** Member Spotlight **
Camp Hilltop
The Chamber shines this week's member spotlight on Camp Hilltop in Hancock!
Camp Hilltop, established in 1924, is a private/independent co-educational summer camp offering two to eight week sessions to campers ages six to sixteen. The camp is located two and a half hours from New York City on 600 acres of beautiful woodlands and fields with a private lake. Camp Hilltop offers more than 60 indoor and outdoor activities to meet the interests and skill levels of campers in a safe, nurturing, non-competitive and structured environment. These summer activities include water skiing, wakeboarding, trapeze, hiking, horses, climbing tower, high ropes, and a variety of sports, performing arts and arts and crafts. Our mature, skilled and caring staff provides superior supervision and instruction with a 4:1 camper to counselor ratio. Camp Hilltop's friendly, fun, positive and diverse community opens children up to the wondrous possibilities in their lives.
Camp Hilltop is located at 7825 County Highway 67, Hancock. To learn more about Camp Hilltop call 800.782.5319, find them online at camphilltop.com, or find them on Facebook.
Please support the small businesses that support our communities! #strongertogether
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Are You Interested in Joining the Chamber Board of Directors?
The Nominating Committee of the Chamber Board is seeking individuals interested in serving on the Chamber Board of Directors. Terms are a three-year period and begin on May 15.
To serve as a director, you must be a Delaware County Chamber of Commerce member and have a willingness to work collaboratively toward accomplishing the goals of the organization.
Self nominations are encouraged.
A ballot of all candidates will be distributed to active members by March 15. Certified results will be announced in April.
Email nominations to Seth Blocker, our current nominating committee chairperson, at sethblocker@gmail.com by March 1.
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BOCES and Chamber Offer Business Start-Up Series
DCMO BOCES and the Chamber have partnered to offer “4 Weeks to Launch” an intensive four-week workshop for those interested in launching a micro-enterprise or freelance business.
If you have a hobby that can be turned into a business; are retired and interested in starting a residual income business, prefer business ownership to working for someone else, or are someone who has a skill, passion or talent that could be turned into a part-time or sideline venture, this class is for you!
This hands-on program has a concentrated focus on developing a business plan and will provide a road map to business success, using Growth Wheel certified business coaching that will provide participants with access to comprehensive strategy tools to launch and manage their business start-up.
Classes are Tuesday and Thursday, from 6 - 8 pm, beginning - March 2, virtually and broadcast with live facilitation at the Chamber office at 5 ½ Main Street in Delhi.
Cost is $240 per participant, and includes all program materials plus a one-year membership in the Delaware County Chamber. Scholarships are available.
Registration required by Feb. 12. For more information contact Martha Ryan at DCMO BOCES at 607.335.1292 or visit dcmoboces.com.
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Third Thursday: Chamber Connects
Start your day with a productive and potentially profitable virtual learning opportunity! Stay current on what’s happening in Delaware County and the region, and learn how to effectively pivot toward a sustainable and thriving business model.
Our FREE monthly Third Thursday : Chamber Connects interactive, virtual
Q & A webinar on February 18 from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m., is a terrific opportunity to participate in a leader-led conversation focused on building a better business and better business climate!
The featured speaker for this event is New York State Senator Peter Oberacker, representing New York's 51st senate district - which includes most of Delaware County.
This event is sponsored by sfcu. sfcu is a full-service financial institution providing the tools and resources our members need to make banking easy and convenient. As a credit union, sfcu values members of our community. The sfcu mission is to offer superior service to members to empower the financial well-being of the community. Learn more at sfcuonline.org.
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Vintage Valentines
Chamber member Delaware County Historical Association in Delhi has teamed up with the Delhi Village Bicentennial Committee to offer Vintage Valentines through the first 14 days of February. Each kit will contain the supplies to make and mail two old-fashioned Valentine’s Day cards inspired by items from the museum’s collections, plus a little bit of candy. The kits are available at several retailers in the village of Delhi, including Main Street Cards and Gifts, Delhi Liquor, Delhi Paint and Paper, the Humane Society, Rachel’s Fine Art and Framing, Good Cheap Food, Cross Roads Cafe, Bagels ‘n Cream, and at DCHA on Route 10 (Open Monday through Friday from 10am-4pm, please call ahead to confirm.)
A $5 donation is suggested for each kit. Proceeds benefit the Delaware County Historical Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of Delaware County. For more information email dcha@delhi.net or call 607.746.3849.
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2021 Tourism Grant Funding Available
The Delaware County Tourism Advisory Board is now accepting applications for funding under the 2021 Tourism Promotion & Development Grant program.
This program will provide funding assistance to eligible applicants for projects that seek to attract visitors to Delaware County and enhance the overall tourism industry.
Applications must be received by the Delaware County Department of Economic Development or postmarked by 5 pm on Friday, February 19, 2021 (Emails will not be accepted).
The Tourism Promotion & Development Grant program is funded through revenues raised through the Delaware County Hotel Occupancy Tax.
Since 2017, funds raised through the occupancy tax have been utilized to support 163 projects that promote and increase tourism in Delaware County.
In 2021, there will be four categories of awards; Promotion/Marketing, Community Celebrations, Capital Improvements, and Arts & Culture.
Previously funded projects include: improving signage for hiking trails, renovations to historic properties, local and regional marketing activities, the development of promotional materials and support for artistic, cultural and community events that seek to attract visitors to Delaware County, and other projects seeking to grow the tourism industry.
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Chamber Check - In
Chamber staff have been hard at work for members this week! Upcoming events include a FREE virtual Third Thursday: Chamber Connects on February 18 from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m., where featured speaker NYS Senator Peter Oberacker will conduct a Q & A about business-interests in the upcoming legislative session. For more information and to register visit delawarecounty.org.
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Do You Have What It Takes To Be a Leader?
Leaderful Delaware, an initiative of the Chamber, is seeking people committed to community service who would benefit from strengthening leadership skills while developing a personal professional network.
The 2021 Leaderful Delaware program is currently accepting applications for its eight-month curriculum that begins with virtual classes in March 2021. Up to 20 individuals can participate and half-day sessions will meet virtually twice monthly.
Participants will learn about critical issues facing Delaware County and the Catskill Mountains region through lectures, discussion groups, personal introspection, and panel discussions featuring current community leaders. The innovative curriculum is based on scientific theories of organizational and community leadership. Leaderful Delaware offers an alternative to the traditional model and calls on leaders to be concurrent, collective, collaborative, and compassionate. Strategies include effective facilitation, dialogue skills, active listening skills, managing conflict, intercultural competence, leadership styles, and peer coaching.
Candidates will be selected based on their:
- Commitment and motivation to community service.
- Previous community service or desire to become involved in community activities.
- Interest in public service and desire to learn more about public policy.
- Potential to advance to a leadership position within their companies.
- Commitment to remain in Delaware County.
Preference will be given to Delaware County residents but non-residents are encouraged to apply.
Applicants should be sponsored by a business or a community leader and provide references. Tuition, payable by a sponsor or a participant, is $300, and includes all materials and fees.
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FREE (Virtual) One-on-One Business Counseling Sessions
The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is offering FREE comprehensive programming to provide management and technical assistance to small businesses in Delaware County!
Specializing in direct one-to-one counseling, the SBDC offers assistance in the following business areas:
- Start-up assistance
- Business Plan Development
- Accounting and Financial Projections
- Sources of Financing
- Marketing
- Business Expansion
- Relocation and Agribusiness
There is no cost for the counseling services of the SBDC.
Reservations are required for the one hour appointments. Schedule your appointment at by clicking HERE.
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Lunch Hour Networking Promotes Chamber Members!
We are all doing business in new ways and need to promote our businesses in new ways too! The Chamber launched a new VIRTUAL member business networking event, First Friday : Networking @ Noon, on Friday, February 5, where members promoted their businesses to other members in speed-dating style! Each business owner had four minutes to talk about their business to promote sales, specials, or simply let other members know what type of business you operate. Referrals are the most effective and powerful way to grow your business!
This event was sponsored by Community Bank, N.A., Bank Happy!
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Chamber Online Learning Center |
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As part of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce ongoing initiative to respond to member needs, an online learning center has been opened to help businesses meet their training needs in three key areas:
- Leadership, Management, and Supervisory Skills
- Sales and Customer Service Skills
- Human Resource Compliance Skills
In a self-paced, online learning environment, your staff can learn and enhance various skills including how to create a productive working environment, effective delegation, conflict management, working in a remote environment, working post-COVID and much more.
Sales and customer service modules focus on handling client or customer attitudes and objections, negotiating styles and effective sales negotiation and the dos and don'ts of effective customer services.
Human resources modules include diversity and inclusion training, micro-inequities, process of stereotyping and methods of exclusion, among other topics.
Each module is priced at a reduced rate of $45 per person.
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Annual Sexual Harassment Prevention Training |
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The Chamber has partnered with New Haven Consulting Group, Inc. to provide our members with an online “Preventing Sexual Harassment" workshop that meets the requirements of the new law.
This program is available at a Chamber-member reduced price of $20 per participant.
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The Delaware County Chamber is a private, non-governmental, not-for-profit membership organization. We believe that healthy communities begin with healthy businesses. By focusing on key areas–community and economic development, advocacy, tourism promotion, and business engagement–we partner with municipal leaders, community organizations, and local companies to present a unified voice of business for the improvement of our communities. |
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5 1/2 Main Street
Delhi, New York 13753
Give Us A Call: 607.746.2281
DelawareCounty.org
GreatWesternCatskills.com
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