RCGA KICKS OFF MEMBERSHIP BLITZ

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Regional Commerce & Growth Association (R.C.G.A.) hopes to put its membership list at the 175 mark with a two-day, 13-city membership blitz today and Friday.

"We currently have 134 members," said Walt Wildman, executive director of the association. Members include business and industrial leaders, local chambers of commerce, city and county officials and other individuals throughout the area. "We hope to gain 35 to 40 new members this week," he said.

Membership teams will go into Jackson, Sikeston, Fredericktown, Chaffee, Oran, Scott City, Marble Hill, Piedmont and number of other communities, armed with names and membership cards.

Membership was the primary topic during the general membership meeting of the R.C.G.A., held at the historic Glenn House Wednesday night.

"We'll be using what we call a `Divide and Conquer' membership drive," said Jim Riley, of Red Letter Communications, Inc., and chairman of the membership committee. "We'll divide into teams, and go into an area. We feel like we can get up to 60 new members. If we can pick up three or four members in each area, we can realize that goal."

Riley said he was hoping to see 40 new memberships from nearby communities, and at least 20 more from Cape County.

"Our membership has grown in the past six months," said Wildman. "When I came aboard last November, we had about 72 members. We're almost double that now, and we really haven't been pushing membership. We've been too busy with other projects."

Wildman reported on a couple of the projects Wednesday.

"We feel that all our goals have been accomplished with our I-66 project," said Wildman. "We've talked to a lot of people, and have nationwide support for the project. Now we have to wait for the government to find feasibility funding."

Wildman also reported on regional tourism: "Our tourism committee is active," he said. "We have a lot of people looking at a lot of ideas."

One of the projects is that of an archaeological study site here.

"We have submitted grant requests to several foundations," said Wildman. "We're also looking into a package which would offer people a complete four to six-day tourism package, for one price, in this area."