Chamber Board to Begin Strategic Planning Discussions
Members Invited to Attend "Chamber Check-Up" Session
Clover Will Farms Hosting Thursday's "Down on the Farm"
Early Childhood Summit is Friday at The Casino
Home & Garden Show Booth Retention Deadline Approaching
Foundation Board Seeking Nominees for Board Position
Business Hall of Fame Dinner Just Three Weeks Away
Business Participation Needed for Career Shadowing Week
Registration Now Open for Regional Business & Industry Expo
Operation S.O.S. Kicking-Off 9th Annual Campaign
Save the Date: Issues Forum on Distressed Cities
Non-Members Invited to "Chamber Chat"
Chamber Looking for BHLH Success Stories
Blue Card Discounts
Chamber Board to Begin Strategic Planning Discussions
The Board of Directors of the Blair County Chamber will meet on Thursday at 7:30 a.m. at the Devorris Center for Business Development. The Board will begin discussions related to strategic planning and continue to discuss membership recruitment and retention. Any Chamber Member wanting to address the Board should contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151 by no later than noon on Tuesday.
Members Invited to Attend "Chamber Check-Up" Session
There is much to know about the Blair County Chamber. The organization has a wide variety of programs, events, committees and member benefits. And it’s not just non-members who aren’t aware of them. For that reason, The Chamber is holding a program called “Chamber Check-Up” for current Chamber Members only. The hour-long session will focus on how the organization operates and what members can do to more effectively utilize The Chamber to improve their own businesses and experience greater personal and professional growth. The session is on Tuesday, September 25th at 1:30 p.m. and will be held at the Devorris Center for Business Development. There is no cost to attend Chamber Check-Up but pre-registration is encouraged. Call Marilyn at 943-8151 to register.
Clover Will Farms Hosting Thursday's "Down on the Farm"
The Annual Business After Hours “Down on the Farm” will be held on Thursday, September 27th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Clover Will Farms, 245 England Lane in Williamsburg. The event will feature a pig roast provided by AgChoice Farm Credit and Holland Brothers Meats, kids activities, farm tours, Ritchey’s ice cream and live entertainment by Zupe. The cost to attend is just $5.00-per-person and kids under 12 are free. To register and for directions to the farm, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Early Childhood Summit is Friday at The Casino
Blair County’s future workforce will depend heavily on the willingness of those in hiring positions to better understand and respond to the challenges of Early Childhood Education. To jumpstart that process, the Blair County Chamber’s BASICS Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education will host an event this Friday, September 28th from 7:15 to 9:30 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. The event, entitled “Our Future Workforce: Early Childhood Education Summit” features an impressive array of speakers on topics of relevance to employers, providers and legislators. Panelists include Judy Cameron, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh who will address, “The Science Behind the Policy: Why is Starting Early So Important?” and Attorney Dave Freed, Cumberland County’s District Attorney, whose presentation is called “Pay Now or Pay Much More Later: Linking Early Learning and Crime Prevention.” Freed will be introduced by Bruce Clash, State Director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Pennsylvania. The Summit’s keynote – “Early Education . . . the Foundation for Learning” will be offered by Barbara Minzenberg, Ph.D., Deputy Secretary of the PA Office of Child Development & Early Learning. The cost to attend the Early Childhood Education Summit is just $20/person and includes a buffet breakfast. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Home & Garden Show Booth Retention Deadline Approaching
Although the Blair County Home & Garden Show will not take place until March 1, 2 and 3 of next year, the committee overseeing that event has already started the booth selection process. Exhibitors from the 2012 show get the first crack at renewing the booth at their previous location if they do so by September 28th. Beginning October 8th, unsecured booths will be made available to new exhibitors. To renew a booth, contact Stacy Hoover at 943-8151. Payments can be made with cash, check, Discover Card, Master Card or VISA. The Blair County Home & Garden Show is a partnership of the Blair County Chamber and the Blair-Bedford Builders Association.
Foundation Board Seeking Nominees for Board Positions
The Blair County Chamber Foundation has four members of its Board of Directors whose terms will expire in December and the Foundation is accepting nominations from Chamber Members who would like to be considered as replacements. To submit a name for consideration, contact Cindy Cessna at 943-8151 or email her.
Business Hall of Fame Dinner Just Three Weeks Away
The Chamber’s Annual Business Hall of Fame Dinner will be held on Monday night, October 15th at the Blair County Convention Center. The event begins with a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception at 5:30 p.m. Dinner begins at 6:45. To make reservations, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. A list of the honorees for this event are also listed on The Chamber website.
Business Participants Needed for Career Shadowing Week
Nearly 300 high school juniors from Blair County schools will be seeking career shadowing opportunities as part of The Chamber’s Career Shadowing Week (November 5-9). The weeklong event is part of the organization’s BASICS program. Any businesses that would be willing to host a student or students for a half-day during that week, please contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151 or email him.
Registration Now Open for Regional Business & Industry Expo
Once again this year, the Blair County Chamber will participate in the Regional Business & Industry EXPO, set for Thursday, November 8th from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College. Click here for the registration form.
Operation S.O.S. Kicking-Off 9th Annual Campaign
Operation S.O.S (Support Our Soldiers) is kicking-off its ninth year of making the holidays a little brighter for American troops who are stationed overseas and the Blair County Chamber is once again helping to promote their efforts. The main drop-off location for any items will be Smith Furniture in Duncansville. The collection period is between October 22nd and November 17th. A list of acceptable items is available online at www.smithfurniturehof.com. Monetary donations can be sent to Operation S.O.S., P.O. Box 305, Duncansville, PA 16635.
Save the Date: Issues Forum on Distressed Cities
The Blair County Chamber and the Pennsylvania Economy League will co-sponsor an Issues Forum on October 19th from noon to 1:30 p.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. The title of the Forum is: “Cities and Their Region: A Shared Destiny and a Shared Responsibility.” Keynote speaker will be David Black of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber. The cost is $20/person and includes a buffet lunch. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or click here.
Non-Members Invited to Attend "Chamber Chat"
Often, businesses and organizations that are not members of The Chamber have a difficult time deciding whether to join because they know so little about what The Chamber does. To help clear-up any confusion, The Chamber has created “Chamber Chat,” an opportunity for non-members to learn about the organization in a fact-filled one hour session. If you know a business that is not a Chamber Member yet, please invite them to attend one of these important sessions! "Chamber Chats" will be held on Wednesday, October 17th at 8:15 a.m. and Wednesday, October 24th at 1:30 p.m. Both sessions will be held at the Devorris Center for Business Development and will last no longer than one hour. There is no cost to attend "Chamber Chat" but pre-registration is encouraged. Call 943-8151 to register. There is no obligation to join The Chamber if you attend.
Chamber Looking for BHLH Success Stories
Too often, recognition bypasses people who deserve it most. The Chamber is attempting to change that through its “Buy Here. Live Here.” program. “We’re encouraging people to change their buying habits,” remarked Randy Green of McCartney’s, who chairs the BHLH Steering Committee. “When they do, we want to point that out to others. And we want to thank the people who are showing consideration for the future of their community.” If you are one of those people or your business has taken steps toward local buying, call Joe Hurd at The Chamber today (943-8151) or email him.
Blue Card Discounts
Here are a few of the discounts you can receive with your Chamber Blue Card. Click here to see the full list of Blue Card Discounts. To have an offer listed contact Stacy Hoover at The Chamber at 943-8151.
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Dongell Chiropractic
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Present your Chamber Blue Card to receive 15% off first time examinations.
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HH Brown Shoe Co., Inc.
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Present your Blue Card to receive 10% off any purchase from the Cove Shoe Outlet Store.
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Imler's Poultry
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A 5% discount on all purchases at the Route 764 Outlet Store. Please present your Blue Card at checkout to receive your discount.
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K&C Denture Center
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Present your Blue Card to receive $100 off a set of deluxe line of dentures or higher. Blue card must be presented on first visit. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount.
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Keystone Business Support
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Present your Chamber Blue Card and receive 15% off the first 3 months for all new commerical cleaning service.
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For more information, visit the website
To subscribe or unsubscribe please email us.
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September 24, 2012
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Upcoming Events
Register online
Down on the Farm
Thursday, September 27, 2012
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Clover Will Farms
245 England Lane, Williamsburg
Bring the whole family for an evening on the farm.
Register Here
Early Childhood Summit
Friday, September 28, 2012
7:00 - 9:30 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
Breakfast Club
Thursday, October 11, 2012
7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
Business Hall of Fame Dinner
Monday, October 15, 2012
5:30 p.m. - Reception
6:45 - Dinner/Program
Blair County Convention Center
Register Here
Upcoming
Committee Meetings
Week of 9/24/12
Coalition on Sustainability
Tuesday, September 25, 10:00 a.m.
Devorris Center
Hotel Roundtable Meeting
Wednesday, September 26, 8:15 a.m.
Hampton Inn
Chamber Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, September 27, 7:30 a.m.
Devorris Center
Follow The Chamber
on Facebook
Click here
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