Reduction of Great Oak Involvement

Text of Email
30 April 2014

This email is being sent to many persons with whom I interacted over the past several years because of your financial and/or volunteer support of Great Oak Youth Development Center. I would prefer to address each of you by name; however, given the sizeable listing of individuals, time does not allow me to do so.

By my choice, I am nearing the end of a process of dramatically reducing my involvement with Great Oak. I want to tell you about this decision before making a more public announcement of this change.  Effective 28 June 2014, at the conclusion of the 2014 Leadership and Entrepreneurs camp, my only involvement with the organization will be to coordinate the gardening activity and work with a very committed volunteer who is establishing a chess club at Great Oak.  Completion of this involvement reduction process means I will no longer:

1. Do bookkeeping for the organization.  This task was relinquished in August 2013.
2. Coordinate the Annual Recognition Banquet or the Village Walk.
3. Coordinate or attend Men and Boys Unity sessions. My last session as Coordinator will be 31 May 2014.
4. Coordinate or otherwise participate in the Leadership and Entrepreneurs Camp. The 2014 camp being held 16-27 June will be my last.
5. Be involved with fundraising except for the 2014 Leadership and Entrepreneurs Camp.
6. Serve on the Great Oak Board of Directors.  I left that position on 31 December 2013.
7. As of 15 April 2014, volunteer as Director of Operations.
8. As of 30 April 2014, serve as a Great Oak staff member, have any role in leading the organization or in day-to-day operations.

It has been a pleasure and a tremendous experience to be a part of Great Oak’s journey from inception to this point. I look forward to building a gardening effort that, joined with the chess club endeavor, contributes to continued movement toward Great Oak’s mission of building foundations on which boys may achieve and succeed in life.

No words are sufficient for me to thank those of you receiving this email.  Your support has been and remains essential to the work and impact of Great Oak.  Thank you very much.

Karl W. Merritt