Speak Out

Though I never went to an event at AM, I am glad that CAMP Rehoboth, SCAC, and the Mautner Project, collectively, received several thousand dollars from the club for weekends they helped sponsor this past summer. I am sure that these three great organizations will continue to serve our community well for many years to come.

Frank Kimmel

After reading the Cape Gazette article on August 14, 2003 concerning Club AM’s relationship with the Sussex County AIDS Committee (SCAC) and CAMP Rehoboth I was outraged. The article advises of some facts about how AM is operating without a liquor license. They are relying on SCAC’s and Camp Rehoboth’s fund raising event permit allowed to SCAC and CAMP Rehoboth as a nonprofit organization. Although none of AM’s advertisements nor SCAC’s website mentions that AM’s weekend parties are fund raisers. The article also mentions that according to the Office of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner (ABCC) Jack Cordrey, the club has yet to even APPLY for a liquor license. It’s clear to me what is happening here—AM may or may not be open beyond the Summer of 2003 and instead of applying for a liquor license—they are exploiting SCAC’s and Camp Rehoboth’s nonprofit status for personal gain. According to the article, AM has used Camp Rehoboth’s nonprofit event permit for two weekends, and Camp Rehoboth yielded only $1,548 from two weekends of liquor sales at AM.

Am I the only one that smells something very fishy here? The owners of AM, Steve Twilley SCAC Executive Director, as well as Camp Rehoboth, should absolutely be ashamed of themselves. The spirit of nonprofit event permits is to raise money for the charity that is fair and equitable to the event itself. Is helping a bar avoid a liquor license for the Summer and line the pockets of it’s owners a good faith use of the permit? I will let your readers decide for themselves.

John L. Glowacky

Editor’s note: The statement by the Cape Gazette that AM had not applied for a liquor license was incorrect. According to the Delaware Alcoholic Beverage Commission, AM had applied for a liquor license early in the summer and the license (since rescinded) was granted on August 22, 2003.

Other items concerning the use of CAMP Rehoboth’s gathering permit are addressed by Murray Archibald in an article titled CAMP Matters, in this issue

I am obliged to comment on reports about the Sussex County AIDS Committee (SCAC) and the AM Club in the Cape Gazette on August 8, 15, and 29, since what happened should be clarified.

Because of the requests in the last year for sponsorship by SCAC of events through which our organization was to benefit, the SCAC board of directors had actually discussed our policies in the past four bi-monthly meetings. It has been, and remains, board policy that SCAC does not in any way sponsor outside events. If groups or organizations wish to name us as beneficiaries of their events, they may do so, but we, as a non-profit organization, are not involved in any of these events. It was specifically stated in our last board meeting that our gathering permit was only to be used for functions that we ourselves are holding.

When the first report appeared in the Cape Gazette, not one member of the SCAC board of directors knew that our non-profit permit had been and was still being used. Our then pro-bono attorney, John Brady, who, as it turned out, is also a lawyer for AM, had called our executive directory, Steven Twilley, and requested to use our gathering permit for AM for the period of July 9-13, presumably a one-time arrangement. Mr. Brady then applied the following weekends for further licenses, again using our permit, but without our knowledge.

In light of the previous board discussions, Mr. Twilley should never have agreed to any arrangement without contacting me or the executive committee. We most certainly would have refused approval. When the board became aware of the abuse of our gathering permit, Mr. Brady was immediately forbidden to use it again.

The policies of SCAC in regard to both our non-profit permit and involvement with commercial and other groups are clear. Unfortunately, in this instance they were disregarded. This will not occur again.

John Speicher, President
SCAC Board of Directors

Thank you so much for helping the Mautner Project through your generous support of our Gala auction. This annual event is a major source of revenue for our programs to benefit lesbian health, and we truly appreciate your participation.

We are very proud of the Mautner Project’s 13 years of dedicated service to the community and that, because of you, we can continue to make a difference in the lives of so many women.

Kathleen DeBold, Executive Director
The Mautner Project

Thanks to all of you who participated in the July 19 fundraiser! The event was a huge success: almost 300 people attended and approximately $10,000 was raised. We intend to put this money to good use over the next year by supporting the state’s Democratic Party and the candidates running in 2004.

The most important item on the agenda right now is the passage of HB 99. Please call and write your legislators to ensure passage of the Bill. For information on lobbying and how to contact your legislators, visit our Web site at www.DEStonewalldems.org.

Delaware Stonewall needs volunteers for membership recruitment, lobbying, media, candidate recruitment, platform development, speakers bureau, events planning, and in many other areas. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact me.

Thank you for your continued interest and support.