Longview Hills @ Newport Oregon

Results of the poll and a comment from Ron Thomas....

Here are 10 items that the Social Club could work toward getting for the Social Club. Let's see which gets the most votes?

Answers Votes Percent 1. New Chairs for the club house. 3 9% 2. Recover the pool tables. 0 0% 3. Buy a wide screen TV. 10 29% 4. New couches and chairs for the clubhouse. 2 6% 5. A new Popcorn Machine. 0 0% 6. AED (Automatic Elecltric Defibulator) 10 29% 7. CERT Projects for emergency preparedness. 0 0% 8. More & new emergency Lighting in the clubhouse. 0 0% 9. Comprehensive 1st aid kit for the clubhouse. 5 14% 10. Canned Smoke to check residents smoke alarms. 5 14%

Here is what I think.... It would be a good thing for the Social Club to always have a goal defined for its members. Something to work for. Working for a goal gives it value... Having it handed to you on a silver platter without doing anything, with no effort or sacrifice on your part devalues whatever it is.

"After all it didn't cost me nuthin so why should I care?" That seems to be the attitude these days. So I'm saying rather than robbing the treasury to buy whatever the club's whim is... let's identify it and then work for it. If we come up short we can ask for help from the treasurer but to not even make an effort beyond raising your hand and voting... that makes me feel uncomfortable.

As far as I know, most of the things the Social Club has acquired from the owners of the park or through donation. Like Jacky Memoli who bought the 2 excellent microwaves for the clubhouse and if I'm not mistaken the popcorn machine too. Older timers will remember other gracious souls.

It should be the goal of each incoming Social Club Board and the membership to set a goal for a new, wonderful item and find a way for us to work for it for a year.

Because the Social Club does have a fat treasury means that worry free events can be held because the money, if needed, is there to back us up. It allows more freedom of choice how the club operates. It means the cash is there to help over a rough spot. It means freedom to plan free events or low cost events. It means it can offer support to member clubs.

When the treasury was low what we could do was constrained and now it's not that way at all. I'm willing to work because I learned years ago that there is "no free lunch". Well, that's the way I see it.