President                                       Laquinnia Lawson       771-4196

 1^st Vice President                          Larry Barnett               769-4608

 2^nd V-P                                        Bill Branscum              386-7471

 Secretary                                     Ruth Schoenecke         964-2569

 Treasurer                                     Sammie Moser            391-5509

 Historian                                      Norma Krahl               399-5431

 Newsletter Editor                          Levonne Higdon          399-5432

 NARFE NET                               Gordon Weiss             391-6524                  

 

NARFE PAC                   Bill Branscum             386-7471

 Chaplain                         Charles Schoenecke    964-2569

Ways and Means Chair    Charles Schoenecke    964-2569 

    Vice Chairperson         George Finley             769-5060

Sunshine Chairperson      Janis Foster                 737-8055

Public Relation                Gordon Weiss             391-6524

Service Officer                Billy Branscum          386-7471

Alzheimer Coordinator    Alberta Barnett           769-4608

 

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National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) membership is open for membership to all federal civilians who are current employees, retirees, former employees, spouses, surviving spouses of those eligible to join NARFE and a former spouse who is eligible for a federal or survivor annuity.

 

Our NEXT Membership Meeting will be on Tuesday, November 17^th 2009 at the Eastern Oklahoma County Technical Center, 4601 N. Choctaw Road.  The Snack Bar will be open so you can select something to eat before the meeting.  Coffee will be available in the meeting room.  Our meeting will begin at 12:00 NOON.

 

PROGRAM:

“Alzheimer’s Disease in Oklahoma”

By Ms. Ms. Betty Lowrey, Oklahoma Federation Alzheimer’s Disease Chairperson

And

Alberta Barnett, NARFE Chapter 1621 Alzheimer’s Disease Coordinator

 

WE WILL ALSO TAKE THE TIME TO HONOR OUR VETERANS

 

GUESTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!!

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE: Fellow NARFE Members, I hope you’ve taken the time to review your health insurance needs.  Some of us have not received our health insurance benefit plan.  I received my “Medicare and You” handbook and my Health Insurance Benefits Plan a few days ago.  With these two items, I can make a sound decision.  I hope you have used these two documents to make your decision.

 

During our November Membership Meeting, we will be honoring our nation’s veterans.  Each veteran will be asked to give a brief account of his/her military service.  We have some vets who have had interesting military careers.  Please come and hear their presentation.

 

James Olden, our Federation Vice President, will speak to us about the use of Telephone Trees.  If we decide to use a Telephone Tree, it could save us some money.

 

Don’t forget that we will be voting on the NARFE Dues Referendum at out next meeting.  Our chapter has three votes.  Details of the Dues Referendum are in this newsletter.  Please read the article and compare the Regular Dues with the Dues Withholding.  You’ll see that there’s really not much of an increase for Dues Withholding NARFE members.  This may be a good time for you to look closer at the Dues Withholding plan.

 

{0}

Buck

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEMBERSHIP REPORT:   (Larry Barnett)

According to our National Headquarters’ monthly report from January until September of 2009, the following members of our chapter have been dropped from our membership roster:  (1) Ms. Carol Adams, (2) Mr. Phillip S. Bitticks, (3) Ms. Amelia Gordon, (4) Ms. Marjorie Miller, (5) Mr. Bert F. Long and (6) Mr. Robert O. Little. If your name is listed above and you’ve already renewed you membership, I sincerely thank you.  However, if you have renewed your membership, I need you to call and tell me so I can correct the records.  If you have not renewed your membership, I hope you’ll consider renewing your membership in our chapter.  NARFE really does need each and every one of you! 

 

OUR NEWEST CHAPTER MEMBERS FOR 2009 are: Ms. Joy Ball, Mr. Bobby D. Pearce, Mr. Warren A. Rice, Mr. Alvin R. Stein, Mr. Dennis Hunter, Ms. Donna McKinney, Ms. Judith L. Oedewaldt, Mr. Dennis Hunter, Mr. Danny E. Canada and Mr. John T. McCarthy.  Remember, NARFE is not a union but it’s the only organization whose goal is to help each and every Active and Retired Federal Employee and their survivors.  NARFE works with Congress to keep them abreast with the needs of federal employees and retirees.

 

Did you know that our NARFE Magazine is available in selected areas of the country through the National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped?  To find out more about it’s availability, call toll free 1-800-424-8567 and ask for the Reference Section.

 

Below is a summary of the impact NARFE Single Dues will have on our members and our chapter:  For members paying their dues yearly, the cost will be $40.00 with $9.00 going to our chapter treasury, $4.00 going to the Federation and $27 staying at the National NARFE Office.  For members on Dues Withholding, the cost will be $36.00, with $8.00 going to our chapter, $3.60 going to the Federation and $24.40 staying at the National NARFE Office.  So, get your Special Voter’s Coupon on page 36 of your August NARFE Magazine and let your chapter president know how you want us to vote on the Dues Referendum.

 

Our current Membership Incentives are effective from June 1, 2009 through April 30, 2010.  They are: 

     1.Recruiting Active Federal Employees (AFE)

     2.Members Changing to Dues Withholding

     3.Recruiting the Spouse of a Member

     4.Reinstating a Dropped Member

 

INCENTIVE PAYMENTS:

Recruiting Chapter of AFE - $10.

Members Enrolling in Dues Withholding - $20.

Members who enroll their spouse - $10.

Chapters that reinstate a dropped member - $10.

 

Chapter Officers Elected to Serve for 2010 are:  President – Laquinnia (Buck) Lawson, 1^st VP – Larry Barnett, 2^nd VP – Billy Branscum, Secretary – Ruth Schoenecke, Treasurer – Sammie Moser.  Our Chapter President will appoint those to serve as Chairperson(s) for Alzheimer’s, NARFE-PAC, NARFE-NET, Newsletter Editor, Ways and Means, Publicity, Service Officer, Historian, Chaplain and Sunshine.  Information about the Installation of Officers for 2010 will be included in the December 2009 Newsletter.  Don’t forget that if you are interested in helping any of our officers or appointees, please contact our chapter president. Remember, NARFE needs you and you need NARFE.

 

 

LEGISLATIVE NEWS  (Billy Branscum)

Congress is trying to reduce our entitlements.  Please call your U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative to let them know that you ARE here and that you do NOT want your benefits reduced.

 

PREMIUM CONVERSION: Premium conversion saves the average current federal employee about $820 each year because their premium is taken from their check on a pre-tax basis.  H.R. 1203 and S. 491 will allow federal retirees to pay their health insurance premiums on a pre-tax basis.  Once Premium Conversion is in effect, federal annuitants will get approximately $400 more on their federal annuity check.  Call your Congressional legislators at toll free 1-866-220-0044. Ask them to support the passage of H.R. 1203 and S. 491.

 

WEP AND GPO:  H.R. 235 and S. 484 have been introduced in the current 111^th Congress.  These two laws will repeal WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) and GPO (Government Pension Offset).  Contact your Congressional Staff. Ask them to support H.R. 235 and S. 484.  WEP and GPO are currently stealing the benefits that we earned!

 

SERVICE OFFICER NEWS:  (Bill Branscum)

The following phone numbers should be kept handy so you or a survivor can easily notify OPM of the death of an annuitant.  The toll-free telephone number to contact OPM is toll free 1-888-767-6738.  FEGLI’s toll free telephone number is 1-800-633-4542.  Write the two numbers on your NARFE ‘Important Paper’ booklet and let your survivors know where to find the booklet.  Your survivors will appreciate having the information available. If you need a copy of the NARFE ‘Important Paper’ booklet, let me know.

 

NARFE-PAC:  (Bill Branscum)

You can find out how your legislators are voting on various bills by going to www.NARFE.org.  You’ll need your Membership Number from the address label of your NARFE Magazine.  Our current U.S. legislators are Senator James M. Inhofe   (405) 608-4381), Senator Tom Coburn (405) 231-4941, Representatives John Sullivan (1^st District) (918) 749-0014, Dan Boren (2^nd District) (918) 798-2533, Frank Lucas (3^rd District) (405) 373-1958, Tom Cole (4^th District) (405) 329-6500 and Mary Fallin (5^th District) (405) 234-9900.  You can also reach the office of any of these legislators by calling toll free 1-866-220-0044.  CONTACT ONE OR MORE OF THEM TODAY!

 

Call your NARFE LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE (GEMS): To listen to the latest legislative news that affects you, call toll free 1-877-217-8234. On November 3^rd, GEMS sent a message telling about the New Health Insurance Bill being proposed in Congress. One of the articles in the New Health Insurance Bill is that doctors who are paid a lot of Medicare funds for patients they have, will have their reimbursements docked 5%.  There’s also a bill before Congress at this time that will take at least $100.00 from our monthly annuity checks for five years.  Now some members of Congress think that our annuity check is too much and that we get to retire too young.  The toll free phone number to contact Congress is 1-866-220-0044.

 

PUBLICITY:  (Gordon Weiss)

The Sunday SUN Newspaper is no longer being published.

 

CHAPLAIN/SUNSHINE: (Janis Foster)

“Some of our best living is done through the people we leave behind. Stop looking at yourself through your eyes and see yourself through God’s Eyes.” Adapted from “Touched by an Angel” by Martha Williamson.

 

Take time to remember those who have recently lost loved ones.  Remember their needs in an appropriate way and you will be blessed.

 

EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY: If you are know of a NARFE member or survivor who is sick or needs help, please let me know.  We want to do what we can to help our fellow members and their family.

 

Our condolences are extended to our NARFE members who have suffered a recent loss of a family member.  Our prayers continue to be for you and your loved ones!

 

GET WELL WISHES to each member who has not been feeling good.  We pray that you will have a swift and full recovery. Contact me at (405) 737-8055 when you’re ill, hospitalized or bereaved (or when you know of a member or survivor who needs special care).  Chapter members want to be available to help.  Thank you for allowing us to know of needs for visits and/or prayers!

 

ALZHEIMER’S REPORT (Alberta Barnett.)  In the U.S., Alzheimer’s Disease if now the 6^th leading cause of death.  It’s just ahead of diabetes.  More than five million people have Alzheimer’s.  The cost for caring for those with $148 Billion Annually.  That doesn’t include the 9.9 million unpaid caregivers.

 

NARFE Members need to contact Senators Inhofe and Coburn and applicable Congressional District Representatives and ask that they sponsor S. 1492 and H.R. 3286, known as “The Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act of 2009”.  The Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act of 2009 offers great promise for someday having a world without Alzheimer’s Disease.  The Alzheimer’s Association fully supports this legislation.  As of mid-October, there were 53 cosponsors of H.R. 3286 and 32 cosponsors of S. 2492.  The only Oklahoma Congressional sponsor is Representative John Sullivan from District 1.  We need to contact our Senators and District Representatives to ask them to sponsor this important legislation.

 

 

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The following organizations sponsor activities for retirees.  NOTE: If you know of any other organization that sponsors activities for NARFE members or retirees, call us.  Let our NARFE members know!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

EXEC BOARD MEETING – 1st Tuesday (10:00 A.M.)

NEWSLETTER MAILING – 2nd Tuesday (9:00 A.M.)

REGULAR MEETING – 3rd Tuesday (12:00 Noon)

November Membership Meeting – November 17^th 2009

December Membership Meeting – December 15^th 2009

 

NARFE WORKS FOR YOU!! 

WE’RE HELPING YOU KEEP THE RETIRMENT BENEFITS THAT YOU WERE PROMISED!