La Jolla recreation group wrestles with questions about meeting frequency

With two executive board members swapping roles, the La Jolla Community Recreation Group’s latest officer election didn’t lead to much of a shakeup. But how the group will be led in the coming year — and more specifically, how often it will meet — remains in question.

Board secretary Alan Dulgeroff, who served as president in 2023 and 2024, was unanimously elected president for 2026. Anne Wiklund, who was president this year, now will be the secretary and vice president.

Dulgeroff said changes might be coming in how board members are brought on and how meetings will be run.

The Community Recreation Group — the advisory panel for the Recreation Center — has struggled to meet recently because of the lack of a quorum (the minimum number of board members in attendance needed to vote). As a result, the board has had to cancel a handful of monthly meetings this year.

Its Dec. 10 meeting was its first since September, when the board formed a nominating committee to find candidates for officers to lead the board next year.

Candidates for board seats must have attended three meetings and submit a written statement of interest to the board president, Dulgeroff said.

“We haven’t had any new members forever, and I’ve had several people call and ask about joining the group,” said board member Mary Coakley Munk. “The only way we’re going to grow … is if people can count on meetings being held when they’re supposed to. … The regulations are [that] you have to be at three meetings to become a member. There’s no way we could have any new members, and it’s really embarrassing.”

“Even if there’s not a quorum, you can still meet,” she added.

Member Jan Harris said “Those of us who are on the board made a commitment to be on this board. So it’s incumbent on us to set that [time] aside and come to those meetings and not have them canceled all the time.”

Dulgeroff suggested the board discuss the best meeting “cadence” — whether that means bimonthly meetings or a certain number per year.

Munk said less-consistent meetings could make it difficult for the board to hear time-sensitive presentations and could lessen involvement in community projects.

“It’s our duty as a board — if we really care about the Rec Center — to be meeting monthly,” she said.

The conversation is expected to be revisited in the near future.

“I’m very happy to talk about this more, figure out a game plan and make sure it’s something that works for everybody,” Dulgeroff said. “I think that’s the really important thing, that everybody has a voice in this. I think everybody’s in a different place with their schedules and what they can do.”

Next meeting: The La Jolla Community Recreation Group next meets at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, at the La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St.

— La Jolla Light staff writer Ashley Mackin-Solomon contributed to this report.