In the million or more words i have written on Sun City, i can safely say, i have never had cause to put the 5 words in the header together before; "Building A Sense Of Business." On the other hand, i have written a thousand times or more (most likely way more); "Building A Sense Of Community." The Del Webb Corporation and DEVCO was a wildly successful builder across the country and the world. They were a for-profit corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1960 when it went public. John Meeker in his journals talks about the $164 plus million dollars Sun City made for the company. He was quite proud of those numbers, but he never claimed he did it by trying to build a sense of business; NEVER. He literally knew to be successful, he needed to instill a sense of community. It did so beyond his wildest imagination. For that matter, everyone and anyone who watched it from its inception was stunned. But, let me be clear, this isn't going to be another in my long line of stories about John Meeker. The inspiration for today's musings came directly from the member/board exchange meeting of Oct 10. I could be wrong, but i might be the only one who paid attention to Allan's response to me; the one i ignored but took in and let percolate. See, i have had this discussion/debate before and not engaging is the easiest way to let it slide by without the emotional attachment i had in years past. Watch the video replay of the meeting and you will see what i mean. At one point, he mentioned he had to seek counsel about who owns the RCSC. He was told like so many others before him, "it doesn't belong to the members." It's a semantics word salad that is embroiled in the legalities of the not-for profit tax status. As non profits with an IRS designation, the organization/corporation at the point of dissolution (going out of business), does not in fact, cannot in fact, be given in any way to the membership. It has to be passed on to another similar organization or a reconstructed non profit. It's the law. In a for profit business, with stock holders or an owner(s), they would take the profits from the sale. We're frankly different, and as such, board members are repeatedly told, the members don't own it. However, the single purpose of the corporation is what? "To do anything and everything lawfully necessary in the interest of the members." That's it, end of story. They don't exist to provide jobs for the community (though they do). They aren't trying to accumulate piles of cash (in fact the IRS has issues with non-profits that do that). They aren't here to open our amenities to those living outside the community (though now we are). They simply exist to service the members. John Meeker in his wisdom understood a business plan where the corporation was the end all be all, made business sense. From a survival long term strategy, building a sense of community with underpinnings of ownership, accountability and responsibility was key. It was why i often write he was easily the smartest person in the room (in Sun City). The other day, while i was planning to submit my application as a board candidate, i ordered a book on line. I've run a non-profit, i've given and taken a boatload of classes on trustee (board member) education, but i've always operated on the theory, never stop learning. It has served me nicely. The book was by Jim Collins. His initial success was about for profit companies called Good To Great; not the one i ordered though. I wanted Good To Great, Social Sectors. Damn, there is a difference, I loved the header: "Why Business Thinking Is Not The Answer." Dare i suggest great minds think alike? At any rate, watch the meeting and you'll catch Allan's great awakening to who the true owners of the RCSC is? Stop and ask yourself, if not the member, who? The board of directors? Hardly, we elect them to serve us. The management? Hell no, most of them aren't even members. Who is left? Who truly is the RCSC? Better yet, who are the owners?
It appears the paradigm shift is nearly complete; the move away from a self-governed community to a wholly owned and internally governed corporation is playing out beyond our very eyes. The former gm's rewriting of the documents has stripped the membership of their rights and the board's decision to let management decide almost everything is troubling...at least to me. The worst aspect is they (the board) refuses to hold anyone accountable. It's like the answer to the technology mess; "it's no one's fault." It's like the decision to strip the air conditioning units from the vintage car club; "it's no one's fault." Or how about that new Grand Center where we were told they would build in security measures yet they had to go out and hire off-duty officers; "it's no one's fault." The 8 foot reconstruct to 16 feet tall doors and a reported 160K increase in cost; you got it, "no one's fault." How about the 6 month debacle regarding the POSSE; "no one's fault." I could play this game for a long time, why bother. No one is held accountable, that's how non-profits work. They have traditionally been lax at accountability and responsibility. In fact, that's one of the major differences when working for a private corporation where everyone is held accountable. I would argue, and have for years, that is one of the primary responsibilities of the elected boards. Oversight. This is what happens when, year after year, you turn your back on what you were elected to do and then let the hired help do it. Worse yet, let somebody else write into their job duties absolute and total control. Think about this: At the meeting the other day, when the POSSE showed up in force, the board freely admitted knowing nothing about what was going on. The POSSE commander said, it's been an agonizingly slow simmering discussion, for 6 months. Apparently not a word from the gm to the board. How does that happen? We know, because the gm told us, he sees the RCSC as a business. Okay, then the board's role is to see us as a community? Or not? Because if not, they have truly lost all sense of community and are letting the gm freewheel. If that's where we are, then just admit it and the rest of us can stay home and let whatever happens, happen. This election is the last, best chance to stop the absurdity. If you have read any of the things i have written over the years, you know how strongly i feel about self-governance and the importance of building a sense of community. We are a breath away from it all being gone. This board simply refuses to hold the management team accountable for their decisions. The one thing we know for certain from our history; that's not how we were built or why we were so successful.
I am somewhat surprised that the Posse Board President didn't reach out to the RCSC Board President. But chain of command, I guess. Cook stepped in it. If insurance companies were involved, there is a breakdown in communication in RCSC. The GM not sharing important information with at least the Executive Committee of the Board is bone headed.
It's the new normal Linda. Why bother board members with petty little problems? If i were a board member and that October surprise had been shoved down my throat, not knowing and looking like stone cold idiots, the general manager would be looking for a new business to run. But hey, that's just me.
Bill you like to hear yourself or read your own writing, maybe it's a legacy thing for you. I haven't figured it out. Regardless, facts matter. Have you asked anyone at RCSC or the Sheriff's office why off duty officers were hired for Grand and Oakmont? Have you asked about the results? I asked about Grand as I frequent that facility in particular and travel Grand Avenue often. If you stop offering your own spin and speculation on everything and build relationships with folks, ask the questions, people are happy to provide them and it stops all of this hostility you continue to foster in your posts. Here's what was told to me, the officers were hired due to an increase in drug trafficking in the area, largely due to the convenience store on the corner where drugs were being dealt. A lot of activity overflowed onto RCSC property and the surrounding neighborhood because of it and RCSC was proactive and responsible in hiring officers. That store has new owners, employees and armed guards. Oakmont and the surrounding area has a similar problem I understand and the Sheriff's office is working on this area also.
Maybe you should start reading what i write justthefactsmaam. My biggest problem with the security hired at the two centers, specifically Grand, was we have been told for the past ten years by the RCSC when they build new buildings, they will build security into them. It sounded good, how did it work out at the new Grand Center? Oh wait, it couldn't because the technology is 10 years behind the times (maybe 15) and consequently there was none. Don't bother trying to figure anything out on me JTFM; i'll be happy to explain it to you. Sun City was built by the residents for the residents. Meeker/DEVCO worked tirelessly to build a community (not a business) that would survive. They helped create perfect documents where the partnership between the board, members and management worked to use your words, symbiotic. But hell, we've had this discussion too many times before haven't we? It's all good brother, you believe all the power and control belongs in the hands of management (hired help) with apparently the board looking over his shoulder but not saying anything and i believe it's a shared right of the members to have a voice. Come on bro, this isn't that difficult.
I guess justthefactsmaam didn't want to have the discussion. I don't blame him. He wasn't in the room the day of the meeting, neither saw nor talked to the off duty officer in the room (to the officers credit, stayed out of the way and unnoticed). Even with that, jtfm came on and suggested i was wrong. And to be perfectly, i have been wrong before and i suspect will be wrong again. When i am and find out, will promptly admit it. As long as you asked, is it a legacy thing? Hardly, knowing and reading the history of this remarkable community has shown me countless numbers of folks who were like me, committed to making Sun City the best it could be. To be very clear, there were very good people (nope, not like Charlotte), on both sides of the argument. See jtfm, here's where we differ, i 100% believe there should be differing opinions. I believe there should be discord and discourse to arrive at the best outcomes. You on the other hand have saw fit to shrink the pool of commentary and involvement. It's too bad because several of your efforts were moving in the right direction; and then you'd bail. I'll never understand it, but so what? It matters not. When push came to shove, you moved away from the community having a real voice and simply let them say things and pay no attention. You bought into the previous gm's argument, only the angry show up. It is what it is, we are where we are. This election will determine whether members matter or not. I suspect the forces will rally behind the empty promises of indoor dog arenas and some glimmer the golf courses will someday be profitable even if we have to give play way to outsiders. We will continue to dangle the big fix on our technology debacle and the 40 million dollar plus theater. You know as well, or better than i, putting stuff on the PIF budget as a placeholder is simply placating the masses. You know the ultimate control that used to be centered in the boards hands (and members) now resides with the general manager; hell a guy i'm told you didn't even want to hire.
