Dear Sir, Ma'am,

I am a trustee of The Fraternal Order Of The Eagle Aerie 4548 in Williamsburg, VA.  I would like to ask you to reconsider some of the regulations that are currently under discussion and that became law on July 1, 2022.  We are not a large group here in Williamsburg but we did manage to donate @ $60,000 last fiscal year to local charities and a few national charities.  The proposed changes to the Charitable Gaming Regulations threatens to close us down along with many other similar clubs.  The impact on the communities that organizations such as the Eagles serve, would be profound and extremely harsh.  I would ask that each of you would reconsider the proposed 40% of our gross receipts be donated to charity.  10% to 20% would allow us to continue our charitable contributions and would ensure that the local charities could continue their great and much needed work.  

Our club like most others are staffed by volunteers and a few employees.  Stipulations in the proposed regulations that employees pay cannot come from the gaming receipts will make it impossible to pay their salaries.  I would ask that you consider removing the exception to the salaries and wages and match the definition as defined in code 18.2-340.16.  

I would ask that 11bac20-20-70 Bank account section D be Modified to one week as the way it is written will be difficult and time consuming.  

I greatly appreciate your consideration on these proposed changes and would invite each of you to come see for yourselves what we are all about.  

Sincerely,

Wick Copland