2007 Long-Range Plan

At the 2006 Annual Meeting, in recognition of the changes that have occurred in the United States and the world since the early 1960’s, and as the faithful Stewards of valuable resources that should and must be used for the collective Good of our People, the Members voted unanimously to instruct the Board of Directors to create a new long-range business plan for the Corporation (now Foundation).

• In the year between our 2006 and 2007 Annual Meetings, the Corporation Board of Directors performed the following Business Planning Process:
• Traveled statewide to conduct six meetings, and conducted numerous conference calls.
• Agreed that the Corporation’s Purpose is still very relevant, and even more so today than in 1962.
• Affirmed that the Serbian Orthodox Church in North America fully accepted our creation, existence, purpose and mission in writing in the 1996 Settlement Agreement & Mutual Release of Claims between our two groups.
• Agreed that the world around us has changed tremendously since 1962: that the City of Jackson, Amador County, and Northern California will continue to grow rapidly.
• Agreed that outside entities have designs and plans that deeply involve our property, and that we need to be proactive, not reactive, about this.
• Agreed not to debate or argue about disputes that have been settled in the past, that we cannot change.
• Agreed that the Corporation must choose its own direction and its own destiny for the benefit of our next generations.
• Agreed that the Corporation should think, act and operate as a multi-million dollar 21st century USA charitable organization: because that is what we are.
• Agreed that the Corporation needed a plan of action bigger than what has defined us in the past.
• Agreed that the Corporation should not try to do things we are not able to be expert at: to minimize risk and maximize success.
• We started by reviewing our original and still guiding Constitution & By-Laws.
• We talked to Members and supporters about the intentions and hopes of our grandparents, parents, and past and current Members and supporters.
• We talked to Members and supporters about the donations and great contributions of time, money and commitment to the Purpose of the Corporation over the past 45+ years.
• We talked to Members, supporters and non-Members about the current and future Needs of our Serbian-American Community, and the similar and differing priorities of other Serbian groups, here in the Western USA.
• We confirmed that many of our important Goals and Objectives are deeply desired by our People, but are not and have never been addressed by other groups or entities in our Community.
• We debated our goals, our priorities and our capabilities.
• We drafted the Long-Range Plan and presented it in Public Forum Membership Meetings in San Francisco (March 2007), Los Angeles (April 2007), and Jackson (May 2007) for critique, discussion, debate, and revision.
• The Final version of the Long-Range Plan was affirmed unanimously by Corporation Membership at the June 30, 2007 Annual Meeting.

The 2007 Long-Range Plan

(text in bold print below is unedited language from our original 1962 Articles of Incorporation and Constitution & By-Laws)

To provide facilities for:

1. Summer Camp for Children and Youth: In recognition of the need to actively promote education, values, cultural awareness and building of life-long relationships among our children:

2. Senior Citizens: In recognition of the changing demographics of our Serbian senior population in the USA; the rising costs and risks of real-estate development, and elder health care; the true long-term needs of our senior citizens; and, to end the shameful diaspora of our high-need elderly:

3. Cultural and Educational Purposes:

4. Recreation and Fellowship

5. Other Allied Needs