The Anson County Chamber of Commerce has decided it will no longer host the Wadesboro Christmas Parade, and no other groups have yet stepped up to take over.
The subject came up at the chamber’s December meeting. Former director Lynn Edwards told the board that the executive committee suggested the chamber no longer hold the parade, prompting discussion among the board members, meeting minutes show.
Board member Jennifer Tarlton agreed that cancelling the parade may be easier since it is held soon after the chamber’s Big Game Hunt, and fellow member Joe Dutton asked the board to hold off making a decision until the board could look into whether someone else would be interested in holding the parade, according to the minutes.
In the board’s meeting on Jan. 19, Dutton said he had contacted the town but “never got a clear answer,” according to the minutes. The board then decided to let the county know about the parade cancellation.
Both interim executive director Shelby Emrich and chamber board Chairman Richard Allen said they hadn’t heard back from the county or town as of Monday afternoon. The issue was not voted on during the Wadesboro Town Council’s February meeting.
“As you know, the town received a letter toward the end of January indicating the Chamber of Commerce would no longer conduct the annual Christmas Parade citing various factors including economic issues, resources, and personnel,” Town Manager Alex Sewell said via email on Monday. “The town council has been notified of this correspondence.”
The chamber was scheduled to hold a board meeting Tuesday after The Anson Record’s press deadline.
Allen said that if another organization does host the parade, the chamber will support the new organizers and provide information from previous parades.
The chamber also decided not to hold its annual Leadership Anson class, since 10 participants weren’t enough, according to the December minutes. The board unanimously decided to skip the class until 2017.
The class was saved during the January meeting when Allen said South Piedmont Community College had volunteered to host the 2016 class, and the chamber board unanimously approved the change.
Emrich said the chamber also decided to cancel the annual Discover Anson bike ride this year, as attendance has not met staff hopes.
Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough.
The Chamber normally hosts the Wadesboro Christmas Parade each year, but has decided it cannot host it this winter.
