Usually March is one of those slow quiet months. Winter is coming to a  close and spring hasn't quite begun yet. Somehow we didn't get the message at the Chamber as March was a very productive month.

Our Finance Committee met and discussed our membership dues structure. To assist us we compared the dues structure from other Chambers and are reviewing several options for possible changes. We are also looking at the feasibility of implementing monthly or quarterly payments as well as the ability to do automatic bank drafts. The number crunchers are running the different scenarios to determine the impact on our members and the Chamber's bottom line.

I am very proud of our board of director members and committee chairs for raising $2000.00 for Special Olympics. What made this effort so worthwhile was a $2,000 match which made our total contribution $4,000.00. We would not have been able to raise the money if it were not for Rick Thayer, First United Bank and Trust, challenging the board and agreeing, if we met our goal, he would take the cold, icy Hooley Plunge dip into Lake Habeeb. My thanks to Rick and all the board and committee members and staff that contributed.

Our Leadership Allegany! class has hit the mid way point with their trip to Annapolis for state government day. I joined the class in Annapolis (somehow it seemed to be for all the meals). It was an excellent experience for everyone. We had dinner with members of the Western Maryland Delegation and everyone was very open, informative and receptive. David Edgerley, Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development Secretary, was the luncheon speaker. Secretary Edgerley talked about his vision for the state as well as Allegany County. He also welcomed questions from the group. This class has already become involved with several initiatives within the community. One project is to collect clothing and bedding for the homeless shelters in our region. The Chamber is pleased to serve as a drop off site; if you have any donations please bring them to the Chamber office.

The Economic Development Committee has formed a sub-committee that is focusing on the County's Comprehensive Planning efforts. The sub-committee consists of representatives from various business organizations within our community. Their first meeting was held on March 28th where they established the guidelines for continuing involvement in the process. Our Economic Development Committee meets the last Thursday of every month at 8:00 a.m. in the Chamber Boardroom.

The Education Committee met and plans were outlined for the Focus on the Future Showcase to be held on Tuesday, April 22 and Thursday, April 24 at the Allegany County Fairgrounds. The Focus on the Future Showcase is a partnership with the Allegany County Board of Education and provides all seventh graders the opportunity to explore their career interests. This committee is very active and has also received applications to review for the FSU/WCBC Student Salute Awards.

This has been a very difficult year for our delegates in Annapolis. Our Legislative Committee has met every week since this session began, and reviewed all business related bills as well as those that affect our region. Many of these bills have a very negative impact on our area and some take away much needed funding. Our delegates have worked very hard to influence the outcome and we have sent position letters to the committees; however sometimes I think we are too few and far from Annapolis to have the influence needed to make changes. Our representatives deserve our thanks for all of their efforts.

Our Membership Committee did not meet in March however they hosted a Member Orientation on March 13th. What a successful event. We had a record number of participants - 35 people signed up to attend. We had to move the meeting over to the Allegany County Human Resources Development Commission (HRDC) office, who generously offered the use of their boardroom. At the conclusion of the orientation two new member companies joined the Chamber and several established member companies commented on the value of information received. Thank you to all that attended and of course to Peg and Amy who handled the arrangements.

I'm saving the fun one for last. The "Fun" Raising Committee finalized the plans for our Spring Fling to be held on Friday, April 11th at the Shrine Club. Again this year, Queen City Funk and Soul will be providing the music. The evening includes a steak dinner and a raffle. If you are interested, please contact the Chamber office to see if tickets are still available.

                                        Happy Spring - Barb