HOUSE COMMEMORATION    NO.  1052  

Introduced by:    Representatives Lust, Abdallah, Bolin, Brunner, Conzet, Cronin, Deelstra, Dennert, Dryden, Elliott, Fargen, Feickert, Gosch, Greenfield, Haggar, Hansen (Jon), Hawley, Hickey, Hoffman, Hubbel, Hunhoff (Bernie), Hunt, Iron Cloud III, Jensen, Jones, Juhnke, Killer, Kirkeby, Kirschman, Kloucek, Kopp, Liss, Magstadt, Miller, Moser, Nelson (Stace), Olson (Betty), Perry, Rausch, Romkema, Rozum, Russell, Schaefer, Sigdestad, Sly, Solum, Steele, Street, Stricherz, Tulson, Turbiville, Van Gerpen, Vanneman, Venner, Verchio, White, Wick, Willadsen, Wink, and Wismer and Senators Tieszen, Adelstein, Begalka, Bradford, Buhl, Cutler, Frerichs, Fryslie, Garnos, Gray, Hansen (Tom), Haverly, Heineman, Holien, Hundstad, Hunhoff (Jean), Johnston, Kraus, Lederman, Maher, Nelson (Tom), Olson (Russell), Peters, Putnam, Rampelberg, Schlekeway, Sutton, Tidemann, and Vehle
 

        
        A LEGISLATIVE COMMEMORATION, Commemorating the one hundred twenty-fifth anniversary of the Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce.

    WHEREAS, in 1886, a group of progressive business and professional people residing in the city of Rapid City founded the Rapid City Board of Trade, the city's first commercial organization, seeing the rights and benefits in promoting the commercial, civic, and general interests of their community and trade area; and

    WHEREAS, in 1915, the Rapid City Board of Trade became the Commercial Club and in 1928 officially became the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce and since that time has actively promoted key regional industries such as agriculture and natural resources, cultural diversity, and young professional and leadership development through community engagements; and

    WHEREAS, the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce is a leader supporting key community developments and regional investments such as retaining Ellsworth Air Force Base as a critical component of our nation's defense and major employer in western South Dakota, the completion of the Ports-to-Plain Trade Corridor, connecting our economy with Mexico and Canada, and the

development of the Downtown Business Improvement District, creating a vibrant city center for Rapid City; and

    WHEREAS, the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce was awarded a Five Star accreditation by the United States Chamber of Commerce and was re-accredited at the same level, an honor presented to only sixty-seven chambers in the nation in 2011, for operating with effective organizational procedures and community involvement at the highest national level:

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT COMMEMORATED, by the Eighty-sixth Legislature of the State of South Dakota, that the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce be commended for its leadership and commitment to its community, its state, and its region, and be honored on October 1, 2011, for its celebration of the one hundred twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of one of our state's premier community's chambers of commerce located in the heart of the Black Hills region.