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1686 GAZETTE
Newsletter of Chapter 1686 Sunnyslope
Vol. XXXV
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014
No. 2
Meetings of Chapter 1686 NARFE held at Cross Roads United Methodist Church, 7901 N.
Central Ave., Phoenix. (S.E. corner of Central & Northern Aves. Enter from Northern Ave.)
NEXT MEETING:
Friday, Nov. 21, 2014 - Tom Burch of AARP will speak. Topic: “Negotiating
Traffic on the Roads Today.”
HOLIDAY PARTY: Friday, Dec. 19, 2014
Chapter 1686 Annual Holiday Party!
IronWorks Restaurant, 17233 N. 45th Ave., Glendale, AZ
Friday, Dec. 19, 2014; 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Installation of Chapter 2015 Officers
Silent Auction
Door Prizes
50/50
Losers’ Drawing
(Reservation Form and Directions to Restaurant on Page 5.)
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE (Virginia Ginter ,
[email protected]):
We are pleased to have Tom
Burch from AARP speak this month.
He has been a volunteer for more than
11 years. He retired after 26 years of
service in the army with the rank of
Colonel. He also has a Masters Degree in Criminology and a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement.
This is the month of Thanksgiving and honoring
our Veterans. Therefore, let us remember to give
thanks to the past NARFE members who have
helped us to protect our benefits. Many or our members are Veterans; our thanks and appreciation for
their service.
Since October was our Anniversary month, I
will share a bit of the history of our chapter (courtesy
of Lynn Engles).
We were founded in 1979 with 43 members but
officially our chapter was not approved at National
until July 1980. Tressie Annand is still an active
member of our chapter and was present at the October meeting.
In 1985, with only 60 members, Chapter 1686
(Cont. on Page 4.)
THINGS TO DO FOR THE
NOVEMBER MEETING:
♦
Come to hear Tom Burch of AARP
speak.
♦
Honor Chapter members who are
Veterans.
♦
Vote for 2015 Chapter officers.
♦
Make your reservations for Chapter
Holiday Party.
♦
Bring an unwrapped, new or like-new
toy for Desert Mission.
♦
If you have a nice item you would like
to donate for the Silent Auction or for
a Door Prize, bring it to the November
meeting. ~ ~
God Bless America!
Page 1 of 8,
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT AND PUBLIC
RELATIONS OFFICER’S REPORT (Carol
Culbertson, [email protected]):
Two Thoughts about Veterans
as we commemorate November 11,
2014 (Veterans Day):
While we can never truly repay
the debt we owe our heroes, the
least we should do for our brave veterans is to ensure that the government takes a proactive approach
to delivering the services and benefits they have
earned, so they can access the care they need and
so richly deserve.
- - Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
While we can't begin to repay the debt we owe our
veterans for their brave service, we can certainly take
steps to ease the physical, psychological and financial
hardships they may be experiencing.
- - Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) ~ ~
LEGISLATIVE REPORT (Lois Gossett):
The Federal Salary Council announced that figure based on data
gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which under federal pay law
follows a methodology that has yielded a large “pay gap” figure in favor of the private
sector for two decades.
The indicated gap was nearly identical to the
35.4 percent reported last year.
By law, federal raises are supposed to consist
of an across the board component linked to an indicator of private sector wage growth, the Employment Cost Index, or ECI, plus a locality component
varying according to the gaps determined for each
locality. (Guess again. No law enforcement for
us.) So, the 1% pay raise appears to be all the
Federal Employees will get.
The Republican victory in the Senate changes the political landscape more for the federal workforce than most Americans. The terrain for federal
employees could prove rocky, not that it had been
so smooth before. With a GOP-controlled Senate,
federal employees should expect a Congress much
more willing to pick their pocketbooks by requiring
them to contribute more toward their retirement
among other things.
With Republicans in power, all of the chamber’s committees will flip to Republican leadership. Bills that were stopped at the Senate could
pass.
The name of the game for us is vigilance. ~ ~
Page 2 of 8.
SERVICE OFFICER’S REPORT (Richard Yee,
[email protected]):
Many thanks to all you members
who contributed money for the Alzheimer’s Walk! Our Chapter 1686 collected and sent in a total of $85 to the Alzheimer Association. This annual walk
takes place on November 8th at Bolin Plaza. Your
generous support is greatly appreciated.
If you are living alone and have no close relatives or contacts in the area it is a good idea to consider Medic Alert. Perhaps your doctor, nurse or
pharmacist has advised you to obtain and always
wear a medical ID. Keep in mind that in an emergency, when you might not be able to speak for yourself,
a medical ID bracelet or necklace speaks for you.
Symptoms of common ailments can easily be
diagnosed. Prompt diagnosis is critical to effective
treatment. A brief description of vital medical facts
engraved on your medical ID will ensure appropriate
and timely medical care.
According to a published study, half of all medical errors occur because of mistakes made upon admission or discharge from the hospital. Wearing a
medical ID protects against potentially harmful medical errors. More than 95 percent of the emergency
responders look for a medical ID.
Here is a partial list of ailments for persons who
should wear a medical ID bracelet or necklace: Diabetes, heart disease, drug allergies, food allergies,
insect allergies, Alzheimer’s/Dementia Memory impairment.
I understand that the month of November is
American Diabetes Month. ~ ~
MEMBERSHIP REPORT (Clarice Pharo,
[email protected]):
The month’s Activity Report has
not been received yet.
You still have until December
31st to sign up a new member and
receive $20.00.
This Membership
Drive has been explained at the meetings and in the
newsletters for several months. If you have any
questions or need more recruiting material, please
contact me at the meeting, call or E-mail (602-9434753; [email protected]).
Members have been manning the NARFE tables at the Health Fairs held at the various government agencies. They pass out information and explain what our organization is doing for federal employees and retirees. Hopefully, this will result in
some new members for our chapter. ~ ~
IMPORTANCE IF NARFE-PAC, Lois Gossett:
I have reprinted Vern Pall’s column from the AZ
Federation Newsletter on NARFE-PAC and what it
does for us.
“
PRIORITIES?
You can imagine my surprise when our
chapter president was called forward at a recent
Federation meeting and presented with an award
for the chapter exceeding $2000 in donations to
Alzheimer’s. Wow, what a surprise! What made it
a surprise was the fact that as the chapter’s
NARFE-PAC chair I have barely collected $500
to support the program that supports our reason
for being, our legislative program.
Yes, our NARFE-PAC supports our NARFE
Legislative program. NARFE-PAC opens the
doors for our legislative team so that they can
promote our legislative goals. The NARFE-PAC
is all about getting recognition; recognition of who
we are and what we do.
Nothing about Alzheimer’s does anything to
support our core program, legislation. Yet we see
a whole page in the September issue devoted to
hyping Alzheimer’s. Looks to me like we have our
priorities mixed up. What message does this
send to our members? Let’s not forget that Alzheimer’s is its own organization, a multi-million
dollar one at that. But here we go giving them
free advertisements in our magazine to the exclusion of hyping our own programs. If you want to
donate to Alzheimer’s, you do not have to belong
to NARFE. You can go to the Alzheimer’s web
page and donate all you want, donate all you
have. A lot of NARFE members are wondering
why all the hype is going to Alzheimer’s. It’s very
simple; we’ve made a contest out of it. Why else
would our chapter have received an award?
The Alzheimer’s article in the September
issue hypes the fact that Alzheimer’s is nearing
an $11 million goal. Wow again! With two national officers in the audience that day, I turned to
them and asked, “What is our NARFE-PAC donation goal for this year?” No answer. Why? Because there isn’t one. I think we have our priorities mixed up. ~ ~
1686 GAZETTE is published eight issues a year
by Chapter 1686, National Active and Retired Federal
Employees (NARFE), 825 E. Cinnabar Ave., Phoenix,
AZ 85020-1732. Members annual dues include subscription to this publication. Non-profit bulk mail rate
permit postage paid at Glendale, AZ. ~ ~
AREA AGENCY “Lift the Weight” CAMPAIGN:
At the October Chapter 1686 Executive Board
meeting, the request from the Area Agency for donations to their campaign was discussed.
This is a once-a-year request to aid the Agency
in providing needed services to adults. age 60 and
over, others with special needs and family caregivers. There are more than 900 individuals on the
waiting list for home services .
It was decided that the proceeds taken in from
the Silent Auction at the Holiday party would be donated to the Agency for this cause.
If you have an item to donate to the Silent Auction or find something in the auction that you would
like to buy, you will be helping out the Area Agency
with their campaign. Thank you. ~ ~
AARP DRIVER SAFETY PROGAM:
Safe driving is a challenge for drivers of all ages.
Although today's older Americans live a healthier
lifestyle than generations before them, they are still
more likely than younger drivers to experience vision, hearing, or other impairments that could create
risks while on the road.
Although older Americans are safe drivers and
their crash rate continues to decrease, older people
injure more easily than their younger counterparts
and are more likely to die when severely injured in a
crash
The AARP Driver Safety Program has been in
existence for 35 years and is the leading authority
on best practices for healthy and safe drivers age 50
and older. As the flagship initiative of AARP Driver
Safety, the AARP 'Smart Driver' Course is completed by approximately 500,000 participants per year,
resulting in an estimated $128 million in savings
through insurance discounts.
The Smart Driver Course provides Best Practices when sharing the road with other vehicles, a
discussion of how medications and aging effects
one safe driving ability, safety features of today's
vehicles and a discussion on when it is time to stop
driving. The Smart Driver Course may be taken in a
classroom setting or online. Further information on
the Smart Driver Couse will be presented during Mr.
Burch’s presentation. ~ ~
FEHBP Open Season:
Nov. 10 through Dec. 8, 2014.
Page 3 of 8.
SUMMARY - MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER
MEETING:
President Virginia Ginter called the
meeting to order at 11:25 a.m. She
called for a moment of silence for all
departed NARFE members, and then
led us all in the Pledge of Allegiance..
For our mini health fair today, three health insurance representatives were present to discuss their
health plans and answer questions. These agents
were Mark Rosales of Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Brian
Sperling of GEHA, and Janice Sheffield of Aetna.
Janice traveled all the way from Aetna’s home base in
San Diego, CA to be with us.
Their talks were well received by the chapter
members and guests. They were able to ask the representatives many questions during and after the
presentations. Virginia gifted them with NARFE cups.
Special refreshments were served before the
business meeting that started at 1:00 p.m.
Virginia acknowledged the presence of members
of other chapters and guests.
Virginia presented NARFE cups to Fred Garcia
and Dan Kirwin. Fred had been with our chapter the
longest (32 years) besides Tressie Annand. Dan was
the newest member present, just joining this year.
Tressie Annand has been with our chapter for 35
years and was presented with a flowering plant in honor of her being our only Charter Member.
Lynn Engles was not present, so Virginia read
Lynn’s history of Chapter 1686. We were the first
chapter to feature birthdays and hidden birthdays!
Richard gave his treasurer’s report.
Membership chair Clarice reported that there was
one member reinstatement, one member transfer-out
of our chapter into a California chapter, two members
dropped for non-payment of dues, and several prospective members. Clarice reminded us that if anyone
has a problem receiving our chapter newsletter,
please let her know.
Virginia said the nominees for next year’s elected
officers so far are comprised of the existing board.
Legislative Officer Lois Gossett reported that
among other things, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board issued a final rule to implement a bill
President Obama signed into law in 2013 making TSP
accounts subject to federal tax levies. This will correct
a loophole that gave federal employees ‘special
treatment’ that private sector employees did not receive. The IRS can dip into civilian, military and beneficiary accounts. The Congressional Budget Office
has estimated the law will result in an additional $24
million in revenue over a 10-year period. This rule
would also allow the FRTIB to withdraw from a TSP
enrollee’s account if the enrollee is required by federal court to pay federal constitution. A freeze on the
Page 4 of 8.
enrollee’s account can be enforced until the payment
is made.
Richard announced that the donations for the
Alzheimer’s Association can be made today. A box
was passed around for this purpose.
Carol Culbertson announced that there will be a
program on the sinking of the British Liner at
Macayo’s Restaurant on October 28 at 11:30 a.m.
Carol Ehle announced that free dental exams for
people with no insurance will be given at Midwestern
University Dental Institute. The phone number is
(623) 806-7016.
Attendance for today: 17 members; 5 guests.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:47 p.m.
Submitted by Roberta Yee, Secretary ~ ~
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE (Cont. fr. Pg. 1):
hosted the State Convention in Scottsdale. In a few
years membership had increased to over 300 members. The chapter co-hosted the 2nd Regional Conference in 1994 and co-hosted another state convention in May 1996.
One of our chapter projects was to collect money for the Veterans Cemetery (now the National Cemetery). In combination with other chapters $100 donations and $1400 from our chapter, trees were planted
and a Memorial Bench was installed in the Conversation Circle of the cemetery.
Meetings were held at the Sunnyslope Community Center until a few years ago when the cost of
meetings there became prohibitive. That is why we
continue to support Desert Mission.
During the two years that there was a Newsletter
Recognition Program, the chapter won first prize the
first year and tied for second the next year. We were
the first chapter to start putting birthdays in the newsletter and started the Hidden Birthdate, which was
written up in Retirement Life Magazine.
We continue to be an active chapter. We have
been involved with National, Regional, Federation
and Legislative conventions and sponsored workshops. Our chapter is active in the District 1 and 5
Task Force group.
Recently, I had members fill out a form indication how long they had been with NARFE and was
surprised to see 15 - 20 years as the norm.
The officers and committee persons work together as a team and I am proud and humble to be
the President of this chapter.
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving! ~ ~
Check out our AZ Federation Web page at:
http://www.narfeaz.com
BIRTHDAYS: Nov. 16 thru Jan. 15th:
Linda Nixon
Nov. 17
Genevieve Dixon Nov. 18
Glenn Dietel
Nov. 18
Frank Hernandez Nov. 25
Ralph Queen
Nov. 28
Fred Garcia
Nov. 29
Emma Glaze
Dec. 02
Gail Castle
Dec. 04
Tressie Annand
Dec. 07
Ruth Swanson
Dec. 09
Edward Moed
Clarice Pharo
Shirlene Ladd
Richard Pitter
Carol Culbertson
Jean Kalwiss
Judith Houk
Wanda Hauger
Farell Kenimer
Dec. 15
Dec. 17
Dec. 18
Dec. 22
Dec. 24
Dec. 27
Jan. 06
Jan. 11
Jan. 13
Best Wishes!
SUNSHINE REPORT (Carol Ehle,
[email protected]):
Sympathy card was sent to the family of Doris
Walton who passed away recently.
(Note: Carol suggested she start sending birthday cards to members and was told it was a good
idea.). ~ ~
REFRESHMENTS:
Special refreshments were
served at 12:30 p.m., courtesy of Dan Gilchrist,
Dale Armstrong, Elaine Caves, Lynn Engles,
and Fred Garcia. Thanks to Lois Gossett for
picking up our anniversary cake. ~ ~
Doris T. Walton
Doris Walton, 88, of Phoenix, passed
away on September 17, 2014. She was
born June 14, 1926 in Manou, LA. Doris
moved to Arizona in 1965 from El Paso, TX.
She is survived by her son William
(Kathy) Walton; her daughters, Barbra
((Michael) Miner and Lee Ann (Kelly) Porter;
seven grandchildren and ten greatgrandchildren.
Services were held at Camino del Sol
Funeral Chapel, Sun City West, AZ. Graveside committal at National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.
Chapter 1686 extends sympathy to
her family and friends. ~~
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING:
There will be no board meeting in December. The date for the January board meeting
will be announced later. Meetings are held at
the Library Room at the Cross Roads Church at
1:00 p.m. ~ ~
TOYS FOR DESERT MISSION:
Fred Garcia collected $16.00 for the 50/50. The
chapter treasury received $8.00 and winners Carol
Ehle and Richard Yee each won $4,00.. ~ ~
Don’t forget to bring an unwrapped, new
or like new, toy to the November meeting.
They will be delivered to the Mission following the meeting for distribution to the children at Christmas.
Desert Mission is our chapter’s local charity.
Your donation will be appreciated. ~ ~
BIRTHDAY DRAWINGS:
ELECTION OF CHAPTER OFFICERS:
50/50 WINNERS:
If you find the Hidden Birthdate in this newsletter and it’s yours, you will receive a NARFE
cup.
If your name is drawn from the list of
birthdates in the newsletter, you will also receive
a cup. You must be present in either case.
The Hidden Birthday for October was September 15th, but wasn’t claimed. ~ ~
Another thing this country needs
is a college that gives a degree in
“common sense”. ~ ~
Election of Chapter 1686 President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer will be held at the November Meeting.
The Nominating Committee, consisting of Eleanor Dullas and Carol Ehle, have not been able to get
a new slate of officers, but the present ones have
agreed to serve another year. There’s still time to
come forward. Nominations will be taken from the
floor at the meeting.
The Appointed Officers, consisting of Legislation, Membership, Service Officer, Public Relations,
and Editor will be appointed by the President after
election and will complete the Executive Board of
Chapter 1686. ~ ~
.
Page 5 of 8.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Nov. 21, 2014 (Fri.)
Dec. 19, 2014 (Fri.)
Jan. 16, 2015 (Fri.)
May 3 –5, 2015
-
Chapter 1686 Monthly Mtg., Cross Roads Church, Northern & Central Aves., Phx.
Chapter 1686 Annual Holiday Party, IronWorks Restaurant, Glendale, AZ
Chapter 1686 Monthly Mtg., Cross Roads Church, Northern & Central Aves., Phx.
Federation Convention, Windermere Hotel in Sierra Vista, AZ ~ ~
Wishing all
NARFE Members a
Blessed Holiday Season!
CHAPTER AUDIT/BUDGET COMMITTEE:
The Committee, consisting of Fred Garcia,
Lois Gossett and Clarice Pharo was appointed at
the November Executive Board meeting.
The committee will meet in January to audit
the chapter treasurer’s books.
The chapter budget for 2015 will also be prepared to be printed in the February chapter newsletter. ~ ~ 3-06
We sincerely thank the First Credit Union for supporting our newsletter with their monthly advertisement.
Stop in and visit them at 803 East Devonshire Ave., Phoenix, AZ ~ ~
THIS CREDIT UNION IS FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION
Page 6 of 8.
CHAPTER 1686 HOLIDAY PARTY:
The Chapter 1686 Annual Holiday Party
will be held at the IronWorks Restaurant on
December 19, 2014, starting at 11:30 a.m.
The choice of entrée is Turkey, Pork
Chops or Meat Loaf, along with salad, potatoes, vegetable, coffee or tea, and rolls.
Although the prices have risen some, the
price will still be $15.00 per person and the
chapter will pay the difference in price.
The Chapter 1686 officers for 2015 will be
installed at the party. There will be a Silent
Auction, Door Prizes, 50/50 and the Losers’
Prize drawing. If you turned in all of your losing 50/50 tickets for the year, you will have another chance to win a prize.
Plan to attend, send in your reservations
early, and we’ll see you at the party. ~ ~
If April showers bring May flowers,
what do May flowers bring?
Pilgrims! ~ ~
SILENT AUCTION ITEMS FOR
HOLIDAY PARTY:
A Silent Auction will be held at the Holiday
Party again this year. Due to limited space, we
plan on having fewer items and items of better
quality.
If you have a nice item that you would like
to donate for the auction, please bring it to the
November meeting.
The proceeds from this auction will be donated to the Area Agency “Lift the Weight Campaign”. (See page 3.)
Jean Rigtrup and Roseanne Sonchik will be in
charge of this event. ~ ~
DIRECTIONS - IRONWORKS RESTARANT:
Go to West Bell Road and 45th Ave., turn
north, go 1/4 mile to restaurant. It is on the
Bellair Golf Course. ~ ~
Tel.: (602) 843-0909
CHAPTER 1686 ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY
WHERE:
IronWorks Restaurant, 17233 N. 45th Ave., Glendale., AZ
WHEN:
Friday, December 19th, 2014 - TIME: 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
COST:
$15.00 per person - Includes Tax & Gratuity
ENTRÉE: _____ Turkey; _____ Pork Chops; _____ Meat Loaf (Mark how many of each.)
NAME: ____________________________ SPOUSE: __________________
Guests: _____________________________________________
Total Number Attending: ________ @ $15.00
=
(List names)
$ __________ enclosed.
Installation of Chapter 2015 Officers
Silent Auction
Door Prizes
50/50
Losers’ Prize
Make check payable to: Chapter 1686 NARFE, and give or mail to: Clarice Pharo,
825 E. Cinnabar Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85020-1732. Reservation Deadline: Dec. 9, 2014.
Page 7 of 8.
NARFE
Nat’l. Active & Retired Fed. Employees Assn.
Chapter 1686 Sunnyslope
Clarice M. Pharo, Editor
825 E. Cinnabar Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85020-1732
Time Value
NOV. – DEC. 2014
Address Service Requested
Dated Material
CHAPTER 1686 EXECUTIVE BOARD:
President:
1st V. President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Virginia Ginter
602 942-6093
Carol Culbertson
602 943-7834
Roberta Yee
623 337-4498
Richard Yee
623 337-4498
8844 W. Kings Ave.
Peoria, AZ 85382-3511
Legislative:
Lois Gossett
Unlisted
Membership:
Clarice Pharo
602 943-4753
Service Officer: Richard Yee
623 337-4498
Public Relations: Carol Culbertson
602 943-7834
Editor:
Clarice Pharo
602 943-4753
* * * * * * * * * *
Dist. 1 V. Pres.: Ron Castaneda
Fed. President: Etta Bryant
Reg. VII VP
Rodney Adelman
623 546-5596
520 578-0848
623 505-4719
COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN:
Sunshine, Carol Ehle:
602 943-7308
Greeter, Lynn Engles:
602 265-3750
Membership Records,
Fred Garcia:
623 878-7007
Attendance and 50/50
Fred Garcia:
623 878-7007
Refreshments, Clarice Pharo: 602 943-4753
Telephone Chairman,
Virginia Ginter:
602 942-6093
NARFE-Pac Coordinator, Vacant
Asst. to Editor, Jean Rigtrup: 602 841-1203
CHAPTER TELEPHONE CALLERS:
Richard Yee
Roberta Yee
Joan Ashton
Barbara Campbell
Carol Ehle
Need a Caller
-
Addie to Clark
Carlos to Gilchrist
Ginter to Kelber
Kelleman to Miller
Moed to Schultz
Solnit to Zandee
Contact Virginia (602 942-6093) if you would
like to be a caller. Thank you. ~ ~
Page 8 of 8.