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By the skin of our teeth, we've done
it again!
We've done it because of YOU and your amazing generosity!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Because everyone is so excited about
the upcoming holidays, this is always a scary issue for The Family Tree.
We have nobody to call upon if we don't have enough money to print and
mail the paper. We have no "slush fund" and no "sugar daddies."
(Although both are on the top of my Christmas Wish List and in my own
personal letter to Santa!)
All we have is you - our extraordinary readers and our loyal advertisers.
Please think of us as the end of the
year approaches and you perhaps have some funds that you can donate at a
better tax advantage than you can keep or invest. What is "peanuts" to
other organizations could mean the difference in life and death for The
Family Tree. I read all the time about million dollar donations to
already financially stable schools or charities and think of what $25,000
would do for us. (Well, of what $5,000 means! $2000! $25!) Every
contribution is important. $25,000 would make it possible for us to
publish into the foreseeable future with the confidence that there would
be a "next" paper. Once we can't print just once...this paper is gone and
it will be too late.
With the immense relief of the worry
about money gone from my own shoulders, I would most likely just stay and
work for as long as my personal "forever" turns out to be. I am not
kidding. I am as serious as I can be...and the difference can be just a
few thousand dollars. Please think of us and of what this little paper
means to people all over the country - and now thanks to Alastair and
Electric Scotland - all over the world. We are a 501 (c) (3) organization,
so donations are tax deductible.
I'm writing this on November
21...and just today do we know of one advertiser who is sending his check
for $500 and a corporation that we visited with a genealogy tent is
sending a $300 contribution. These two checks make us have enough for the
postage deposit on the December/January issue. Note: November 21!
Note: More gray hair on my head. Whew! One more issue is OK.
We have Super Postage Heroes this
time! We appreciate the St. Andrew's Society of Macrae Meadow from
Jefferson City, Tennessee; Duaine T. Evans, Ann McLeod, James O. McKay,
Mary Coutts Ehrler, H. L. Campbell, W. Downey, Michael Maddox, Barbara
Anne Armstrong, J. Waylon Nichols, Claire S. Schmidt, Farm Family
Insurance Company, Paul L. Davidson, Jr., De Ann Steeley, Mrs. W. J.
Henderson, Jewel Giles, Dorothy J. Smith, The Scottish Heritage Society,
Inc., Courtney M. Stevens and George S. "Buck" Buchanan!
Our Super-Dooper Postage Heroes this
time include a lovely gift from The Clan Hamilton Society! Many thanks,
dear friends. More kind folks are Jean and Paul Henson (Thank you!),
Genevieve Scott Bell, Gwendolyn Martin, Melba Shirley, Jo Anne Crane and
Marcus J. Wallace! How kind you all are.
Our Super-Super Dooper Postage
Heroes include The Clan Buchanan Society in the United States and Canada
who have sent a truly wonderful gift. Thank you to all the fine Buchanans
who made this gift possible.
The Clan Johnston/e has made a wonderful SSDPH gift! We are so proud to
be affiliated with Clan Johnston/e! Thank you all!
The Clan Scott Society has made a marvelous contribution to The Family
Tree! Your kindness is overwhelming. Thank each and every member and
officer who made this possible.
The Clan Rose Society of America has made a most kind gift to ensure this
paper would be printed and mailed. You all continue to amaze, astound and
humble me. Thank you.
The Innes Clan Society has also made a wonderful donation to this
publication. We realize how hard our Scottish Clan groups must work to
raise their funds...and for them to share with us is so kind. Thank you.
Wallace State Community College has made a most generous and kind gift to
this paper. What a wonderful surprise! Thank you!
Outside of any kind of category are
our sweet friends, Roscoe and Elizabeth McDonald from Milledgeville,
Georgia who have made an astounding gift each year to this paper since day
one. Thank you, most beloved friends!
Proctor & Gamble in Albany, Georgia has made a gift to The Family Tree
which really has helped with this issue. Thank you!
We have two gifts whose donors
prefer to remain anonymous...but without which there would not have been a
December/January paper...and we so appreciate our kind friends from
Delaware and Atlanta. Thank you both so much.
One of the marvelous perks of what I
do, is the opportunity to meet so many of the World's Greatest People! We
were houseguests of Inez Boothe at Stone Mountain this year and had the
best time laughing and talking and giggling and cutting up with Inez and
DeeDee and Bob and Pat and Max...and Inez' beautiful daughter, Suzanne. I
can't tell you how moved I was...and am - because Suzanne Boothe made a
most amazing contribution to my travel fund. Thank you, Suzanne!
I also got to meet Prince Charlie. Prince Charlie is Suzanne's diabetic
cat...who seemed glad to meet me too...if chewing on my fingers means
"glad" in cat. He's a charmer. (Narra's nose is still out of joint
because she knew I had been talking with another feline person!)
Thank you all for your kindness and
for your generosity and for your friendship. This paper could not, would
not exist without all of them.
Love,
Beth |
