EMERGING FROM THE PANDEMIC

Pine Castle Historical Society, Inc.

ANNUAL REPORT 2022

Mission

The Pine Castle Historical Society (PCHS) provides objective research and education about our local ancestors by connecting past to future, with the goal to protect our Pine Castle heritage and inspire the community.

Vision

At PCHS, we envision a museum of preserved homes designed to educate visitors and tell the story of our local ancestors who brought us where we are today.

President’s Message

Larry Miles, President

Dear members of the Pine Castle Historical Society,

It is with great pleasure that I address you today as your outgoing president. I am proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our society in achieving our mission of Connecting the past to the future, Protecting Pine Castle’s Heritage, and Inspiring the community.

It’s a delight to report that 2022 was a banner year for the PCHS. Our annual BBQ, Beer & Bluegrass event was a huge success, with visitors from all over the community coming to enjoy the festivities on the grounds of our History Center. The annual Chili Cookoff was bigger than ever before, and we were thrilled to host movie night on the grounds where Santa was present to interact with families. Last month, we had over 300 people attend the prepared talks at Pioneer Days under the PCHS speaker’s tent.

During my three years as president, we made significant progress towards fulfilling our mission. We connected with the local schools of Cornerstone Charter Academy and Oakridge High to offer student volunteer opportunities. We opened the grounds of the History Center to host both daytime and nighttime events, providing the community with an opportunity to engage with our local history in new and exciting ways. We took action to fight against the imminent demolition of the Lancaster House, one of the oldest freestanding pioneer homes in Central Florida, and we continue to work towards preserving the historical landmarks in our community.

When my tenure began, we faced unique circumstances due to the Covid pandemic. Many non-profit organizations struggled as was seen all across the country, but we remained steadfast in our mission to bring families and friends from the community together. This is a testament to the great volunteers who serve on the PCHS Board. I am proud to say that as a team we found new ways to connect and inspire, and we were able to overcome the challenges we faced.

I am incredibly grateful for the team of dedicated volunteers who have worked alongside me during my time as president. Their passion for Pine Castle and our local community has been truly inspiring, and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with such a wonderful group of people.

In conclusion, I want to thank each and every one of you for your support and dedication to the Pine Castle Historical Society. Together, we have achieved great things, and I am confident that our society will continue to grow and thrive in the years to come.

Thank you.

Larry Miles, President
Pine Castle Historical Society, Inc.
President 2020-2023

Treasurer’s Message

A Year In Review

Bill Moore, Treasurer

Background

In September of 2021, I became a member of the Board of Directors for the Pine Castle Historical Society, Inc. I accepted the responsibility and immediately started leveraging my Treasury Financial Experience with non-profits and website development to increase the presence of the Pine Castle Historical Society on social media and the Internet overall. An influential presence on the Internet and social media platforms is critical in raising awareness to our mission and marketing our fundraising activities. Since that time, the Pine Castle Historical Society has an established social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The website was also overhauled to communicate our initiatives and receive feedback from members and the public. Collectively, the engagement from the public increased substantially across all platforms.

In The Black

Fiscal year 2022 was a very good year, considering our organization was coming out of the Covid pandemic, which caused slowdowns in our renovation efforts. At the Annual Meeting in March of 2022, I was elected as Treasurer for the Pine Castle Historical Society. This was an honor, and I was extremely humbled by the support from the Executive Board and the Board of Directors along with those in the community.

I am pleased to report the Pine Castle Historical Society, Inc. was financially solvent at year end, with a Net Revenue of $10,246. The organization received $23,971 in Contributions and Grants, and $10,306 in fundraising income. The major expenditures for the year consisted of Contracted Services, i.e., getting the grounds in front of the Crawford House graded, Facilities, i.e., repairs, Office Expenses, i.e., office supplies, Information Technology, i.e., website hosting, and Insurance, Taxes, Licenses, and Permits. The total expenditures for operating the Pine Castle Historical Society, Inc. totaled $20,995.

As you can see, the operational costs are substantial, with the biggest annual expense being Directors and Officers, Property, and Liability Insurance Policies currently totaling $4241.00. It is critical for membership to increase and current members advocate for our cause at social events, cultivate new members, and introduce philanthropists to our organization.

Mitigating Costs

President Larry Miles sought out businesses willing to help mitigate costs by donating services to our non-profit organization. I would like to take this time to thank A-1 Septic, Inc. for donating $11,700 in services for the Crawford House grounds and Mora’s Landscaping LLC for donating lawn services, saving the organization over $1800 annually.

Finally, generous donations were received by our 100 Club Members. Following our signature fundraising event, BBQ, Beer, and Bluegrass Festival, with the gracious assistance of Jay Herrington and his business Fish on Fire, Bob and Ruthie Harrell made a generous donation of $10,000 towards the renovation of the Crawford House. Earlier in the year, Bob and Cindy Lance donated several pallets of pavers to be used on the properties. These donations, along with the annual donations of our 100 Club members, make all the difference.

Going Forward

The Pine Castle Historical Society, Inc. is off to a great start in 2023 and all the donations made in 2022 will lead the way to making a museum a reality. Next step, permitting and utility connections!

Respectfully submitted,

Bill Moore, Treasurer
Pine Castle Historical Society, Inc.

Our Finances