I need advice---the neighborhood organization sent us a registration form for Blue Spruce. The neighborhood leaders at Blue Spruce are always changing and currently there isn't a cheerleader to keep them semi organized. Should I register Blue Spruce? Who would I list as a contact? And the Blue Spruce neighborhood checking account, should I close it? It would be hard to re-open. (There is aprox. $71.00 left, which I can easily reimburse myself for money I'm owed or I could keep it there to keep the account open). And then there is also the business EID--business social security number... The checking account and the business SS# have no connection with the Coalition, so there is no conflict there.)

The Coalition can only request (and be the fiscal agent for...) grant money for transitional families. The neighborhood organization represented all of Blue Spruce and could pay for all community events (within and without Blue Spruce--such as the Crescent Park Picnic and Glory Days). The neighborhood organization could apply for grants that the Coalition couldn't (such as neighborhood grants). But, there needs to be someone who can keep the SS# and checking account honest. I tried to give everything to a Blue Spruce resident in the past, but when their life became complicated, I had to retrieve all the pertinent papers and do it myself.

I have one idea---how about not re-registering as a neighborhood organization, but keeping the checking account and social security # open, but sleeping until needed at a later date---With a $4.00 a month service fee and $71.00 in there currently it can lay dormant for quite awhile...

There is a potential resident who might be willing to be a neighborhood leader, but she will need a cheerleader(S) to keep her inspired.

Some responses to my email:

First I'm disappointed that there isn't a way to have a no-fee bank account.
Have we pursued this? Maybe if we change it into a savings account there
would be no fee. The account I have for the NW neighborhood is a no-fee
savings account.

I realize that Lowry Neighbors may be folded into the LCMA.... is it
registered as a non-profit? With that status maybe a no-fee account for the
subsections of Lowry Neighbors is possible.

I agree that you must have a responsible cheerleader to take the reigns. If
you don't have one - then maybe it should be folded into a
sub-responsibility of Lowry Neighbors if it's simply going to be dormant?

response back

I didn't know about finding a no-fee account when I first set up the account. It's at Commercial Federal, on Alameda next to Lowry.

I like the idea of folding in the account to the Lowry Neighbors as a sub-responsibility. There should be two persons as signers(sic)--right now it's just me. Maybe a signee(sic) from Blue Spruce and a signee(sic) from the larger Lowry Neighbors group, this would keep the checks and balances in order. Registering Blue Spruce as a separate neighborhood organization, is probably not necessary at this point.