Kids Incorporated!

Howdy everyone! I know its been a bit since I updated the blog. Sorry about that. So, tonight, you will get a quick list-style update. 

*Had a GSOL meeting at Panera on East Sunshine in Springfield on Nov 16. Lots of good news!

*Our mission statement was approved by the attorney who is kind enough to look over our stuff before sending it in! This meant that the paperwork was sent in soon after. This meant that the State of Missouri approved our articles of incorporation soon after that!!!!!!!!!!! WE ARE INCORPORATED! It made me feel the need to sing the theme song to Kids Incorporated!

*We are now working on our business plan.

*We are now working on our 501(c)3 paperwork as well. 

*I had a super meeting with Community Foundation of the Ozarks! They were great & helpful. As soon as our 501(c)3 paperwork is sent in, we can set up a fund with CFO to begin fundraising!!!!! 

*We will need "all hands on deck" soon. Even if this just means you fundraising from your family & friends...that's awesome! We plan to share at least 1 viable fundraising idea at the next meeting. Please share any ideas that you might have!

*If you would like to join in on any phase of this exciting journey, please don't hesitate to contact one of us with the place you will fit in. The more help the better!

******NEXT MEETING: December 27, 2010, Panera Bread on East Sunshine. HOPE TO SEE YOU OR HEAR YOUR IDEAS THERE!*******

Favorite of 5?

As we continue on this exciting journey of revitalizing this amazing gem of the Ozarks, we have come to some conclusions that have been apparent for years. There are many camps around the country that were opened in the 1960's that were simply intended for summer camp. This was great at the time...but slowly we have seen these camps fold under financial strains, urban areas encroaching on the properties, as well as just an inability to really keep up high quality facilities (even rustic ones) during 9 months of disuse & 3 months of heavy use year after year. Because of this, we know that Graydon Springs Outdoor Legacy MUST find year-round uses of the property for it to not return to what it is currently. We realize some uses of the property may not be year-round by itself. By combining all of these will make it a great resource to the Ozarks & USA at large! Below is a quick list of the 5 viable areas we see making Graydon Springs a year round facility. What is your favorite of 5? Maybe that's where you can become involved!

Education

• Environmental Education Center
• for schools
• for public classes
• for Summer Camp focuses on Environmental Education/Sciences
• Training ground for aid workers destined for remote areas
• Training ground for volunteers of all kinds of areas
• Space for a ‘Seeds of Peace’ type camp- http://www.seedsofpeace.org/

Recreation

• Campground for public use from the trail 
• Summer Camp
• Recreation - adventure training, races, orienteering

Ozarks Heritage

• Nature preserve
• Site for historic education- dealing with early settlements, 19th century medicine, early 20th century science
• A place for ‘train enthusiasts’ to gather
• Wildlife/Native American education

Sustainability

• “Lab” for green technology & techniques
• Agriculture - local, organic, gardens, possibly lease pasture land to other parties
• A teaching center for sustaniable agriculture techniques

Community

• Family Retreat Center - to foster healthy families, which prevents child abuse issues in Ozarks, etc
• Host music festivals
• partner with other organizations to find new uses for property

Taking it to the Next Level!

We had a fantastic meeting on Tuesday, October 19! Thank you to Becky, Laurie, Kristy & 2 newcomers - Mary & Melissa for a wonderful discussion! Thank you to Drury for allowing us to use a conference room. If you weren't able to attend, that's ok. Here are some highlights of the meeting. If you see a place to put your passion, talents, or skills to use, then step right up! 


Graydon Springs Outdoor Legacy Steering Committee
October 19. 2010  - Drury

Shared Powerpoint with a few extra attendees to explain purpose of GSOL.  Open discussion.  Thanks to Mary and Melissa for joining us!

Followup items/ideas:

• Need to establish as 501(c)3 - PRIORITY #1!! - Alexis is the lead.  We need to review the criteria to establish this status and decide on basic organizational structure.  We know it costs $500 to register - steering committee will front the money. Would like to get this status before end of year (ideally Nov) to take advantage of charitable giving in 4th quarter for 2010 tax deduction. Shooting for deadline:  Submission by Nov 5th.  Since we have no idea how long the IRS will take to process, we need to work quickly.  Alexis - will start working on that while Kristy, Becky and Laurie start business plan. Divide and conquer! 
• Registing for Historical/Environmental Protection/Preservation/Endowment/Register or whatever.  We feel the historic "dual springs" or ferns near Drury Acre or the 1880s well houses might qualify for something.  Ideas that Sierra Club "Clean Water Act" initiative might apply to the springs, Mo Dept of Conservation - ferns, EPA - something, Historic Groups, etc maybe too.  James River Watershed has a group in Springfield - maybe they would know of a resource for our Springs.  Also gather research on any Native American connection to the land.  Elise is the lead on this.  All of this info will be important to help share the significance of this land to potential donors :)  Deadline:  Something to share by Nov 16th meeting
• Kristy talked to Kevin Killian about some of this and Boys Ranch still wanting to use some pasture land for their horses.  - we will use some of this info in drafting business plan ideas
• Contact Ozark Greenways - let them know what we are up to since we desire to promote & utilize the Frisco-Highline Trail traffic - Alexis.  
• Camp Photo from Google Maps or Polk County Assessor - Kristy has.  This will be useful in the business plan.
• Write basic business plan - just a few pages to start sharing ideas with potential board members, early donors - Becky, Laurie, Kristy.  Shoot for deadline:  November 5th.  

Then we start the process of securing funding. Get ready! It's time to take this to the next level!!!!


Please let us know if you have any ideas, or other contacts who might be interested in joining the team!

I'm So Excited - for Next Tuesday's meeting, that is!

In case you haven't heard, we are holding our first Public Discussion Meeting next week! Consider the blurb below the "theatrical trailer" for the meeting:


We wanted to tell you about something we're pretty excited about... do you remember Camp Wakahni? The property is up for sale again and we are creating an interest group to find a way to purchase the property and make it usable to the community for a variety of purposes. The property is a little run down, but has excellent potential for a variety of Educational, Recreational, Historical, Sustainable and Community uses. It is just too much of a gem to let go! Right now, we are just gathering ideas from various groups and community members with the hope that together we can make this happen. We are meeting to discuss ideas next Tuesday night, October 19 at the Shewmaker Center at Drury at 7pm. We would love for you to join us!


You know you are excited! You just can't wait to get involved at the very beginning of this AWESOME legacy project! Thus, you should come!!!


If you cannot make it, do not fret! We will be posting minutes of the meeting soon after. Read them. Love them. Feel like you were actually there...then respond to the info. YOUR participation is desired! This is a legacy for everyone - including YOU!


Lastly, if you know someone who you think would be interested in hearing more about GSOL, please pass this along to them. THANK YOU!

GSOL meets Go Lead & Monthly Meet Up

Posted by Alexis

My wonderful momma heard about a great opportunity in Springfield. I will be attending a monthly class/networking for new Non-Profit professionals, Go Lead at MSU. As you might know, the non-profit world is where my heart lives. I am not motivated by the bottom line (although we always have to keep it mind), but alturism spurs me on. How can I help someone else? I have worked many years on the programming side of non-profits & LOVE it. You have deemed me worthy of taking that next step though. Jumping into a different realm of the non-profit world...Executive Director. Honestly, I am terrified of this idea, because I have always found myself flourishing in the programming side. Now its time to take the leap. This class will help give me the skills to take our little idea of GSOL (ok, its a really BIG idea) from idea, to reality. The class, paired with you (if you are reading this, I AM talking to YOU, even if we haven't met yet) & your support will get us to the next step.

In light of the fact that many of us will be in Springfield at the same time, we have decided a monthly meeting is called for. Our first of these (does this feel like history in the making?) will be held on September 29 probably in the evening. Please leave a comment, or email us (graydonsprings@gmail.com) to let us know if you would like to join the conversation & what time would be best for you. 

I leave you with a question, "What is your outdoor legacy?"

New Blog Home Sweet Home

Posted by Alexis/Taxi

Well, the ning community was a good one. We liked it...but they have changed policies so that there is no free option. In light of the fact that we still need to find quite a bit of $$$ to buy Graydon Springs, Elise & I decided to move away from ning & keep this online community free. We have moved to a facebook group for the community part & the blog is here now. i spent a bit of time moving the blogs here so that we did not loose our story.

One of the benefits of blogger is that we can earn a bit of $$ by using this site! Soon, I will "monetize" this blog. This simply means that there will be ads on the site that we will earn a few pennies everytime someone looks at the blog & even more pennies anytime someone clicks on the link. Every penny helps!

I have more updates to post...but no time to type them right this moment. Do you feel the suspense building?!

I hope that you  will come back often & comment often as well.

See you all soon!
-Alexis/Taxi

And Now for the Morning News

Originally Posted on the ning site by Alexis Webb Bechtold / Taxi on July 7, 2010 at 8:47am

Last Friday I had a meeting with President Todd Parnell at Drury. This was exciting to hear the real story of if they were interested in Graydon Springs. He confirmed that they did pursue a partnership with Good Samaritan to be able to use the property as a lab. Good Samaritan said no thank you. Drury then came up with a proposal that involved creating something similar to Heiffer International. Good Samaritan again said no thank you. So, they just kind of dropped the pursuit.

We are now talking to the group that put together this proposal. President Parnell said that he liked our ideas...we just need to be able to buy the property. So, we now get ready for some fun meetings & brainstorming! Any ideas or thoughts, let me know.

Let's get this rollin'! Woohooo!

ORIGINAL COMMENTS:
Comment by Alexis Webb Bechtold / Taxi on July 8, 2010 at 8:26am
Update: Becky (Batty) & I will be meeting Regina Waters, Tracy Sooter & Darla (I don't know her last name) from Drury Friday at 11am. Please let us know if you have any thoughts on this meeting. Thanks!

15 Seconds in an Elevator & More!!!

Originally Posted on the ning site by Alexis Webb Bechtold / Taxi on June 26, 2010 at 10:05pm

If you only have 15 seconds in an elevator with someone, what do you tell them about what we are trying to accomplish?


[elevator doors open & GSOL supporter enters]
"What floor are you going to?"
"3 Please"
"What have you been up to lately?"
"My friends & I are a non-profit interest group looking to purchase, protect and promote the historic Graydon Springs Resort in Polk County, MO. We want this 220 acre plot of land to be a resource for education, families and healthy living for future generations of Ozarks families."
"Wow! That's amazing! What can I do to help?"
*DING* "Oh, this is my floor, but I will email/call/text/send you a postcard/skywrite you with more information...oh & we need donations!"
[end scene]

Becky, has done a wonderful job word-smithing this statement. Please feel free to use it as needed - that means tell everyone you know!

We have a lot of meetings getting lined up with possible organizations to partner with GSOL & to find funders & friends (see my next blog)! Lot's of people are asking what they can do...get the word out! Please let me know if you have questions of what to say, who to say it to or what to do when people say they would like to help. We are in the "Make New Friends" stage and of course we want to "keep the old". Now, you can't get that song out of your head, which means you need to go & talk to people!

Talk to you soon!
-Alexis/Taxi

Planning & Meeting & Signing

Originally Posted on the ning site by Alexis Webb Bechtold / Taxi on June 15, 2010 at 8:30am

Good morning GSOL!


The summer heat & the crickets in the evening remind me of all of the fabulous memories of Wakahni...which leads me to thinking of my Legacy that I want to leave...GSOL is where I want to be! Can you feel the excitement?!

Things are kicking up again! Here is a quick list of happenings:
■GSOL Articles of Incorporation will go in the mail as soon as Becky & Laurie Thomas sign them (the paperwork is currently signed by the Webb girls & is located in KC - must travel to Spfld to the Thomas' hands - then to the mailbox).
■I am setting up a meeting with Drury's President Parnell & hopefully the VP Radecki. This will be to discuss partnering or at the very least support in our project. I plan on brainstorming ALL possibilities for partnerships since GSOL is in its infancy & Drury is a huge name. If you have ideas of how GSOL can partner with Drury, PLEASE post it here or message me ASAP. Remember, this is brainstorming time, so no idea is a bad idea - those ideas can lead to the most awesome ideas ever. Please share them as you think of them. Don't wait! Now is the time to shine!
■Drury's President Todd Parnell would be an excellent person to have excited about GSOL (he was friends with my dad also). Check out this article about him . Notice his involvement in Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Missouri Clean Water Commission and is a trustee of the State Historical Society of Missouri.
■Once the Articles of Incorporation are sent in, I will contact the current owners of Graydon Springs, Good Samaritan Boys Ranch, and discuss our plans & any possibilities they may see viable to their organization & GSOL.
■We still need to be thinking of fundraising ideas. Again, no idea is a bad one! Let your creativity flow!

Fun in the summer sun! Let's get this going & leave one awesome Legacy for the Ozark generations to come! Wahoo!!!!

See you all soon!
-Alexis/Taxi