Normally I would be reporting on a great Symposium from a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, our time in Corning NY passed without us being there. I certainly missed it, and I know that many of you did too.

This provides an update of activities that would have been presented at our Annual Meeting. Regarding our finances, the Club is strong with approximately $84,000 in total between savings/reserves and our operating account. This amount is due in part to a very generous donation of $25,000 that we received last year from the Estate of Janet Ziffer, an active member of our Club and past Board member.

Membership seems to hold pretty steady at around 200 paid members. We seem to lose a few and gain a few each year. This past year we welcomed 20 new members to the Club.

Our webmasters Scott Coots and Scott Hansen are actively adding photos and addressing website needs. Scott Hansen spends his time answering all the website inquiries and responding to requests for identification. This is a time-consuming process and he does a great job.

Due to the unanticipated pandemic and travel restrictions, it was impossible to hold our 2020 Annual Meeting. New York State law provides that in such situations, the Board can act on officers and directors. As such, the Board has re-elected John Stranges as Vice-President, Bill Mehlenbacher as Treasurer, and Karen Beeman as Secretary. All terms will expire in 2022. We also had Director Matt Burns recently resign. His position on the Board remains vacant.

As reported last year, the Board is undertaking a review, refresh and redesign of our website. We think that we have identified a developer with whom we can entrust this task and plan to immerse ourselves in this project over the next year. We hope that this time next year we will be able to show you an all new look for our website.

By now you should have received an email letter from our Membership Secretary, Karen Beeman. This letter outlines the Board’s decision to declare a membership dues holiday for this coming membership year. This action is a small token of our appreciation for your membership. All current members will automatically renew until September 2021 without further dues payment.

For those of you that are not members, I hope that you will consider joining the Club. The dues for the Club are extremely reasonable. The money generated helps pay for the Club’s website, maintenance of and access to the shape gallery, the Gazelle Gazette, the Symposium and includes membership at The Corning Museum of Glass. If you receive enjoyment and benefit from this Gazette or the Club’s website, please consider joining the Club by going to our website at: www.cardersteubenclub.org

I am optimistic that this time next year we will gather in Corning to see each other again and participate in a great Symposium. The Board will do our part to make that happen , we just need the rest of the world to cooperate. I am always open to suggestions and comments, so please feel free to share them.

On behalf of the Board, we wish you all a safe and healthy year.

Bonnie Salzman

President

President@CarderSteubenClub.org