It was the failure to communicate - something that can be fixed with a three minute conversation.

By Pepper Parr

July 27th, 2018

BURLINGTON, ON

The Gazette was able to get some background information on the organizational mess within Sound of Music Festival.

There is that wonderful Paul Newman line in “Cool Hand Luke” that goes: What we have here is a failure to communicate and that is basically what has happened.

At some point the president will come out of his tent, make a statement and things should settle down.

Our conversation was with someone who understands the board and the complexities of the festival business.

They are going to need a few days to let the dust they raised settle down.

Then they can get on with planning the 2019 program – it will be their 40th and they intend to make it the best they have ever done.

We hear too that the several chairs that resigned are re-thinking their position.

Peace love and light goes a long way.

Brian Ellis said in response to a comment from another Gazette reader that: “As a Past President of the S of M Board of Directors during the early years as a ‘not for profit’ organization, I would argue that the board has an obligation to its stakeholders to be as open and transparent as possible.

The volunteers, committee chairs, corporate donors and the citizens of Burlington in this case replace the shareholders of a normal ‘for profit’ company. It appears that the initial decision of the board (along with their subsequent failure to explain their actions) has the volunteers voting with their feet.

These are the real shareholders – these are the people the Board should be responsible to – if the current board doesn’t understand that – look for a new board.

It is the seeming unwillingness of the board to “deal with this internally” that has turned this into a full blown crisis. Pulling the rug over the mess as you seem to be suggesting will do nothing to resolve the situation.

Let’s leave it at that for the time being and give them some time to get their act together.

Salt with Pepper is an opinion column reflecting the thoughts, opinions, observations and musing of the Gazette publisher.