Hello to all our members and a warm welcome to our new members. We now have over 1,700 active members. It is wonderful that we can appeal to so many of you with our number and variety of activities and services, but we are challenged at times to provide the quality of service that you deserve. The MySeniorCenter (MSC) system is working well managing membership information and wallet payments. However, the stress is coming from demands on food service and limitations of our physical space. We are currently advertising for a permanent 3-day a week Sous Chef to give long term support to Emily and Liz. On November 27th, the SSAC Board had a special strategic planning meeting. After extensive SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) analysis, committees were formed with deadlines to complete the following tasks:
- Plan the structural redesign of the front office & lounge, taking into account implications for future possible improvements in parking and other structural aspects of the Centre
- Address volunteer recruitment: screening and a training strategy
- Create a comprehensive physical plant maintenance schedule
- Create a cohesive security plan
- Develop a strategy to deal with continued membership growth
- Develop a long-term staffing plan including the possible eventual hiring of an Executive Director
The previously promised addition to the MSC system – MyActiveCenter has arrived. It is an online program that allows you to register and pay for activities on any of your electronic devices. We recently activated it for use for Pickleball registration, allowing players to register and pay for specific play sessions. In the new year it will be introduced for more general use by all of the membership, with full instructions on its use appearing in the January edition of the ECHO. Once fully implemented, it will reduce stress on the front desk as wallet payments will be possible by secure credit card payments online. There will still be the option to pay into your wallet at the front desk.
You will see in this issue an advertisement for a new Office Manager. Pam Demers will be ending her position of Office Manager at the end of the year, due to some positive life changes. However, she will happily assist us by volunteering to help fully train the new Office Manager in the MySeniorCenter system in the New Year. Pam’s expertise has been invaluable, previously as a volunteer and now as a staff member. Be assured that the new hire will need to have similar strong management skills and a matching pleasant personality. I am very proud that members come in and immediately feel the welcoming warmth of the SSAC environment.
We will have the usual 2-week closure over Christmas giving our staff and volunteers a well-earned rest. However, during the office and kitchen closure, I will be opening the Centre Lunchroom and Lounge for afternoon drop-in (noon–4pm) as I did last year. Again, I will be supported by some of our friends from the Sunshine Coast Rotary Club. There will be complimentary tea, coffee and baked goods and a variety of music and activities available for your enjoyment. The schedule will be posted closer to the event.
Hope you all will have a fantastic month and a great festive season. Remember that Christmas can be a very lonely time for some people, so please reach out to anyone in that situation.
