The Annie Silver Community Center board is seeing some light in its effort to revamp the nonprofit’s charter.
Jim Hassett, a longtime Bradenton Beach resident and member of the center since 1992, proposed in May that the board review the charter for the nonprofit that operates at 103 23rd St. N., Bradenton Beach.
Board members then voted to enlist the help of an attorney to scrutinize the document.
Hassett outlined his initial talks with attorneys at Blalock Walters in Bradenton during a July 24 meeting.
Attorneys, he said, verified center members cannot sell the property and, should the nonprofit dissolve, it must do so into another nonprofit.
“We can’t turn around and sell it, which is all I ever wanted to hear,” Hassett said. “I was smiling all over inside to know we couldn’t just get all new blood in here and sell the place.”
Hassett said no plan exists to dissolve the nonprofit, but members want more concrete language on what would constitute dissolution under Florida law.
The center was established in 1952 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 1955. It is named for Annie Silver, an island resident who donated the land.
Hassett said his initiative to revisit the charter was fueled by concern over demographic shifts on the island, marked by increases in real estate development, short-term rentals and a corresponding decline in full-time resident participation in community activities.
While the center has about 40 members, only a handful attend functions regularly.
In other news, center members got a first look at a center mural design by artist and member Robert Reiber. The concept is a seaside-theme that includes an image of Annie Silver standing on the shore.
The center board approved $400 for the mural in June and Reiber said he will begin work on the building’s facelift in October.
Members also read a letter of gratitude intended to share with municipalities and organizations recognizing the life and achievements of center member Kaye Bell, who died in February.
About Annie Silver
- According to the Anna Maria Island Historical Society, Silver was the first citizen to cross the first bridge to the mainland in 1922. AMIHS also chronicles her owning a taxi business, selling it and buying property in Bradenton Beach. Silver donated property for the Annie Silver Community Club, which was founded in 1952. She died in 1958.
Membership is open at a fee of $5 per year. People interested in joining can contact Jim Hassett at 413-441-6823 or Bruce Butler at 513-368-6454.
- The next meeting will be 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 103 23rd St. N., Bradenton Beach.