Show What We Think By Frank Dixon I visited a meeting of the Chamber Cham Cham- Chamber Chamber ber of Commerce in the town in which I live recently One of the members got to his feet and pointing point point- pointing pointing ing out the small attendance of LIE fir fifteen teen or eighteen members out of a membership of one hundred and twenty brought up the question of I what was the matter with the Chamber of Commerce Was it because there was no interest on the part of the members that interest in in- interest terest in it was dying What else elso could be the reason that out of a membership of over overa a hundred that it was possible to get out only about ten per cent of oC the members and they when the meeting was in progress would sit silent with nothing to say when they were appealed to to express an opinion upon a matter before the body For some time no one seemed to tobe t tobe be willing or 01 able to offer an ans ans- answer answer and the meeting dragged on dully Finally one of the members who up to that time had taken no part in the meeting got to his feet and said Ladies and gentlemen the problem as I see it is a lack of objective We meet here each week and flounder through the meeting There is no definite con con- consistent consistent program no specific goal no objective Nothing has been pro proposed proposed proposed posed by the leadership J of the or or- organization organization or by any member as an aa objective upon which the energy and the talent and the genius of this group might be concentrated and toward which we might work work- in unison I propose that the next meeting be an open forum fortun meet meet- meeting meeting meeting ing at which time there will be be- submitted by the membership or others a list of the projects that should be undertaken These should be projects which the au au- author author thor thoI believes to be the most ur ur- urgent urgent gent need of the community They should be worthwhile and obvious needs of a nature that will d chal chal- challenge challenge ial- ial lenge the membership to concert concert- concerted ed action When these are arc all in ina a committee or the board of di di- directors directors rectors should select one project as the thing toward which the re resource re- re resource source and genius and the energy of this group should be directed until it is accomplished I predict said the speaker that If this is done there will be no lack of interest in the Chamber of Commerce There will be a good attendance at each meeting There will be an awakening of in in- interest terest that will open doors of op op- opportunity opportunity opportunity that now seem closed The speaker sat down There was some scattering applause but the president who was a discerning discern discern- discerning discerning ing individual and who saw at once the wisdom of the speakers speaker's suggestion announced that the plan would be tried that the next meeting would be an open forum meeting to which would be brought all the ideas of the things that hat should be bc done in a community community community ity way for the Out of these hese would world be selected one project project that would be made the goal goaland goaland goaland and aim and objective The plan was followed and there thre has come a complete change in the organization and the attitude of the community It has caught the spirit that it can do things It has h s found itself and nothing can stop it A few years of oC this type of f pro pro- program program gram will change any town be Le because because cause it will change the attitude of its citizens from one of wishing to one of doing Such subjects should be care care- carefully carefully fully selected They should rep rep- represent resent res nt real and generally recognized ed community needs Care should hould be taken that the program not be one that requires excessive expenditures expenditures expenditures of public funds and the imposition of too great a community ity debt There are many things that can be done in every community community ity that cost little but which add much to the town and anel which give to it and its citizens an air all of progress and satisfaction in achie achie- achievement achievement and accomplishment |