SEPTEMBER 2004 MINUTES

September Meeting Minutes
(Word Doc)

Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce

Minutes of September 9, 2004 meeting – held at the Mt. Airy Fire Hall

President Tim Barkley called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.

Introductions followed with the following in attendance:

Howard LeRoux, Mt. Airy Dent Repair & Touch Up

DJ Fenton, Stauffer Funeral Home

Ray Miller, New Horizon Van Lines

Lacoe Alltop, Forget Me Not Florist

Robin Cooney, Arbonne International

Steve Edmondson, Catonsville Homes

Kevin O’Neill, Kevin & Co. – REMAX Realty Group

Denny Ahalt, NWSB

Archie Rogers, Rogers Engraving

Billie Wilkinson, F&M Bank

Paula Wilhelm, Lorien Mt. Airy Assisted Living

Donnis Klein, Weekenders

Tim Barkley, Barkley Law Office

Joyce Picard-Busse, The Entrepreneur’s Source

James D Jones, NetPay2K

Carol Blackburn, The Gazette

Mike Zimmer, Attorney

Audrey Stapf, Stapf Crafters

Patty Taylor, Forget Me Not Florist

Keir Knight, Plain English Writing & Design

Cindy Ahmann, Carroll County Public Library

Cassandra Lidin-Lamon, Acupuncturist

Melinda Byrd, Byrdcall Studio

Jackie Bingham, Patches Quilting & Sewing

Paul Clay, Long & Foster

Patrick Costello, Forty West Builders

Carol B. Cahall, The Main Event, LLC

Ellie Bonde, Blossom & Basket Boutique

Andrew Williamson, Chiropractic First

Andrea Williamson, Chiropractic First

Mary Schultz, Chocolate Treasure Chest

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Treasurer’s Report: Denny Ahalt

The 2^nd Quarter Financial Report shows a balance of $6,923.52, effective June 30, 2004.

Minutes from July are posted on the web site and were approved with a motion from DJ Fenton, seconded by Ellie Bonde. (There was no August meeting.)

Social: Donnis Klein

Catonsville Homes will be sponsoring our next networking event at the Nottingham neighborhood on Monday September 13^th from 4 til 7pm.

Pane n Vino Business Card Exchange – Monday, October 11^th from 4-7pm.

Membership Drive at Century Ford – Tuesday, November 16th.

We are looking for hosts for 2005. Please let Donnis Klein know if you are interested in hosting a Business Card Exchange.

Membership: Audrey Stapf

New members announced – we welcomed 15 new businesses in July and August.

Our goal for 2004 was to grow to 120 members (from 39 members 2 years ago!), and last week we reached that goal, thanks to the leadership of Past President, Andrea Williamson, and the hard work of our Membership Committee. Our goal for 2005 is 200 members, with the long-range goal of the Chamber representing the entire business community. Reminder to keep handing out Membership Brochures.

Government Relations: Michael Zimmer

• Thursday, September 30 9:30am – 11:00am. Lt.Gov. Steele will be visiting businesses in town in support of the Maryland Main Street Community designation recently awarded Mt. Airy.

• Thursday, October 21 at 12:00 p.m. Maryland Sec of Transportation Robert Flanagan will speak to us on at the Mt. Airy Fire Company Activities Building for a lunch meeting. Cost is $15, make check payable to the Mt. Airy Chamber of Commerce. RSVP to Michael Zimmer (410) 552-0685.

Carroll County Chamber Report: Carol Cahall

• Six Scholarships were awarded to high school students through the Charles E. Schaeffer Scholarship Fund.

• The 5^th Annual Job Shadow Day is scheduled for November 11, 2004.

• Various networking meetings are held through the month. See the Carrol County Chamber Newsletter for details (newsletter passed through membership.)

• Carol Cahall has been the Mt. Airy Chamber of Commerce representative to the Carroll County Chamber, and has also served on the Board for several years. Congratulations to Carol for her upcoming position as Chairman of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce for the year 2006. Anyone wanting to become the representative may see Carol for details.

Ambassadors: Ellie Bonde & Kerry Turner

Reminded members of the welcome packets she distributes to new members.

Advertising/Marketing: Keir Knight

All members are urged to check their Profiles on the Mt. Airy Chamber website, and to provide Keir with current information regarding their business.

There was an excellent article in the Gazette Newspaper regarding the Chamber. Be sure to point this out or give to a non-member business!

Be sure to invite non-members to the Membership Drive in November.

Tim Barkley stated that the Jaycees are celebrating their 30^th Anniversary in Mt. Airy, and suggested that the Chamber place a congratulatory ad in the Gazette. Ellie Bonde moved, James Jones seconded, and the motion was approved by voice vote.

OLD BUSINESS

Electricity Deregulation: Tim Barkley

Two meetings are scheduled for the Allegheny co-op, the pre-bid meeting on September 15, and the contract signing meeting at noon on September 29. It is imperative that members of the co-op be present at both meetings. The price should be better than the default rate, but if not, there will be a second round of bidding. For non-members, pricing rates will likely fluctuate. Carroll County, Taneytown and Mt. Airy Chambers will offer a second class (notification to follow) for inclusion in the co-op, for those who have not joined.

Nominating Committee: Audrey Stapf, Keir Knight

The Executive Committee will present a slate of candidates at the October meeting. In addition, nominations and self-nominations may be made at any time up to the actual election of officers. The election for 2005 will be at the November, 2004 Chamber meeting, at which time nominations for office will be taken from the floor if the nominee has consented to that nomination before the meeting. Executive positions that have not been filled in the 2005 slate are 2^nd Vice President and Recording Secretary. Executive Officers must make every effort to attend Executive Committee and Chamber meetings as often as possible. We are also looking for a liaison to the Carroll County Chamber.

Administrative Assistant: Tim Barkley

Because of the continuing and future anticipated growth of the Chamber, the Executive Committee has determined that we have the need and ability to hire an administrative assistant for 6-8 hours/week, who will be able to keep the Chamber moving and organized. The idea is to have everyone involved in a committee, so that the work of the Chamber is shared.

Business Directory: Keir Knight

Work continues on the Business Directory, a joint effort between the Mt. Airy Chamber and the Kiwanis Club, which will be both a Business and Residential phone book for Mt. Airy. Keir is working on trying to determine costs and pricing for ads. Advertising for the "premium" cover spot was discussed, with the proposal that there be a lottery for this spot, to ensure fairness for all interested advertisers. The goal is for publication by Spring, 2005. Keir anticipates specials to be offered to Chamber members.

NEW BUSINESS

FCAR Silent Auction: Tim Barkley

Anyone interested in donating items, please contact Catherine Nazarene at the Catherine Ditman Group.

"Light the Night" Wine Tasting: Kristen Sweder

A "Wine Olympics" Fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will be held at Lorien Mt. Airy on Saturday, September 25 from 5-8pm, with guests rating the wines. This is a disease that particularly affects children, with a high cure rate > 85%. Sponsors are needed for Silent Auction, and matching donation of $18 for each case purchase. Mt. Airy Liquors is

President’s Council: Tim Barkley

Tim proposed that he organize a quarterly meeting between the leadership of the various service groups in Mt. Airy to coordinate calendars and enhance communication. Please advise Tim of current and/or future leadership, so he can spearhead this effort to work together for maximum benefit.

Door Prize Drawing: Ellie Bonde

Blossom & Basket Boutique supplied a lovely flower arrangement for a door prize, which was won by D.J. Fenton of Stauffer Funeral Homes. Thank you, Ellie!

Professional Development Committee: Billie Wilkinson

Steven Gershman, CPA, will be presenting a seminar, "Year-End Tax Planning" on Tuesday, September 21 at the Olive Leaf Café from 11am – 1pm. The cost is $9.50, including lunch and gratuity (pre-registration is $7.50). Please RSVP to Billie Wilkinson, F&M Bank at (301) 829-1100.

Community Guide: Carol Blackburn

The Mt. Airy Community Guide and Emergency Guide are now available.

Congratulations to Audrey Stapf, who has accepted the position of National Co-Chair of Women in the Church for the American Association of Lutheran Churches!

Thank you to Tim Barkley, Mary Schultz and Denny Ahalt for providing the refreshments for today’s meeting.

The meeting was adjourned with a motion from Audrey Stapf, seconded by Billie Wilkinson.