The 200-plus people who packed the Kenbridge Community Center’s auditorium for the May 12 Little Roy and Lizzy Show performance is a testament to the success the Lunenburg County Chamber of Commerce has seen over the past 18 months.

Rewind to January 2016 when the chamber only had around 38 members, according to current Chamber President Mel Payne. That’s a far cry from the over 100 members it had 12 months after Payne was recruited to his current position.

Though Payne was apprehensive about leading the chamber, he says he “knew (he) would be surrounded by good people.”

We thank good people like Jim Eanes and Richard “Dickie” Harris for encouraging Payne to fill the role.

We think Payne was in the right place at the right time, along with other officers and members of the chamber, to revolutionize that organization’s mission and activities. And the good people who make up the chamber did just that.

Enter the inaugural Lunenburg’s Got Talent, an event that showcased students from schools across the county, resulting in some being awarded scholarships.

“It was a huge success,” Payne said of the event, which drew more than 200 people. “… All of the kids want to be part of the show now.”

According to Payne, new members are gradually joining and expired memberships are being renewed.

“We’ve got great events that we’ve got on the burners now. We’ll be talking about some of those Thursday,” Payne said, referencing the upcoming meeting this week.

New ideas being put into place include a Yard of the Month Award, and holding a cantata in the winter.

We encourage those who aren’t members of the chamber or aren’t aware of the great projects and accomplishments to join and learn.

“We’re proud of what we’ve got going right now,” Payne said of the chamber.

We share Payne’s pride.