The Pareto Principal. You’ve heard the 80/20 rule. Are 80 percent of road traffic accidents caused by 20 percent of drivers, or do 80 percent of results come from 20 percent of the efforts? Are 80 percent of the people involved in 20 percent of the roles? While not an exact science, you can look around our various communities at the things being done and see many of the same people involved. One of the reasons for the by-standing we have heard from those not yet involved is because they are unaware of how to become involved. Here at the Newberry County Chamber of Commerce, our vision is to create a community where every citizen, individual and corporate, can reach their full potential and become a positive contributor to Newberry’s economic well-being and quality of life. In order to do that, we strongly believe in collaboration with those with similar outlooks. The more people who work together to reach the same goals, the quicker and easier it is to reach the intended outcome.
Along with the Newberry Opera House, we will host “Newberry On Board” during the summer. It will be a workshop intended to further educate those already in leadership roles on boards, associations, and commissions and to introduce others to the roles and responsibilities of such positions. We welcome you to join us on May 17 from 5-6:30 p.m. in the Newberry Opera House lobby to learn more about this effort to educate the public on good governance and best practices.
The Newberry County Young Professionals are also having discussions on how to be involved through their Civic Engagement Gatherings. They meet informally at Half Full on the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. to discuss topics such as Causes and Targeted Action, Civic Engagement as a Life Skill, Civic Engagement as a Leadership Skill, and Civic Engagement as a Professional Skill. We urge you to come out and get involved in your community.
Save the date for Business After Hours on May 24 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the Newberry Firehouse Conference Center. Mosquito Authority is sponsoring this networking event, so come out and meet the folks who can help you with those pesky flies.
Although June sounds distant, we are planning for our second year of participation in the SC Ag+Art Tour. The Tour through Newberry County has been scheduled for June 23 and 24, along with our neighbors Union and Spartanburg. We have also set the date for the Farm to Table Dinner for June 21 at The PD Johnson Farm in Newberry. We are currently taking sponsorships for this event, so definitely look for more information on this event that celebrates our agriculture and local artisans.
We are also taking vendor applications for the Grow Newberry Farmers Market. It will be held each Saturday from 9-11:30 a.m. in Memorial Park in downtown Newberry.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, where we share events and news that we think you will enjoy and from which you will benefit. We also email a weekly newsletter where you can glean important chamber, business, and community events and offerings. Contact us, or visit our website NewberryCountyChamber.com, if you would like to be a recipient.
We welcome you to visit us on the first floor of Community Hall in downtown Newberry, located at 1209 Caldwell Street. You may also contact us at 803-276-4274 or chamber@newberrycounty.org.
