Click to view a PDF of this message: July letter to membership
July 6, 2021
Greetings to all New York Chapter–ADK Members,
The Board of Directors of the New York Chapter is taking this opportunity to inform you of some troubling recent developments relating to the Chapter and the Main Club.
The New York Chapter was one of the first two chapters formed by ADK in 1922-23 and was incorporated in 1931 as a 501(c )7 not-for-profit organization. The New York Chapter has a long history of an amicable association with ADK. Chapter members have long served on Main Club committees and on the Main Club’s Board of Directors, including our member serving as President of ADK. The current New York Chapter BOD, as well as past BODs, have operated to the best of their ability, in good faith, and with dedication to ADK, the Chapter and all its members.
Despite our long history of working well with the Main Club, without notice, a hearing or an explanation, after a recent leadership change, the Main Club’s Board of Directors at their meeting of June 26, 2021, “voted to dissolve the New York Chapter as it is currently constituted and establish a new unincorporated chapter.” This purported dissolution would have terminated your ability to apply for or use and enjoy access to Camp Nawakwa and other Chapter events and services and would have prevented the Chapter from taking any action, even communicating such message to you.
The New York Chapter Board members received this notification in a letter dated June 29, 2021. While the basis for this purported action is unstated, circumstances suggest that it is part of an attempt to seize the Chapter’s assets for the Main Club and control Camp Nawakwa.
In response to ADK’s actions, the BOD retained an attorney to represent the Chapter and sought and was granted a Temporary Restraining Order by the Supreme Court State of New York on July 2, 2021. Thus, the New York Chapter continues to operate as usual pending a further determination by the Court.
The BOD will continue to work to prevent the dissolution of the New York Chapter so we may continue to thrive and prosper as we have for almost a hundred years. The Board will continue to keep you informed as additional information becomes available.
Sincerely,
New York Chapter ADK Board of Directors