Editorial: 2017: A perfect time to join chamber

This edition of the Whitehall Ledger features a couple of year-end stories that are a great way to take a quick glance back at 2016.

It’s a bit of a daunting task going through the first 51 issues of the Ledger, but at the same time is worthwhile to be reminded of some of the amazing people who work and live here.

While the area does not have a large population, there are certainly quite a few events throughout the year. Some of the bigger events include Frontier Days, the Christmas Stroll, and the Black Tie/Blue Jeans fundraiser. The common theme with the three events --- they are organized by the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce. The amount of work members do for these events is unreal. Without their hard work these events would not happen. There are hundreds of hours of preparation for sometimes just one day or evening.

With the year nearing an end, the chamber is currently in the process of getting existing members to renew, as well as finding new members. Last year there were 95 members, just five away from the elusive triple figures.

It would be great if the number could increase to at least 100, and maybe more.

Every new business or individual member is one more person who can become involved for the betterment of the community. There are certainly the big events that take place, but they also try to work on bringing tourists to town and encourage residents to shop local. With a higher number of people involved, more can get accomplished. I encourage anyone interested in possibly joining the chamber to give it a shot. One great thing about new members is they may have new ideas or different ways of looking at things. That can be a real benefit to an organization like the chamber.

I’ve always been an advocate for chambers and any organization that wants to better or showcase the community. This is what the chamber does.

JHS