PPP LOAN           With the very significant impact of the COVID-19 virus pandemic on the programs and activities of the Bar Foundation, the Board of Directors agreed, without dissent, to authorize the Officers to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loan administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA).           More than $1 trillion were made available for businesses to cover their employee payroll costs in order to keep persons employed or bring people back to work, who had been laid off. The PPP payment is an SBA loan to provide “small businesses with funds to pay payroll costs (including benefits) and certain other qualifying expenses.”          In order to have the SBA loan forgiven—“You must use at least 60% of funds for eligible payroll costs to qualify for full loan forgiveness….” For the Bar Foundation, 100% of the funds would be used for payroll costs.          With only days remaining before the PPP funding ended, the Bar Foundation received tremendously valuable guidance and assistance from two Officers of United Bank, Vice President Matthew Bond (an active attorney) and Commercial Banker Benjamin “BJ” White.            The Bar Foundation Officers—President Harry “Chip” Shaffer, III (Madison), Vice President Dave Jividen  (Wheeling) and Secretary/Treasurer Christy Morris (Charleston) spent large amounts of volunteer time and effort reviewing and approving actions and documents, with Secretary/Treasurer Morris going above and beyond in superbly handling the important final  financial forms.           These extraordinary pandemic times require out of the ordinary actions made in compressed periods of time and with superior amounts of expertise. The PPP loan process demonstrates the Bar Foundation’s Board of Directors wise decision making coupled with United Bank’s beneficial financial acumen.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING         The Bar Foundation’s Board of Directors has re-set its next quarterly meeting from Friday, September 11, to the previous day, Thursday, September 10, at 12:00, noon.         The meeting, to be lead by President Shaffer, will be conducted by telephone conference call.         Agenda items will include the financial report, recommendations from the Strategic Planning Committee, decisions regarding upcoming  events and other business. ______________________________________________

U.S. CENSUS           As of Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 63% of U.S. households have self responded to the 2020 Census. The U.S. Census Bureau has begun going door to door to visit the estimated remaining 56 million addresses, in person.          As stated on the Census cover page—-“Results from the 2020 Census will be used to:            * Direct billions of dollars in federal funds to local communities for schools, roads, and other public services.            * Help your community prepare to meet transportation and emergency readiness needs.            * Determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and your political representation at all levels of government.”                        It takes less than 15 minutes to complete the census form.            Please take the small amount of time and effort to complete your 2020 Census form, if you have not done so already.            It’s for your personal benefit, as well as your family, your local community and your state.