I grew up going to the same neighborhood association pool in the summers that my family belongs to now. We're also members of Willow Oaks Country Club, which has the least affectation of any club in the area and the most down-to-earth group of members you could hope to find. But, still, it's a country club, and the experience is suitably different than the one offered by the pool down the street.
I found a sweet little article that published years ago in The New York Times titled "Less Than a Country Club, but Much More" that mirrors my fondness for our neighborhood pool. It waxes poetic about broke-down palace types of places.
...Less Than a Country Club, but Much More...this captures the essence of my neighborhood pool perfectly. I think our association would be wise to stay true to that essence, in fact to embrace it and have a sense of humor about it, as we rise to the serious maintenance challenges ahead. I've suggested we design logoed t-shirts that say, "No shirt, no shoes, no service" to play off of the sign posted at 7-Eleven. Unlike at a country club, this place offers practically no service of any kind. But, much more.
Ask yourself as you're building a community around your product or service, do you want to create a country club experience or a neighborhood association experience? If you instill pride of ownership rather than propagate a sense of entitlement, if you create a shared purpose, if you make fun a priority, if you encourage deeper relationships between members, then you will be offering your community that "but much more." So what if yours is a broke-down palace type of place. It will be real, and it will be welcoming, and people will want to stay.
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