The South Cariboo Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) held its annual general meeting in the Valley Room in 100 Mile House, April 25.
Forty members and directors turned out to either elect or select the new board, and while most all of them will carry on with the board, there was one resignation that shocked many people in attendance.
You could almost hear a pin drop in the room when Tom Bachynski announced he is stepping down as president due to various reasons, which he outlined in his president's speech.
“If there is a barrier that exists, it is our relationships with government, particularly with our local governments.... I believe my presence on the chamber [board] is at times a hindrance for it to move forward.”
The SCCC is an organization of “great value” for the community at large, he explained, and its success must be assured. “As a result of my deep passion for the chamber and the community, I am retiring from the board.
“A relationship with the [District of 100 Mile House and the Cariboo Regional District] is crucial for the chamber to be successful, and my retirement will hopefully pave a pathway of greater trust [with those governments].”
Earlier in his speech, Bachynski talked about the “big pillars” of goals set out by the board, following last year's AGM and elections.
Aside from developing a good and functional relationship with the local governments, he noted these included proposals brought forward to them in conversations on governance changes, the possible reunion of the SCCC with the South Cariboo Visitors Centre (SCVC) as a “single unit” and working together on Communities in Bloom.
The proposals for governance “didn't go anywhere,” and for the SCVC reunion, “there was no appetite either,” Bachynski said.
“I believe we have a bigger voice in the community than we did a year ago, and we are talking about things that need to be talked about.”
He noted the SCCC assisted with various events, including the Hot July Nights Car & Bike Show, Halloweentown and Santa Claus Parade. It also hosted a society governance seminar, a New Prosperity Mine open house, and an all-candidates forum, Bachynski added.
The chamber also worked toward updating its old 1983 bylaws, he said, and provided grant-writing assistance that helped secure $200,000 in local grants.
Bachynski also presented the President’s Award, noting volunteer work typically “mushrooms” into a lot of duties, but some folks stand out when taking on the brunt of the workload.
“Jennifer Appleby is the Director of the Year, without a doubt.”
Two of the four directors who stepped down during the last year, which he explained left Appleby as a “committee of one” for a big project, noting she then obtained some help from SCCC manager Angela Cole.
After the meeting, Bachynski said he is “saddened” by his own decision to step down, but it was the right decision for the SCCC and the community, and he is happy the board has “such a great bunch of people.”
The board will not confirm its choices for board executive until a later date, due to the sudden nature of Bachynski's departure.
However, stepping forward to accept another term on the board were Jennifer Appleby (director/vice-president), Keith Greenhalgh (treasurer), Ralph Myhill-Jones (secretary), and directors Rick Takagi, Leon Chretien, Len Doucette and Sean Watson.
Staying on to serve as directors for the second year in their term are Ted Boyd and Rainer Meyer.
New nominations accepted and welcomed to the board were Allan Roberts, Amanda Usher and Carl Gimse.