Some of you are crossover members of both TOSC and members of the Sun City Advocates; some aren't. Yesterday i wrote my final comments on the Advocates page. I've done a lot of the writing on that blog since we began in the fall of 2021. The Advocates arrived on the scene after the RCSC board fired Karen McAdam in June of 2021. At the first meeting back in September, the proverbial stuff hit the fan. RCSC members arrived to find 3 armed guards and a hostile setting with the meeting ending within 3 minutes. Once the board ran off the stage and out the back door, the new GM threatened to have members remaining in the room arrested for trespassing. Cooler heads finally prevailed and a movement was born. A small group (about a dozen of us) gathered to try and create a member support group. After much deliberation, we decided on one goal: elect candidates who believed the membership should have a voice. Some of the initial group faded away while a handful of us hung on and kept pushing. Here are my final thoughts as i walk away from the group: Adios, Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehen ... Until We Meet Again Ten for Ten Let me start at the end of the story and work forward. This past year's RCSC board election results brought us to a perfect score; ten endorsed candidates over three years and ten winners. The funny thing is, it was never about winning, our focus was always on the outcome of those elections. To be very clear, the word "our" was those of you who joined, followed, and voted for those ten candidates who stated they wanted the RCSC membership to be involved. I have no intention of re-living how we (the Sun City Advocates) got here. It's a long and sordid story of intrigue, strange hiring and firings, and a mindless string of decisions that made little or no sense. Suffice to say, the Advocates were born from adversity and evolved to become a ragtag group focused on change. Our strategy was clearly defined: Communication, Education, and Participation. When we first started meeting, the core group was larger and the ideas were all over the map. As the number dwindled down, we decided to keep it simple. One goal that was easily measurable: "Elect candidates who believed the members mattered." Individually we had a lot of ideas, but ultimately, we believed it should be the members' voices that mattered, not necessarily ours. A former board member used to claim the relationship between the members, board, and management should be symbiotic. Unfortunately, it never was. The general manager always held more clout with a handful of board members adding their voices. The members were not so much a part of the equation. 2023, A Banner Year for Change If we are to be perfectly honest, 2023 started out rocky and remained chaotic through a good portion of it. Change is always hard and seldom without problems. The first bright spot came when the Mountain View fiasco was put on hold and the Strategic Alternatives Committee (SAC) was created. Again, not without issues, and certainly, those involved would have set it up differently and done it better. The best result was the level of member engagement throughout the year. The second big surprise came out of the Budget and Finance Committee meetings that were held throughout the summer months. CFO and interim general manager Kevin McCurdy's candidly blunt explanation of the challenges facing the RCSC was staggering. With 20 million dollars in deferred maintenance needs defined, it was clear the RCSC was remiss, and the board's oversight failed miserably. Add in the technology woes along with golf issues and the cost to get back on track would be neither cheap nor fast. Then the good news hit. A new general manager was hired and he took the reins without a lot of fanfare or bluster. After four months, he has made long overdue changes, and it is obvious he has his vision for the future. The best part is they are in line with the board's commitment to listen to the membership. Dare I say, symbiotic? It's Time For This One Man's Opinion To Go Quiet Sorry, as usual, I always write too much. The above was simply my way of saying thanks, see you all later. I've been on this ride for more years than I care to admit. My dream for Sun City to return to its roots where the membership mattered was dashed and I was hopeless. I just wasn't smart enough to give up. I was rewarded when a lot of members joined the battle for a better Sun City. Even then, I doubted it. You all proved me wrong, time and time again. I was stunned to see members care, stand up, speak out, and push past the point I ever imagined. My/our goal was never to tell the board what to do. We expected them to be willing to listen and work with the membership to achieve the best outcomes. In my humble opinion, we are there and then some. It's time for me to step away from the Advocates and let it take its own natural course. I simply am overwhelmed with gratitude for all of you who became activists and embraced a belief WE could make a difference. Sun City has always been a place where the core values of responsibility, accountability, and ownership have forged a sense of community. Awesome to be back there. I have always understood, in everything I have written, spoken and done: This is just one man's opinion, no more valuable or important than the next. Bill Pearson. Sun City Advocates Retired and Sun City Historian.
Speaking as and Advocate, it must be said that Bill was one of our rocks and his knowledge of the Sun City history is invaluable! We will miss him greatly but I suspect he will not be too far away? As far as the future of the Sun City Advocates? Don't really know but I'm sure we won't be far away either. And always remember our goal, Communication, Education, and Participation. Get involved, stay involved. It's the communities responsibility as to whether we continue to succeed or whether we fall behind. Happy Healthy New Year to all, and thanks Bill for your service!
