Lonnie Carrick will soon be taking over as President of  the Guthrie Center Chamber of Commerce, and we heard him discuss his excitement for 2014 earlier this week.

With many different things presently happening in town, Carrick says he’s most looking forward to helping the Chamber continue to foster Guthrie Center’s growth, and one way that can happen is if the town’s youth get more involved.

“There is always room for improvement with volunteering and getting involved in a lot of things with the youth and all the way on up through the entire community.  I think a part of our older generations need to reach out to them as well just to let them know, ‘hey, we could use your help, would you be interested?’  So sometimes they just a little bit of guidance to let them know that there is potential to get more involved with different things and to become an important part of this community.”

As Chamber President, Carrick says he will make a concerted effort to reach out to local youth groups, be they those in the high school or 4-H or FFA, to gauge their interest in working on projects with the Chamber.

Ultimately, the energy and excitement currently surrounding the Guthrie Center area these days comes with responsibility, and Carrick wants to help Guthrie Center’s youth be ready to handle those responsibilities to the best of their ability when it’s their turn in the future.