Sun City's future...

One of the best training tools I ever stumbled across was the Morris Massey series entitled "What you are is where you were when." It took people on a multi-generational journey of human behavior and how predictable it was in defining why things happened based on when a person was born. Massey's arguments were solid (though far from absolute) and his contention that the behavior varied only when one faced a major life event called a SEE (significant emotional event).

Nope, this isn't a sales pitch for his tapes, but more of an explanation of why I believe there is a logical way to look at what Sun City (and other age restricted communities) may well be facing as we move down the road known as the future. Obviously there are unknowns that well could change almost everything, but on a day to day basis most things are fairly consistent.

I chose the word consistent rather than constant for a reason. We all know things change, simple inertia is such that no matter how we want to cling to the things we love, change happens. Let's not get too deep here, i'm not suggesting you can't still love your childhood sweetheart 60 years after the fact but the stuff that goes on around you is ever moving.

I have long argued we can't stop change, but we can learn to manage it. Sun City was originally called "the great social experiment." Experts stated it would never succeed and in the early years the media followed it like it was some type of circus sideshow. It's from this kind of historical perspective I would love to engage others in a discussion on the future of the community...especially based on changing boomers attitudes and what we know is happening societally.

Perhaps it is way too early on in this forums existence to get this esoteric, but what the heck...the worst that can happen is I talk to myself. I find more often than not just opening one's mind is liberating and as I age challenging those mental boundaries is stimulating and enlightening.

There are some great sites on the net loaded with research, data and information relative to boomers. Throw into the mix the variances with say the "greatest generation" and one quickly comes to understand just how much these differences will make. But before we begin to break them down, let's take a look at a couple of those societal changes that will impact Sun City:
1). We know a good number of boomers will continue to work later in life.
2). We know on average we will live longer than say our parents.
3). While lots of boomers made tons of money, there are a great number of boomers that will never be as financially solvent in retirement as their parents.
4). We know volunteering will be important to boomers, but in wholly different ways that those that came before them.
5). We know boomers aren't joiners like their parents were.

Each of these on their face can be debated, but i suspect most of you will buy into the basic premise of each. The bigger question is, what difference will each make within the evolution of Sun City? Or perhaps you would argue it would/will make none? Just because I type it doesn't make it so.

In any event, my goal here is to take the changes that certainly appear to be happening around us and transform them into a practical application/discourse on what that means to a community like Sun City. For those not living here yet, it may be more challenging. The simple fact is, the original Sun City is unlike anything you may be familiar with; as a self-governed, self-reliant community we literally run ourselves. Yes, we get some county services but there is no mayor, no city council and little in the way of a taxing district to issue a bond referendum and raise a boatload of money to fix another problem.

I'll stop here, hoping I haven't gone too far off the deep end. If I have I am sure your silence will tell me and I can post up my latest recipe or always needed tips on how to hit the proper approach shot to one of Sun City's 11 golf courses.

 

Obviously the thread and above commentary begs the question: So what, isn't every other age restricted community going to be attracting the same pool of boomers?

Of course they are. The difference in impact lies in the fact that Sun City is unique. As the first of its kind, there was no blueprint or how to manual on the right way to construct an age restricted community. From the opening day, the genius of those building it was they were able move with the times and those looking to buy. In the first ten years the fluctuations were staggering in target market and level of involvement by DEVCO.

That's another topic for another time. The point here is Sun City was built on a wholly different platform. Virtually everything (short of Sun City West) became a highbred of what we were. Smaller was and still is the order of the day (except for the Villages of Florida which is also totally different). Organizationally the new communities are typically contained in one controlling entity. There are volunteering opportunities, but nothing on the scale of Sun City.

In 2007 we (the communication committee for Sun City Home Owners Association) produced a magazine. One of the pages was a piece called How Sun City Works. The thrust was that understanding how Sun City works was a little like understanding how electricity works. Unless you see it up close and personal, it's tricky and even then, it's still hard to grasp.

I wish I was smart enough to have coined this phrase, but I have to admit it came form one of the blogs I used to play around on. They said Sun City had a horizontal organizational table. Brilliant. I use the line a lot because it may well be the best descriptor of the community. Virtually all of us come from a lifetime of vertical structures. Think about it; church, work, military, the government, schools, the list is endless.

In Sun City, it's just the opposite. There are at least a dozen free standing entities that exist and fill a space based on an identified need. None has jurisdiction over the other. Each depends on a self-reliance to raise both money and volunteers (or in some cases limited paid staff) to function. There may be some crossover in services, but most often they are structured so as to work in concert with one another.

It's often hard for outsiders to get their arms around this concept. It wasn't an accident Sun City got the tagline "City of Volunteers." People living here give back millions and millions of hours each year to keep the community functioning. It's why we are so unique and one of the reasons looking to the future is so darned important. If new buyers have less disposable time, the community will feel it in ways smaller age restricted and differently structured ones won't.

Let me put this in perspective so those not living in Sun City may better understand. Sun City is approximately 7 miles long and 3 miles wide. We are walled, but not gated. We have 8 golf courses owned by the RCSC and 3 private country clubs. We have 8 rec centers, 2 man-made lakes, an amphitheater, Banner Boswell hospital, softball field, and dog park. There 27,000 plus homes, 31 churches, 16 shopping centers, dozens of organizations and 125 chartered clubs.

Every church, club and organization exists on the strength of volunteers. The hospital has hundreds of residents who volunteer in a myriad of ways. The RCSC has paid staff but the dozen committees and the board members who serve all do so because they care about the community. I won't list the organizations but suffice to say they couldn't open their doors without residents being involved.

Clearly volunteers matter, but there's more. As people work later in life, the whole idea of a "retirement community" with people leisurely strolling about with nothing to do but play and volunteer begins to feel the impact. How we react to those stress fractures based on a type of societal evolution will become quickly evident.

It's why I love the idea we will be aggressively marketing Sun City. It's why promoting the community for it's uniqueness is so important. It's why getting people to see just how well built we are is so much fun. Virtually all of us that take people around and show them the community are always excited by their reaction. It's never what they expect.

I'll stop here and take a breath, but as we move forward, we will begin to break down how we can turn these changes into opportunities.

 

In promulgating your esoteric cogitation's I agree with what you say.

Why do you say boomers are not joiners?

A relative visited recently and said she could never live in Sun City. All the houses looked alike. I replied that all the rooms in a nursing home also look alike. I don't think she saw the humor in what I said.

 

Well said, "Emily"

I like the following quote:

"plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose"
usually translated as "the more things change, the more they stay the same,"

 

While still working and living in the state of Washington, I researched every community in Arizona both senior and others.
Then I visited Sun City (original). It was like it kept saying "move here, move here". And I did.
Haven't regretted it for a second.

 

Hey gang, great comments. You touched on one of those differences we need deal with EL, with people working longer. Clubs will need to keep their doors open later at night. Many of the more traditional craft clubs like the day hours schedule. We've been slowly moving them to expanded hours but some of the old timers struggle with the idea everyone doesn't fit into the mold they did. The real transition will come as new buyers join clubs, become officers and start to assume leadership roles.

I don't want to make out the differences between boomers and the greatest generation folks being that great, but clearly there are some. The first 40 years we watched volunteers take on positions for the long haul. Literally when staffing openings, we found residents who would agree to be there every Thursday from 9 to noon for the rest of their life. Today, with boomers liking that instant gratification thing, we tend to float in and float out moving quickly from one organization to the next. Short term projects with clearly defined goals will be easier to fill than those long-term day to day positions.

Boomers aren't nearly the joiners the greatest generation was peg. Look at almost any of the service clubs, churches and other types of organizations, they all are lamenting how boomers tend to be less involved. Doesn't mean there aren't some, but certainly not like their parents were. That will have an impact on Sun City and I've long argued it will be one of the biggest problems we will face. We follow numbers of club participation and there are several that are battling to keep their numbers where they used to be. Lots of solutions so not to worry, but to at least be aware of.

Here's one of the biggest changes Sun City will face: The greatest generation tended to trust organizations. They grew up in an era where there was a theory of the "need to know." Power was concentrated in the few elected to represent them. Boomers grew up questioning authority. They figured they had a right to know. Transparency was a necessity and without it, the trust just wasn't going there.

Sun City has been run by those from the greatest generation. They've long held on to the belief some things were best kept secret. Sharing information has been a challenge. Don't get me wrong, there's little or nothing to hide, it's just frustrating to me when we (the RCSC board) acts without first getting a feel from those who live here. Most of the younger folks I know in Sun City want to see a more open and engaging leadership style.

Way more but I love to see and hear you guys join in.

Nice!

 

Here's one of the biggest changes Sun City will face: The greatest generation tended to trust organizations. They grew up in an era where there was a theory of the "need to know." Power was concentrated in the few elected to represent them. Boomers grew up questioning authority. They figured they had a right to know. Transparency was a necessity and without it, the trust just wasn't going there.

Sun City has been run by those from the greatest generation. They've long held on to the belief some things were best kept secret. Sharing information has been a challenge. Don't get me wrong, there's little or nothing to hide, it's just frustrating to me when we (the RCSC board) acts without first getting a feel from those who live here. Most of the younger folks I know in Sun City want to see a more open and engaging leadership style.

Oh I agree with the above. I see this in my club and those who have had the power are reluctant to let go....especially to us younger more progressive boomer types lol. They have their little packs of trusted individuals and hardly anyone can penetrate that. They run a tight ship and I am not suggesting anything is less than honest...just so secretive. I think we are more transparent...or hope to be.

Regarding our homes all looking alike....well I disagree. There is a certain historic ambiance an Atomic Ranch feel to this development and that is why we moved here. We love the retro 60's homes and hope to see many of them retain that look. My husband and I grew tired of the endless rock façade on stucco at our previous development. This city is so unique and it takes a certain open mindedness to see the quality here. We hope to see others that miss the mid century moderns flock here in the future. Long live Sun City.

I love these posts....and thank you for the good reading.

 

Agree!! This thread is a tremendous amount of info.. I personally like transparency and the boomers can only help increase that and improve things in ways that others might not see...

 

I couldn't agree more gang, these kinds of topics are the thing that get my juices flowing. To be able to do it in an open venue setting is far better than behind closed doors with a handful of folks who have all the "power." Don't get me wrong, as a board member I understand my fiduciary obligations and I have no problem making decisions as I am elected to do. I just happen to believe the people living in the community have the right to express their thoughts to help decide what to do.

Someone mentioned earlier about how much communication there is. Jan Ek (general manager) since coming on the scene has done a great job. I think she can do even better. The board sets policy and within those structures we need to loosen up that flow of communication. Our old style of meeting after meeting is netting us small turnouts and little in the way of participation. It begs the question; are there better ways to do it?

That's why I think it is so important we look to the future and begin to shape our process to be more appealing to those yet to buy here. I'm not suggesting we make wholesale changes, but we need be cognizant of what is happening societally and adjust accordingly. There is no question Sun City's future is bright and in my humble opinion, the best is yet to come.

 

Here's one of the challenges Emily: The RCSC does one regular board meeting at night (there are ten per year now with July and August being off months). When we talked about going to two per year the sentiment was it wouldn't draw any more people than the day time meetings. That's what we have been seeing and hearing for years now...why bother?

I am a huge fan of us (the RCSC) doing a better job of explaining how Sun City works to new and potential new buyers. The communication committee I chair has recommended for the 2014 annual meeting we produce what would become a yearly magazine for distribution throughout the community and as a marketing tool. They suggested we review what happened the previous year, preview what was coming in the current year and then really hone in on the finer points of Sun City's inner workings.

We'll see if the board allocates the money to do that for 2014. I for one am delighted with the concept of an annual meeting. In 2013 we held our first on a Saturday and it was quite the show. Of the 500 people that attended, virtually all of them left with nothing but good things to say. This years will be bigger and better and we hope by holding it on Saturday we get some of the younger folks who are still working.

Of course the one issue I take umbrage at is the quorum (at membership meetings). It used to be 100 and that was too low. Then it moved to 3500, a number that was simply unattainable. The board lowered it to 1250, but I still feel it is too high. Unfortunately i'm in the minority. As we evolve, hopefully more/new board members will see the value in giving members more of a voice. I've argued we should hold that discussion with the community, but alas...still minority status for me.

One thing we all know is change is a slow process in any organizational structure. That's the way it should be; especially when things are going as good as they are. The more people speak out, the more quickly and more willing an organization is to change.

 

I do wonder what the community would think of having some sort of architectural review board for future remodels...
Nothing as restrictive as some developments but I would love to see some of the original flavor remain and not watch these homes covered with faux rock and stucco.

 

I for one agree that the more we speak out the better... I also agree with Fiona about the "original flavor" remaining intact as I think the feel of the homes are wonderful....

 

Any changes to the CC&R's would be a massive undertaking by SCHOA. For years residents have suggested an architectural revue board but the cost of attempting it would be astronomical. There are 80 parcels within Sun City and each would have to be voted independently (and passed independently).

There's a bigger question though and frankly I love the fact that we as loosely governed as we are. Most newer developments have CC&R's that read like a phone book, while Sun City's are boiled down to a few scant pages. For boomer's, who traditionally aren't rules oriented, it is a nice selling feature.

But the real question is; isn't the diversity of look a really awesome part of Sun City? I know some folks get sideways over the rebuilds that are going on, but personally I love all of the variations. Folks clinging to that old 60's retro look is cool, but then so are the ultra modern remodels. Think about it in these terms; one of the things Meeker bragged about in his memoirs was the fact they (DEVCO) incorporated all of the various home styles and price ranges side-by-side in Sun City. Homes valued at several hundred thousand dollars next to a garden court apt costing $40,000.

Sun City is unique and one of the things that makes us so is the mere fact we are stodgy and unwilling to allow those differences to show through. Nice in my humble opinion.