Nearby birds chirped while a cool breeze blew through the Decatur County Park, and subsequently through the Decatur County Community Foundation’s yearly meeting Tuesday night.

Guests were welcomed to the meeting by DCCF Board president Jay Hatton, who invited them to have at a prepared meal before the meeting got underway. He presented the 2008 “highlights” of the DCCF’s year, and noted that there had been some hardship.

“The numbers have been very difficult, as everyone has been aware,” Hatton explained.

In 2008, the Community Foundation awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships. The DCCF had in total revenue $3,405,168, and $1,002,697 in total expenses.

The difficult year is behind the DCCF, Hatton said. Recent additions to the organization include a marketing committee and the Ag Field of Interest Fund. The previous year saw 850 gifts come into the DCCF.

“Those are made possible by you people,” Hatton said to the gathering crowd.

Before the Decatur County Community Foundation’s representatives made the big announcements, Carrie Stapp presented the Stephen Decatur Society award to Dale and Sharon Crites. The award is given yearly to recognize and honor those who have made significant contributions to philanthropy and good causes.

“We’ll treasure this for a lifetime,” Sharon Crites said.

One of the biggest announcements to come out of the yearly DCCF meeting was the creation of the “Legacy for Decatur County: Path to the Future.” Gail Rueff explained that the Legacy was part of the strategic plan for the DCCF to make themselves visible and more widely known. She said the Legacy could promote donations in the future, where people would be able to see the efforts of the DCCF happening and become a part of it. The Legacy plans now are to expand the path system at the Decatur County Park. The DCCF partnered with the Decatur County Parks and Recreation Department, and will likely be more responsible for supplements to the paths like landscaping, benches and artwork. The donors who make those supplements possible will be made visible and be recognized, Rueff said.

“You can make a big difference just from the people you reach out to,” Rueff told the crowd.

Parks and Recreation director Bob Barker said he was pleased to be part of the program, and that adding paths to the Decatur County Park was something for which he had tried for years. The plan is to link the park together and connect all of the shelters with the paths, which would be concrete and asphalt. If the project is started now at a crawl, something could get done in the future, Barker said.

Before adjourning the meeting, the DCCF invited its guests and benefactors over the newly placed boulder at the park, which weighs about 12,500 pounds. The memorial rock was unveiled at the new entrance way to the park