OUR OPINION
Chamber needs to wake up, change
EDITORIAL

Bullard is changing - whether people like it or not. And you either embrace the change and control it - or let it happen and hope it grows well.

It's time for the Bullard Chamber of Commerce to learn that lesson, and at no time was it more evident than at February's meeting.

Never have we seen such an immature display of emotion - complete with finger pointing, name calling and storming from the meeting - in a group of supposed adults.

The meeting should be an embarrassment to all involved. And while it makes for interesting stories in the newspaper, it shows that something is terribly wrong with some of the chamber's organization.

Most of the members who actually show up at these meetings - and the numbers are low - will tell the same story - just not on the record.

One member - who no longer attends meetings - told us once that he quit attending meetings because they were long, drawn out, and nothing got accomplished. We couldn't agree more.

A professional chamber of commerce should work as a united front.

It should welcome both new and longstanding members, and it should never allow personalities or egos to get in the way of what its true mission is: To promote the city and its businesses.

Yet we see none of it through all of the bickering.

At February's meeting, one member - who has been involved in the annual Red, White and Blue Festival since its inception - reacted hysterically to the news that the chamber board recommended a change of date in the festival.

We could see no reason for the hysteria. The board made a wise choice, and the overwhelming majority of those in attendance agreed.

Yet they were overshadowed as one person resorted to a bizarre display of emotion.

The board's reasoning behind the choice was clear - get the schools involved and attendance will increase.

It's sound logic.

And the fact that the festival has barely scraped by - even while other area festivals - including those of Tyler, Rusk and Jacksonville are booming - should be reason enough to look to a change.

But evidently it bruised egos, and threatened those who weren't consulted.

We wonder why this hysterical member didn't simply do what one member did - he volunteered after the meeting - as a way to assuage those who might feel slighted - to organize and conduct an additional event for Armed Forces Day - which Red, White and Blue was formerly centered around.

Our recommendation is this: Change the bylaws of the chamber to ones where the board - who is elected by the membership - makes these decisions. Otherwise, there's no need for a board of directors.

Decisions by the board should then be taken to the membership, and meetings should be shortened - allowing those who maintain busy lives to return to the meetings.

A tight rein should be used - especially when adults act inappropriately - and if necessary - the leadership should be allowed to ask those who do so to leave the meeting.

The only thing that hinders the chamber from making this decision is guts. With the newly elected board, we believe that they will do it.

If they choose not to, the whole chamber should be dissolved. If it doesn't it's only a matter of time before it implodes.

The way it's been running for longest time should tell us something isn't working. Complaining about something doesn't solve the problem; it merely prolongs it.

We urge the board to make this decision and give Bullard businesses what they're paying membership dues for - a professional and non-embarrassing Chamber of Commerce - a chamber that reflects what Bullard is fast becoming - a real and professional city.