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Big Country Chapter 1056 Newsletter |
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Inside
this Issue: ·
Presidents Corner ·
Vice President’s
Comments ·
Legislative Update ·
Membership Update ·
Veterans and Retiree
Affairs ·
Communications Update ·
Recognition
Highlights ·
AAC Corner ·
Senior Advisor I
hope you enjoy this first edition of The Big Country Chapter’s
Newsletter. If you would like
to add something to our next edition please e-mail me at [email protected]
or call me at (915) 793-2109 Thanks
for all you do for your country. Mark
Meloy Chapter
President |
PRESIDENTS CORNER
GREETINGS from AFSA Chapter 1056; the big country chapter. I am very proud of the accomplishments we have done since the beginning of the year. My executive committee has been working hard on making this one of the best chapters in Division 610. I want to take a moment to welcome the El Paso Chapter members into our fold. I look forward to meeting any of you who want to continue serving your Air Force Sergeants Association. The plan is to have a quarterly newsletter that we will mail to each chapter member. However, some of you may rather receive it electronically instead. This would also lower our cost of sending it out to you via regular mail. If you would prefer to receive the chapter newsletter electronically please send me an e-mail [email protected] and I’ll make that happen. In future editions of this newsletter I will tell you some of the wonderful things we have accomplished in the previous quarter. I will also take the opportunity to recognize those chapter members who go above and beyond the call of duty. In this edition I would like to recognize Jim Goodwin, our chapter treasurer. Jim, has done wonderful things for our chapter this quarter. He organized our air show booth in August, creating an opportunity to recruit four new members into the chapter. Jim has personally recruited 9 new members this past quarter. He is also very active with in the local community with other volunteer activities. Way to go Jim! |
VICE PRESIDENT
JOHN REINOEHLAS
you know recruiting and retention is a big issue for all AFSA members.
We all must take the time to recruit new members and retain
existing members. Division
610 has created an initiative to put some money into our recruiter’s
pockets. At our annual
division convention anyone who has recruited one member will be eligible
to win $500 like Joe Williams from Barksdale did at this years convention
in May. Actually, one recruit
will get you one vote, but for each five people you sign up you will get
another vote. This process is
automatically done at international so you need to do nothing but get out
there and recruit! Other
division recruiting incentives are: 10
Recruits, Division 610 coin, 25 Recruits,
$25 savings bond, 50 recruits, $1 per Recruit, up to 100.
100 New Members, Free Division Convention Registration.
Recruiting Pays!
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATESGARY ENGLER--TRUSTEEVeterans issues scheduled for the Nov 6 election, by David
Dewhurst, Chairman Texas Veterans Land Board I am proud to announce that two issues vital to Texas
veterans will be at the top of the Nov 6th General Election
Ballot. House Joint
Resolution 82, improving the Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) home loan
program and establishing a funding mechanism for a veterans cemetery
program, will be listed as Proposition 7.
Both initiatives have been long time goals of the VLB and the
veterans organizations throughout the state, and now Texas voters will
have the opportunity to decide their future.
Proposition 7 will allow the VLB to sell up to $500 million in
general obligation bonds to generate additional funds for the veterans
home loan program. Under this program, qualifying veterans can apply for a
below-market interest rate loan up to $150,000. Many of Texas’ 1.6 million veterans have taken advantage of
this program to fulfill their dreams of home ownership. By casting your vote this November, you can help many more
veterans realize that dream. Proposition
7 is also a reflection of the Texas commitment to honoring our veterans
and their lives of service. Proposition
7 will allow the state to use assets generated by Texas veterans in
certain land and home loan programs to fund the development, maintenance
and operation of a state veterans cemetery program.
As Chair of the VLB, it is my full intention to work closely with
the Texas Veterans Commission in establishing criteria for burial and
selecting appropriate sites throughout the state.
I urge all veterans to exercise the right they fought for and vote
this Nov 6. UPCOMING EVENTS TRUSTEE: LU PITTS 10 NOV 01: VETERANS
DAY PARADE IN ABILENE. 20 NOV 01: GENERAL
MEMBERSHIP MEETING AT THE VFW (1900) 18 DEC 01: AFSA 1056 AND A1056 ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY |
VETERANS
AND RETIREE AFFAIRS
DONNA
GOODWIN TRUSTEE
Congress quickly returned to take up its regular
business as well as initiatives to respond to the Sept 11th
tragedy. One of the first
bills on the Senate agenda will be the FY 2002 Defense Authorization Bill
(S.1416), which could come to the Senate floor for action very soon. Among the amendments that will be offered:
Sen Harry Reid’s (D-NV) amendment to authorize disabled military
retirees to receive their full military retired pay and their full VA
disability compensation, without any offset from either.
This is an important issue for all retirees who have served 20
years of faithful service and receive disability.
As it stands now our disability, be it 10% or 50% is deducted from
our retirement pay and that amount is tax free.
We do not receive disability above and beyond our normal retirement
pay. If passed this amendment
will change that. Members of
the military retiree community who want to express their views on these
bills to their elected officials may do so by calling the toll-free hot
line to Capitol Hill (1-877-762-8762). Just ask the Capitol operator to connect you to your senators
office. SCHOLARSHIP
INFO TRUSTEE:
KEVIN McCOY Did
you know that AFSA has a scholarship fund?
The scholarship fund awards deserving young men and women financial
assistance in the form of competitive grants.
High School graduates and in-college students who are single,
dependent children (including step children and adopted children) of AFSA
or auxiliary members are eligible. To
learn more please contact your local AFSA chapter or sign on to the
international web page at AFSAHQ.ORG AIRMAN
ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR UPDATE JEREMIAH
COYKENDALL We will start a new recruiting initiative on 22 Oct
01. At this time we will
begin our bi-monthly briefings at the First Term Airman Center (FTAC). |
RECRUITING
AND RETENTION: TRUSTEE
RICK MILLER Bi-Annual
Membership results: 15
Recruits, 4 Rejoins & 1 Retained Year to Date
Membership Stats: 39 Recruits, 10 Rejoins and 7 Retained.
Our goal for Calendar Year 2001 is 100 Recruited, Rejoined &
Retained Currently with 2.5
months left we have made just over 50%
of our goal. ALL AFSA Members go out and recruit. Don’t forget the
Auxiliary, we can exceed our goal if you recruit your spouse (male or
female) for the Auxiliary. All people over 16 of good moral character are
eligible to join AFSA. My civilian brother was my last recruit. SENIOR ADVISORCHARLES
SCHAFF Here it is already October and as I reflect on what
has happened in our country these past few months I see November 11th
coming up in the very near future. I
wonder if September 11th and November 11th have
anything in common with each other--other than just being the 11th
of each month. For
those of you who may not remember what day November 11th is let
me remind you that it’s Veterans Day.
Our chapter will march in the local Veterans Day parade.
We need everybody to come down to the Taylor County Courthouse and
take part in the parade. Lets
have a good turn out and make the Chapter proud! FUNDRAISERS We have the following items for sale: Hats--$8.50 Shirts--$10 Division and Chapter coins--$5 each |