 |
Chapter #2030
Rosenberg,Texas Website Page 3: Chapter News |
2006 Chapter News
December
Installation of Officers and Christmas Party
The annual Officer Installation and Christmas Party was held Wednesday evening at 6:00PM
on December 13th. District Representative Stella Ward installed the officers for 2007. Recently renewed member Irma Elizondo's husband won one raffle and the other was won by Hazel Hicks. Everyone enjoyed the Christmas exchange and the great company of other NARFE members.
November Meeting
President Dave Bloomer reported that information on the Legislative Conference scheduled for March 2007 was available. Members should also plan to participate in Lobby Week this March to let our new Congressmen hear from us on issues important to NARFE.
The election of Officers for 2007 was held and all officers from 2006 were re-elected to serve for 2007. A resolution to have NARFE By-laws recognize Associations and Councils was approved and will be submitted to the Texas Federation Convention. Members also approved funds for an ad for the Chapter to be included in the Texas Federation Convention Program Book.
The Christmas Party and Installation of 2007 Officers for Chapter 2030 will be held at 6:00 PM on December 13th
at the Fort Bend Country Club. Details of the event will be sent to all members with email and our calling committee will contact all members without email. RSVP by December 6th is required.
Chapter 828 has invited members to attend their Christmas Party. Tuesday December 5th at 11:30 AM at Spring Branch Community Center 1721 Pech Road Houston, Texas an RSVP to Mary Bianche is required.
A picture of the Chapter members who attended our Chapter Event at the Rosenberg Opry on October 20th will be on the website in the near future.
October Meeting
The program this month was a talk explaining the Rosenberg Bond Election. Robert Aubry a new member, was present for his first meeting and was welcomed by the group. After the talk President Dave Bloomer reported on the National Convention. The Chapter resolution was not considered at the convention and no good explanation has to date been received for that omission. We will need to present the resolution to the Texas Federation again next year. Margaret Baptise a spouse of a deceased retiree was elected National President. The Jerry Hatfield was elected Region VI Field Vice President. One man one vote was referred to the Executive Board, there was a 63% vote for a unified dues structure continuing with automatic Chapter membership. Since a two thirds vote was required to change the by-laws this issue did not pass and remains for further action at the next convention. It was also determined that NARFE will no longer use the term mandatory chapter membership, and will instead refer to automatic chapter membership. The next convention will be in Louisville, Kentucky and the 2010 Convention will be at Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dave reported that there will again be a Legislative Conference in Washington DC from March 3rd-6th. Anyone interested in attending was encouraged to let Dave know. The Chapter passed a resolution to again ask NARFE to include in the Legislative Program a goal to pass legislation to increase the age of eligibility of children to age 25. The Chapter also approved payment of the registration fee of our two Convention Delegates. Announcements included that Chapter 1350 had invited us to their BBQ on October 12th at 11:30AM. Chapter 828 also invited members to their meeting with a speaker on the new Passport Rules which will be on Oct 17th at their usual meeting place. The Houston Association of Chapters quarterly meeting will be on Oct 25th at 10:30 AM, with an afternoon meeting of Membership Chairs at 1PM. Don't forget also the Chapter event this month which is attending the Rosenberg Opry on Friday Oct 20th. Reservations are required by Oct 11th with Joyce Bartos.
September Meeting
No meeting was held in August due to the NARFE National Convention conflicting with our meeting date. All of the Officers attended the National Convention.
August Meeting
President Dave Bloomer appointed Wilda Simms to chair the nominating committee.Nominations for the 2007 officers will be announced at the October meeting and an election will be held at the November meeting. A discussion of the issues that will be considered at the NARFE National Convention was held with the group agreeing: 1. that retaining chapter membership as a part of membership in NARFE is preferable 2. that we did not agree with one man one vote for NARFE, 3. that we would support Dan Galvan for National President, and 4 the delegates could decide such other issues as they thought best. The Chapter will have a Chapter Event in October on the third Friday of the Month (October 20th) which will be attending the Rosenberg Opry as a group. Reservations can be made with Joyce Bartos and must be completed by the Oct 11th meeting. Tickets are $7 per person.
July Meeting
President Dave Bloomer reported the listing of delegates and alternates has been submitted for the National Convention September 10 – 14th. The Bylaws and General Resolutions book has been received. The resolution that was passed by our Chapter and went through the state was not listed. An inquiry to Texas Federation and the National Secretary is pending. Next meeting we will discuss some of the resolutions that will be considered at the convention.
June Meeting
President Dave Bloomer reported that after he returned he had learned of the motion that passed at the last meeting and he submitted an ad for the NARFE National Convention Program Book within the deadline. He also reported on the status of paperwork to designate Chapter delegates, alternates and voting official for the National Convention. The members agreed the President would be the voting official and determined the sequence of alternates. The President also reported on a Matching Funds project which the Chapter could undertake to try to gain current federal employees. The project would be to continue at various agencies across Houston the type of event planned by the Houston Association of Chapters for June 29th at the Houston VAMC. Members were invited to the June 29th event and also reminded that June 30th is the deadline for the Group Air Offer to the National Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico this September 10-14th. A new hotel has been added to those available at a convention rate and is mentioned in the current Convention information on line and in the NARFE magazine. Mary Hacker and Dave Bloomer were the birthdays in June. Legislative Officer Phil Miller reported on correspondence he had with Senator Kay Bailey Hutcheson. Senator Hutcheson indicated she introduced a bill that reduces the effect of the WEP provisions, but does not favor repeal of those provisions. NARFE continues to work to treat all Social Security recipients equally, which would include repeal of the WEP/GPO Social Security provisions. The Senate Bill Senator Hutcheson favors would apply a new formula to reduce benefits of Federal Employees and others who worked under systems without Social Security during their worklife. NARFE believes all recipients should have the same formula applied to their earnings and not be arbitrarily reduced because they happened to work for a government entity during part of their worklife. Hester Bain reminded members of the Women of Worship event on June 24th. Tickets are available from her at a discount for members of the Chapter.
May Meeting
The meeting in May was conducted by Vice President Irene Warren in the absence of the President due to travel plans. Barbara Schomberg filled in as secretary in the absence of the Secretary. Frances Luna reported on what could be done in the Booster listing. A motion to purchase a quarter page ad in the NARFE National Convention Program Book was passed. A video on the Painted Churches of Texas could not be viewed as the video and tv reserved were not available.
April Meeting
The speaker for April was Sandy Dollar who spoke about "Strokes" and highlighted signs and symptoms and informed the members about available testing. A free test was also given away at the meeting.The District 7 Convention hosted last month by Chapter 2030 was well received and President Dave Bloomer thanked the members for their support and attendance. He also congratulated and presented Wilda Simms with a copy of the Nomination submitted for her work as Ways and Means Chair which resulted in Wilda receiving an award at the District Convention. A photo has been posted on the Event Photos webpage. The president also announced he had sent a letter to the Country Club to thank them for their help and the excellent meal. Dave also reported that District Representative Stella Ward called him and thanked the Chapter for a fine District Convention. Members were informed of the National Convention and the group air fare rate to the convention and that there must be 10 members sign up by June to get the reduced rate. Information is available from Sharon Patterson. See Flyer
Donations were taken for those wishing to be included in the list as Boosters from Chapter 2030 in the National Convention Program. President Dave Bloomer and Legislative Chair Phil Miller reported on the results of NARFE Lobby Week. It is clear that there is a need to work to improve the response of members to NARFE's call to contact legislators. Dave urged all members who failed to contact congressmen this year to commit to do so in the future. There are simple and effective ways to do this. If you need to know what they are contact Legislative Chair Phil Miller for details. In new business the Chapter voted to renew its liability insurance coverage.
Announcements: Houston Association of Chapters Meeting April 26th at 10:30AM 5003 NASA Parkway (NASA Road 1) Seabrook, Texas, followed by a meeting at 1:00PM for Legislative/PAC Officers and anyone interested in working with NARFE Legislative or PAC efforts. Hester Bain also passed out flyers and informed the group about the Eagle Wings Fellowship to be held in June. Dave Bloomer also reported on the Missouri City Health Fair to be held April 22nd from 10:00 AM to 2:00PM at Missouri City Community Center. Vice President Irene Warren will preside at the next meeting as President Dave Bloomer will be out of town. The program for May is on the Texas Painted Churches. See Calendar page of this website.
March Meeting
Chapter 2030 hosted the District 7 Convention March 8th from 9:30 AM to 3 PM
accordingly there was no regular meeting this month.
February Meeting
The District 7 Convention which will be hosted by Chapter 2030 was a main topic of discussion at the February meeting. All members of Chapter 2030 are strongly encouraged to attend. There will be no regular Chapter meeting March 8th as the District Convention will be held from 9:30 AM to 3:00PM at the Fort Bend Country Club. Those members who were not at the February meeting and thus did not sign up for lunch should contact Dave Bloomer 281-438-2272 by February 20th if they plan to have lunch at the District Convention. A good count for the Club is needed so we have adequate food available. As host Chapter we are responsible for door prizes and refeshments. So each member is asked to bring a wrapped gift and finger food like cookies, brownies, lemon bars etc. (Please no cake, pie or food requiring a dish) Members are also encouraged to come early to help make sure we are good hosts and have everything ready to greet our guests. Volunteers will help with greeting guests in the parking area, the lobby, with registration, and at the NARFE PAC donation table.
March is NARFE PAC Month. This is also election year. Bring your checkbook and help NARFE get ready fot supporting candidates that will represent our interests by making a donation to NARFE PAC at the District Convention. Members should watch for news of Lobby Week and information on budget proposals in congress that we may need to contact our congressmen about to let them know we are watching them. BE SURE TO CONTACT YOUR SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE when you see these notices. Watch http://www.narfe.org There are proposals to cut FEHBP costs by 3.4 Billion and to change the how much the government pays for medical benefits of those with less than thirty years of service. It is likely there will be other efforts to cut federal pay or benefits. There is one report of trying to take a third of pay raise funds to help hire employees with skills the government is having difficulty hiring. I fail to see why this budget responsibility should be put on the backs of employees by taking it from a raise they are due.
There will be a NARFE Louisana State Convention in Baton Rouge April 23rd to April 26th which will have a day and a half of training on Tuesday and Wednesday April 25 & 26th. The Louisiana Federation has invited anyone who wanted to attend the Seminar Training which was to be in Baton Rouge but had to be cancelled due to Hurricane Katrina to come to the Louisian State Convention for the training. Contact Dave Bloomer as soon as possible if interested as hotel rooms are still scarce in Baton Rouge and they urge you register as soon as possible.
Information on the NARFE National Convention in Albuquerque is in the NARFE magazine. This will be one of the closer National Conventions and members might want to plan to attend. Chapter 2030 will have a resolution being considered regarding having NARFE support a change in eligibility of children for FEHBP coverage beyond the current age limit of 22. (Military, government, and most civilian policies offer a higher age limit, usually 25.) Members are encouraged to also donate a dollar or more to have their name printed in the National Convention book as a BOOSTER. Group Travel is being arranged to get the best airfare. Twenty seats are available and at least 10 people must sign-up to qualify for group rates. Sharon Patterson will handle the arrangements. Members should contact her as soon as possible if interested as this will be open to members of other chapters as well and spots could go quickly. See Flyer with details.
The Chapter helped James and Hester Bain celebrate their February Anniversary by singing Happy Anniversary and allowing them to proceed first in the lunch line. Jerry Hatfield has been named acting Field Vice President for Region VI by the National Executive Board. He replaces Harold Davis who had to resign for health reasons. Everett Leonard spoke about his cruise to the Panama Canal and shared his pictures at the close of the meeting.
January Meeting
James Bevill presented an interesting story about Confederate Coins at the January meeting. The new Chapter banner has been received and was on display at the first meeting of the year. Chapter Past President Everett Leonard presented new President Dave Bloomer with a NARFE Presidents pin and President Dave Bloomer presented Past President Everett Leonard with a Past Presidents pin. President Dave Bloomer appointed two members to audit the Chapter's finances. Three new members have been added to our roster recently: James Dunphy, Mrs. C.H. May, and LaDell Waller. Members sang in honor of Mary Hacker's 48th Anniversary. President Dave Bloomer thanked Wilda Simms, Elizabeth Freund and others who helped make the Christmas Party a success. The menu selected for the Christmas party was discussed and it was agreed more supervision of the club choices should be exercized especially at Christmas. A volunteer to coordinate such matters with the club would be a good idea.
President Dave Bloomer reported on early information about the National Convention to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico Sept 10-14, 2006. This will be a chance for members to attend a national convention without having to travel very far. A sign-up sheet will be available at the next two meetings to be a National Convention Booster and have your name published in the Convention book by donating at least $1 and completing the form. If we wish to sponsor a page in the Convention book we should do so in the near future. A quarter page ad can be obtained for $55. A motion from the floor is necessary to authorize the expense. We might also use the ad to promote the resolution originated in our Chapter asking NARFE to work for a change in the maximum age eligibility of dependent children of Federal Employees and retirees for medical care. Currently children are no longer eligible under the FEHBP once they reach their 22nd birthday. Military dependents are eligible to their 23rd birthday and most states, employers etc insure dependents to age 25.
President Dave Bloomer also reported on the status of plans for the District 7 Convention to be hosted by Chapter 2030 at 9:30 AM on our usual meeting date of Wednesday, March 8, 2006. Members are asked to sign-up to help with donations for door prizes, greeting attendees outside the building, preparing signs, bringing hand food for the morning and afternoon break, and decorating the ballroom. Please sign up on the volunteer form at the next meeting. It was also reported that Region VI Area VP Harold Davis has had to resign for health reasons. He recently had surgery for cancer in his brain and following surgery had a fall with development of a subdural hematoma which required surgery. He also now faces further surgery for the cancer. Please keep him in your prayers.
The speaker at our next meeting will be Past President Everett Leonard who will talk about his recent cruise to Panama.
The annual Officer Installation and Christmas Party was held Wednesday evening at 6:00PM
on December 13th. District Representative Stella Ward installed the officers for 2007. Recently renewed member Irma Elizondo's husband won one raffle and the other was won by Hazel Hicks. Everyone enjoyed the Christmas exchange and the great company of other NARFE members.
November Meeting
President Dave Bloomer reported that information on the Legislative Conference scheduled for March 2007 was available. Members should also plan to participate in Lobby Week this March to let our new Congressmen hear from us on issues important to NARFE.
The election of Officers for 2007 was held and all officers from 2006 were re-elected to serve for 2007. A resolution to have NARFE By-laws recognize Associations and Councils was approved and will be submitted to the Texas Federation Convention. Members also approved funds for an ad for the Chapter to be included in the Texas Federation Convention Program Book.
The Christmas Party and Installation of 2007 Officers for Chapter 2030 will be held at 6:00 PM on December 13th
at the Fort Bend Country Club. Details of the event will be sent to all members with email and our calling committee will contact all members without email. RSVP by December 6th is required.
Chapter 828 has invited members to attend their Christmas Party. Tuesday December 5th at 11:30 AM at Spring Branch Community Center 1721 Pech Road Houston, Texas an RSVP to Mary Bianche is required.
A picture of the Chapter members who attended our Chapter Event at the Rosenberg Opry on October 20th will be on the website in the near future.
October Meeting
The program this month was a talk explaining the Rosenberg Bond Election. Robert Aubry a new member, was present for his first meeting and was welcomed by the group. After the talk President Dave Bloomer reported on the National Convention. The Chapter resolution was not considered at the convention and no good explanation has to date been received for that omission. We will need to present the resolution to the Texas Federation again next year. Margaret Baptise a spouse of a deceased retiree was elected National President. The Jerry Hatfield was elected Region VI Field Vice President. One man one vote was referred to the Executive Board, there was a 63% vote for a unified dues structure continuing with automatic Chapter membership. Since a two thirds vote was required to change the by-laws this issue did not pass and remains for further action at the next convention. It was also determined that NARFE will no longer use the term mandatory chapter membership, and will instead refer to automatic chapter membership. The next convention will be in Louisville, Kentucky and the 2010 Convention will be at Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dave reported that there will again be a Legislative Conference in Washington DC from March 3rd-6th. Anyone interested in attending was encouraged to let Dave know. The Chapter passed a resolution to again ask NARFE to include in the Legislative Program a goal to pass legislation to increase the age of eligibility of children to age 25. The Chapter also approved payment of the registration fee of our two Convention Delegates. Announcements included that Chapter 1350 had invited us to their BBQ on October 12th at 11:30AM. Chapter 828 also invited members to their meeting with a speaker on the new Passport Rules which will be on Oct 17th at their usual meeting place. The Houston Association of Chapters quarterly meeting will be on Oct 25th at 10:30 AM, with an afternoon meeting of Membership Chairs at 1PM. Don't forget also the Chapter event this month which is attending the Rosenberg Opry on Friday Oct 20th. Reservations are required by Oct 11th with Joyce Bartos.
September Meeting
No meeting was held in August due to the NARFE National Convention conflicting with our meeting date. All of the Officers attended the National Convention.
August Meeting
President Dave Bloomer appointed Wilda Simms to chair the nominating committee.Nominations for the 2007 officers will be announced at the October meeting and an election will be held at the November meeting. A discussion of the issues that will be considered at the NARFE National Convention was held with the group agreeing: 1. that retaining chapter membership as a part of membership in NARFE is preferable 2. that we did not agree with one man one vote for NARFE, 3. that we would support Dan Galvan for National President, and 4 the delegates could decide such other issues as they thought best. The Chapter will have a Chapter Event in October on the third Friday of the Month (October 20th) which will be attending the Rosenberg Opry as a group. Reservations can be made with Joyce Bartos and must be completed by the Oct 11th meeting. Tickets are $7 per person.
July Meeting
President Dave Bloomer reported the listing of delegates and alternates has been submitted for the National Convention September 10 – 14th. The Bylaws and General Resolutions book has been received. The resolution that was passed by our Chapter and went through the state was not listed. An inquiry to Texas Federation and the National Secretary is pending. Next meeting we will discuss some of the resolutions that will be considered at the convention.
June Meeting
President Dave Bloomer reported that after he returned he had learned of the motion that passed at the last meeting and he submitted an ad for the NARFE National Convention Program Book within the deadline. He also reported on the status of paperwork to designate Chapter delegates, alternates and voting official for the National Convention. The members agreed the President would be the voting official and determined the sequence of alternates. The President also reported on a Matching Funds project which the Chapter could undertake to try to gain current federal employees. The project would be to continue at various agencies across Houston the type of event planned by the Houston Association of Chapters for June 29th at the Houston VAMC. Members were invited to the June 29th event and also reminded that June 30th is the deadline for the Group Air Offer to the National Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico this September 10-14th. A new hotel has been added to those available at a convention rate and is mentioned in the current Convention information on line and in the NARFE magazine. Mary Hacker and Dave Bloomer were the birthdays in June. Legislative Officer Phil Miller reported on correspondence he had with Senator Kay Bailey Hutcheson. Senator Hutcheson indicated she introduced a bill that reduces the effect of the WEP provisions, but does not favor repeal of those provisions. NARFE continues to work to treat all Social Security recipients equally, which would include repeal of the WEP/GPO Social Security provisions. The Senate Bill Senator Hutcheson favors would apply a new formula to reduce benefits of Federal Employees and others who worked under systems without Social Security during their worklife. NARFE believes all recipients should have the same formula applied to their earnings and not be arbitrarily reduced because they happened to work for a government entity during part of their worklife. Hester Bain reminded members of the Women of Worship event on June 24th. Tickets are available from her at a discount for members of the Chapter.
May Meeting
The meeting in May was conducted by Vice President Irene Warren in the absence of the President due to travel plans. Barbara Schomberg filled in as secretary in the absence of the Secretary. Frances Luna reported on what could be done in the Booster listing. A motion to purchase a quarter page ad in the NARFE National Convention Program Book was passed. A video on the Painted Churches of Texas could not be viewed as the video and tv reserved were not available.
April Meeting
The speaker for April was Sandy Dollar who spoke about "Strokes" and highlighted signs and symptoms and informed the members about available testing. A free test was also given away at the meeting.The District 7 Convention hosted last month by Chapter 2030 was well received and President Dave Bloomer thanked the members for their support and attendance. He also congratulated and presented Wilda Simms with a copy of the Nomination submitted for her work as Ways and Means Chair which resulted in Wilda receiving an award at the District Convention. A photo has been posted on the Event Photos webpage. The president also announced he had sent a letter to the Country Club to thank them for their help and the excellent meal. Dave also reported that District Representative Stella Ward called him and thanked the Chapter for a fine District Convention. Members were informed of the National Convention and the group air fare rate to the convention and that there must be 10 members sign up by June to get the reduced rate. Information is available from Sharon Patterson. See Flyer
Donations were taken for those wishing to be included in the list as Boosters from Chapter 2030 in the National Convention Program. President Dave Bloomer and Legislative Chair Phil Miller reported on the results of NARFE Lobby Week. It is clear that there is a need to work to improve the response of members to NARFE's call to contact legislators. Dave urged all members who failed to contact congressmen this year to commit to do so in the future. There are simple and effective ways to do this. If you need to know what they are contact Legislative Chair Phil Miller for details. In new business the Chapter voted to renew its liability insurance coverage.
Announcements: Houston Association of Chapters Meeting April 26th at 10:30AM 5003 NASA Parkway (NASA Road 1) Seabrook, Texas, followed by a meeting at 1:00PM for Legislative/PAC Officers and anyone interested in working with NARFE Legislative or PAC efforts. Hester Bain also passed out flyers and informed the group about the Eagle Wings Fellowship to be held in June. Dave Bloomer also reported on the Missouri City Health Fair to be held April 22nd from 10:00 AM to 2:00PM at Missouri City Community Center. Vice President Irene Warren will preside at the next meeting as President Dave Bloomer will be out of town. The program for May is on the Texas Painted Churches. See Calendar page of this website.
March Meeting
Chapter 2030 hosted the District 7 Convention March 8th from 9:30 AM to 3 PM
accordingly there was no regular meeting this month.
February Meeting
The District 7 Convention which will be hosted by Chapter 2030 was a main topic of discussion at the February meeting. All members of Chapter 2030 are strongly encouraged to attend. There will be no regular Chapter meeting March 8th as the District Convention will be held from 9:30 AM to 3:00PM at the Fort Bend Country Club. Those members who were not at the February meeting and thus did not sign up for lunch should contact Dave Bloomer 281-438-2272 by February 20th if they plan to have lunch at the District Convention. A good count for the Club is needed so we have adequate food available. As host Chapter we are responsible for door prizes and refeshments. So each member is asked to bring a wrapped gift and finger food like cookies, brownies, lemon bars etc. (Please no cake, pie or food requiring a dish) Members are also encouraged to come early to help make sure we are good hosts and have everything ready to greet our guests. Volunteers will help with greeting guests in the parking area, the lobby, with registration, and at the NARFE PAC donation table.
March is NARFE PAC Month. This is also election year. Bring your checkbook and help NARFE get ready fot supporting candidates that will represent our interests by making a donation to NARFE PAC at the District Convention. Members should watch for news of Lobby Week and information on budget proposals in congress that we may need to contact our congressmen about to let them know we are watching them. BE SURE TO CONTACT YOUR SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE when you see these notices. Watch http://www.narfe.org There are proposals to cut FEHBP costs by 3.4 Billion and to change the how much the government pays for medical benefits of those with less than thirty years of service. It is likely there will be other efforts to cut federal pay or benefits. There is one report of trying to take a third of pay raise funds to help hire employees with skills the government is having difficulty hiring. I fail to see why this budget responsibility should be put on the backs of employees by taking it from a raise they are due.
There will be a NARFE Louisana State Convention in Baton Rouge April 23rd to April 26th which will have a day and a half of training on Tuesday and Wednesday April 25 & 26th. The Louisiana Federation has invited anyone who wanted to attend the Seminar Training which was to be in Baton Rouge but had to be cancelled due to Hurricane Katrina to come to the Louisian State Convention for the training. Contact Dave Bloomer as soon as possible if interested as hotel rooms are still scarce in Baton Rouge and they urge you register as soon as possible.
Information on the NARFE National Convention in Albuquerque is in the NARFE magazine. This will be one of the closer National Conventions and members might want to plan to attend. Chapter 2030 will have a resolution being considered regarding having NARFE support a change in eligibility of children for FEHBP coverage beyond the current age limit of 22. (Military, government, and most civilian policies offer a higher age limit, usually 25.) Members are encouraged to also donate a dollar or more to have their name printed in the National Convention book as a BOOSTER. Group Travel is being arranged to get the best airfare. Twenty seats are available and at least 10 people must sign-up to qualify for group rates. Sharon Patterson will handle the arrangements. Members should contact her as soon as possible if interested as this will be open to members of other chapters as well and spots could go quickly. See Flyer with details.
The Chapter helped James and Hester Bain celebrate their February Anniversary by singing Happy Anniversary and allowing them to proceed first in the lunch line. Jerry Hatfield has been named acting Field Vice President for Region VI by the National Executive Board. He replaces Harold Davis who had to resign for health reasons. Everett Leonard spoke about his cruise to the Panama Canal and shared his pictures at the close of the meeting.
January Meeting
James Bevill presented an interesting story about Confederate Coins at the January meeting. The new Chapter banner has been received and was on display at the first meeting of the year. Chapter Past President Everett Leonard presented new President Dave Bloomer with a NARFE Presidents pin and President Dave Bloomer presented Past President Everett Leonard with a Past Presidents pin. President Dave Bloomer appointed two members to audit the Chapter's finances. Three new members have been added to our roster recently: James Dunphy, Mrs. C.H. May, and LaDell Waller. Members sang in honor of Mary Hacker's 48th Anniversary. President Dave Bloomer thanked Wilda Simms, Elizabeth Freund and others who helped make the Christmas Party a success. The menu selected for the Christmas party was discussed and it was agreed more supervision of the club choices should be exercized especially at Christmas. A volunteer to coordinate such matters with the club would be a good idea.
President Dave Bloomer reported on early information about the National Convention to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico Sept 10-14, 2006. This will be a chance for members to attend a national convention without having to travel very far. A sign-up sheet will be available at the next two meetings to be a National Convention Booster and have your name published in the Convention book by donating at least $1 and completing the form. If we wish to sponsor a page in the Convention book we should do so in the near future. A quarter page ad can be obtained for $55. A motion from the floor is necessary to authorize the expense. We might also use the ad to promote the resolution originated in our Chapter asking NARFE to work for a change in the maximum age eligibility of dependent children of Federal Employees and retirees for medical care. Currently children are no longer eligible under the FEHBP once they reach their 22nd birthday. Military dependents are eligible to their 23rd birthday and most states, employers etc insure dependents to age 25.
President Dave Bloomer also reported on the status of plans for the District 7 Convention to be hosted by Chapter 2030 at 9:30 AM on our usual meeting date of Wednesday, March 8, 2006. Members are asked to sign-up to help with donations for door prizes, greeting attendees outside the building, preparing signs, bringing hand food for the morning and afternoon break, and decorating the ballroom. Please sign up on the volunteer form at the next meeting. It was also reported that Region VI Area VP Harold Davis has had to resign for health reasons. He recently had surgery for cancer in his brain and following surgery had a fall with development of a subdural hematoma which required surgery. He also now faces further surgery for the cancer. Please keep him in your prayers.
The speaker at our next meeting will be Past President Everett Leonard who will talk about his recent cruise to Panama.
