Last night I presided over the Wade CAC officer elections. For months, I wondered if I had the confidence to really pull this off. Knowing that the day was approaching was nerve-wracking, to say the least. The atmosphere was so contentious, I wasn’t convinced that I could keep everything under control.
Somehow I did, though. There were over 135 people in the room, so many that they spilled out into the hallway. I have never seen that many people at a CAC meeting – ever. It may have been the largest CAC meeting ever, for all I know. All that aside, when I asked for their attention I got their attention. And everyone minded their manners.
When all the ballots had been tallied but before I announced the results, I stepped up and thanked everyone for the opportunity to serve. Everyone gave me a round of applause, which was touching. I then announced the new officers and turned the meeting over to them.
As I told Kelly afterward, there is no playbook for what I did over the past few months. Nothing like this had ever before occurred. I was making it up as I went. I was glad to help but I certainly didn’t seek it out: I’ve got enough irons in the fire right now to keep me plenty busy. The thing about leadership is being willing to fulfill a need, whether you like it or not. Someone has to organize things and figure out what to do next. I like to think I don’t panic in new situations. Do I get nervous as hell? Yes, but I rarely panic.
It wasn’t always fun or easy, but I did what I told everyone I would do: conduct a prompt, fair, and open election for the Wade CAC. The actual decisions the CAC made are the sole responsibility of its members. All I did was facilitate those decisions.
Now its up to the membership to build on this momentum and work towards consensus on the issues facing the neighborhood. While I will no longer be participating, I will be cheering them on from afar.