October 2007 Newsletter
PDF Version
 

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

OCTOBER MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Our monthly membership meeting will be held on Thursday October 4th 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 2008 (see item below).
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.

OCTOBER CARD EXCHANGE
Our next Business Card Exchange will be held Wednesday October 10th, 5pm to 8pm, at the New Windsor State Bank, Twin Arch Shopping Center.

BUSINESS CARD EXCHANGE REPORTS
Thank you to Demetrios Chaconas for hosting our September card exchange at the Mount Airy Animal Hospital. The event was co-sponsored by Brian Rayford of M5 Signs. Thank you also to those businesses who provided door prizes.
The Carroll County Chamber of Commerce breakfast event held at the Mount Airy Library on September 5th had close to 100 attendees with a  large number of Mt Airy Chamber members present. The Mt Airy Chamber paid for the omelet breakfast, which was catered by the Olive Leaf Cafe. Thanks go to Tami Klosko and her staff for doing a first rate job with that. The grand door prize of an I-Pod was won by Bill Butts of Mid Maryland Health Insurance Solutions.

MEMBERSHIP REPORT
Four new businesses joined in September:
RAPE CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICE OF CARROLL COUNTY.
THE EQUIERY.
DAMASCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.
ROCKRIDGE CONTRACTING, LLC.
Our membership count currently stands at 369.
[Membership Committee Chair Dennis Emerson, Sherman Emerson Insurance.]

LABOR DAY WEEKEND FIRE - DOWNTOWN MOUNT AIRY
A reminder that the Chamber website has contact information and updates from affected businesses. Also, details on how to donate to the Mount Airy Disaster Relief Fund and the MAMSA Emergency & Revitalization Fund. Plus dates and details of upcoming fundraisers (including events involving many Chamber members).
The Chamber has a vast resource of skills, services and manpower and is willing and able to respond to any request for help.

OCTOBER ELECTION
The ballot for the upcoming Chamber election - to be held at the October Membership Meeting  is available in the ?Calendar? section of the Chamber website. Details and instructions are in the PDF.
Running for the position of Corresponding Secretary are Paul Clay, The Real Estate Consultants Of Re/Max Realty Group - Paul And Paula; and Alice Decker, Interstate Construction & Development Co.
The following members are running unopposed:
President: Aaron Kahn, Eclipse Security
First VP: Kerry Turner, Frederick News Post
Second VP: Dennis Emerson, Sherman-Emerson Insurance
Recording Secretary: Laurie Dilks, Juice Plus
Treasurer: Dennis Ahalt, New Windsor State Bank
Plus Immediate Past President: Carol Cahall, The Main Event

PLANNING AHEAD FOR 2008
Our annual Planning Meting will be held Tuesday, October 30th from 11-3 at Lorien Assisted Living.
Please RSVP to Aaron Kahn (800-779-6285) no later than October 15th. All are welcomed!

A NOTE OF THANKS
Fellow Chamber Members:
We all know change is inevitable. Change also provides an opportunity to
recognize and honor a job well done. I wish to thank Leslie Brenneman and Susan Howes for their exemplary service to the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce.
Leslie Brenneman from Costco, has been hugely instrumental in organizing the GMACC business card exchanges. During my first year as president, I told her I would like to have the business card exchanges set up well in advance, so we could all put them in our agendas as soon as possible. I could hardly believe my eyes when she organized the whole year in advance. Leslie has received a promotion (congratulations!) which will make it impossible for her to actively participate in chamber functions. We will all miss her professionalism and hard work. We will also miss hearing her laugh fill a room.
Susan Howes stepped up to fill the social secretary spot during my first year as President. She continued on for the second year, but unfortunately needs to step down. Her time and energy needs to be devoted to her husband, who is recovering from surgery and to her real estate business. If you ever received a thank you note for hosting a business card exchange or for donating a door prize, you've personally experienced Susan's very timely and dedicated work. We all appreciate Susan's diligence and hope to see her at an occasional business card exchange.
If you see Leslie or Susan, please remember to thank them. Their contributions to the GMACC have been invaluable. Sincerely,
Carol Cahall. President, The Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce

CHAMBER WEBSITE SPONSORS
The following four Chamber members have taken sponsorships of the Chamber website:
The Tim Barkley Law Office
BDG Entrepreneurial Services
The BeneFit Company
Plain English Writing & Design
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact Keir Knight at (301) 829-1982 or klknight@pipeline.com

LIBRARY RESOURCE CENTER
The Mount Airy branch of the Carroll County Public Library has a new Business Resource Center sponsored by the Chamber.
The area features Chamber information, Phone Books, fliers and folders from other local business groups and organizations. It also features all the business magazines and periodicals held by the library, and a constantly updated selection of business-related books.
There are also plans to build a workstation area for laptop use.
The center is designed for use by those already in business, and as an aid for those looking to set up a new business.
The Mount Airy Library serves people from all four counties.

LIONS CLUB BASKET BINGO
The 4 County Lions Club will be having Basket Bingo at St. Michaels Church on Oct 19. Doors Open at 6pm. Tickets are available for $18.00 each and basket sponsorships are available for businesses wishing to support the event. You can call or email Ray Miller at 301-370-3046 relocator1964@msn.com or Charlie Stott at 301-514-7293.

SECOND E-MAIL LIST
Don't forget that the Chamber e-mail group "mtairybusinessgeneral" is available for all members to use.
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

PHONE BOOKS
Copies of the Mount Airy Phone Book are available at all Chamber meetings and events. Copies can also be found at the Mount Airy Library on Ridge Avenue, and at Town Hall on Main Street.

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.

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