What the Chamber does well is to organize and manage successful events – the Polar Bear Swim, Discovery Days parade and fair, the Sand Castle contest and the New Year’s Eve Ring of Fire and Hope. The Ring promises to be a fantastic event when more participants plant flares to create a continuous rim of red around the bay.
What the Chamber doesn’t do is to make these events profitable for the entire community. What’s needed is more business for the merchants and profits to help pay for essential amenities, such as a bathhouse, a community center (perhaps including a city hall), and – most of all – The Berm.
When it was suggested more could be charged for Polar Bear T-shirts, the answer was that the Chamber is “non-profit.” Well, many non-profits raise significant amounts of money, starting with chicken dinners to pay off church mortgages.
Speakers at the monthly luncheon meetings, who can be categorized as poor presenters selling what few people want, are the weakest aspect. Recent meetings became “networking opportunities” – members selling other members. Three of them are enough.
The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce could provide a platform for discussion of the major needs of the community:
1) Kathy Berg, leader of the Steering Committee, to discuss the recently completed feasibility study: “How Birch Bay Can Become a City.”
2) County Executive Pete Kremen on Whatcom’s finances: “What the County Can and Can’t Do for Birch Bay”
3) Congressman Rick Larsen on funding: “What Birch Bay Needs to Do for Me to Earmark Money for Your Berm.”
4) Ditto our state legislators, State Senator Dale Brand and Representatives Kelli Linville and Doug Erickson.
5) Messrs. Wynstra, Bovenkamp and Kent: “How We See Development in Birch Bay in the Next Ten Years.”
We would bet these programs could fill the big room at the top of the Sand Castle resort and nobody would complain about the cost of the meal.
The survey included with the April newsletter also asked for comments about other meetings. We would vote for breakfast workshops on “How to Gain Leads and Make the Sale”. Reinstating the 5:31 socials would be good way for members to learn more about other members and for newcomers to meet leaders of the community.
We’ve put our answers to the survey on this blog because BBCC at its peak will benefit the whole community.
In response to "What BBCC Needs to Do" I must say you are very accurate in the description of what has happened in the past BBCC and its members. The current Board of Directors certainly understand the definition of "Non-Profit", and you are correct in stating that we may raise a significant amount of money to be used for our Community.
ReplyDeleteYou are also recommending quite a few ideas that have already been discussed or are being discussed by the current Board of Directors. The Board has been meeting twice per month to implement fundraising along with our events as well as stand alone fundraisers.
Agreed again is the fact that the past speakers have been sales pitching and worse yet many were not BBCC members! I have spoken with Kathy Berg prior to this blog post and agree with you that we the BBCC have an excellent platform for discussion of the pertinent needs in our Community. However, many of the topics you have raised are being addressed by the Steering Committee meetings and all of the Chamber Members are sent regular and timely notices should they choose to attend.
Last, but not least is the comment that the last “two” Networking Meetings have been intent to “sell other members”. The definition of Chamber of Commerce is “An association of businesspersons and merchants for the promotion of commercial interests in the community”. Networking is an integral part of our organization and our recent luncheons have been designed to simply educate and support one another in our businesses if we expect to be a viable community and possibly a city.
Thank you for taking the time to address these issues and to cast you votes as well! Your suggestions have been taken to heart and I appreciate all you do for Birch Bay!
Tammy Pearce
BBCC President