The present Higginsville Chamber of Commerce consists of 204 members and 12 directors who chair 9 committees. These men and women are elected by the membership and do their best to promote this city by the programs and events that are sponsored by the Chamber.
 The first minutes that we have for the Chamber of Commerce are from March of 1923. They indicate that at a meeting at the Citizen's Telephone Office, a motion was made to form an organization to be known as the Higginsville Chamber of Commerce. A committee was formed to solicit members and Mr. Vance, who owned the Arcade Hotel, promised to serve a meal to the first thirty who signed up for membership. In April of the same year, Mr. Vance made more than good on his word and served 27 members a meal at the hotel.
At that meeting, a president, A. H. Meinershagen, was elected by the entire membership. Directors were also elected that evening and a committee was set up to draft a constitution and by-laws. The group then decided to meet regularly at the hotel. Five committees were formed, there were: Agriculture, Civic, Commercial, Industrial and Transportation. Later, committees dealing with the Boy Scouts and Entertainment would be formed. Dues were set at $25.00. Dues now run from $50.00 for Friends of the Chamber to $300.00 for Professionals and National Retail Chains.
Interestingly enough, the first mention of the famous "Hand Sign" is in the minutes of a 1926 meeting. The Vocational Agricultural class at Higginsville High School volunteered to construct signs declaring Higginsville the "Seed Corn Capital of America".
The Higginsville Chamber of Commerce has been around for 81 years. Imagine…people, even then, were concerned about our community and worked hard at improving it. Remember…it's not necessary to be a business in order to be a Chamber member. We offer our "Friends of the Chamber" program, or as many call "Associate Member". This program is offered to individuals and non-profit groups who want to be involved, attend the luncheon meetings, banquet, "Before & After Hours", as well as receive the monthly newsletter. To be a Friend of the Chamber, you have only to pay a $50.00 annual membership fee.
Some of the Chamber benefits include:
Monthly Newsletter - To keep you up to date on current and upcoming events of the Chamber. This newsletter is compiled by the Chamber office staff, formatted by Rodger Purl and printed by Higginsville Printing (Larry Duvall).
Welcome to Higginsville Magazine - Inclusion in the magazine business directory, second to our website is our most important tool. The magazine is handed out and mailed by the Chamber office to every individual and business who inquires about our community. Many are taken to tourism sites as well as hotels and motels. Our full color edition of the "Welcome to Higginsville" magazine is available by calling the Chamber office. (660 584-3030)
Gift Certificate Program - Helps keep money in the community by promoting shopping at member only businesses. There were over $13000.00 worth of certificates issued through Thanksgiving and Christmas 2005. Many businesses reward their employees with Chamber Gift Certificates, not only at Christmas time.
Hello Higginsville - Orchestrated from various information sources, this program welcomes newcomers to our city. Businesses and organizations pay a $50.00 yearly fee to participate. The Chamber has items (coupons) on hand. We put all items into a canvas bag advertising Higginsville and then the bags are distributed to newcomers.
Christmas Ornaments - Each year we celebrate our worship centers. In chronological order, our churches are featured on a glass Christmas ornament. Ornaments sell for $12.50 each. These are collector's items. We have found that many people wish they had a complete collection.
Regional Round Table - Representatives from 12 other surrounding cities meet at what is known as the Regional Round Table. We are very fortunate that we are considered leaders and that the perception of Higginsville by the other chambers is very positive. We have the opportunity to share challenges and triumphs, what works and what does not.
Chamber Web Site - The Higginsville Chamber web site is a great marketing tool that showcases area businesses with photos, articles and a complete member directory. |
