“Common areas do not automatically create a sense of community. Nurturing the community spirit is probably the greatest challenge facing community associations today.”—CLIFFORD TREESE, CPCU, ARM, CIRMS and community association guru extraordinaire  So, how can an association nurture community spirit? Through its volunteers! This article will offer a few thoughts on how to encourage volunteerism and some ideas on fostering community spirit.  First, the basics. If you’re a manager fortunate enough to work with a developer when the community is but a gleam in his or her eye, you’ve got the potential to cultivate the community spirit from the very beginning. It may take some persuasion, but convincing the developer that committees composed of volunteers help the community succeed, resulting in quicker sales and happy residents who encourage family and friends to join them, is a win-win for everyone.    Read the article……………..