(Editor’s Note: The following is the final Chamber Music column written by C.H. &uot;Buster&uot; MacGuire. It published in The Greenville Advocate on July 30, 1992.)

You folks who make up the passing throng will be subjected to no more Chamber Music maunderings as penned by this reporter over the decade just ended.

Today’s effort is what is commonly known as the old swan song:

sort of farewell declaration to those diatribes (more than 500 of them) that have absorbed about a ton of The Greenville Advocate’s

ink over the pas ten years.

You all have been a long-suffering audience that has in great measure given this writer a certain gratifying sense of accomplishment.

Some detractors (everyone has some of those – even me) will be certain to scoff, but I write that off as did Robert Benchley who said &uot;I do most of my writing sitting down. That’s where I shine.&uot;

Whatever.

It’s been fun having all those deadlines and at the same time striving to enhance the image of our outstanding community though all the varied means at our disposal.

My rein of terror commenced on Aug. 1, 1982, and it terminates on Aug. 1, 1992, a span of some 3,650 days that you, my loyal subjects, have endured with equanimity.

This job at the Chamber has in actuality been an outstanding career opportunity for me, and I thank the entire membership for allowing me the freedom to operate without an over-abundance of discipline.

Over the period mentioned above there have been a whole flock of leaders and supporters to whom I am indebted, including those presidents who gave me my head: Lionel Rainey, Cleve Hightower, H. Edward McFerrin, Bill Simms, Paul Mitchell, Jimmy Gardner, Calvin Poole III, Jim McGowin, Phillip Graham, Cecil Carr and Frank Crowe.

Other staunch supporters must include Charles Jones (my leader and instructor in the early days, Gene Hardin, Richie Hartley and Joby Norman.

All have delivered themselves of yeoman service to our Chamber of Commerce.

There are other, too numerous to list, who have performed admirably in keeping this organization a thriving, pulsating and growing segment of our forward-moving Camellia City.

I exhort you one and all to give your fullest support and cooperation to the replacement the executive board selects to fill the EVP’s position.

Since this is the final &uot;Music&uot; of the ten year siege, I’ll take the liberty to inform you there’ll be another column (if Gene’ll print it) that as yet is untitled.

Hopefully it’ll be read, and the book I propose to write about our people and times when published will be purchased by you and at least be placed in your home bookshelf.

Ta Ta, the party’s over.