Northwood News ♦ October 2009

President’s Message

By Carole Barth

Fall is officially here.  The dogwood leaves are starting to turn red-violet, asters and goldenrod are in bloom, and the fresh cider season has begun.  It’s a good time to consider the year’s “harvest” for our Association.

We did not meet our membership target for last year, with only 140 paid members (20 less than the previous year).  That is only 9.4 percent of the households in Northwood/Four Corners/Forest Knolls.  I would like to see that doubled in FY 2009-2010.  Please use the envelope enclosed in this newsletter to renew your membership for the period from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010.  It’s still a bargain at only $10 per household.

Remember, only active members are allowed to vote at Association meetings.  For you competitive types, Woodridge Avenue led the pack in 2008-2009 with 30.8 percent of households signing up as active members.  (Timberwood Avenue, the previous year’s winner, was second this year, with 28 percent.)  Can your street beat that?

In order for our community to be heard, we need a broad-based, active, and well-informed membership.  Decisions will be made in the coming year that could radically affect our quality of life, not just in Four Corners, but throughout the County.  How will we handle the continuing fiscal crisis?  What will the County’s Growth Policy look like?  How will new, more stringent water quality mandates be met?  Various interests are already at work on these issues, so it’s important that decision-makers hear from affected communities.

Fall is also election season, and the first order of business at the October meeting is to elect a new board.  The Board meets five times a year (September, November, January, March, and May).  At these meetings we discuss any issues we expect to come up at the next members’ meeting and plan articles for the upcoming newsletter.

In general, we look to board members to contribute occasional articles to the newsletter (although we have reporters who can take this on for board members who have a story idea but not the time or inclination to write it) and help with association events and activities.  Often Board members chose to focus on a particular issue or project.  (Of course, you don’t have to be on the board take the lead on a project or issue, write articles, or help with events and activities.)  Board members also help by recruiting additional volunteers.  We are all volunteers, so it’s understood that we do what we can in the context of very full lives.

In addition, the officers have the following duties:  The President serves as the point of contact for the community, receiving official notices from a variety of agencies.  The President usually conducts NFCCA meetings and often represents the Association by testifying at hearings or otherwise communicating NFCCA’s positions.  The Vice President steps in if the President is unavailable.  The Treasurer manages the accounts, keeps track of the membership, and writes the checks.  The Secretary checks for a quorum (if we’re voting on any resolutions) and records any proposed resolutions and votes.

Please consider joining the Board; we do have open positions.  Contact Jacquie Bokow if you’re willing to serve.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.  In the end, the civic association is really just neighbors getting together to protect and improve our community.  It’s a pretty simple idea, yet it can be very powerful.   ■