Resident Groups Learn to Meet Remotely

When the COVID-19 pandemic began accelerating across the country in March 2020, it intially canceled plans and in-person meetings and gatherings for Leisure World of Maryland’s residents.

But as weeks turned to months, the community’s many clubs, groups and organizations began to find new ways to come together remotely to implement goals and plans and enjoy each other’s company.

The Leisure World Association for African American Culture recently held two events honoring the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – one with the community’s Inter-Faith Chapel and the other with the Jewish Residents of Leisure World group – one of which was held via Zoom and both broadcast on one of Leisure World of Maryland’s two closed circuit television channels, accessible to all residents.

The Ballroom Dance Club, which dates back almost to the community’s founding in the mid-sixties, may have canceled its recent dances, but not its love of the waltz, fox trot and cha cha. A small group of masked club members meet in Clubhouse II to practice their steps at a distance from one another and prepare for the time when they can all come together again. The club has even seen an inrease in its membership since the pandemic began.

Members of the Rossmoor Art Guild (RAG), Leisure World of Maryland’s resident artists’ group, have taken their sketchbooks outdoors for ‘en plain air,’ and some also meet regularly via Zoom for “RAG Time,” when they share their artwork and offer each other feedback. RAG recently launched its website, RossmoorArtGuild.org, to publicize its art classes and exhibit members’ work while the Clubhouse walls aren’t available.

And the community’s governance bodies – its board of directors and executive committee – continue to meet on schedule, with most of its members and all resident visitors participating in meetings via Zoom. The meetings are broadcast live and archived on the community’s internal  resident website, residents.lwmc.com.