I didn't want to say yes. I mean, I had already done my bit, right? I have a plaque on the wall of the very office in which I sit as I write this, which reads "Paul Knowles, President, New Hamburg Board of Trade, 1993-1994."
So when some friends started to float the idea of me as head of the Board, once more, I was, shall we say, reluctant. Traditionally, the president is someone who is already serving on the executive, preferably as first vice. I hadn't been on the executive for a decade or more.
But there was a problem. When I first came to town as editor and publisher of this very newspaper, more than 20 years ago, I looked for ways to become involved in the community. Found them, too, from chairing Canada Day to heading up the Castle Kilbride fundraising program.
From the very beginning, I knew there was one organization that especially appealed to me - the New Hamburg Board of Trade. It was a community-wide, community-minded body that combined the best qualities of a business-oriented organization, and a service group.
I joined the Board, made some very good friends there, and served in various capacities on the executive.
I can recall when the Board of Trade had something like half a million dollars in assets, largely from the investment in and subsequent sale of the medical building in town. Over the course of many years, we managed to give that money away, sponsoring community projects ranging from our downtown heritage streetscape to the famous water wheel, to community buildings like 121 Huron Street and the now-sadly-to-be-abandoned Scott Park Field House. We helped sponsor Canada Day, and the Christmas Parade, and we paid the cost of Christmas lights, summer time flower pots, and the Gingerbread Festival, among many other projects.
By sometime last year, we had given virtually all our money away; and we have never matched our generosity with effective fundraising.
So what did the future hold for the New Hamburg Board of Trade? Some members felt that it was time to combine the strengths of experience and new vision by installing an executive that included both Board of Trade veterans, and newcomers to the organization. Last fall, the nominating committee asked me to return to the executive, as president. We recruited several experienced (that's better than "old", right ,folks?) people including four other past-presidents of the Board - David Seyler, Audrey Cook, Ed Lemont and Larry Zehr. We added relatively new members; one has lived in New Hamburg - in fact, in Canada! - for less than a year.
And we are off and running. Job One is getting a solid foundation for this important local institution. So our budget anticipates a surplus, with only minimal donations to local causes we have always supported.
When I first encountered the New Hamburg Board of Trade, I was impressed - I believed this was a group with a heart for its community, and a head for business. It was a focal point for the town, a spokesperson for New Hamburg, a community booster, promoter, and watchdog. It can be all of these things, still.
I believed in the Board of Trade then; I believe in it now. Which is why an old guy like me is back in the chair, doing my bit to help the Board of Trade be an important institution in the community we all love.
If you feel that way, too, please consider becoming a member of the Board. There are many benefits, to you individually, and to your community. Contact another of the old guys who has rejoined the executive - membership chair David Seyler, at Riverside Brass - and tell him you're a believer in the Board of Trade, too. |
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