CCCF 2013 Annual Meeting

The Board of Directors of the Clarion County Community Foundation held its Annual Meeting on March 20th, our sixth since or founding 13 March 2007.  As part of our anniversary we placed a flower on the graves of those who are honored by memorial funds and those who have established a fund.

We elected to second terms of two years the officers of the Board: President Bill Kaufman, Vice President Charles Marlin, Treasurer Jerry Belloit, and Secretary Clara Belloit.  Our current Trustees on the Board of Bridge Builders Community Foundations are serving terms that expire 13 March 2015.  We elected the 13 March 2016 class of directors: Janice Horn, Jamie Lefever, Andy Montana, and Sally Vereb.

We hope to recruit three additional members to the Board; and extend an invitation to anyone interested in the work of the community foundation to contact our president, Bill Kaufman at (814) 229-8622.  Two members, Nancy Ambrose and Bill Rupert, retired at the end of their terms, and shall be missed.  Nancy Ambrose was a Founding Director of CCCF.

Following the election, the Board took three actions which must now be given final approval by the BBCF Trustees.  First, we changed the CCCF Bylaws to eliminate the restriction on the number of terms a Director may serve if elected; and to allow officers of the Board to serve two consecutive terms of two years.

Second, we approved the Adam Weeter Memorial Scholarship Fund for Keystone High School Seniors.  It will be a $2,000. scholarship, beginning this year.

Third, we approved a joint grant to the Clarion Y, a satellite of the Oil City Y, of $250 from CCCF, to be added to $750 from the Venango Area Community Foundation.  Charles Marlin

Read Full Post »

Two New Board Members

Clarion County Community Foundation has two new members on the Board of Diirectors.  They are, on the left, Greg Faller, Clarion County Democratic Commissioner and Fryburg community leader; and Andy Montana, owner of Ace Montana Realty in Clarion.  We welcome them to the Board and thank them for their dedicated interest in providing trusteeship for scholarships and endowed trusts in Clarion County.

Read Full Post »

Dave Bell Memorial Scholarship

The Clarion County Community Foundation is proud to announce the Dave Bell Memorial Scholarship for graduating seniors of Keystone High School in Knox, Pennsylvania, of $2,000.  Financial need and pursuance of a major in the agriculture sciences are factors in determining who will receive the scholarship.

Dave Bell, for whom the scholarship is named, was born December 8, 1942, at Ft. Benning, Georgia, the son of Burnice and Carolyn Hill Bell.  He graduated from Pompano Beach High School in Pompano Beach, Florida.  He attended the University of Florida for his BA in 1965, and for his MA in Counseling a year later.  He returned to school at South Dakota State University where he earned a BS in Animal Science degree in 1979.

He married Patricia Ann Spragg on August 21, 1965, and together they had a daughter Mary Carol Bell who married Andrew Graddy, and a son Kenneth Andrew Bell who married Wanda Hicks.

He retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1999, when he and his wife, Patty, moved to their farm on Amsler Road, Knox.  He thought of his last ten years on the farm as the best of his life, giving him a chance to truly live a dream.  Together they grew a great abundance of food and made friends of all around them.  He died November 10, 2010.

Dave enjoyed a number of interests, including spinning, dyeing yarns, and weaving shawls and other items on his floor loom.  He also enjoyed knitting, making warm flannel lap-quilts, and growing and selling vegetables at the Knox Farmers’ Market.  He was the garlic and onion man.  He was very proud of his four beehives and the delicious honey he harvested.  He loved to hunt as well.

He and Patty enjoyed taking care of their goats and chickens, and supplying friends with fresh, tasty eggs.  Together they made many jams and jellies.

Students interested in the Dave Bell Memorial Scholarship should talk to the Keystone guidance counselor; and for details on applying go to www.bridgebuilderscommunityfoundations.org  Charles Marlin

Read Full Post »

Tri-County Animal Rescue Center Legacy Fund

The Tri-County Animal Rescue Center Inc. has established a fund contract with the Clarion County Community Foundation, an affiliate of Bridge Builders Community Foundations, for the creation of the Tri-County Animal Rescue Center Legacy Fund.  This means friends of the Center who wish to make a bequest to the Center in their will, or to make another type of planned giving, or to support the fund now, have a legal document in place to protect their gift in perpetuity.

The Community Foundation will be the nonprofit, community directed, public trustee for the fund, charged with prudently investing donations, protecting and growing the principal , and returning to the Center income from the fund.  If anyone would like a copy of the fund contract to study, stop in at the Center and they will be happy to give you a copy.

The Center opened December 3, 2011, in the freshly painted and refurbished building of the former animal shelter at 9562 Rt 322, Shippenville PA, between the junctions of Rt 208 to the West and Rt 66 to the East.  It is a dedicated no-kill rescue and placement center.  The officers and volunteers are careful to not take in animals if space is not available.

It is a sad truth there are more companion animals than there are responsible pet owners; but it is an article of faith at the Center that there are many potentially wonderful pet owners in every community for whom the Center has the perfect animal waiting to be adopted.

The Center needs volunteers to help care for the animals at the Center and to keep the place clean and healthy.  The Center needs donors to help cover the expenses of running an active center.  The Center needs potential owners to come in and fall in love with their future pet.

Currently the Center is licensed to care for cats only, but has renovations planned so they can be licensed for dogs and to run a foster care program.  The renovations await future donations to cover the costs.  The Center also has a low cost spay and neuter program for cats.  For information about this program, please call the Center.

If a pet owner is having a hard time paying for their pet’s food, the Center has a pet food bank that works just like people food banks.  When in stock, the Center has dog food and cat food.  Stop in to take advantage of this program.

To visit, donate, or volunteer, call (814) 918-2032 for their hours, or contact them at contactus@tricounty-arc.org  If visiting, look for their sign with the cat & dog logo.

 

 

Our pictures include all of the Center tee shirt colors available; Bill Kaufman, President of CCCF, and Patty Laswick, President of Tri-County signing the fund contract; the officers of Tri-County, from left to right, Carol Lanzoni, Secretary and Treasurer, Debbie Stephens, Vice-President and Medical/Foster Manager, and Patty Laswick with Bill Kaufman standing behind the officers.

Then to touch your heart, Carol Lanzoni is holding up a kitten who is looking for you.  Other kittens in the fight for your heart are also shown.  Charles Marlin

Read Full Post »

New Table for Bridge Builders

John Deemer, Oil City businessman and friend of Venango Area Community Foundation and Bridge Builders Community Foundations, created and donated the beautiful table the BBCF Trustees used for the first time May 1st.  The table is 4′x10′, with a blond oak base and Formica top.

 

The table outshined the Trustees, and we thank him for his gift.  The Trustees are Joseph Keebler, Susan Williams, and Jason Woolcock for VACF; Lynn McCaslin and Norman Wimer for Forest County Community Foundation; Jerry Belloit, Bill Kaufman, and Charles Marlin for Clarion County Community Foundation; and Trent Moulin, Executive Director of BBCF.

If you are looking for me in the pictures, I am the good-looking one.  Charles Marlin

Read Full Post »

CCCF 2012 Annual Meeting

The Clarion County Community Foundation held its fifth annual meeting March 22, 2012, to conduct regular business and elect officers for coming terms.  The 13 March 2015 class of directors elected for three-year terms are Tracy Becker -first term, William Hearst -second term, Bill Kaufman -first term, and Jack Troese -first term.

For CCCF trustees on the Bridge Builders Community Foundations Board of Trustees we elected Jerry Belloit -second term, Bill Kaufman -first term, and Charles Marlin -second term.

Officers for CCCF elected for one-year terms are President Bill Kaufman -first term, Vice President Charles Marlin -first term, Treasurer Jerry Belloit -first term, and Secretary Clara Belloit -first term.

We have three openings on the CCCF Board of Directors, and we would welcome interest from volunteers who may wish to serve on the Board.  For more information about what is involved, please contact our new board president, Bill Kaufman at whkaufman@gmail.com or his cell number (814) 229-8622.  Charles Marlin

Read Full Post »

Four Pledges In Perpetuity

Today marks the 5th anniversary of the organization of the Clarion County Community Foundation as an affiliate of Bridge Builders Community Foundations on March 13, 2007.  The role of the community foundation is to serve in perpetuity as local trustees for endowed trust funds dedicated to various charitable needs and nonprofits within its service area.

Today we placed ribboned flowers on the grave stones of our two memorial donors, Mary E. Shaner for the Mary E. Shaner Scholarship Fund for Keystone High School, and Ralph M. Eccles for the Rimersburg Medical Center Fund.  This is fulfilling one of the four pledges a community foundation makes when accepting the trusteeship of an endowed fund.

First, the community foundation pledges to adhere to the donor’s instructions; and if it must accept changes to do so as instructed by the appropriate court of law.

Second, the community foundation pledges to invest and protect the fund for growth and income in a prudent manner.

Third, the community foundation pledges to keep the fund in compliance with all Federal and state laws and tax codes.

Fourth, the community foundation pledges to honor and maintain the memorial as instructed by the donor.  Charles Marlin

Read Full Post »

We Moved The Bridge

National Transit Annex at 206 Seneca Street, Suite 10, Oil City PA 16301

View of our inside entrance

The offices for Bridge Builders Community Foundations have moved across the street from our old location to the National Transit Annex at 206 Seneca Street, Suite 10, Oil City PA 16301.  For those who need handicap accessibility we have that if you will give us a call at (814) 677-8687 so we can meet you at the entrance.

The photographs show the front of the National Transit Annex where we are located, a view of our inside entrance, the office conference space, and a larger conference space available in the building to which we have access.

 The office conference space

 The larger conference space available in the building

 Jeanne Best, Operations Director, is in the front office

 Trenton Moulin, Executive Director, is in the back office.

We are delighted with the move and as you might guess, the decorating and arrangement of furniture is a work in progress.  You are welcome to visit.  Charles Marlin

Read Full Post »

Jamie Lefever Now On Board

Jamie Lefever is the newest member of the Clarion County Community Foundation Board of Directors.  She is a resident of New Bethlehem and is involved in many civic and nonprofit organizations across the county, so we are doubly happy she has come on the CCCF Board.

She has just moved into the position of Executive Director of the Clarion County Economic Development  Corp, a spot vacated by Brad Ehrhart who moved on to Portage County, Ohio.  If you want to talk to Jamie, drop in to the CCEDC office at 21 N 6th Avenue, Clarion.

The community foundation has two openings available on the board of directors, and we welcome new interest in becoming a volunteer member of the board.  We meet from four to seven times a year for an hour at 5pm on the third Wednesday of the month.  If you would like to visit to learn more about the foundation, call the board president Jerry Belloit at home (814) 227-2673.  Charles Marlin

Read Full Post »

A New Discretionary Fund

The Bridge Builders Community Foundations has ratified the action of the Clarion County Community Foundation to create a CCCF Discretionary Fund as a non-endowed fund for contributions to support foundation activities, such as printing brochures, that may not be provided for in the unified BBCF budget.  Contributions to this fund will not be invested, but instead spent as the need arises.

We have initial contributions totaling $1,001.00  If you would like to support the foundation through this fund, please send your check made out to the CCCF and noted for the Discretionary Fund to CCCF, 21 N 6th Avenue, Suite A, Clarion PA 16214.  Charles Marlin

Read Full Post »