One of Sun City West’s oldest chartered clubs – the Friends of the R.H. Johnson Library – is looking to drop its charter in 2022 but remain an independent 501(c)3 organization dedicated to benefiting the patrons of the R.H. Johnson Library.

While the Friends are preparing to dissolve as a chartered club under the auspices of the Rec Centers, they are planning to continue serving the community and the Library just as they have since 1979.

The charter will not be dissolved until a Memorandum of Understanding is in place between the two organizations to ensure the Friends’ mission continues largely as it has in the past, with funds raised from the community going toward the purchase of materials for the Library.

The Friends have been supporting the Library for 42 years. However, after review with the Rec Centers, the organization does not meet the definition of a “social club” per the Association’s Rules, Regulations and Procedures.

The expected dissolution is a mutual agreement made between the Rec Centers and the Friends, and both parties agree the decision is the best course of action to keep the Friends consistent with their mission.

The Friends do not meet for social events, nor do they have activities that directly benefit the organization’s members. The Friends are not able to hold elections or perform other administrative duties as the other chartered clubs do since its members join the group to show support for the Library, not to gain any kind of social benefit.

The organization itself exists solely to raise money for the Library. In fact, the Friends, through quarterly book sales, Thursday Night Movies and an Endowment Fund, pay for all the materials in the R.H. Johnson Library. This includes books, DVDs, books on CD, ebooks and more. The Friends have also covered special projects and programs, as well as part of the 2008 expansion that included the new Data Resource Center.

These funding efforts are not expected to change with the new designation. The Memorandum of Understanding will outline commitments and responsibilities to ensure both parties work together to continue providing resources for our patrons well into the future!

This potential move by the Friends of the Library was discussed at the Jan. 4 Chartered Clubs Committee meeting. Watch that meeting in the video player on this page and other RCSCW Committee meetings on the Sun City West YouTube channel.