The DeWinton Community Hall News, events & booking information

Hello Friends and Neighbours:

Well, it has definitely been a different year for all of us. As a Board we started our year at our February meeting; plans were underway for the Volunteer Night, Western Dance, Canada Day Breakfast, Ghoulfest and the Christmas Craft Fair. The Casino fundraiser was set to go. There was a full slate of Hall Rentals for the spring, summer, and Fall. Everyone was very excited! Then COVID struck and things changed.
The Hall and Playground had to close, all rentals had to be cancelled, the casino was postponed indefinitely, User Groups could no longer attend, the Volunteer Appreciation Night, Western Dance, and Canada Day Breakfast that we all so look forward to were cancelled. Board and committee meetings now had to be virtual.

The financial impact of not having rental events or a Casino fundraiser has been significant. We have had to make some hard decisions and also look for ways to save money on little things. Greg, our facility manager for the last 15 years, has accepted a reduction to his hours. Any non-essential expenditures have been halted.

As a community, we worried about our neighbours and friends. Our Membership Director called all members, current and past, to ensure that everyone was managing. It was so good to talk to everyone and see the resilience in our community!

When the Government announced in late June that Community Centres could begin to reopen if they met very specific Guidelines we undertook a huge job of sifting through the Guidelines, creating and implementing a plan for the Hall that met the Guidelines and was as safe as possible. This was not done lightly. The safety of our members was always foremost on our minds.

In August, the Government announced that Preschools could open, again with very stringent guidelines. Our Preschool Director, spent much of her summer going through the Guidelines, meeting with Alberta Health Services, and implementing a plan for our Preschool. Again the safety of the children and teachers was foremost on our minds.

In the Fall we gradually added activities and classes to the Hall and had started to look at rental groups with less than 50 attendees. All of this meant we had implemented stringent COVID enhanced cleaning of high touch surfaces and cleaning between each group. Coming to the Hall was a little different than in the past. While we entered through the usual door, the exit was through the balcony doors, there were 2m markings on the foyer flour, a table in the foyer with hand sanitizer, the Health Checklist and sign-in forms, and signage about safe COVID practices. Of course, as of late November, the Hall has had to close again. However, we will be ready when the time comes to re-open!

Beyond COVID we have completed a “To Do” list at the Hall, looked toward updating our website and communication tools (when financially feasible), continued with the day to day operations and started some new initiatives. The latest initiative is to welcome new families to our wonderful community. If you have any new neighbours that we can welcome, please let us know.

As mentioned earlier, the financial impact of not having rental events or a Casino fundraiser has been significant. Your membership has always been valued and is now more important than ever.

Thank you to all of you for your patience and support!

The Annual DCA Membership is $21. per family. Please use one of the following methods of payment:
1) e transfer to dwca@platinum.ca
2) call 403-938-2525 with your VISA or MasterCard information
3) bring payment to the Hall between 9AM and 12PM Monday to Thursday
4) mail a cheque to DCA, BOX 111, DeWinton T0L0X0 (Please make chq payable to DCA)
Thank you!

DeWinton Community Association News and Events
Hall Closure-The Hall will be closed until January 11 and we will hope that lower Covid-19 cases will allow reopening at that time.

AGM-is set for January 28. We are looking for new Board members for the upcoming term and invite all members to volunteer for the Board or nominate others that would be interested. Please see our website, Facebook page or call 403-938-2525 for updates regarding the AGM

De Winton Community Preschool Open House and Registration for 2021-22 School Year- Open Registration Night is Wednesday, January 20, 2021 from 6:00 – 7:00pm at the De Winton Community Hall. From this date onward, registration is open to all. Prior to this date, there are certain dates and times that registrations will be accepted for current and previous families. Please visit dewintoncommunitypreschool.com for more information including the Registration guidelines and paperwork. Masks are mandatory at the hall and COVID-19 precautions will be in place. We kindly ask that only one adult (no children) attend the Registration night if possible.

Welcoming new families to DeWinton- Are you or a family you know new to DeWinton? The DeWinton Community Association would like to personally welcome you to our amazing community! Please contact us at dwca@platinum.ca or 403- 938-2525 to receive a small welcoming gift and learn more about our community events, activities, and preschool.

Call out to Members- Don’t be surprised when we call

Who we are?
The DeWinton Community Association (“DCA”) is a volunteer-based organization supporting our community and surrounding areas, including management of the Community Centre and rental Hall, located in the hamlet of DeWinton. For DCA members, the Hall is an ideal venue for hosting community and family functions, club or association meetings, public open houses and training sessions as well as private banquet and reception events. In addition to the main Hall, the Centre includes a commercial kitchen, preschool, playground and greenspace. Many local activities are provided at no-charge to DCA members and their family (Stretching class, Bridge, Quilting, Book Club, Coffee Club).
The DCA is managed as a non-profit society, with the DCA Board of Directors (the “Board”) consisting of unpaid volunteers. The on-site preschool is managed by a Parent Preschool Committee of the DCA Board. Funding of the Community Centre and related activities is primarily through hall rentals, DCA memberships, along with AGLC casino (and other) fundraising events.
As part of our commitment to the community, the Board has overall responsibility for managing the ongoing operations of the Centre, including financial, maintenance, memberships, fundraising and employees. The Board also has overall accountability for the ongoing operation of the Preschool and any other committees established on behalf of the Board. The DeWinton Community Centre truly is a hidden jewel in the rural Calgary countryside.

HERE’S THE ASK: Please virtually attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and join the DCA Board!
The DCA’s AGM is an important function for the sustainability of the Community Centre and hosted events. At the AGM, we review the past year, including events, financial, operational, preschool and membership.
But, as important, it is an opportunity for community members to join the Board in either a general capacity (Director-At-Large), specialized role (e.g., Communications Director), or executive. The Board meets 10 times a year, events are generally organized by committees, and occasional voting occurs between meetings. The Director commitment is for a 2-year term, while executive roles are for one-year (within the 2-year term). Where no new nominations are received, current incumbents are eligible to be re-nominated.
There are a number of long-serving Board members moving on in January, and we are actively soliciting the community with the hopes of attracting new volunteers to help contribute to the future direction of the DCA. The hours are minimal when operating as a full Board of 15, and you will work with great people from the community. To effectively carry on as a Board we do need your assistance to fill every Board position. Roles on the Board currently consist of:
Executive Roles: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary
Focussed Director Roles: Preschool, Facility, Membership, Communications, Web & Media, Program, and Volunteer roles
Plus, General Directors at large
AGM – When & Where?
The DCA’s AGM is scheduled for January 28th, 2021 at 7:30 PM and we are hoping you can join us to provide your input, opinions and Board nominations. Since in-person gatherings are restricted due to the Covid Pandemic, we will be utilizing Zoom to conduct our AGM on-line. A link and agenda will be emailed to DCA members approximately 1-2 weeks ahead of the meeting. There is no need to RSVP, just join us remotely on January 28th.

Membership
Membership in the DCA has been generally decreasing in recent years and we are hoping that you might be able to assist us in growing again. Your friends and neighbors would be most welcome and our annual membership fee, which provides critical funding, remains at $20 + GST. For 2021, and beyond, we are exploring new activities and equipment in, and around, the Community Centre – your suggestions and feedback would be most appreciated, in advance of, or at, the AGM. Feedback outside of the AGM may be sent to dwca@platinum.ca

Walter Turnbull Award
The Walter Turnbull Award was established to recognize DCA Members who have made significant contributions to the DCA and community, usually over an extended period of time.
If you know of someone deserving of recognition, please provide their name, and a summary of the long-term effort and contribution they have made to the DCA and community in general. The Board will review submissions prior to the AGM.
Walter Turnbull Award nominations may be submitted to dwca@platinum.ca, prior to December 31, 2020.

We hope to see you (virtually) on January 28th at our AGM.

Best wishes for a safe and joyful Holiday Season and very Happy New Year!

Your DeWinton Community Association Board of Directors

Perry Diebert (President) Randy Evans (Vice-President)
Judy Stasiuk (Treasurer) Mike Kosinec (Secretary)
Sherry Shoults (Past President)

Chelsea McLeod (Preschool Director) Cindy Poole (Facility Director)
Edith Rabinovitch (Membership Director)

Alan Alger (Director) Dusty Dancer (Director)
Amanda Gotmy (Director)

…as well as our on-site Facility Manager, Greg Davenport

The De Winton Community Centre. pursuant to the recent Alberta Health Services notification, will be closed for all events and user groups beginning December 13 until such time as AHS lifts the current guidelines/restrictions.

During this period the De Winton Preschool will continue in class sessions when scheduled, and our Administrative Office will continue to be open on the reduced hours of 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Monday through Thursday.

We can be contacted at any time by: calling 403-938-2525 or emailing to dwca@platinum.ca

The DCA user groups are sponsored by your Community Association, are made available at no charge to all members of the De Winton Community Association, and for a nominal fee for non-community association guests.

Bridge Night: Tuesday evenings at 7:30, reconvening in October (subject to Covid 19 restictions).

Stretching Exercise: Monday evenings: 7:30 pm to 9 pm
Thursday mornings: 9:15 am to 10:45 am
This yoga inspired exercise and stretching program is geared towards all levels of fitness and is for anyone that is looking to increase flexibility and muscle tone.
You will find these classes are not only valuable for fitness, but also include a high level of social interaction.

Quilting:
Our faithful and dedicated Q Bee Quilting ladies are gather on Wednesday’s at 9:30 am to work on whatever project they choose for a good part of the day. They also welcome anyone to feel comfortable to join them {or just drop by for a chat and admire their work as I do}. Contact person is Ruth Olson at 403-663-1336.