NATIONAL ACTIVE AND RETIRED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION CHAPTER 893 SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA

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NATIONAL ACTIVE AND RETIRED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION CHAPTER 893 SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA PROUDLY SERVING OUR MEMBERS SINCE 1963 VOLUME 51 NUMBER 8 VFC AREA IX APRIL 2016 PRESIDENT Deanna Shepherd

1 NATIONAL ACTIVE AND RETIRED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION CHAPTER 893 SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA PROUDLY SERVING OUR MEMBERS SINCE 1963 VOLUME 51 NUMBER 8 VFC AREA IX APRIL 2016 PRESIDENT Deanna Shepherd dclshepherd@hotmail.com TREASURER Jim Wagner betty.wagner@redcross.org CHAPTER DIRECTORS Joe Bush Jjmeb@msn.com Virginia Carter At-Large Jesse Hill Jdrewh@verizon.net Elizabeth Lynch Emlynchva@verizon.net Dorie Waddick Dewaddick@comcast.net NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE CHAIR Joe Bush PAST PRESIDENT Joseph P. (Pat) Harahan Harahan@verizon.net WEBMASTER Sidney A. Sachs EDITOR Deanna Shepherd dclshepherd@hotmail.com PRESIDENT S MESSAGE Summer Luncheon Overlooking the Golf Course As we prepare for the 2016 Virginia Federation of Chapters (VFC) 62nd Annual Convention, April 17 to 20, in Richmond Virginia, and begin to register for the NARFE National Convention, being held this year in Reno, Nevada, from August 28-September 1, 2016, our thoughts stray to what s in between. Chapter 893 s Summer Luncheon that s what! This year, you are invited to a bountiful buffet luncheon at the Springfield Golf and Country Club, 8301 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield, Virginia The luncheon will take place on the second Wednesday in June (June 8) from 12 Noon to 2:30 p.m. We will be seated in Ballroom B, on the second floor of the Club, with a Cash Bar, piped in music, and access to a covered balcony overlooking the golf course. Since Ballroom B will seat attendees, we are also inviting members and their guests from neighboring NARFE Chapters to the luncheon, which is scheduled annually in June, prior to our seasonal break until the month of September. The Assorted Sandwich Buffet will include: Mixed Green Salad (Raspberry Vinaigrette and Ranch Dressing) Ham, Smoked Turkey, Chicken Salad, Grilled Vegetable, and Roast Beef, served on Assorted Rolls, Wraps, and Pita Bread Homemade Potato Chips Farfalle Pasta Salad and Seasonal Fruit Salad Brownies and Assorted Cookies A Coffee and Tea Station The luncheon cost is $19.50 per person with a 20% service fee and 6% tax, totaling $ However, your Executive Board has decided that the Chapter will pay the service fee and tax to add to your enjoyment of this once-a-year function. Accordingly, the cost per member or guest will be $19.50, inclusive. The Cash Bar will include Club Brands (Pinnacle Vodka, Beefeaters, Bacardi, Dewars, Jim Beam, Canadian Club, and Cuervo). Costs are: continued on page 2

President s Message continued from page 1 House Wine - $10.00; Cocktails - $8.00; Premium Beer - $7.00; Domestic Beer - $6.00; Juices and Bottled Water - $3.00; and Soft Drinks and Iced Tea - $2.00. The Chapter must guarantee a minimum of 30 attendees in order to confirm our reservation.

50 per person, as soon as possible, but not later than May 25, 2016. Questions should be referred to Joe Bush, at 703-644-5192 or via email, jjmeb@msn.com.

2 President s Message continued from page 1 House Wine - $10.00; Cocktails - $8.00; Premium Beer - $7.00; Domestic Beer - $6.00; Juices and Bottled Water - $3.00; and Soft Drinks and Iced Tea - $2.00. The Chapter must guarantee a minimum of 30 attendees in order to confirm our reservation. Please see the reservation form included with this newsletter. Submit the completed form with your non-refundable check to NARFE Chapter 893, in the amount of $19.50 per person, as soon as possible, but not later than May 25, Questions should be referred to Joe Bush, at or via , jjmeb@msn.com. Don t miss this chance to have a delightful lunch and fun in the shade with NARFE members and guests at a beautiful venue. Deanna Shepherd President, Springfield Chapter 893 The House Budget Committee approved the House Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 budget resolution on March 16, following the release of the text the day before. BREAKING NEWS The budget assumes $1.46 trillion in other mandatory spending cuts, which include cuts to federal employee and military personnel health and retirement benefits. Specifically, the House budget proposed the following: An increase in retirement contributions for all current federal employees; A 10 percent reduction of the federal civilian workforce through attrition, whereby one employee would be hired for every three who leave government service; A decrease in the rate of return on the Thrift Savings Plan s Government Securities Fund (G Fund); and Increasing postal employees share of their FEHBP premiums. While the budget resolution passed committee, it is unclear whether it will come to the House floor. The conservative House Freedom Caucus stated that it will oppose any budget that sticks with the $1.07 trillion discretionary spending levels agreed upon in last year s budget deal. Without their support, Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-WI, may not have the 218 votes he needs to pass a budget through the House NARFE NATIONAL CONVENTION RENO, NV AUGUST 28 TO SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 Online registration for the 34th Biennial NARFE National Convention is now open. The convention, hosted in partnership with the California and Nevada NARFE Federations, will be held in Reno, NV, August 28-September 1. NARFE members from across the country will meet to set the Association s legislative agenda for the next Congress, elect new officers, and make major decisions that will determine the future course of NARFE. This year s theme is Progress. Protect. Persevere. You can register on the convention website, accessible by clicking the convention banner on the NARFE home page, The registration fee for all convention attendees is $99, if paid before August 1. More information about fees and the convention agenda can be found on the convention website. If you have any questions about registration, call NARFE Springfield Chapter 893 Page 2 April 2016

3 2016 ALZHEIMER S FACTS AND FIGURES The following information was reported by the Alzheimer s Association ( telephone: ). The number of Americans living with Alzheimer s disease is growing. An estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer s disease in Every 66 seconds someone in the United States develops the disease. By mid-century this rate will increase to one every 33 seconds. In 2015, more than 15 million caregivers provided an estimated 18.1 billion hours of unpaid care. That care had an estimated economic value of $221.3 billion. In 2016, Alzheimer s and other dementias will cost the nation $236 billion, with just under half of the costs borne by Medicare. In 2050, Alzheimer s is projected to cost more than $1 Trillion (in 2016 dollars), an increase of 360 percent. Alzheimer s kills more than breast and prostate cancer combined. The Alzheimer s Association is the charity of choice for NARFE nationwide. As the largest Chapter in Virginia, we ask that you join the cause and help push forward the research that could lead to one of the world s most important medical breakthroughs. To make a direct donation, make checks payable to NARFE/Alzheimer s Research, note Chapter 893 in the memo line, and mail to Donna Shackelford, VFC Alzheimer s Chair, Round Lick Lane, Centreville, Virginia To donate by credit card, go to and click on the Make an online donation on behalf of your NARFE chapter link at the bottom of the page. Then, select your Federation and Chapter from the drop down menu in the donation information section. THE LITTLE THEATRE OF ALEXANDRIA The next free play by the Little Theatre of Alexandria (LTA) performed for our senior community exclusively will be The History Boys on June 3, 2016, at 8:00 p.m. It goes something like this: An unruly bunch of bright senior boys in a British boys school are in pursuit of sex, sport, and a good university, generally in that order. In their efforts, they are helped and hindered, by a maverick English teacher who seeks to broaden their horizons in sometimes underdefined ways, and a young history teacher who questions the methods, as well as the aim, of their schooling. The play raises, with gentle wit and pitch-perfect command of character, universal questions about the nature of history, how it is taught, and the purpose of education itself. This should prove to be an entertaining evening. For tickets, contact Jesse Hill at jdrewh@verizon. net or NOTE: For the last couple of plays, a few members signed up, but did not show up. These free productions are a gift, and the recipients have an obligation to call or me as soon as they realize they can t make it. Please exercise this courtesy to fellow NARFE members who may be on the wait list, but can t attend because seats have been reserved. Jesse Hill Chapter Director/Theatre Community Liaison NARFE Springfield Chapter 893 Page 3 April 2016

4 FEDERAL EMPLOYEE HEALTH PROGRAM TO BOOST AUTISM BENEFITS In The Washington Post, Federal Insider column on March 31, 2016, Eric Yoder reported that, Federal employee health-care plans will have to cover applied behavior analysis for children on the autism spectrum starting next year, and they are being encouraged to step up the incentives for enrollees to participate in wellness programs. Exact terms will vary among plans within a general mandate that all carriers offer clinically appropriate and medically necessary treatment. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), co-chair of the Congressional Autism Caucus, called the requirement a milestone that will help ensure families across the country using ABA therapy will no longer have to pay the full out-of-pocket costs, and that public servants in every state will have access to an insurance plan that meets the needs of individuals on the spectrum. We know that early diagnosis and intervention services are critical to the long term development of a child with autism, he said. In addition to universal and early detection screening, interventions such as ABA therapy are important tools that help provide children with ASD an opportunity to live to their full potential. Plans should emphasize the importance of such programs to their enrollees, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) said, adding that it will monitor participation rates for each plan. MAY 11, 2016 CHAPTER MEETING GUEST SPEAKERS SHARING RESOURCES On March 25, 2016, Jesse Hill (Chapter Board Member) and his wife Diane (Senior Citizens Council Chair) attended the Region 2, Mason District, Senior Citizens Council Meeting. Subsequent to the meeting, they spoke with the two guest speakers, Shawn Gore, Life Safety Education Specialist, representing the Fairfax Fire Department, and Dean Sherick, Community Outreach Liaison Assistant, for the County of Fairfax s Office of Emergency Management. Jesse and Diane found their individual presentations to be extremely informative and of value to our Chapter members who are very interested in health and lifestyle issues affecting seniors. As a result, Shawn and Dean have accepted our invitation to be the guest speakers at our May 11 Chapter meeting. What a fine example of our County s commitment to sharing expert human resources with senior citizens associations and with NARFE! The Lunch Bunch will meet at Chili s Grill and Bar, located at 6250 Inter Parcel Road, Alexandria, VA (telephone: ), at 11:00 a.m. in advance of our April 13 meeting. Travel east on the Springfield Franconia Parkway; pass the Beulah intersection light; make a right turn at the next light at Silver Lake Blvd; then, right again to Inter Parcel Road. Members have enjoyed previous visits to Chili s. Please call Eleanor Erickson at or her at 33eleanor@gmail.com, so that a reservation can be made in advance. Enjoy meeting and socializing with fellow Chapter members and guests at lunch. Eleanor Erickson THE LUNCH BUNCH I hope you will plan on welcoming our guest speakers at the Chapter meeting. NARFE Springfield Chapter 893 Page 4 April 2016

5 CHAPTER CALENDAR - APRIL TO JUNE 2016 April 17 through April 20 VFC Convention, Doubletree by Hilton Midlothian-Richmond, 1021 Kroger Center Boulevard, Richmond, VA April 28 Finance Committee Meeting, 1:00 p.m. -3:00 p.m., Board Room, Springfield Golf and Country Club. May 1 to 7 Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW), sponsored annually by NARFE and other member organizations of the Public Employees Roundtable. For a full list of ways to celebrate, including information on the Public Service 5K run/walk held in Washington D.C.. Visit the PSRW website, www. publicservicerecognitionweek.org. Wednesday, May 4 Chapter Executive Board Meeting at 1:30 p.m., in the Conference Room, Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, 8336 Carrleigh Parkway, Springfield, Virginia. Wednesday, May 11 Monthly Chapter Meeting with social period at 12:30 p.m., and business meeting at 1:00 p.m. Guest speakers, Shawn Gore, Fairfax County Fire Department, and Dean Sherick, Office of Emergency Management, Fairfax County, will make their presentations from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 8 Summer Luncheon (in lieu of June monthly Chapter Meeting). The Chapter s Summer Luncheon will be held from Noon to 2:30 p.m., in Ballroom B, at the Springfield Golf and Country Club. The President s Message providing particulars for the luncheon and the luncheon registration form are included with this newsletter. STAY INFORMED Visit the NARFE Website: Visit the VFC Website: Visit the Chapter 893 Website: NARFE Springfield Chapter 893 Page 5 April 2016

6 NARFE Springfield Chapter 893 P. O. Box West Springfield, VA ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Merrifield, VA Permit No Springfield Chapter 893 s May 11, 2016 Meeting Registration and Social at 12:30 p.m. Business Meeting 1:00 p.m.; Guest Speakers 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The guest speakers for our May meeting will be Shawn Gore, representing the Fairfax County Fire Department, and Dean Sherick with the Office of Emergency Management, Fairfax County. Springfield Chapter 893 meets on the second Wednesday of the month (excluding June, July and August) at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church 8336 Carrleigh Parkway, Springfield Virginia 22152

NATIONAL ACTIVE AND RETIRED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION SPRINGFIELD CHAPTER 893 JUNE 2018 UPDATE

NATIONAL ACTIVE AND RETIRED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION SPRINGFIELD CHAPTER 893 JUNE 2018 UPDATE PROUDLY SERVING OUR MEMBERS SINCE 1963 This edition is a briefing of events that have occurred since our