The Citizen, 2010-01-21, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2010. PAGE 19.
Margaret Webster, long-time
volunteer and board member with
the Blyth Festival was honoured at
the organization’s annual meeting in
Blyth, Thursday, Jan. 14.
The Wingham woman was
presented with the BIG ticket award
from the Festival and the Blyth Idea
Group for 30 years of service. The
award was presented by Eric Coates,
Festival artistic director.
Webster retired from the board as
the longest-sitting board member.
She has been instrumental in
running the annual used book sale
for many years.
In accepting the award she said the
rewards of volunteering for the
Festival included meeting so many
celebrities as well as “being kissed
by Gordon Pinsent”. Others she
would never have had a chance to
meet without her connection to the
Festival were authors W. O. Mitchell
and Timothy Findley, actor
John Neville and pianist Andre
Gagnon.
She recalled a “Country Fair”
fundraiser on the theatre’s front lawn
many years ago at which local
author Alice Munro sold used
clothing for the cause.
Webster promised to continue to
volunteer but said as a board
member she got involved too much
and cared too much so that it became
harder and harder just to be a
volunteer.
The Blyth Festival will set aside$47,000 of its $69,829 operatingsurplus from the 2009 season for
future upgrades to Blyth Memorial
Hall.
That information was revealed,
Jan. 14, at the annual meeting ofBlyth Centre for the Arts, the parentbody of the Festival. The meetinghad been delayed from its originaldate in December because of badweather.
The 2009 surplus was achieved
despite a disappointing box office of
$407,000 compared to the budget of
$507,000. But administrative staffhad taken immediate action whenearly box office sales were down.Production and artistic costs wereslashed to $609,000 from a budgetof $648,000 with production
manager Kim Gravel given much of
the credit by general manager Deb
Sholdice. Administration costs were
also reduced by $28,000.Having wiped out its long-standing accumulated deficit after afabulously successful 2008 season,the Festival was in a position thisyear to consider long-needed
improvements to the building. “The
organization is probably in as
healthy a position as I have ever seen
it,” said Ron Burt of Takalo and
Burt, the company’s auditors.
Sholdice said the money set aside
will be used in phase two of
renovations to the building. Phase
one, to begin this spring, will use
money from a Ontario Trillium
Foundation grant to improve
accessibility at the hall with a power
door opener and make the building
more energy efficient with new
windows and masonry repair.
Phase two would give the theatre a
facelift with carpet replacement,
electrical upgrades and sound and
lighting improvements.
Looking back at the 2009 season,
artistic director Eric Coates said
comparisons with other theatres
showed that while some seemed to
have been hurt by the recession,
others prospered. Some of theprospering theatres focused oncommercial fare but some verysuccessful theatre concentrated ontelling very local stories.“The simple answer is that there is
no simple answer” to what makes a
theatre season successful, he
said.
Elected to the board of directors at
the meeting were: David Armstrong,
Goderich; Cass Bayley, Hensall;
Dennis Beker, London; Doug
Elliott, Seaforth; Wendy Hoernig,
Benmiller; Wendy Hutton, Seaforth;
Diane Klopp, Zurich; Jodi Kuran,
Goderich; Alison Lobb, Clinton;
Bev McKee, Bayfield; Betty Rean,
Vanastra; Erin Roy, Bayfield; John
Rutledge, Goderich; Lisa te Brinke,
Clinton; Jan Vogel, Goderich and
Bruce Whitmore, Walton.
At the Centre’s board meeting
following the annual meeting Elliott
was elected president; Hoernig,
vice-president; Kuran, secretary;
and Lobb, treasurer.
Blyth Festival honours
a long-time volunteer
Festival sets aside $47,000 for Hall upgrades
With thanks
Blyth Centre for the Arts recognized long-time volunteer Marg Webster, here with Festival
artistic director Eric Coates with a Big Ticket award. Webster has been involved with the
Festival for 30 years and is the longest-sitting member on the board. She has been
instrumental in running the annual used book sale for many years. (Keith Roulston photo)
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