November 2006 Newsletter
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SPONSOR

MOUNT GARAGE DOORS

Residential & Commercial

Sales & Service

(410) 549-2668

www.mountgaragedoors.com

SPONSOR

SHERMAN EMERSON INSURANCE

Auto • Home • Business • Life

Dennis Emerson

(301) 831-5885

www.shermanagency.com

NOVEMBER MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Our monthly membership meeting will be held on Thursday November 2nd at 8am at the Mt Airy Fire Hall (corner of Watersville Rd and Main St, park at the rear/lower level and enter through the back doors).
We will have our usual hour of introductions, committee reports and discussions of new and old business.
An election will be held for officer positions for 2007 and the 2007 budget will be introduced.
Remember that minutes of all our monthly meetings can be found on the Chamber website at www.mtairybusiness.com
Every month members also get to see all the advertising, newspaper coverage and correspondence for the past month.

2007 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
Our 4th Annual Chamber Membership Drive event will be held Thursday 16th November from 4pm to 7pm at Century Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep on Century Drive.
As usual, we will be offering discounted membership dues for the following year - attendees will be able to sign up for $85, a savings of $10.
Be sure to bring your check books also for opportunities to sign up for the 2007 Mount Airy Phone Book, the Gala and next year's Community Expo!
Continuing our annual tradition, the grand door prize will be a snowblower from the Tractor Supply Co, and catering will be provided courtesy of Frank Illiano and New York J & P Pizza
For more information on 2007 memberships/ dues etc - please contact Membership Secretary Dennis Emerson at 301-831-5885 or e-mail at dennis@shermanagency.com

BUSINESS CARD EXCHANGE REPORT
Thank you to The New Windsor State Bank for hosting our October Business Card Exchange.
We had more than 40 people in attendance, including 11 visitors.
Door prize winners included: guest Kenneth Huyser (a gift basket donated by Costco); Paul Clay of Real Estate Consultants (a table donated by NWSB);  Monique Pirrung of Farmers & Mechanics Bank (a gift from Mary Kay); and Diana Hemphill of Arbonne International (USA flag donated by NWSB).
Thank you to our hosts, Denny Ahalt and his wonderful staff!

MEMBERSHIP REPORT
The following three businesses joined in October:
Eric Moore Graphic Design, Eric Moore,  443-536-8387.
Freedom Printing & Specialty, Joel Tolley, 410-303-5507.
CarterQue Barbeque & Grilling Company, Chris and Jessica Carter, 240-446-9702. (2007 Membership)
Membership is 311 (plus five new members signed up for 2007)
[Membership Committee Chair Dennis Emerson, Sherman Emerson Insurance.]

PHONE BOOK UPDATE
The Phone Book will be expanding - the results of the recent survey were overwhelmingly in favor (94% of respondents).
Next spring there will be a Mount Airy Phone Book (White and Orange Pages just as before) going to the 11,500 households, businesses and PO boxes of the 21771 zip.
There will also be a Mount Airy Phone Book - Business Edition (Orange Pages only) mailed to an additional 15,000 households, business and PO boxes in the zipcodes and rural routes immediately surrounding 21771.
Applications will be mailed to 2006 Chamber members later this week and will then be opened up to the general public on November 16th at the Membership Drive.
All advertisers from the 2005 Book (plus new businesses that opened since then) will receive a 5% discount. All 2006 Chamber members will receive an additional 5% discount if they submit their application and payment by November 16th.
For additional information please contact Keir Knight at (301) 829-1982 or by e-mail phonebook@mtairybusiness.com

2007 GALA
Come join your fellow Chamber members at the 2nd Annual Chamber Gala Dinner Dance - "A Starry Winter Night" on Saturday, January 13th at the American Legion Gold Star Post 191.
This evening promises to be a delight for all who attend.  Elegant dining will be provided once again by Catering 2 You, starting with a variety of hors d'oeuvres at 7:00pm.
There will be a cash bar.
Music will be provided so pull out your dancing shoes, your holiday attire and enjoy the fun!
Look for your invitation in the mail.
For more information and a list of sponsors for this event, please visit http://www.mtairybusiness.com/gala2007
For all questions please e-mail pwilhelm@lorienhealth.com or call 301-829-6050, ext. 112
[Gala Committee Chair Paula Wilhelm]

WEBSITE REDESIGN
The Chamber's website has a new look and lots of new content. Be sure to check things out at mtairybusiness.com
A new Member Listings page is being developed (and a beta page can be found on the site) - featuring searchable listings and categorized listings. These new pages will be completed as members re-join for 2007. Now is a great time to send in your member profile!
We are also looking for sponsors for the site - if you are interested in signing up as a sponsor please contact Keir Knight at (301) 829-1982 or by e-mail klknight@pipeline.com

COMMERCIAL SPACE WEBPAGE
The website now features a page dedicated to commercial space for lease or for sale. This is being produced in association with The Mount Airy Economic Development Commission and is co-sponsored by Illiano Properties and CBI Development.

DROP-IN NETWORKING LUNCHES
This new program from the Ambassadors Committee is an informal meeting of Chamber members and guests - meeting at Noon every second Tuesday at The Greene Turtle.
It's a "dutch lunch" where you pay for your own food and drinks  but there's a great coupon on the website at www.mtairybusiness.com/dropinlunches
The next two dates are Tuesday November 14th and Tuesday December 12th.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR
Our second seminar of this fall will be held on Wednesday November 15th. The topic will be Business Financial Planning - with instructor Doug Howard.
The seminar will be held at the Senior Center, 703 Ridgeville Avenue (above the Library) from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.
These workshops are FREE to Chamber members and $10 to non-members.
To register, please call (410) 386-8012 or email mtitus@carrollcc.edu.
[Professional Development Committee chair, Marlene Titus, Carroll Community College]

AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Chamber is looking for volunteers to form an audit committee to go over the accounts, sometime early in 2007.
If you are interested in chairing this committee, or serving on the committee, please contact Treasurer Denny Ahalt of New Windsor State Bank at 301-829-7355 or dahalt@newwindsorbank.com

SECOND E-MAIL LIST
The new Chamber e-mail group "mtairybusinessgeneral" is now  live.
Unlike the main group, this new group is not moderated and members
are free to post anything related to their own business or to the
local business community in general.
To view messages posted to the group, or to join, please visit:
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/mtairybusinessgeneral/
An edited digest of postings is submitted to the main e-mail group once a week.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Keir Knight at (301) 829-1982 or klknight@pipeline.com

TOWN MEETING AGENDAS
We are working with the Town of Mount Airy to post meeting agendas and other information to the second e-mail group "mtairybusinessgeneral".

CHAMBER FOLDERS
The Greater Mt Airy Chamber of Commerce now has pocket folders available for all members to use. The glossy  folders include four interior sheets: committee descriptions, Chamber events, leadership and an application form.
The folders are available at all Chamber events and meetings  or by contacting Ambassadors Committee Chair Ellie Bonde of the Blossom & Basket Boutique at (301) 831-0010.
They are perfect to use to introduce potential members to the Chamber.

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Congratulations to Karrie Rhodes of The Gazette who was married on October 7th!
The Prevost Insurance Agency announces that Roger Weber will be joining the agency as of December 1, 2006.

INFO TO SHARE?
If you have information you would like to share with other Chamber members  either through the monthly newsletter, the Chamber website, or Yahoo e-mail lists  please contact Advertising & Marketing Committee Chair Keir Knight of Plain English Writing & Design at (301) 829-1982 or klknight@pipeline.com