Foundation to raise funds for new pool hold first meeting

A total of 14 concerned Malta citizens showed up to Malta City Hall on Thursday evening – and one via conference call – in the first meeting to form a non-profit foundation to help raise funds for the construction of a new pool for Phillips County.

In order to gain non-profit status with the State of Montana, the first things needing to be decided upon at the Thursday meeting was a name for the foundation as well as the election of officers. A brainstorm session was held and the first name decided upon for the foundation was “Funding Our Future for the Hi-Line.” In the off chance that the first name was not available for non-profit status, the second name of “Next Generation Funds for the Hi-Line” was also decided upon.

Before deciding on the two potential names for the foundation, it was decided to leave the word “pool” out of the name so that once formed, the foundation would be able to donate money to other future projects not associated with the new pool.

Following the choosing of names, Suzanna Stenberg was picked as the foundation’s president, Jenifer Anderson as Vice President and Mary Oxarart as secretary. Several people were also picked to sit on the foundation’s board of directors. The first foundation meeting was hosted by Malta Mayor Shyla Jones, but Jones said going forward she would take a backseat at future meetings and let the new foundation officers lead the way.

At the outset of the meeting, Mayor Jones informed those in attendance that Malta’s Tom Golik brought a donation to her for the new pool and said that he would continue to bring checks until a new pool was built, or he was dead, whichever comes first.

Next up for the foundation will be deciding on a mission statement and the writing of bylaws. The group also discussed forming an endowment which would help pay for future maintenance on a new pool.

Current Malta City Pool manager Natalie Judd was in attendance at the night’s meeting and has scheduled the foundation’s first fundraiser, a pool party which will include the Salsbery Bros. slide, which the boys have donated for the event. That event will be held on Friday, August 12, with the slide and pool available from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. and a Family Fun Night from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. (see the advertisement for the event on page 3A of this week’s PCN.)

The next pool foundation meeting will be held at the Lucky Bullet Hole in Malta on Thursday, August 18, starting at 7 p.m. The public is both welcomed and encouraged to attend.