The Rotary Club of Medicine Hat welcomed Cathie Catalano to our meeting today. Cathie is a former member of the club, who has taken on the role of President of the Rotary Music Festival Society.
Ownership of the Medicine Hat Rotary Music Festival is gradually being taken over by the Rotary Music Festival Society (RMFS). In 2021, the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat and the RMFS signed a 5-year sponsorship agreement, which commits the club to funding of the Festival from the 2022 Festival to the 2026 Festival. The initial funding for 2022 is at the existing level of $40,000, but each successive year that amount is reduced by $2,000 so funding in the last year of the agreement will be down to $32,000. Given the decline in membership of the club and the difficulty of raising funds, the Rotary Club felt that they could not sustain the funding at current levels. No decision has been made regarding the sponsorship level from Rotary after 2026.
One of the reasons for the creation of the RMFS, as a charitable entity, was to assist the Festival in gathering funding using their charitable status.
2023 marks the 67th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat sponsorship of the Festival. We are extremely grateful for the commitment not only of financial support, but the many volunteer hours that the club has faithfully spent. In 2020-2021 the Rotary Club advised of the phasing down of the support as major sponsor. 2023 marks year 2 of this 5-year commitment and as we go forward you may seem some changes as we transition. In the meantime, the RMFS (Medicine Hat Rotary Music Festival | The Best Musical Talent in Medicine Hat ) is seeking membership - this means you, as a supporter of the festival with a vested interest in keeping things going. Executive members for the RMFS are needed including a Society Secretary, a Society Vice-President and several other executive members, as well as general working members. If help and support are not provided, there is a chance that there may no longer be a music Festival in Medicine Hat, after 2026. Please help us keep the Festival alive and thriving.
Cathie also spoke about the 2023 Festival, a couple of new adjudicators and a restoration of the choir program are some of the highlights,
You can find the Society membership application here (https://clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000000967/en-ca/files/homepage/music-festival-society-membership-form/2021-Society-membership-application.pdf)