TWENTYNINE PALMS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
ANNUAL INSTALLATION DINNER--JUNE, 2002
PRESIDENT’S REMARKS
PAST PRESIDENTS
Not too long ago our town was little more than a watering hole along a desert road, and the valley that we live in today was known of only by gold miners and native traders. Then things changed when a few adventurous homesteaders came through the area and found they were attracted to its clean, dry air and warm weather. They picked out parcels and built cabins, and shortly thereafter, began working together to develop various and sundry community services. In short time, a small town called Twentynine Palms was born.
As I speak to you tonight, the miners and traders are long gone but the watering hole they left behind endures. It endures because the homesteaders that remained were committed to their fledgling community, and set a tradition of working together toward making their town strong and vibrant. Thanks to that tradition--a tradition that we carry forward tonight--our town is not an abandoned mining camp, but a thriving, diverse community blessed with a rich history and a promising future.
The Twentynine Palms Chamber of Commerce is both an inextricable part of that history and an important contributor to the future. In the year 1936, the Chamber’s first Board of Directors was installed. Then as today, the Board was comprised of citizens devoted to the advocacy of business and the overall welfare of the community. Then as today, they knew that Twentynine Palms would not grow on its own, nor that problems would solve themselves. And then as today, they understood that to carry on a tradition means not only to inherit the progress of those who came before, but to guide and improve the community for those who will come later.
Sixty-six years have gone by since that first installation, and fifty-six men and women have presided over the Chamber’s direction. Thanks in part to the vision and collective efforts of each president; Twentynine Palms was able to grow from a watering hole along a desert road into a community in which thousands do business.
As a measure of our gratitude, the Chamber has invited its surviving past-presidents as VIP guests to this evening’s event. We value these men and women not only for their contribution of time and dedication to the community, but for their unique ability to use their past experience to advise and inform the choices we make today. I am pleased to ask those in attendance to [come forward/stand/accept name badge] so that we may recognize them for their service. [name badge presented?]
Thank you all for coming. Here’s to sixty-six more years, and beyond.
PRECEDING YEAR/PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Last year, we came together on a night not unlike this one to install a new Board of Directors. The food and decorations were different, but the spirit of the occasion was the same. We had come together to celebrate and carry forward a common effort to pursue a common vision. Little did we realize then the extent to which the future would hold us to those ideals.
Although only twelve months have gone by, that night now belongs to another age, and we now come together one year older and many lessons wiser. We have learned that, as a nation, we can bear the unbearable. We have learned that the strength of a community depends far less on economic conditions than on the courage, resiliency, and ingenuity of its citizens. And we have learned that patriotism means much more than flying the flag or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
If a nation is to be strong, each of its communities must strive to be the best it can be. No city, nor town, nor village is exempt from this principle. If a community is to be the best it can be, each citizen must give to it the best of themselves. No businessman, nor parent, nor public servant, nor teacher, nor student, nor soldier is exempt from this duty. Patriotism, then, in its most powerful form, is investing your time and effort into your community, not as a passive donor to a charity, but as an active citizen who loves the town they call home.
You and I have gathered here this evening because we love our own, and the vision we share is of a Twentynine Palms thriving in growth and prosperity. We were reminded this year that our town bears a special burden, in that we are host to thousands of men and women who serve in the armed forces. Whenever our friends, neighbors and customers are called to duty, the pursuit of our vision suffers a loss, for their absence deprives our community of their fellowship and participation. And this loss exacerbates any economic conditions that may already exist. The good news is that those of us who serve in the Chamber are determined to never lose sight of our vision, regardless of the circumstances, and will explore whatever resource, whatever means necessary to keep moving forward.
One such resource that has gotten a great deal of attention this year is the local dollar. Keeping it in town is essential if our economy is to expand. Consequently, "Shop Local" has become the Chamber’s unofficial mantra, designed to remind the consumer that there’s a good chance the products and services they’re looking for are right here in town, and that the money they spend in Twentynine Palms will benefit the people of Twentynine Palms. Another related initiative was the introduction of "Chamber Dollars" into our local economy, negotiable to any Chamber member, but as foreign to CostCo as the English Schilling. With some tenacious, word-of-mouth advertising, initiatives like these, designed to re-educate the consumer and keep local money local, will help keep next year’s "golden quarter" from shrinking into a "golden nickel."
Another resource that we developed this year were partnerships with other local groups and organizations. Our new partnership with the Action Council, for example, has provided us with conference rooms and increased working space. We also formed a Military Affairs Committee to explore how best to meet the Combat Center’s needs with local products and services. And we’ve enhanced these new relationships with the Military Discount Program and the Business-to-Business Discount Program to encourage inter-partnership commerce.
Finally, and most importantly, the Chamber stressed the need and value of community volunteerism and participation. I am pleased to report that Chamber membership is up this year, and that special projects that depend heavily on volunteer support, such as Pioneer Days and the Annual Golf Tournament, were overwhelming successes.
I want to thank you all for your contribution to these successes and for all you’ve given to the Chamber and to the community this year. Your efforts have served a purpose greater than yourselves, and greater even than our town. To those Board members who are stepping down this evening, thank you for all your hard work. None of this would have been accomplished without your time and dedication. It has, indeed, been a pleasure to serve at your side. Thank you.
FUTURE PLANS
I briefly mentioned in my opening remarks that our town is looking forward to a promising future, and I thought I’d take a few moments now to elaborate. When I took on this position last year, I pledged to continue the strengthening process of the Chamber that began under previous leadership with specific intent to increase its usefulness both as a local business organization and as a vehicle of community service. Thanks to a talented and ambitious Board of Directors and hardworking volunteers, good progress has been made. Now is the time to consider what comes next.The paramount responsibility of the Chamber is to invent and reinvent ways to improve the business atmosphere of Twentynine Palms, and we will do so. This, of course, means the continued reinforcement and expansion of previously existing initiatives. Beyond that, however, it is my hope to establish, this year, a President’s Roundtable. The primary role of this committee, which has so far existed only in the proposal stage, would be to act as a liaison between all Twentynine Palms businesses and the city government. Composed largely of community and business leaders--in other words, officials in the city government, business owners, and others with expertise in business-to-government relations--the President’s Roundtable would draw upon the collective knowledge and experience of its membership to provide eight general areas of service.
Aside from acting as a central source of information regarding current business and economic conditions, it would also facilitate communications between the business community and local city government; provide a local ombudsman service to investigate complaints and mediate settlements; guide new businesses through the regulatory and permitting process; review proposed legislation and analyze its impact on economic growth; conduct research on business and economic development issues; provide information for businesses seeking to locate or expand in Twentynine Palms; and work in general to identify and remove obstacles in the business environment.
The organization of the President’s Roundtable from a written proposal into an active, vocal committee is an ambitious goal that I am confident we can meet. And it is just a glimpse of the bright future that lies ahead. My optimism comes not from an obligation as president to put the future in the best possible light, but from the certainty that success is assured when creative and intelligent professionals work together. I am fortunate and grateful to have the opportunity to preside over people of such character for a second year. I look forward to, and want to thank you in advance for the work that we will accomplish together.
Michael Collins
President
June 17,2002President
No comments:
Post a Comment