The board of trustees was informed at the October meeting of the intentions of emeritus trustees, John Gorys and Kaye MacDonald to retire from their roles on the board. Since the council’s inception in 1996, both men have proved indefatigable in their efforts to fulfill the mission of the Little Manistee Watershed Conservation Council to conserve and restore the Little Manistee River and its watershed.
Kaye MacDonald has been the coordinator of all volunteer efforts undertaken by the council in its fifteen years of existence. He has coaxed, cajoled, and recruited members and nonmembers alike to insure that our numerous volunteer projects are adequately staffed. It is impossible to imagine that the Council’s work would have been as successful as it has without Kaye’s efforts. Fortunately Todd McClain has offered to join the board and assume Kaye’s responsibilities. John Gorys has been the lifeblood of the Council. He and the late Howard Roberts provided the impetus for the founding of the organization in 1996; John served as the first president of the Council; he has organized the annual members’ meeting and gathered and solicited items for the auction and raffle which are our major fund-raising vehicle.
Currently John is serving as the Council’s “Administrative Assistant” meaning that he does whatever needs to be done to insure that the work of the Council continues to be effective. Evelyn Furman, longtime recording secretary and coordinator of the “Salmon-in-the-Classroom” program is also stepping down, leaving the board with another very difficult job of finding a replacement for all that Evelyn has done over the years.
