“CHAMBER OF COMMERCE” – INTERESTING FACTS
The definition of a Chamber of Commerce is “an association or network of businesspeople designed to promote and protect the interests of its members”. Most every community has a Chamber of Commerce, or at least they should. In the U.S. alone there are approximately 4,000 active chambers that employ at least one person, and thousands more that function as strictly volunteer organizations. The purpose and goal of any Chamber are "to help to further the interests of small businesses in a local area”. Since 1987, the Lake West Chamber of Commerce has achieved this through hosting of networking social events, golf tournaments, charity events & fundraising, holiday parades and much more, Although the idea of a Chamber of Commerce has been around since ancient civilization, the term “Chamber of Commerce” was first used in the city of Marseilles, France in 1599 A.D., and was intended to exert influence on the powers of government. The first official state-wide Chamber of Commerce in