by the reSIDentS,
FOr the reSIDentS
RESIdENT COUNCILS SERVE THE
GOOd OF THEIR COMMUNITIES
by Laura Normand
With cranes and bulldozers still crawling over the land marked
for the Acacia Creek apartments, a group of men and women
came together and made plans for a new community. It would
be months before construction would be completed and they
could move in, but still, they set about drawing up the rules for
a resident council. It would be of the residents, by the residents,
for the residents: a system of oversight, a mode of communication, and a chance to shape their environment with their ideas
and ideals. In short, it was for the good of the community.
The three Masonic communities in California – Acacia Creek,
Union City, and Covina – all have resident councils. The councils share some characteristics – basic structure, similar term
limits, election processes – but in other ways, are uniquely tailored to each community’s distinct environment. One thing is
certain: Their presence is highly valued, for practical purposes
and also on democratic principle.
“We want to have a say”
“Almost everything that happens here, the residents are active-
ly involved in it,” says resident Richard Thompson, president
of the Acacia Creek resident council. “We have a strong feel-
ing that we do not want somebody telling us what we want to
do. We have around 20 to 25 different programs that residents
have started.”
The Acacia Creek resident council is at the center of this
hands-on culture.
Thompson, who is also organist at nearby Siminoff Daylight
Lodge No. 850 on the Union City campus, was among the group
who met in the months before Acacia Creek
construction wrapped. The seven-person
council has had a major hand in the start-up
and operations of the new community.
Continued next page
richard thompson, president of the acacia creek resident
council, ensures that residents have a voice.
