W

oodstock has become legendary for the mass of people that descended upon a farm in a small New York town with very few incidents of injury and violence.

Overall, it was a peaceful gathering. Perhaps that was due, at least in part, to the attendees having a sense of being part of something bigger than just the individuals there; they were a community of music lovers celebrating love and peace.

One of the standout performances of Woodstock is certainly Joe Cocker’s version of the Beatles’ tune “With a Little Help from My Friends.” His soulful voice and spastic, seizure- like movements grabbed the attention of those who were present to witness the performance first hand, as well as those who listened and watched the audio and video recordings after the fact. Certainly, Joe Cocker’s song choice captured a certain element of the zeitgeist of the festival.

The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “community” as “1. a unified body of individuals: such as, a. the people with common interests living in a particular area, b. a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society…” (“community.” Merriam- Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2019.)

Whether you live in a condominium, townhouse, or single- family home, the association established to operate and administer the common elements or common areas, of which the owners are all members, is a community. More specifically, they are community associations. That sense of being part of something bigger and helping each other out, which permeated through the Woodstock festival crowds, should also be something that permeates through our community associations.

By L. C. Element, staff writer

I’m sure we have all heard stories about the non-functioning association, or perhaps even lived it. You know, the one that struggles to engage its membership and has not held an annual meeting for years because it can never establish quorum. That lack of participation also results in a dearth of interested persons willing to serve on the board of managers/ directors. Those few members who have stepped forth to serve on the board, which may be fewer than the number provided for in the association governing documents, feel trapped and burnt out. They want to quit the board, but fear what will happen to the association if they do because no one else will take their place.

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