President's Message

(Revised 9/15)

 He was wont to speak plain and to the purpose.
   William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing

 Second verse same as the first.¹
    Murray/Weston, I'm Henry the VIII, I Am

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

These two words continue to constitute the message I have for the Morningside-Lenox Park neighborhood.  Having lived here (or just across the Amsterdam boundary) since 1981, I have certainly heard and seen what this neighborhood can do when it is challenged. Having served on the MLPA Board of Directors for several years, I know of the countless volunteer hours that past and present Board members have contributed to this neighborhood. But those contributions are not enough. Your neighborhood needs more…won’t you pause and consider whether your schedule will allow you to give back to the neighborhood in some way that is enjoyable and consistent with your own personal interests?

Identified below are the areas of most immediate and pressing concern, from my individual perspective and speaking only for myself, not on behalf of the MLPA Board:

>>Security Patrol: this group of dedicated veteran APD officers patrols our neighborhood as a supplement to police coverage and provides a great benefit to the entire neighborhood. Security Patrol members receive, among other things, daily security checks of their homes while they are on vacation. The security patrols can only take place, however, to the extent that MSP can afford to pay for them. MSP membership has declined over the last 3 years. We need you to join the Security Patrol today!

We were fortunate to have new leadership of MSP in William Lindsey. William has been deployed to the Gulf Coast States, however, for several months in connection with his work for FEMA. MLPA is therefore looking for an interim Security Patrol Chair in William’s absence. Can you help? 

>>Tour of Homes: through a lack of volunteers, MLPA has lost its only major source of income for the last 2 years with the absence of the Tour. Now, through the energetic leadership of our new Board member Keith Walker, we have begun planning for the 2006 Tour. If you have helped with the Tour in the past, contact Keith and let him know how you’re willing to help out again. If you have not helped with the Tour in the past, talk to a neighbor who has or call or email Keith and figure out how you can help!

>>Communications and Membership: certainly 2 of our most important groups and, until recently, they have lacked for leadership at the top.  Now we have that energetic and innovative leadership these groups needed—but these leaders need your help! Whether your interest is with a newsletter, eBlasts, the website, block parties, corporate sponsorships, member-discount programs, member-only parties…or something else, these 2 groups can use your help. Call or email Liz for Communications and Alex or Dayna for Membership.

MLPA needs your commitment of time and/or your contribution of funds. Our first preference is for that which is more valuable to almost all of us: time. But if your present situation will simply not allow yet another commitment, your monetary contributions above and beyond your membership dues, while not tax-deductible, will help MLPA continue its efforts in beautification, tree conservation, sidewalk repair and all of the other ways that we try to make our neighborhood better.  Call or email with your donations…in whatever form!

Alan Perry
MLPA President

1 This is the second version of the President’s Message.

(See messages from Past Presidents.)