Who are we? The Bald Head Association is the Stage I property owners' association on the Island. As the largest property owner's association on the Island, the BHA represents over 1500 properties and works through the use of member-approved Covenant restrictions to protect the value of those properties for the overall benefit of the membership. The Association also provides communication and advocacy services to its members. (Also see Q&A on Home Page). A Brief History of the Association In the mid-70’s, the existing five homeowners, along with those in the process of building, met and agreed that an Association was needed to advocate provisions for security and reliable access on the island, as well as other issues of property owner concern. They discussed its formation and the basic initiatives that should be followed. As a result, they mailed a letter to all the property owners to inform them about the meeting and its results. As part of this mailing, a return post card was sent out, asking for a favor/not in favor vote. Out of over 100 responses, only one person did not favor it. The steering committee set up the structure at a meeting in February 1975, and the organizational meeting was in March. This first POA, the forerunner of our BHA, was called the BHI POA. A charter and bylaws were approved, and officers and directors elected. The original property owner restrictions were put into place at the creation of the developmental premise by Carolina Cape Fear Corporation. It was nothing negotiated between property owners or by the Developer as our current Covenants are. When an offering was made to sell property, the restrictions were part of what was accepted by purchase. If you did not like the restrictions, you did not buy the property. The BHI POA was directly responsible for saving the developmental premise when the economy faltered in the 1970’s. By maintaining that premise, they were able to hold the development intact, keep the golf course open, and prevent the mass selling off of property, until the economy changed. This Association had a deep commitment to what this island was supposed to be, and to holding it together through the economy’s downward slump. In 1982, because it was inevitable that the Developer would reduce his interest in the island such that services and control of the destiny of the island would have to be transferred to the property owners, the new covenants were created. The anticipation of this reduced involvement by the Developer required the Association to have the authority to assess dues to provide services, which also required that membership in the Association be mandatory. When the Covenants were re-written and modified in 1981-82, it was done to provide for this structure. When CCF successors (Jim Harrington and Walter Davis) bought the island, new Covenants were negotiated, so that as the Developer decreased his interest, the Bald Head Association, as it was now called, would have the authority to provide services in an orderly fashion. The next change came when the Mitchells bought the island, and a community government system was needed to get certain permits on the island (such as for liquor sales). The Village Council was created, appointed by the property owners on a nominee basis coming from the Association. Later the charter was revised so the Council was elected by resident property owner vote. The formation of a Council diminished the interest in having the BHA provide typically government-provided services. The Association’s primary functions and assessments now support advocacy, the obligation to oversee the Covenants and Architectural Review, protection of the common areas, and representation of the property owner, particularly non-resident property owners.