From the President – February 2017
Hope everyone had a Happy New Year! In January we had a great Awards/Installation membership luncheon. We had about 120 members in attendance to wish our new board good luck and to congratulate Kurtis Barks on being our 2017 Business Person of the Year. Other awardees include: Arthur Williams Jr. with The Valley-A Stonebridge Community (Cathy Behlmann Volunteer of the Year Award), Melanie Harris with DeSmet Retirement Community (Ambassador of the Year Award), and Robbie Walls owner of Living the Life Vacations (Rookie of the Year Award). Once again congratulations to our new board members and awardees.
In February we will be hosting an Evening at Hendel’s on February 26, 2017. This is a chance for all of our members to get together for a casual fun dinner. The menu looks fantastic with our main course as Sirloin Oscar. The dinner includes an appetizer, salad, dinner, dessert, and drinks. Please watch for the invitation by email and call the office with your reservation.
In 2017, The Greater North County Chamber of Commerce will award four $1,000.00 Merit Scholarships, one $1,000.00 Perseverance Scholarship, and one $500.00 Perseverance Scholarship donated by Jacob’s Ladder Ministries to graduating seniors who reside in North St. Louis County. These scholarships are intended to recognize a graduating senior who have shown a commitment to building a better community, and have demonstrated a record of community service in the area. Applications can be found on our website: www.greaternorthcountychamber.com or through local high-schools. The deadline for us to receive the applications is on February 17, 2017.
Our Young Professional Group is growing and they are hosting a couple events for the Chamber. On April 4th we have a group of tickets blocked for the Blues game in section 123. This is open to all members. There are only a limited number of tickets so please call the office to order yours now!
Happy Groundhog’s Day! Shadow or no shadow from Punxsutawney Phil this year? Groundhog’s Day is a traditional holiday celebrated on February 2. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then the spring season will arrive early; if it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its den, and winter weather will persist for six more weeks. The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where crowds as large as 40,000 have gathered to celebrate the holiday since at least 1886. Groundhog Day was adopted in the U.S. in 1887. Clymer H. Freas was the editor of the local paper Punxsutawney Spirit at the time, and he began promoting the town’s groundhog as the official “Groundhog Day meteorologist”. Little fact: My father lived in Punxsutawney and I can tell you all about it. I’m hoping for no shadow with an early spring!
