Click here to link to a Georgia Department of Natural Resources map that can help you locate all sorts of outdoor opportunities in the state.

Click to link to GA Outdoor Map

Today’s Lake & Wildlife meeting (9:30 a.m. at the Club Tamarack Rec Room) features a guest speaker from the Georgia Forestry Commission, with the main topic being how to protect your home (and yourself) in the event of a forest fire.  On a related note, click here to link to information about Wildcat Community, Inc., a recognized Firewise Community ® consortium, of which Bent Tree is a member.

April 19, 2018 – smoke from brush fire, as seen from Lake Tamarack dam

The following is valuable information from Bent Tree’s Fire Department and the Emergency Preparedness team, including a checklist from FEMA’s Ready Campaign for a Basic Emergency Supply Kit (Click here for a pdf of the FEMA Emergency Supply List brochure).

Click image for printable pdf

NOTE – Yesterday’s post was a summary of old posts about Bent Tree’s corporate history.  Coincidentally, when I read my online Pickens Progress yesterday, there was an interesting history article (part 1 of 3) about the area that eventually became Bent Tree. Check it out in the current edition of the Progress.

Yesterday’s post gave links to a series of posts about Bent Tree’s corporate history before Bent Tree Corporation, Inc. existed.  Today I’m fast-forwarding to the incorporation of BTCI and some points after that.  At some time in the near future I’ll fill in some important gaps .

• On November 30, 1983, Bent Tree Community, Inc, was duly incorporated under the laws of the State of Georgia.  Quoting from the echo in early 1984: “At long last ownership of the amenities at Bent Tree have been transferred to Bent Tree Community, Inc., the corporation established by the Bent Tree Property Owners Association to own and operate the facilities on behalf of the property owners at Bent Tree.”
• Those original Articles of Incorporation are available on the official Bent Tree website, along with an amendment to the articles that was made in 1994.  As long as I’ve been at Bent Tree, the original articles and that one amendment have been the only documents I’ve seen officially referenced regarding BTCI’s Articles of Incorporation. Regarding membership, the original articles state “The Corporation shall be a nonmembership corporation without certificates or shares of stock.”  There has been confusion, based on the original articles, on why BTCI was “a nonmembership corporation”, but the Bylaws explain how to become a member.
• The reason BTCI was a nonmembership corporation in the beginning was because it was created so the Bent Tree Property Owners Association (in existence since 1974) could accept ownership of the facilities.  It did not need to be a membership corporation at the time, because BTPOA was the membership corporation.
• On November 12, 1986 BTPOA merged with BTCI.  About five or six years ago, I came across something that connected the dots.  The terms of the merger included the following: “Upon the Effective Date of the merger, the Surviving Corporation shall become a membership corporation and all members of BTPOA shall then and thereafter become members of the Surviving Corporation.”
  
• Regarding membership after the merger, the amended articles state “Membership. The Corporation shall have one class of membership. All natural persons who are the record owners of lots in the Bent Tree Community, Pickens County, Georgia, upon the filing of an application for membership with the Corporation, and being approved by the Board of Directors shall become members.”

Over two years ago, I started a series of posts about the corporate history of Bent Tree.  I got sidetracked and never finished.  One of these days I’ll get back on track.  There is something I want to fast forward to, and I’ll do that tomorrow.  In the meantime, here are links to the related previous posts as some background:

• Before BTCI Part 1    Bent Tree Corp, Liberty Corp, Spratlin Associates
• Before BTCI Part 2    The First CC&Rs
• Before BTCI Part 3    CC&Rs for each section
• Before BTCI Part 4    Spratlin Financial
• Before BTCI Part 5    The Exit of Spratlin Associates
• Before BTCI Part 6    The BTPOA (later merged with BTCI)
• Before BTCI Part 7    Bent Tree Country Club
• Before BTCI Part 8    Bent Tree Club Villas
• Before BTCI Part 9    Pinestream Marketing
• Before BTCI Part 10  CC&Rs for the Villas
• Before BTCI Part 11  Bent Tree Villas Homeowners Association, Inc

Getting some sea air and beautiful sunrises…

Not in Bent Tree