Submitted by

Rita Larson, secretary

The October Starbuck Area chamber of Commerce meeting attendance included 5 board members and 4 visitors.

Discussion started with reviewing our creative Dragon Boat committee’s special Bingo Night to sponsor next year’s races, the 15th Annual Starbuck Dragon Boat Races!  The first of these fun game nights found the well-known game using songs from the 80s and 90s as clues instead of the regular number/letter combo we’re used to.  The first of 4 evenings was a full house crowd in the Starbuck VFW community room.  There was lots of energy, laughs and typical competition!  Please come join them next time on Friday, Nov. 3rd when the musical style will be country.  What a fun way to sponsor this upcoming event.

We celebrated four new businesses with 1st Dollar presentations being covered in the Tribune.  How great is it to welcome these new businesses and look forward to a few more in the works?  Nothing is more exciting than NEW!  From the tailor Motel’s sewing machine in “Fiddler on the Roof”, to the new baby in your family, to the new babes in business in downtown Starbuck, MN.  Thanks to all of you for choosing our town to pour your talents, time, and investment in to.

Karen, our wonderful president, and Kevin will be working this month on job descriptions for the different chamber directors and board members duties.  Much discussion ensued as there is a fine line between providing a clear explanation of the expectations of a role without scaring volunteers off.  Yikes.

Roger Aaberg attended as a visitor and offered to help us edit our dated website, in terms of information and sharing some of their great photos with us.  His offer to write updated and correct information was very appreciated.  (Roger, we were gleeful after you left!)  The board fully acknowledges that our website needs major work, and although we’ve tried to make some changes, it’s been too little and too late.  As we’ve mentioned month after month, and you well know, websites are how marketing and advertising is done now, it’s so important.  Not only are visitors choosing their destinations for vacations via websites, but so are new businesses and new residents.  We’re grateful Roger has volunteered to help.

We also brainstormed ideas to draw attention and give thanks to our current chamber members.  We have some plans!  Along with that, of course, is the constant need for more board members.  We accepted the resignation of the lovely Brooke Christensen as the Starbuck Funeral Home is short-staffed and they are needed on call too often for her to commit to the board meetings right now.   We know many of you love this community of Starbuck, and if you feel so inclined to support it, please join our band of fun-loving board members!  Visit a meeting (they’re the third Tues. of the month at 6 p.m.) and see what you think about joining us.  

We confirmed and discussed many upcoming events including the Christmas Extravaganza on Oct. 28, candy handouts the afternoon of Oct. 31 from our office, the lighted parade coming on Nov. 25, and two more Bingo nights for the Dragon Boat sponsorship on Nov. 11 and Dec. 2.  Fall is fun in Starbuck, Minn.