Get involved
This town runs on people who show up.
The street dance in June. The lights going up in December. A Friday evening in October when Main Street fills with kids in costumes. None of it happens on its own, and every one of them began the same way: somebody raised it at a Chamber meeting, and a group of people decided to make it real. There is room at that table, and we would like it to be you.
What the board actually does
Working for our members and our town.
The board is here to make the Chamber worth it for the businesses that belong to it and for the community they serve: promoting our members, hosting business-to-business events where owners connect and learn, planning the events that bring people downtown, and speaking up for local business. Our by-laws set the board at five to seven directors and we are currently at five, so there is genuine room at the table. Bring an idea on a Thursday evening and it can be helping Main Street by summer.
And it is all on the record. Agendas go out a week before each meeting and approved minutes are published right here.
Read our agendas and minutes- Plan the events that bring the community together, from Quarry Days to Downtown Trick-or-Treat to Christmas in the Dells
- Build business-to-business events where members connect, learn from each other and grow
- Speak up for local business when the City is making decisions
- Welcome new businesses to town and cut the ribbon with them
- Help host the annual banquet, the one night the whole business community is in the same room
Why people say yes
What you get out of it.
Nobody joins a chamber board for the title. Here is what directors actually get out of the seat.
You stop waiting on somebody else
If you have ever looked at something in town and thought it could be done better, this is the room where that gets decided. On a board this small, being the change is less of a slogan and more of a job description.
Giving back where you can see it
The work lands two blocks from your house. A street full of kids in costumes, a lit-up December weekend, a parade your own family stands on the curb for.
Good company
It is one evening a month with people who like this town and like getting things done. Plenty of directors come for the cause and stay for the company.
You get to know the place
You learn who runs what, who to call, and what is coming before it is public. That is useful long after your term is up.
Your own business gets seen
You are sitting with the people who book the sponsors, run the events and welcome new businesses to town. Showing up is its own kind of advertising.
What we are looking for
Mostly, someone who cares about this town.
We are not looking for a particular job title or a list of credentials. We are looking for people who will show up, say what they think, and follow through on the thing they said they would do.
Fresh eyes
If you are newer to Dell Rapids, or you have never served on a board before, that is a reason to ask, not a reason to hold back.
Something you are good at
Numbers, social media, photography, wrangling volunteers, talking to sponsors. Bring the part you actually enjoy.
An opinion
Quiet agreement does not improve an event. We would rather hear that something is not working.
Follow through
The board only works because people do the thing between meetings. That matters more than experience.
What it asks of you
Honest about the time.
One evening a month
The board meets on the second Thursday, 6:30 to 8:00 PM, at the Chamber office on East 4th Street. Directors are asked to make at least eight meetings a year.
A hand at events
Most directors pitch in at a couple of Chamber events a year. You pick the ones that suit you.
A say in the year ahead
Directors are elected by the membership at the Chamber’s annual meeting each spring.
Interested?
Tell us you are thinking about it.
You are not signing up for anything. Send us a note and we will tell you what the year really looks like, answer your questions, and let you know when the next seat opens up.
Email the Chamberoffice@dellrapidschamber.com