Guadalajara Reporter

Home

Written by GR Staff
Saturday, 15 December 2007
Dear Sir, The concerns expressed by Andy Meyers regarding the design of the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) of the future have either been addressed in the current version (he was looking at a three-month-old design) or were based on erroneous assumptions. For example, the current design incorporates elevators for second-floor access by seniors; there will be no running and disturbance by children in English and computer classes moved from the Wilkes Education Center because all the students are in their teens or older. The fundamental problem that Andy is concerned with is changes to LCS. He doesn't want change, and neither do I. However, our membership numbers are growing at six percent a year, which will mean we will have 50 percent more members in less than eight years, and the membership will double in 12 years. We must either expand to meet this influx, or limit the number of members. If we limit the number of members, we will have to deal with a number of problems. Who gets in? Should LCS give preference to people who have desirable skills and are willing to volunteer? We also would have to raise the dues regularly, since if we do not allow the number of members to increase we would have to accommodate higher expenses through higher dues. Almost certainly LCS will wait until the current facilities are bursting at the seams before capping membership, since this is such an onerous and unpopular action. I can see the day when Andy Meyers and his friends are standing around waiting for a table to open up on the patio, reminiscing about the good old days when they could get a table right away, when they didn't have to fight through a crowd waiting to check out books to get to the library stacks, when they weren't packed in like sardines for presentations in the sala, when – well, you get the idea. I welcome help in planning for the LCS of the future but wishful thinking isn't the answer. Either we will control change or the inevitable changes at Lakeside and LCS will control us. Charlie Smith, president, the Lake Chapala Society