At the first Hi-Yu general meeting of the year, held at the High Point branch of Seattle Public Library on Jan. 9 the group came together to review their current status and take a look at the year ahead. Like many community organizations, Hi-Yu runs on a very low budget with under $25 in their checking account and just over $600 in savings at the moment.

Facing Hi-Yu is the need to pay for the parade float that every year travels to 13 different parades. The float itself also needs to be worked on to reflect the theme, and stored in a safe and dry place year round. Right now, that's in Everett and soon they will not have a place for that storage. With just over a month left to decide if, for the first time, Hi-Yu will not even have a float it's looking decidedly uncertain, according to the Hi-Yu officers. "If we can't find a place to store it and work on it, sad to say but we won't have a float this year," said Hi-Yu President James Cline. It requires a space roughly 30 foot by 10 foot space to store it with a 12 foot door. To work on it, means a little more space. To transport it means renting a large truck which is another expense.

Building the float takes about 90 days and since they start in April or May the question of where to store and work on it must be resolved soon. They start work on it in February. Parts of it can be built modularly and brought to the assembly site but at the moment no one has come forward to suggest or offer such a space. If you have or know of a space that might work contact Hi-Yu at
wshiyu@yahoo.com .

After a quick review of club reports the question of this year's Hi-Yu button came before the group. Six designs were presented, all following the same (and previously determined) theme of "Secret Garden." The final design chosen by vote was created by Riley Fredericks and Kaitlin Lindell both 2011 Junior Court princesses and the Junior court Queen Taylor Nichols.

Sales of the buttons, which sell for $1, exceeded $3500 last year. Since there's a healthy profit on them it's a big component of the organization's funding. Other components figure in funding too. A Spring Tea and Auction coming up March 18 at Fauntleroy Hall, Hi-Yu pin sales and business sponsorships. Businesses get a highly visible window decal for their sponsorship. If interested contact Hi-Yuat
wshiyu@yahoo.com . The auction "could bring in $5000 to $7000," said Cline.

Hi-Yu is a non-profit organization, established in 1934 by West Seattle's service clubs to produce a summer festival to promote the West Seattle Community.

Hi-Yu is also on Facebook at http://facebook.com/WSHiYu