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6 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | JULY 2022 | By Joe Formino, Chairman, District Delegate Assembly Communication is the life blood of any organization. Sun Lakes Country Club is no exception. Without communication, we have no idea what is happening in our complex. We should. After all, we own everything within our walls. Both meetings held by elected officials have been moved to make communication better for all members of our HOA. The District Delegate Assembly changed the date of their meeting to accommodate the Board of Directors. The Board requested the change from the second Thursday of the month to the first Thursday of the month. This would allow the Assembly meeting to be closer to the Board meeting and let the Districts publish their newsletters earlier with a news release after the Board meeting. The location was changed to the Ballroom from the South Clubhouse to allow Channel 97 to air the meeting live and tape it for showing throughout the month. The South Clubhouse is not conducive to taping for television. The meeting of the Board of Directors was changed from 6:30 pm to 3 pm on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Hopefully the time change will allow more residents to attend the meetings. Further, the Board had supplied more information on their agenda as requested from the members. What does all of this mean? It means the Board of Directors and the Delegate Assembly are trying to gain more attendance and participation in the governing of our complex. In the last 10 years, we have lost interest and participation in our HOA, our meetings, our elections, our clubs, and our volunteering. No one seems to be able to explain why this is happening. What is your guess? It seems to have happened when we began to see a turnover of homes due to deaths and aging in our community. The majority of the newcomers moving to Sun Lakes are looking for a place to live, not an active senior community in which to be involved. That is one theory. Another is that the members are aging and are not able to participate any longer. Add in the fact that many new homeowners are still employed and not able to be part of the active community during the week. Like anything else that happens during a lifetime, it's probably a combination of all of the reasons you can think of. It is obvious early residents of Sun Lakes have grown older and can no longer or do not want to participate any longer. Equally, there is the belief that newcomers don't want to be bothered or take part or volunteer in community affairs. These are reasons why our club or group attendance is reduced, why we do not get volunteers for our Advisory Committees, and why we do not have attendance at our public meetings. So what can the active part of our community do about it? We believe it begins with the Delegates. When residents move into a District, the Delegate should meet and greet them and invite them to the next event in the District. New residents should be asked if they will help do some project in the District. The residents should be encouraged to become active in their District. This is not happening in many Districts. Various clubs and groups should take a page from the marketing handbook and do some PR work to gain membership. We live in one of the most beautiful complexes for seniors. Further, it is financially solvent and extremely well cared for. Viewing our gated community, most people would not believe we are more than 35 years old. We can thank the diligence and concern of past Boards who maintained our buildings and common areas. As individuals, we can be an active part of our community and urge our neighbors and friends to join us in some activity. There is nothing like having friends enjoy fun things with you. DISTRICT DELEGATE ASSEMBLY REPORT New Residents Encouraged To Get Involved

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