| | Title: | Scrapbook 25 |
| Document Type: | Original Document |
| Keywords: | Roswitha Guggi, Seniors’ Centre, grant, Winterio, government, Mennonite, board, delegates, meeting, finances, Mennonite Conference of Ontario, Fairview Mennonite Home, Cambridge, senior, citizen, | | Author/Source: | The Record, Roswitha Guggi |
| Transcribed Text: | Used For Seniors’ Centre
Mennonites tried to hide lottery money, cleric says
By Roswitha Guggi
Record Staff Writer
A Mennonite minister suggested Saturday that the board of a church senior citizens home tried to hide the fact it was taking an additional $100,000 in grants from Wintario,
Glenn Brubacher, newly-elected assistant moderator of the Mennonite Conference of Ontario (MCO), said he was never told Fairview Mennonite Home in Cambridge was taking in the extra lottery money.
Last spring the board was authorized by lay delegates to the MCO, who govern the home, to accept a $250,000 Wintario grant for a building project. The delegates voted in favor of taking the grant after condemning lotteries on religious and moral grounds.
Last summer the board learned it was eligible for an additional $100,000 grant from Wintario because costs for a senior citizens community centre at the home had risen. That brings the amount of money used for the centre to about $350,000.
Brubacher told the board during the spring meeting of the MCO in Kitchener that he didn’t like the way it had quietly taken the extra money.
“Please don’t do that ever again – hiding something as important as that,” he said.
Clayton Cressman, who finished his term as chairman of the Fairview board Saturday, denied the board tried to hide the extra Winterio money.
Cressman said the increased Winterio grant was included in cost figures for Fairview’s $4.2-million building program, which includes the community centre.
The figures were given to delegates at a November meeting held by the board. It was attended by only 40 of the 150 delegates the board must answer to.
Cressman told the delegates Saturday the community centre project was eligible for the additional $100,000 grant because costs had risen and the grants are tied to costs.
Cressman said in an interview he thought he made it clear to delegates voting on the $250,000 grant last spring that is might increase if costs went up.
But Brunacher said he wasn’t aware the Winterio grant was tied to construction costs.
“It wasn’t reported in the April (1977) meeting. There’s confusion surrounding it. I didn’t know about it… There were other people who didn’t hear it.”
Although Cressman said the information on the additional Winterio grant was given out at the November delegate meeting, some of those who were there said they weren’t aware of the extra money.
Norma Dettweiler of Breslau Mennonite Church said she didn’t hear anything about the extra grant at the November meeting.
Joe Snyder, who finished his term as moderator of the MCO Saturday, said the extra Winterio grant was included in figures given out at the meeting.
“It wasn’t highlighted particularly, but it was there. I don’t feel it was hidden.”
Abner Martin of Petersburg, who attended the November meeting, said he was aware of the increased grant.
“Some may not have recognized it, but how many people understand financial statements?”
David Rudy, administrator of the Fairview Home, said in an interview that the board felt it could accept any Winterio funds it could get because delegates voted last year in favor of taking the $250,000 grant.
“We told them last year that we’d be utilizing whatever government grants were available.”
Rudy told the delegates Saturday that more than $15,000, which has come in from the people who were opposed to accepting the lottery money, will be given to the provincial government this week.
Delegates decided last April to allow those opposed to accepting lottery money to repay some of it through voluntary donations.
Rudy said the building project at Fairview Home which includes apartments and the community centre was nearing completion and the official opening would be May 13.
He said a fund-raising drive to get money for furnishings has brought in $20,000 so far. The board hope to raise $60,000.
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| Language: | English |
| Associated Dates: | April 1977, |
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