Summer 2015
August 30, 2015
Greetings!
I blinked and a year went by. Yes, that's right. I've held no meetings--but I thought about it a lot-- I did not organize the Winter Party--but I fretted over it all winter-- I did not organize any summer activities--but I felt guilty all summer--and, yes, I didn't get around to setting an AGM and picnic date until now. But I meant to. So, suffice it to say, I am well on my way down that proverbial road paved with good intentions.....and we all know where that leads. (...is it getting warm in here?)
I don't like being that person who always complains about being too busy but, indulge me this once. I did go back to school and I did also take on some extra work outside of my regular day job. So two jobs plus school.....does that give me the right to use the "I was too busy" excuse? You can say, 'no'. I should have asked for help or tried to pass the torch (more like a hot potato these days) but instead I blinked...and a year went by.
Right now, as we prepare for another Annual General Meeting, I reflect on all of the conversations that have taken place about the Association this past year. We're in crisis. There's no gentler way to say it. Our membership has diminished to the point that we cannot afford the taxes, insurance and maintenance on the park and beach accesses. We have seen an unprecedented number of houses change hands in recent years. There are very few residents left who remember the old days of the Association and we seem to be having great difficulty engaging new members. Yet, all summer long I see people I don't recognize using the east beach access to get to the lake. And all year long, I hear real estate agents talking up the neighbourhood because of the Association, its park and its beach access.
In the old days, the Association Treasurer would knock on doors and write letters in order to make sure every single household was paid up to date. But those were the days when this community was not part of the Town of Port Dover. There was no garbage pick-up, no town water, no sewer, and no road maintenance. The Association lobbied the Town and worked hard to bring services to the community. They also installed breakwater piers (all those rock groins you see at the beach) in order to create and preserve beach. They installed stairs to the beach in the west end and maintained the access in the east end. Not paying dues wasn't really an option. But now that we enjoy all of the amenities our predecessors fought for, it is easy to forget that the Association still operates and still has expenses.
This begs the $64,000 dollar question (and, yes, that's a reference to a game show that aired before I was even born): How do we get everyone to pay dues? The sub-questions would be something like:
How do we increase awareness of and appreciation for the Association?
Can we reinvent the Association to make it more relevant and, therefore, valued in today's community?
Is "community" dead? (I know, too nihilistic. We'll save that question for another time).
Last fall, I thought I should build a questionnaire to survey the neighbourhood on the park, the beach accesses, the bills, the dues, and what we can do to revitalize the Association and get more people involved. I still want to do this; I'm just looking for an opportunity to carve out the time it will take (.....I just advanced 3 blocks down the proverbial road, didn't I?). So put on your thinking caps and ponder what a viable neighbourhood association looks like to you. Do we run raffles? Turn the park into a community garden? Organize events? What events?
What can Rita Park Cottagers Association do for you?
(oh, and do you want to be president??)
I blinked and a year went by. Yes, that's right. I've held no meetings--but I thought about it a lot-- I did not organize the Winter Party--but I fretted over it all winter-- I did not organize any summer activities--but I felt guilty all summer--and, yes, I didn't get around to setting an AGM and picnic date until now. But I meant to. So, suffice it to say, I am well on my way down that proverbial road paved with good intentions.....and we all know where that leads. (...is it getting warm in here?)
I don't like being that person who always complains about being too busy but, indulge me this once. I did go back to school and I did also take on some extra work outside of my regular day job. So two jobs plus school.....does that give me the right to use the "I was too busy" excuse? You can say, 'no'. I should have asked for help or tried to pass the torch (more like a hot potato these days) but instead I blinked...and a year went by.
Right now, as we prepare for another Annual General Meeting, I reflect on all of the conversations that have taken place about the Association this past year. We're in crisis. There's no gentler way to say it. Our membership has diminished to the point that we cannot afford the taxes, insurance and maintenance on the park and beach accesses. We have seen an unprecedented number of houses change hands in recent years. There are very few residents left who remember the old days of the Association and we seem to be having great difficulty engaging new members. Yet, all summer long I see people I don't recognize using the east beach access to get to the lake. And all year long, I hear real estate agents talking up the neighbourhood because of the Association, its park and its beach access.
In the old days, the Association Treasurer would knock on doors and write letters in order to make sure every single household was paid up to date. But those were the days when this community was not part of the Town of Port Dover. There was no garbage pick-up, no town water, no sewer, and no road maintenance. The Association lobbied the Town and worked hard to bring services to the community. They also installed breakwater piers (all those rock groins you see at the beach) in order to create and preserve beach. They installed stairs to the beach in the west end and maintained the access in the east end. Not paying dues wasn't really an option. But now that we enjoy all of the amenities our predecessors fought for, it is easy to forget that the Association still operates and still has expenses.
This begs the $64,000 dollar question (and, yes, that's a reference to a game show that aired before I was even born): How do we get everyone to pay dues? The sub-questions would be something like:
How do we increase awareness of and appreciation for the Association?
Can we reinvent the Association to make it more relevant and, therefore, valued in today's community?
Is "community" dead? (I know, too nihilistic. We'll save that question for another time).
Last fall, I thought I should build a questionnaire to survey the neighbourhood on the park, the beach accesses, the bills, the dues, and what we can do to revitalize the Association and get more people involved. I still want to do this; I'm just looking for an opportunity to carve out the time it will take (.....I just advanced 3 blocks down the proverbial road, didn't I?). So put on your thinking caps and ponder what a viable neighbourhood association looks like to you. Do we run raffles? Turn the park into a community garden? Organize events? What events?
What can Rita Park Cottagers Association do for you?
(oh, and do you want to be president??)
Posted by Sally Landon.
