I hope you all received your Wedgefield Wragg last week. Editor, Jackie Walters deserves a big thanks from all of us. This is a thankless job under the best of circumstances.
Is the Wedgefield Wragg important? The policy manual states the following under "PURPOSE", The Board of Directors of the Wedgefield Plantation Association have determined that the "Wedgefield Wragg", our periodic newsletter, is a valuable method of communicating pertinent information to our residents, should be continued to published indefinitely, and be budgeted according to the already approved "Communication Policy". Later , "Priority will be given to items of significance to the majority of the association." The quotes are taken from the COMMUNICATION section of the policy manual.
First think about your communication with the board. As residents we usually receive 6 pieces of written communication a year from the board. Four Wraggs, an assessment billing, and the annual meeting packet. If you don't attend meetings, live at a distance, are a lot owner, rather than a resident, this is all the information you have from your board.
I've lived in the plantation since 2004 and served as editor for three years. The Wragg was much different. It was filled with committee reports, kept residents abreast of golf cart usage, dogs, policy changes, etc. That has changed since 2010. For awhile it was utilized to push one sided political agendas on the canals, or the one sided, often short sighted view of a particular board member or members, on an issue. Committee reports diminished and we became a social page of births, marriages, and graduations.
Take a good look at the recent publication. The articles are brief, lack content, and the crucial issues of our association don't appear. Did the treasurer mention that the financial reports have been a mess for months? Did the president mention the mess with the reserve study contract? Was it mentioned that while the board is constantly changing the policy manual to accommodate what they want, that they don't even date the changes. Did they mention one of the reasons they are having difficulty recruiting volunteers is because of a fake, supposed historic confidentiality agreement? Where's the information about roads, landing, water amenities, grounds, legal which over spent almost 50% for 2012, the management company and failing to utilize all the benefits detailed in their contract, etc. This is not Walters fault. You assemble the material you are provided. This board is truly a don't ask, don't tell board. You can ask. They don't answer. They don't tell because it is their business (not).
Note that Walters is provided so little information that she has to use large print and spacing to cover the pages. I don't think she likes being put in this position. Walters attempted to get this board back on track with organization and the spirit of the publication. I reviewed the correspondence file. On December 26, 2012 she emailed the board and asked them to post a Wragg deadline of January 20th, on the association website. Never happened. Additionally, she told them that she had been getting complaints about the lack of reports in the publication. She asked them to submit reports for their committees. It appears it all fell on deaf ears!
Thank you Jackie Walters, for your time and efforts! What can you do? Help get this publication back to the informative vehicle it was meant to be. Don't bother to write the board. They don't answer most of us. Don't bother to write the management company. They don't answer us. There is a way.
Take action. Write the editor of the Wragg. The policy further states, "Letters to the Editor will be published provided they are signed and express a legitimate point of view of interest to members." Copy the board. You also might want to send them to wedgefieldexaminer@yahoo.com Why? Your board reviews the draft of the Wragg. They put most letters in the dead letter file. Help open information to our residents.
