This week at the Chamber:
Monday, January 23rd
Deadline for Banquet RSVP's
Thursday, January 26th
9:30 a.m. - Chamber Coffee hosted by Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball @ Chamber
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This week in our area:
Monday, January 23rd
7 p.m. - Clara Barton Foundation Annual Meeting
7 p.m. - City Council Meeting
Friday, January 27th
5:30 p.m. - Hamburger Night @ the American Legion
Saturday, January 28th
5:30 p.m. - Chicken Fry Steak Night @ the American Legion
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| Rescheduled Banquet - Check your RSVPs! |
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Since we had to postpone the banquet to the 28th of January, we are reaching out to everyone who RSVP'd to make sure you can still attend.
If you RSVP'd to the original date and now are unable to attend on the 28th, PAID OR NOT, please let us know by Monday the 23rd. We need to have a correct count for the caterer.
We will gladly issue refunds to anyone who paid but cannot attend on the new date. Please let us know by TUESDAY (TOMORROW!) MORNING!
And some good news!
If you CAN make this date and couldn't make the original date, you can still RSVP (smothered steak or fried chicken) until next Monday, January 23rd!
Call 620-653-4311 with any RSVP's, cancellations or questions.
Come enjoy a delicious catered meal of smothered steak or fried chicken as we join the entire Hoisington area business community in celebrating another successful year at the Chamber. The Chamber Ambassadors are very honored to present seven Community Awards this year, and are excited to show off the video bios of each winner that the HHS video productions class helped produce.
Tickets are $30. Please RSVP at the Chamber by Monday, January 23rd at 4 p.m.
And guests 21 and over can participate in our first ever wine pull! Donate to pick a numbered wine cork and receive a surprise bottle of wine!
We have nearly 30 bottles donated! Lots of good stuff here!
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Business Workforce Roundtable
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The Great Bend and Hoisington Chambers
Co-Present...
Are you a business owner or an HR professional? Do you have employees?
If the answer to either of these questions was YES, then you will greatly benefit from our Human Resources / Small Business Roundtables, which take place four times per year on the last Tuesdays of January, April, July, and October. We've revamped the format of these networking luncheons in 2017 to encourage conversation, questions, and sharing of "best practices." Sign up to join us for the first event in the new year!
PLEASE JOIN US!
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You're Invited - Workforce Services Roundtable Luncheon
Tuesday, January 31st @ 11:30 a.m.
"Kansas WorkforceONE Employer Services"
Presented by Tucky Allen, Business Services Director
The Page Banquet Room
2920 10th Street in Great Bend, KS
Registration: $20 Per Person
Did you know there are services available to Kansas Businesses to support and underwrite partial costs of recruiting, on-the-job training, customized training, and more? In this presentation, Tucky Allen with Kansas WorkforceONE will provide a thorough overview as well as handouts for future reference.
Also Mark your Calendars for Other Upcoming Luncheons:
- Tuesday, April 25th @ 11:30 a.m. - Can you afford to NOT have work comp insurance?
- Tuesday, July 25th @ 11:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, October 31 @ 11:30 a.m.
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United Way of Central Kansas
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New Philanthropic Group Launching in Barton County
A new philanthropic group is building momentum for a Kick-Off Event in a couple weeks. The initiative is known as "100 People Who Care of Barton County" and is being modeled after similar membership groups all over the country. It's not a new nonprofit organization, but rather a platform for local charities to reach new people and raise over $10,000 in one hour.
Members of the new group will gather four times per year to hear from local charities, and then vote on which one they want to earn the donations for that quarter. Whichever charity wins the majority vote receives a $100 donation from each of the 100+ members, which totals $10,000 (or maybe more)! A special Kick-Off is being planned for Tuesday, January 24th at 5:30 p.m. in the Best Western Courtyard so that potential donors and nonprofit organizations can come learn about the process.
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Local Emergency Planning Committee Meeting
To be held January 24, 2017
Contact: Amy Miller, Emergency Management Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Barton County Local Emergency Planning Committee will meet on January 24, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. at the Barton County Courthouse. The agenda will include a discussion on Severe Weather Awareness Week 2017, election of 2017 Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, and reports from members.
The main function of the Barton County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is to establish and maintain a Hazardous Materials Plan, conduct exercises of the plan and serve as the contact for the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Program, often referred to as SARA Title III. The Barton County LEPC is comprised of representatives from the following groups: elected official; first responders; hospital; community service/civic group; law enforcement; health/medicine/ transportation; fire fighting; environment; communications media; and facilities/industries regulated by SARA Title III.
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5 Ways to a Better Bedtime Routine
What does your bedtime routine have to do with the success of your business? Plenty. Every time you use everything you have on a given day and you're exhausted beyond belief, and then you short yourself essential sleep, you're borrowing from tomorrow's success. It's impossible to give tomorrow your all when you're exhausted, so establishing a healthy bedtime routine is essential to the health of your business. Here's how you can do it:
Know Yourself
I'm going to go against today's push led by Arianna Huffington and the early to bed, "sleep eight hours" army. You must listen to your body in order to establish a better bedtime routine. Some people need 9-10 hours of sleep. Winston Churchill preferred a biphasic sleep where he slept for a few hours each night (usually from 3 am to 8 am) and again in the afternoon for two hours. Thomas Edison saw sleep as a waste of time and practiced a polyphasic sleep schedule sleeping for 30 minutes to an hour every four to five hours. Leonardo Da Vinci did the same. Figure out what makes you feel most rested and commit to that type of
sleep schedule.
Kill the Electronics
Most sleep gurus will tell you that you need at least one hour before bed that is electronic free. This is because of the
blue light stimulating your brain and disturbing sleep. Again, the electronics ban is something that is largely personal. Does checking your emails before bed cause you anxiety or does it allow you to feel more in control of what you're facing tomorrow morning? Are you a light sleeper who is disturbed if someone sighs next to you or can you sleep with a freight train in your home? It's important to note, the light from a train is incredibly disturbing, a lot more than a cell phone, although I haven't seen the studies. But if you're having issues falling asleep or staying asleep, try instituting the electronics ban an hour before bed and charge those electronics somewhere outside of your bedroom.
Do Something You Enjoy
Instead of using electronics right before bed, do a quiet activity you enjoy. You can read, meditate, work on word puzzles, take a hot bath, snuggle with your kids or a hundred other activities that can help signify to your brain that the day is ending. Some business owners prefer to review their day, congratulating themselves on their wins and putting together a new game plan to conquer their challenges. But don't let this daily review cause you anxiety. If it does, turn it back to celebrating the good things that happened and enjoy the feeling of being grateful for what you and your team accomplished.
By doing the same activity every night, your mind will begin to understand what the activity signals - impending sleep. Psychologists tell you to establish a sleep routine for your child. The consistency and predictability are relaxing. It works that way for adults too.
Think Happy Thoughts
Nothing kills sleep faster than anxiety and reviewing all the things that went wrong in the day or everything you have to do tomorrow. Stop it. Instead, practice mental control. If an anxious thought comes into your head, envision yourself holding it in your hand and then blowing it away like a dandelion seed. Then think about something that brings you great joy and only think about the joy aspect. For instance, your children may bring you joy and you may start thinking about them but then your thoughts quickly erode into how angry they made you today or how you let them down as a parent.
If you need to, "transport" you and your children to a happier place, like a family vacation that hasn't occurred yet. Your happy place doesn't have to be real. Your focus is on the happiness so whatever brings you that can set your mind at ease enough to gently drift away to sleep.
Try Music
This is another personal suggestion as some people find music very distracting when trying to sleep. But there are sites like
Brain.fm (and music sites like Amazon) that play sounds, not traditional music. These "songs" are created by artificial intelligence with the insights of auditory neurologists. They're designed to induce deep relaxation in about fifteen minutes.
Final Words on Getting Some Rest
The quest for sleep is one that eludes many successful business people, but it's extremely critical to your abilities to running a successful venture. A lack of sleep can severely impair your problem solving and
decision-making capabilities.
The key to establishing a better bedtime routine is to do what works for you. If eight hours of sleep leaves you feeling groggy, try other sleep schedules until you find one where you feel refreshed. Use sounds or a fixed bedtime routine/activity to signify to your mind that it's time for rest. Finally, if none of this is working get a professional opinion. You could have a life-threatening condition called sleep apnea or extreme anxiety, which could be contributing to your inability to find sleep and stay asleep.
Finding a sleep solution is critical to your success in business. Stop borrowing energy from tomorrow. Create what you need today.
Christina R. Green
teaches small businesses, chambers, and associations how to connect through content. Her articles have appeared in the Midwest Society of Association Executives' Magazine, NTEN.org, AssociationTech, and Socialfish. She is a regular blogger at
Frankjkenny.com
and the Event Manager Blog.
She's a bookish writer on a quest to bring great storytelling to organizations everywhere.
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Christina R. Green teaches small businesses, chambers, and associations how to connect through content. Her articles have appeared in the Midwest Society of Association Executives' Magazine, NTEN.org, AssociationTech, and Socialfish. She is a regular blogger at Frankjkenny.com and the Event Manager Blog.
She's a bookish writer on a quest to bring great storytelling to organizations everywhere.
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Sign Up to Volunteer
at the BCYP Literacy Kit Workday
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Barton County Young Professionals will host its next service project on Saturday,
January 28th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in partnership with
United Way of Central Kansas
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Volunteers will gather in the Spray-Holt Family Board Room at the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce (1125 Williams), to assemble literacy kits for pre-K students who participate in Kindergarten Round-up in the spring. The goal is to help preschool students be more prepared for Kindergarten in Barton and Pawnee counties.
Each kit will contain a Curious George book, crayons, alphabet and number flash cards, and more. BCYP members are asked to come by for an hour or two to help cut out flash cards and assemble kits. A free lunch will be provided afterward by First Kansas Bank.
If you would like to sign up for this project, or our Charity Supply Drive coming up on March 4th, choose a shift using our online form.
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Join the BCYP Facebook Group:
Like the BCYP Facebook Page:
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Barton County Young Professionals
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In the interest of keeping the eBlasts and Newsletters manageable in size, the Job Opportunities from our investment members will be listed on our website under the "About Hoisington" link under "Employment".
TO SEE WHAT JOBS ARE AVAILABLE FROM OUR MEMBERS.
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Call for Content eBlasts and Newsletters
If you have exciting news that you would like to share in our monthly newsletter or weekly eBlasts with nearly 200 individuals in our business community, please send it to the Chamber office at hoisingtoncofc@embarqmail.com three business days prior to the 1st of the month.
If you would prefer to get a printed copy of the monthly newsletter, please let the office know.
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Hoisington Chamber of Commerce
123 N Main St
Hoisington, Kansas 67544
620-653-4311
hoisingtoncofc@embarqmail.com
Open Monday - Friday 9a.m. -12 p.m. & 1-4 p.m.
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