By KEVIN NEVERS

The Chesterton/Duneland Chamber of Commerce is growing and prospering, as Duneland itself grows and prospers, but there’s always room for more members and for more participation from its members.

That was the message of the State of the Chamber and Community Awards Luncheon on Wednesday at the Library Service Center.

Predicting “exciting times ahead of us in this part of the county and in Northwest Indiana generally,” Vice-president Miles Tucker noted that the Chamber has been continuing to fulfill the “big goal” of membership growth, as new businesses locating in the Duneland are actively recruited to join.

Yet while the Chamber needs more new members, Tucker added, more current members need to become involved in its activities, committees, and organization. “The Chamber is more about volunteerism than anything else,” he said. “What keeps the Chamber moving forward is the volunteers and a lot of time and a lot of energy.”

Executive Director Bonnie Trout then gave a thumbnail sketch of the Chamber’s recent accomplishments and its upcoming plans. Among them: the enhancement of the Chamber’s data base, allowing the collation of information in an “easy-to-use format”; the biggest turnout ever at the Chamber’s annual golf outing; the sale last year of $12,000 worth of Chamber gift certificates; the publication of a weekly e-newsletter; the installation of WiFi in the Chamber offices, permitting wireless Internet use outside its offices in, for instance, Thomas Centennial Park and as distant as Peggy Sue’s Diner; and doubling the Chamber’s previous participation in the Porter County Career and Job Fair.

Trout also noted that the Chamber’s monthly magazine will, beginning in August, be published on a quarterly basis and mailed to approximately 12,000 households in Duneland.

Finances

Treasurer Lorri Wickberg next offered a summary of the Chamber’s 2006 finances: an income of $257,318; expenses of $237,680; a net surplus of $24,636; and total revenues from dues of $92,171.

Wickberg observed that the Chamber has four basic income sources: around 36 percent from dues; 29 percent from services; 4 percent from committees; and 33 percent from special events.

The Ambassador Committee

A quick rundown of the activities of the Chamber’s various committees was next on the agenda. Among other things, Trout said, the Ambassador Committee liaises between members and the Chamber, welcomes new members with visits and at ribbon-cutting ceremonies and grand openings, and attends all Chamber functions to ensure that members are warmly greeted and made to feel welcome.

Special Events Committee

Among the special events on the Chamber’s calendar this year, Tucker put in a special plug for the Crazy 8s Golf Classic on Friday at the Brassie. Eight-member teams, each member of which is given one club for the entirety of the round, will be making their way around the course, each team member taking a turn to whack the ball with whatever club he or she may have. Putting with a driver? Driving with a putter? It’s part of the fun.

Trout also reminded members of the annual Party in the Park from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Aug. 18 at Thomas Centennial Park. There’ll be plenty of music, food, and fun stuff for the kids, so bring the family along.

At Home in Duneland Committee

A new program at the Chamber, Trout said, is the At Home in Duneland Welcome Bag, presented to new residents in community. A total of 93 businesses to date are contributing items to the bags, more than 300 bags have so far been given to new residents, and that number will only grow as the population of Duneland is projected to increase by 300 families per year.

The names of new residents sometimes come from realtors or neighbors, Trout added, and the Chesterton Tribune has been promoting the initiative.

The Volunteer Committee

As Tucker remarked earlier in the meeting, volunteers are the key to a successful Chamber, so Trout took a moment to honor eight of them with certificates of appreciation: Deb Tegtmeyer, Janice Custer, Sue Edds, Dan Keilman, Kim White, Helena Pishkur, Janice Dickens, and Mary Ann Kieziela.

These eight are the hands and the feet of the Chamber, obtaining items for the At Home in Duneland bags and distributing them, putting in hours answering phone calls, entering data, and doing odd jobs, proofreading the Chamber Directory and its various publicans, assisting with the Partners in Education Committee activities, and keeping the Chamber sign on Ind. 49 current.

The Partners in Education

Assistant Duneland Superinten-dent Monte Moffett than took a few minutes to bring members up to speed on the Chamber’s education outreaches, in particular a unique program created by Gerrard Pannekoek, in conjunction with Eric Kroeger of the Chesterton Hometown Improvement Project, in which 60 Honors Economics students at Chesterton High School conducted a detailed survey of the Duneland business climate and, at a special meeting of the Chesterton Town Council, presented their findings in the form of recommended objectives and strategies for economic development.

Other outreaches: Future Fest for 7th graders, who explore potential career paths; the Reality Store for 8th graders, who become acquainted with the expectations one has when pursuing a career and starting a family; the Career and Community Job Fair at CHS, open to the public; and the New Teacher Reception hosted by the local business community, the next one scheduled for Aug. 16.

Public Policy Legislative Committee

Finally, Chuck Parkinson invited all members to attended meetings of the Public Policy Legislative Committee in the mornings on the first and third Fridays of the month when the Indiana General Assembly is in session.

The purpose of the bimonthly meetings, Parkinson said, is to keep members informed of legislation likely to affect them but also to keep the Northwest Indiana delegation informed of members’ concerns as bills make their way from committee to the floor.

The committee is also involved in a regional chamber initiative involving the business communities of Porter, Lake, and LaPorte counties, Parkinson added. Anyone interested in serving on the committee should contact him, Trout, or Duneland Superintendent Dirk Baer.

Editor’s Note: Story and photos of the summer awards will be in Friday’s Tribune.

Posted 7/26/2007