By STEVE SWITZER

We all understand the changes that have taken place this past year in all phases of our lives . For the CCC Board ,

SWITZER we now use communication tools

on a daily basis that were not even known to us just a few years or even months ago . Zoom is what my grandson says when he is pretending to fly his airplane around the house . Social distancing was for those that had not yet had time for a shower or bath . Facemasks were on football helmets and grabbing one was a 15-yard penalty

.

We have weighed alternatives , such as driving around the neighborhood with a loud speaker , or having a staff member stand in the Village Center with a bull horn . Somehow , those were voted down .

So , instead , the Charbonneau Country Club Board of Directors has implemented more modern methods to ensure our members , residents , guests and contractors are informed on all the issues that affect our community . Our board meetings are held using the Zoom platform where members can watch , listen and learn what the board is doing , as well as provide feedback to the board . Most of the committee meetings are also being held using Zoom . The Village Center Task Force and the Activities Center Design team conduct meetings on Zoom every week because it allows members to look at plans , charts and numbers more easily than a conference call .

We are in the process of updating the CCC website to make it easier to access . Just as importantly , we want to make sure that it is updated with vital

information on a timelier basis . The Wilsonville city and Clackamas County websites contain vital contact information as well as current information about a particular project , upcoming event or emergency . We hope to make the same adjustments to our Charbonneau Country Club website to provide more complete and updated information on issues that are important to our community . Beyond just listing our calendar of events , contacts , and social activities , our goal is to transform it into a “ go-to ” tool for our members to get the latest information that is both timely and accurate .

Of course , communication is a twoway street . Checking email daily for CCC news is not a habit that most of us have acquired . Neither is looking at the CCC website for anything other than the calendar of upcoming events . The board will continue to use the tools available , as well as adapt to new ones as the technology evolves . This is a time for adjustment and forward thinking when it comes to communication .

Email is not everyone ’ s favorite .

There is a reason why we have “ junk ” folders because the amount of useless information that comes across the internet seems to double every month . But for the CCC Board , if there is information that is time critical , this tool is critical . Our Neighbor Care Bulletins have been especially helpful during the wildfires back in September , as well as the health directives from the governor ’ s office in December . If appropriate , we will follow it up with a post on our website . For more general information such as board decisions , long-term plans , etc ., we use the Villager newspaper . This venue is sometimes limited because of the early deadline that information has to be submitted .

With the current health emergency , we have had to limit access to the clubhouse and administrative offices . This makes our interaction between board members and communication with staff more challenging , but not impossible . As we navigate the waters ahead , we encourage our members to be patient and utilize the new technology in keeping up to date .