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2012 FICRA Year in Review – Check out what our volunteers have done!

2012 FICRA YEAR IN REVIEW

2012 has been another year of hard work and achievement at the Nichols Community Center and Nature Center.  The FICRA Board and a strong volunteer team bring you this overview of accomplishments in improving facilities and strengthening the Association.

 

EVENTS

Events are the heart of an association serving the community.  They bring us together and provide opportunity for recreation and learning.

  • The many FICRA events started last year have been continued this year:  Ice Cream Social, Men’s Coffee, Game Night, Mom & Me Playgroup, Wine & Cheese Fundraiser, Beach Walk, Spring and Fall cleanup, Nature Center work parties
  • On-going events include the FICRA Fair & Auction, Christmas Tree Lighting & Musical, meetings, events and support of Boy Scouts Pack 27, Troop 27 and Venture Crew 27, Annual Fox Island Easter Egg Hunt, Jeff Feagin Plant Sale,  Fox Island Garden Tour, and All Island Garage Sale that helps fund our Crime Watch program
  • Our Boy Scouts units have excelled in 2012 with significantly increased membership and several Council level awards
  • New events for 2012 were: Magical Strings Concert, community art project to create canvas Fish for backdrop, Recess Monkey fundraiser for the playground, LEGO Mania, Ping Pong Classic with Live Band, Ladies Latte, and All-ages Kickball
  • Informational forums held: Fox Island Mutual Water meeting, Boating Safety Presentation, Author Night, Candidates Night for the local, State and National election, I 502 Marijuana Initiative, and the Sandspit meeting with Pen Met
  • The Nichols Center was used for many local island meetings including homeowners associations
  • In addition to the regular rentals (Saturday Market, Artist Group, Alcoholics Anonymous) the facility was used for weddings and other family events
  • Created a new Fox Island logo and had t-shirts, totes and aprons printed and sold
  • Girl Scout Event- Sleepover at the community center, Easter Egg stuffing

 

ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP

The leadership element, including administration and management, is what looks to the future of FICRA and steers it through sometimes challenging waters.

  • The Bylaws for FICRA were completed and voted in at the Annual Membership Meeting.  The Bylaws effort was prompted by the need to ensure the protection and preservation of the tax status of FICRA and the FICRA Building Trust
  • Creation of the ex-officio Youth Board of Directors to help determine how FICRA can develop activities and facilities to better serve Fox Island youth
  • Bylaws changed to accomplish: term limits, diversification of committees, a budgeting and auditing process, a consolidation of the Bylaws and Constitution, resetting the dues period to allow the folks who pay in August to vote at the Annual Members Meeting the following March, and more
  • Conducted an audit of FICRA and the Trust’s books where both passed with minor recommendations
  • The title for the Nichols Community Center and property was corrected to reflect proper ownership
  • The title for the Nature Center property was corrected to reflect proper ownership
  • The Open Space Tax agreements for the Nichols property and the Nature Center property were corrected to properly credit the owner of those properties, the FICRA Building Trust
  • Separation of the finances between FICRA and the FICRA Building Trust to ensure protection of the tax status of each
  • Creation and implementation of a project test form to thoroughly understand the need and costs (immediate and long-term) of each project being considered
  • Began a review of the rental contract process for the Nichols Community Center
  • Initiated consideration of repair/renting of the garage as an income source
  • Insurance review to confirm coverage and protection of FICRA and the Trust and the officers of each
  • Digital recording of membership to facilitate contacts and recruiting
  • Publication of Fox Island directory with an increase in sponsorship
  • Conducted phase 1 of a Fox Island survey to learn what FICRA can do to better serve the Fox Island community
  • Negotiated contract for re-commissioning of the KGHP radio transmission equipment in the Nichols building that can serve the Fox Island community in an emergency
  • FICRA Membership increased to 365
  • Awarded $500 Scholarship to GHHS graduate and Fox Island resident
  • Nature Center stream monitoring
  • Created a “welcome packet” for new residents to Fox Island
  • Maintained the FICRA website and Crime Watch postings www.FICRA.org
  • Maintained the FICRA community Facebook Page FoxIslandFICRA
  • Created a Brochure to provide information about the building and about FICRA
  • Maintained publication of Island newsletter “The Fox Island Flash” throughout the year mailed to all Fox Island box holders
  • Maintained the FICRA Email newsletter “The FICRA Flash”
  • Posted news and events on the new bulletin board generously donated by, and located at, the Fox Island Grocery store
  • Maintained the Fox Island Bridge sign located at the boat launch
  • Managed building use, events calendar and rentals of the building for special events Rentals@FICRA.org

 

FACILITIES IMPROVEMENTS

FICRA has historically assisted the FICRA Building Trust in providing volunteers to maintain and preserve the Trust’s facilities.  This effort is key to bringing the facility up to an appropriate condition and appearance for its 80th Birthday in 2014.

  • Building heating duct and floor insulation and crawl space vapor barrier installation
  • Sumps and pumps installed as stage one and two of eliminating water intrusion into the basement
  • Auditorium renovation including wall repair, wood trim repair and painting, and the installation of picture rails to eliminate the need to tape or poke pinholes into the walls (financed by separate fund-raisers and completed under budget) new blinds on auditorium windows
  • Grant development and submission for replacement/repair of NCC building floors
  • Received the beautiful long table in the foyer (designed by Building Committee) built and donated by a FICRA Building Trust board member
  • Professional review of the water system in the building in preparation of repairs
  • Secured a new water heater from Peninsula Light, at no cost, to replace the leaking water heater in the kitchen (to be installed in basement)
  • Extensive clearing of invasive plants from Nature Center, placement of new sign better visible from 9th Avenue and establishment of a use policy
  • Trenched to eliminate water intrusion then stripped and painted the garage after replacing the broken windows in the doors with wood panels
  • Painted and closed the well-head building
  • Installed a fence enclosure around the oil tank for protection
  • Cleared the blackberries away from the Nichols ball field to enlarge the field and make way for future facilities
  • Cleared the dead trees from the woods surrounding the Nichols site to improve safety of personnel walking/playing there
  • New, screened for service, woodchips were placed in the Playground for safety child

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VOLUNTEERS AND DONATIONS

A great measure of the health of an organization is the effort put into maintenance and improvements.  FICRA and the FICRA Building Trust have been greatly rewarded by the volunteers that were mostly generated by the 2011 Board of Directors.  The very generous gifting to the FICRA Building Trust has brought the Community Center building and facilities back to the beauty we have today while keeping the period feel of the schoolhouse.

  • Received donations of the pictures in the Nichols Center foyer
  • FICRA collected food donations from the Island community for the Gig Harbor FISH food bank
  • Received monetary donation for Crime Watch
  • Secured sponsorship for FICRA Wine & Cheese event from Tacoma Screw, Inc.
  • Secured sponsorship for FICRA Fair from PenLight Co.
  • Woodchips donated by Pen Light Co. for ball field
  • Donation of new flag for the Nichols Community Center
  • Donation of piano
  • Donation of ping pong table
  • Donation of money for kickball, bases, ping pong paddles, balls
  • Donation of coffee pot, cups etc.
  • Donation of funds for new stage skirt