Anyone who owns a lot on the Goodnow Flow is presently compelled by the orders of some lower courts in NYS to belong to the GFA. To belong to the GFA and to be considered to be in good standing, a lot owner must pay the GFA an annual dues, presently right around $1,200 per year. If a Member does not pay the GFA, the GFA suspends that Member's membership, and that Member at least temporarily loses all rights to enjoy the use of any GFA facilities, including the Flow itself.
This forced membership in the GFA has been challenged in some lower courts in NYS, with the GFA prevailing each time, by the courts agreeing that it is legal for private property owners to be forced to join what the courts seem to see as a type of homeowner's association association, such as the GFA. With the latest currently pending litigation against the GFA yet to be heard, it is uncertain whether or not these earlier rulings will continue to stand in the future, but presently we are all compelled by these lower courts in NYS to belong to, and therefore be subjected to paying annual dues to, the GFA.
I believe that for a private property owner in NYS or anywhere in The Land of the Free to be forced to belong to anything is onerous enough, but such forced membership becomes especially important to me when I am also forced to financially support the group to which I am being forced to belong. Please don't get me wrong - I absolutely fully, unequivocally, 100% support the existence of and Membership in the GFA. But it is exactly because I believe so strongly in the need for an effective, modern and transparent GFA, that I am working as hard as I am to try to help modernize the GFA. This is precisely why transparency is so important. If the GFA Membership-at-large is not aware of or does not understand the workings of the GFA, then I view that as a failure of the GFA to communicate as openly and clearly with the Members as possible.
In an only somewhat successful attempt to increase GFA Member's, former Member's and potential Member's awareness of and, where appropriate, participation in the GFA, I have done my best (never without occasional slight missteps) to evolve the tone and content of the GFA Facebook page into one which is hopefully more informative and perhaps at times even slightly entertaining. "Reach" is the name of the metric which Facebook uses to measure all FB page's impact within the FB community. When I took on the job of administering the GFA FB page, for a variety of very legitimate and perfectly understandable reasons, the GFA FB page's reach was 10. Under my watch, the GFA FB page's "reach" recently peaked at just over 4,300. To me, this clearly indicates that there is a definite interest amongst GFA Members, former Members, and prospective Members to be informed of both the happenings here on the Flow, and to transparently be informed regarding the operations of the GFA itself. It is precisely this type of openness which I shall vehemently advocate for when you honor me by electing me to the Board of Directors of the GFA.
Thank you very much for your DEEPLY appreciated support!! :-)