Chiputneticook Lakes
International Conservancy, Inc.
Orient, Maine 04471

Frequently Asked CLIC Questions

HOW LARGE AN AREA DOES CLIC COVER?
CLIC's area IS large...we cover a physical area, perhaps forty miles long, from Monument Brook to Vanceboro...that includes North Lake, The Thoroughfare, East Grand Lake, Mud Lake and Stream, Spednic Lake and Palfrey Lake...and we have recently included Deering (Longfellow) Lake and Brackett Lake in our member lakes.

Our members naturally diverge when not immediately bound by the entity that is common to us all, mostly because only some are year round residents; most live away; from a few miles away (as many in the Houlton, Canterbury and Woodstock areas) to many miles, coming from not only New Brunswick and Maine and throughout New England and the Middle Atlantic States, but the entire Atlantic Coast to Florida and Loooooosiana and Texas...and west from as far away as Idaho. California and north into Quebec and Ontario.

HOW MANY MEMBERS DOES CLIC HAVE?
CLIC already represents a wide variety of lake people but potentially should have a substantially larger membership. As of January 2012 we represented 265 active "families" and recognized more than 420 voters on our rolls. We don't have a high budget so we can keep the annual required dollar contribution level low at $10.00 per year...and we think we provide a good value for that contribution. CLIC's policy is never to solicit a higher contribution than the basic amount per voting member but we do recognize higher levels of contribution ...and many CLICers are very generous. We must be doing something right. Thirty-two members have become LIFE MEMBERS by having contributed more than $500.00.

HOW IS CLIC ORGANIZED?
On April 9, 2002 the Chiputneticook Lakes International Conservancy, Inc. was formed (de Facto) and since that date, the corporation has been recognized by the State of Maine as a non-profit corporation. On January 31, 2003, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service reconized the corporation as a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt corporation which may accept tax deductible contributions. CLIC, Inc. is governed by its Bylaws and a Board of Directors made up of five to fifteen members who have been elected to three year staggered terms by the general membership. The Directors elect a slate of Officers at it's annual reorganization meeting in September.

WHAT IS CLIC'S MISSION AND GOAL?
CLIC's scope is wide. It's preamble to the Bylaws speaks to:
1) ...achieving proper environmental control of the Chiputneticook Lakes watershed; 2) ...working toward better sporting and recreational use of the area; 3) ...being a single voice for the residents, businesses, camp owners...transient sportspersons and other users of the watershed in dealing with common interests related to industrial, sporting, recreational and environmental issues. 4) ...cooperating with local, state and/or provincial and federal governmental agencies to advocate for proper legislation, funding or appropriate action to control problems which have now or may in the future arise in connection with any of the above purposes; 5) ...acquiring and managing real and personal property considered necessary and appropriate for the purposes of this Corporation; 6) ...providing a non-profit organization to assist and encourage contributions from individuals, groups and corporations interested in furthering the purposes of CLIC;

Provided always, however, that: a) No part of the assets or earnings of the Corporation shall inure for the benefit of any member or private individual; b) No compensation in excess of a reasonable allowance for salaries, in consideration for personal services actually rendered, or for reimbursement of actual incurred expenses as specifically determined by the Corporation’s managing authority shall be paid to any member or other private individual; and c) No fees paid by members, or other contributors made to CLIC for general operating purposes, shall be contributed to or otherwise expended in the campaign of any candidate for elective public office, except that the Corporation shall reserve the option to expend funds and/or otherwise carry on activities to provide nonpartisan information to the membership regarding the positions of specific candidates on issues that are deemed important to the purposes, agenda and/or interests of the Corporation.

WHY DON'T WE SEE MORE RESULTS OF CLIC'S EXISTANCE?
Remember, CLIC is still a young organization...it was formed in 1992-93, and is made up mostly of vacationers and people who have other interests, including their jobs and families. Most CLIC members don't live on the lake and many are in the area only during their (too short) annual vacation. Most members are in close accord with CLIC's goals but don't have much time to volunteer to help accomplish those goals...and some can only make a monitary contribution and do so willingly. Conversely, a few CLICers spend substantial time at the lake and are willing and able to volunteer their time to further CLIC's purposes. The group of volunteers who make up CLIC's Board of Directors need and want YOUR input and assistance in determining and carrying out future actions. If we don't hear from you, we can't know what you want from CLIC or through CLIC. We have solicited comments and suggestions with our annual contribution requests and have only received a few, some workable and others not. If you think CLIC should act in a different manner than it has been, say so...the Board will listen and wants to know the feelings of the membership. If you have a suggestion, all you need do is mail it to CLIC, c/o Bill Walton, Membership Chairman, 28 Snowberry Lane, Orient, ME 04471 USA.

WHEN I GO TO CLIC GATHERINGS, WHY DO I ONLY SEE ORIENT PEOPLE.
To some, it appears that CLIC is an American, northern East Grand Lake clique (and I'm sure that that homonyn has come up many times) only interested in northern East Grand, forgetting the lower end as well as our magnificent sisters, Spednic, Palfrey, North, Mud, Deering and Brackett and their connecting waterways and contributaries.
A great preponderence of CLIC members own property on the northern part of East Grand Lake...just look at the tight distribution of camps along the northern shore. There are many more camps per shoreline foot on northern East Grand than almost any other section of any of the CLIC lakes. The Board would really like to see a substantial membership growth from the rest of EGL and especially would like to see more members from the southern Spednic area and more Canadian representation, especially from North Lake and the Balm of Gilead. Really, the potential size of CLIC membership is huge and CLIC could be a VERY STRONG VOICE IF more friends-of-the-lakes become willing to affiliate with us on an annual basis.

Surely a strong CLIC is one way to give voice to common concerns...and changes ARE coming. Just look at the Protected Area Strategy issues on Spednic and the changes in the forest and paper industries...look at the increase in value of lake frontage property and all the frontage formerly controlled by the Wagner management company now owned by The Conservation Fund.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Conservation Fund is in the process of building its Management Plan for the 12,000 acres that it recently purchased in Orient and Weston.  TCF has stated that it plans to make these properties available for public use.

HOW DOES A STRANGER FIND CLIC...TO JOIN?
All the Membership Committee needs is a committment (a $10.00 annual contribution - per person) and a way to contact the interested prospective member...a mailing address, a phone number or better, an e-mail address. If you know someone who wants to join, have them send a check to "CLIC, Inc." c/o Bill Walton, Membership Secretary, 28 Snowberry Lane, Orient, ME 04471-4320 and he'll do the rest. If you want to pony up and SPONSOR a new member, YOU can send a check on their behalf along with a way for us to contact them to develop the proper membership information. Finally, if you want to merely PROPOSE a new member, snail-mail their name and address to the Membership Secretary and he'll send them an invitation to join. A CLIC membership would be a neat Christmas Gift for a "lake-o-phile" child away at college or a brother or sister who doesn't now get our paper newsletters ... and that will also help CLIC's member count.

AS A NEW MEMBER, I DON'T WANT TO PAY A FULL YEAR'S DUES TO GET ONLY A PARTIAL YEAR OF MEMBERSHIP.
Prospective CLIC members...people/families who have never been a member can join CLIC at any time.
If we receive a contribution prior to October 1st (without any explanation or comment) we assume that the donor is contributing for the current year that will end on the next December 31st and accordingly we send a contribution request as we do to all other members about March or April of the next year.
If we receive a first contribution from a new member on or after October 1st, we credit that contribution to the following year and count that person as paid-up for the remainder of the current year and all the next year. Although we used to, we no longer accept dues paid in advance. If a member contributes more than the basic dues amount, we accept with thanks, whatever he donates and place the excess of his contribution in any of CLIC's funds that he determines.

WHY DOES CLIC NEED MORE MEMBERS?
It behooves CLIC to maintain a large membership, i.e. it's good for ALL our members if we represent many friends-of-the-lake as opposed to only a few. We need to have as a goal that we be an INclusive organization as opposed to being an EXclusive organization and necessarily then, we must be able to listen to and represent (read that, perhaps, as "re-present") a wide variety of ideas and opinions about the lakes as opposed to having narrow viewpoints and limited goals...and that's not an easy task.

WHY IS THAT SO HARD?
In trying to represent all members, CLIC must be willing and able to deal not only with individual members, but many local (municipal) governments on both sides of the border, with two state/provincial governments, two federal governments and all their internal bureaus, commissions, agencies, committees, etc. etc...and even two sets of federal agencies who's charge is (at least, sometimes, it appears to be) to keep us apart, i.e., The US Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol and the Canadian Border Services Agency...in other words, customs and immigration. In addition, we need to be able to deal with a wide diversity of opinion among our own members, e.g., some like to jet-ski and others dislike the noise and disturbance so much that they'd ban all jet skis; some want rocks marked and others don't want the natural beauty of the area marred; some want strict enforcement and more restrictive laws and others want more freedom, some want high water levels and some want more flow in the streams...and no one opinion is wrong or right...they're just different and CLIC has to be sensitive to all.

OTHER THAN CONTINUING WITH MY ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION, HOW CAN I HELP?
Participate!!! Attend CLIC social affairs and meetings especially the Annual Meeting, usually in July and always in the Chiputneticook Lakes area. Make thoughtful suggestions in person to a Board member, or by snail-mail c/o Bill Walton, 28 Snowberry Lane, Orient, ME 04471. Request to be named to a CLIC committee in an area of interest to you...and most importantly, EVANGELIZE for CLIC...develop new memberships...talk to people about joining CLIC...give CLIC memberships to anyone who might be interested...ask your lake neighbors to JOIN CLIC.

"...many are in the area only during their (too short) annual vacation." THAT'S ME, ALL RIGHT, MY VACATION IS ALL TOO SHORT...CAN I HELP CLIC FINANCIALLY?
CLIC's dues are a basic $10.00 per voting member per year but we do recognize that many members want to help financially and are in just this situation. (All higher rates of contribution are appreciated and CLIC views all such contributions as voluntary.) CLIC suggests that the next contribution amount might be $20.00 as a "two-person family" membership and recognizes a second voting member for all memberships connected to annual contributions of $20.00 or more. Additionally we recognize annual CONTRIBUTORS of $50.00, BENEFACTORS of $100.00 or more and LIFE MEMBERS who have contributed a total of $500.00 in a single payment. (Starting in 1999, we've recognized members making five (5) consecutive $100.00 annual contributions as LIFE MEMBERS after the completion of their fifth contribution. CLIC has 21 LIFE MEMBERS and currently, several more members are paying annually toward their LIFE membership.) All cash donations made to CLIC, Inc. since April 12, 2002 are tax deductible.  All contributed amount greater than the basic annual dues may be earmarked by the donor for any of CLIC's funds, General Operations, Fisheries Enhancement and Conservation Projects

DO I HAVE TO BELONG TO CLIC TO PARTICIPATE IN CLIC ACTIVITIES?
CLIC wants to be an inclusive organization and wants to represent as many "lake families" as possible...CLIC is an organization FOR the people of the lake, not OF certain lake people. CLIC is YOUR lake association and we want YOU to gain from CLIC's activities. Although it is necessary that members make an annual contribution to help pay CLIC's obligations (and stay on CLIC's active rolls and mailing list), we welcome participation from our neighbors and occasional guests...certainly with the hope that they see value in being a CLIC member and will become an active member. You must be an active CLIC member to vote, receive CLIC mail and to attend CLIC's Board of Director's meetings but everyone is welcome to MOST of CLIC's other activities including our Annual Meeting and dinner and various outdoor activities and contests.

IS CLIC TAX EXEMPT? IF I MAKE A CASH CONTRIBUTION TO CLIC, MAY I DEDUCT IT FROM MY TAXABLE INCOME?
On January 31, 2003, the IRS Director of Exempt Orgaizations issued an advance ruling letter recognizing CLIC, Inc. as a publicly supported 501 (c) (3) tax exempt organization as described under sections 509 (a) (1) and 170 (b) (1) (A) (vi) for a period of almost five years. Since then CLIC has been recognized officially as a publicly supported tax-exempt corporation, donors of charitable gifts may treat their gifts as being made to a tax exempt organization. CLIC will formally recognize, in writing, all cash gifts received for amounts of $250.00 or more and will properly document all accepted donations of goods or property other than cash. CLIC, Inc. reserves the right not to accept certain donated property or other gifted items. Other than cash, the responsibility to assign a value to the items donated rests with the donor.
Membership dues and payments are considered to be cash gifts. Quid Pro Quo payments of greater than $75.00 will be acknowledged with an appropriate statement of the value of the goods or services received by the donor.

Enjoy the Chiputneticook Lakes...enjoy a CLIC membership...and thanks for your interest.

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