Our BIP Community

Hi, it's Leslie Thorne. Most of you know by now that I am running for the Board.  I plan to use this space to share thoughts, insights and ideas with you. Feel free to comment back. To start... As part of this effort to get on the ballot, I had to secure 25 signatures. While some people thought this would be a painful or "demeaning" experience, I loved this process. Why? Because it enabled me to reach out to 25 Owners. I used those phone calls as an opportunity to have conversations, to form closer connections, and to hear about what mattered to each of them, what they wanted to see more of, less of...their concerns, their hopes. The following is an accounting of what they said...read and enjoy!!  

  The other day I called one of the earliest Bray's Island Owners to let her know that I was running for the Board.  We talked about the early days and here's what she said to me: "I remember that I would go to Board meetings where Robert Marvin would be present. At every meeting, he would say... "Always remember who you are. Be clear about your identity. State it every day. Because if you don't, you'll wake up one day and find out you have become something you never intended to be." Do we know who we are? Do we state it every day? PLEASE SEE posts below...Robert Marvin's VISION Statement, as well as our current MISSION STATEMENT (it's kinda new). Hit the MORE POSTS link below...

  The beauty and strength of BIP isn't its amenities, it is its people and sense of community. One of the early Owners said to me, "The people who first came to BIP cared about each other. They thought they were buying into a lifestyle. But, they discovered BIP was more than a lifestyle. it was a unique place because people genuinely cared about each other." We have a very special community. Diverse people from all over the world coming together to support a vision set by Sumner Pingree and Robert Marvin and upheld by those who settled here. Interesting, successful, caring people who believe in and want to preserve what BIP represents.  The early Owner went on to say, "In order to be part of a community, you have to FEEL like you are a part. You have to be included." Inclusiveness is key. Exclusiveness is out. Harmony is essential. Divisiveness is destructive. It's very special to be in a place where people feel connected to people who care about you. Let...

  Of course...since I stand up at every Annual Meeting to deliver this message, I had to repeat it here. ALWAYS REMEMBER... We are Owners. Not Members. We do NOT want to be managed.  We want to be empowered.  LOL. I had to say it again.

Here is what one Owner said to me about the "specialness" of BIP: "What makes BIP so special -- and what sets us apart from so many other communities -- is that we are an "egalitarian community." We all have the same size lot. We all have the same vote. We all have the same voice. We all have the same right to speak up. There is no Owner that is better or bigger than the other. We all have the same amount of influence.  Together. One. Community.

  Years ago, the New York Times featured an article about the future of Time, Inc.  They showed a picture of the President of Time who was leaning on her desk, alone, giving the impression that she alone was responsible for solving the difficulties of a media company navigating a digital future. At the time, I knew a lot of people at Time. A lot of bright, creative people who had ideas about how to move through the channels of the digital age. But nobody asked them for their input. No one wanted to hear their ideas.  What does that have to do with Brays? The Board at Brays does not have to come up with the solutions to all the challenges we face. There is a SILENT MAJORITY here at BIP, Owners who want to be involved, who want to offer their ideas, their thoughts, their creativity, their expertise, their input. But they feel they can't. Why? One of my signers told me that she was boo-ed at a meeting when she offered her idea about an upcoming project. Another told me how ...

I was told that only 160 Owners voted in the last Board election. I haven't confirmed that number, but if it is true, that means that less than half the Owners voted. I do know that the voting participation was low. In fact... One of my "signers" told me that he hasn't voted in the Board of Directors election since the By-Law change, in which the Nominating Committee recommends 3 candidates to fill 3 positions. When I asked him WHY, he said: "Because it's an anointment, not an election. There is no choice."  The Owners want a choice.  They are willing to serve. This election is the beginning of that change. It has been said that the By-Law grew out of the need to find qualified candidates for the Board and that it was difficult to find Owners who wanted to serve. (Or they weren't reaching out to the right people?!) Well...times have changed. This election shows that people are willing to serve.

  I have discovered that people have differing opinions about the role of the Board of Directors.  Here's what one Owner said to me during our discussions: "The Board is not the few imposing their will on the community or seeking to manage others. Owners elect fellow Owners to the Board in a spirit of servitude. The Board of Directors exists to serve the will of the Owners." It is in the spirit I seek to serve.

When I called one of my signers, he responded by saying: "I don't want to run for the Board." I explained..."no I'm not asking YOU to run for the Board. I'm running for the Board." Why did you say that, I asked? He said, "I don't want to run because I don't want to FIGHT with my neighbors." Fight with your neighbors? Why does this have to be a fight? It doesn't. It's so interesting. BIP is a competitive place. We have shooting competitions, golf tournaments, tennis matches...it's all ABOUT competition. I am "competing" with several people, some with whom I communicate every day. We are collaborating with each other. This can be a COLLABORATIVE process. That's been my experience.

  Here are excerpts from Robert E. Marvin's Vision Statement: "BIP is a very special place because the vision was to save a great Southern Plantation and not the typical goal of development When Sumner Pingree decided to develop BIP his dream was to preserve forever, 5,200 acres of South Carolina's Lowcountry Plantation Heritage. He wanted to find a way to save this beautiful land from the typical forms of development such as traditional resort style development of condo-culture, subdivided into small lots and sold, or timbering... Sumner Pingree and I together hugged every tree and kissed every brick as we planned this community we all love... At the creation of the project, the words Southern Plantation became the truth to which all design became subservient. This was repeated at the beginning of every meeting so that it did become the building beam for every step in the design process. The facilities and amenities of the Plantation were developed to resemble and emphasi...

  In January 2020, I noticed a footnote at the bottom of an Owner Services email. It was the "new" mission statement. It reads like this: "BI seeks to be America's premier sporting community, providing a wide range of outdoor recreational possibilities in an informal neighborhood environment that both retains and nurtures the natural beauty and agrarian feel of the plantation property on which it has been built. The community is neither a club nor a resort. It is a self-governing village where the Owners of individual home sites collaborate in directing the management of the 5000+ acres of common property while a skilled professional staff makes every aspect of this bucolic life easy, carefree, and secure. To sustain this unique lifestyle, the Owners actively and generously contribute to support each other's recreational pastimes, both long-standing and newly acquired, and to attract and retain employees who share and practice these values. Owners, members, staff...

The other day I called one of the earliest Bray's Island Owners to let her know that I was running for the Board.  We talked about the early days and here's what she said to me: "I remember that I would go to Board meetings where Robert Marvin would be present. At every meeting, he would say... "Always remember who you are. Be clear about your identity. State it every day. Because if you don't, you'll wake up one day and find out you have become something you never intended to be." Do we know who we are? Do we state it every day?

Hi, it's Leslie Thorne. Most of you know by now that I am running for the Board. : o ) I plan to use this space to share thoughts, insights and ideas with you. Feel free to comment back. To start... As part of this effort to get on the ballot, I had to secure 25 signatures. While some people thought this was a pain or a "demeaning experience," I loved this process. Why? I called 25 Owners - and used those calls as an opportunity to have a conversation, to form closer connections, and to hear about what mattered to them, what they wanted to see more of, less of...their concerns, their hopes. WHAT I LEARNED is that what Owners want more than ever... ...to be LISTENED TO.  They want to provide input. They want to offer suggestions. They have ideas. They want to vote on matters that have a direct impact on them. They want to be involved. Feel engaged. Be heard. THEY WANT A VOICE. So that's what I want to do if I am on the Board. To give Owners a voice. Here's where I...