What's inside this issue?

• ARC Meeting Schedule Changes
• BHIT Ferry Schedule
• BHA Board Meetings & Nominations
• BHA News - November Island Report
• BHA Events
• Handy Bald Head Island website links

6th Annual

Operation Re-Forest — We Forest

Now that fall has arrived, Operation Re-Forest — We Forest preparations are in motion. This year’s planting day will be in early January. If you’d like to order trees in conjunction with this operation, stay tuned for more updates about ordering.

BHA began this operation in 2019 to help mitigate Bald Head Island’s tree losses from previous storms, such as Hurricane Florence in 2018 as well as our recent PTC #8. BHA will order trees in early December and bring them to Bald Head Island for planting on BHA Common Area.

BHA encourages property owners to participate in “Operation Re-Forest — We Forest” in one of four ways:

• Take advantage of BHA’s bulk order cost and Island delivery to plant trees on your own lot.
• Plant trees as part of your tree mitigation with the Architectural Review Committee (ARC).
• Plant a tree on your own lot to honor a loved one.
• Purchase a live oak tree in honor of a loved one to be planted on BHA Common Area.

Check out the Operation Re-Forest — We Forest map and list of honorees on BHA’s website at www.BaldHeadAssociation.com/re-forest.

Join Us at a Board Meeting

Did you know BHA Board Meetings are open to all members? They are an excellent way to learn firsthand what's going on within your HOA. Meetings open with a public comment section which allows members to ask questions and voice concerns or compliments.

Meetings are held both in person and via Zoom. Members must register for Zoom participation. Once in the meeting, online participants can enter questions or comments or ask to speak through the Chat feature. Written statements will be read at the meeting. If there are questions of a similar nature, they will be combined. The meeting will be recorded and posted on website. The next meetings are 11/22/24 and 12/20/24 (note date change for December) at 9:30am in BHA's Association Center (111 Lighthouse Wynd) or register for Zoom participation.

Board Self-Nominations Due Nov. 26

If someone wants to be considered by the membership for Board service and is not identified through the Nominating Committee process, BHA’s Bylaws identify an alternative path through self-nomination: “A petition signed by a minimum of fifteen (15) individual property owners, advocating a nominee for election to the Board of Directors, may be submitted to the Association office no later than sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting and this candidate or candidates shall be added to the final ballot which will be mailed to the membership no less than thirty (30) days in advance of the annual meeting.”  

The 60-day deadline for receipt of petitions this year is November 26, 2024. Of course, that date is the final deadline, and submissions can be sent any time prior to the deadline. Note that all Board candidates are required to complete a biography/questionnaire and send a headshot photo for publication in BHA’s Annual Report and on BHA’s website to help inform members of candidates’ credentials. With a tight print deadline, all biography/questionnaires and photos must be received by 4:00pm on December 2, 2024. 

All who are interested in submitting a petition can drop it off at the office (111 Lighthouse Wynd) or call the office at 910-457-4676 x21 with questions.

ARC Meeting Schedule Changes

In order to balance workloads while we simultaneously select and train key staff, we want to announce some schedule changes with Architectural Review Committee (ARC) meetings: 

1. The ARC will operate on an adjusted meeting schedule until the Spring of 2025. The ARC A and B committees will meet every other month (instead of every month) in order to provide extra time for the ARC Team to complete their technical reviews of submissions.
2. The ARC Team will devote time to processing as many of the smaller, minor projects as possible during this time.
3. All ARC processes and procedures will otherwise be followed without change during this time.

One issue that has been identified in recent months is the trend of many submissions being incomplete, tabled, or rejected because they are not compliant with ARC guidelines. In the last two months, 40% of agenda items fall into these categories. When an incomplete submission occurs, it is unfortunate and can cause frustration for both those submitting the proposal, as well as the ARCs and Team. We ask that BHA members work closely with their designers/architects/builders to propose complete submittals in the future. 

BHA News

November 2024

Island Report

Here are some highlights:

• BHA Board Self-Nominations
• ARC - Holiday Decorations
• President's Letter
• CWS - Maintaining a home on BHI
• Upcoming events
• Monthly contributors — the Village of BHI, Old Baldy Foundation, and the BHI Conservancy
• Plus much more!

BHA Events

Community

Potluck Dinner

November 11 @ 6:00 pm

BHA's Association Center

Join us for the upcoming Community Potluck Dinner on Monday, November 11, at 6:00pm at BHA's Association Center (111 Lighthouse Wynd). All are invited! Make new friends and join those you've known for years. Just bring a dish to share and your favorite beverage.

Thank you to the Education and Recreation (ER) Committee for sponsoring this event. For questions, contact Betsi Stephen.

• Save the date for upcoming dinner: December 9

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