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Who injects those famous words — `What's it gonna cost' — in the beginning explanation of any program or project. He does not want to hear the proposed benefits to the residents or the long range savings. He just makes quick depressing comments that can stifle new ideas. Learn to Count — Fast You are one of 7. You quickly learn to count. Unless you can get 3 others to agree with you, move on to the next agenda item. It takes a majority to get any- . thing done, even to ' adjourn the meeting. �• Y The other 6 will react to you based upon how you treat them. �.j Remember your courtship ' days. Court the other 6 because you will succeed only with the support of the others. Loners on a board just put in long hours of being outvoted. It is no fun. Those who are proprietors, self-employed, and those who work alone in life sometimes have trouble adjusting to working as part of the group. You are part of a team that is responsiJale collectively and it takes some time to get used to this. Never Forget Who the Customers Are Park Rec Board meetings are usually held with Board and staff people present. Most Boards hold open meetings of course, but no one comes. it's not the CBM's fault if no one comes. It's easy to become self-centered and to forget who the customers are, the residents who are paying for the services you are delivering. Never get into any discussion at a meeting without asking yourself how this action will affect the customers. This is why you are sit- ting at the table, to represent the residents, all of them. Do right by them. 18 I The Newly Elected Board Member Most candidates for elected office, unless they have a burning local issue, have the stan- dard American candidate's platform. DO MORE ... AND SPEND LESS... both at the same time. You get enthusiastic - print up flyers — buy ads — make speeches — say a lot of things to everyone and do not think too carefully in the emotion of a campaign. You read your material carefully, your opponents do also. But, you won so what! The people who read what you wrote and said more carefully than you or your opponents were the incumbent CBMs whom you will now join as a member of a team with 14% of the action. They frequently read into your words something other than what you meant and they can find upside down periods in your campaign statements. They cannot normally answer you. They have the present responsibility for Park Rec. But, tension points can be created that unfor- tunately you are not aware of. Now you, in complete innocence, arrive at your first meeting and wonder why one or more seem like cold fish. You better take it easy in the beginning until they get to know you better. After all, they have the other 6 votes and you need 3 of them to get anything done during your term. For those of you who were appointed vs elected, the message is still true. Other board members will remember the comments you made before being appoi-`-.' 19