What is the Random Lake Association?
The Random Lake Association (RLA) is an organization formed to act as stewards of Random Lake including the waters, shoreline, and nearby property, promote the beauty of the lake and recreational facilities, maintain property values, and to generate goodwill throughout the surrounding community for its environmental health and longevity for present and future generations.
Why should I become an annual member?
- You care about the health and beauty of the lake
- You like to utilize the lake for recreation or pleasure and want to support its longevity
- You want to connect with others in the community through events like the Annual meeting, boat parade, and annual Fireworks show and beach bash
- You want to stay up to date regarding lake related projects and activities
I don’t live on the lake, but I love Random Lake. Can I be a member?
YES! We have a shareholder membership for those in the local community who care about the Lake.
The health of the lake is important to my business. How can I become involved?
We have a membership option for local businesses who want to support our efforts to help the lake. We also welcome donations toward specific events or initiatives.
Are my membership and donations tax exempt?
Yes. The Random Lake Association is classified as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
How can I support the RLA?
- Become a Lake Association member
- Volunteer your time or skills at events or on the board
- Monetary donation to your area of passion (lake health, events, beach or park upgrades)
- SPREAD THE WORD!
What is the membership year for the RLA?
Memberships run from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. Any memberships received on or after May 1 are current upon receipt and count toward the following year’s membership.
How much does an RLA membership cost?
- $200 for lake shore property owners
- $50 for recreational users of the lake and community members who live off the lake
- $250 for corporate or commercial
What happened to the lifetime membership?
At the annual membership meeting in May of 2023, it was voted by nearly eighty members present to update the bylaws, replacing the $100 lifetime membership that was previously in place and moving to an annual membership process. This was recommended for a few different reasons.
- First, in the years prior to the vote there was an increase in new residents on the lake. Community engagement in the Association was limited as with the small amount of funds available to the organization, very limited tasks were able to be accomplished so membership did not seem worthwhile to community members. The board surveyed multiple organizations across the state and found that the majority of lake associations had annual memberships which allowed them to complete projects and have influence over the well being of their associated lakes and communities.
- Second, because of a movement of control of the finances of the trust made for lake stewardship from a board of trustees to the Village of Random Lake and the stipulations of that asset transfer, the amount of funding is limited for any single project. The increased funds from annual memberships allows us to work with the Village in financing projects that benefit the health and safety of the lake.
- Third, it was found that despite very high ratings on grant applications to the DNR, Random Lake was at times declined grants in favor of larger lakes. This being the case, the board and the members of the lake association felt that the organization needed to find a way toward more stable self funding to pay for initiatives addressing the health of our relatively small, but beautiful lake.