It’s that time of year when we have filed our taxes (at least most of us) and are starting to see spring in the air. Winter appears to be over, at least for this week, and yard work will soon be a weekly chore. I am ready for this change in season and I hope you are as well.

A few months ago the Chamber sent out a survey to our members. The purpose of this survey was to access the level of satisfaction of our membership with the Chamber and Chamber events as well as ask for ideas for new events or to enhance current Chamber events. To date the Chamber has received 73 responses to the survey including a number of helpful comments as well. The overall Chamber membership satisfaction scores were very good, with 63% of those responding indicating they are very satisfied, 23% scoring in the middle range or satisfied, and the remaining 14% indicating that improvement was needed.

A number of these helpful comments were in regard to certain additional activities the Chamber could be doing. It turns out that a number of these suggestions were relating to activities the Chamber currently does. This means we need to further educate our membership on Chamber activities. A few of these activities are mentioned below and future President Letters and other newsletter sections will continue to mention these activities throughout the year.

AGRICULTURE:

8th Grade Ag Tour – To be held April 30th for McCook Public Schools. This event offers exposure to careers in agriculture and helps answer the question “How can I use my interest in science, biology, math, medicine, accounting, record keeping, etc. in an ag setting?”

Farm Safety Camp – To be held May 28th for kids 8-11 years old. The camp is offered every 3 years and includes grain handling, PTOs, chemicals, animals, barnyard savvy, electrical hazards, etc.

The Chamber just hosted the Ag Appreciation Breakfast on March 19 for area individuals involved in Agriculture. This was the third annual event which has grown from 70 in the first year to 160 in year three.

EDUCATION:

National Teacher Appreciation Day – To be held May 6. During this day the Chamber Education Committee delivers nearly 250 candy bars ($100 Grand candy bars) to express appreciation for "a job well done".

Educator of the Year Award – The Chamber Education Committee is in the process of selecting the Educator of the Year award winner. This process includes a nomination period followed by an application that must be submitted by the teacher who was nominated. Application questions are numerically scored. This award includes a sizable monetary award made available by Allen Strunk. The award will be presented at the teacher's high school graduation or other program at the discretion of the school.

The Chamber also hosts a New Teacher's Breakfast in the fall for about a 9 county area. This event includes a Welcome Breakfast with door prizes for all new teachers and administrators.

Finally, be sure to visit the new website of McCookOpportunities.com to see the latest efforts for promoting retail opportunities in McCook. This website was recently launched as the first phase of the Chamber’s promotional efforts made possible by funding from the City of McCook. We look forward to continued progression on this effort and hope to see the economic fruits in the near future.

Jim Ulrich
President, McCook Area Chamber of Commerce