Board Update - April 26, 2026

Added: 2026-05-08

[00:00:01]Hey, Friend of Silverlake. I'm Brian Lapis, co-chair of Friends of Silverlake.

[00:00:05]>> And I am Reverend Andrew Wixs, the other co-chair of the board of directors of Friends of Silverlake.

[00:00:10]>> We're just getting done with our April 26th in-person meeting here at Avon Congregational Church. And before we show you a video recap of the update, we wanted to get you up to speed on what's happening with the Friends of Silverlake. Since we last met and spoke with you, we've had the chance to do a deep dive into what's happening at Silverlake and some details about the property and sort of to develop a vision and plan for the future of the ministry of Silverlake.

[00:00:40]In the last few weeks, we have submitted a proposal to the conference as they have requested and in the coming days, we will have an opportunity to sit down with representatives of conference leadership and talk through that proposal with them. In the upcoming video, you're going to hear from Mary Kenro, who is kind of the lead of our business planning committee, and she's going to detail some of the research that led up to the proposal. You're not going to get the details of the proposal because we feel that we need to honor our covenant with the conference and let the conference see, digest, and reply to our proposal before we can share those details with you. What we can tell you at this point is we are actively pursuing an opportunity to offer an ongoing ministry in Sharon at the Silver Lake property. We want to work with the conference to create an opportunity like that. In our proposal to the conference, we have tried to approach them with an idea that we want to continue the historic ministry of Silver Lake in Sharon, Connecticut, and that we also have an open mind to the possibilities of how that could happen. We understand that the conference has not clearly articulated its hopes for the future of that property and so we want to be open-minded about working with them towards those ends. So we implore your patience as we honor our covenant with the Southern New England Conference and eventually we will share some of those details of proposal with you who we are also in covenant with. There are some things that we would love for you to do in the meantime. Andrew, >> we need your help to share the word about Friends of Silverlake. Even though hundreds of people have already become involved in Friends of Silverlake, we know that there are many, many people who love this place, who have been transformed by it, who have not had a chance to connect. So, if you can take a few minutes to share the link to friendsoflake.com or to share with other people the news of what we're doing, that will help us make a big difference to building up our base and working towards a secure future for Silverlakes's ministry. And there are a few things that you can do at your local church. First, if you haven't been to a local church in a while, go to one of our local Southern New England Conference United Church of Christ congregations. If you are already a church member, that's fantastic, too.

[00:02:56]Either way, we hope that you will go to church and let anybody who will listen, pastor, congregational leadership, parents of young people, other stakeholders of these local congregations, tell them how much Silverlake has meant to you in your faith journey and in your life as uh as a young person and now as an adult. It's also important to note that the conference has announced this summer and this fall there will be upcoming votes of the local churches to determine the future of Silverlake. We need representatives from local churches in the historic Connecticut conference to attend these meetings and vote to preserve the future of this ministry.

[00:03:36]So, if you are involved in a local church or have been historically, please go talk to the pastor and the leadership there about how you can be a delegate to any annual meeting or conference meeting where votes will be taking place to secure the future of Silver Lake.

[00:03:50]>> We'd also appreciate your monetary donation to Friends of Silverlake and you can do that easily through our website at friendsoferlake.com.

[00:03:58]The money that you donate now helps us tool up to make this organization the best it can be and helps us discern a way to the future for the historic mission of Silver Lake.

[00:04:10]>> We believe the future of Silver Lake is vibrant. We hope that what you hear in the coming presentation by Mary gives you a sense of confidence that we've thought through the possibilities and created a vision for how that future can be sustainable and can carry through for future generations to have the transformative experiences that we each had at Silver Lake.

[00:04:36]So as the conference has asked for proposals, we have in fact put forward a proposal to them to offer continuance for the historic mission and ministry.

[00:04:45]The work to get to that proposal was done um through a tremendous amount of effort by our business planning committee which has been chaired by Mary Krookenbro. Um they have gone through an extensive process and so I want to invite her up to talk for a while about uh all the things that we've done. This is not a slapstick effort. A tremendous amount of work has gone into thinking through the pieces of this. So, mayor, if you can come up and I invite you to give you a warm welcome.

[00:05:15]>> Hi everyone. I really appreciate you being here today. Thank you for making time. Thank you for being present. Thank you for being interested. Uh my name is Eric Cooper. I'm the chair of the business planning committee for the fossil board. uh also uh started life as a serial conferee at Silver Lake. At one point I held the record for the most uh concerts I've attended as a camper. I was surpassed um uh followed by dean and uh counselor and staff member.

[00:05:47]>> Thank you.

[00:05:49]Um we have completed a couple stages of what you can think about as as the our our road map here. Um we have organized public uh as an R described and we have also just recently submitted a formal proposal to the conference um for the future of Sulfur Lake property. Um and today I want to go through some of that planning process, some of what we researched, some of the planning and budgeting and um scenario exercises. We went through some of the experiences of other summer camps who was on independent from their conferences and what that takes and what uh the challenges are. Um and uh I welcome questions as I go and interruptions.

[00:06:35]Raise your hand, jump in. Um otherwise uh I think we have to stop. Great. So my head is speaking.

[00:06:45]Uh we submitted a proposal. It was oh it's final planning page something like that. um because this was not just um a a call for the preservation of Silverlakes Ministry, but a really researched um uh proposal, plan, set of opinions, set of understanding of the realities of what we're facing um with the intent that this be a conversation about what will it really take for a viable Silver Lake? what would it take to uh have be in a position where we are continuing the ministry and then what does it take for that continued ministry to even be viable um for future generations. So uh what structures have actually worked in other places with other camps? Uh what's financially realistic for Silver Lake for the certain set expenses of the property?

[00:07:36]Uh what risks are manageable and what risks are less manageable? We'll talk about some risks today, including deferred maintenance on the property.

[00:07:44]Um, and what would give Silverlake the best chance to thrive.

[00:07:50]So, we did our research across a couple of different areas. Um, nonprofit camp transitions, uh, both in the UCCC and in other denominations. Uh, and, uh, we'll talk about three case studies today about other camps who have gone independent of their conferences.

[00:08:07]uh we looked through different pathways for asset transfer or purchase or lease or financing structures that would enable Fossil to engage with the property uh to operate Silver Lake at that location.

[00:08:22]and we talked through the different transition planning, the different capital campaign feasibilities, um the realities of staffing and insurance and maintenance of the property to have a proposal that really could be taken seriously uh as as something worth trusting for the future.

[00:08:40]So uh we did consider just about every possible option uh for for engagement going forward uh including a transfer of assets um from the conference to fossil uh outright purchase by Fossil uh seller financed uh seller finance purchasing leasing with intent to purchase long-term lease um as well as looking at other alternative locations where the ministry could continue. Um, and we evaluated each of those possible pathways according to the dimensions of their mission continuity, the continuence of the historic identity of Silverlake, clarity of ownership, the financial feasibility, the fundraising practicality, and the long-term sustainability of every possible option.

[00:09:25]and to find not the most emotionally satisfying option per se uh but to find the option that has the strongest realistic path forward.

[00:09:37]So uh a couple vignettes here of other camps that have gone through this uh because one of the most important things that we learned is encouraging which is that camps going independent can work.

[00:09:50]Um, and in fact, every camp in the UCCC that has gone independent of its conference is still in operation today.

[00:09:58]>> Say it again.

[00:10:05]>> Yes.

[00:10:05]>> Yes. Go right ahead.

[00:10:06]>> Do you know how long the longest number of years has been for any of those camps?

[00:10:13]>> Um, the longest of the ones that we engaged closely with is going on 15 years now. Um and I believe that there are older examples of this.

[00:10:24]Now there is an important difference between continuing to be open and being really uh really sustainable and in a comfortable position. And we also looked at what are the differences between those. The camps that have stayed open and are really thriving right now, the camps that have stayed open and have less than $10,000 in the rank.

[00:10:44]Um so a couple conferences that are recent examples is Illinois uh has Pilgrim uh Park and Tower are the two summer camps associated with the Illinois conference and after facing in many ways a similar set of realities. Um the challenge of declining campership of uh of uh decreasing financial viability of the camps as operated by the conference. um their joint planning efforts concluded that the camps would be most sustainable as independent nonprofits going forward. Um because as independent nonprofits, they would have more choices, more flexibility, the ability to go into more diverse revenue stream areas outside of the historic conference footprint. Uh and so in Illinois, they uh established independent nonprofit 501c3 entities.

[00:11:35]One camp actually already had one, another camp, they created one. uh are transferring have transferred the assets to those entities. Um all of the properties and um uh supplies and endowments and restricted funds associated with those camps were transferred to the new entities and they provided five years of ramp down operational support. Um so the conference in in Connecticut uh Silver Lake has historically provided operational Silver Lake has received operational support from the conference on an annual basis that a similar setup in the conference has ramped down that dollar amount in their annual budget over a 5-year period.

[00:12:16]So uh transition support is not uh inappropriate is not uh unprecedented and the transfer of assets is not. Um uh but that that also was a a fairly unique relationship instead of circumstances.

[00:12:33]We also had in Michigan uh camp talahi.

[00:12:37]Uh in that circle of circumstance the conference announced their intent to wind down operations of the camp and an alumni organization was formed. Might feel a little bit similar to what we're talking about today. Um the camp talahi alumni organization was able to enter an agreement with the conference to lease the property and continue operating the camp. Uh so they did that for a number of years at a fairly nominal lease. Um until there came a point where there was a desire to actually have the the property be purchased, transferred um and uh uh an independent uh entity associated with the alumni association purchased the property and they continue to operate today.

[00:13:21]in the Montana, Wyoming conference, camp uh Mimogish uh is in on uh forest land, the US Forest Service. Um and so uh the conference did not actually own the land either, but they had a long-standing they own the buildings and they had the ability to operate the camp there. And when they made a similar decision that it was no longer financially viable for the conference to operate the camp, an alumni organization was formed that was able to purchase the buildings under the boundaries of the constraints of the forest system um and continue operating as well. And all of those camps have have been operationally viable and break even financially um since they've been independent.

[00:14:08]We did learn uh in in in having conversations with people who have been this before um that a good mission is important but it's not enough on its own. Um and that having the right structures, having the right experts, having the right financial runway, having the right governance in place as well as having the right relationship in some circumstances with the conference entity or with a church entity. Um when we when we look at broader trends, the camps that go independent that are most successful tend to have some kind of ongoing covenantal relationship with either the conference as an entity or another local affiliation of churches as an entity as opposed to operating on a complete island following going.

[00:14:56]So that was reassuring that this has been done by other camps um that other conferences um with with successful outcomes uh for the communities and for the mission um and with the ability in in many of those circumstances to create the operating model that had not been possible or had not been achieved um under uh we also asked ourselves realistically about our fundraising capacity. what is our capital campaign capacity as an organization? Um, and uh, we deliberately tried to be conservative here. Uh, we asked ourselves, could Fossil reasonably raise 3 to5 million in the near term and our conclusion was that we don't yet have that capacity uh, and that uh, we could raise substantial money in the future. Um but we did not want to base a proposal on a significant amount of upfront capital that we were not confident we would have the ability to raise.

[00:16:03]And there are certain c certain conditions where we think it is very possible uh to raise larger amounts of money. But that depends we believe in demonstrated success in initial years of operations.

[00:16:15]um some improvements to the camper experience and to the programs that are being operated and some durable structural agreements uh that protect Fossil's ability to continue operating at the camp. Um so that we are uh there's clear direction about what funds are going to that it's directly towards emission and to renewal um and generally there is more capacity for giving when we have a real future with Grancast.

[00:16:42]So that shaped our proposal and our recommended path forward in a couple ways. It made us cautious about uh potential pathways that would involve large upfront capital investments um and about structures that would put too much financial risk on fossil too early without the ability to ramp up and build that that direct base over time.

[00:17:05]Another area that we spent time evaluating is the deferred maintenance on 223 Low Road itself. Uh there's the uh assets and liabilities. Um the asset is the property um that we're discussing the the future of. Um but that that property has also had a number of opportunities over the years um for uh age uh not lack of care um but continuing opportunities or continuing needs for uh groundskeeping trees uh roofs, windows, wastewater systems. Um and uh the conference has put out some information about its expectations about deferred maintenance on the property as part of sharing information about their decision-m um and that's a a significant reality of anyone who intends to do anything at 223 low road going forward.

[00:18:04]So as we considered that, we also thought through in our recommendation uh the ability as we do develop fundraising capacity, as we do develop capital that we uh have the right amount of realistic planning for what the maintenance needs of the property would be. um and if possible end up in a financial situation where capital available is going to that and to the mission uh as opposed to an asset transfer.

[00:18:36]So we submitted a proposal to the conference thinking through all of these variables thinking through what we thought would be the most viable pathway um for an ongoing dialogue between Fossil and the conference.

[00:18:49]Uh we were clear in outlining that option that it was our preference what we thought was most viable going forward. Uh but also that if the conference wants to work with us and has concerns about the specific outline options that we are open to discussing a variety of different options in in collaboration with you.

[00:19:10]We think that's the most responsible thing that we can do at this stage uh is to outline a path that we think is viable um and also to express the degree of flexibility that we think we can uh in good faith work together. Definitely.

[00:19:28]>> So, uh success, what does that look like right now? We're in phase three engagement with the setting conference.

[00:19:35]Um we can't promise right now and success does not mean right now uh Silverlake is secured and it's and its future is guaranteed. Um but uh success right now we've developed a credible proposal. We've submitted it. Uh we're prepared for serious conversations in the next stages with having done our research knowing what we're going to be signing up for and um are ready to move into the next couple phases here. uh diligence, negotiation, agreement on structure at the reach one and then moving forward in phases six and seven are really the operations of the forward ministry.

[00:20:15]Uh but we can't promise that the conference will accept this proposal or that negotiations will begin immediately or that we will reach a final agreement or that the structure uh that we put in place in the long term uh will be guaranteed to >> in any uh in any complicated decision- making I think about the amount of information that is available um as well as the amount of control of the outcome.

[00:20:44]that we have and part of what I think is coming up today in a lot of different perspectives of challenge is that we have relative to what we would like to have a lot less than complete information. Yeah, >> there's information about the historic financials of Silver Lake, about the work that the Kaleidoscope consultants did about the state of the property um that would uh determine the deferred maintenance commitment to anyone taking it on. Um that's not information that's available to us and constrained anything that we could put together in a proposal. There's also quite a lot right now that is outside of our control for what the final outcome is, >> right? Understand that part. And so what we are left attempting to kind of thread the needle on is what moves the conversation forward in a spirit of very strong intended partnership on our part.

[00:21:47]Assuming the same positive intent from the conference's part to get to the next couple stages where we are in more in possession of more information and in possession of more control over the outcome.