Points to Ponder #05-18

POINTS TO PONDER

Issue 05-18

From CSFC President Helen Zajac

CATEGORY:  Chapter Suggestions    November 15, 2005

Subject:  NARFE NEEDS YOU and YOU NEED NARFE!

I received this from Ann M. Collins, President of the Virginia Federation and feel that it has some very important words, for all NARFE members.  I have modified it slightly for the California Federation.

So many of you have taken on numerous NARFE responsibilities within your chapter and to each of you I extend a personal THANK YOU.  Your leadership and committee work as grass roots advocates for preserving and protecting our earned retirement benefits are shown by our loud NARFE voice on "Capitol Hill".  Your work is greatly appreciated and we hope you can continue to support your chapter as often as possible.  You are encouraged to seek other members to assist you in your leadership or committee work.  The one-on-one guidance you provide is invaluable to your chapter leaders and the Federation.

For those readers of this email who have not been participating in NARFE activities within their chapters, we need you.  Can you help?

Recently, I have noticed that several chapter presidents are searching for members willing to accept a leadership position or a committee chair for their chapters.  These presidents are not alone...there are many vacancies to fill in many of our 97 chapters.  The chapter members who have been covering these responsibilities are no longer available due to a number of reasons, such as health problems, relocation to a retirement or assisted living community, overload and exhaustion, etc.  Also, I'm hearing the reason, "the incumbent has been doing such a good job for so many years that it is assumed they will continue a while longer", or “they don’t want to give up their job”.  Although a nice thought, it is not a reasonable one.  Those dedicated members deserve a break when they request it.  And, they are generally available to provide guidance to those taking on a new role and opportunities.  It can be a win-win situation for all!   

Untapped and needed talents, skills, and experience are often unknown to chapter leaders because no one has asked for them, specifically.  Now, as your Federation President, I am asking every member to consider committing some time, if not already doing so, to support NARFE and their chapter during the coming year.

Before you say you don’t have time, please consider the following.  I know we all are very busy; however, each of us has 1,440 minutes of time each day and each of us must decide where to utilize those precious “minutes” of time to provide the most personal benefit.  There are many choices with so many people and activities competing for a piece of our time. 

But remember, NARFE is the only organization working directly for YOU to protect and preserve your current retirement benefits (retirees) or your future retirement benefits (current employees).  Think about NARFE as your insurance policy for your retirement benefits.  Please include some of your precious minutes for NARFE! 

Whether you are a current employee or retired, there is some NARFE activity in which you could provide assistance to your chapter.  If you can take on one of the leadership positions or a committee chair, please step up and contact your chapter president as soon as possible. Many of our chapters need members to serve as vice presidents, secretaries, and/or treasurers. 

If you can help out only on occasion, let your chapter president know that as well.  Those members who work full time can provide much needed assistance and stay in touch with the chapter leadership even if they are not available to attend meetings regularly.  

There is a great need at nearly every chapter for members to make telephone calls, send out emails, work membership lists, deliver posters/magazines, assist in publishing/distributing the chapter newsletter, etc.  Much of this support can be done on your time schedule.

Familiarization for most leadership positions and committee chairs is offered by the chapter as well as the Federation.  Additional information relative to these positions is available from the NARFE web site, www.narfe.org, specifically in the NARFE Chapter and Federation Officer Manual (F-10) which can be accessed on line.  In helping your chapter with its NARFE work, you will not only be helping yourself by protecting your earned benefits, but also in getting to work with your fellow chapter members.  And, it can be FUN by getting to know members of your own community!

Our chapter members are grass roots advocates for preserving and protecting our earned retirement benefits. Each member is a voice on “Capitol Hill”.  We count on YOU to inform, educate, and influence your legislators to support the issues that impact our earned benefits. 

Please remember there are some other organizations that claim to support senior citizen and retirement issues, but NARFE is the ONLY organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, and enhancing the earned retirement benefits of federal civilians.

NARFE is our safety net. And, in today’s political and economic environment, we may be depending on NARFE more than ever before.

If you value the fact that you receive an annual COLA, that you have FEHBP and a 55% survivor benefit – you can thank NARFE.  Congress has recently tried to attack each of these benefits, and NARFE has persevered and maintained these benefits for us.  And, NARFE is watching Congress now, as they look for ways to gain much needed monies in a deficit year.

That’s why, as your Federation President, I am imploring you to please think about what YOU can do to support your Chapter for the coming year.  Contact your chapter president now while you are thinking about it! 

Again, NARFE needs YOU and YOU need NARFE!

NARFE – IMPROVING AND DEFENDING FEDERAL RETIREMENT BENEFITS SINCE 1921.