It appears more changes could be coming to the structure of the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce board: term limits could soon be brought in.
Changes are being proposed that would require individual members to step away as directors on the board after serving a total of three consecutive terms, after which they must have a two-year hiatus before they can run again.
For directors representing member organizations, the changes also call for them to serve a total of three consecutive terms, after which time that member organization must take a one-year hiatus from sending a representative. There are some exceptions for those serving positions as chair, vice-chair and past-chair.
Chamber director Melanie Roberts outlined the changes at the Tuesday, March 20, board meeting.
The idea of term limits is a somewhat controversial one among those on the chamber board. While there is frequent turnover of directors there have been some who have served for multiple terms.
Noted at the meeting were the consecutive years of service on the board by such notables as David Dekker and Ed Lee, who recently retired from the board after serving over two decades of consecutive terms as a director.
Chamber director Derek Schmidt said of Lee that he would have been a “bad person to tell not to come back,” because of what he brought to the board year after year.
“I’m just afraid of getting rid of quality too early,” was Schmidt’s comment.
However, the reasoning behind the change to term limits is so the Battlefords Chamber can meet accreditation standards.
The intention is for the changes to come back for a vote at a special membership meeting in April, which will coincide with the regular director’s meeting.
In other items from the chamber meeting held March 20:
Efforts are still ongoing for the “community reputation” efforts the Chamber is launching, with a committee meeting planned.
As for other activities going on elsewhere in the community, Chamber members had plenty of good things to say about the #SickNotWeak in the Battlefords event hosted by Michael Landsberg at the Civic Centre.
The consensus was that the event was beneficial to everyone who attended, and that the community’s reputation “went up a notch,” in the words of chamber president Terry Caldwell.
“#SickNotWeak was huge for the people who got there,” said Caldwell. He also noted the charity is willing to come back.
Caldwell noted that Landsberg himself “had a heck of a time getting out of there” that night, because so many people had gone up to him to talk afterwards.
Next month is the sold-out China trip happening April 7-17. A contingent connected to the Battlefords is going and the chamber has been busy getting baggage tags all set to be picked up by those going.
The Cannabis 101 - Cannabis and the Workplace Realities, Rights and Responsibilities seminar, is scheduled for March 28 at room 107, Don Ross Centre, North Battleford. These sessions are being held around the province in advance of legalization; chamber executive director Linda Machniak reported the session in Regina had gone “really well.”
Plans are also under way for a post-budget event with the provincial finance minister, though a date is not yet scheduled, and Chamber On Tap is scheduled for April 5.
The annual “Talk with Your Kids About Money” is scheduled to happen at area schools April 18.
May 8 is slated for the State of the City/Town address, and the Chamber Business Golf Challenge is scheduled for Jackfish Lodge on May 25.
