SBCA Happenings

by Carolyn O’Keeffe, President, SBCA Board of Directors

Happy New Year, and welcome to January 2026! 

We made it through the winter holidays and all the activities, family and joy they bring.  Shopping with my 7-year-old and 9-year-old grandsons to find toys for the Toys for Tots drive gave me a glimpse into words in their vocabularies, games they love and nonstop energy! Lunch was a welcome reprieve.

At the Bay Club, our Activities Team of volunteers created a magical place with all the beautiful decorations throughout our club.  We also enjoyed a lovely Winter Gala event with wonderful food, company, and music on December 12.  Our chef, Rick Unure, and his team were outstanding in serving us a classic holiday dinner. Musicians Jonathan Doyle and Connor Forsyth made the event a beautiful night out with friends.

Here are a few of our upcoming pancake breakfast dates and nonprofit organizations that will be supported: January 2, the PSO Bluebills; February 6, Center Valley Animal Rescue; March 6, PLVC Trails Committee; April 3, Jefferson Healthcare Hospice.  

Our January Member Social is scheduled for the 9^th – bring your favorite “tailgate” finger food, wear your team gear, and join us at the Bay Club! Other ideas the Activities Committee are considering – a chili cookoff and a chowder cookoff! Stay tuned for more details.

We have planned additional lectures in the First Nations' Lecture series by Olympic Peninsula Center Executive Director, David Brownell.  We have the first two dates scheduled: January 15 and February 12. The other dates will be determined and shared once they are known.  His lectures have been very well attended by South Bay community and the greater Port Ludlow community. If you’re interested in local history, plan on attending.

You may have noticed the openness of our front landscaping in recent weeks. The Katsura trees were removed, and their stumps were ground down in mid-November. Their removal paves the way for us to fix the broken curbing and sidewalks around the front that have been hazardous for all of us. After that, we can work on added fresh and nutrient rich soil prior to adding new plants. A new landscape design will be created soon with the help of experts.

This month the SBCA Board of Directors will be launching a new committee, the Long-Range Planning Committee, that will examine both expenses and revenue of the SBCA in order to develop a five-year long-range plan that will review rising costs and our current revenue sources and consider strategies to increase revenue and decrease expenses. The committee would then recommend the plan to the Board of Directors for their review and approval.

Lastly, on January 19 the country will observe Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday that celebrates the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his leadership in the American civil rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s. MLK Day is designated as a National Day of Service. If you have a chance, please join in with neighbors and friends and volunteer in local service projects that support our community.