KGCL Meeting

The King’s Grant Community League will hold its spring meeting on Thursday evening, May 16, 2024. Our meeting is at King’s Grant Baptist Church and it begins at 7PM. We are delighted to welcome District 8’s City Councilman Chris Taylor to our meeting. He will speak briefly about current issues and take questions. Additionally, members will vote on changes to the KGCL by-laws (which were the subject of an earlier post on this website).  Please come and meet your elected City Councilman and participate in the League that you help support.

The King’s Grant Farmers Market will be winding down as our guests arrive. The market will still be using the parking lot on one side of the church. We ask that our guests park and enter the church from doors on the side facing the fire station. There will be some small signs directing you to the proper door.

Proposed By-Law Changes

PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE KGCL BY-LAWS

The KGCL membership will vote on changes to the KGCL by-laws at the May 16, 2024 meeting of members.  Per our existing by-laws, a quorum of 20% of members, in person or by proxy, is required to change the by-laws.  A proxy form was included with the April 2024 newsletter sent to members.  Please return it prior to the meeting.  The Board of Directors (the “Board”) has worked these changes for many months and recommends approval.

Three documents are provided to help review the changes.  These are (1) our existing KGCL by-laws, (2) a marked-up copy of the by-laws showing all proposed changes, and (3) a clean of the proposed bylaws. 

Some of the changes are merely editorial in nature, such as punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure.  You can review all changes using the documents provided.  The substantive changes are discussed below:

1.  Change to the KGCL operating year,  Our current operating year is 1 September through 31 August.  The Board notes the confusion this causes in the Membership, especially with membership renewal.  The Board proposes to align the KGCL operating year with the calendar year.  This change will also move elections from May to October and also shifts annual planning (e.g. budget) into the fall.  If the proposal is approved, the next membership year will be a transition year of 15 months duration (1 September 2024 – 31 December 2025). 

2.  Classes of Membership.  There is no change to the nature or privileges of regular membership.  The Board proposes to create a new class of membership called “associate member”.  Associate members will be those who reside outside of our neighborhood boundaries (yes, we do have several who send in membership payments each year because they enjoy participating in events such as the 4th of July parade) or those residents of King’s Grant who prefer to support the League but not be counted as a regular member for various reasons.  At present, we accept their annual payment as a donation and keep them on our mailing list.  The proposed change allows us to aggregate the monies received as “membership dues” and keep it separate from the additional donation support that members regularly provide. Associate members will continue to receive the KGCL newsletter but are not eligible to vote on League business or hold office.  Also, associate members will not be included in the calculations for attendance needed to attain a meeting quorum.  The KGCL is often asked about our membership number – by a newsletter advertiser, a guest speaker, the VBCCO, and even our insurance provider.  This change will allow us to provide a simple answer.

3.  Voting and quorum requirements.  As noted above, only regular members can vote on League business.  This change also addresses how a quorum of members is calculated. The League has always permitted both adult residents of a member household to vote at our meetings. That will not change.  The proposed by-law change states that a quorum is attained by attendance (in-person or by proxy) by the number of voting-eligible persons equal to ten percent (10%) of the regular member households. The percentage is 20% for by-law changes.  This part of the change is subtle but it retains a two person per household vote, makes the quorum determination easier, and does not set the participation bar at a level that is too difficult to meet.  

4.  Annual dues.  The current by-laws set the annual dues at $20 per year.  The change gives the Board the authority to set annual membership dues.

5.  Fidelity Bond requirement.  The Board recommends removing the requirement for the Treasurer to be bonded when the League treasury exceeds $10,000.  The Board sees this as an unnecessary expense and difficult to manage, particularly as our assets move above and below this threshold during the operating year.  Our present insurance carrier informed the KGCL in December that it no longer offers this type of coverage.  

6.  Elections.  The proposal permits voting on the slate of candidates presented at the annual (October) meeting if there are no nominations from the floor,  The currently prescribed voting process is written as though elections will be competitive – which they are not.  Should an election be competitive, the existing process of voting for one office at a time will continue.

7.  Miscellaneous.  Updates to the by-laws are proposed to recognize the use of email in lieu of postal mail, to update the duties of Officers and Directors with current practice, and how the League manages its participation with the Council of Civic Organizations. 

King’s Grant Community Yard Sale Spring 2024

Hi Neighbors! Last year’s Community Yard Sale was such a hit that we are going to do it the same way this year. Rather than dragging your treasures to the Triangle by 7-Eleven, you can sell your wares at your own home on the same date as all your neighbors. Please fill out this form to participate in the King’s Grant Community Yard Sale. The sale will be held on Saturday, May 4 from 8 AM to 2 PM. Your address will be added to a list of King’s Grant neighbors who will be having a yard sale on this date. A map and list with the categories you selected will be advertised to our community via the KGCL.org web site, the KGCL mailing list, KGCL Facebook Page, Nextdoor, QR codes on signs throughout the neighborhood, and posted on various yard/ garage sale websites. You would be responsible for any additional advertising and signage to your personal sale. There is no cost to participate so we hope you will join us for this fantastic neighborhood event

Yard Sale Sheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xBY5xsCxDbd4cqty1TBHmWfWM3tYiL6RhQaGzgd-V8E/edit?usp=sharing

Yard Sale Map:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1-Y1pR5_1gqrpKb0mGWjWvfiZL5DNZ9c&usp=sharing

KGCL Meeting

7:00 pm, February 15, 2024

A meeting will be held at King’s Grant Baptist Church at 7:00 pm on Thursday, February 15th.  Our guest speaker will be Ms. Julia Tomaszewski, an Intelligence Analyst with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Norfolk Field Office. Ms. Tomaszewski will speak about cyber crime with emphasis on the tactics used by criminals to target senior citizens. The FBI reports that cyber scams are always evolving so it is good to know what to look for and how to protect yourself. Whether you think of yourself as a senior or have a family member you worry about, this topic should be of interest to you. 

A recent interview of Mr. Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the Norfolk Field Office, discussed the rising instances of “sextortion” in our area. This often involves young social media users – typically in ages 14-17. Ms. Tomaszewski can also address this facet of criminal activity. Do you have young folks in your home with smart phones? Pay attention. 

Members and non-members (who we hope will become members) are invited to attend.

Santa in the Park!

Santa is returning to Witt Park on Sunday afternoon December 16^th.  The King’s Grant Community League is hosting a visit by Santa in the park so that he may meet all the neighborhood boys and girls. He will arrive at 4:30 PM.  We had quite a line of children waiting to see Santa last year, but don’t worry … Santa will stay to see everyone.

The KCGL will serve hot cocoa.  We invite our visitors to bring a plate of their favorite cookies or another holiday treat (finger food) to share.  We will have a large tent with tables to keep treats out of the weather.  There will be two firepits for people to enjoy the warmth of the fires.  We will bring marshmallows for those who want to toast them at the fires.   (We will have a limited number of sticks for toasting marshmallows, so you may want to fashion your own stick and bring it along.)  Adults without children are invited to join the fun, too.  

We are excited to have a volunteer DJ at the park this year to keep us entertained with holiday music, so don’t miss this fun family event.  

Park along Kings Grant Rd or on one of the nearby streets.

Annual KGCL July 4th Parade & Picnic

The King’s Grant Independence Day Parade and Picnic is Tuesday July 4th beginning at 11:00am. You do not need to RSVP … just show up ready to have some family fun.  Last year’s turnout was great, so let’s keep the momentum.  Everything is centered around Witt Park on King’s Grant Rd. It starts with a parade around the lake. Prizes will be awarded in three age groups for the best patriotic decor bicycle. There will also be a single award for the best decorated vehicle that is not a bike (stroller, golf cart, lawn mower, wagon, etc.). The effort given to decorate bicycles for the parade is always amazing. We’d love to have more vintage/collectible/dressed up vehicles, too.  After the parade, we will picnic in the park with hot dogs, pizza donated by Marco’s, watermelon, and whatever our neighbors can bring to share (dessert or salad).  There will be several competitions (i.e. watermelon seed spitting, water balloon toss, bubblegum blowing). A coupon for a free Slurpie from 7-Eleven will be given to every child who participates in the parade. All the details are in the flyer posted on the KGCL Facebook page (www.facebook.com/KGCL.org). This is also where we will keep everyone up to date if there are any last minute changes.

King’s Grant Community Yard Sale

See King’s Grant Community League Yard Sale Map Here;

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1-Y1pR5_1gqrpKb0mGWjWvfiZL5DNZ9c&ll=36.85602440845706%2C-76.0920793&z=14

The King’s Grant Community League (KGCL) is coordinating a neighborhood-wide yard sale event on Saturday, May 6th. If you live in King’s Grant and are thinking of having a yard sale to give your unwanted or unneeded items a new purpose, then read on. If you are the type of person who enjoys visiting yard sales, then read on.

We are doing our spring yard sale event differently this year. You set up in your yard, driveway, or garage. Your sale will be coordinated with numerous others in the neighborhood. The KGCL will provide an on-line map showing each participating home’s address and location along with a short statement of what type of goods are for sale. Our neighborhood event will be advertised on our KGCL social media and other outlets. There is no charge to join in. All you need to do is complete the information sheet (which asks for your address and a summary of what you plan to sell) and return it to the KGCL. We will get a link to that form posted shortly. Participation is limited to homes within the boundaries of King’s Grant. If you receive our fall newsletter, then you are within our boundaries. If you are not sure, then contact us.

This event replaces the community yard sale that we held on the open lawn in front of the King’s Grant 7-Eleven and Exxon (the “Triangle”) for the past dozen years. We know that transporting large quantities of stuff to the Triangle was a burden that deterred many potential participants. So, now you can set up at your place and know that your sale has visibility to potential shoppers.

In the event of inclement weather, there will be no make-up date. You can decide how you want to hold your sale. The KGCL will still produce the map for all who are participating.

Sidenote: The Middle Plantation neighborhood will also be holding their annual yard sale day on May 6 using the same “at home” model. That should result in even more bargain hunters in the community.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc6bRRBuMBDgIo9eA9Eic88UH58-1j9BYNQQeptQRKJQlFssQ/viewform?fbclid=IwAR3-n9G8Of5DD0fHaDjP68YGx7LEfldnkYIVqCcJ2FE6HTdn_hkX-1v90SQ

GENERAL MEETING OF MEMBERS ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH

Due to a schedule conflict, District 8 City Councilman Chris Taylor is unable to attend our February 16, 2023 meeting as was noted in our winter newsletter.  We are very pleased that newly elected District 8 School Board Member David Culpepper will be our guest. He has graciously stepped up on short notice and offered to make remarks and take our questions.  There is a lot of news involving the public schools in our region, and Virginia Beach is no exception.  Learning standards, course curricula, building security, student safety, library books, and teacher recruiting/retention are among the topics we regularly see in the news.  Whether you are a parent of school age children, a parent of grown children wondering what is going on, a supporter of our teachers, a taxpayer wondering where the money goes, or all of these; there should be something here for you.  Our meeting begins at 7:00 PM at King’s Grant Baptist Church.  Please enter the church building near the rear of the parking lot on the side that is opposite the Fire Station next door (the same lot where the farmers’ market sets up).  There will be some signs to direct you but they can be hard to see after dark.  Come join for a good session…maybe you can coax a TOPGUN story from him, too, because “he’s been there and done that”.

David Culpepper was elected to the Virginia Beach School Board in November 2022 and assumed office last month.  He represents District 8 which encompasses all of the Little Neck peninsula.  

Mr. Culpper spent most of the last 35 years wearing a Navy uniform.  He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering and served as a Naval Aviator for most of his career.  He was stationed at NAS Oceana after initial flight training and flew the F-14 Tomcat.  Through subsequent duty assignments and deployments, Virginia Beach was home and the place where he would return with his family to live whenever duty assignments permitted.  His daughter is a senior in our city’s public schools.

He is a former TOPGUN instructor, a period he calls, “The single greatest flying experience of my career.”  Other notable experiences are command of an F/A-18 Hornet squadron in Japan, and later command of the Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  

Tree Replacement Project – King’s Grant Road

Our fall newsletter summarized the project that we are in partnership with the City of Virginia Beach and the Lynnhaven Heritage Garden Club to replace trees in a portion of the median of Kings Grant Rd.  The graphic shows where the city will be replacing trees in the coming months and what varieties will be planted.

KGCL Fall Meeting – October 20th

The KGCL fall meeting is October 20th

Please join us for our fall meeting on Thursday evening, October 20th at 7pm.  We will be at King’s Grant Baptist Church (873 Little Neck Rd).  Look for signs that will direct you to the meeting room near the back of the church building.  Our guest speaker this month will be from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).  So, you wonder why this is relevant to you … good question.  Actually, this topic was suggested by one of our members.  We probably all know someone – family, neighbor, co-worker, friend – who struggles with some aspect of mental illness.  Many people find it difficult to know how to approach persons that exhibit signs of illness.  Our speaker from NAMI will touch on topics that include:

• Myths & truths about mental illness
• Signs to look for in loved ones
• Helpful conversations to have 
• Suicide – what to watch for, what to do
• Stigma – how to combat it
• NAMI’s free programs for people living with a mental health condition and their family members

We will also present our budget for the year.  It includes a contribution to the tree replacement project in a portion of the median of King’s Grant Rd.  Come to find out more.  If you have not been to one of our meetings, please come and meet your volunteer Officers and Directors.  And, we’d like to meet you!