Keene
Texas
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Keene Chamber of Commerce
History :
According to minutes from the Chamber archives, 25 citizens met at the Keene Diner on July 1, 1993, to discuss forming a chamber of commerce.
At that meeting, Star Group publisher James Moody, advertising director Cathy Smith, and Randy Scoggins, who later became the first editor of the Keene Reporter, now the Keene Star, were in attendance to talk about starting a newspaper in Keene. "Concern was expressed that the content of the paper be positive," the minutes said.
According to the minutes, the First State Bank, Keene, committed to $100 per week in advertising for the first six months, as did Tomblinson Realty. Both turned into longterm committments. Duane Barnes was the first subscriber.
Meanwhile, the group decided to extend charter membership in the Chamber to all individuals and businesses who applied through September 1993. Dr. Brady Rusk and Bob Mendenhall, acting on behalf of radio station KJCR, were the first to apply for membership.
Besides the trio representing the newspaper, Barnes, Mendenhall, and Rusk, others in attendance at that historic meeting included: Ivan Allen, Peter Bennis, Rebecca Bolinger, Ginger Dickens, Eveline Gilley, Janet Goodman, Angie Hadley, Barbara Hainey, Betty Harrell, Larry Moore, Tony Muse, Ray Nichols, Yddo Ortiz, Martin Read, Jenell Rusk, the late V.O. Schneider, Wanda Smith, Dolly Spells-Chastain, and Carolyn Jo Wear.
On July 7, 1993, the Chamber organizers met again and set membership fees at $25 (for individual, couple, or business with 1-5 employees), $50 (businesses with 6-12 employees), and $100 (businesses with 13 and more employees).
According to the Chamber minutes, the membership decided that the first board would serve the remainder of 1993 and all of 1994. Elected to the first Chamber board were: Peter Bennis, Brenda Denison, Bob Mendenhall, Susan Meyer, Brady Rusk, Randy Scoggins, Wanda Smith, Eldon Spady, and Carolyn Jo Wear.
That board chose its officers and elected Bennis as president, Rusk as president-elect, and Denison as treasurer.
By Aug. 12, 1993, according to the minutes, the Chamber had 13 paid members. That grew to 19 two weeks later, and on Sept. 9, when the Keene City Council voted to allot $1,000 to the Chamber, membership was at 27. By the end of September, a total of 30 businesses had joined and qualified as charter members.
According to minutes from the Chamber archives, 25 citizens met at the Keene Diner on July 1, 1993, to discuss forming a chamber of commerce.
At that meeting, Star Group publisher James Moody, advertising director Cathy Smith, and Randy Scoggins, who later became the first editor of the Keene Reporter, now the Keene Star, were in attendance to talk about starting a newspaper in Keene. "Concern was expressed that the content of the paper be positive," the minutes said.
According to the minutes, the First State Bank, Keene, committed to $100 per week in advertising for the first six months, as did Tomblinson Realty. Both turned into longterm committments. Duane Barnes was the first subscriber.
Meanwhile, the group decided to extend charter membership in the Chamber to all individuals and businesses who applied through September 1993. Dr. Brady Rusk and Bob Mendenhall, acting on behalf of radio station KJCR, were the first to apply for membership.
Besides the trio representing the newspaper, Barnes, Mendenhall, and Rusk, others in attendance at that historic meeting included: Ivan Allen, Peter Bennis, Rebecca Bolinger, Ginger Dickens, Eveline Gilley, Janet Goodman, Angie Hadley, Barbara Hainey, Betty Harrell, Larry Moore, Tony Muse, Ray Nichols, Yddo Ortiz, Martin Read, Jenell Rusk, the late V.O. Schneider, Wanda Smith, Dolly Spells-Chastain, and Carolyn Jo Wear.
On July 7, 1993, the Chamber organizers met again and set membership fees at $25 (for individual, couple, or business with 1-5 employees), $50 (businesses with 6-12 employees), and $100 (businesses with 13 and more employees).
According to the Chamber minutes, the membership decided that the first board would serve the remainder of 1993 and all of 1994. Elected to the first Chamber board were: Peter Bennis, Brenda Denison, Bob Mendenhall, Susan Meyer, Brady Rusk, Randy Scoggins, Wanda Smith, Eldon Spady, and Carolyn Jo Wear.
That board chose its officers and elected Bennis as president, Rusk as president-elect, and Denison as treasurer.
By Aug. 12, 1993, according to the minutes, the Chamber had 13 paid members. That grew to 19 two weeks later, and on Sept. 9, when the Keene City Council voted to allot $1,000 to the Chamber, membership was at 27. By the end of September, a total of 30 businesses had joined and qualified as charter members.