Chamber selects honor business, students of the month

McCook Area Chamber of Commerce Students of the Month attending the March board meeting were, seated from left, Madison Rasmusen, Caden Bortner, Esla Wilcox, and Baylor Winters.

Courtesy photo

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors chose Willow Creek Meats as the second quarter honor business. Willow Creek Meats was instrumental in sponsoring the chamber’s Ag Appreciation Breakfast, which will be held Saturday, March 30 from 7 to 9 a.m. at the McCook City Auditorium.

In other business, the chamber approved a change in by-laws, which will make the organization’s fiscal year the same as the calendar year. New board members will still start their terms in July. According to Chamber Director Jamie Mockry, the change will allow new board members to participate in the budget planning process. It will also mean that chamber investment contributions from partnership businesses will come in at the beginning of the fiscal year (in January and February) rather than mid-fiscal year.

The chamber’s golf fund-raiser will be moved from a fall event to the spring. It will be held on April 27 to start at 11 a.m. The four-person scramble, titled The Shank Open, will cost $300 per team. Committee member Jaime Sauder said that they are encouraging participants to dress up and get wild during the event. “We want to make it fun, and not a serious tournament so that anyone can get involved and have a chance to have fun and not necessarily be a pro golfer to win.” They are incorporating some gimmick holes and other fun things for the tournament this year. Teams can pre-register by calling the chamber office.

The board also reviewed the chamber’s Irish Poker Run retail event, which was held March 14, 15 and 16. Mockry said that they heard a lot of positive comments from those who participated, and they were pleased that so many families got involved in filling out their poker cards. Terra Michaelis of McCook had the best poker hand and won the $50 in chamber bucks.

There will be at least two new faces on the chamber board this July. Bill Longnecker (three-year term) and Mike Gonzales (one-year term) have fulfilled their terms on the board, and the nominating committee is working on finding replacements. There are actually three open seats for three-year terms and one for a one-year term, but Mockry said that two of the current board members could serve another term. Letters will go out to chamber members next month concerning open seats.