Let's Talk About Sun City...

Discussion in 'Sun City General Discussions' started by BPearson, Sep 9, 2022.

  1. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    Right now, at this exact moment, might just be the most opportune time in a very long time regarding Sun City's future. I have literally written millions of words about the community we all love. Across any number of platforms, websites, blogs, newspaper articles and magazines that have been produced. Hell, i even wrote a script for one of the videos we shot because those filming it wanted a story board to follow.

    We bought in Sun City in 1999 and moved here permanently in 2003. The first 10 years living here we traveled a bit. The last 10 i've embraced a new philosophy, if i can't get there on my golf car, i don't want to go. Everything i need or want is right here within the walls (save an occasional trip to COSTCO).

    With all of that aside, i told someone the other day, this is the first time in a very long time i feel positive about Sun City's future. My first 10 years i spent writing fluff feel good stuff; volumes of it. The 5 magazines (3 for the RCSC and 2 for SCHOA) were all about the genius of a self-made, self-governed community.

    I became jaundiced while serving on the RCSC board (2012-2014). When i left i commented it was a place where ideas went to die. My fellow board members were contented to let the gm set the course. Tragically her primary course was all things golf. Golf is important, but it's not the end all be all she made it.

    Worse yet, every step of the way, the community's documents were rewritten and members rights and their voices were obliterated. I watched it, bemoaned it and voted against it. None of that mattered. By the time i left it was clear the direction Sun City was headed in was adverse to the way it was built and why it had been so successful.

    When i talked about history, it was like i was speaking in tongues. I was continually told we have to look forward. Okay, but why would we not pay attention to the most successful age restricted community in the country's past and try and emulate those successes? The tenets of ownership, responsibility and accountability all led to an end product built around a sense of community.

    The answers were both easy and clear. Sun City's direction was forged on a "fun city." One where we were no longer the owner/members, but the cardholders. The community was encouraged to just let the management team and the board take care of everything. The concept of volunteerism would just get in the way of trying to market Sun City.

    It would be easy to argue whether it was a good choice, or a bad. Sales are strong, money is plentiful and the community is prospering. The biggest fault i have with this is, no one bothered to ask the membership. No one cared what they thought. Anyone who understands the history of this community knows, literally every step of the way, the membership made those decisions.

    Those running the community, from DEVCO the first 18 years through all of the leadership changes via the elected process to RCSC boards, they all embraced the idea that members mattered. Through committees with a voice, constant polling and questionnaires and monthly meetings where the memberships voices were heard loudly and clearly. The safeguards built into our documents mandated it.

    Once those guard rails were gone, members quit coming, quit caring. With virtually no one in the room for board meetings, there was never push back. With no push back, the management just did what they thought was right. The board seldom questioned, challenged or told them no.

    When the shit hit the fan in June of 2021 and the board fired Karen McAdam, everything changed. That single decision ignited a spark that hasn't died out yet. In fact, it's getting hotter. If you think not, come to the September Member/Board exchange meeting. Lots of rumors floating about turnout, we'll see.

    It's one of the reasons i am so excited about the turn of the calendar into 2023. For the first time in a long time we may elect a majority of board members who believe members matter. Once that happens, i look forward to writing fluff pieces about this amazing community. Not because change will be immediate, but because we will finally be on track to stop the move away from the tenets that made Sun City so unique, so special and move towards them.

    Stay tuned, lots to discuss.
     
  2. pegmih

    pegmih Well-Known Member

    I might have asked this before.
    Will I be able to vote online?
     
  3. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    Yes.
     
  4. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    Back on task, writing about all the good things in Sun City is both fun and easy. I long to go back to those "good old days." I truly do. Over the years, any number of readers/members of TOSC have left because i've gone "negative." While i have tried to balance it out, i have often failed. The upside of Sun City; affordable, clean, quiet and a million things to do, are obvious to the naked eye.

    The less obvious stuff needs to be pointed out. As members have either been pushed away or simple elected to stay away, it's really easy to pay no mind to any of it. Something as easy as building a sense of community takes a back seat as everyone withdraws into their own little niche. Clubs and organizations don't work in concert, but independent of one another. The RCSC used to be the glue that held the community together. I would have argued for more (and i did), but over the past 15 plus years it's gotten worse.

    Clubs used to be heavily promoted. I've heard comments the goal is less clubs with an emphasis on consolidation. One could open up the Sun Views, years ago when it was in print form, and see clubs reports and promotion (like Sun City West still does to this day). The rebuttal i suspect is they are doing the same thing but updated with the monthly Focus piece. It's well done, but what is its reach? I would argue, it would have been a nice addition to the printed word, not a replacement for it.

    The other day, i had coffee with Ben Roloff who told me Life Long Learning was on death's door. The pandemic hit them hard and now there's little left to salvage. This has always been one of my loudest laments. In 1978, Continuing Education programs in Sun City had 1600 attendees. Added to those remarkable figures was the yearly Lecture Series that had massive crowds show up to hear celebrity speakers. The cerebral side of staying active was celebrated and promoted by DEVCO. Not everyone wanted to play golf or lay by the pool.

    There was a time when the RCSC payed OSHER to put on educational programs. When the Sun Dial roof collapsed, they cancelled it. Tragic, because if you look at our competition, virtually every one of them has accelerated programs. Admittedly the cost is higher than our Life Long Learning club was ($20 per year), but the programing was often provided by educations of higher learning. Now we will be left with nothing. What will the RCSC do?

    There's little value in recanting our technology woes, but the reality is, the fact we failed to invest in ourselves by staying current puts us at a competitive disadvantage. Now we are forced to try and get back up to speed. All of which puts us behind the eight ball regarding security. It will take years in spite of their best efforts. Pat on the back for trying, but we should never have been put in this position. Many of us have been telling them that for years, they neither listened or cared.

    My complaints have been repeated too many times to count over the years; both on these pages and at meetings. They simply didn't care. Why should they? Board after board had been led to believe the general manager had all the answers. That loyalty to the corporation was the end all be all. With dwindling attendance at meetings (20 would be an average), and documents rewritten to insulate the board and the management from any real push back, they just did as they pleased.

    For lack of a better word, once the community awakened, the board nor management knew what to do, or for that matter, even how to act. The last 4 months of 2021 was one of the most shameful periods in Sun City's history. With members showing up in force, we saw the worst in them. It all culminated at the Dec membership meeting where they violated their own Articles of Incorporation by telling us we had no right to vote. It was bull shit then, it still is to this day.

    One could argue, we've all learned during the past year. The numbers of members attending the member/board exchanges has grown. The comments are on point and the membership has aggressively learned to speak up and out about what they want. The challenge is summarized in the white board summary of solutions to issues raised. Members talk, the board claims they resolved an issue by stamping "completed" on it. Whether is was or wasn't appears to be immaterial.

    But hell, it's a start. Small steps forwards are always better than moving backwards. My excitement may not be obvious, but it truly is. We are looking at an election this year for three new board members who could give us the majority of seats filled by people who believe members matter. How freaking refreshing would that be.

    Stay tuned, as we become optimists and excited about our future.
     
    eyesopen and Linda McIntyre like this.

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