I attended the first candidate forum on Monday, something i have been doing in Sun City for a very long time. Like most of them from previous years, it was pretty much as expected. Opening statements of 2 minutes, a couple of comments/questions from the moderator, an open mic from the membership and then closing statements. A couple of observations that jumped out at me, and seriously will impact who i vote for: 1). Only 5 candidates were on the stage. Director Darbut had dropped out sometime over the weekend and one of the candidates, James McCarty, didn't show up for his 2 minute video nor was he there yesterday. They did announce he plans on coming Weds night. 2). The 5 candidates on the stage were all pretty good. It's a tough format because a question from the crowd results in each of them answering and often in the same way. It's not the candidates fault, the format lends itself to repetition. 3). This is merely my opinion and when we dig deeper in the thread, you'll better understand my concerns. All summer long we labored as they struggled to find enough candidates for the 4 open seats. Once the increase in golfing fees were announced, there were three candidates all coming from the golf community. I didn't need to be told, but yesterday one of golfers mentioned they had tried to "recruit" him too. It's not illegal, the problem of course comes with single issue candidates who are elected and have a bias. None of those on the stage made it obvious as each expressed a willingness to be fair. Fair is an interesting word, because the one ugly aspect of yesterday came from a member who wanted to give speeches, not ask questions. The moderator was way too polite as he should been told if he was so well versed in all things Sun City (really, golf was his only interest), he should have picked up a packet and run. Which brings me to me point mentioned above. Recruiting members and then filling their heads with nonsense is folly. The past 4 months, golfers have been told by at least one director how bad they are getting screwed. The vision was to elect enough golfers to become the majority make-up of the board and then control the RCSC's direction. Once Director Darbut dropped out, that dream ended. He correctly pointed out our courses are lagging in maintenance and need to improve. He's also been in the budget and finance committee meetings and he knows full well, golf will be getting a major infusion in both capital improvements (equipment that works) and large increases in wages for golf maintenance employees to stop them from going elsewhere. Apparently that wasn't enough. He was given the green light to try and get a bid from the Troon Golf Management Company. They are a high-end operation that helps some of the best golf courses in Arizona. Great idea and one we can't afford. Here's why: when several board members went over to talk to them, they explained our 8 courses and our pricing structure with full play golf passes playing such a huge role in those 350,000 rounds a year. Their comment: "that won't work." No crapola eh? But alas, that plan is down the drain and the new reality is whomever is elected will need to work in concert with one another. The RCSC and the membership have a boatload of serious issues that need be dealt with quickly and with a long term plan. We made some horrid mistakes the past 15 years and righting them won't be easy. Even more importantly we need to elect 4 candidates who will show up whenever they need to be in the room, not just when it is convenient for them. In fact, of late that's become part of the latest trend by a couple of the board members. Serving on the board is hard work and it is a commitment. If your tee time is more important than doing the job you were elected to do, don't run. We (the membership) has the final say who is on the board, so do your home work and vote for those who will represent all of Sun City and not the small minority.
The second of the two forums is in the books and, Praise the Lord, all 6 candidates showed up. The "golf caucus" was out in full force and we heard them loudly and proudly tell us the critical importance of non-resident full play passes. It's all about the revenue baby... we need their money. So what if RCSC members are getting screwed from securing tee times, the money is far more important than members rights. By the way, anyone embracing that mindset will never get my vote. The crowd was smaller, but the questions were better. An interesting 2 hours plus session and worth watching.
Yeah, and that was a dissappointment. I thought for sure an evening session would have brought more attendees? And if you attended the Board meeting this morning you would have been dissappointed again with the Member attendance. You would have thought that there would be more interest in the budget presentation especially with knowing about the increase in the annual assessment? We need a way to get the Members engaged in THEIR community and hopefully the passage today of the Outreach & Communications Committee will help with that. I want people to move to Sun City because they want to take advantage of the great amenities and life styles and not because taxes are cheaper!?!?!
I hope we soon get back to the ASU survey to start reviewing and discussing those ideas. Engagement and involvement will require multiple steps and some of the first steps may be social. Thinking back to the early Del Webb days - Bill Pearson's photos of all those pot luck dinners or holiday parties. I think by nature we humans are still social. Not necessarily organized clubs, just more "gathering" opportunities. Meeting new people creates energy (or synergy) in a community. Finding people that share your same interest, or come from the same part of the country. Newer residents may not want to join a ceramics or woodworking club, or play pool or cards - I heard newer residents express a desire about lounge areas for "gaming" systems. Many residents desire outdoor social areas for casual seating for coffee and conversation, or lounge type areas at various centers for casual card or board games. Does everything have to be an organized club? I realize this requires some rethinking organizationally, but if we want engagement and involvement, we have to start somewhere. We can't keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. Members aren't going to become engaged by just coming to a board meeting or joining a committee. They have to feel like they belong, that they have a connection, that they have some ownership. It starts by connecting one or two people at a time. It all starts with that very first contact at Member Services (or possibly at the Visitor Center if house hunting). We know RCSC isn't the only organization struggling with this issue; service organizations, NPOs, church councils, school boards, the list is long. But we have something to offer - a community rich in amenities that many others don't have the ability to share. Instead of "what's wrong/bad" maybe we need to shift our focus to what's "right/good" in our little piece of paradise. I have an idea that isn't original - I'll share it later to see if others think it is worth exploring. Tomorrow is another day.
