A century-long tradition in Cody is struggling to stay relevant.
The Cody Club has been a cultural and economic focal point for local business people since its first meeting in 1900, when Agnes Chamberlin hosted the gathering in the dining room of her hotel. Since then, the members of the Cody Chamber of Commerce have met weekly, bi-weekly, and sometimes monthly, depending on the needs of its constituents.
However, attendance has been declining in recent years, and Chamber board member Ashley McCarten says the board is on a mission to find out why. A survey was sent out to members over a week ago, and at yesterday’s Cody Club luncheon, a moderator facilitated a discussion that touched on reasons why people don’t attend. Those reasons included competition for time from other community obligations, higher use of electronic methods of communication, and the relevance of topics.
McCarten says that the information they gathered through the survey and from yesterday’s meeting will be instrumental in making changes that will keep Cody Club relevant to its membership. Those changes could include scheduling, as well as the type of content presented at the meetings.
She adds that changes, if any, would happen in April, as the Club’s schedule is set through the end of March.
