A short course in the philosophy and the operation of Friends of Lake Hefner
Our Mission: To protect and enhance what is left of the Lake Hefner reservation for recreation and the enjoyment of nature by our fellow citizens.
Our Members: Basically our members are anyone who has a like interest in the conservation of Lake Hefner and its' surrounding lands. This includes area homeowners, members of clubs that utilize the trails and playgrounds and waters, and individuals who love the lake as we do.
Our Meetings: Our regularly scheduled meetings are the third Tuesday of each month. Annual Members meeting is each October when we elect at-large Board members and seat the Board of Directors. The Board of directors meets quarterly in the months of November, February, May and August. The Executive Committee meets the other months; December, January, March, April, June, July, and September. Each meeting takes about an hour depending on the amount of business to be conducted. The meetings are informal and all meetings are open to any person who would like to attend.
Cost of Membership: Membership in the Friends of Lake Hefner costs your name and your contact information. There are no dues or assessments or fees.
Our Board of Directors: The Board consists of representatives chosen by the participating organizations most of whom are non-profit entities and include: home owner associations; neighborhood groups; recreation organizations like bicycle, running, boating, Scouting, the YMCA and radio control clubs; and nature organizations such as the Audubon Society. Additionally the Board has up to 5 members who can be elected by popular vote at the annual Members Meeting. The requirement for these positions is simply membership in good standing with the Friends of Lake Hefner.
Our Officers: The Board of Directors appoints some of its' own members to act as an Executive Committee and from that group it elects the officers of Friends of Lake Hefner. The Executive Committee takes care of the normal business of Friends of Lake Hefner to free up the larger Board of Directors for more important business.
Our Funding: We are an Oklahoma Non-Profit Corporation and have been granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service. We accept monetary and in-kind donations and the funds are used for operation of the organization, education of the populace and projects around the lake. Friends of Lake Hefner seeks additional funding in the form of grants from beneficent foundations.
Our Projects: In the three years Friends of Lake Hefner has been operating we have:
Assisted the City of Oklahoma City in writing the Lake Hefner Recreation Master Plan which has been accepted and incorporated into the City of Oklahoma City Master Plan.
We have received a grant in the amount of $60,000.00 from the Margaret Annis Boys Trust at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation for the planting and care of 240 trees on the east shore of Lake Hefner.
We have worked with many other groups and individuals to save the Oklahoma City Fish Hatchery.
We are working with the City of Oklahoma City Planning Department to help them accomplish items on their list of enhancements and improvements for the natural areas of our city. Two of these items are: working with the City of Oklahoma City Trails Committee on identifying, condensing and standardizing signage for the lakes and trails of Oklahoma City; and attempting to complete a biological diversity study of the Lake Hefner area.
Our Hopes and Aspirations: We hope you will join us! Bring you ideas and enthusiasm and help us improve the lake. Whether you can attend meetings, work on lake clean-up campaigns, water trees, count critters, identify plants, manage people or write grants we need you and our lake needs you.
When the late Judge Hefner was mayor of our wonderful city and conceived of Lake Hefner and brought it to fruition during the dark days of World War II, his stated intent was to build Oklahoma City a water supply that would serve a growing metropolis and to also create the finest park in America so when the boys came home from the war they would have a place to take their families for fun and recreation.
Help us make Judge Hefner's dream come true!
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