[NatureBoy]

First of all Active Network assumes there is some kind of central activity management of the activities, like a town or something like the YMCA might have. Activities in The Villages are managed independently by each volunteer that runs that activity.

Someone "above" the volunteer manages the room reservations. The weekly schedule lists activities at the various rec centers; that's not managed by each volunteer. There's a database tracking all that info.

Active Network was just thrown out as an example of the type of system involved. It may be a horrible product; I have no idea, I picked it out of a web search.

Volunteers are the key to all the activities we have here. I think a system like Active Network would frustrate a lot, probably most, of those volunteers to a point where they drop out of leading an activity.

Agreed. Careful training of rec center staff to assist volunteers leading activities would be critical. Or, remove the volunteer leader's need to interact with the system - they show up, lead their thing & leave. Either rec center staff or "the system" handles the class reservations. I expect that at the Y and other places the instructors aren't involved with the details of room & class management.

An activity management system for The Villages activities should be models after the golf reservations system.

Sounds good. Perhaps the priority system could be added to another piece of software.

In the end I don't see how a system like Active Network can even begin to compete with the simplicity of the current system from the point of view of the volunteer who leads an activity

But what about the point of view of the people waiting around for an hour+? Who get blocked out of activities? Who develop bad attitudes, move away, tell their friends not to move to TV, etc. because activities are poorly managed? Golf clearly got popular & crowded enough that it needed a management system, room activities may have reached the same point.

Thanks for taking the time to look at the product mentioned and think through the problem.