TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM / 1
FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020
FOCUS ON
BUSINESS
Baylor Scott & White Showcase - Welcome to Temple Bags Every year, the Temple Chamber of Commerce provides their membership an opportunity to promote their businesses and services to new Baylor Scott & White Health Residents, Fellows and Senior Staff. The 2020 Baylor Scott & White Health Community Showcase was scheduled for Thursday, June 25, 2020. However, due to COVID-19, the Showcase had to be cancelled.
July 2020
to make sure the incoming Residents were still given the opportunity to get to know the Temple we love!” 180 welcome bags were delivered on June 24 to be handed out to the incoming residents at orientation.
“It was unfortunate that we had to cancel Showcase” said Kaylee Blumenfeld, Temple Chamber Event Coordinator, “This event helps welcome the new Baylor Scott & White staff to Temple, and it introduces them to great businesses that are here locally in Bell County.” The Chamber staff wanted to still provide an opportunity for the Residents to get to know the local business community, and the idea of Welcome to Temple Bags was an instant hit. 100 Chamber Member businesses provided coupons, flyers, and promotional materials for the welcome bags. Temple Chamber President Rod Henry said, “We wanted
Temple Chamber Presented With Texas Historical Commission
TempleChamber.com
The Texas Historical Commission Marker reads: “By the early 19th century, Chambers of Commerce, first called Boards of Trade or Commercial Clubs, flourished in many major U.S. cities. The goals were to gather economic data and research, influence legislation, serve as a court of commercial arbitration, act as a semi-official adjunct to local government, and promote the local economy. On April 30, 1907, a crowd gathered at the Elks Club to form a citywide commercial club. Local merchant Andrew Jackson Jarrell (1860-
1935) was elected the first president of the club. The organization immediately began work on paving downtown muddy sidewalks, promoting shopping, negotiating new transportation opportunities and producing marketing materials for the City of Temple. The club also was influential in gaining the Blackland experiment station which encouraged other businesses to move to Temple and Bell County
In 1912, the Temple Commercial Club merged with the Young Men’s Business Club to form the Temple Chamber of Commerce. Over the years, the Chamber participated in supporting citizens of Bell County with fundraising campaigns, military support efforts during both world wars and the establishment of Temple Junior College. The Chamber also negotiated placement of Camp Hood (now Fort Hood), Mccloskey General Hospital (now Olin E. Teague Veterans Center), Lake Belton and many more projects. All of these led to industrial, medical and transportation growth in Temple and Bell County. For over a century, the Temple Chamber of Commerce has provided essential leadership to attract economic development to the city. “