Change Is Never Easy
Dear Chestnut Members,
Change is never easy. The demands of running a volunteer organization continue to shift over time. The Chestnut Group’s Board of Directors has been exploring how to balance those tasks that volunteers step-up to cover, against those demands that are beyond what can realistically be passed along among members. Since the activation of our more robust website several years ago, which was felt to be critical to sustaining our mission, we have relied upon a very small group of extremely committed members to carry the many aspects of the back-of-house operations of this software system.
This is no longer viable because the time and technical demands required to maintain the data and transact the processes are too great. There is consensus within the Board that we must contract these services to an outside vendor in the same way most every other comparable group has been doing for some years now. Unfortunately, we do not feel that it is viable to generate greater sustainable funding than is currently raised annually through our dues and other sources. We, therefore, have had to face the difficult decision of re-evaluating the duties that have resided under The Chestnut’s Executive Director position.
After much deliberation the board unanimously made the extremely difficult decision to position the group to hire a much needed Webmaster. This requires us to eliminate the Executive Director position that has been so integral to our organization thanks to the amazing dedication and commitment of Rachel Blair.
Rachel defined and carried this role. She has been the face of The Chestnuts since 2008; and we owe her a most hearty show of gratitude and deeply felt appreciation. In recent discussions Rachel expressed her wish to quietly close out her service at the end of October and to express her deep feelings for The Chestnuts with every wish for their success. Going forward, Rachel will no longer be available on the email address of chestnutnews2@gmail.com. If you have need to contact us, please reach out to sherylmwaughart@gmail.com.
Words cannot adequately express how much we value Rachel’s contributions and the central role that she will always carry in the hearts of the members of The Chestnut Group.
Thank you for your membership, and for your understanding, as we try to balance the mix of variables to best position our organization to continue to contribute to the art and natural environment of middle Tennessee.
Sheryl Waugh, President,
and your Board of Directors