Friends of St James U.C.
Heritage Society of Spry Bay
Friends of St James U.C.
Heritage Society of Spry Bay
The Friends of St. James U.C. Heritage Society
Spry Bay, Nova Scotia
Membership Information
On June 15, 2005, The Friends of St. James U.C. Heritage Society was registered as a non- for-profit organization under the Societies Act of the Province of Nova Scotia. The Society is also a registered charitable organization with Canada Revenue Agency, Charities Division, effective July 1, 2005.
This organization was founded and is dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the St. James U.C. Heritage Site in Spry Bay, N.S. The Friends of St. James U.C. Heritage Society received deeded title to the site from the United Church of Canada, in September 2005.
It is the intent of this organization to restore the building to its’ original state and to upgrade and maintain the graveyard. It is our hope to maintain this site in such a manner that it will continue to be a visual symbol linking the cultural history of the Eastern Shore to the present and the future.
In order to achieve this objective the Friends of St. James U.C. Heritage Society invites any person(s) who wishes to support this effort to become a member of the Society. You may become a member of the St. James United Church Heritage Society by downloading and completing a membership form. The completed form with the attached twenty-dollar yearly membership fee may be forwarded to our office site (address located on the form).
A yearly membership fee entitles members to attend the Annual General Meeting, review the Financial and any other Reports made available at that time and to take part in choosing Directors for the upcoming fiscal year. As members you have the right to take part in decision making pertaining to the restoration efforts and are free to attend and offer your suggestions at any executive meeting that you would so desire or by contacting your Executive Committee Members at any time. As a Society member you may wish to offer to volunteer your services as a Director or Committee Member. Any and all donation of time, effort and financial support to the Society would be greatly appreciated. Income Tax Receipts will be issued to all persons who make a financial donation to the Society.
One hundred percent of membership fees go directly to site maintenance and restoration efforts. At present, as we focus on fundraising initiatives, the Society dues are being directed to ensuring that the site has adequate insurance coverage and any excess monies go to general coffers toward site restoration.
The site has been inspected and evaluated by two Architect’s, who like many have volunteer their time to help in the restoration activities. All restoration will take place in accordance with the recommendations presented in their report.
The site is registered as a Heritage Site with the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). We, as a Society, have certain guidelines which must be followed under this designation and all proposed restoration activities will submitted to the HRM for approval prior to commencement of any such activities.
It is hoped that in the future, once restoration is completed and the grounds are upgraded that the Society will be able to continue to develop the Cemetery Fund so that perpetual care will be ensured. We welcome any input our members may have toward developing a plan to meet this objective. At present we have received suggestions that include the development of a Serenity Prayer Garden on the grounds, as well a Memory Lane wherein families and friends are invited to plant bushes and trees, that they have purchased, along the driveway winding up to the Church. We envision that multiple Interpretation Boards may someday be placed at various locations on the grounds. These Boards will highlight the history of the Village of Spry Bay and focus on the fishing families who settled the area and contributed to the development of the Eastern Shore.
If you would like to be part of making this vision become a reality please join us by becoming a member of the Society by filling in the following information and press and press the send button, or download a copy of our yearly membership form by clicking here.
Note: Membership Dues are $20.00/FAMILY. Please make Cheque payable to St. James United Church Heritage Society. and send Payment to:
Friends of St. James U.C. Heritage Society
28 North Street
Dartmouth, N.S.
B2Y 1B4
Membership dues are payable on or before June 30th of each calendar year. Members, in good standing, may participate in the yearly operation of the Society by attending. the annual general meeting of the Society to nominate and elect a slate of Directors to act on their behalf for the fiscal year. The Friends of St. James United Church Heritage Society is registered as a non-profit organization with Canada Revenue Agency (www.cra.gc.ca/charities) and offers Income Tax Receipts for donations made to the Society.
Those interested in making a monetary donation to the Society can download a donation form by clicking here. We appreciate all donations made toward this project and believe that every dollar is important in our effort to complete this restoration and to provide Perpetual Care for the Cemetery. Donations may be forwarded to the above mailing address. Please be aware that we are not affiliated with the any of the online donation websites (except for Canadahelps.org). By providing your donation directly to the Society, you can ensure that every dollar you provide us with directly benefits the Society's undertakings!