Habit #5 Organize Events & Activities

Why?

Subdivisions can further their reach by organizing events and activities within the neighborhood. Simply put, these activities can bring about a feeling of community among residents that may not be active in the community. Events serve to improve familiarity amongst neighbors, which will ultimately improve the flow of information between residents and trustees as these relationships get stronger. This positive information flow can facilitate residents serving as the ‗eyes and ears‘ of the community as they discuss emerging trends and issues with trustees.

Key Points

Benefits of Community Activities and Organization

 Civic Responsibility

 Community Spirit/Pride

 Community Involvement

 Constant Improvement

Ideas for Events

 Block Party

 National Night Out (1st Tuesday of August)

 Bake Sale

 Easter Egg Hunt

 Visit from Santa

 Teen Dances – (requires approximately 1 adult for every 10 teens)

 Food Drives

 Fundraisers (for local schools, girl scouts, etc.)

 Cookouts for specific holidays (Memorial Day, Independence Day, etc.)

 Health Fair

 Educational and training events

 Trustee Election Day Events

 Neighborhood Clean Ups

Partnership Opportunities for Events

 Churches

 Schools

 Volunteer Groups

 Local Civic Groups

 Local Government (couple the cookout with a community clean-up)

Obstacles to Community Events

 Low Attendance

 Apathy from Residents

 Financial Limitations

Ways to Overcome Obstacles

 Populations change, refocus the programs to fit your current demographics

 Recognize the trustees aren‘t just there for the physical upkeep, but for the residents, too

 Meet annually to revisit the community outreach efforts. Be sure to set a plan for the upcoming year and stick to it

 If finances are an issue, hold events that can pay for themselves (e.g. bake sales, potlucks)

 Involve residents in planning the event. Consider an activities committee

 Solicit attendance prizes from local merchants and restaurants

Information, Outreach and Target Audience

 Be sure to advertise the events to the entire community, not just trustees

 Make sure you cater to different age groups each time

 Make sure volunteers are available. They can be used to advertise the event. (door to door leafleting for example)

 Use events to facilitate the flow of information (setup informational tables and booths)

 Have plenty of information available regarding the association and its activities (meeting calendars, annual reports, etc)

 Develop an alternate plan in case there is inclement weather

Self Assessment

Does you subdivision have an activities committee? _____ Yes ______ No

Does your subdivision advertise events with in the subdivision? _____ Yes ______ No

How many events did your subdivision host last year? _____ (0-1) _____ (2-3) _____ (4 or More)

How is attendance at events within the subdivision? ______ Excellent _______ Good ______ Fair ______ Poor

Does your subdivision try to host events that appeal to different age groups, or do they target the same audience? _____ Yes ______ No

Have the demographics of your subdivision changed over the past 10-20 yrs (eg gotten older, younger)? _____ Yes ______ No

If you answered yes, did your trustee association change some of the events to appeal to the change in population? (ex. If your population got younger, have you added youth oriented activities such as block parties and Easter Egg hunts?) _____ Yes ______ No