Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1956-08-02
TiUinbrOOk Pool Meet
Called Nent Thursday

-foWed S2o,O0O from the bank,
borrowed $1,000 from members
and used about $1,000 of this
years operating funds on con.
struction. This summer we'll
have TO spend $4,000 on construc.
ton, making a total investment
of $4,000 - for a pool worth
$126, 700.
These figures do not reflect
the rather obvious fact that
even our unfinished bathhouse
is much more than basic"
So much for our present
worth
AS a result of a petition by
over 100 members, the board of
directors called a special meet.
ing in order to amend the by
laws in such a way as to collect
dues from the eldest child in
each family rather than increase
the dues to be paid by adult
members which would involve
tax payments.
This increase is necessary in
spite of the guest programs and
other income since the net profit
Is not enough to insure payment
of the mortgage installment.
The members have rather mar
row choice on this proposal.
If the amendment carries,
that is if there are 301 yes
votes, $40 dues will be payable
on August II. If the amend
ment does not carry SIG will be
payable on the 18th. Members
will be denied use of the pool
until this increase in dues is
paid.
Because the board does not an
ticipate immediate payment of
the $4,000 which this measure
should produce, some or all of
the fund raising activities will
be continued. Petitions are be-
ing circulated throughout the
area regarding various changes
or curtailments of these activi-
ties all of which will be dis
cussed at the meeting.
1t is of Importance that mem
bers attend the meeting so that
there will be a maximum of UNI
derstanding and sympathy be.
tween the board and the men,
bership.
The board has taken advant.
age of the fact that the mem
bership called a special meet.
ing to put forth another pro.
posed amendment to the by.
laws. This second proposal
was not requested by the mem.
d hers and Is I'm no way related
To the financial problems un.
der consideration.
The board in its covering let.
ter offered no explanation or
justification for this change
which has the effect of trans.
fering all ownership rights from
the members to the Board of Di-
rectors. If this amendment
should carry, the board of di.
rectors would have authority to
determine to whom a member
could sell his membership.
They would approve or disap.
prove the prospective buyer of a
members house, if the member
wished to include his member.
ship in the sale. The board
would set the price of the mem.
bership arbitrarily and would
not be required 10 account to
the members or to each other for
their reasons for any disapproval
OF transfer.
Congress has recently
passed a law relating to the
excise tax on community SWIM
ming pools. This law was
written especially TO exempt
suburban pools such as ours.
The Law carries q retroactive
provision and IL the nature of
our pool remains unchanged
there is a very good chance
that we will recover the $2O,.
600 or so we have paid. The
law suit we have pending
would be unnecessary.
This proposal on the ballot
which would make transfer of
membership subject to the ap-
prevail of the board of directors
would definitely change the pool
from a neighborhood cooperative
to a strictly private" club, thus
ending any hope of recovering
the tax money.
Present bylaws provide for
expelling truly undesirable mem
hers and require that member.
ships be sold within the original
neighborhood boundaries. More
power would seem to be unnec-
essary as well as costly,
A no vote on the second pro-
posal will delay the transfer of
power long enough for the mem.
bers to reach an informed deci.
sion on the request. If it is de.
sirable to give the board more
power it can be done at any
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