Gilmanton Old Home Day meeting on Thursday, April 18th from 7-8:00pm
at Smith Meetinghouse
Volunteers Needed! Info: [email protected]
The Gilmanton, Alton, and Barnstead Democratic Committees are
combining to hold a regular meeting on April 15th at 6:00 pm. It
will be at the Gilman Library in Alton and will begin with a potluck
dinner. In addition to the regular meeting Belknap County
Commissioner Ed Philpot will discuss the Belknap County Government.
Everyone is welcome, the regular meeting portion of the evening will
be open to all registered Democrats from the three towns. Any
questions or for more information please call Lew Henry at
603-793-9187.
Heartfelt Thanks To GYRL Supporters
The Board of the GYRL extends heartfelt thanks to all those who
joined us at the brainstorming meeting on March 28th. We appreciate
you taking the time, at the end of a work day, to show your interest
and support.
As a result of your participation and enthusiasm, we will move
forward to ensure the continuation of services to the community.
There were so many great ideas and skills presented to us, it was
truly a successful evening.
We are in the process of following up on the information and skills
that were offered and we will be contacting attendees to update you
on how you can be of further help.
Thank you again for joining us in our efforts to keep the doors
open!
Keep The Library Doors Open
Join The 400 Club
Cardholders and friends of the Gilmanton Year-Round Library are
invited to join the “400 Club” to help cover operating costs for the
Library through the forthcoming year. Dues are $100 per member.
Four hundred members will raise $40,000, enough to offset most of
the gap when voters failed to support the Library on the 2013 Town
ballot. Obligations of membership are simple: promise to inform
neighbors and friends about the Library and urge them to support the
Library as a vital asset to the Town. Already more than
10 members are on board.
The purpose is to keep the Library open at its existing level of
service. Other fundraising events will be held throughout the year
to provide more opportunities to raise the needed money for this
year as well as additional funds to be put towards next year’s
costs. The Library’s operating budget of $70,500 is significantly
less than the budgets of public libraries in surrounding towns. A
modest endowment supports the cost of utilities. The Board has
managed to operate the library on this slim budget because
volunteers have provided everything from cleaning services, lawn and
grounds maintenance, to book cataloging.
To join the 400 Club, just sent your check for $100 made out to the
Gilmanton Year-Round Library Association (GYRLA) and send it to the
Library at 1385 NH Route 140, Gilmanton Iron Works, NH 03837.
The Library is a not-for-profit tax exempt organization under State
and federal law, and your “dues” are tax deductible.
Letter To The Editor
My name is Mike Davies and I resided in Gilmanton until May 2011. I
was a regular user, contributor and supporter of the Year Round
Library and attended several of their meetings in 2007-2010. It is
a terrible shame to see this wonderful building and resource
squandered because of petty town politics. It is your children and
your children’s children who will lose.
The core issue is that the bulk of the money to create GYRL was
raised between 2002 and 2008 and the board, at that time, failed to
understand that their job was to build a ‘sustaining’ fundraising
model. They saw their role as one of “completing the project” – in
other words “opening the library”. They did that, and all credit to
them, BUT they saw the opening as the end -- but in reality, it was
the beginning.
I attended events where the fundraising initiatives were successful
and driven by people who understood that fundraising is a perpetual
process not a series of one-off events. I recall one event where
over $20,000 was raised in a single evening. But since those days,
GYRL has not made fundraising a priority, has not developed a
fundraising culture and does not have a fundraising ‘driver or
leader’, so fundraising results are conservative, traditional,
modest and rely on tired and repetitive approaches.
The $40+K that needs to be reached before November is easily
attained but to do that, you must throw out the old model and get
creative, get involved, get passionate and get a focal person who
understands that fundraising is not a series of coffee mornings but
can see the big picture.
This library is too good to let die – Residents of Gilmanton, get a
passion, get a vision for what it takes to teach your children about
your literature, your history, your heritage and your history. Save
GYRL.
Mike Davies
(now of Andalucia, Spain)
Adult/Teen Events At The Gilmanton Year Round Library
4/12/13 - Teen Movie Night - The Princess Bride 7pm
4/14/13 - National Library Week - Celebrate with the GYRL throughout
the Week - activities for all ages!
4/16/13 - International Food Festival - All Ages Welcome - Contact
Library for Details 5:30
4/16/13 - Book Club - Girl in Hyacinth Blue 7pm
4/18/13 - Crafting for the Clumsy 6pm
4/19/13 - Around the World Basket Drawing 3pm
4/22/13 - Movie Matinee 1:30
4/23/13 - Earth Day Festivities 5:30
4/25/13 - Energy Share 6pm
Obituaries
Tucker Riel
Tucker Riel, 68, of East Concord, formerly of Gilmanton I.W., passed
away at his home on March 15, 2013 after a long illness.
He is survived by his wife Dorothy Riel, his mother Pauline Riel of
Alton, two sons, John Riel of Arizona and Todd Riel of Danbury, NH;
two daughters, Karen Simpson of Gilmanton I.W. and Vicky Sykes of
Chichester, NH; two sisters, Maxine Mitchell of Loudon, NH, Linda
Moulton and her husband Carl of Alton, NH; 12 grandchildren and one
great grandson.
Tucker loved and was loved by friends and family. He also had a love
for all animals, large or small. He will be missed.
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