The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Do you wonder what impact yourvoice has in the big picture ofthe Chamber of Commerce at a provincial or federal level? You might be surprised to learn the answer. In November every year the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) sends out a call for policies to the many chambers throughout Ontario and those chambers must submit any policy suggestions they have by mid-February. From here, the OCC committees review the policies, make comments and compile them into a policy book that is sent out to all Ontario chambers. Our local Chamber will review these policies and determine which are most relevant to our business community then forward them to the membership and invite input. Each year, 2 delegates from chambers across the province attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) where the policies will be reviewed and voted on. Representatives from 65-75 chambers attend, bringing the total to almost 250 participants. The location of the AGM moves from year to year so that the entire province is represented. One day of the conference is dedicated to going through the policies one at a time and inviting discussion. The Chamber that originally submitted the policy provides the delegates with an overview and it is then sent to the floor for questions and comments. Following this, a vote occurs. The vote is to determine whether or not the policy becomes the mandate for the OCC. Each policy stays on the books for three years and when they are in their third or sunset year, it is the last time that they will be put forward for review at which point it is determined whether or not that policy is still relevant or if another policy encompasses it. This year the AGM will be on May 2, 3, & 4th and we would like to invite our membership to provide their input. We have set up a web page for each of 3 policies that our Board has deter- mined would most impact the Halton Hills Chamber and its members. Please be a part of this process by reviewing the policies and providing your feed- back. Then in May, Sue Walker and Jamie Schumacker will head to Oshawa as representatives of our Chamber and place their votes for the policies brought forward. As you know, the Strategic Plan for the Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce includes a mandate for policy develop- ment. As a result, the Board has recently voted on a policy procedure which defines how they will go about identifying and presenting issues to local government. By voicing your opinion at this early stage, you will see how your viewpoint makes its way through the process allowing the voices of many to be added to yours until the chorus of policy resonates. 2008 Hall of Fame InductionGalaHALTON HILLS SPORTS MUSEUM Date: Thursday, June 12, 2008 Location: John Elliott Theatre Tickets $30 Tickets for the gala ceremony can be reserved by calling Glenda Nixdorf at 905-873-1360. Inside This Issue... Melitta Hannon (289) 344-0087 melittah@vision2000.ca Contact me to plan your dream vacation today! A Publication of Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce www.haltonhillschamber.on.ca April 23, 2008 12 Pages From the Boardroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3 Business Link Profile: AGSI . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4 Business After Hours . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . Page 4 General Managers Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5 Logos - Planning Your First Impression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5 Welcome New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6 Membership Renewals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7 Businesses of Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 Book Review: The Speed of Trust . . . . . Page 9 Group Insurance Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9 Spotlight on Volunteer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10 Lessons in Giving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10 Whats News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11 By Marnie Hughes, Communication Artistry Send in your pic reading BusinessLink on holidays, and youll be on the front page, too! Shawna Aron, Gecko Forwarding at Windsor Castle See page 3 BusinessLink Profile Angelo Puma of Ang Puma Golf Enterprises Ltd. on the island of Kauai, Hawaii Wendy Hue in Dallas, Texas Part of Something Big How You Affect Chamber Policy Decisions