Letter From L.F.C.A. Member - Bette Lawson

Dear Cynthia,

My! My! I bet you are having one hell of a day after Thursday notice of closure of the preschool. I'm writing not to say either Yes or No to the closure to the school but more so about how it was handles. Our little lake has been talking about it all day yesterday and this morning and I'm sure between now and next Wednesday night there will be lots of e-mails, calls, visit to the club and tears and anger expressed in one form or another. My husband and I will be out of town and unable to attend the meeting next week. This is one time I wish the club filmed the meetings because it's going to be a doozie. If you think the health care issue with Obama is big wait till this one. Anyway, I only have a few things to express.

1. This should have been brought out back in April or May and told to the association so it could have been discussed and addressed while there was time to answer the questions. I'm very disappointed with the Board that they waited until two weeks before school starts to do this. There is so little time for the parents to find another location. It just isn't right to wait till now to do this.

2. I'm not either FOR or AGAINST the closure of the school. IF, after going over or the pros and cons, the financial issues, the future of the school, etc. then, and only then should a decision be made. For the Board to do this behind closed doors is what I'm upset about. Once more it only shows how very disrespect the Board, and apparently PCM, has for it's members. If, after discussion and listening to ALL SIDES, the Board votes to close the school, so be it. But to never give the parents, staff, membership or others the chance to discuss it is just right out WRONG!

Along this same issue I really must say how disappointed I am at the present Board. I was out the country a great deal last year and unable to be involved in the meetings. I always went every month until we were gone so much last year. When we came back I saw a lot of things repaired and upgraded and thought the Board was doing a good job taking care of the association in these hard financial times. I heard good things about PCM, including you, and thought things were going well. There will always be something at associations that bring about stress on a daily basis but general things are running smoothly at the club....until this.
How could PCM go along with this secret meeting, knowing that staff was told NOT to say anything. I guess the association is PCM's boss but still this was handled all wrong.

3. It has been said that the president, Dr. Gardner, called this meeting when some of the Board was not able to be there. I don't know if this is true or not. If it is then this is even worse than stated above. I get along with Jim but I'll stand up against anyone who tries to do something this import to so many that it's done the way it was done. If Dr. Gardner is innocent in this then let all the details of how it came about, who said what and when come out. Just like the present administration Washington keeps say: Transparency is the goal. Our Board should be the same way. Well, this sure does look and smell like three month old fish because it has been going on for several months now. I can't believe that there wasn't at least ONE Board member who wouldn't stand up for the school and the people on this issue. If only one Board member has said NO to a closed door meeting then all this resentment would not be coming out at this moment.

In closing, once more let me say that at this moment I don't know how I would vote if I were on the Board to either close or keep open the school. What I do know is that I would fight to make this issue an open door event and not slink off and hide behind closed doors to do this. Even as crooked as our Washington Congress is they MUST vote in public for a bill if it's going to pass. Why wasn't our Board made to do the same thing on such an import issue? That I think should have come from PCM's side or advice from the lawyers. But then, what do I know.

Bette Lawson