Rotary Meeting April 28, 2020
 
President Craig Aiello opened the virtual meeting shortly after noon with Terry Gingrow leading us in the pledge and prayer.
 
ATTENDANCE
There were 22 members in attendance virtually by video and or audio means.
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Craig (and Christy Lucas) - Roots For Boots is still in need of money and food stuffs for the Military Share food bank.  See more information on our website.
Craig - Give Local, York campaign is underway.  Please consider supporting the effort if you can this Friday May 1, 2020.
Craig (and Deb Stambaugh) - Pa Polio is supported in part by Give Local York.
      - Pa Polio is published in Pa Medical Magazine.  Congrats to Deb and her organization.
Bob Miller - we are very close to our annual goal of giving at least $25 per member to the Rotary Foundation.  If you haven’t yet given to the Foundation, please consider doing so if you can.
       - RI has announced this week as World Immunization Week.
 
PROGRAM - Gary Laird,  President of the Chamber of Commerce
 
The Chamber’s purpose has always been to support local economic initiatives and provide a vehicle vehicle for businesses to communicate and network.
The Chamber has been meeting virtually with local governmental entities, the PA Chamber, and the US Chamber.
UPMC reports that we have relatively good community health during this epidemic but we remain unsure about what this means in the broader sense of economic recovery.
Businesses are moving through 3 phases economically as we try to deal with this crisis:
  1. Initial Shutdown - trying to understand what are essential services and businesses; how to apply for waivers to stay open.
  2. Securing financial aid - how to apply for assistance, how do the programs like PPP work.  A second round just opened.
  3. Actual opening up once given the authority to do so - figuring out the State and Fed guidelines
The Chamber has started a Business Forum/survey where local businesses log in and provide data on various aspects of their business.  The Chamber collects data and reports feedback on a number of issues such as:  are they fully open, open with limited service, or closed; are you having supply chain issues; what is the extent of employee layoffs; do they expect layoffs to be temporary or long term; etc. 
The survey results are varied but while there is some level of uncertainty about the future short term, there is also a high level of optimism for the long term.
 
Finally Gary announced that there is a virtual Town Hall meeting Thursday night with UPMC.  You can register by visiting the the Chamber website.
 
Many thanks to Gary for keeping his pulse on the economic health of the community and for sharing his perspectives with us.
 
NEXT WEEK’S PROGRAM - Wade Markel - American Heart Association Local Activities for 2020