Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting

The Houston and District Chamber of Commerce held its annual general meeting on Nov. 10 via zoom, to discuss various house-keeping topics.

The meeting was led by board member and former president Darrin Super. The reason of this is because President Halley Finch suddenly resigned recently due to unforeseen circumstances, but said she would volunteer in other capacities for the chamber if possible.

An adoption of bylaws was completed, with a few small changes grammatically to existing bylaws, and one addition to the list. The only addition was bylaw 2.11, which states that a member in good standing is a member whose membership dues are paid in full.

There was also an election of directors that was held as part of the meeting. “We don’t necessarily have an election, because we didn’t have a surplus of board members, so all positions are by acclimation. New to the board is Laura Blackwell, Kerry Cooper and Amber Oevering,” said Super during the meeting. The chamber is currently without a president and a vice president.

Last on the agenda was a financial report by Chartered Professional Accountant Nancy Roisum. In 2019, the chamber’s net assets were $39,119 in 2019, and $33,670 in 2020.

Board members made a decision to waive a 2021 audit, based on a recommendation from Roisum. Based on the financial report, Roisum deemed it unnecessary, especially since the cost for an audit is approximately $25,000. According to Roisum, a review is a better option, as it is much cheaper and still provides a more in depth assurance.

“The only reason why I would say the chamber might need a financial review is due to the fact that the District of Houston may request one, as their financial statements are audited. But they might very well be happy with a simple compilation,” Roisum told the board.

“I see no cause for concern, and I’ve seen a lot of non-profit financial statements in my career,” she continued.