I have been a member of CCHPS for 3 years and a member of the Board for a nearly that long. I'm currently the Vice President of the Board, so I'm not entirely objective, of course, but I do want to share why I have chosen to give my time and energy to CCHPS when there are so many options out there. CCHPS has a county-wide perspective, important because many of the people who once made their homes here lived somewhere other than in the towns that survive today. Much of what happened here happened in the townships, or in communities like Undine, which existed for a few short years while Charlevoix County's lumber was rebuilding Chicago following its fire. We're an all-volunteer organization, but manage to accomplish a great deal through the passion and enthusiasm of our members. We recently worked with a group of people from Boyne City (one of the towns in our county) to save an historic building that was slated for demolition. Last week we broke ground on the Boyne City Water Works ("1910") Building. This tiny architectural treasure, which played a crucial role in the growth of Boyne City, will be restored and returned to service as a water booster station, using $340,000 in federal preservation grants we helped the city win, along with local funding. We have documented some of the fascinating stories from "pioneer days" (not so long ago) on the Park Avenue Prowl website -- www.charlevoixparkavenue.com. Read them and see why we are so determined to "preserve the past for the future." Finally, I want to note that like many young organizations, this one several years ago suffered from "start-up dysfunction." Decisions weren't being made properly, paperwork wasn't being filed, finances were in disarray. The Board took an honest, hard look at its situation and re-organized. The Bylaws were re-written, Board members stepped up to take responsibility, a financial audit was performed and all issues resolved, and tight financial controls put in place. Today the organization is efficient and effective -- and it's still fun. Not only that, but membership has doubled in the last year and a half. It is an organization I can be proud to be part of.
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- EIN 84-1687847
- 946 N Advance Rd c/o Jane Prebble Boyne City MI 49712 USA
- www.cchps.info
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Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Arts & Culture, Museums
Mission: To promote an understanding and appreciation of the heritage of the people of Charlevoix County and its townships by searching out, collecting, preserving, and interpreting artifacts of historical and cultural significance
Results: In the past year, the organization: * Presented 7 public educational programs on topics of historical interest * Collaborated with other organizations to present 2 programs * Published 4 quarterly newsletters with original articles and news items * Nearly doubled our membership * Worked with Boyne City officials to save the 1910 Water Works Building and to obtain $340,000 in federal grants for the project * Salvaged materials from the "Lennie Campbell" home in Charlevoix prior to its destruction, to be used in preservation projects throughout Northern Michigan * Published the 24-page booklet "Lennie's Monument"
Target demographics: CCHPS serves all of the people of Charlevoix County, Michigan by preserving the past for the future.
Geographic areas served: Charlevoix County, Michigan and surrounding areas
Programs: * Oral history - capture and preserve the unique and valuable memories of our elder citizens * Preservation of public records - township records are deteriorating, and some are lost forever. They have information about the early settlers of the county that can't be found anywhere else. We digitize them and make them available to the public. * Public education - through our speaker series, our publications, special events, and workshops, we increase public awareness of and enjoyment of history * Undine -- we are amassing information, photographs, maps, documents, and newspaper accounts about this long-lost settlement
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