Everything I Learned...

Robert Fulghum once wrote a poem entitled "All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten". I too learned a lot in kindergarten. Here's a list of a few of them:

• Ms. Kennedy, my teacher, wasn't my mom, but she sure cared for her kindergarteners.
• Nap time lasted forever unless you slept.
• Better to learn the alphabet in kindergarten, those letters were going to come in handy the rest of my life.
• Jerry Gentry's dad could sure get angry if you take the eggs from under the hens and throw them against the chicken coop wall.
• Accidents happen, sometimes in your pants.
• Girls were sure cuter if they weren't your sister.
• Continuously asking "why" can be irritating to adults.
• Even twenty five year olds look old to kindergartners, now they look so young.

  I am sure there was more to learn than just the list Mr. Fulghum and I put together. Many lessons are learned when we are young, but I'm finding the "information age" has provided so many ways to gain knowledge that one can hardly keep up. Just think how much knowledge you've gained in the last 10 years, the last 5 years even in the last few weeks.

The Post-Dispatch, Webster Kirkwood Times and the St. Louis Business Journals all send information to my e-mail address on a daily basis. LinkedIn is loaded with articles and other information sent by "connections". The legislature updates the Chamber as do the county and city governments. Other Chambers and national organizations provide information necessary to make our chamber better. Many chamber members have shared their knowledge of marketing, finance, social networking branding, accounting, disaster planning, legal issues, benefits, product knowledge and safety, medical, nuclear energy, social policy, tax issues and much more - on a daily basis.

Committee meetings always include some educational aspect. New and existing members want to share about their business so the staff and I are able to verbalize to others exactly what they do. Education (learning about the world and the people around us) is certainly important. The Kirkwood•Des Peres Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors is acutely aware of the need to educate our members. That is why the board and the Chamber's many sponsors support the commitment to educate our members. Every luncheon, marketing Monday, Boot Camp, Small Business Week activity, Legislative Brown Bag, newsletter, Facebook and LinkedIn post, and weekly update is carefully designed to educate our members. If it weren't true, the chamber's pledge to help make your business better could not be met.

Many membership organizations place great value on the number of members they can gain. The Kirkwood - Des Peres Area Chamber of Commerce places value on the number of members we can help. Dedication to educating our members remains vital to your success as well as ours. Remember what you learned in kindergarten! Participate in the education offerings of your Chamber. Continued learning will guarantee the advantage over those who don't. Like Ms. Kennedy, your Chamber isn't your mom, but we sure care for you.