I am feeling so honored to have been able to attend and participate in a first of its kind community event. We had 28 people come and share their thoughts and ideas about what is important and what impact the we all can make moving forward to help reconnect and recreate the great feeling that once was present in Sun City. The inclusion of everyone in our communities has been lost, but there exists a great deal of interest in reconnecting with each other on a personal level. The suggestion of a communal space or community center was a welcome idea and one worth researching. With that idea in mind, I wonder if there is a floor space plan for each club located, as an example, Fairway. How much square footage does each club have, how often does it get used, for how many hours a day or week, and could some of the space be repurposed for a group setting as a community club room? Please know this is strictly at my idea level and have not pursued any at this time. I think out loud and share my ideas with the readers here. I have not gone after any club space yet. With the right amount of space found, perhaps a small coffee barista wagon could be set up and generate revenue for the barista and the RCSC. Perhaps a wine bar in the evening, as suggested by. The concern was who would volunteer to help support this type of activity and the feeling I got was there were several who would have interest in helping out and volunteering their time. The spirit of community coming together to help regain our inclusive environment for our members was heartwarming and I look forward to being a small part of helping to restore our community outreach and inclusive culture for the immediate members and those who will come after us. It is indeed a great adventure being embarked on by the members for the members. Thanks to all who came, I , as well as the others, are grateful for your time and attendance.
And don't forget, there will be another meeting next month. It will be on July 24th but this time it will be from 6:30-8:30 pm so that those who still work can attend. When our Article of Incorporation says: "To do anything and everything lawfully necessary in the interest of the Members of the Corporation", perhaps its time we put our foot down and make them uphold the oath they took to serve as a Director?
They came to help grow a renewed sense of community founded in Sun City, “ The Community That Changed The Nation!” Almost every chair was filled in the Sonora room at the Grand center Thursday afternoon, June 26th, 2025. Making time to gather together, participants put down their cell phones to get to know one another, sharing why they love Sun City and ideas to make it better, now and into the future. Imagine, actual person to person communication. Many great ideas and offers to help explore how they might become reality. Sun City is, after all, “City of Volunteers!” This first effort was so successful there’s another one scheduled next month, Thursday, July 24th, 6:30pm - 8:30 to accommodate our residents still working. Same location, Sonora room at the Grand Center. Thanks to the Sun City Foundation for reserving it so quickly. Details as we near the date. Will you join us? Hope so… YOU belong here.
Why not a large flat panel TV(s) for watching sporting events. Nothing brings people together more than sporting events. With the World Cup next summer is a sure draw. Ever been to a sports bar during a large sporting event, NFL playoffs and Super Bowl, NCAA basketball tournament, baseball playoffs and World Series? I have had conversations during these events with people I have never met before but had long conversations about the event and other things. I have met people during the World Cup that didn’t know the difference between the penalty box and a cardboard box, but enjoyed the event nonetheless. How is that for a sense of community? Just saying.
I saw you walked by Dave, you should have come in. BTW, that suggestion was made, and like yours, it makes perfect sense. It was a nice gathering and i was uplifted by the tenor and tone of those in the room. There were a lot of really good ideas and suggestion and better yet we got to know one another as human beings, rather than screen names of social media and websites like this. I know its easy to tell people to just join clubs, but many folks have no interest in the things a club may do, or don't want the structure that clubs have to follow. Let me be blunt...yesterday was just a start. A good start, an encouraging start, but still just a start none-the-less. I was thrilled by the suggestion we don't need any organization to support us. I was chilled by the reality and that our history tells us we cannot survive long term without it. The value of knowing and understanding our history is it provides our path forward. I made a comment about the morning board meeting and the "warring factions." It's been a fact of life, different groups have different needs, wants and expectations. At least back in the day (before 2006), the community was more cohesive. The decision to internalize decision making in the GM's office and corporate board room removed members from the equation and left groups, clubs and organizations to fracture and just look out for themselves. We are now reaping the dividends of a community of members who know virtually nothing about how the community works. All they know is when someone tells them to show up and demand what they want, they best be there. Okay...i guess. It's why we are, where we are and i don't see that changing until the mindset changes. You know, that well worn adage of a sense of community. A collective where the greater good was not only important, but vital. Let me frame it this way, i know most of you will understand: A family friend once told me once i got into the workforce, "save $10 a month and never touch it." He said the compounding affect by the time i retired would make me a millionaire. I ignored his advice, he retired a very rich man, i'm not, not even close. The point in the story is we (the RCSC and the membership) need to invest in ourselves. Sadly, virtually everyone who has served on the board saw that investment only in terms of what we spent on golf courses, buildings and grounds. When i ran for the board, my efforts to invest in those buying homes in the community were ignored. Had we, the compounding impact of the sale and resale to home owners/RCSC members who had a least a fundamental understanding of how the community works, would have paid dividends immeasurable. Instead we elected to tell them little to nothing. In all likelihood, we would be far removed from the sad state of affairs we find ourselves in. A world where golfers follow the requests from board members to show up and encourage the board to just "get-er-done." Sorry, Larry the Cable Guy "ain't" how Sun City works; it never has been, hopefully it never will be. And the fact we have made zero investment in the single most important aspect in our community, the membership, shows us exactly how we got here. Yesterday afternoon helped me understand, there is a path forward. Talking with members, listening to their comments brought me/us full circle. A sense of ownership, a sense of community and a sense of belonging are all possible once again. As i told the group yesterday, the museum labeled Sun City; "The Community That Changed The Nation." We can do it again by simply investing in those moving here and working together to become what Sun City was always intended to be.
Participant’s review: “Very inspiring first meeting and great to see so many enthusiastic about ideas like improving the new resident experience, possibilities like finding/creating a community center hub, and other ideas to enhance our sense of community. Fun learning about how others found Sun City and made it their home. Hope to see you all again next time, along with some new faces!”
I have a suggestion for our community social gathering space. It’s just one idea, not the only answer, just a suggestion. I know not everyone likes to or wants to join a club. I fully understand the concept. I am not a joiner either, so I understand the apprehension of the club concept. Yet, what if there were 50 people willing to put their name down as a founding members of the Sun City Community Center club? The club would be open to anyone who wants to attend any open day of the week and be available as a gathering space for any member? I would also be interested in dedicated gathering space, perhaps Arizona Room 1 at Fairway? It doesn’t have a kitchen, but most barista/wine bar vendors don’t need a kitchen. I have sent several questions out to various providers that may be able to provide this type of service. I asked for 3-4 days a week for 3-4 hours a day. Times of operations are to be discussed, as are costs of services for the members. I realize this is a very different way to approach a possible solution to community space, but I wanted to afford every opportunity available for a possible solution. Knowing the need for space requires RCSC approval, this is a small idea that could be considered. Thank you for your time.
Reading the 13 pages of RCSC Charter Club requirements was exhausting. If enough people are willing to volunteer and the RCSC approves vendor sales of coffee and wine, it’s worth pursuing. Carole, maybe share a summary of your research at the next gathering, Thursday, July 24th? Several participants expressed interest being involved creating a community common space. Just a suggestion. Policy No. 12 Chartered Clubs • Read HERE
Yes, I did read ALL of the rules and necessities. It’s such a shame that to create a club, one has to go through all of the things mentioned. The executive committee, the board members of the club, the needs for meetings, the list goes on forever. But with the club having the ability to write their own rules as to how they want to run, things can get better.
Ah Bill, you must have me confused with someone else as after a 8:40 appointment with my primary and a subsequent trip to Safeway on Olive, I was home the remainder of the day doing housework, homework, reading and then preparing my dinner. Finished the evening off by watching the last episode of The Pitt (highly recommend) and 5 episodes of The Bear as the new season has arrived. I am pleased you liked my idea as it seemed a no brainer. It’s been a l9ng time since anybody has said I make perfect sense.
My take on the meeting was the majority of the participants would like to see a "community center" where people can just hang out with a cup of coffee or glass of wine. The modern Sun Cities have this type of facility as the center of their communities so it sounds like something that we should pursue. That said, to be successful IMHO it would need to be a part of the RCSC and staffed by paid staff not volunteers to be successful in the long term. I visit different Sun Cities and other retirement communities when I travel and many offer a restaurant/bar managed internally/externally which seems to be what we are trying to achieve. One close to us at Sun City Oro Valley near Tucson seemed especially successful in a much smaller community as it offers a full service bar and restaurant in a seasonal climate like we experience in the valley. The menu's are designed by the community artists who also have an opportunity to show their artwork for sale in the restaurant. Possibly an interim opportunity is in an existing space which would be utilized until a permanent space becomes available during the Lakeview remodel as one of the participants suggested would be a preferred location. We also need to understand that this isn't a quick fix and will need highly dedicated people who believe in the project to move this forward as many of our predicessors did in building the Sun City that we call our home.
Great work - Please remember the purpose of such groups is an interchange of differing ideas and not about who has the "best" idea. The whole is then greater than the sum of the parts.
Hey Paul welcome, delighted to have you join us. The other day was a good first step, no more, no less. John Fast is right, the number of ideas suggested doesn't make one better than the other, it means there are a variety of ways to accomplish our goals. From my perspective; building a sense of community is number one. How we do it, open for debate and discussion. I know what and how we have been functioning for far too long hasn't worked, not even close. I always fall back to that slogan we saw years ago in a gift shop in Florida before leaving on a cruise: "Enjoy the journey, not the destination." Every day is just another opportunity to live life to its fullest. As we age, gearing down is normal, shutting down isn't. The other day, hopefully was the start of yet another journey where we can help shape a better Sun City. We'll see eh?
