Dear Terry --

 

I am writing this letter in the hope of straightening out what appears to be a gross oversight and which is causing a great deal of anger and frustration among loyal GSP fans. I am posting this to the GSP List because this is an issue of importance beyond the GSPCA membership.

 

For a number of years, funds have been raised at the GSPCA NSS from a basket raffle and the Top 25 Fine Art Auction with the understanding of donors and participants that these monies went into a Health and Welfare Fund accessed by the H&W Committee, to sponsor educational forums, fund pilot research and other appropriate activities to educate our members and the general GSP public about health and welfare issues. We now know that this has never happened. There is no separate Health and Welfare Fund into which monies raised for these purposes have been deposited. The proceeds from these fund raising activities were subsumed into the GSPCA treasury and never earmarked as a H&W Fund. What was the common understanding among hundreds of those contributing to these efforts was somehow never properly picked up by the Board and implemented.

 

 

Small amounts of money have been reimbursed from the general treasury on occasion for H&W activities. But with the exception of these few hundred dollars, none of this money has ever been used for the purpose for which it was contributed.

 

My purpose is to reassure all those who have contributed to these efforts and quell the anger I have heard expressed by those who have put money and effort into what they believed was a H&W Fund. Over the last week, the Board and the outgoing H&W Committee have received a partial accounting of the money raised since 2008 from the current Treasurer. The problem that no fund was established pre-dates our current Treasurer and outgoing H&W Chairman.

 

I am asking that the following now be done:

 

1.  That the Treasurer be asked to trace back to the beginning of the basket raffle and the Top 25 auction and determine how much was raised each year, and these amounts, as well as any H&W reimbursements in these same years, be reported to the Board and the outgoing H&W Committee.

 

2.  That it be understood that 100% of the basket raffle funds go to the H&W Fund, while the primary purpose of the Top 25 auction is to ensure that the Top 25 event is self-supporting, with any extra proceeds being contributed to the H&W Fund.

 

3.  That the accumulated funds identified by the Treasurer be placed into a separate H&W Fund account in the GSPCA Treasury.

 

4. That it be understood that these funds can be accessed as appropriate by the H&W Committee without requiring a vote of the Board for each disbursement, and that the Committee report back to the Board each year on the purpose for which the funds were used, if any (similar procedure as the Rescue Fund).

 

5.  That the Treasurer report to the basket raffle committee, the Top 25 committee and the Health and Welfare committee the amounts raised from these activities each year and deposited into the H&W Fund.

 

6.  That the amount in the H&W Fund and the purposes for which past disbursements have been made be available to any member of the GSPCA in good standing at any time upon request.

 

Terry, we now know that these monies total multiple thousands of dollars which have not been handled according to the understanding of the donors. The basket raffle and the Top 25 competition are important components of our National Specialty which cannot happen unless this issue is resolved.  People have told me they will not donate or participate. These have always been fun events. They should not suffer because of the way past monies were handled. We have the opportunity to straighten this all out before the NSS in April.

 

I want to make it clear that I do not believe any funds have been misappropriated, but simply that the financial structure was never put in place to fulfill the understanding of the donors. Also, since I have removed my name from consideration for the new H&W Committee to be appointed by the Board, I have no personal stake in the future use of any H&W Fund monies.

 

This issue that the H&W Fund was never established as donors had believed, was one of the reasons I removed my name from consideration. I do not believe any person of good character would be willing to serve on a future H&W Committee unless this situation is resolved satisfactorily.

 

Would you please respond publicly to this request (with a timetable) so that donors and participants can be reassured directly from you that you will proceed as outlined above.

 

Thank You,

 

Sandra Kretz

MARIAH Shorthairs