It’s encouraging to see the progress made by the Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce in the last year, typified by the mixer held at Santiam Feed and Garden Center on Wednesday, June 21.
Some chamber mixers tend to be the stereotypical press-the-flesh and see-and-be-seen affairs that kind of leave you wondering whether you would have gone if you didn’t need to be seen. Others are genuinely friendly events, in which the host business puts on its best face and in which people get to know one another better, talking politics or kids sports or even business.
Business is a challenge anywhere and it can be particularly so in a community that is largely bedroom, without a lot of local jobs. Our chamber is a necessary part of the process of developing Sweet Home. The chamber needs to be a focal point for the local business community, providing encouragement and support to those who need such, and helping to provide our community with a vision for the future. It takes people to do this and that’s why involved members are vital to a chamber. In the end, it has to be a cooperative effort no matter how great the executive director and board are at their jobs.
This mixer was a great event in a fine setting – the garden area of Garry and Cathy Burks’ shop. Representatives of a couple dozen area organizations or businesses were there to enjoy some hot dogs and root beer floats, served up by Josh and Patty Hankins of A&W, and other finger foods. People enjoyed themselves and that’s what mixers really should be all about – getting to know one another better and having a good time. It’s usually easier to do business with someone if you have a friendly relationship with them.
Master gardener Bonnie White was there as a guest of Sweet Home Sanitation. CenturyTel contributed to help put the event on. There was even a massage practitioner available to help ease the tension. There wasn’t very much tension, though.
Chamber Executive Director Carla Claasen said she didn’t even give away as many door prizes as she’d planned because everybody was having such a good time that she didn’t want to interrupt.
The point is, that kind of interaction is healthy and we applaud Claasen and the chamber board for making this happen.