The Commission

We meet to discuss
the heritage of our
shared city
The ways and means
don't seem so important
yet they are integral
to us all

~ carliewired

I was appointed to the heritage commission in my city in 2009 just before I retired. It is a voluntary position and one is appointed by the city council to consider and advise in all matters relating to heritage issues in the city. It is an involvement that I quite enjoy on many levels. I've met new people. I 've learned many things about the city I've lived in for 40 years now.

It is not easy to attract volunteers these days. Some seats on some committees and commissions go empty. Somehow we make it work. In the past year, for some reason, attendance of members has become an issue for some people in city hall. My thought is that when you are all ready short members, should you make it difficult for those remaining? I will admit that I now miss meetings because I am away in the winter. My life has changed dramatically. I have many things that I'm involved in. I'm not promising to remain at home just so I can go to a meeting once a month. The sun shines in Arizona. It's warm and I have the ways and means to travel. Why should I give that up?

I have encouraged the city to embrace new technology that allows groups to meet when they are not all in the same physical location. I have employed this well in other organizations I've belonged to. It's not rocket science. It's just current technology. I have written my letter to the city today to outline the meetings that I will miss over the winter months. I have no intentions of missing a winter in sandals just because my fair city doesn't understand what teleconferencing is. The city has in its power the ability to make something happen to facilitate those of us with active lives or it can say it doesn't want me as a heritage commission member any longer.