October 2020
Dear Geneva Point Center Friends,
October is here in glorious color as this extraordinary year draws closer to its end. Like everywhere, it has been a very difficult year, but we are so grateful to everyone who helped to make it much better than it might have been.
Geneva Point Center continues to be in reasonably good financial condition considering the dramatic loss of 2020 operating revenue. We have adequate funds to pay for security, basic care of our buildings and grounds, retention of key staff, insurance, utilities and other essentials. We have also been able to proceed with work on the Barn and do a few other smaller projects. We are able to say all that because we entered the year with a strong balance sheet, managed our expenses carefully and took advantage of COVID relief opportunities including the Paycheck Protection Program and a Small Business Administration low interest loan. Most of all, we are grateful for the generous contributions of so many GPC members and friends. While we have a lot to be thankful for, 2020 really has been hard on GPC and there is still so much uncertainty about how we will operate in 2021. One thing for certain is that the financial support of all those who care about GPC (those who currently give and those who have yet to) is a critical part of surviving these current times and thriving in the future.
While our summer was nothing like we all had planned, there were nevertheless a few highlights and plenty to be grateful for.
GPC’s trails have been open all year and continue to be well used, respected and appreciated by our neighbors and friends every day. Among the trail walkers have been many familiar faces from most of the camps and conferences that would have taken place this summer as well as conferences of years past. Though it is hard to count we estimate that 60 to 100 walkers enjoy the Yellow, Blue and Green trails each week.
The Ice Cream Shop was also a busy place three evenings a week through Labor Day. The addition of premium homemade (in the GPC kitchens) ice cream sandwiches was very popular. They will undoubtedly be on the menu when the ice cream shop opens for the 2021 season.
Evenings on the Porch at the Winnipesaukee Inn (also known as Pizza on the Porch) was another successful innovation that could only have happened the way it did because of the pandemic. Three evenings a week friends, neighbors and other guests enjoyed great pizza, sandwiches and salads while enjoying socially distanced tables on or near the porch. We hope to incorporate porch dining and take out service into future summer and fall seasons when possible.
In August we were happy to host several families that took advantage of our special COVID-19 Summer Rental Program. The plan worked well to provide an extraordinary (but hopefully once in a lifetime) experience at GPC.
Gibbes House is ready and available for families and other “bubbles and pods” to make good use of through the fall and winter months.
The Have a Lobster Help a Barn fundraising event was also a success. It raised several thousand dollars for the Barn project and was very enjoyable for all who participated. Those who attended gave a lot of encouragement to have similar events in the future. The event was also an opportunity to test out new systems and equipment for serving guests when social distancing guidelines are in place.
The Barn Project is progressing steadily though you might not notice most of what is going on. The garage section has been removed but otherwise, most of the work is happening underground. Our contractor for the project, has excavated a warren of tunnels under the barn giving access to key parts of the timber frame for repairs and leveling. Work will continue through the fall, winter and spring. While additional work will continue, the Barn will be back in service for the summer of 2021.
Working to make the 2021 season a success. Our staff is working on plans for next summer and how to make it great even if we continue to cope with the pandemic. We all hope that life will look a lot better by next June, and that we may resume at least some of our pre-COVID lifestyle and ways of operating with groups. But, we cannot count on that. A lot of thought, ingenuity and creativity are going into how to prepare and serve meals, getting the most out of our outdoor venues, how to manage arrivals, best practices for camp health, housekeeping and more. We are already in communication with leaders of our annual camps and conferences and working with them to think ahead, make plans and overcome whatever challenges that lay ahead.
Please note the information below about our upcoming virtual annual meeting and our new Facebook page.
We look forward to sharing more with you as the holiday season arrives.
Many thanks and best wishes,
