President’s Message
If spring is the harbinger of hope, then summer is its incarnation. Wishing and daydreaming give way to experiencing and doing. Warm weather and lengthened daylight lift spirits, motivate activity, and usher in a sense of personal renewal. Gratifyingly, it’s been that kind of summer for the BWNA Board of Directors. Yet several months ago, BWNA regeneration seemed anything but assured.
Renewal comes in many forms. With neighborhood associations, it’s all about replacement volunteers. When volunteers move to other neighborhoods, change jobs, take on new family responsibilities, reshuffle personal priorities, and suffer debilitating health problems——all of which have happened to BWNA Board members this past year——the very core of a volunteer-based organization is placed in jeopardy. Case in point: Since last August, almost half of BWNA Board positions have been vacated at one time or another, including Treasurer, Transportation and Land Use Committee chair, and BWNA representative to the Central Northeast Neighbors (CNN) Board——not to mention losses in Newsletter reporters and distributors. The attrition trickle had morphed into a vacancy flood, and recovery was no sure thing.
But hope springs eternal for BWNA on the second Monday of every April when Taste of Beaumont rolls around. Residents turn out in large numbers for a tasty meal, door prizes, and entertainment——which is precisely why BWNA holds its annual Board elections on that particular evening: the more residents in the room, the greater the odds of attracting volunteers, right? Well, not necessarily. Two years ago, at a jam-packed Taste of Beaumont, not a single person volunteered to fill a Board position. But this year, with a smaller-than-anticipated turnout, the opposite occurred: Limping in with 6 vacated Board positions, BWNA hit the jackpot with residents stepping forward to fill positions and a CPA to fill the Treasurer’s position! (The sixth and final at-large position would be filled a month later at our May Board meeting.) In effect, not only was a leadership meltdown avoided, but the Board emerged stronger than ever.
The subsequent infusion of enthusiasm and new ideas was evident at the annual Board retreat in early June. New members were eager to volunteer for committees and participate in the planning of events and new projects. It’s a prize group of Board “rookies,” and you can become acquainted with each of them in a series of Newsletter interviews, beginning with John Sandie in this issue.
But wouldn’t you know it? Just when everything was going so well… and only a few weeks after our reinvigorating retreat… I receive notice of yet another Board member resignation from Michael Gray. A valued contributor to BWNA, including reporting and writing for the Newsletter on local businesses, Michael’s sudden exit came as a shocker. And yet, experience teaches us that yesterday’s loss can be tomorrow’s opportunity. The door is now open at the upcoming July 8th Board meeting for a B-W resident (or merchant with a business in our neighborhood) to step up to the plate and keep BWNA’s summer of renewal rolling. Let me know if you’re interested in filling the vacancy. (Via email to president@bwna.us)
Another big need is for additional volunteers to help with the Newsletter——BWNA’s communication lifeline to the neighborhood. Earlier in the year, the Newsletter Distribution Coordinator vacancy was filled by Board member Serah Breakstone, who has done a phenomenal job of bringing order to distribution teams and routes. But turnover of door-to-door distributors is a constant challenge, and now we find ourselves short on article writers as well. Of most immediate concern, however, is the need to fill the big shoes of departed Newsletter Editor Bob McKibben, who moved to Chula Vista with his wife Glenda to be closer to their daughter. I have temporarily assumed the Editor’s responsibilities, which entail sorting of ads & articles, checking for form, and monitoring reporting assignments. Again, if you are interested in helping out in any these areas, please don’t hesitate to contact me.