What Are the Responsibilities of Our Neighborhood Leaders?
All to often, we have seem many of our neighbors become quite upset, if not downright angry at what they consider poor jobs by our elected neighborhood leaders. For one reason or another, our leaders come under fire for what others may see as laziness, indifference or on some cases, ignorance. Yet, as we all know, our leaders opted to take on the responsibilities knowing that this volunteer position would require substantial amounts of time and energy to represent their respective neighborhoods.
Just this past weekend, we saw many comments left regarding the shooting incident in SESH. Many neighbors felt that it was the neighborhood leaders’ responsibility to notify them of the shooting. On several occasions, our new leaders have come under fire for the decision to have potluck dinners versus attending city meetings. Which raises the question…What responsibilities should our officers and board members have? Should it be required that each officer attend every meeting? Should they be required to disseminate information to neighbors as best they can? What are the responsibilities that should be outlined in their “job descriptions”? Does each association have clearly defined roles for each elected position?
According to various websites covering this topic, most associations have similar responsibilities for their leaders and board members including;
- Organizing the association
- developing specific goals
- directing volunteers and establishing committees
- appointing chairpersons for committees
- establishing neighborhood communication
- identifying resources available to association
- PR/developing a positive neighborhood image
- identifying and building members and future leadership.
The biggest question we must ask of ourselves and our leaders is, “Do we have clear goals and objectives and are we doing everything in our power to build up our neighborhood association?”
What are your thoughts?
This is very timely and well thought out. In the case of this weekend, I do feel that it is our leaders responsibility to get the information of the shooting to everyone. Since so many people use the dog park, I think all 3 associations had the responsibility to spread the word. Being that our neighborhoods work so closely with TPD someone should have had the neccessary information to share. This is clearly a case of someone dropping the ball. The most frustrating part is that after many people have tried to obtain it, there is still no information available. Can someone from the associations please send an email to the groups updating what happened? I have tried to get from TPD but that process is like playing “who’s on third”. So far, I have been passed to about 4 people before being asked to leave a message.
If volunteers had signed up to be a part of the Neighborhood Watch as a Zone Coordinator, or a block Captain, or even listed their name for the Crime Watch Phone Tree, information would have been disemminated through a normal channel of communication. Not having any ongoing, active volunteers beyond the same 1/2 dozen people left the option of contacting them by e-mail or word of mouth. Communication and commitment is a two-way street. It is so easy to criticize everyone else for not solving your (any given residents)problem when you do nothing but criticize and don’t volunteer to assist in helping resolving their own problems.
Given that there was no phone tree, would you move on to plan B? The associations have worked for years developing an effective email group that in one email, can be blast to many of the neighbors. Was an email sent out? There are handfuls of blogs that cover neighborhood crime, issues and topics. Was a post submitted? In the last issue of the SESH newsletter there was an article that covered every single blog that covers SH and then some. So it’s not like no one had a list. I agree with #1 that it angers me more that there has been complete silence. While they say “it’s not a conspiracy” I am begining to thank that possibly there was some sort of slip up, etc that is possibly being covered up. If you don’t want people to assume and guess at what happened, the best thing to do is explain what really happened. Silence only encourages speculation.
Did anyone bother looking at the Typepad blog? That is the site that has nothing but city and lots of TPD stuff. The site is about 90% TPD news and praise. It would have been appropriate for that site.
Just curious. I have recently seen posts removed from other threads,and just like this thread the number of posts is not equal to the posts seen. Are posts being removed, and if so what is line of reasoning? I do realize that as webmaster your discression is the only reason you need, but in the interest of open discussion, I hope that sensorship of responses is not happening. I find enlightening the responses in this blog, and like most of your readers I can also sort out the chaff from the serious. I would also like to thank you for your time and effort in providing this site and allowing people to post their viewpoints.
The Association is one hundred percent volunteer. These volunteers spend an enormous amount of time working for the betterment of their respective neighborhoods. These volunteers, many who have been doing this for years, will never be able to do everything that every one thinks should be done.
A very small core of people are willing to take on the commitment it takes to be either an officer of an Association or a Committee Chair.. An Association has a responsibility to the entire neighborhood it serves. Not just it’s membership. Only a very small percentage of the residents are members of and support the Association to which they look for help. It is a constant that those who are not involved and who depend on the “leaders”, are rarely heard from unless an issue hits them personally. Residents have a lot to say when something happens on their street or to their car or their area. But when called upon to join in and work for the betterment of the neighborhood, they can not be bothered. They have jobs, children, school, personal activities and responsibilities which preclude their participation. Who doesn’t?
If you want to know what goes on where you live I suggest you involve yourself. Read the news, watch City Council, etc on TV, come to Association meetings and events, join the email groups and contribute. Help those who spends so much time trying to maintain a good quality of life in SH.
Your Association works hard to bring to the General Membership Meetings, as much information as possible. There is always a TPD officer there to give an update and they are always available for questions. In addition there are neighborhood roll calls with TPD and special meetings when there are issues which need special attention. All residents are invited to these meetings.
The Blogs are individually owned and while not sponsored by the Association, they are appreciated for what they do to assist communications. None of the blogs have a responsibility to put anything on them but what the owner wants to or has time to post!
Lastly, speaking on ly about SESHCA. They had a very dedicated, interested, intelligent, creative Chair for Neighborhood Watch, who after two years of beating his head against a wall, resigned. Where were all of you oh so vocal residents who don’t understand why you were not informed, when the more than 50 calls for Neighborhood Watch volunteers were made? Where were you when TPD took their time to hold their roll calls in the neighborhood? Where were you when we had General Membership Meetings? Where were you?
Eating dinner? Going to school? Watching TV? Sitting at home complaining? Waiting for all the help and answers to come to your door? Good luck with that!
Since the blogs inception (July 2008), only 4 comments have been deleted. One was a vulgar, personal attack on a neighbor and the others were spam/phishing posts. From the beginning, the intent was to allow anonymous comments and to not screen neighbors comments. (Within Reason) I am not sure what you are referring to with regards to the numbers not matching up. Your computer may require you to hit refresh. Even when you delete a comment, the comment count should adjust.
Back to the original question. Although the associations have each laid out general responsibilities, within each of these responsibilities are specific responsibilities that, I believe, the elected officials must fulfill. Because those duties are not laid out by any association, how much gets done and when varies as the officers change. It makes for inconsistency and, in my opinion, slows the neighborhood progress. I am not saying the current presidents are not doing their jobs. I am saying that changes in the guard not only change the philosophy of the neighborhood but can also change/slow/accelerate the progreess of the invidual neighborhood.
Where can we find the board minutes and emails for the SESH Board? Are they archived online?
I don’t think SESH allows members to read the minutes online. I am sure you could probably get them but you have to ask permission to see them.
You always have the characteristics of the article.