14/11/2024
Dear Theodore Community,
As President of the Theodore Chamber of Commerce, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past few years and provide some important updates about the future of our organisation.
This year, we were proud to successfully host the Theodore Centenary Celebrations, a special event that not only brought our current community together but also celebrated the history of Theodore, uniting past community members, families, and friends from all walks of life. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who was involved and attended, for being a part of such an important milestone in Theodore's history.
While the Theodore Chamber of Commerce is often associated with business, we’re far from a typical Chamber. Our primary focus has always been on strengthening the community; organising events, supporting local initiatives, and bringing people together. Our goal is to make Theodore a better place for everyone. We strive to achieve this through a variety of efforts, including hosting annual events such as the River Festival, the Hooked-on-Theodore Fishing Competition, and the Theodore Christmas Street Party. Additionally, we provide financial support to local groups and assist with community needs, as well as help address local issues in collaboration with the Banana Shire Council.
Unfortunately, like many local community groups, the Chamber has seen a significant reduction in member involvement, making it increasingly difficult to continue our work as we have in the past. Recently, we had to say goodbye to both our Vice President, Kate Mooring, and Treasurer, Ann Chater, as they’ve moved away from Theodore. While we wish them all the best in their next chapters and are incredibly grateful for their time and dedication, their departures have left some big shoes to fill. More importantly, it’s highlighted a critical need, in order to keep supporting our community and running the events we all enjoy, we need more people to get involved.
As a result of the decline in numbers over the past few years, the Theodore Chamber of Commerce will unfortunately not be holding the Christmas Street Party this year. This decision hasn’t been made lightly, and it saddens me to say it. However, with Alexandra and I, along with our toddler and 8-week-old daughter, not being able to organise these festivities on our own, we simply don’t have the capacity to make it happen.
If we don’t see an increase in membership, the Chamber will struggle to continue functioning. Without new members to help support the organisation, we’ll have no choice but to go into “caretaker mode.” This means that we won’t be able to run the events that have become such an important part of our town.
We’re holding a General Meeting at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, 27th November, at Penny’s Place, Hotel Theodore, and we’d really appreciate it if you could attend. Please note that this will not be an AGM, but rather a casual opportunity to discuss how you might be able to help support the ongoing work of the Chamber. It will be a chance to explore how we can move forward together and ensure the future functionality of the Chamber through your involvement. If you can’t make it but are still able to get involved or want to learn more, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly at [email protected].
Your support, whether it’s by becoming a member, volunteering your time, or simply lending a hand, will make a huge difference in helping us keep the community spirit alive and continue the events that bring us all together.
We look forward to seeing you at the meeting and working together to ensure the continued success of the Theodore Chamber of Commerce.
Best regards,
Jack May
President
Theodore Chamber of Commerce
Ph: 0429 490 696
