Looking back at its operations and its persistence through a unique time last year, the Beacon Hill Civic Association (BCHA) acknowledged the efforts of the members and volunteers for 2020 at its annual meeting on Moinday.

Patricia Tully, executive director, appreciated the organization’s work to help Beacon Hill residents during the pandemic.

“We have reached out to neighbors with our mask initiative, and clothing and food drives,” she said. “We have also taken the time to make improvements to our donor management database by migrating to a rolling membership system, which I think will be much easier for everyone.”

Along with celebrating past achievements, the BHCA, during its 99th Annual Meeting, also resolved to celebrate its centennial year with renewed energy and positivity.

Founded in 1922, the BHCA is a volunteer organization dedicated to preserving and improving the quality of life of the Beacon Hill community.

Even with the pandemic, the last year was no different.

The organization was committed to its goals, and in her address BCHA President Meghan Awe highlighted the accomplishments of its committees.

The Zoning and Licensing Committee (ZLC) processed eleven proposals last year. Six of them were residential and five were commercial. Even with an increased attendance last year, Awe said that the ZLC negotiated the proposals magnificently.

“They [ZLC] led nearly all discussions to positive win-win outcomes as the ZLC voted not to oppose in most cases with a good neighbor agreement negotiated with the applicant,” she said.

Awe noted that the Neighborhood Services Committee began working with an arborist to preserve the neighborhood tree canopies and health. Among other important projects the BHCA committees worked on last year were the virtual community engagement activities of the Development and Outreach Committee and the approval of a diversity and inclusion taskforce proposed by the Governance Committee.

The BHCA also organized a community meeting this spring to discuss the concerns of a possible tobacco smoke shop coming to Charles Street with concerned authorities. Awe mentioned that hundreds of members attended the meeting.

“Together, [they] shared with the potential proprietors of Beacon Hill, given the density of population in the proximity to schools and Massachusetts General Hospital, was not at an appropriate location for the business,” she said. The lease for the shop was dissolved.

The BHCA also made donations to 11 nonprofits.

“For the third consecutive year, the BHCA Beacon fund awarded nearly $30,000 to deserving nonprofit African neighbors to help finance projects and programs that promote and enhance the quality of life in Beacon Hill in our neighboring communities,” Awe said.

The last part of the meeting was a vote on upcoming year’s officers and directors. The members unanimously approved all the nominated candidates.

The event’s keynote speaker was Joseph Bagley, the city’s archaeologist. He spoke about the formation of Beacon Hill and a 2016 excavation at Pinckney Street.

He ended with a University of Massachusetts report on the excavation of the African Meeting House, one of the oldest archaeological sites in Beacon Hill.