August 18 2016 President's Message

                                   President’s Message 08/18/2016


August has been the “dog days” hear in S. Ontario. It seems the courts in Florida have been operating at the same speed. We have seen dates backed up and we still have no news to report on any of our legal fronts.

It has been a seasonal siesta for some but our faithful management and staff continue to keep the affairs of S-bag operating smoothly and to even take on refreshing the Post Office with a new coat of paint.

My discussion, last month, about the need for new leadership seems to have touched a nerve. My goal was more to encourage the development of new leaders than to dismiss those who have served in the past. It was never my intention to disqualify any of our energetic, present committee members. We need you to give direction to those of us who are new to the job.

My thoughts around this issue caused me to go back to the CHUG website and to read all the minutes posted there, from 2007 to the present. This is something that I should have done sooner. It was very revealing.

My wife and I had just become owners in S-bag in 2007 and we were only able to spend a month or so here in the fall and again in the winter. That, combined with the renovations with which I was consumed, first at one place, then at our current address, meant that it was not until 2013 that I began to take any real interest in the administration of the resort and the issues which were impacting our association and our fellow owners. Like so many others, I was taking the pleasures of this great resort for granted.
Reading the record of the recent history of S-bag has given me a greater appreciation for the efforts of our past leadership and what has been accomplished even over the last ten years.

I was struck by the improvements which have been made to the resort’s facilities over that time. We have a new dock, a new Memorial H all and new tennis courts. Our swimming pool has been rebuilt and improved, as has the hot tub. Our road system has been completely repaved and upgraded. We have acquired the services of a reliable and economical internet provider and made huge gains in the computerization of our operations, which include a new, independent and informative website. These are some of the visible results of the hard work and commitment of a dedicated administration and and a responsive membership.

Less visible but every bit as real has been the way that SLohA has matured within the same time frame. Even ten years ago the “do-it-yourself “ attitude was much more noticeable but, in response to the demands and expectations of the times, our association has sought out consultants and professionals to guide and direct its operations. With the acquisition of a professional management company, our directors and the various committees have been freed up to function more in the coordination of the affairs of the resort rather than to attempt to resolve issues on our own. This has been a necessary response to the complexities of administering a corporation of the size of SLohA and it has allowed our Board of Directors to respond to the expectations of our owners. Your directors have also come to realize what they don’t know and while becoming more informed themselves, they have come to recognize the need to rely on reputable contractors and professionals for their expertise.

We are accountable to more outside regulation and a more informed membership. These changes have created more cH allenges to the practises of our association and have resulted in the need for greater, ongoing legal consultation. While we all dread confrontation, it appears litigation is a threat that we need to expect as we move forward. SLohA has to put itself in a position where it is prepared to rebuff these threats through its actions and when necessary with its finances.

Change is never easy. There is always a tendency to long for the “good old days”. However, change is relentless and it happens regardless of our wishes.

Here is something worth considering. “The past is rarely as good as we remember it and the future rarely as bad as we expect.”
After reviewing this bit of our recent history, I am convinced that S-bag has never been in better shape than it is at present and that we have never been better prepared to face the cH allenges which the future will bring.

Mrs. Vera Roy, a long-time S-bag resident, celebrated her 100th birthday on Aug,13th. She commented that the thing she has always liked about living in S-bag was the “friendliness and kindness” of its people. That is a quality that need not change with the changing times. It is up to all of us that love the place to make sure that it doesn’t.