Scott City Chamber: Closed for business?

~ A lack of participation may kill the organization that has existed since the early 1980s.

A meeting will be held Thursday to decide the future of the Scott City Chamber of Commerce, and whether it will still exist in 2006.

On Oct. 6, chamber president Paul Schock sent out a letter to chamber members urging them to attend the special meeting. Schock is concerned that with bylaws dictating many of the members of the chamber's board must step down at the end of the year, no one is ready to take their place.

A lack of participation may kill the chamber that has been in existence since the early 1980s, Schock said.

"It's not like they're not wanting to, it's just that they can't," Schock said of participation by inactive members. "Even some of the ones that are active, it's hard for them. They all have families too, and keeping up the with the cost of everything takes a lot of time."

Most of the chamber's 37 members are local small business operations, said Schock. The stresses of coping with small business and family life make it hard to devote a lot of time to chamber organization and events, he said.

The problems aren't new, said Jim McClintock, owner of Jim's Mobile Signs. McClintock said he has been involved in the chamber from the beginning.

"It's hard to get people to attend the meetings," said Jeffrey Bohannon, who admits he has let his dues lapse. "When it started, it was kind of hard to get it going. I don't really know why."

Bohannon, owner of Bohannon's cleaners, agrees.

"It just seems like it's always had that tendency," said Bohannon. "For what reasons I'm not really sure. People are busy with a lot of things to do."

Bohannon said he's had to drop his active involvement as of late due to his own personal reasons, so he understands how local business owners can become inactive.

Virginia Lowery, owner of Virginia's Hair Care, said she hasn't gotten around to joining the chamber, but they the organization does good work for the community.

Like other chambers, the Scott City chamber tries to promote local businesses and events and brings in speakers for professional development.

City administrator Ron Eskew said chambers are important to small towns; they take on different roles than in a larger city. The city is a member of the chamber, but Eskew said he tries to stay out of leadership in the organization due to his other leadership responsibilities.

"I think probably the greatest value of a chamber of commerce in a small city, is that it helps keep the businesses together," said Eskew. "You'll have more businesses working together on an event. It's not as much about business growth as it is about community enhancement."

That function is important is a small town like Scott City, which is largely a bedroom community, where people work in larger cities.

"Paying dues is only one part of being in the organization; it boils down to what you get back from it," said Mayor Tim Porch. "What most businesses don't understand is a chamber that is operated correctly will make you money.

"From the city's standpoint the chamber is very important. It just needs to be an active, working chamber."

Still Porch, owner of his own business, readily admits that he hasn't been active in the organization, either.

Schock admits that he's made mistakes in not getting the chamber more active, but he said he wants the organization to continue so it can improve the city. The possibility of changing the bylaws to let board members stay on exists, said Schock, but many of them are burned out and need a break.

At Thursday's meeting, those board members will take the first steps to decide if the chamber can go on when they can't, or if the chamber must dissolve.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182