Our Community in Fairfax County, Virginia

At our 5 February 2002 General Meeting, officers from the Broyhill Park Civic Association spoke about how they are organized, activities they support, and the way they run their association.  The two speakers were Michele Depasse, their president and Neighborhood Watch co-chair, and Mary Rogers, co-chair for both holiday decorating and Neighborhood Watch.

Broyhill Park is a neighborhood of 800 homes to our west that connects to the southwest side of our community just behind Wayne Road.  Like Westlawn, their dues are $10 per year, and their membership drive is conducted by newsletter solicitation from the beginning of the year through early fall.

Each year, the Broyhill Park Civic Association publishes four newsletters and holds four General Meetings and four Board Meetings.  (Westlawn currently publishes five newsletters and holds three General Meetings and no Board Meetings.) Instead of having residents deliver newsletters, they pay a small fee for two people to deliver all the newsletters.  They also maintain the traffic triangle at the intersection of Graham Road and Marc Drive.

Broyhill Park's Neighborhood Watch has its own Website and uses e-mail to solicit volunteers, followed up with phone calls to fill any holes.  The 38 members conduct mostly day patrols, and bike patrols just started on weekends.  Their National Night Out party in August is held at Woodley Pool, rather than separately planned events like in Westlawn.

Other activities Broyhill Park hosts during the year are an Easter egg hunt and parade, a community yard sale, a Halloween parade (jointly with Westlawn), and a Christmas party with Santa.

The Broyhill Park Civic Association has succeeded in filling many of its Board positions by drawing on volunteers from the Neighborhood Watch program.  This year, their goal is to have street captains on every street who can welcome new neighbors who move into the area.