October 2024

A Message from the Director

Happy October everybody!

September has been a very busy month around here. October is even busier. It seems like every day in this month has a group or two checking in or out. Our poor housekeepers are going to be cranky. We are in that sweet spot in the calendar. The days can be warm, the nights cool and the leaves haven’t really started to fall yet. As many of you know, this is my favorite season. Sweatshirts, football and bratwurst.

We are gearing up for the Seabeck Community Halloween. I think this is the 18th or 19th year of the event. Now the second generation of kids are coming with their parents who came as kids. We have many area businesses ready to come take over houses and give away treats. If you would like to volunteer or donate candy, please let me know.

We welcomed a new staff member to the office this month. Corey Hamilton is our Events Coordinator. He will be working with guest groups and in the reservations area. He recently graduated from Eastern Washington University with an M.B.A. Look for a more detailed introduction in the November newsletter.

The registrations are open for both the Crafter and Seabeck Friends weekend this December. The Crafter weekend will start on December 12 and the Friends portion on the 13th. Come spend Friday the 13th at Seabeck! You can register or get more information by contacting our office.

Infrastructure update: Our original septic contractor has opted out of the project. I am working with another company to keep the project on track. The tanks arrive on October 17th. I still hope to have the project completed by Thanksgiving. I have hired FPH Construction to do the improved access to the Meeting House. They have a great idea that will save us a lot of money. I expect to complete it by year-end. Our Maintenance crew will do the bridge pier strengthening early next year. I am also gathering plans and estimates for the eventual replacement of the deck on the Inn. Once they come in, I will have a better idea of where we stand.

I will be sending you a special mailer in the next weeks. I am looking for help to improve Seabeck’s infrastructure as listed above. The main project is the State-mandated septic improvements. I also want to fix the Meeting House accessibility, the compromised bridge piers, and add pickleball courts to our tennis complex. Raising money for septic issues is a hard gig. I am trying to make it as fun as possible. Long-time attendees will recognize the front of the card. Please help us with this unexpected expense. Just a reminder, we remain a Federally tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization, so all gifts are still

tax deductible.

Let me know what you think of the mailer coming this month. I hope you get a kick out of it too. In the meantime, enjoy your pumpkin spice everything. We aren’t that far from peppermint season.

Thanks,

Chuck

Gifts to Seabeck Conference Center are still tax deductible

Even though Seabeck has

temporarily lost our property tax exemption, we are still recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 charity. All gifts given to Seabeck Conference Center remain tax deductible.

Detour to Seabeck Continues

We thought the detour for this Newberry Hill culvert project would only affect our summer groups, but we were wrong.

On Thursday, August 22nd the construction site was vandalized, causing so much damage that the road will not be opening any time soon. The vandals destroyed construction equipment and compromised the structural integrity of the retaining wall.

The new completion date is set for November 3rd. Any groups coming to Seabeck in October will need to follow the detour map below. Please disregard the September 3rd opening date.

Annual Friends of Seabeck Holiday Weekend

December 13-15, 2024

This annual retreat for Friends of Seabeck is always a hit with the people who take a holiday break and spend it with us. There are holiday crafts, movies, and, of course, lots of food and snacks to make your holiday brighter.

Registration is now open. We will use Pines as our home base throughout the weekend. The event starts with dinner on Friday, December 13th, and closes after brunch on Sunday. We are still finalizing the details of the activities, but you can expect a couple of receptions, info on Seabeck, a few craft opportunities, a special presentation from the Seabeck food service staff, and of course, our traditional Christmas Movie night. The two-night retreat costs $300 per person.

Just call or email the office for more information or to sign up. Contact us at 360-830-5010 or seabeck@seabeck.org.

Annual Seabeck Crafter's Weekend

December 12-15, 2024

Pick your projects, gather your supplies, make a plan, then come out to Seabeck on December 12th-15th and finish everything for the holidays. You will have nothing to do but craft, craft, and craft all day. We'll feed you and clean up after you. It will be nothing but crafts.

Registration is now open for the event. You can do a two or three-night stay. Two nights are $250 and three is $375. The price includes a private bathroom, all meals, and a table in the craft room.

You can call or email the office for more information or to sign up. Contact us at 360-830-5010 or seabeck@seabeck.org.

Seabeck Community Halloween

It's time to fill this bowl again. Seabeck will host our annual Community Halloween celebration from 5-7 PM on October 31st. We expect over 400 kids and over 1,000 people total during the event. This has become one of the signature events in our community. If you happen to be in the area, you can drop off bags of candy in the Seabeck Office.

Snapshots from Seabeck

Photo by T.M.Maddox Photography taken at Seabeck, WA, 9/24/2024 at 9:06 PM

Last night (9/24/2024) while waiting for the Aurora Borealis to show up, the International Space Station (ISS) crossed overhead. Interestingly, my 240-second exposure also caught a jet airliner traveling from the opposite direction almost intersecting the path of the ISS.

The bright, almost vertical, right line is the ISS approaching from the west. I started the time-lapse as soon as the ISS became visible out of the clouds over the Olympic Mountains. The dimmer line on the left is a commercial jetliner that departed from SeaTac airport and is heading west to its destination. When the 240-second time-lapse ends, it has them both starting and ending at almost the same point in this image.

photo by Barbara Allen 9.21.2024

photo by Richard Homeyer 9.22.2024

Ways to Donate to Seabeck

Do you want to help us lay the foundation for the next decade of Seabeck Conference Center? There are many ways, not all of them involving huge disbursements of cash. Here are some creative ideas you

might not have thought about:

Cash Donation Today

Tax-deductible gifts via check, credit card, in person, or online. Please consider

upping your regular gift by another 10 percent.

Automatic Monthly Payments

Gifts can be deducted periodically from your bank account, making larger donations easier by spreading them over time.

Low-Cost Appreciated Stock

Avoid paying the capital gains by giving full-market value to Seabeck Conference Center.

In-Kind Donation

We are always in need of furniture, lighting, rugs, and much more - the market value is tax-deductible.

Multi-Year Pledges

A great way to ensure support will be there when we need it year after year.

Designated Gifts

Donate to a targeted project or capital campaign.

Commemorative Gifts

Donate a bench or rocking chair in honor of someone or something important to you.

A Bequest in Your Will

Your gift can be a specific sum or a percentage of an estate after other bequests. Just add an addendum to your existing will.

Life Insurance and Savings Accounts

Same as retirement plans, except those payments made to Seabeck Conference Center are exempt only from estate taxes.

IRA's and Retirement Plans

Your estate receives a charitable deduction for the full gift amount on estate and income taxes, while we receive full donation value. Non-charitable heirs receive only a part of the value (since inherited assets are subject to estate and income taxes).

Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)

A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from your IRA custodian, payable to a qualified charity. QCDs can be counted toward satisfying your required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the year, as long as certain rules are met. You must be 70-1/2 or older to be eligible to make a QCD.

All gifts are welcome. Seabeck Conference Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and your contribution may be tax-deductible. If you have any questions, please contact our Executive Director, Chuck Kraining at

(360) 830-5010 or email him at chuck@seabeck.org.

Seabeck Conference Center

13395 Lagoon Dr NW

Seabeck, Washington 98380

360.830.5010 Email | Websi te