Membership requirements

There is currently no membership fee to belong to Ladies of the Lake.

According to our bylaws

General Membership in the Association is open to anyone 18 years of age
 and older who supports the purpose of the Association and who has volunteered
time and effort in the current or past calendar year in support of the Association’s
activities or has contributed financially.

Purpose-

The purpose of the association is to give voice to all people who love Lake Simcoe and
to bridge the gap between what governments can do and what everyone can do to help theLake. 
The association values innovation, cooperation and constructive fun in pursuit of its goals.

The LOL have always done things a little differently than most organizations. From the beginning
when Annabel Slaight and Jane Meredith and a few friends decided that our cheeky but
NOT cheesy 2006 calendar might be a good way to draw attention to the declining state of Lake Simcoe
and by doing so to create awareness among the public and the powers that be, we have continued to be
a force for true change. And change has happened. Through the Naked Truth Summer of events a citizens’
action plan to save Lake Simcoewas developed in partnership with the Windfall Ecology Centre. People in
the watershed came together and took a thousand photos which documented the beauty and the woes
of the Lake. Several priorities were determined which continue to guide our actions today. The priority to
involve young people has resulted in our summer plans-WASTEfilms developed with our partners Windfall
Ecology and the LSRCA. Our efforts to work with governments has influenced the creation of the
Lake Simcoe Protection Act and now the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan and made savingLake Simcoe a priority.
And our 2009 calendar has raised even more money and increased awareness to help rescueLake Simcoe.

The Ladies of the Lakehave made a conscious decision to support things, to be for things and not against
things and that is a large part of our success. We use the arts to connect people; we use research as
the basis for action and we build bridges to advocate true change. As an organization we attempt to keep
our members and the general public aware of what needs to be done and what is being done to rehabilitate
theLake. We also try to inform about things that are negatively impacting theLake. We are prevented by our
Charter as a Charitable Foundation from lobbying as an organization. But by being an informed citizen, members
are free to express their own opinions loudly and clearly to government representatives, newspapers, neighbours
or anyone else who will listen- and that action is seen as time spent in support of our goals.  Members attended
the workshops held by the government to get people’s input for the Protection Plan. We have been invited by
both levels of Government, federal and provincial to contributed ideas and opinions on issues affecting theLake.
We are widely recognized as a positive force for change.