Opinion: Time is now to reorganize the Chamber

Our Chamber of Commerce is at a crossroads, and what happens in the next few weeks and months may well determine if the organization survives or is even worth saving.
Nearly a year since the City of Clarendon pulled the plug on the Chamber’s number one source of funding, $20,000 in hotel occupancy tax monies, the organization is now making attempts at restructuring itself. And as part of that process, Chamber members are invited to attend an “After Hours” Social at City Hall this Friday evening. This will be an opportunity for businesses to get together for networking purposes and to make their feelings known about the Chamber itself.

This is a step in the right direction, but the Chamber of Commerce has a long ways to go before it becomes a driving force to enhance business and tourism activity. The organization has several flaws that it must overcome to regain its sense of purpose and earn the trust of members and potential members.

It has been a tumultuous twelve months for the Chamber. It ran afoul with the City over record keeping. Its longtime executive director retired, and numerous board members – a majority in fact – resigned, and, as the year progressed, the organization found itself operating without a president. Remaining board members seemed to be at odds over the cause of the Chamber’s weaknesses and what to do next.
The Chamber didn’t find itself in this mess in just a year. For a long time, the Chamber functioned outside its by-laws, and the board as a whole did a poor job of exercising any control over the direction or operation of the organization. The results were disastrous.

Now, the time has come to write a new chapter in the Chamber’s nearly 100-year history. The City and the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation this month agreed, in principle, to combine their resources and hire a professional to lead tourism and economic development in Clarendon. The job description and the details are still in the formative stage, but it is intended that this person would be available to help the Chamber get back on its feet. However, for positive change to come about, local business men and women need to come together and encourage some much needed reforms. And here are a few that should be implemented.

Formally Reorganize: There is a lot of bad blood in the Chamber’s recent past – too much “he said, she said,” too much petty bickering, and too little faith that the organization can function in a way that makes our community proud. There is also the problem of the bylaws. So let’s draft some new ones, hold a formal meeting of dues-paying Chamber members, and start fresh. Adopt the new bylaws, and allow members to elect a new board comprised of local business men and women dedicated to promoting our community and enhancing the opportunities that exist here. Put any plans for a 2012 Chamber Banquet on the back burner this year and focus on getting this ship back on course.

Restore the Chamber Name: When the current bylaws were adopted in the 1980s, the organization became known as the Clarendon-Donley County Chamber of Commerce.  That’s a mouthful and a bit confusing. Let’s return to the traditional name of the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce. It’s simpler, more recognizable, and more marketable. It is also reflective of the fact that a majority of businesses – and therefore members – are in the City of Clarendon, and it also acknowledges the fact that a sizeable portion of Chamber funding comes (hopefully again) from City Hall. Of course, businesses from all over Donley County would be welcome members, and the Chamber would naturally promote the entire county; but for simplicity’s sake and recognition’s sake, the original name is preferable.

Hold a Membership Drive: As part of the adoption of new bylaws, a new dues structure should be developed based on the number of employees a firm or non-profit organization has. Then every employer and every self-employed person in and around Clarendon should be asked, invited, and encouraged to join the Chamber of Commerce. An associate membership should be created for individuals who do not formally represent a business or non-profit employer, and these “Friends of the Chamber” could show their support for Chamber activities by paying low annual dues but not be eligible to vote or hold office in the organization.

Focus on the Purpose: Promotion of tourism is a vital role for the Chamber, but it is not the only role.  It is not, after all, the Chamber of “Tourism.”  Therefore the organization needs to hold multiple socials like the one this Friday to find out what it can do to promote commercial activity and opportunities for our businesses. One of the Chamber’s most successful endeavors was the creation of the Christmas Cash program back in the late 1990s. The zero-interest loans from local banks kept literally thousands of dollars in the local economy each holiday season. But over time the Chamber came to regard administrating the program as a bother and spun it off. Last year, there was finally no one to volunteer to run it, and the program died. Sales tax revenue for the City of Clarendon from December sales was down about $10,000 compared to one year ago. Coincidence?  Unlikely.

In a recent report to the City, Chamber board members expressed their wish that they had been able to help out during the Downtown Merchants’ Black Friday promotion after Thanksgiving. One board member said, “If we had been more organized, we could have had our office open and passed out candy canes and served refreshments.” What the merchants really needed was someone to help coordinate their efforts, someone to listen to what they were trying to do and build on it. They needed a functioning, professional Chamber of Commerce… and a well administered Christmas Cash program wouldn’t have hurt either.

Opportunity abounds: Despite its troubles, Clarendon has a lot going for it. The city deserves a Chamber that makes it proud and puts forth the best welcome mat for tourists and new businesses. The existing board has taken the first step to creating a better Chamber of Commerce. Now it is up to the members. Let’s all show up at City Hall at 5:30 Friday and make it happen.