Dear Sir,
My name is Ana Warren, and I am a participant in the Student Aid Program at the Lake Chapala Society. At 19, I had the great honor of receiving the Jalisco Youth Prize in Culture.
I have experienced firsthand how the Lake Chapala Society empowers individuals to achieve their goals through the strength of community, guided by their principle of “people helping people.”
I have witnessed how they raise funds to enable children to participate in various programs that nurture their artistic talents and teach them how to make a living through their work.
My passion was ignited as a child, thanks to mentors like Steve, Víctor, and Sandra, who believed in me and gave me the confidence to continue studying, growing, and becoming the person I aspire to be.
LCS has always prioritized the holistic development of their students, both academically and emotionally, by organizing conferences that teach us how to manage our emotions.
I have had the privilege of presenting my art and books at the State Congress of Jalisco, the González Gallo Cultural Center, the LCS Art Fair, and the Exconvento del Carmen in Guadalajara. I have also participated in events celebrating 200 years of Jalisco as a free and sovereign state, as well as the designation of Guadalajara as World Book Capital.
Later this year, I will present my work at the Frankfurt Book Fair and, for the third time, at the Guadalajara International Book Fair.
Throughout my journey, I have witnessed the kindness and solidarity of both the foreign and local communities, inspired by the volunteers who teach classes and deliver food, following the legacy of Neil James, who donated her house, art, books and plants to the community. I have also had the opportunity to volunteer, helping to organize events such as the Toy Drive we developed for the municipality’s firefighters.
The first thought that comes to mind is to say “thank you” for teaching the youngest members of our community the values of kindness, awareness and empathy, and for showing us that where you begin does not determine where you end.
The Lake Chapala Society is our daily reminder to be kind and to be true to ourselves.
Ana Warren
Dear Sir,
I am very excited that Yolanda Martinez, a highly respected member of the greater Lakeside community, agreed to step up to fill the office of president of the Lake Chapala Society board of directors. Her reputation is largely based on the outstanding job she did for years as president of Cruz Roja. Now caring members of the Mexican community are thrilled that for the first time in the nearly 70 years of LCS history, a Mexican woman leader and social “bridge builder” is president of the Lake Chapala Society.
I believe the future of LCS will be bright with Yoly continuing to serve LCS and the greater community with her outstanding skills as a leader, who respects and is willing to listen to everyone.
Candidate Terry Vidal’s abrasive approach I feel will not help foster the inclusiveness and welcoming environment LCS values.
We can trust Yoly to uphold the LCS Constitution and norms. She will inspire more people to participate in programs, volunteer, donate and carry out the mission of LCS.
Barbara Hildt
Dear Sir,
Lake Chapala Society presidential candidate Yolanda Martinez is the president of the Chapala Cruz Roja. It’s in the midst of a huge construction project. Further, she’s on the board of SIMAPA (water utility), she’s a delegate for the Chapala Chamber of Commerce and is currently studying to obtain a law degree. How much time can she actually devote to LCS? Remember, she was not able to attend her first LCS board meeting as president in July because of another commitment. Yolanda also served as chair of the LCS Mexican Advisory Committee, but never reported anything at board meetings—so what did her committee accomplish? Where will she find the passion, energy, and time needed to lead LCS during these trying times?
If you want a puppet president controlled by the executive director who continues to financially ravage LCS, and carries on with the same lackadaisical management “style,” vote for Yoly Martinez. If you want a president who has more experience with LCS leadership, will be ethical and professional, will listen and report regularly to the members, and will make LCS inclusive and non-political, vote for Terry Vidal.
Danielle Pagé
Dear Sir
I have known Yoly Martinez personally for over a decade, and have always found her to be a very kind, caring individual, with the utmost integrity and dedication to whatever she turns to. Yoly served on the LCS board during my presidency, and was instrumental in introducing me, and by extension the LCS, to local communities at Lakeside. I am confident that under Yoly’s stewardship, the LCS will be in capable, trustworthy hands.
Ben White
Dear Sir,
I have read about the issues causing division among the members of the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) as we prepare for an important extraordinary meeting on August 20. I serve as a volunteer to enhance the LCS Community Outreach regarding programs and services through its Facebook page. I work closely with the board, as well as the directors of Education and Communication.
Through these experiences I have come to see how the vision and mission of the Lake Chapala Society are carried out on a daily basis: “To promote the active participation of Lakeside inhabitants to improve their quality of life. By making this commitment we signal to the community that our focus is based not just on expatriates, but everyone living at Lakeside.”
I do believe that by working together we can achieve “a future where all lakeside residents continually have a role in enriching the community’s quality of life, vitality, and prosperity through the exchange of knowledge, expertise, culture and language.”
I trust that the tremendous legacy of the Lake Chapala Society will be preserved through its leadership and members on August 20.
Robert F. Prettyman
Dear Sir,
I had the opportunity to be a part of the LCS Children’s Art Camp and the Operation Feed Children’s Art Camp in San Juan Cosala. Even though I had participated in the LCS camp in years past, this year was different. There was a new sense of excitement, cooperation and overall joy flowing from the volunteers and manifesting itself in the kids. The energy, the smiles and the laughter was contagious!
Was it hard work, you bet, but it was worth every minute. The joy of art is alive and well in Ajijic and the surrounding areas thanks to organizations like the Lake Chapala Society, Operation Feed and the many volunteers and staff who make it happen.
A special thank you to Cony Brewitz, Steve Balfour and Victor Martinez of LCS and Augustin Velasquez (Viva Mexico Restaurant), Janine Kirkland and Sergio Suarez of Operation Feed for their dedication to the area children.
Melody Peterson
Dear Sir,
I wish to thank the Lake Chapala Society and the Ajijic community for hosting the 11th LCS Art Camp. It was a great success.
The Neill James Children’s Art Program art program for children began decades ago and, thanks to the continued collaboration of local and foreign artists, continues to bear fruit. In general, all children are creative by instinct. Their ideas, emotions and feelings are reflected through their free strokes on paper. This artistic discipline is vital to them, because they lose the fear of expressing themselves, and acquire self-confidence. In the creative world of childhood, there are no errors—everything is valid, especially between the ages of four and eight. If the child reaches adolescence with that creative push, it can be time to teach them the second phase: theme, composition, color, volume, etcetera. They can then move on to a professional level through scholarships, to become great artists.
The Lake Chapala Society will hold its presidential elections on August 20, and for the first time it will have a Mexican candidate for president: Yolanda Martinez. I support her, as well as current executive director Steve Balfour for his great enthusiasm in supporting the artistic community of Ajijic and the recent 2024 Art Camp.
Jesus Lopez Vega, artist and Art Camp volunteer, and a beneficiary of the Neill James Children’s Art Program that began in the 1950s