Hello good folks of the lake community.

Greetings from (a frozen) Lake St. Catherine. We hope you and your loved ones are staying warm and healthy this winter.

It's that time of year again... As the Lake St. Catherine Association heads into its 68th year, we are asking for your support for the 2021 season.

All things considered, we a very successful year in 2020. We invite you to read our 2020 Year In Review for all the details, including some initial plans for the upcoming season. We hope you find our efforts worthy, and can support us for the 2021 season.

Membership dues and contributions help fund many of the services provided by the LSCA:

• Maintain and purchase navigation & shoreline protection buoys throughout the lake.
• Test the water for E coli, and water clarity.
• Administering free boat-safety courses that are state mandated for all persons born after January 1, 1974.
• Greeter Program: Inspecting boats wishing to enter the lake for aquatic invasive species (AIS) - like milfoil, zebra mussels, spiny waterflea and asian clams - to keep them out of the lake.
• Controlling milfoil (and other invasive species) and maintaining native weeds at tolerable levels.
• Working with the state to solve the problems of silting and impacts of phosphorus and other sources of pollution. Let us know if you'd like to participate in the Lake Wise program in 2021.
• Maintaining "welcome" signs and gardens.
• Liaising with other lakes in order to exchange information concerning problems.
• Sponsor the annual fun-filled July 4th Boat Parade.
• Disseminate information to our membership and the community through newsletters, website, and other local publications.
• Organizing funding through membership fees, donations and grants from the State of Vermont, Poultney and Wells, and environmental groups.
• We represent you to state and local governments to protect your rights and the lake in general.
• We protect the value of your property by maintain the beauty, access, and safety of the lake.

There are two easy ways to renew or become a member of the LSCA.

Soon, you will be receiving a mailing from us that contains the 2021 Membership Form. You can also download a copy by clicking here: 2021 LSCA Membership Form PDF. Just fill out the form and mail it in to our Treasurer Elaine with a check for your dues.

Or, you can renew or become a member on our website. If you were a member in 2020, click here to renew, or click here to become a new member - and you can pay your dues online with your credit card. If you were a member last year (whether you paid by check or online by credit card), the website has an account ready for you. If you don't remember your password, or you have never logged in, or if you have not logged into the new website launched in December, please click here to set or reset your password.

We'd also like to encourage you to check with your employer to see if they have an Employer Matching Gift Program for charitable donations. Many generous businesses will match contributions made by their employees through these programs. So, take a look - you may be able to double your contribution!

We have simplified our membership levels this year:

Cottage Owner, $100: For LSC property owners with a dwelling, $100 per cottage.

Business Sponsor, $200: (details below)

Unimproved Lot Owner, $50: For LSC property owners without a dwelling.

Supporter Of LSC, $35: For those of you who love LSC but are not a property owner. Includes family members of property owners, renters and those who use the lake for recreation.

Both on our website and on our printed membership form, you will have an opportunity to add an additional contribution above the membership level if you'd like to increase your support to the LSCA for 2021:

If you are a business in the Lake St. Catherine community, we have a Business Sponsor Membership we'd like to tell you about. The Business Sponsor Membership includes:

• A listing on our ‘Sponsors’ page on lakestcatherine.org with your logo, a link to your web or Facebook page, including a brief description of your business and services.
• The posting of your events and special occasions to our Events & LSC Community Website Calendar.
• A posting on our Blog and Facebook page about your business as a ‘Sponsor Spotlight’ feature.
• A posting for your business in our Spring and Fall newsletters. Newsletters will be made available to the community in both printed and digital versions.

Your membership and the dues and contributions we receive allow us to accomplish our work. Maintaining the lake costs approximately $125,000 annually. While we do receive annual grants from Poultney, Wells, and the State, membership dues and contributions make up the majority of our funding.

Upon receiving your membership contribution, our treasurer Elaine will mail you a hand-written thank you note, a receipt, a LSCA window card and a LSCA can koozie.

We are happy to report that in 2020, we had 346 paid members, which includes 10 Business Sponsors with an average contribution of $150. Thank you to all of our members! Your membership dues and additional contributions over and above our base membership levels are crucial to funding our important lake programs. As always, we ask you to help us spread the word by discussing the LSCA with your neighbors, your friends & family, and your renters. We will continue to work hard for Lake St. Catherine to earn your support.

Thank you for your support of the LSCA!

- The Trustees of the Lake St. Catherine Association

If you ever have any questions about your membership or Lake St. Catherine, please email us at info@lakestcatherine.org.