Where Do We Go From Here?

Yesterday, March 27, was an interesting day and one that may will be remembered as a turning point in Sun City's long and storied history. For those unaware, a board member announced her resignation at the board meeting and just hours later, the general manager left, immediately. Whether the two events were related, or not, at this point is immaterial.

Anyone who knows or follows RCSC's history, knows this is neither new or all that unusual. GM's come and go, board members resign for a variety of reasons. I have had a standard rule of thumb for my volunteer options over the years; if it isn't fun or challenging, why do it? I quit.

Before we answer the question, let me quickly dispatch the tinny, whiny lament Sun City is a horrible place to live. To each their own, but for the vast majority of Sun City residents, living here doesn't get much better, or much more affordable. I know those living here and hoping we would always just be a cheap place to live are in for a rude awakening. Those days are gone...but the reality is they are gone everywhere that are built on a similar platform as ours. Nothing is cheap to own and maintain, no matter where you live.

And while the "grass is always greener on the other side of the road crowd" tout other communities, those opinions are from afar and without much understanding of the reality. Sun City West has done an amazing job via their Torch program, yet this year, they have 4 board candidates who have attached themselves to the board member who was recalled a few years back by 77% of the members. They also are on their third GM in the past several years.

If we look at The Grand (formerly Sun City Grand) they have their own unique set of issues. Without belaboring the massive cost differences between us and them (i couldn't afford to live there), the bigger issue is in their community construct. Their Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&R's) are built into the community documents and are bible-like in thickness. If you violate them, you can lose amenity privileges and they are processed and assessed strictly. Not my cup of tea.

The point here is every community comes with its own baggage and challenges. None are perfect, none ever will be. All three of our communities (Sun City, Sun City West and The Grand) are filled with happy and contented seniors; and all three have their handful of naysayers. Just the way it is.

With that set up out of the way, let me just move towards the question at hand; "where do we go from here." The inspiration for this topic came late last evening as i received emails from several members who feel exactly the same way i do about Sun City; we love it here.

They were concerned and while i understood how the day's events triggered their emotions and comments, i fell down on a wholly different point of view than them. Over the years, i've had more than my share of tumultuous times where my immediate reaction was to get frustrated, angry or dejected about the future.

I also learned those exact moments in time were better looked at as opportunities, not as set-backs. Sorry for being objectively positive but there's a reason for it. Most of know and understand the term status quo. When everything moves along okay, the impetus to get better, do better simply isn't there.

Virtually every positive change i made personally or in my work life or volunteer life came when the proverbial shirt hit the fan. Tough times force us to look within and fix what's broken. If we don't, it gets worse and only fools let it get worse.

Those remaining on the board, in management positions or members of this community aren't fools. I'll close by just telling you history tells us (often) when faced with adversity or challenges, the community has always pulled ourselves out of it...and been better for it.

I'll end it here, refresh my coffee and finish my thoughts in the next post.

 

Dang, this cup of coffee is Agelino's coconut macaroon, delicious. Quickly two incidents to my point: When elected president of the local union, i initially believed i had to have every answer, within 6 weeks i realized i had to listen to the members, they had the answers, my job was to deliver on them. In 2005 when 5 of us were elected to the SCHOA board we found ourselves in a state of disarray. By the end of June of our first year, 13 of the 14 employees quit en masse. All of the board members picked up the pieces but we knew our salvation was directly tied to those living here, those we served. Our job became far easier when we turned to them for our answers.

Both cases have the same parable; look within. No one has all the answers. We had a wonderfully nice GM for years, much loved by most. So much so we trusted her every move. It's how we got to where we are today. SCHOA in the mid 2015's went through similar growing pains where their executive director wanted them to be the Chamber of Commerce, letting their first obligation of CC&R enforcement slide. Things got better when she left.

Our history is filled with fights, struggles, challenges and obstacles. We never shirked them, we faced them. When i say we, i mean the membership, not just the leadership. The current board of 8 will do themselves a disservice if they think every solution has to be of their making. No offense, they're not that good, no on is.

Sun City is filled with talented people. Most aren't looking for a job, but many are willing to lift a hand, be a part of big picture Sun City. If the board comes to grips with that simple premise, the events of 3/27/2025 will be the path forward to a better Sun City. I've got a lot more to say, but i need go see my health care provider to see if i'll be around a little longer to share my thoughts.

So much to say and do, so little time.

 

If i wasn't clear enough in the first two posts, let me say it again: The answer to the question, "where do we go from here?' is abundantly obvious; the answer is community, community, community. And to be even more clear, we are the community...each of us living in Sun City.

We've heard the laments from those who believe volunteering and ownership in the process of self-governance is outdated and passe. And for some, it is. They have lives and work and perhaps don't care about what happens. There's nothing wrong with that, and rather than agonize over those who won't, we need focus on those who will.

Would it surprise anyone if i told you i got a private message from a person who read my remarks on the Facebook Chat group telling me of their email to the board offering to help as headhunters. It was what she did for a living and would simply be a value added commodity in the process. It was exactly how Sun City worked until we ran from it.

I wrote to those reaching out to me last night my vision for moving forward included advocacy groups, think tanks and resident councils. Engage the membership at levels members are comfortable in and with. We know this about volunteers from the baby boomers, they aren't looking for lifetime commitments, they like short term, goal oriented projects tailored to their skill set.

Those were just the quick hits and easy targets. Expanding the options helps generate that sense of community we are lacking in. Let me make the task even more daunting. We just lost the director of golf. As i told one member in an email exchange last night, that position may well be the most important one we fill.

Golf is a mess right now and will only get worse as costs explode, rounds diminish and weather and water gets to be even more problematic. There's countless professionals out there who qualify as community "experts" (for all the other stuff). On the other hand, finding a golf "expert" who has the where-with-all to address all of our problems and fit into our budget constraints may well be an impossible task. Turning to the golf community will be a strain because so many of them are focused on cheap golf and those days are gone. Sorry.

Let me just close with this: We have an enormous opportunity to rebuild, rebrand, rejuvenate or even re-invent our, (let me shout it) OUR community. No matter which "RE" you choose, do not expect the board or a new GM to do it alone. This is on all of us who want Sun City to be the best it can be. We can turn this into a community event that becomes a community celebration of epic proportions.

Just one man's opinion eh?

 

Bill,

You have provided a great deal of food for thought. I, too, believe the recent events presents an opportunity to regroup without delaying the difficult discussions that need to take place about MountainView. In my experience every successful organization has a core of "believers" with a common set of values. These believers carry an amazing amount of energy which infects those that identify with the values and how the believers are practicing those values. Sounds religious but it is not. It is human nature.

The leaders of any successful organization understand that they are secondary to the members of the organization. No single person or small group of people can do all the heavy lifting. Realizing this, the wise leader quite often choses to lead by example and from behind. I saw this trait in Tom Foster and that is why I was so pleased when he asked me how he could get involved some years ago. I am quite certain he may not feel the same way about me right now but, with time, I believe he will see that I have the best interests of the community.

I will close with this observation. Two of the many successful people I know have epitomized how putting yourself second is the only way to put the organization first. One is a retired CEO I know well who stated it quite simply; we do not eat until they eat, and we do not sleep until they sleep. The other is a pipefitter friend of mine who is now CEO of a large construction company. In one of his more prolific moments, his VP of HR mentioned that they were spending a great deal on training and was concerned that the employees would get trained and then leave. My friend simply responded that he was more concerned about if the employees are not trained and stay. These so-called servant leaders are getting rarer, and Tom is the closest thing I have seen to this in our community. He could have me fooled.

Stated simply, this is a time to unify for the greater good.

 

Well said John and if the board goes about this in a positive way, the sky is the limit. I've long understood i'm well past my prime, that we need younger, smarter members involved and the easiest way to do is to be creative by identifying needs and begin forging groups with specific talents. Typically around the lines of what they did for a living, but also with those who want to be a part of something pretty special.

Ben's favorite mantra for any group we were involved with was to set goals and then devise a plan to accomplish the task. He also insisted on measuring outcomes on a yearly basis. There's nothing new or unique about it, unfortunately our leadership hasn't felt the need to do much of any of those things. I would argue, this is absolutely the time to start.

One of the things i heard last night that was encouraging, were the utilization numbers regarding the Sun City Foundation. We know there are folks who need a hand on paying the assessment and last year they set a record (i think) and this year, may well be even larger. That's one of the great aspects of our community, the help is out there. We need do a better job of promoting it.

I've often said i write for myself. It always helps me better understand and sort out my thoughts. I also know some board members read some of the stuff i write, and for obvious reasons some of my thoughts are to help them be successful. If nothing else, i am a resource regarding our history and after 22 years of hands on experience, there isn't much i haven't seen.

The good news is, i posted a link to this thread just before going to doctor at 11 am. There's been 500 plus reads and a a lot of Facebook comments. I know all of this falls back on the board, but they can quickly ease the pressure by turning it back at the community by asking for their help.

The only real question is; will they?

 

I hope the answer is yes ...

 

No comment.

Most current board members are in their upper 70's nearing 80. I absolutely agree, how is a boomer going to know what Gen X wants? Maybe have a combo Boomer Gen X happy hour?

 

There is a club known as NextGen. Many of the members are of the younger set. Hopefully some of them will step forward.

 

I hope they do too. I may even want to join in on that conversation to rid this place of the dysfunction that has been going on for over 15 years

 

I joined thinking there would be more my age . . . . not from what I've seen yet. I hope I'm mistaken.

If GenX'ers step fwd, there has to be a willingness to listen. I certainly can share my experience after nearly 4 years. I'm now showing a bit more of my 'passion' as I continue to volunteer my time and effort - wonder why?

I hope the answer is yes, and they want the members' help . . . . the ad-hoc committee and the way it's assembly is approached is a good place to start.

 

IMHO we are off to a bad start... I heard recently that a certain director who will chair the ad hoc committee blackballed from the committee any member who made a motion. For avoidance of doubt, I am not interested in participating in such a committee as I think there are better ways to go about the process. If true, I think any such action violates the members rights. I too was asked to withdraw my application for another committee by yet another board member, so this seems to be a pattern. I am perfectly fine with the director's right to choose committee members for any ad hoc committee, but I wish they would make the selections based on the merits and not openly discriminate against members who chose to be active in their community. I find this type of behavior, if it occurred, completely unacceptable. I will ask the question and see if there is any answer.

 

And what you heard is not a rumor but the absolute truth. I was told personally that I would not, could not serve on the Ad Hoc Bylaws committee because I submitted an amendment to the Bylaws for the Annual Membership Meeting.

It just saddens me that people who actually took the time to research the Bylaws and show a caring interest in Sun City are denied participation.

I wonder if guests will be shut-out of these committee meetings as they were the last time they attempted to rewrite the bylaws?

 

If I understand correctly, the proposed chair of the proposed ad hoc committee has already made it clear who is allowed to be on the committee, those that are active in the community are not welcome to participate? If this is a true statement, then what we have, imho, another dog and pony show. This would indicate, to me, the outcome has already been determined by the proposed director leading this project.
I am most disappointed that the board would take this possible position and attempt to impede this committee from performing the task at hand. I am not accusing anyone, as I stated, this is alleged activity and will continue to be curious to the outcome of the formation of this committee and who is chosen to represent the members.

Post script to this comment: the committee has already been invalidated by not allowing members involved in community service activities or have voiced concerns about the community from participating. Why bother moving forward, if the outcome is already predetermined?

 

I am sorry to hear this, Tom. I know that you have expertise in this area. Also, you present your thoughts logically without yelling and accusations. You would be a good member of that committee. I hope they reconsider this approach because it doesn't put them in a good light.

 

You understand it correctly.

The reasoning was that it wouldn't be fair to allow only some of those who submitted motions and amendments on the committee but not others.

Seems to me, at the very least, there should have been some sort of interview process in place to determine if those applying were in fact knowledgeable enough, and had things to contribute rather just a blanket rejection?

 

Thanks Janet. But if reconsidered I would have to think hard whether or not to accept a position on the committee. Seems to me that too many things are predetermined and it would be no fun bumping-up against a brick wall everytime a suggestion is made that the Chair or Co-Chair didn't like.

It seems, at least from what I have seen, many of our Chairs dictate committee meetings rather than simply presiding over them. It should be the decision of the Committee members, by vote, whether something moves forward or not, not the decision of the Chair.

 

This is truly disgusting!

 

If things like this are not disclosed to the owners, it will remain the same. I have been checking houses for sale on a somewhat regular basis and yesterday there were 623 not including pending/contingent. It has been steady around that number for about 4 months now. January sales were 89 homes, February was 111.

 

While I did not apply as I am already putting in enough volunteer time, I also don't need to bang my head up against another wall.

I submitted motions to right the wrong of what happened to the LRP committee last year - I even modified what I initially wanted to recommend in an effort to balance both sides - Board and Member - doesn't matter because the decision was made last year on the Committee language and Board control.

I tried at nauseum to get Board members to connect with me - by multiple emails (directly to the Board member that caused the issue, followed by emails to all the Board), followed by a meeting with Jim Rough to only be snubbed when I raised the reasonable concern at the Dec 19th Board meeting. And now this - not even the respect of communication/inclusion consideration of those that raised motions. Why on earth would anyone not question the decision of loading 4 Directors on the committee followed by ostracizing all that submitted bylaw motions? Speaks volumes. This does not bode well for moving in the "right" direction.

And yes, FYI, as you know - I've written the Board twice about this terrible approach and to make things "right", among other things.

I could say more - I present truths and directly - even though some don't like to hear them or my approach . . . we need truth and transparency - as we know perception is reality. Flowery diplomacy didn't work, nor does directness either.

We are not off to a good start. How do you move forward when issues of the past are left ignored/swept under the rug? Communication goes a LONG way.

And while I agree people should not have been mean to Connie, I have a different perspective that I could share, but I won't (nice person, wrong approach many times). Always 2 sides that should be considered. And the fact that yet one more director, on her way out, slammed the LRP committee for something that the management team actually did to LRP when developing the BP-16 form, tells me all I need to know. No, I'm not a "poison dispenser" as one Board Member referenced "members/constituents" as -- that's a terrible thing to say -- I have integrity, I want truth, I want transparency, and I want a well-managed organization.

So saddened by it all - and all the time I've wasted. And no, we are not just a small group of disgruntled members - we are intelligent members that want the BEST for ALL of Sun City.

 

Exactly what my recommended motions suggested for ad-hoc bylaw committees - imagine that . . . .