Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-04-15

questions which have been asked, the
others relating to the finances Of the
Chamber and its permanence as a
community movement
Who Is going to run the Augusta
Chamber Of Commerce?
The members are going to run it.
In the modern Chamber of Com
merce which is what Augusta is go
ing to have at the end Of the cam
paign next week, every member is on
an equal footing. Each pays the
same dues. each has one vote only,
each has the right to nominate for
office, each has as loud a voice as
any other in the making Of the pro-
gram Of work and each will be called
upon to exercise all these rights.
Under the old plan, nominations
were made by committees. commit
tees were named by the president
alone or in consultation with the
secretary, and quite often the pro-
gram Of work, If there was one. was
built by one or two individuals.
Naturally this system led to zone
man" control or control by a small
group. The member who felt that
he was one Of the obscure majority
was too Indifferent to come out Of the
background and presently after join
ing the Chamber he substantially
withdrew, and in a year or two
stopped paying dues. He was mot
interested"
The Augusta Chamber Of Com
merce will be conducted, along the
new plan-again the boiled down re-
suit of dozens of experiments-of in
sistine that the members, all the
members, shall say who shall hold
Office and be directors and what
planks shall compose the platform or
program of work.
It is a fundamental principle of
the campaign that the full member
ship shall direct the thought and life
of the chamber.
The election Of the new directors
and officers will take place at once
upon the completion of the member
ship campaign. The election ma
chinery is of the simplest character.
Each member will be provided with
a. ballot bearing the name OF every
member so arranged that he may
vote for whom he chooses A COM
plete printed list Of the membership
will be a part of the ballot. The men
elected to the board of directors will
be the ones receiving the largest
number Of votes, cast secretly and
uninf,uenced by any other considera-
ton than merit.
This is democracy reduced to its
simplest form. Fitness, in the opin-
ion Of his fellow citizens, will alone
determine whether a member shall
hold Office. Ability and a willingness
to serve his community will alone
keep a man in Office once he has been
elected to it, for it is apparent that
any director who fails to measure
up to the expectations of his fellow
members will not be reelected.
How the committees will be chosen
was explained in the answer to the
question of what the Chamber Of
Commerce can do.
Under the modern plan the mem
ber's forum will be an important
feature Of the Augusta Chamber Of
Commerce.
It will be the medium of commun-
ication between the officers and di-
rectors and the membership. 1t will
frequently hold luncheons and meet
ing, bringing together the member
ship to invite the presentation and
discussion Of new projects. It will
check up the progress Of the work
Of the committees. 1t will bring
speakers on important subjects to
the chamber to assist the community
in the solution of it's problems. 1t
will be the dynamo which will give
motion and action to the chamber as
an organization.
The members forum organization
is so planned that it reaches by dis
tinct groups the individual mem
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