The Fremont Chamber conducts most of our business through the Board of Directors at monthly meetings. However, three jobs require attention and each one needs to have one individual held accountable. Where our President plays lion tamer, clown and featured contortionist combined into one person, our Vice Presidents serve, each one, as ring leader of their own significant section of our three-ring circus.

Not that I wish to imply that the Vice Presidents (all of them volunteers with businesses to run) relax, kick back and watch the act perform. Often they sit alone in their ring, juggling a few hundred china plates at once.

Vice President - Operations/Programs

From the Fremont Chamber Of Commerce by-laws:
   "Section 2: Vice President/Operations: The Vice    President/Operations shall act for the President in his/her    absence, be responsible for developing programs, and perform    such other acts as the President may direct."

From the Fremont Chamber Of Commerce orientation materials:
   "This is the single biggest job in the Chamber. This is a Chair    position although each holder of this vaunted position can choose    whether to create a committee or work singly. While "programs"    can cover the basic job of choosing a topic for the monthly    meeting, some Programs Chairs have chosen to oversee    acquisition of food and location for each meeting up to managing    the After Hours events. Programs for the Chamber can happen at    General Membership meetings as well as at Board meetings or    Seminars. Programs are considered a service to members as well    as a potential for FUN!"

In writing orientation materials, a bit of discretion becomes necessary. After all, scaring new recruits on the Board won't get volunteers to the job. The Operations V.P. has a results required position, and those results (location, topic and food plan) take the dexterity and coordination - with the reward being in looking past this month's (hopeful) success to next month's pending failure.

Caterers bail, restaurants change management, guest speakers move away and weather (snow) proves uncooperative. Plus, they work with a "relevance" factor. Meetings must interest the Chamber members enough that they rush to attend. (Only don't get me started on our general membership's complete inability to R.S.V.P.) As a result, the Operations V.P. needs to keep an ear to the ground and an eye to the horizon (maybe they have a bit of the contortionist as well) looking for the hot topic.

Presidents past have proven loathe to "direct" the overloaded Operations V.P. to "perform such other acts." Perhaps they knew it never wise to rile the lion you need tame.

VP Operations/Programs -

Vice President - Organization/Membership

From the Fremont Chamber Of Commerce By-Laws:
   "Section 3: Vice President/Organization(Membership). The Vice    President/Organization shall act for the President in the absence    of the President and Vice President/Operations, be responsible for    promoting membership, and perform such other acts as the    President may direct."

From the Fremont Chamber Of Commerce orientation materials:
   "A membership committee is usually formed to assist in outreach…    The Membership Vice President is encouraged, as with the    Programs VP, to enlist the help of a committee. Membership    facilitation is one of the central tasks assigned to the Chamber    Executive Secretary but Membership Solicitation is entirely the    province of the Chamber Board and Members as directed by the    Membership VP"

Team player, or more of a lone wolf? Where Programs have historically coordinated best by committee (when all participants completed their assigned tasks), no tried and true method has ever proven one way better than the other here.

Charles Hadrann worked alone - in making decisions and planning - to create a new membership form and generate energy behind recruitment. Before him, Curt O'Connor worked with a committee that pushed for an Executive Secretary to facilitate the paperwork and thereby keep them focused on building membership.

While listed second in importance, and matters of succession, the Operations V.P. has often had more duties thrust upon them by weary or distracted presidents. For many years the Chamber roll call lists the Operations V.P. as "Outreach," and this possibly made it easier for them to reach out and problem solve when the President couldn't.

VP Organization/Membership -

Vice President - Communications

From the Fremont Chamber Of Commerce by-laws:
   "Section 4: Vice President/Communications: The Vice    President/Communications shall act for the President in the    absence of the President, Vice President/Operations, and Vice    President/Organization, be responsible for the monthly newsletter,    and perform such other acts as the President may direct."

From the Fremont Chamber Of Commerce orientation materials:
   "Historically, this is the job held by the Editor of the Chamber's    newsletter, The Bridge. And historically that person was Jim Daly.    Jim founded the newsletter and served as Editor for the first 18    consecutive, thankless years. Good luck!"

The by-laws referenced above have a draft date from 1989. The orientation materials, while composed later, do come from the era following Jim Daly's resignation from his legendary stint as Editor, perhaps even founder, of our newsletter. Is there anything more difficult than trying to do a job that someone else has done forever?

In searching back through our records, I did find that Jim relinquished his seat - for one year. When he gave it up, the job went to a newspaperman, Terry Denton of our North Seattle Press. Research also revealed that this third Vice President is a newly created position, comparatively.

The October 1983 minutes of the Board of Directors note plans for an appointment of a vice president of "Programs" and of "Organization." The minutes give no minute details, but this appears to be the first effort made at assigning tasks and titles.

The Vice President of Communications came along in 1989, or, at least, no record exists of this position prior. Before, the Organization V.P. handled scheduling the meetings as well as doing publicity (the newsletter.) When Jim handed over his job to Terry Denton, I suggest that he wanted to rid himself of the work of scheduling meetings.

Since Jim's passing, his daughter came onto the Chamber Board, and took his seat briefly. However, Jeanne Muir, our publicist, takes on the task - or at least the responsibility - of oversight on the newsletter. As for getting it out, well, that paperwork has fallen to the lot of our Executive Director.

VP Communications -

Giving Credit

While the Chamber archives surprisingly gave up the names of nearly every volunteer gracious and generous enough to take on these onerous, thankless and entirely crucial tasks, there are limits to the information available. Chamber records never bothered with the business names of Officers.

Also, the lists show an interesting phenomenon. Twenty-eight people have served as Vice Presidents and yet, only eight of them actually climbed the ladder to the top rung - president. Of our past presidents, four of them never served as Vice President (although they may have been secretary or treasurer). Possibly the roll of President required a bit more showmanship than our stalwart Vice Presidents felt capable of summoning.

I hope that, as you read through the names, you think about how many people have given so very much over the years - effort necessary to keep the circus going. The big show has given us all so much, and it is their work then that makes it possible for the show to go on!