Response to Open Letter from an Unknown Owner
Hi Dave,
I would like to answer some of the points raised by the owner’s open letter recently published.
First, it is refreshing, but not surprising, to find an owner with such a positive view of the Park and Bourne Leisure. Not surprising, because the owner concerned has arrived on the Park only 3 months ago in the middle of what has been, without doubt, the best season for a few years. I’m sure we would all wish that situation to continue and that the foundation laid this year for a better relationship between Management and owners will continue to be built upon.
Sadly, with no comparative knowledge whatsoever of what has gone before, and without the courtesy of researching the history of Owners Exclusive facilities or motivation of the Association, the author has decided to make wildly inaccurate assumptions and presumed to stand in judgement of people some of whom have worked tirelessly for the good of all.
Secondly, it’s quite breathtaking that after only 3 months, and without courtesy of discussion, the author has the temerity to question my reasons for being on the Park. Even the Bourne management are well aware that it is because we care passionately about the Park and the Owners on it, that Chrissie and I (among others) are prepared to stand up for the ever-decreasing privileges, compared to that which we were originally sold. A fact that the author could have elicited in five minutes had they taken the trouble to find out a fact or two before openly criticising.
Thirdly, the majority of active Association members are very successful business people in their own right and, therefore, are well acquainted and comfortable with the concept of honest business profit They really do not require half baked advice from anonymous people on business dynamics, budgets and profit.
Had the author bothered to ask they would have easily found out that, it is a firm commitment of the current Association that if you take the opportunity to criticise then you have a responsibility to recognise the positive aspects of what is done. There are many instances in the past where we have taken the opportunity, both individually and collectively to praise the management when justified. Also, most of the major Owners’ functions enjoyed this year are clear testament to the willingness of active association members to work with Park management and to what can be achieved when this is done. I would agree that there has been an incidence of dialogue between members, which was,becoming perhaps, a little too negative, a situation that we have been happy to rectify without gratuitous advice.
Fourthly, the views expressed in the newsletter are not those of the editor alone, but represent the distilled views of dozens of owners, many of whom have been on the Park for many years and have seen the Owners Exclusive facilities reduce year after year so that every successive season has resulted in less and less privilege against a background of ever increasing cost and a bland, dismissive and condescending attitude by Bourne Leisure to genuine concerns regarding these disappearing privileges.
Finally, I would say to the author if they feel that they have something to offer then put themselves forward to the Association as a committee member and show us all how to do better. If you are not prepared to do that then, please feel free to air your opinions, which we will always be delighted to listen to, respect and publish.. But please do not presume to judge and lecture people.
Bill Harris
Membership Secretary
Rockley Park Owners Association.
PS. Regarding the security issue raised by the author. Yes, having worked in physical, documentary and personnel security for most of my life and been responsible for training security staff, I would feel quite able to deal with the situations encountered by the Security team on the Park, many of whom in the past have done a very good job in sometimes very difficult and demanding circumstances. However, as stated in my newsletter, regardless of the rights and wrongs of the situation it is never acceptable for a member of a security team to invite paying customers outside for a fight! Never! All that this behaviour does is to destroy the good work done elsewhere by the security team. Good work which we all appreciate.
