CLUB NEWS
Was there a specific event that took place over your career that is particularly memorable?
That is a hard question for me, because I don’t hang on to stuff. I focus on the present and the future. But I will never forget the 4th of July picnic in 2021. It was the first big event after the pandemic.
We had over 2,000 pre-registered. It was the biggest celebration ever. The team was all ready to go. And…as people started showing up, there was this giant black cloud forming right over our heads. My thoughts were it might be a downpour and then clear up shortly after as monsoons typically do. The weather app on my phone said rain would start at 4:30 pm, but it was expected to stop at our location 30 minutes later. But then… the first giant drops began and everyone started seeking shelter, first under the tents. Then there were lightning bolts and cracks of thunder and everyone headed into the Canyon Clubhouse. Shortly, there were 2,000 family members trying to fit upstairs in the clubhouse as it continued to pour down rain.
The staff was scrambling for towels, we pulled every towel we could find. Our food and beverage team was literally carrying food out of the kitchen on dinner plates. They had to weave their way through and around people to make sure we were able to feed everyone. It was the most memorable, 4th of July or any BBQ event, for sure. Anyone who was there will remember it for years to come. I know I will.
Once you leave Forest Highlands what will fill your hours and days?
Buck and I love to travel, but we don’t like camping, so we now own a new 38-foot 5th wheel. We want to take our time to travel all 50 states and learn more about the diversity of our country. We have also thought of visiting the Canadian provinces since we have family living in Canada. Also, my older son and his wife are starting to plan on having children. That was another driver on picking the date for my retirement. I didn’t have my grandparents around when I was younger and I want to be a present and active grandma for my own future grandkids. I also love working with people. I do see myself eventually working again after taking time to decompress. I need the personal interaction. I will likely do some volunteering, maybe working part time at a winery or because I am avid reader, maybe working at a bookstore.
As you leave Forest Highlands, how would you like to be remembered?
Someone who is dependable, calm, focused, trustworthy, authentic. Someone who always spoke and acted truthfully and fostered a culture promoting, accountability, civility and equity. I am not interested in being remembered for doing something positive, but would be humbled if I were remembered for being something positive.
William Godfrey is the Forest Highlands Club Historian, author and biographer. He and his wife, Wendy Huck Godfrey, became Forest Highlands Members in May 2021. He can be reached at willgodd@gmail.com.
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