“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy,and wise,” Benjamin Franklin said. And that’s what officials withthe Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce hope toaccomplish by holding the group’s first “Chamber Early Hours” onFriday morning.

The new monthly program will meet at a different retail locationeach month, said Cliff Brumfield, executive vice president of thechamber of commerce. Friday’s early morning meeting will be held atBrookhaven Honda on Brookway Boulevard. The gathering begins at 8a.m.

The public and members of the chamber are encouraged to stop byfor coffee, Brumfield said.

The idea of an early morning meeting came from the newlyestablished Retail Committee, Brumfield said. The committee hopesthe new meetings will be a way to support and introduce to thepublic a different business each month. It will also give those whoattend an opportunity to network with other businessprofessionals.

“I’ve already had several calls from businesses who want to hostthe event,” Brumfield said.

He said hosts of the monthly event must be chamber members. Ifan interested business is not, it is welcome to join, he said.

Brumfield said Linda Covington, who serves on the RetailCommittee and is owner of Brookhaven Honda, volunteered to host thefirst Chamber Early Hours. He said that most of the time peopledrive by a business and really don’t know what all they have tooffer. This is an opportunity for people to come in and visit andlearn more of what a business is all about, he said.