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NEWSLETTER
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Bellingham, Mt Vernon, and Oak Harbor, Washington Serving Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan and the northern half of Snohomish Counties |
Jan - Feb 2012 Volume 12 Number 1 WEB Site www.narfe196.com |
| Chapter 196 NARFE | Newsletter | Contacts | Membership | Washington NARFE | Everett Chapter 193 |
A Happy New Years to All
Well, 2012 is here and it looks like the battle will likely intensify to support active employees and to keep our hard earned retirement benefits. Protect America’s Heartbeat and other NARFE efforts will continue at the national level and each of us must learn what we can do to help. Because 2012 is a national election year, the
rhetoric in Congress will just get more strident. We must respond with patience, persistence and, above all, with facts! A wise man once said, ?There’s nothing so devastating to opinion as numbers.? Let’s respond to nonsense with facts and let’s build our membership numbers to maintain our clout in Washington. Recruit an newly retiring friend, ask an employee to join, sign up your spouse. Let’s make 2012 a year of growth. ?Each One Recruit One!? Please call me at 360-527-3142 if you’d like more information.
One final note – If you have any suggestions to improve this bi-monthly newsletter, let me know at qgates@juno.com Thanks, Q. Gates
New Chapter #196 Bylaws were presented to the membership at the Annual Meeting on October 11th. The three-page document combines the major elements of the old Constitution and Bylaws into a single document and reduces the number of chapter officers to four, establishes five functional chairpersons (see abon the chapter’s website at www.narfe196.coove) and allows for fewer chapter meetings per year. The members ratified the proposal unanimously at the October meeting and it was signed by NARFE National Secretary, Elaine Hughes, on November 7, 2011. A copy of the new Bylaws are posted below. Printed copies are also available on request.
WHAT - 2012 WSFC District II Meeting and Workshop. A detailed agenda will be available in February.
I hope to see you and your leadership team at the workshop on March 24th. Meanwhile, please let me know if you have any questions
or need additional information.
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Installation of Chapter 196 Officers
More pictures are available in last months Xmas Edition listed below.
Registration forms for NARFE's 32nd Biennial Convention, Aug. 26-30, are included in the January issue of NARFE magazine; online registration opens in January. The convention hotel is John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort in Reno-Sparks, Nev. The theme of the gathering is "NARFE: Our Best Bet for the Future." NARFE National President Joseph A. Beaudoin predicts the 2012 National Convention will be one of the most important in the history of the Association, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2011. "Our upcoming convention should prove a pivotal one for us, as the Association and the federal family continue to face daunting challenges. But I look forward to what I know will be a productive convention as we continue the legacy of our founders." Beginning in January, the NARFE website will feature content devoted to the convention.
As I was reviewing the figures for the Washington Federation (WSFC) chapters’ NARFE-PAC contributions and the average of each, I thought it would be interesting to look at it as we do Alzheimer’s contributions – the average per member. The numbers I used are for the end of the 3rd quarter (of 8) in this election cycle. Without NARFE-PAC we can’t ?open doors!
Federal managers have long anticipated an impending tidal wave of retirements, when large numbers of baby boomers start filing for their pensions. But retirement applications have risen sharply — nearly 25 percent — for the first 10 months of 2011, according to OPM statistics obtained by the Federal Times. At that rate, 104,700 will have filed for retirement by the end of December. John Palguta, VP for policy at the Partnership for Public Service, suspects that turnover may be even higher. "One has to consider, (that) for every two retirees you have at least one other employee who simply quits government to do something outside of government." Palguta explained that the percentage of people seeking retirement is somewhat predictable, based on employees' eligibility, years of service and age. "We know we've got quite a few folks and then the trend, unfortunately, for some government managers is pretty clear," he said. "This is the time that folks are starting to pull the plug. According to Palguta, all indications point to an increased exodus of federal employees as well as state and local government employees. It's not just that baby boomers are deciding to retire. "Some agencies are doing buyouts because of budget considerations and early-out retirements," Palguta said. "You have the pay freeze, proposals to reduce benefits ... and many public employees are simply saying, 'OK, we've been on the bubble. We've been thinking about it. Now's the time to go.'"
Ways to Stay Flu-Free – EHS Today
Parties, family get-togethers and fun with friends… that’s not the time you want to be sick with flu. Yet because of all the personal contact with friends, family and co-workers, it's the time of year when you may likely be exposed to the flu. A cold can strike any time, but now through March is flu season. In addition to a flu shot, here are eight tips that can help you stay healthy during this flu season: 1. Cough into your sleeve – If you feel a cough or sneeze coming on, be sure to cough in your sleeve or the inside of your sweater or jacket to avoid spreading germs. A cough or sneeze can contaminate the air and surfaces with virus up to several feet away. 2. Wash your hands – Germs on the hands can spread to every door knob, hand rail, telephone, remote control, keyboard, etc. Wash your hands frequently to avoid spreading germs or picking up germs from others. 3. Do the air kiss – Greet your family and friends by giving them a hug and kissing the air near their cheek. 4. Don't use your fingers – As a party guest, use serving spoons or forks to put food on your plate instead of just reaching for it. As a party host, be sure
to put out plenty of serving utensils and provide people with alternatives to reaching into bowls. Create individual servings of your offerings. 5. Get creative with your cups – When hosting a party, come up with fun ways of personalizing cups so there aren't any mix-ups. Avoid serving beverages in their original containers for the same reason, so there aren't multiple identical cans or bottles floating around. 6. Carry hand sanitizer with you – Remember: the last person to touch that doorknob, faucet, shopping cart handle or handrail may have the flu. Viruses can survive hours or even days on surfaces. If there isn't a place to wash your hands nearby, use alcohol gel to sanitize your hands before you eat any food or touch your face, particularly your nose or mouth. 7. Get enough sleep – Lack of sleep weakens your immune system and makes you more susceptible to illness. Get a consistent 6-8 hours of sleep every night. 8. If you're sick, stay home – If you feel like you are coming down with a cold or flu, stay at home until you feel better.
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Registration Opens for NARFE 2012 National Convention
