Curious term right? Old school. Most often we hear it in regards to football and how it was really played back in the days when there were only a handful of teams and the guys worked summer jobs to get by. Salaries weren't what they are today. Tough nosed and rugged with a cloud of dust and 3 yards per. Change is inevitable, whether we like it or not. The oddity is, most people don't have a clue what it was like, what used to be. I'm not talking about 50 years ago, in this case, within the last 20 years. Usually technology forces those changes, makes us rethink how we function. But not always, sometimes it's as simple as human nature. I know, now what the hell am i talking about. Sorry, i tend to wander when i start a new thread. Meandering through a slew of minutia that leaves folks scratching their heads. Probably thinking i've finally gone off the deep end and dementia has set in. Not quite yet folks, still lucid enough to listen to folks talk about how it was back in their day. Still able to picture an entirely different structure. One that may well have been better, or is some cases, maybe not. I have my opinions, but i will save them to hear what you all think. The story goes, back to their day; the RCSC board meetings were run by, wait for it, the board. In fact, the general manager only came to the meetings if invited. It was a simple concept; the board set the policies and the course for the community, the GM carried it out. He/she worked for the 9 board members. The 9 board members worked for the good of the community. To say we have moved from that structure would be a massive understatement. Let me repeat, massive. Rather than suggesting one way is better than the other, i will hold my opinions and sit back and read the hundreds of comments from those of you reading this. Let the fun begin: better old school or new school?
You look good on your soap box, you should do it more often E. Besides, you managed to bring a smile to my face. Whenever i watch a talent show featuring singers and they start talking about "old school" rap versus new school rap i just cringe. What's the adage so many of us old farts have..rap is crap. Ultimately it all boils down to what it was then compared to what it is now. I've always understood, we can never go back. What we can insure is, we never forget. History matters. The lessons to be learned can serve us well. It is why the museum is my favorite place. It's why i suggested it should be compulsory for the board to read Jubilee. When you did your research, it served you well before you bought. Expecting board members to have a basic knowledge of the community, how it was built and why it succeeded seems like a no-brainer to me. Don't hold your breath waiting for those things to happen. Your are right; what is happening in our society is helping drive the bus. Look at it this way: When we elect a narcissistic, ego-driven blowhard who proclaims weekly "he alone can fix it" and people buy into the nonsense, one comes to see how far we have fallen. This country was never of a singular construct, but one where we all have a stake in our futures. It may not take a whole village to raise a child, but the more people committed to good outcomes, the better the results. That's where we have drifted afar from where we came. The goal to be inclusive was kicked to the curb and to make it exclusive has caused us to fall into a place where catching up is now the imperative. You mentioned technology and we are the classic example of being blind to what is going on around us. Other age restricted communities have left us in their dust. Golf was the priority and the question became, who the hell made it that? I try very hard not to make things personal. I hate the saying it's just business, because in Sun City, it's way different. We aren't a business, we are a community. We have 37,000 plus cardholders with a myriad of wants, needs and expectations. I would and have argued loudly that we have focused on the minority and ignored the majority. It is easy to do when you close doors rather than open them. And to be clear, that was done consciously. Worse yet, no one is ever held accountable. Oops, a million dollar mistake...no big deal. I don't care about getting even or making someone pay, i care about results. Sure, we've done well. In the past twelve years management and the board has had 60 million dollars plus to pour back into the amenities. No matter what was done, there were improvements. The questions are: Were they the right ones? The best ones? The ones with the highest priority? Ask yourself, over the years, how many times has the board had those debates? And if they did, were they done in front of the maddening crowd, or behind closed doors? Are we now on the right path? Are we suddenly becoming more progressive? More transparent? More inclusive? We'll see eh.
My favorite "New School" improvement in Sun City is the access to Maricopa County Library in the Fairway Center. I can remember going to the "library" in Fairway before the new center was built. Pretty sad. So great to request many items out of the 10,000s offered by the County system and have them delivered to the library for pick up. Don't want to go Old School in this area again. You're right about "We'll see" on the new BOD format for meetings. Although I was surprised by the no time limit it seems like they may want to limit it to 5 minutes and then come back to speak again if needed.
HMMM...Old School first. Exceptional customer service. I miss the 'Thank you, may I help you, have a great day, good to see ya." Real Food. No preservative laden slop, but real food, cooked to order, not microwaved and brought out to you as if it wasn't just frozen 5 minutes ago. The Ice Cream man and real popsicles Manners. Please, thank you, your welcome, let me get that for you, let me help you with that. New School The internet. Now, I don't have to leave home to get what I need or want, and put up with poor customer service. Appreciating things like butcher shops and bakeries. Really appreciate those small businesses, they need us more than ever Remember that even though others may not remember to hold the door, it is still my responsibility to use my manners and be helpful where I can.
