Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association leaseholders have begun to question the direction of the community’s board members, including a recent decision to sue the Oak Bluffs Planning Board.
Wednesday nights at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs,voices ring out in song at the traditional Community Sing. The scene is one of nostalgic, neighborly Americana beneath the Tabernacle’s three-level fluted roof, where generations of Camp Ground summer residents have gathered for music and worship.
But beneath the harmony, a current of turbulence has begun, as Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association (MVCMA) leaseholders question the direction of the community’s board members, including a recent decision to sue the Oak Bluffs Planning Board.
Speaking with the Gazette Tuesday at a meeting held outside the Camp Ground, leaseholders described an organization that collects rents and imposes rules — from quiet times between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. to how and when properties may be maintained — without formal representation from residents.
“We are treated . . . as tenants and tenants only,” said Tara Urban, whose Island connections date back to her grandfather’s Coyle Bakery in the Arcade Building on Circuit avenue. “We’d like to be treated as property owners that have a significant vested interest in the campground and our properties.”
“I think that’s the biggest issue: We have no vote,” she said.
Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association president Andrew Patch confirmed that leaseholders do not have a governance role within the organization.
Methodist Camp Ground community was founded in the 19th century.
Methodist Camp Ground community was founded in the 19th century.
“They have a voice in the sense that we solicit their input,” said Mr. Patch, noting that time is set aside at the start of each quarterly board meeting for leaseholders to speak.
“It’s very much interactive, but they don’t have a vote on the board,” Mr. Patch said, adding that the rest of the board meeting is closed.
The Camp Ground was founded in the 19th century as a summer tent encampment for the Methodist faithful. Its Victorian gingerbread cottagers and quiet walkways have also become a favorite tourist destination, and each August thousands flock to Grand Illumination Night, a tradition that dates back to 1869.
Worship services were originally held under a tent. The Tabernacle was built in 1879 and the lighted cross added to the top in 1926.
The current restoration plan includes replacing the roof on the Tabernacle, and building a 1,300-square-foot addition on the back of the Tabernacle that would house 10 bathrooms, a back stage area for performers and a climate-controlled space to store a grand piano that is used for events.
The project was reviewed by the planning board in early June as a site plan review. In the end the board voted 3-0 to approve the work, but apply a condition that requires the camp meeting association to show evidence of cooperation with the town wastewater department for connecting the bathrooms to the town treatment plant. A second condition requires the association to hire a consultant to evaluate the storm water management plan.
The camp meeting association filed suit on July 11 against the Oak Bluffs planning board, seeking to reverse the set of conditions.
The conflict over the bathroom annex sparked more than 30 letters to the Oak Bluffs planning board with close to 25 of them opposed to the project. Several Camp Ground residents said that the decisions were made without input from leaseholders. Ms. Urban said this has been hard to explain to people who live outside the enclave.
“The Island thinks it’s us,” she said.
Camp Ground resident Craig Hall said he and his wife Elsie inherited their Trinity Park cottage from his parents. They love to bring their grandchildren to the weekly sings, Ms. Hall said.
“The community culture is so wonderfully inviting for children,” she said. “They make children feel very welcome.”
But Mr. Hall added that he felt the association lacks respect for the leaseholders, who must renew their land agreements every year or face the prospect of either selling or moving their houses.
Ms. Urban agreed that the current conflict is an unwelcome disturbance to what she described as a happy community where old friendships are renewed and new ones made each summer.
“It’s about relationships,” Ms. Urban said. “When we’re neighborly, there’s nothing like it.”
Comments
The facts were well covered
Campgrounded MVCMAThe facts were well covered in this article, and not denied by Andrew Patch. Leaseholders are at the mercy and whims of an elite and aloof group of board members. The quarterly board meetings are intimidating - no one says anything, and for good reason. The fear of retribution and not having our annual lease renewed is too great to utter anything the board doesn't want to hear. One board member was renowned for frequently prowling the Campground with his clipboard in hand, stopping in front of our porch with us on it, looking around our cottage, silently jotting a page of notes, and then huffing off to the next cottage to be inspected. We chuckled, but it was simply bizarre. There's a reason the Campground has had a handful of general managers over the past few years.
Absurd. As an “ outsider” Why
L Charron Oak BluffsAbsurd. As an “ outsider” Why can’t by laws be amended to give property owners a vote? I’m sure honest and intelligent leadership can make that happen.
It seems like the Camp Ground
Islander TooIt seems like the Camp Ground board sees the Camp Ground as a kind of Vatican within the town of Oak Bluffs, and itself as a kind of pope.
The MVCMA leaseholders are
Community Organizer Oak BluffsThe MVCMA leaseholders are not the first to be ignored by their landlord. The solution is to GET ORGANIZED. Form a tenants organization, appoint a spokesperson, hold meetings and potlucks, and write letters to every board members. If every board meeting has forum for leaseholders, then request the tenants organization representative to be heard at every one. Take a cue from the Civil Rights movement and use your power. Make a statement by boycotting a Sunday service. Form a tenants organization and get your voices heard. Even a few organized people can make a difference. Kudos to Ms. Urban and Mr. & Mrs. Hall for taking the first brave step.
I've followed this story and
Gary Vineyard HavenI've followed this story and I don't understand how a small unelected board can hold so much power. What do the founding documents actually say about that? It's outrageous that leaseholders who have bought in have no say in their own campground. Maybe they could form a Leaseholders Association and bring a legal challenge against the existing powers and demand a restructuring of the Association. They may have been founded as a religious organization, but no longer. Now they're a fancy condo type development. Their charter should change as their reason for being has.
As someone who has enjoyed
S Myers Oak BluffsAs someone who has enjoyed offerings at The Tabernacle for more than 68 years, I question why the Board of MVCMA would choose to build 10, as in TEN?????, toilets to the back of the beautiful structure. I understand the need for space to store piano/etc. Where is the data that shows the need for 10 toilets? This is NOT a mega-church, like in TN/TX. Who will maintain/clean them? Where is the impact analysis on OB Waste water? "No man is an island" (to quote John Donne), yet the Board of the MVCMA has created an "island of decisioning".
Do your homework. The
Deborah Off island, nowDo your homework. The mandated number of toilets for the Tab is 30. How do you feel about 30? Uh huh. 10 is a compromise. Hey, YOU try to utilize a portapotty in a wheelchair OR access the stage - then, and only then, rethink your position.
Thank you for this well
Elizabeth S EdgartownThank you for this well written article. It is sad to read that this treasured place on this special Island is not as inclusive to it's residents as it is to it's visitors! How is it that the MVCMA Board does not represent the will of it's constituents? And, how in this day and age, is there not full transparency on how leaseholder's dues are spent and where they are distributed? Despite the difference in the nomenclature, this Board feels largely like a Home Owners Association gone awry; not following the will of the homeowners. Mr Patch, let the people vote!
I am a former MVCMA board
Claudia Morgan California and Oak BluffsI am a former MVCMA board member. Each year, the board advertises broadly for leaseholders to apply to join the board for three year terms, renewable twice, and each year discouragingly few do. The opportunity for a voice is there every year.
That does not answer the
Community Organizer Oak BluffsThat does not answer the question posed here of why board members can't be elected. It's doubtful this is prohibited in MVCMA charter. More likely an attorney has formed an interpretation of the MVCMA charter that allows the board to retain power. A tenants organization could get their own attorney and give the leaseholders a more informed point of view. Hopefully this charter is publicly available. Maybe it could be a law school project....I hear there's a good one located just outside of Boston.
Yeah. Sounds good in theory
Rick The CampgroundYeah. Sounds good in theory but the board members vote on new board members - again, leaseholders don’t get to vote. If you don’t fit the profile they don’t vote you in. Fact.
Now, open voting the vote on new board members to leaseholders and you’ll have a board that represents the Campground and not the elite few.
As someone who has spend
Let’s be logical Oak BluffsAs someone who has spend decades on the Vineyard it is absolutely absurd to me that this small collective of board members on a power trip feel they have the right to make decisions for an entire community of hundreds of people. If they want to build this expansion in the campground it should either pass a popular vote as the residents presumably will be the ones to fund it or they should have to raise the fund themselves, and this should be complete before any step is made to start construction. “Highly interactive” with the leaseholders would presumably mean you would listen to the people and this is clearly not what they want. It is absolutely bewildering to me that this small group can force an entire community to pay what I could only assume to be thousands for their own agenda.
Please let the people VOTE!!!
Monique Pelletier EdgartownPlease let the people VOTE!!!
The board needs to be more
P Smythe Oak bluffsThe board needs to be more transparent. They know it and so do the campgrounders. Fear of retribution is massive considering one’s cottage lease is at stake. No one wants to speak out and incur the scarlet letter on them and their families. The board elects the board. Times need to change and leaseholders need a say. Let us vote.
Having spent time in the
PowerCorrupted MainlandHaving spent time in the Campgrounds every summer since birth, it's gut wrenching to see what's being done to the residents. How does a roof 'Restoration Plan' include a "building a 1,300-square-foot addition on the back of the Tabernacle that would house 10 bathrooms, a back stage area for performers and a climate-controlled space to store a grand piano that is used for events." Who is paying for this... it is literally taxation without representation. And are the leaseholders permitted to have such 'restorations' to their own cottages? (absolutely not, from conversation I've had) As @Campgrounded alluded, there's sure to be backlash from Andrew Patch and the MVCMA Board on leaseholders that dare speak out.
A Special Act of the MA
Long Time MV Homeowner Oak BluffsA Special Act of the MA legislature passed in 1868, creating the MVCMA, doesn’t prevent today’s MVCMA leadership from acting responsibly. The Board should enact appropriate bylaws and respect their community/property owners.
The leaseholders in the camp
KGreen Oak BluffsThe leaseholders in the camp ground are a wonderful group who genuinely care about the community they live in. At the very least they should be able to have some percentage of vote with the board members. They are greatly impacted by the decisions and deserve a vote.
In reading the comments it
Mike Vineyard HavenIn reading the comments it seems that, in fact, leaseholders are encouraged to apply for three-year terms. If one has a voice and then chooses not to use it, who is at fault?
Mike…….just because people
Kathleen MV CampmeetingMike…….just because people want a say in how their lease money is spent and how decisions are made in the community in which they live, it doesn’t mean that they want to be on the governing board. All most leaseholders want is a say in what is decided., transparency in decisions that are made, ,and equal treatment for all. Favoritism that is dished out to some is a source of much contention.
Yes, certain leaseholders are
Steve CampgroundYes, certain leaseholders are encouraged to place their names for consideration to serve on the Board. Others place their names for consideration without being encouraged. Guess who gets chosen? The Board is self perpetuating and has managed to morph into a less representative body over the course of the past decade or so.
The MVCMA by-laws need to be examined and restructured. A Campground neighborhood by neighborhood elective representative structure should be considered. Change is necessary before too much more damage is done to this cherished community.
Are the leaseholders really
Rational Person Oak BluffsAre the leaseholders really advocating for the continuation of the use of those nasty porto-potties? They are disgusting and a blight on the Campground. They can walk home if the need arises but those of us who enjoy what you have to offer and financially support your events would very much enjoy a clean bathroom facility for our families.
From the MVCMA website. Here
Let's Be InformedFrom the MVCMA website. Here is the process for Board elections (below). It appears that anyone can apply, but the nominees that move forward are selected by a Nominating Committee, which is made up of existing Board Members. Final vote is by the Board. Sounds self-selecting.
3. ELECTIONS. At each Annual Meeting of the Board seven (7) persons shall be elected to the Board to serve for a term of three (3) years (provided that seven (7) nominees receive a majority of those voting on one ballot or more, and in the event that seven (7) do not receive a majority, fewer than seven (7) may be elected), such persons having been placed in nomination by the Nominating Committee or be nominated from the floor, and having expressed a willingness to serve if elected. If any of the Directors who would be eligible for re-nomination have already served for three consecutive terms, or portions thereof, he or she is not eligible for election to the board for three years. Election shall be by ballot, unless the Secretary, by unanimous vote of those present, is instructed to cast a ballot for the entire slate presented by the Nominating Committee.
The people moving into the
Insider MVCMAThe people moving into the campground are paying a lot more for these cottages than we did years ago. Plus they have to give a percentage of the sale of the cottage to the tabernacle as well as the land bank. Ask yourself why anyone would want to be held hostage by the MV board?
Our cottages are significant
Year Round Resident 5 BaylissOur cottages are significant assets, no longer tents. The MVCMA Board of 2022 should operate differently than it did in 1868. There should be financial transparency and leaseholder involvement in decisions that impact our community.
Leaseholders can and do apply
Campgrounder OBLeaseholders can and do apply for the available positions on the board, but are chosen by the existing board members and not by popular vote. Those with dissenting voices or ideas different than the current board are rarely accepted for board positions. Many are called but few are chosen.
According to the presentation
Fred J. Hancock Oak BluffsAccording to the presentation given to the MVC, the number of restrooms was determined by the OB building inspector based on the building capacity.
The Tabernacle is a sacred
Leaseholder MVCMA Oak BluffsThe Tabernacle is a sacred outdoor venue which has not nor should provide restrooms. And the leaseholders are going to have to fund this endeavor? Just like we do for our cottages- preserve the existing. This is not a place where change is made- and it should stay that way. Replace the roof/preserve the structure and be done.
Dozens and dozens of comments
The other MVCMA'ers OBComments from dozens and dozens of current h'owners in the MVCMA barely touches upon decades of poor governing, the total misalignment of power, authority and representation and the breeding ground of mistrust and fear-based relations by this Board to the community it supposedly serves. Every homeowner who has ever endured the heavy hand of having their lot lines and parking spaces measured out and flagged after requesting permission to replace a rotten window frame, knows it. The MVCMA Board will never call themselves to account, will never willingly change to become more representative and will never, ever - I have not a shred of doubt - survive an open vote of confidence by the homeowners.
You see, we ALL want to buy our leased land, reconfigure and operate as a modern day HOA, encourage easier ways to maintain and improve the appearance, comfort and safety of our cottages, while retaining the historical standard and be ready for the next 100 years of generational and new owners. All which is why they keep the Board, the process, the rule making all shuttered, because it's the only viable way to keep themselves in place. If 'Democracy Dies in Darkness', this community expired decades ago.
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