sent by staff back in Nov. Board was unaware.
 
Carolla said:
thanks for now making on-line registration available - much simpler & hopefully might boost numbers! I look forward to reading the report.
Click to expand...
It is a long read.
Information / good news continues to come our way as the plans unfold.

So much going on.
 
Mendalla said:
Good to hear that they are talking to each other and not just struggling in isolation. Learning from another's experience can be as valuable as learning from your own.
Click to expand...
Yes, in fact, have received a jobd just this weekend to use as input to position being posted.
 
Update: In the interests of communication and sharing of information, MWG and the board are now sharing the report to all those interested.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0RgefDXGjvtRzRwbDhNYngxN0E

Thank you to those of you who have attained a current membership, and are engaging with our report, as you prepare to participate in our upcoming AGM. We still deeply encourage those of you who are not members to attain/renew your membership, so you may vote on the Five Oaks Business Plan at our AGM, June 17, 2017.

YOUR VOICE IS IMPORTANT! This new vision and way forward is due to an engaged membership at our 2016 AGM! (If you purchased your membership prior to the 2016 AGM, it is time to renew).

You can enrol/renew your membership at the following link:

Five Oaks Membership
 
I read the Whole Report ... Kudos!

Too bad about this though ....
  • "... the financial statements for 2016 will show a deficit of more than $200,000.
  • The vast majority of this deficit is attributable to the decrease in donations and to the termination payments made to staff.
  • General Council of The United Church of Canada has loaned Five Oaks $150,000 to date to assist with termination payments to staff and to continue operations during the current transition period. It is expected that this loan will be fully repaid with interest at or before the end of 2018."
Is the General Council of the United Church of Canada a Bank?

And this ....
  • Wages & benefits 185,000.00 ...
More than half of the total expenses for how many employees?
 
Tabitha said:
Yes Five Oaks was our minute for mission this morning. I didn't have the new blurb with me to pass on so the old blurb was read by the reader and then she said "and with a thankful heart I am announcing that Five Oaks have a different Board and are not closing at this time, right Tabitha?" And I said "Yes just like Naramata. Go to the website for more info"
Click to expand...


I was doing pulpit supply on Sunday and was surprised by the Minute for Mission. I too gave them an up-date - that a good friend of mine (Pinga) was working with a group to keep Five Oaks operating. Five Oaks became special to me many years ago. I lived in Montreal from 1958 to 1962 and visited Five Oaks with the YPU (church youth group) for special weekends. We travelled by train - so many of us from Montreal/Ottawa Conference that we needed our own coach. This relationship with Five Oaks was renewed when Pinga helped me arrange a WonderCafe gathering there.
 
monk said:
I read the Whole Report ... Kudos!

Too bad about this though ....
  • "... the financial statements for 2016 will show a deficit of more than $200,000.
  • The vast majority of this deficit is attributable to the decrease in donations and to the termination payments made to staff.
  • General Council of The United Church of Canada has loaned Five Oaks $150,000 to date to assist with termination payments to staff and to continue operations during the current transition period. It is expected that this loan will be fully repaid with interest at or before the end of 2018."
Is the General Council of the United Church of Canada a Bank?

And this ....
  • Wages & benefits 185,000.00 ...
More than half of the total expenses for how many employees?
Click to expand...
Good questions.

Update: the deficit came in much lower.

Great questions. I am not the financial person, but will give you a quick response, and will verify later.

1. The actual deficit last year was significantly less than projected. Will get actual numbers.
2. Yes, salaries are generally the highest part of expenses. per the notes:
Based on new staffing model to include Op. Mgr, Maint. Mgr, 1/2 Finance, new Maint. Mgr Sept 1, 2017, ED added Apr 1, 2018
3. Board moved at April meeting to pay back $75,000 of that loan.

I don't know the specifics of loans to churches and church organizations.
 
ps. It dawns on me that you can't see what the financials were for previous years. Salary, if recollection serves me right was close to $500,000. Definitely part of the issue. You can see what the staffing model was in the staffing section. Lots of employees. lots and lots.
 
$500,000 in salary for a church camp? Yeesh, I know salary & benefits is normally one of the biggest line items in any budget, but that sounds crazy. The new budget seems much more in line.
 
Mendalla said:
$500,000 in salary for a church camp? Yeesh, I know salary & benefits is normally one of the biggest line items in any budget, but that sounds crazy. The new budget seems much more in line.
Click to expand...

More than a Church Camp.

Church Camps are traditionally seasonal. Few, like the former Ganadaoweh slightly north of Five Oaks were open year round. Ganadaoweh stayed open with rentals and a very barebone staff. For years it was two permanent staff. One Director/Jack of all trades type who handled maintenance and a book-keeper/scheduler. After the one director/jack of all trades type moved on more staff were brought in and that began a very desperate fundraising cycle which eventually led to burn out on the camp committee and the end of the camp.

Five Oaks ran programming all year round and as a result they had staff that were permanent. As well as others that were event based.
Director, Treasurer, at least two programming staff, at least one groundskeeper/maintenance and at least four kitchen staff. That is 9 salaried positions right there that are, as far as I recall, more or less full-time. Housekeeping probably adds another 3-4 positions so 13. If all are paid at the same rate that is about 38k per annum. There may be more staff that I am forgetting.

It seems outrageous. But this is a facility that serves adults more than it does children and the staffing requirements are very different.
 
Rev. John. Correct.
More included marketing, hospitality/operations, registrar.

It had grown over the years.
 
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