Chamber makes changes to better serve

By Jay Crawford
Editor, Greene County Record

STANARDSVILLE (May 2006) - With its membership growing and attendance at special events increasing, the Board of Directors of the Greene County Chamber of Commerce voted last Thursday to make several changes to its activities in the coming months.

The first noticeable change will be in the June 7 "Networking Breakfast," which will be held 7-8 a.m. at The Lafayette Inn in Stanardsville.  Rather than simply offering a continental breakfast during which members rotate from table to table to network with other area business people, the "Networking Breakfast" will now feature a guest speaker, who will be allowed to discuss the business he or she represents prior to the networking portion of the event.

The guest speaker for the June 7 event will be Jay Crawford, designer of the Chamber's new website, which he hopes to have online by June 1.  Crawford, who presented the website and had it approved during last week's Board meeting, will demonstrate the features of the site, which include e-mail and web links to members, a downloadable application, links to the Greene County community, and additional information.

Following guest speakers will be selected by business card drawing during the "Networking Breakfast."  They will then have one month to plan their presentations to the following month's attendees.

Additional changes included adjusting mid-year membership fees and a move in the Board's meeting time and day, from noon on the third Thursday of each month to 9 a.m. on the third Friday of each month.  Membership dues, which all current members have paid through 2006, will be charged as follows: $100 January-June; $75 July-September; and, $50 October-December.

In other action, Board members:

*Finalized plans for an "Old Time Barbecue and Ice Cream Social" to be held 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 1, at the Blue Ridge School in St. George.  The event is free to members, but there will be a $10 fee for guests.

*Voted unanimously following the treasurer's report, in which it was revealed that the Chamber has 54 members and approximately $5,000 in its bank account, to invest a portion of their funds in an interest-generating account.

*Discussed plans to finalize the first order for membership badges to be provided by the Chamber to all members.  Robbie Morris, who designed the badges, said he would provide an Adobe Reader (.pdf) file of their badge to all members, who will be given a couple of days to proof and approve them.  The order will follow, and it is hoped that the badges will be available at Chamber events held in the coming weeks.

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