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Concentrate efforts, work together, rep tells QCI chamber

Stay focused, don't promise to do more than you can do, but choose a couple of key projects and make sure you carry them out. That in a nutshell was the message Roslyn Castleden of the BC Chamber of Commerce gave the QCI chamber at its annual general meeting Sunday in Port Clements.
Ms Castleden was invited to speak to chamber members on the importance of a chamber of commerce to small communities, after the chamber here was in danger of dissolving last year. Since then the chamber has concentrated on increasing membership, now has about fifty members, and saw a good turnout-close to thirty-at the Sunday meeting.
"The important thing is that you are not all things to all people, that you, at the beginning of the year, sit down and decide what it is you would like to do for your communities," Ms Castleden said. "what do you need, what would you like to see, and actually do it.
She advised members not to try to do too much. "Don't tackle too many things,Â…don't tackle too many issues, but that whatever you say you are going to do, that you do (it) so that at the end of the year what you think is important is what you have done".
And she said the chamber is stronger as a group than its individual members. "Because collectively , you can do much more than individually. You can work on issues and bring in expertise, you can as a whole group, collectively you can accomplish much more, than having individual groups. Think of what you can accomplish if you are all working together".
Ms Castleden also outlined how the BC chamber works, and told chamber members here that it's their office too, and that all they have to do is ask for assistance and it will be available. "We are your chamber," she said, "you may think of us as an office in Vancouver, but we encourage you to use the services we provide."