Spring Into 2009: Celebrating Success
Leadership and Vision 2009: This past March a Leacock leadership team visited the GAP school in South Africa to celebrate the completion of the Whittlesea GAP School Phase III building project on this campus including a new pre-school and kindergarten.
A summit meeting was concurrently held to explore the challenges and opportunities facing the GAP School and to guide the vision for the school and Leacock’s investments there for the next five years. Delegates included all members of the GAP School Trustees and Leacock board members Peter Oliver, Bob Martin, Bob Sommerville and Leacock’s Executive Director, Melanie Lovering and Havergal’s Director of Student Life, Barb Macintosh. Leacock supporters Vern Achber, Libby Wildman, Maureen Oliver, Linda Sommerville, Pat Martin, Peter and Claire Newton also joined the summit. This inspiring event exceeded the expectations of the Leacock team, and will help to identify partnership opportunities and funding priorities for the future.
A similar planning exercise is taking place in Canada concurrently, led by our Program Director Judy MacLellan. Twenty experienced educators have gathered several times during the past 6 months to refine the Triangle of Hope program. As a result of these meetings, we will be setting a 5 year strategic course of action, under the careful supervision of this city’s most dedicated educators.
Your 2009 Leacock Club Board of Directors: we welcome Mr. Tim Price to the Leacock board and thank outgoing member Mr. Philip W. Minnaar for his years of service and pro bono book-keeping to the Leacock Foundation:
• Peter Oliver, Chairman
• Robert (Bob) W. Martin, Vice-Chair
• Robert (Bob) Sommerville, Secretary-Treasurer
• Joe Sheehan, Membership Chair
• Karrie Weinstock, Education Chair
• Wendy Dobson
• Louise Temerty
• Robert Lawrie
• Timothy Price
• Melanie Lovering, Executive Director
2008 Year-end financials: we ended 2008 on a positive note; however, much of our success can be contributed to hard work earlier in the year before the economy took its hardest hit. Annual audit results will soon be posted online, and in the meantime, please feel free to contact the office for a copy of the 2005- 2007 audit results, or visit Canada Revenue Agency online for a copy of our tax returns filed annually: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/chrts/menu-eng.html
The Leacock Club roster currently stands at 285, but is contracting due to the economy. If your membership is up for renewal we hope you will give serious consideration to renewing it. The collective support of this many people provides the foundation with an invaluable source of stable funding year over year, as we do not rely on an endowment or maintain large reserve funds. Membership donations make so many things possible, and provides us with the stable funding that fuels our programs every year. Click here to renew your membership.
The recession can create opportunities too. Would you consider setting up a giving circle with a group of generous friends or business colleagues to pool your resources to support a significant initiative? Several special events will be held during 2009 to help us foster new members. We hope that you will contact us if you know generous individuals who understand the importance of funding education for at-risk children.
Consider contributing your time or participating in a committee: Adult volunteers interested in working directly with children at TDSB schools are invited to contact us about opportunities to volunteer. Currently, Leacock members Mary Frances Sheehan and Carol Shaw are experiencing the rewards of volunteering. There is always a need for caring adults to help out in TDSB classrooms. Interested members should contact Judy MacLellan at 416-489-9309, or e-mail: jmaclellan@leacockfoundation.org.
In 2009, we can offer donors with numerous opportunities to make a difference in the life of a child.
• Support a literacy day camp for $35,000 ($940 per child)
• Purchase your own “dedicated” high school classroom at the GAP School in Africa, scheduled to open in January 2010 to accommodate a double cohort. (C$65,000 per classroom).
• Consider contributing to our bridging/sponsorship fund for tuition for poor South African children or sponsor one year of tuition for a needy child. (Approximately $1000 per year)
There are many ways to help us make a difference.
In Kind Donations sought:
• A desk and office chair for the summer 2009
• Potential shared office space for mid-November 2009
• New and/or gently used children’s books for our summer literacy day camps
• Computer software for young children to be sent to Africa
• Wine, desirable items and special one-of-a-kind donations for our live and silent auction to take place on Monday, September 14th, our annual golf tournament and dinner
• Airline and/or travel points for volunteer Canadian teachers to South Africa
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