A Personal Message from the Director |
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It is spring and the time we think about rebirth and new starts. That is certainly true around here. Most of our staff has been vaccinated, the attendance limits have been raised, and groups are slowly starting to return. Certainly good news all around!
April attendance looks low but steady. It will take groups a while to catch up to the new standards and limits. May should be better, and things should steadily improve through the summer. I expect the fall to be close to normal and very busy. The good news is that the vast majority of groups just rescheduled, so our calendar for the next 12 months is relatively full. We are all itching to be busy.
We will continue to do Friends of Seabeck stays through June at least. We are able to fit people in around the groups that remain. Just call or email the office to make arrangements.
The work on Pines resumed this month. They are doing the siding and other small projects. Finding the right financing partner has been more challenging than I first thought, but I think we are finally on the right track to completion this June/July. I plan to host a series of work parties just before we open it. I also expect to host a series of open houses in July rather than one big opening party on one day. That should allow people to visit and experience the building while still allowing distancing. More information on that will follow. I can tell you it will be a spectacular building! I can’t believe how nice it will be. It will be worth the wait.
We will be publishing a list of Pines donors in the next month or so. This will be our basis for the donor wall at Pines. I want to make sure that we have everybody’s name and level correct before the wall is finalized. Thanks to our generous woodworking neighbors, we will be able to produce it in-house and fill their beautiful donated handmade frames. There is one Pines room left if anyone wants to increase their pledge to that level. I will also order bricks the day we start full-fledged construction again, so there is still time if you want another brick. I am not going to announce it again, so now is the time. We have over 480 bricks going in so far! THANK YOU ALL!!!
I look forward to your return to Seabeck soon!
Have a Happy Easter!
Chuck
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Save the Date!
We are getting ready for Kitsap's largest giving day coming up later this month on April 20th.
The Kitsap Great Give is 24 hours of online giving hosted by Kitsap Community Foundation.
For those interested, early giving starts April 1st.
For more information, here's our link and donation information:
https://kitsapgreatgive.org/profile/s/seabeck-conference-center
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Come Spend the Weekend at Seabeck!
This is a great chance to come and spend time at Seabeck and enjoy the quiet that comes with this time of year. We are still dealing with the pandemic restrictions but are able to have singles, couples or families come out, social distance, and enjoy Seabeck.
Spend Time at Seabeck
$200 per adult/$50 per youth/child
2 Nights plus 6 Meals (meals are delivered)
Private Bath Accommodations
We will continue to host special Seabeck stays through June when space is available.
Seabeck Gift Certificates
There are also gift certificates that you can purchase. It makes a great birthday, anniversary, or a just because gift for anyone that loves to spend time at Seabeck.
Certificates cost $200 each and are good for a one-person, two-night/six meal stay at Seabeck during specially scheduled stays.
This certificate can also be used as credit toward the Annual Friends of Seabeck Weekend that will resume in December 2021. Your purchase of this certificate is not a tax-deductible gift, but your recipient can turn the certificate into a donation and claim the tax deduction. This certificate cannot be used for credit during any other stay with any other group or event, or for Seabeck merchandise.
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Call the office at 360-830-5010 or email us at seabeck@seabeck.org if you are interested in booking a stay. You can also add more days if you like. Just ask for availability.
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It's Opening Day for Baseball |
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Our beloved Seattle Mariners will start out on another 162 game campaign this week. I have high hopes for them in the future. While It’s tough to go through this period, I believe they are on the right track. Go Mariners!
Kate Cancro recently sent me a picture of a placemat we used in the late 1970s. It shows a baseball diamond near the Inn. It reminded me of the long history of baseball at Seabeck. The mill had a team in the 1880s that would travel and play other mill teams. It was a popular sport even back then. Arn Allen was the first director when we became a conference center and served for 30 years. He must have been a baseball fan because there are many pictures of him watching games being played just outside the Inn.
Even now whiffle ball games occasionally break out where the old diamond once stood.
Chuck
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The Purple Martin Condos are Ready |
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Seabeck Board member, Arnie Marcus and her friends Jan Viney and Annemarie Kaigin made the trip from across the water to make sure that the purple martin houses are up and ready for tenants. We really appreciate their time and effort. |
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If you are interested in learning all about the Purple Martin click on the link below.
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Beautiful Pictures from Seabeck Facebook |
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Lynn Wilson, Seabeck WA
Moonrise over the Seabeck Marina
If you look close you can see the lights on the porch of the Inn.
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Lynn Wilson, Seabeck WA
Big Beef Eagles
March 10th. What a beautiful picture. The visiting eagles will usually be here about mid May and increase our Bald Eagle numbers for about 6-7 weeks.
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Northern Lights. Nikon D7000 camera on tripod. Manual setting iso 1100, S 10s, f/8. I took close and farther away photos to show the difference in color in the skyline. It was so cloudy when I first arrived but it was windy so I waited for the clouds to move out some. I was so happy to capture what I did considering how it started out.
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Sunset taken from across the water toward the conference center.
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April Random Acts of Kindness |
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Here is your March Random Acts of Kindness Calendar. Make someone smile today!
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April 'Unofficial' Holidays! Have Fun with It! |
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There are as many national days in April as there are flowers, and we're excited to celebrate them all with you! |
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April 1
April Fools’ Day on April 1 is a day where many of us unleash our most creative sides, all in a hilarious – sometimes over the top – attempt at bamboozling those around us.
Why do we do this, and where did it start? Well there surprisingly isn’t a concrete conclusion by historians.
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April 2
It’s National Peanut Butter and Jelly day! This combo is just about the best thing since sliced bread, even though technically it’s been around a few years longer. Peanut butter debuted at the 1883 Chicago World’s Fair. It was mainly sold in fancy tea rooms until the early 1900s, when the peanut industry commercialized and peanut butter became more affordable for everyone.
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April 3
April showers are going to bring more than just May flowers. On April 3, we get to celebrate National Find a Rainbow Day. Rainbows have always felt somewhat magical to us. And who can blame us? Rainbows are beautiful and a little mysterious.
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April 4
Easter is the single most important holy day throughout Christianity. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ — a central belief for Christians worldwide and the focal point of their faith. Religious scholars believe the event occurred three days after the Romans crucified Jesus in roughly 30 AD. Christians therefore derive hope that they too will experience a resurrection in heaven.
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April 5
Oh, pizza. Is there a single food more universally beloved that is also so incredibly divisive? The most contentious of these divisions comes between New Yorkers and their New York-style slices and Chicagoans and their deep dish pies. Deep dish pizza was invented in the Windy City in 1943 by Ike Sewell, founder of Uno’s Pizzeria. It became so popular that it spun into a huge national chain and inspired dozens upon dozens of other deep dish pizzerias in major cities across the world.
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April 6
For cat lovers, April 6 is the ‘purrfect’ day. It’s National Siamese Cat Day. This is the day we celebrate these most elegant cats. Siamese cats, also known as “Meezers,” are one of the most popular cat breeds in the world. We love these gorgeous creatures, and we know you do, too. The best way to celebrate? Give your cat an extra cuddle or two today!
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April 7
Beer is the world’s most widely consumed alcoholic drink, and it’s easy to see why. It comes in hundreds of types, flavors, and proofs. People have been drinking it for thousands of years; scientists have found evidence of beer production dating to 7,000 BC. Ancient Mesopotamians wrote poems about it, and considered it proof of divine existence.
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April 8
Even if you’ve never tried empanadas, there’s a good chance you’ve had one of their distant (and delicious) cousins. Originally from Galicia, Spain, empanadas now exist in over 30 countries in some shape or form. The name comes from “empanar”, which means “to bread” in Spanish and Portuguese. But some historians argue that the true meaning is “Can I have another?”
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April 9
National Unicorn Day on April 9 is a day to celebrate the most popular mythical creature ever. Why? Because if we don’t take time out to celebrate a beautiful, horned, rainbow–printed mythical creature then we’re most definitely missing a trick. The unicorn is a symbol of happiness, fantasy, and wonder. It’s an icon of color, of childlike splendor and magic. They often make appearances on birthday cakes and children’s clothing, and let’s be honest quite a lot of us adults still dig them too.
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April 10
Our siblings are our family, and they are a huge part of our lives – that’s why we celebrate them on National Siblings Day every April 10! Siblings are our best friends and sometimes our worst enemies. Our siblings encourage us to be our best, embarrass us, and be our biggest motivators and competitors. It’s now growing into a nationwide day of both remembrance and celebration. Three U.S. presidents have recognized the event — most recently, President Obama in 2016.
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April 11
National Pet Day is April 11, although if you’re a pet owner, you know there’s not a day that goes by that you don’t celebrate your animal companion! So hug your hedgehog, bond with your bunny, and cut your kitty some catnip! That critter makes you happy — and that’s not all. Over the past 10 years, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been a partner in research to determine the physical and mental benefits of having a pet. It turns out that not only can pets steal our hearts, but they also contribute to overall cardiovascular health by lowering cortisol, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels.
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April 12
Crispy bread and melted cheese. How can something that tastes so good be this simple? What’s the secret? We asked Aaron Christenson, the owner of a small Central Oregon restaurant which won a recent readers’ poll in the categories of “Best Kids Menu” and “Best Family Restaurant.”
His response?
“A perfect grilled cheese has to have a super crispy exterior, brushed with garlic oil. Lots of melty cheese in the center. Thick cut, handmade bread is a must!”
And there you have it. Now get grilling.
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April 13
National Scrabble Day has cast a spell on us. April 13 is the day Scrabble inventor Alfred Mosher Butts was born. He gave the world an iconic board game now played all over the world. Today, more than seven decades later, we live for “Triple Word Scores”! Not to mention, the strategic use of those mysterious blank tiles.
Now then, time to lift the lid on that game box, pick out your first seven letters, and begin! Don’t forget the Scrabble Dictionary. We don’t want any squabbles — which, by the way, happens to be a valuable Scrabble word (21 points)! It’s time to C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E one of the world’s most iconic board games.
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April 14
National Gardening Day on April 14 is a day of encouragement, a day created to give gardeners a shove and a shovel so that they can begin their gardening journey. Weather permitting, gardening has always been an endearing task for patient lovers of the great outdoors. A good gardener plans years ahead as they shape the nature that surrounds them according to their vision and needs. With National Gardening Day arriving during Spring, it’s a great chance for you to warm up your green fingers and get planting and preparing for the summer. Our gardens are a unique space, use this day to get out there and make the most of them.
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April 15
Up high! Make sure to give a “high five” to everyone you meet on April 15, because it’s National High Five Day.
How did this all start? Depends on whom you ask. We’re going with the baseball story that dates back to 1977, when Dodgers Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke gave each other a high five in celebration. Baker’s home run had just made L.A. the first team in history to have four hitters with at least 30 home runs in a single season.
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April 16
National Eggs Benedict Day is on April 16 and it’s a day all about the special American dish. It consists of a poached egg, an English muffin, and Canadian bacon covered in Hollandaise sauce and it’s surrounded by a misconception. Some have assumed that the name originated from Benedict Arnold, the American Revolutionary War traitor, but its origins are a lot more complicated than they appear.
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April 17
International Bat Appreciation Day on April 17 is a chance to show our flying and mostly nocturnal friends some love. As well as it obviously being a great excuse to binge a few Batman movies, it’s also an opportunity to delve deep and learn the important role bats play in the ecosystem and biodiversity. There are over 1,400 different bat species and contrary to popular opinion they aren’t blind. So, without further adieu, let’s creep a little deeper into the cave and take a closer look at International Bat Appreciation Day and everything these flying mammals have to offer.
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April 18
Who among us can resist the temptation to indulge in a handful of the iconic treats of our childhood as we celebrate National Animal Crackers Day on April 18? Animal crackers are arguably one of the best-recognized food products on the planet today. Who knew that the little menagerie of zoo and circus creatures that delighted us as children would later become one of our fondest childhood memories and a simple guilty pleasure for us as adults?
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April 19
One thing’s obvious: There’s a certain something in the air during National Garlic Day. Did you know that Egyptians worshipped garlic as a god—and even used it as currency? That’s not all. Garlic supposedly gave strength to Greek athletes and warriors, warded off the evil eye, and protected maidens from evil nymphs. Not to mention, vampires. (Thanks, Dracula!)
Just think about all the garlicky foods we love. There’s garlic bread and garlic fries for starters. If you feel as strongly about garlic as we do, celebrate with us on April 19.
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April 20
National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day, celebrated annually on April 20, encourages you to tingle your taste buds with this tropical delight. If you’ve never tried this dessert, today, you have no excuse. It has been dubbed one of the most popular recipes of the 20th century and there are dozens of variations that will fit the needs of any palette. For example, if you’d like to amp up the tropical factor in this dish, go ahead and add a splash of dark rum to the batter. For other fun ideas on how to celebrate this day, read on!
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April 21
There is nothing more classically British than afternoon tea, which makes National Tea Day, April 21, a wildly popular occasion in the country. This love of tea dates back centuries and this fondness seems to only get stronger with time! National Tea Day’s slogan is “Brew More. Do More.” The vision is to inspire special moments with tea. Working with a variety of partner companies throughout the year, they desire to bring tea drinkers, tea servers and the entire tea industry together. So, grab your cuppa and settle in for a read on how to celebrate this truly brilliant holiday.
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April 22
For the past 50 years, Earth Day has been celebrated by billions of people around the globe, annually every April 22, to join together in promoting awareness for the health of our environment. Why should we continue to celebrate this holiday? Some people may view it as just another holiday, or an excuse to wear green and a flower crown, similar to St. Patrick’s Day, but with serious concerns about our changing environment being studied and addressed today by prominent scientists, politicians, and young climate change activists alike, some people are adapting to more environmentally friendly ways of living — every day, not just on April 22 every year.
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April 23
We love books, and our friends at UNESCO agree. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization proposed World Book Day as a day of celebrating the joy of reading for enjoyment.
One hundred countries observe World Book Day, and why not?
Children who regularly read for enjoyment have higher test scores, develop a broader vocabulary, increased general knowledge and a better understanding of other cultures than their non-reading counterparts. Whether you read traditional paperbound books or turn to your Kindle/iPad/whatever, reading’s a passport to this and many other worlds.
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April 24
If the phrase “pigs in a blanket” conjures up images of darling newborn piglets swaddled in warm fluffy blankets you are definitely not a foodie. National Pigs in a Blanket Day on April 24 is a holiday celebrating one of our favorite comfort foods — pork sausage (or hotdogs) baked in pastry.
And whom shall we thank for all this? Start with Betty Crocker, whose cookbooks decorated every post-war kitchen — exposing young impressionable minds to this culinary delight. In 1957 she published Betty Crocker’s Cooking for Kids, with the first simple recipe for the taste treat, and the rest is history!
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April 25
Annually on April 25, we celebrate National Hairstylist Appreciation Day, as they are often overlooked for all the jobs they actually do. Do hairstylists just cut hair? Of course not. They are excellent listeners, whether we are describing that celebrity hair cut we want to copy, or talking about our families, spouses, friends, or kids, they act as our stand-in therapist and confidant. They are artists, perfectionists, color chemists, angle mathematicians, supportive therapists, and more, and have influence on how we feel about ourselves, and how we view others.
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April 26
Pretzels, somewhat surprisingly, got their start in the Catholic Church. Sometime around the 7th Century A.D., monks presented their students with treats of baked dough twisted in the shape of crossed arms. At the time, crossing one’s arms was the traditional posture for prayer. Not only that, but pretzels, made from water, flour and salt, were also the perfect food for Lent — when meat, dairy and eggs were prohibited. So there you have some National Pretzel Day history — with a twist!
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April 27
This April 27, on National Prime Rib Day, we’re headed to our favorite steakhouse. Also known as “standing rib roast,” prime rib is a tender, flavorful cut of roast from the rib section of the steer – just one of the eight prime cuts of beef. While it can be traditionally paired with potatoes, stuffing, and vegetables to make a “Sunday Roast,” there are many unique flavors and recipes to cook up prime rib with. It’s a juicy celebration and one we’re all for.
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April 28
Stop Food Waste day on April 28 aims to teach people ways to reduce food wastage. It’s crazy to think that around a third of the food produced on Earth goes to waste — either it’s lost or goes bad! This day aims to raise awareness of this shocking statistic. While so many on Earth go hungry, the issue of food waste is only growing.
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April 29
April 29 is International Dance Day, so put your dancing shoes on and get ready to step out. Dancing is universal — woven into virtually every society all over the world. Humans simply love dance. It brings us together whether we are the ones on the dance floor or are watching the professional performance of others. Dancing is exhilarating and impressive. Let’s honor the world of dance today, together!
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April 30
When it comes to raisins, there are generally two groups of people: those that love them and those that believe they ruin a perfectly good cinnamon bagel. But whether you find these wrinkly fruits irresistible, or believe they should have stayed out in the sun where people found them, it’s hard to deny the impact these sweet snacks have had on history, pop culture, and cuisine. We’re celebrating National Raisin Day on April 30.
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SEE YOU IN MAY
April showers bring May flowers.
What do May flowers bring?
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Ways to Donate to Seabeck |
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WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT
SEABECK CONFERENCE CENTER
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.
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Seabeck Conference Center
13395 Lagoon Dr NW
Seabeck, Washington 98380
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