Breakfast Recap, Veteran’s Day, and the Election

As you may or may not have noticed, I usually try to make a point to bring everyone up to speed with the happenings at our Chamber breakfasts each month.  Although I gave a brief preview of what General Gordon R. Sullivan—this month’s featured speaker—would address. His talk is definitely worth revisiting. The General’s speech is worth further review because of its timeliness and its subject matter. When General Sullivan spoke to our crowd of 500 people last Monday, we were one day away from turning out to the polls to elect a new leader for our nation.  Equally important, the Chamber hosted this November breakfast—as it does every year—to uphold the Honor the Veterans and Support the Troops theme in recognition of the Veteran’s Day holiday. The General did a phenomenal job of meshing these two major events of our nation in his talk.  At one point, he pointed out that it is not the politicians who guarantee our right to vote, but our servicemen and servicewomen.  He also talked about the personal responsibility and selflessness of these men and women as they have defended this freedom against threats throughout history, and how they continue to do so today.   Also, he talked about the essence of these individuals and the essence of the various branches of the military as a whole.  General Sullivan described the scenes of Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima, and Normandy, amongst others.  He used these images as examples of the commitment and heroism that these men and women of our military display as they preserve this nation’s high standard of living. It is important to note the atmosphere that the General created in the Crowne Plaza ballroom as he gave his speech.  In a manner befitting of a high-ranking military officer, General Sullivan delivered his words with passion and conviction.  He was very sincere and his respect for this country and the men and women who defend it was evident to everyone in attendance. With this demeanor at the podium, General Sullivan showed why he is in fact a person who has commanded scores and scores of individuals. On Monday he was once again in command; this time of one of the most captive Chamber breakfast audiences to date. Those who were there will surely attest to this statement, as a person could literally hear a pin drop as General Sullivan spoke.  As I said to the crowd in my concluding remarks, it was truly one of the greatest speeches delivered at a Chamber breakfast.  We are extremely grateful for General Sullivan’s presence last week. As we prepare to celebrate the Veteran’s Day holiday tomorrow, let us treat it more than a day off from work or school.  We should all thank our past and present servicemen and women for their sacrifices and honor the people who have given this nation the ultimate sacrifice: their own lives. Also, based on last week’s historic events, it is great to see that these sacrifices have not been in vain.  A record number of voters turned out to the polls to exercise their right to vote last week.  Across the nation, the crowds at the polls resembled those at rock concerts or major sporting events with far-reaching lines of voters. It is outstanding to see that the conception of the “apathetic” American voter has been shattered. We all made sure our voices were heard on Election Day 2008. In particular, it is clear that the young people in this country have become as active as ever in the political process. Going further, it seems that President-elect Obama’s inclusive policies provided the spark to get these young Americans—and many others—out to the polls.  By the same token, both candidates should be commended for a hard-fought campaign. At the smaller level, it is an exciting time to be a resident of Middlesex County, and we look to the winners of our local elections to also continue the improvement of our region. As we move forward over the next four years and our country addresses many difficult problems, we all must unite to work together and support our president to improve the daily lives of all Americans. Certainly, continual improvement is something that we are all accustomed to in this County.  At the business level, the Middlesex Chamber has gone from a membership base of 300 over a decade ago to 2,350 members at present time.  Along the way, in cooperation with our member organizations, we have helped provide some terrific, national award-winning programs to the County.  We have seen such success because the Chamber and its member businesses all strive to be number one every day. Without a doubt, if we can show such improvement at the micro level, we will surely all be able to see the revitalization of our nation from a new, forward-thinking administration. For more information on Chamber activities, please visit www.middlesexchamber.com or contact Matt Fraulino at (860) 347-6924 or email him at

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