Small Town Chambers Cheer On Their Communities
October 3, 2020 at 2:13 a.m.
Small Town Chambers Cheer On Their Communities
By David [email protected]
And the Chambers are thinking outside the box to do it as the country experiences a rural resurgence due to the pandemic, social unrest, economy and other factors in urban areas.
The Mentone Chamber of Commerce was incorporated in the early 1960s.
“It’s always been active really from that time on,” said Rita Price Simpson, Mentone Chamber president, Tuesday. The highest membership, she estimated, was probably in the mid-1980s with about 60 members. “But when you look at how many businesses we had in town, that was understandable. It’s smaller due to the fact that we don’t have near as many big businesses or any businesses like we did in town, but we’re very fortunate that all of our buildings are full and we’re happy with where we are, but the structure of everything has changed in small towns.”
Simpson said the Mentone Chamber is probably more of a service organization now than a Chamber. The town is landlocked and there wouldn’t be any place to put a commercial business other than what it has. “We don’t have anywhere to put them. If we did, then we could become more active that way. But since we don’t, we’re more of a group to encourage the downtown merchants, do that kind of thing, help with capital projects with the town board,” she said.
The Mentone Chamber does five projects a year: Easter egg hunt, the Egg Festival, a small parade to the cemetery for Memorial Day, the traditional Halloween costume judging contest and a Christmas open house.
“We’re really kind of a partner with the town council,” Simpson said, noting that funding is often an issue for small towns’ councils.
DeLynn Geiger, Akron Chamber of Commerce president, said Akron and Mentone have a lot of similarities.
The Akron Chamber started the annual Akron Fourth of July parade in 1961.
Lori Tilden-Geiger, Akron Chamber branding and marketing, said in February 2019, the Akron Chamber was to the point where it was going to disband. There were so few members, but she and DeLynn went to them and said they can’t do that as there “was too much momentum here in Akron.”
DeLynn asked the Chamber to postpone that decision and let him and Lori see if they could figure something out. They decided to bring the Chamber back to life.
“There is too much uniqueness here in Akron and it’s very strong with its restaurants,” DeLynn said. “I told them, I said, ‘My goodness on a Thursday night, the town will be hopping. The restaurants will be full.’”
Lori said Akron is becoming a “foodie” town, and DeLynn said on a Saturday night all the restaurants are full.
“There’s too many good things that was going on,” he said, adding that the July 4th parade is unbelieveable and brings in thousands to see it. Everyone was disappointed this year when the parade and fireworks couldn’t be held due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Chamber also has the Easter egg hunt in the spring in the park, the Summer’s End Festival and a Christmas tree lighting. Lori throws all the specials and menus and other items of interest on the Chamber’s Facebook page.
“Anything that we can advertise or help. That’s what I told them when we brought this back around to life,” DeLynn said.
There were about 10 members left in the Chamber. DeLynn started making phone calls and contacting businesses and people. Now it has about 50 to 60 members, but DeLynn can see it continue to grow to 90, 100 or more. Some of the members are companies outside of Akron who have employees who live in the town or have business inside Akron.
Rob Parker, Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said, “I always say economies don’t stop at any one town. We’re all in this together. So all of us need to make sure we’re doing unique things in each location that gives people a sense of place and purpose and just a quality of life and quality of place ... because we all need it.”
Simpson said Akron and Mentone are part of the “Valley family,” which also includes Talma and Sevastopol. “This concept just brings it into a wider scope,” she said.
DeLynn said the Akron Chamber had been thinking inward and just within the city limits. He now has members in the Chamber from North Manchester, Wabash and Warsaw and they help provide new ideas.
“Our goal is to promote your business. It’s not here to collect dues and that. We’re here to promote your business,” DeLynn said.
Lori said they also brought back letting community members be a part of the Chamber.
“People want to be a part of something in their community,” she said.
Simpson said the Mentone Chamber has social members who may not even have a business in town. DeLynn said they want to do more of that.
“Just like when we see a need in the community, and we hear about it in the town, then we get together with the Chamber and we go,” DeLynn said, noting that the pandemic stopped or slowed some of that. “It just pulls the community together. And then they feel like a part of the community.”
They all agreed that the future of chambers, especially in the small towns, is to think outside the box.
“And the big thing is don’t do it because you’ve always done it that way. That’s hard for some people,” Simpson said. “And sometimes you just have to let people try something. If it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t work.”
Lori said when a community is strong, its schools are strong; and when the schools are strong, the community is strong. She said because of that, she feels the towns of Akron and Mentone are really blessed.
Last week, representatives of chambers from Pierceton, North Webster, Syracuse, Mentone, Akron and the county met and shared ideas. Lori said she loved that and they want to keep doing that, having lunch every other month. Parker called it a “Kosciusko coalition of Chambers.”
Lori said that offered support, encouragement and brainstorming and was fun.
Simpson discussed how the small towns can use social media like Facebook to let people know what’s going on. Parker said when it’s used properly, it can connect people. DeLynn said the chamber can get ideas from it that will bring people in the community together.
“We need to think outside the box. And eventually we will build this (Chamber) back up” to where we’ll meet at the community center because of the number of chamber members, DeLynn said.
Simpson said Chambers need to talk about their town’s assets and keep the negativity away.
“We learned – and I love this and I’ve loved this so much because I think I was guilty of it, too – that growing up we’re in the middle of nowhere. And that’s not true. We’re in the middle of everywhere. We’re hours to Indy, hours to Chicago, 40 minutes to Fort Wayne. And this is such a great place to raise a family because of the schools and community,” Lori said.
For more information on the Mentone Chamber, visit mentoneeggcity.com; the Akron Chamber has a Facebook page.
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And the Chambers are thinking outside the box to do it as the country experiences a rural resurgence due to the pandemic, social unrest, economy and other factors in urban areas.
The Mentone Chamber of Commerce was incorporated in the early 1960s.
“It’s always been active really from that time on,” said Rita Price Simpson, Mentone Chamber president, Tuesday. The highest membership, she estimated, was probably in the mid-1980s with about 60 members. “But when you look at how many businesses we had in town, that was understandable. It’s smaller due to the fact that we don’t have near as many big businesses or any businesses like we did in town, but we’re very fortunate that all of our buildings are full and we’re happy with where we are, but the structure of everything has changed in small towns.”
Simpson said the Mentone Chamber is probably more of a service organization now than a Chamber. The town is landlocked and there wouldn’t be any place to put a commercial business other than what it has. “We don’t have anywhere to put them. If we did, then we could become more active that way. But since we don’t, we’re more of a group to encourage the downtown merchants, do that kind of thing, help with capital projects with the town board,” she said.
The Mentone Chamber does five projects a year: Easter egg hunt, the Egg Festival, a small parade to the cemetery for Memorial Day, the traditional Halloween costume judging contest and a Christmas open house.
“We’re really kind of a partner with the town council,” Simpson said, noting that funding is often an issue for small towns’ councils.
DeLynn Geiger, Akron Chamber of Commerce president, said Akron and Mentone have a lot of similarities.
The Akron Chamber started the annual Akron Fourth of July parade in 1961.
Lori Tilden-Geiger, Akron Chamber branding and marketing, said in February 2019, the Akron Chamber was to the point where it was going to disband. There were so few members, but she and DeLynn went to them and said they can’t do that as there “was too much momentum here in Akron.”
DeLynn asked the Chamber to postpone that decision and let him and Lori see if they could figure something out. They decided to bring the Chamber back to life.
“There is too much uniqueness here in Akron and it’s very strong with its restaurants,” DeLynn said. “I told them, I said, ‘My goodness on a Thursday night, the town will be hopping. The restaurants will be full.’”
Lori said Akron is becoming a “foodie” town, and DeLynn said on a Saturday night all the restaurants are full.
“There’s too many good things that was going on,” he said, adding that the July 4th parade is unbelieveable and brings in thousands to see it. Everyone was disappointed this year when the parade and fireworks couldn’t be held due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Chamber also has the Easter egg hunt in the spring in the park, the Summer’s End Festival and a Christmas tree lighting. Lori throws all the specials and menus and other items of interest on the Chamber’s Facebook page.
“Anything that we can advertise or help. That’s what I told them when we brought this back around to life,” DeLynn said.
There were about 10 members left in the Chamber. DeLynn started making phone calls and contacting businesses and people. Now it has about 50 to 60 members, but DeLynn can see it continue to grow to 90, 100 or more. Some of the members are companies outside of Akron who have employees who live in the town or have business inside Akron.
Rob Parker, Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said, “I always say economies don’t stop at any one town. We’re all in this together. So all of us need to make sure we’re doing unique things in each location that gives people a sense of place and purpose and just a quality of life and quality of place ... because we all need it.”
Simpson said Akron and Mentone are part of the “Valley family,” which also includes Talma and Sevastopol. “This concept just brings it into a wider scope,” she said.
DeLynn said the Akron Chamber had been thinking inward and just within the city limits. He now has members in the Chamber from North Manchester, Wabash and Warsaw and they help provide new ideas.
“Our goal is to promote your business. It’s not here to collect dues and that. We’re here to promote your business,” DeLynn said.
Lori said they also brought back letting community members be a part of the Chamber.
“People want to be a part of something in their community,” she said.
Simpson said the Mentone Chamber has social members who may not even have a business in town. DeLynn said they want to do more of that.
“Just like when we see a need in the community, and we hear about it in the town, then we get together with the Chamber and we go,” DeLynn said, noting that the pandemic stopped or slowed some of that. “It just pulls the community together. And then they feel like a part of the community.”
They all agreed that the future of chambers, especially in the small towns, is to think outside the box.
“And the big thing is don’t do it because you’ve always done it that way. That’s hard for some people,” Simpson said. “And sometimes you just have to let people try something. If it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t work.”
Lori said when a community is strong, its schools are strong; and when the schools are strong, the community is strong. She said because of that, she feels the towns of Akron and Mentone are really blessed.
Last week, representatives of chambers from Pierceton, North Webster, Syracuse, Mentone, Akron and the county met and shared ideas. Lori said she loved that and they want to keep doing that, having lunch every other month. Parker called it a “Kosciusko coalition of Chambers.”
Lori said that offered support, encouragement and brainstorming and was fun.
Simpson discussed how the small towns can use social media like Facebook to let people know what’s going on. Parker said when it’s used properly, it can connect people. DeLynn said the chamber can get ideas from it that will bring people in the community together.
“We need to think outside the box. And eventually we will build this (Chamber) back up” to where we’ll meet at the community center because of the number of chamber members, DeLynn said.
Simpson said Chambers need to talk about their town’s assets and keep the negativity away.
“We learned – and I love this and I’ve loved this so much because I think I was guilty of it, too – that growing up we’re in the middle of nowhere. And that’s not true. We’re in the middle of everywhere. We’re hours to Indy, hours to Chicago, 40 minutes to Fort Wayne. And this is such a great place to raise a family because of the schools and community,” Lori said.
For more information on the Mentone Chamber, visit mentoneeggcity.com; the Akron Chamber has a Facebook page.
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