Waiting for the September - October Newsletter

If you haven't yet received your association newsletter, there is a good reason. The new board is figuring out how to accomplish this.

Am I surprised? Not at all. I'm not sure who the President is, because that will be revealed in the newsletter, when I receive it. However I can state that if it is the longest standing board member (30 year, GHUA) then I can say that communications is not her forte. Which is why, even with 30 years on the board, you don't have your Sept-Oct newsletter.

On October 31 the previous Maintenance Director and I did receive an email from a current board member "Would you have an old copy of the newsletter and a version of the software you used to edit that you could send me? Sent from my iPhone so forgive Siri's interpretations."

I discussed with our previous maintenance director and I prepared a new "template" to send to the board member who originated this email. I also sent subsequent emails which detailed who the printer was, the requirement to send a pdf copy to our Management so they could put it on the association website, the issue of our "Winter Tips" insert for owners and so on.

"Hello XXXX:
Attached are two "templates" for the newsletter; I'm copying [our former maintenance director, who was responsible for the most recent newsletters]. This should address your request.

Board members have never been provided with software for our tasks. We use our home or office PCs and our own software; there are licensing and transfer issues.

To assist other board members I did lend laptop PCs to them (the 2014 version of the "Welcoming Packet" was created this way).

I created the version of the newsletter used since 2011 with Microsoft Word, a simple word processor. I wanted it to be as transportable as possible. One of the attachments I this email ends with the file extension ".doc" and is compatible with Word versions 1997-2003. The other file has a ".docx" extension with is compatible with newer versions of Microsoft Word.

 The "template" I have attached is a actually simple Word document constructed of text boxes. Whomever uses it will have to do the following:

1. Update date at the top of Newsletter.
2. Insert Masthead photo (replace with "insert photo") and I suggest the photo be edited and cropped so as to be less than 500 kb in size to avoid creating massive and difficult to use or transport MS word files.
3. Insert text in the appropriate text boxes and add the Director's or author's name.
4. Update the rear page to include the dates of future meetings and the names, onsite addresses and email addresses of the various board members.

This template accommodates up to six board members. Of course, the verbiage on the rear page should be modified to suit the current board culture. I sent the completed newsletter to the printer as a PDF file. However, I did not use MS-Word pdf print because it does sometimes create massive pdf files. I used my version of Corel PDF fusion. For example, most of my PDF transmitted newsletters were less than 350kb, which are easy to send via email. . If you have any questions, please contact me,"

I received this reply to my email:
"All very helpful, thank you!  I use Microsoft Version X and 365, so should be fine.
Sent from my iPhone so forgive Siri's interpretations "

I sent a somewhat tongue and cheek reply about "Siri's interpretations", although it probably wasn't interpreted as such:

"I'm glad to assist [you] and Siri. After you open the files then you will actually know if they are helpful or not.......   "Sent from my iPhone so forgive Siri's interpretations" which is why I will not use Apple's bots."  LOL.

Although there was no further request or comments, I sent additional emails with document transmittals:

"Hello XXXX:
In the fall a single page insert of “Winter Tips” is inserted into the newsletter. In 2017 this was in the Sept-Oct newsletter issued in October. It should be inserted in the next newsletter to deliver to the owners before freezing and snow hits the association.

 You didn’t ask about this. I discussed with [our former maintenance director] this morning and I am taking the liberty of sending a Word version and a PDF version to you. This version is dated October 18, 2017 (_____20171018.xxx)."

I then sent an email to our printer, to notify them of the procedural change:

"Hello Ken and Sheryl;

We have a new board and [our former maintenance director] and I will no longer be involved in the printing of the newsletters for our Association.

I’m copying [the current director who is apparently doing the newsletter] who I think will be your new contact.

Thanks for your good work while [xxxxx] and I were on the board. "

I then sent the following email about this to the current board member:

"Hello [xxxx];

 I don’t know if you have the complete procedure, or what procedure you intend to use. Nevertheless, here is the way it was previously done (approx 2011 to Sept 2018). This may be helpful.

 1. We send a pdf to the printer with instructions and they print it. When [xxxxx] was doing the newsletter she would pick it up at the printer’s and the bill. We had the newsletter collated and split into two groups. One group for distribution on the property. The other for mailing by management to the offsite owners. The bill with the offsite bundle was turned over to management.
2. The printer we used is A-Reliable on Roosevelt Road west of Park.
3. A pdf copy of the newsletter and any inserts are emailed to Rosemary at G&D with a request that she put it on the WWW.BLMH.org website. servicemanager@gd-pm.com

Here’s the text of the email that was used to print in October 2017. This was emailed to a-reliableprinting@sbcglobal.net

You probably would want to send them an email to the printer to introduce yourself. I have sent an email to A-reliable and copied you to advise them of a change in personnel and to expect to be contacted, most likely by you.

“Hi Ken and Cheryl;
This is for Briarcliffe Lakes Manor Homes newsletter for September-October, 2017. I’m sending this because xxxxx] DSL modem is down and she asked me to do so. [xxxxx] will pick up the newsletter when it is ready. She can be reached at 630-nnn-nnnn.

 Attached are two documents for printing.

These are to be B&W as usual (grayscale photos);

 1. 11x17 Newsletter to be printed front and rear and folded to give four 8-1/2 x 11 pages (pages 3 and 4 are numbered).

2. 8-1/2 x 11 “Winter Maintenance Tips” to be inserted into the folded newsletter. We’ll need 430 copies split into two groups, (1) 340 and (1) 90. .

 Thanks, and have a good day! Norman Retzke”


I then sent a final email to the board member:
"Hello xxxx;
 1. The frequency was every other month; six per year, with newsletters issued Jan-Feb, March-April, May-June, July-Aug, Sept-Oct, Nov-Dec.
 2. We included a special insert in the fall. October or November preferred months for the “Winter Tips.”
3. A Warm Weather Tips” newsletter insert was created in March 2018 by me, was reviewed by the board but there was no agreement reached to issue it to owners and residents. So it was not used. I have a copy. The purpose was to provide guidance to residents about the property during mild weather. A lot was based upon rules and the “does and don’ts” on the property.

 The association website has many of the newsletters, and these can be viewed or downloaded. WWW.BLMH.org I sent you a copy of the Winter Tips via a separate email."

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That's all I can do. The rest is up to the board!  I no longer have any obligations to this homeowner's association beyond keeping the rules, which includes paying my monthly fees. I am no longer a fiduciary. Yay!

Unless there are specific, timely requests,  then I no longer have anything to do with the operation of this homeowner's association.

I've not yet received a single phone call from  a current board member. That's not a surprise.

I did send a letter via US Mail to the newest board member with some information that had been provided to the board of 2018 and which was discussed during the annual meeting. I felt it was appropriate that the new board member be given necessary background information, which included a copy of the letter from the City of Wheaton about our water mains. A copy of that letter was included in the monthly packet given to the board in June, as I recall.