Chamber Executive Ongoing Education Weekly New Idea: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam
(New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000). In a groundbreaking book based on vast data, Putnam shows how we have become increasingly disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and our democratic structures– and how we may reconnect.
Putnam warns that our stock of social capital – the very fabric of our connections with each other, has plummeted, impoverishing our lives and communities.
Putnam draws on evidence including nearly 500,000 interviews over the last quarter century to show that we sign fewer petitions, belong to fewer organizations that meet, know our neighbors less, meet with friends less frequently, and even socialize with our families less often. We’re even bowling alone. More Americans are bowling than ever before, but they are not bowling in leagues. Putnam shows how changes in work, family structure, age, suburban life, television, computers, women’s roles and other factors have contributed to this decline.
- Joining and participating in one group cuts in half your odds of dying next year.
- Every ten minutes of commuting reduces all forms of social capital by 10%
- Watching commercial entertainment TV is the only leisure activity where doing more of it is associated with lower social capital.
- Declining Social Capital: Trends over the last 25 years
- Attending Club Meetings - 58% drop
- Family dinners - 43% drop
Petersburg (Virginia) hometown hero honored by Chamber of Commerce
Lt. Col. Mark McLain, Army Reserve officer with the Contingency Response Unit (CRU), 416th Theater Engineer Command, was honored by the Petersburg, Virginia, Chamber of Commerce as a hometown hero at the Chamber’s 134th Annual Dinner on Feb. 18 2015, along with five other honorees.
McLain recently returned from a deployment to Afghanistan in support of United States Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division, Afghanistan District. During his deployment, McLain was wounded at Camp Qargha's Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul, Afghanistan. Read more: DVIDShub.net
Barrington (Illinois) Chamber of Commerce Map available today
Our newest publication, the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce 2015 Map is available at the Barrington Area Chamber today! Thanks to Suzanne Corr and her chamber team for their work in putting this together!
For further information about how Town Square Publications (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's map or gloss publication needs, please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.
March 2015 Indy Chamber Economic Briefing
A summary of the Indianapolis regional economy - Indy unemployment remains below state rates. The Indianapolis unemployment rate fell in February by 0.4 percent to 5.8 percent, and remains below state rates. Marion County fell a full percentage point in unemployment as compared to February 2014.
Indiana gained 1,700 private sector jobs in February and has experienced private sector job growth in 20 of the past 25 months. Gains in February were concentrated in the private, educational & health services (+2,500), leisure and hospitality (+2,200), and manufacturing (+600) sectors. Unemployment in the Hoosier State is now down by 2.4 percent over the past two years, and the labor force has grown by 82,000 individuals. Read more: Indy Chamber
Bryant Area (Arkansas) Chamber’s beauty pageant to aid scholarship program
As principal of Bethel Middle School, Todd Sellers knows the importance of education.
As chairman of the Bryant Area Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, he stresses the importance of supporting education.
And as the father of a 7-year-old daughter who likes to participate in beauty pageants, Sellers believes he knows a good way to raise money for scholarships for local high school seniors who want to continue their education.
“[Members of] the Bryant Chamber of Commerce have long felt that we need to do anything we can to raise money for scholarships for seniors graduating from Bryant High School,” said Rae Ann Fields, executive director of the chamber.
“We have raised money for scholarships for many years, [annually] giving $500 scholarships to 25 students for the past several years. But we hope to increase the number of scholarships this year by sponsoring our first beauty pageant.
“Todd, a self-professed ‘pageant dad,’ brought this idea to us and is sure this is the way to raise money,” Fields said. “We hope to make the beauty pageant an annual event.”
Sellers said he hopes the beauty pageant will generate enough money to help fund 30 $500 scholarships this year. Read more: Arkansas Online
Coldwater Chamber award: Newberry named Citizen of the Year
The title of Citizen of the Year was bestowed upon John Newberry during the 62nd annual Coldwater Area Chamber of Commerce awards dinner and meeting on Thursday, along with a handful of other awards commending notable residents.
Newberry, owner of Canopys R Us, was presented the award by John Castle of Southern Michigan Bank & Trust, who delivered a speech that hailed praise for Newberry’s work for the Quincy community. In his speech, Castle denoted the reason Newberry received the award, quoting recommendations regarding Newberry’s character as, “Never seen a more dedicated individual to the community.”
As the saying goes concerning Newberry, he has a hand in making nearly everything in Quincy what it is.
“In a time where small towns are losing recognition, people like John are making sure that they don’t,” said Castle. Read more: The Daily Reporter
Biloxi Chamber of Commerce encourages residents to be a tourist at home
The Biloxi-Bay Chamber of Commerce is encouraging people to be tourists at home. The chamber is offering free tours to members so they can learn about all the attractions and enjoy the things South Mississippi has to offer.
The trolley tour stops at the visitor's center, lighthouse, Lynn Meadows Discovery Center and several other places before ending with a boat ride.
"You tend to forget, 'Hey, I can be a tourist right here,'" said Biloxi-Bay Chamber Executive Director Tina Ross. "People spend lots of money to come down here, to spend their vacation time, and I think it's important for locals to take that into consideration when they are planning their weekend or a staycation. Invite their family and friends down. They can be the tour guides for their company that's coming to town." Read more: WLOX 13
Wausau Chamber news: Greenheck, Wausau on the map for YPWeek
A few years ago Nick O'Brien, 25, moved to town from Missouri and fell for the state of Wisconsin and the city of Wausau. Now he's working to draw more young professionals like himself to the area with the Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce and young professional groups across the state.
A state-wide YPWeek starts Saturday and will launch in Wausau with the 2015 Bubbler Awards ceremony at the Jefferson Street Inn. Greenheck Fan Corp. is among the 10 companies who will receive awards for creating great work environments for young people.
Young professional groups, including the Wausau chamber's E3YP, will have members at the awards dinner and the winning companies will send representatives as well.
Next week — YPWeek — those young professional organizations will hold events in Fond du Lac, Fox Cities, Kenosha, Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, Sheboygan and Wausau chamber's E3YP. Read more: Wausau Daily Herald
Colonial Heights Virginia chamber hosts 66th Annual Dinner Meeting
The Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce is hosting its "66th Annual Dinner Meeting" on Thursday, March 19, at the Lee Club, Building 9009, Battle Drive, Fort Lee. The event begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Guest speaker will be Brett Leake, motivational comedian. Register now online at www.colonialheightschamber.com. Read more: Progress-Index
Kentucky Chamber seminar: Navigating Sales and Use Tax in Kentucky
Sales and Use Tax Laws Getting the Best of You?
Sales and use taxes impacts all individuals and businesses. As technology and the internet are evolving, sales and use tax compliance is becoming more complex and challenging. Every year, state tax departments are deploying more and more auditors. Your best defense is a solid understanding of the law and current interpretations. At this seminar, you will gain a practical understanding of the sales and use tax rules and compliance requirements. View the agenda.
ESSENTIAL FOR:
• Business Owners
• Financial Officers
• Controllers (and/or anyone who deals with purchases and sales at your organization)
BENEFITS:
• Determine what is taxable and exempt
• Tackle multi-state issues and transactions, including nexus
• Compliance guidance, including dealing with audits
• Take advantage of exemptions and incentives available
• Stay current with recent developments and interpretations
Take a look at the brochure for more information!
Chamber interest: Creating opportunity- Sioux Falls - Running a Startup City
As part of our Silicon Cities series, we recently wrote about why people should move to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a city with a booming job market, a very low cost of living, and a high quality of life.
Yet we wanted to take a deeper dive into the city to discover what, exactly, it has done to become one of the hottest economies and most livable cities in the U.S. To gain a little more clarity, we sat down with Mike Huether, a native South Dakotan who was recently reelected mayor of Sioux Falls.
Huether, who worked in corporate America after graduating from South Dakota State University in 1984, moved back to his home state to fulfill a childhood dream of holding public office. Since 2010, when he was first elected, Huether has helped reimagine how the city’s government functions and works with the business community, which has led to unprecedented cooperation between the public and private sectors.
But the mayor hasn’t stopped there, leading initiatives that have upgraded and replaced infrastructure, as well as inking deals to build a number of recreational facilities aimed at boosting the city’s quality of life. All told, these kinds of efforts have had a major impact on Sioux Falls, fueling economic growth and generating thousands of jobs. Read more: Free Enterprise
Friday: 157 Rules for Executive Success in Organization Management (and your Chamber of Commerce) by Patrick McGaughey
RULE #74 Look
at the organization website every day.
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