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14 Expo 84 Guide WE'RE AT EXPO 84... BOOTH C-38 "Northern Illinois' Largest Christian Bookstore" WE STOCK FOR YOUR NEEDS... • Bibles • Bible Studies • Books (over 3,000 titles) • Printed Music (books & sheet music) • Gifts-Pictures-Plaques • Records-Cassettes • Video Rentals • Church Supplies • Childrens Books • Vacation Bible School Supplies • Wedding Invitations & Supplies SPECIALORDERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED IF WE DON'T HAVE IT, WE'LL GO THE EXTRAMILE TO TRY ANDGET IT FOR YOU! NEW LIFE BtiDKSTDKE 382 V IRGINIA STREET 815/ crystallake.il 60014 455-2700 ? Questions ? our Sales Reps. Have the Answers! fee® *0" Can I Afford XEROX.? See Us At Booth's No. 32 & 34 815-459-1226 93 GRANT STREET CRYSTAL LAKE, ILLINOIS60014 |McHenry County Office Machines, Inc Working for common good City's Chamber of Commerce: More than meets the eye On the surface, the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce Is an organization which greets new neighbors in town and pro­ motes business and the good life in a city which boasts "A Good Place to Live" as its motto. That's true, but, like an iceberg, the chamber goes deeper than that. Through five divisions acting as one, the chamber serves as a vehicle for which business and professional peo­ ple can work together for the common good of the communi­ ty "We divide the chamber into five divisions because each type of business is going to want special things for their own business from the chamber," said membership relations manager Linn Olesen. "That way we can give them specifically what they want yet we can unite the five divi­ sions into one good strong organization, which is the Chamber of Commerce." The five groups -- General, Industrial, Retail, Construc­ tion/Real Estate and Professional -- work as separate units so the businesses j^te the small retail outlet on the corner will receive information that would be useful, while also b$- ing helpful to the corporation which employs 1,000 workers up the street. TOGETHER, HOWEVER, they form a chamber that serves nearly 80 percent of the Crystal Lake business com­ munity. Almost 600 businesses in the area call themselves members of the Chamber of Commerce. "It is a large chamber for this size area. There are very few chambers in areas the size of an 18,500-person town," Olesen added. "We're very unusual. In fact, (Executive Manager) Arlene (Kerns) goes to the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and it kind of blows their mind that we're in this small a town with such an active chamber." The chamber is ready to serve residents and businesses alike. A six-page pamphlet of clubs and organizations, for example, is available to help newcomers to the community and those with specific needs who don't know where to go for help. The chamber is also ready to aid businesses from the corner grocery to the family dentist. Each of the five divisions also caters to its specific membership. From updates from the Illinois State Legislature to programs on crime prevention, each group serves a purpose. THE FIRST OF the groups, the General Division, is the "meat and potatoes" of the chamber. One of its objectives is to aid in the relationship between employer and personnel. "That's something very few small businesses get at the local level," Olesen added. Other activities of the General Division, headed by Ken Grubb, include publishing a chamber membership directory with descriptions of each business and the spotlighting of division members in the chamber newsletter. In 1982-83, the General Division initiated the "Buddy System" to personally welcome new division members, in- IPlemac turn to page 15)