Society sheds status

EAST COUNTY — Seven years after Denise Kleiner formed the Old Braden River Historical Society to preserve and protect the history of the Braden River, she’s reinventing the organization.

Following a “call to arms” meeting Feb. 24, Kleiner will dissolve the organization as a nonprofit because she could not secure enough volunteers to serve in leadership roles. 

But, the organization is not dead.

Instead, it will be reborn as a social club after Kleiner finishes liquidating assets and completes the dissolution process. Changes club members see will be minimal. The main difference is the club will not be able to solicit donations and there will be fewer meetings for club leadership.

“It didn’t die at all,” Kleiner said. “We were at the height of our bank account. We were at the height of what we were giving back to the county and the community. We were growing. We are solvent and don’t have creditors.”

The group will continue to hold monthly meetings at 6:15 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at a new venue, the Braden River Branch Library. Kleiner hopes shifting to once-a-month meetings will encourage more member participation. Previously, the club hosted one meeting a month, plus a second monthly meeting for club leadership.

In keeping with its commitment to Keep Manatee Beautiful, OBRHS also will continue holding two river cleanups a year, plus one it does on its own. It held its last river cleanup Saturday, at King Farm, just four days after announcing its decision. 

“This is the largest turnout we’ve had — 25 people,” Kleiner said. “It’s ironic since (we just made the decision to dissolve).”

Kleiner said OBRHS likely will donate its financial assets to Keep Manatee Beautiful, Florida Fish and Game and the Florida Native Plants Society, but that’s still to be determined; members are voting on how to distribute about $4,000. For the donations, it hopes to receive bullrush and other river plants to install in the Braden River. Bullrush, in particular, is habitat for apple snail, which are nearly gone from the river, she said. 

The club’s other assets, electronics, wood, office supplies and other items, will be donated to other charities. 

Kleiner said the society hopes to continue its annual Christmas time boat parade, but the event will be more informal. It cost OBRHS about $3,000 to run the event last year, including costs for advertising, insurance and hiring law enforcement. Because OBRHS is no longer a nonprofit, it will not be able to solicit donations to pay for such expenses. 

The parade will be more like the informal parade organized by riverfront residents about 20 years ago.

“People agreed to meet,” Kleiner said. “We’ll organize it, but we’re just going to be in the river. We don’t need the extra expense (of using county facilities). Manatee County will be aware of it.”

“It’s crazy, but I feel such a strange relief about all this,” Kleiner said of not having to worry about leadership. “My main thing is we keep commitments to Keep Manatee Beautiful (to clean the river).”

For information about the Old Braden River Historical Society, visit oldbradenriver.org.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].