CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP BLITZ NETS 71 MEMBERS

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's membership is over the 1,150 mark following a one-day recruitment blitz Tuesday that netted at least 71 new members.

"Our goal for the annual one-day membership drive this year was 65," said John Mehner, president of the chamber. "The early count Tuesday evening showed us with more than 50 new, paid memberships. The count as of 5:15 was 71. That put us over our goal."

Linda Minner, marketing and special projects director, said the count could go higher. "We usually receive a few new members a day or two following the one-day membership drive," said Minner.

The chamber's overall goal is to keep the membership over 1,100.

"We want to keep the chamber over 1,100 and preferably around 1,150," said Mehner. "The membership fluctuates throughout the year between 1,050 and 1,150.

Going into Tuesday's drive, the membership was about 1,080.

"1994 -- New Outlook -- New Focus," was the theme for the blitz.

"We had good participation this year," said Larry Schafer, one of the co-chairmen of the blitz. More than 50 volunteers armed with member cards and informational packets visited pro~spective members throughout the day Tuesday, working mostly in two-person teams.

The new figure leaves Cape Girardeau fourth in size on the Missouri Chambers of Commerce list, behind North Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield, and leaves the city at the top of the list in its population bracket.

The membership drive Tuesday started with a kickoff breakfast at the Drury Lodge. Vernon Auer, a longtime member of the chamber's membership committee, was guest speaker during the buffet breakfast.

Several prizes were awarded during the evening counting session at Drury, with the top prize for most new members going to the team of Rozan Bonsignore and Kathy Schlosser, with a dozen new memberships.