Bulletin? What bulletin?

Sam Tweedy, newly appointed as the International Bulletin Contest Chairman, had an interesting quote published in the January-March issue of PROBEmoter. He said, "For years I've asked that old question, 'Which came first-a good chapter bulletin, or a good chapter?' I still don't know the answer, but I think it might be, 'yes'." Food for thought for those of you who are interested in improving the Chordbuster Chapter.

I volunteered for this bulletin editor position some years ago. I liked doing it then, and I like doing it now. What I don't like is having to write most of the articles. This is to be a chapter bulletin. That means written by and for the members of the chapter. But that is happening less and less.

Here is the April edition of The Note Dispenser. The deadline for articles passed weeks ago. Yet nothing has been forthcoming from the principals of the chapter's leadership team. So once again it's the middle of the month, and your bulletin editor is creating copy in order to meet his (foolish?) goal of a monthly bulletin.

The Society publishes guidelines, or job descriptions, for chapter officers. One obligation is that they submit articles to be published in the chapter bulletin. At last month's board meeting I handed out reminders that included questions and other suggestions for the officers to use in writing their articles. Result? Nothing! We have three major quartets that are performing regularly in our community. Our members want to know about that. Couldn't a quartet man take the time to share their success with the chapter in the form of an article?

We have members who have dual membership in the Rock Island (Ill.) Chapter. Knowing what our fellow Barbershoppers and friends across the river are doing would be of interest to us all.

We just completed our 44th annual Holiday in Harmony. I would have thought that the emotionally charged event would have inspired several Chordbusters and/or their wives to jot down memories. But nothing came to the editor's desk about the show except from audience members.

So what's an editor to do? More than one editor of our Society's chapters has quit. I'm not really ready to do that. But I do think about it seriously rather frequently these days. I can create a bulletin, but I could be an even better editor of a bulletin. I don't like mediocrity. Perhaps someone else in the chapter could do a better job than I'm able to do at getting articles submitted.

I believe very strongly that this chapter needs a bulletin; even the mediocre ones I create are better than none at all. I know, as Sam Tweedy knows, that a good chapter and a good bulletin are part of the same package. I also know that without help from chapter members, especially the elected officers, that the Chordbusters can't have a good bulletin. I just hope that's not indicative of the overall quality of our chapter.