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Chamber Calendar

This MOnth's Calendar SPonsored By:



TRY THE NEW GOOGLE CHAMBER CALENDAR
See what the Chamber is Planning for You!! 
(FIRST Click on the link above, THEN click agenda tab, it's cool!)

Chamber Calendar  

Monday, March  15
7:30 a.m. Legislative Affairs Committee
with Representative Tammy Irons
Sponsored by Buffaloe Billing & Medical Solutions

9:00 a.m. Chamber hosts Bradley Byrne
Open to Chamber Membership, space is limited
Please call 764-4661

Wednesday, March 17th
11:30 a.m
.- SCBED.
Quarterly Ambassadors Luncheon, sponsored by
Judge Carole Coil Medley. 

Thursday, March 18
Annual Banquet
5:30 Reception / 6:30 Dinner
 

Friday, March 19
Shoals Career Days – Focus on Your Future!  
Shoals Area High School (11th graders) Career Fair & Job Skills Seminars at 
CrossPoint Church of Christ ( Florence ) Exhibitor 


MARK YOUR CALENDAR

MONDAY, MARCH 22
Senator Richard Shelby
7:30 a.m. Breakfast
Marriott Shoals Conference Center
GOLD SPONSOR:
Marriot Shoals Conference Center
SILVER SPONSOR:

Timothy K. Corley, PC
CORPORATE SPONSORS:
Family Ford / First Southern Bank
 
Print to order Tickets


TUESDAY,  APRIL 6

Congressman Parker Griffith
7:30 a.m. Breakfast
Marriott Shoals Conference Center
GOLD SPONSOR:
Marriot Shoals Conference Center
CORPORATE SPONSOR:
University of North Alabama
 
Print to order Tickets


WHAT IS YOUR CHAMBER 
STAFF WORKING ON???

· Leadership Shoals traveled to Montgomery to meet with Local Delegates, Dr. David Bronner,
and Ms. Donnie Ingram from ADECA regarding the US Census 2010.
 

· Legislative Affairs Committee preparing for Senator Shelby,  Congressman Griffith, and holding Weekly Breakfasts for Shoals Legislative delegation.  

  • KTSB awards ceremony, held Friday, March 12th presented certificates to over 50 businesses and
    individuals for supporting and partnering with Keep the Shoals Beautiful! Thank you all!

· ANNUAL MEETING!!


DID YOU KNOW????

The Chamber has a Job Board that is
FREE to Members? 
You can post a job at
www.shoalschamber.com/shoalsjobs. 
All you need is your member number!
Call 764-4661 if you need assistance.
 
You can find members,  and send e-mails
to groups of contacts through our website
.
This is a new feature with our updated software. Click HERE and follow 
the instructions. You can e-mail yourself a list,  or send a request 
out to a group of members all at the same time.
If you have any trouble, 
call  Barbara @ 764-4661

Shoals Chamber has signed up for Twitter!
If you would like to follow us,  or receive tweets,  http://twitter.com/ShoalsChamber
We will begin sending tweets as soon as we get some followers!

Auto Owners Insurance is discounted if you are a Chamber member.
If you have an Auto Owners insurance policy on your business, your vehicle or your home 
you are entitled to a discount if you are a member of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce.  
And since your employees are members of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce ask your agents 
about their policies.


UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS...       

Monday, March 22, Senator Richard Shelby—7:30 a.m. Breakfast, Marriott Shoals Conference Center,
GOLD Sponsor—Marriott / Silver Sponsor: Timothy K. Corley, PC /
Corporate Sponsors: Family Ford and First Southern Bank
Call 764-4661  for Tickets and Table reservations


CHANGE OF DATE!!
Tuesday, March 30
, / 11:00 a.m.   Ribbon Cutting for Southern Bar-B-Que—3111 Huntsville Road 

Tuesday, April 6, 2010, Congressman Parker Griffith  will be in the Shoals, and the Chamber will host a Chamber Breakfast.  Watch your e-mail for a stand alone invitation or go HERE for Flyer.

Wednesday, April 7,  Family Security Credit Union, 530 W. Avalon Avenue, MSC will have their GRAND OPENING from 10:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.  We will have a ribbon cutting at 11:00 a.m.


 

If you would like to Sponsor a Networking Breakfast at your business,
there are opportunities for March, April and May.
Please Call Bob Himber for Details, and information  764-4661

See our new Ambassadors Web page highlighting our GREAT volunteers.
Shoals Chamber Web Site 

Also,  check out the new features of our membership search database. 
We have recently had a software upgrade,  and ALL information is on the web in real time. 
Any updates made through the software are automatically made to your data in our database.
We will be sending more information out soon  and hope to make lots of features
available on-line!  Including Referrals! You can get lists of members, right from the web site!!
Click on the company clip board,  it will add a number on the general clipboard, then when you are through,  click on the general clipboard,  and you can e-mail the list to yourself!! 
Call Barbara if you have any trouble.  This is new to us too,  and we are still figuring it out!!!
 
 


Upcoming Member Events.......... 

Saturday March 13, Shoals Christian School is having an ULTIMATE TAILGATING  Fundraiser, Featuring Jeremiah Castile, University  of Alabama , Tampa Bay Bucs, and Denver Broncos / & Joe Cribbs, Auburn University, Buffalo Bills, and San Francisco 49ers.  Click HERE for Details and Sponsorships.

April 22nd and 23rdThe Lauderdale County Children’s Policy Council is hosting a circus for our spring fundraiser.  The circus is the famous Carson and Barnes Circus—with real elephants, clowns, motorcycle tricks, and trapeze artists.  This will be our second time to host the circus.  It is a great family event.  Tickets can be purchased by any member of the Lauderdale County Children’s Policy Council or by calling 256-246-1473 or 256-760-5849 


MEMBER NEWS You Can Use....& Congratulations

Billy Reid has been named the winner of GQ and CFDA’s Best New American Menswear Designer Award for 2010. With this win comes the opportunity to craft a limited edition Levi’s collection for Bloomingdale’s. Congratulations Billy!!! 

Mary Kay / Joan Ragas invites you to recognize the people who make you look good!  Mary Kay offers a special for Administrative Professionals Day,  April 21.  Joan has generously agreed to donate 5% of your retail purchase to the Shoals Area Chamber Foundation. See Flyer HERE.


Shoals Career Days – Focus on Your Future!  

EMPLOYERS / HR  FOLKS - MARK  YOUR  CALENDAR and plan to participate!!   YOUR  FUTURE  WORKFORCE  NEEDS  TO  TALK  TO  YOU!!   They need to know what you expect of them as employees and what education and training is needed to work for you & your organization.  

Friday, March 19 Shoals Area High School (11th graders) Career Fair & Job Skills Seminars – at CrossPoint Church of Christ ( Florence )

·                    These students will be YOUR  EMPLOYEES in a year or two… or a few! 

·                    Please participate in this event and help them better understand what will be expected of them and what continued education and training they need for their future careers and to make them more employable. 

·                    There is no cost to have a booth - just come talk to the kids!!  

The High School Career Fair & Job Skills Seminars is for all Shoals area 11th graders (~1,100 invited). 

  • This event needs to include all types of Employer booths to discuss career options & educational pathways with students. 
  • Higher Ed. & Training Providers are also welcome to have booths to help the students make the connections between education, training and careers. 
  • The students also attend a Job Skills Seminar, led by business volunteers, to discuss job search, resume writing, interview skills, appropriate / professional dress, work ethic, etc.    [If you are interested in being a speaker for this part of the event, please let me know.]

Exhibitor  REGISTRATION  NOW  OPEN
CLICK  HERE
to register for the High School (11th Grade) Career Fair, March 19! 

[Or paste this link into your web browser:  http://www.shoalschambersurvey.com/survey/q.asp?sid=21&k=yumujgtnhc]  

THANK  YOU to our sponsors and partners:  Presenting – Northwest-Shoals Community College; Transportation – State Rep.s Tammy Irons & Mike Curtis; Silver – Listerhill Credit Union; Food – Bigbee Steel Buildings

 MORE  INFO…  

The High School Career Fair & Job Skills Seminar is for all Shoals area 11th graders (~1,100 invited).  This event includes all types of Employer booths to discuss career options & educational pathways with students.  The students also attend a Job Skills Seminar, led by business volunteers, to discuss job search, resume writing, interview skills, appropriate / professional dress, work ethic, etc.  

The Middle School Career Fair & Reality Check is for all Shoals area 8th graders (~1,800 invited).  This event also includes all types of Employer booths to discuss career options & educational pathways with students, as well as the extremely eye-opening Reality Check program, which is a personal budgeting exercise. 

Reality Check is a simulated society in which the students must spend their income for a month on the products and services we all need in life.  R.C. shows the connection between their efforts in school, the type of job they could get according to those efforts, the est. income from that job, family situation (married / single, kids / no kids / several kids), and what quality of life / lifestyle they can expect from that income & family situation.  They must go to each booth [i.e. housing, transportation, utilities, groceries / supplies, childcare, insurance, bank, entertainment, “deck of chance” (a.k.a. life happens & may costs more money), second job (which they have to get more childcare for), back to school (which they must pay for), etc.].  At each booth they are given choices on which they may spend their money, such as, at that Transportation booth – a used compact car, an SUV, a sports car, a Hummer.      

Middle School Career Fair is also scheduled …  

Friday, April 30 – Shoals Middle School (8th graders) Career Fair & Reality Check Program – at Florence Middle School & Freshman Center

    • Did you know that students make their high school class plan in 8th grade?  So in 8th grade, they need information about career options & the education & training needed to reach those goals, to make their class decisions wisely.  Please participate in this event and help them better understand what will be expected of them and what classes will help them in their future careers. 

FYI … A separate exhibitor registration will be sent later for the Middle School Career Fair.  

 

CHOICES®  

CHOICES® is available to all Colbert & Lauderdale public schools’ and Chamber-member private schools’ 8th graders and is presented from Jan. – March annually by trained business & community volunteers.  (Training takes place each fall.)  

CHOICES® focuses on using SELF-DISCIPLINE to make good decisions in education, character, time & money management … life, so the students will see that they will have MORE choices in their future, because they have not limited themselves by making bad decisions.  Find out more about CHOICES® at www.choices.org.     

THANK  YOU to our CHOICES® sponsors and partners:  Presenting – NW-SCC; Gold – Wachovia Foundation & Sara Lee Foods; Silver – Marriott-Shoals Hotel & Spa; Patron – Sylvan Learning Center & Buffaloe Billing & Medical Solutions; and Partner - Shoals Chapter SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management).

FREE  Monthly – U. S. Chamber - Workforce Conference Call  

MARK   YOUR   CALENDAR…  

Second Wednesday of Each Month, 12 noon – 1 p.m.

            U. S. Chamber / ICW Free Monthly Conference Call

            Dial-in # (866) 238-1665

 

Dec. ‘09 Unemployment Data

·                       Florence MSA:  11.0% (up from  7.2% in Nov. ‘08)

·                       Alabama :  10.6% (up from 6.5% in Nov. ’08)

·                       U.S. :  9.7% (up from 7.1% in Nov. ’08) 

CLICK  HERE to view the Alabama Comprehensive Labor Market Information System (ACLMIS) monthly newsletter.

 

 Teacher Supply Depot  

Please continue to keep the Teacher Supply Depot in mind, as you upgrade and clean out throughout the year, for any TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donations of used or new office & school supplies, equipment, desk accessories, office furniture or storage, or cash to purchase new schools supplies.   We collect donations YEAR-ROUND and open twice a year, in late August and early January.  

With proration at 17+%, classroom supply funds were cut out of most school systems’ budgets.  Our educators can really use your help!   

THANK  YOU to our sponsors & partners:  Presenting - Wachovia Foundation, Gold – Wachovia Foundation, Sheffield City Schools & Printers & Stationers (PSI); Silver - ICS, Wachovia Foundation, Wal-Mart – Muscle Shoals, Lauderdale County Schools; Partner – Listerhill Credit Union.