Goals

F. O. R. SAN BERNARD

Why the F.O.R. Organization formed & it’s Fundamentals

· The organization originally formed to have more credibility; benefit from the collective experiences, skills and ideas of its members and be more effective by increasing community awareness of issues important to the group, leveraging financial, human and material resources to move the group’s vision, mission, goals, objectives and activities forward and finally to generate broad-based community support and recognition for group activities.

· F.O.R.’s Fundamentals:

Ø Develop an active, open, effective, long-term organization devoted to restoring, protecting and promoting the San Bernard River to ensure it stays clean, healthy and free-flowing so present and future generations will love and enjoy this river as much as we do

Ø Invite all interested people to join and support the organization (if you want to be a member, you are a member)

Ø Learn the issues associated with the San Bernard River

Ø Effectively communicate to members of the F.O.R., our neighbors and elected officials

Ø Establish contacts to promote and support river functions and the organization

Ø Learn the talents available to the organization and it’s members interests

Ø Elect a Board of Directors

Ø 100% volunteer organization

Ø No dues

Board of Director Responsibilities includes:

· Provide continuity for the organization by setting a structure that supports the organization’s mission and purpose

· Govern the organization by board policies

· Select the Executive Committee (President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer)

· Select a three member Management Committee that affirms the organization is adhering to the organization’s by-laws and draft policies when requested that are approved by the board

· Select a Nominating Committee that will oversee the annual election of new board members (typically chaired by retiring board members and selected volunteers)

· Establish committees, elect leader(s) for each committee, monitor their programs and services through participation (each board member should serve on at least one committee)

· Manage resources effectively: Fiduciary responsibility for the organization through budgets and generally acceptable accounting principles as well as asset management

· Enhance the organization’s public image

· Serve as the organization’s Court of Appeals

Goals &Accomplishments by Year

· 2006

Ø Held numerous public meetings to keep folks informed of progress

Ø Established and named the organization; Friends Of the River San Bernard

Ø Established a fantastic website – Eileen Kenneda

Ø Established a ‘friends across the river’ logo & snappy theme song

Ø Logo flags & t-shirts became the rage and helped fund the fledging organization. Special thanks to Connie Webb and the decorating divas!

Ø Obtained consent from the leaders of three pre-existing river activities to migrate their activities under the new organization’s corporate structure; boat parades, re-opening the mouth and river clean up (listed alphabetically)

Ø Incorporated the organization, established by-laws, obtained IRS 501(c)3 status and elected our first board of directors

Ø Four parades (Memorial Day, July 4^th, Labor Day & 19^th SBR Christmas Parade & Home Decorating) – Nelson & Vanessa Taylor

Ø Trash Clean Up – David Pope

Ø 1^st Annual Dock Hop (hop in your boat or set up on your pier) held in concert with National Night Out

Ø Held our first successful fund raiser in Brazoria Heritage Foundation’s School Gym

Ø Partnered with Brazoria County Parks Dept to upgrade lighting at 2611 & 521 boat ramps

Ø 1^st Saturday of December marked the beginning of our monthly F.O.R. breakfasts

· 2007

Ø Several public meetings (Annual February “State of the River”, Board Election Meeting)

Ø Website continued to be a resource for river information, updates, and discussions

Ø Second “Can You Dig It?”

Ø Coordinated numerous trips to the closed river mouth for dignitaries, journalists & news crews

Ø Two parades (July 4^th & 20^th SBR Christmas Parade & Home Decorating)

Ø Trash Clean Up adds Heavy Debris clean up – David Pope

Ø Dock Hop (centrally located at area restaurants)

Ø Second successful fund raiser – this time held at the West Brazos KC Hall

Ø F.O.R. adopted a two mile section of FM 2918 to help “Keep Texas Beautiful”

Ø Purchase and install kiosk signs at local boat ramps to raise environmental awareness

Ø Successfully negotiated win-win 99 year lease with the Brazoria Lion’s Club for the Holiday Shores Club House; commonly called now the F.O.R. Community Center. Special thanks to Ken Corley & Pat Webb who helped bring this to our organization.

· 2008

Ø Three public meetings (Annual February “State of the River” and Board Election Meeting, plus the Army Corp of Engineers meeting announcing their plan to Open the Mouth)

Ø Renovations to the Community Center, held our open house and four public invited “meetings of interest” plus a few rentals

Ø Website continued to be a resource for river information, updates, and discussions

Ø Three training classes conducted by H-GAC’s Texas Stream Team to properly test water quality. We currently have 20+ volunteers that are certified and samples are tested at their home on the San Bernard River monthly.

Ø Third “Can You Dig It?”

Ø More trips to the closed river mouth for dignitaries, journalists and news crews

Ø Summer Program for Kids (via River Rangers Committee – Emily Meyers)

Ø Dock Hop (Sweeny side hosts Brazoria)

Ø Two parades (3^rd Annual July 4^th & 21^st Christmas Parade & Home Decorating)

Ø First Annual Men vs Women Fishing Tournament

Ø Fall Trash Clean Up – Bob Breakiron

Ø Third successful fund raiser -- held again at the KC Hall

Ø Volunteer database – Jeanne Manry

Ø TCEQ (TX Commission for Environmental Quality) Award Application – Jan Edwards & Gloria Powell

· 2009

Ø Public meetings (Annual February “State of the River” and Board Election Meeting) plus one Town Hall meeting for the Environmental Committee

Ø Beach Party Celebration of the Open River Mouth - organized by Roy Edwards

Ø Submitted Resolution to Commissioner’s Court to call the newly re-opened river mouth “Edwards Cut”, which passed unanimously (Executive Committee)

Ø Environmental Program given to two local elementary schools (River Rangers)

Ø Two parades (3rd Annual July 4th & 21st Christmas Parade & Home Decorating)

Ø Upgraded Website

Ø Updated Organization/Activity Chart

Ø Member database of people living on the river, using the river, and interested in the river

Ø Semi-annual Newsletter mailed to river residents using the above member database (February and August)

Ø Partnered with Brazoria County Parks Dept to install a new fish cleaning station at the Intercoastal Waterway @ FM 2918

Ø Partnered with Brazoria County Parks Dept to repair roadway at FM 521 boat ramp

Ø Petitioned Pct 4 Commissioner & Parks Director to install a boat ramp for Brazoria’s northern section of the river

Ø Applied for the Dow Community grant to enhance the community center to allow access for individuals with physical handicaps and/or those with limited mobility {not selected}

Ø Submit a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) application to TCEQ to fund land conservation easements/land trusts to protect te San Bernard River watershed

Ø Partner with the Houston-Galveston Area Council to perform a two year detailed environmental watershed study of the entire river

Ø San Bernard River documentary – hopefully to be shown at our September meeting

Ø Develop an organization Master Timeline

Ø Host another successful River Raiser on October 25th. The Armadillo Ballroom will be the location. The goal is emphasizing “FUN” in Fundraiser with Cow Pie Bingo, washers, Cow Pie Toss, western gun fight, BarBQ dinner, dancing to the sounds of the Austin Colony Band, silent auction and a limited live auction. Funding is needed for land conservation easements, which will help limit river and watershed development. This is on point with our mission statement “To preserve, protect … the San Bernard River … for future generations.”