Look for a list of candidates running for office in the April issue of the

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1 Annapolis Chapter 251 Vol. 38, Issue 6 March 2015 President s Message On February 3, Bob Doyle and I attended the Maryland Federation Board meeting in Bowie. During the meeting, I was installed as president of Chapter #251 for the duration of Meg Clarke s term. Meg is a tough act to follow, but I will do my best to advance the objectives of Chapter #251. I also want to thank Meg for her many years of dedicated service. Attendees at the February 25 meeting were given tips on communicating with legislators from Bill Ferguson, member of the Maryland Federation Legislative Committee. Bill reminded us that legislators consider a quiet constituency to be a contented constituency. He encouraged us to focus our talents to speak up on the issues. Our spring calendar is quite busy! In addition to regular meetings, Bob Doyle will represent Chapter #251 at the NARFE Legislative Training Conference, March In addition to hands-on training to prepare for Capitol Hill meetings, Bob will learn about the issues facing the federal community, NARFE s Legislative agenda and how to organize locally. The Maryland Federation of Chapters will conduct its 42 nd State Convention Sunday evening, April 26, through Tuesday, April 28, at the Carousel Resort Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland. President, continued on Page 2. Upcoming Election of Officers Look for a list of candidates running for office in the April issue of the Sharpener. All offices are open for nominations. Election of officers to serve from July 1, 2015, through June, 2017, will be held at the May Luncheon/Meeting. The chapter needs a few volunteers to fill critical positions. The time has come when some of the long term officers need to step down, and the chapter needs some new blood to take their place. This is how the chapter will survive and continue moving into the future. This problem of finding volunteers to serve is not unique to Chapter 251, or even NARFE for that matter. Some other NARFE chapters, and even other organizations, are experiencing this problem. But it would seem that with 645 members in the chapter, there should be a few people who could step forward to fill these positions and keep the chapter moving forward. Any interested members for a position should call Ask for Carla. Please leave a message if she is unable to answer, and she will return the call. Bill Tracker Returned to narfe Magazine T he Bill Tracker is back! In the March edition of narfe magazine, you will find the return of the bill tracker in the Washington Watch section. The Bill Tracker lets you know what legislation is being monitored by NARFE. Broken down by issue subject, each bill has information on its sponsor; a short summary of the bill, including the latest actions taken; and NARFE s position. The Bill Tracker will be updated each issue of the magazine as more bills are introduced in Congress. Look for it in each edition. Next Meeting The March meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 25th at the Elks Lodge, Annapolis MD. We gather at 11:30 and lunch begins at noon. The cost is $20 per person, payable at the door. Checks should be payable to NARFE Chapter 251. Make your reservation with Marilyn Tross at or with Doris Bussey at The speaker for the March Luncheon will be Tyme Gigliotti, from SourcePoint Acupuncture in Linthicum, MD. His topic will be Staying Healthy Through the Seasons. Inclement Weather Policy Tis the season As in the past, in the event of inclement weather (think snow, ice, etc.), Chapter 251 follows the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. If they re closed, closing early, or opening late we do not meet that day(s). Fall back positions and/or alternative dates will be available from the Chapter President. March 2015 NARFE Sharpener 1

2 NARFE Scholarship Program to Begin Accepting Applications for 2015 Awards Reprinted from the January 2015 NARFE Insider The 2015 NARFE Scholarship Program, open to children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of NARFE members, will run February 1 through April 24. Applicants must be high school seniors planning to attend their first year of an accredited college toward a degree in the fall/winter of A copy of the official application will appear in the February and March issues of narfe magazine and can be obtained from the NARFE website as of February 1 by clicking on the Scholarship Program graphic in the rotating display on the home page. Click on org/pdf/f-105.pdf for the F-105 brochure A Guide to NARFE s Annual Scholarship Awards Program. Sixty $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to winners of this year s scholarship competition. Winners will be notified in August. The NARFE Scholarship Program relies on the generosity of donors. To make a tax-deductible contribution, checks must be made payable to: NARFE-FEEA Scholarship Fund and mailed to NARFE Scholarship Awards, c/o FEEA, Suite 300, 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood, CO You also can use the donation coupon that appears every month in narfe magazine. For additional information, contact scholarship@narfe.org. Urge Your Legislators to Avoid Cuts to Federal Pay and Benefits in Budget C ongress is set to begin the budget process for fiscal year 2016 in the coming weeks. During this time, it is critical that members of the Budget Committees, in particular, hear from NARFE members. If your representative or senators are members of the House or Senate Budget Committee, please send a letter asking them to support a budget that ends sequestration and adequately funds the government operations mandated by Congress, without reducing the pay and earned benefits of federal employees and retirees. The letter can be found in the NARFE Legislative Action Center online. You will be asked to enter your ZIP code to determine if your legislators are members of the Budget Committees. 2 NARFE Sharpener March 2015 NARFE'S New Legislative Action Center NARFE s Legislative Action Center has gotten a facelift. The new, streamlined site still allows you to follow NARFE s legislative priorities and write letters to your members of Congress, but also provides background information on each issue. The new site is easier to forward to friends and family to encourage them to take action on NARFE s issues. We encourage NARFE members to visit and become familiar with the site. While there, send your legislators a letter asking them to support the FAIR Act (or thanking them for doing so). The new Legislative Action Center continues to be updated, and we encourage questions or comments. them to leg@narfe.org. In Memorium We have recently learned from National of the passing of three chapter members: Maxine Hessler of Glen Burnie; Vance Remillard of Millersville; and Edwin Wells of Bryantown, MD. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family and friends at this time. Raffle Winners The Fun(d) & Games winner at the February luncheon was Carol Saric. Thank you for supporting the chapter. The 50/50 Raffle winner was Alice Johnson, who donated her winnings to Lupus research. Thank you for your generous contribution to the Lupus Foundation. Congratulations to you both. President, continued from Page 1. Registration forms are due by April 4 th and hotel reservations must be made by March 27 th to take advantage of NARFE discounted rates. Think SUN and WARMTH and consider attending this event. If interested, contact me for additional details. Be sure to read the insert in this Sharpener which details the revision of our Chapter #251 bylaws. The vote on the acceptance of these bylaws will take place at the April 29, 2015 meeting. Elections for Chapter #251 officers will be held at our Annual Meeting, May 27, A slate of officers will be printed in the April issue of the Sharpener. Nominations are open for ALL offices, but there is a particular need for candidates for Secretary. We are also looking for a Sharpener editor. I will be happy to discuss the duties of these positions with any interested parties. Please consider stepping forward! Looking forward to seeing you on the 25 th! Carla Duls

3 These merchants give customers a year or more to bring back most unwanted items for a refund. Getting a gift you don t want is bad enough. Not being able to exchange it or get a refund because a retailer has a stingy return policy is even worse. Most merchants give customers at least 30 days to return items, and several well-known retailers including Home Depot, Lowe s, Target, Toys R Us and Walmart have a 90-day return window for most items (electronics tend to be the exception and typically have 15- or 30-day limits). However, some stores are even more generous when it comes to granting exchanges and refunds. We examined the return policies of dozens of popular retailers and found that these have particularly flexible terms. Most of them don t place a time limit on returns and allow customers to bring back almost anything (even items that have been worn) for a refund. The descriptions below highlight the key points of retailers policies. For more detailed information, visit their Web sites. It s worth noting that several of these retailers will only give store credit for an item at its lowest selling price to consumers without a gift receipt. So do your friends and family a favor by including a gift receipt with the items you give them this holiday season. No time limit Retailers With Generous Return Policies By Cameron Huddleston, December 12, 2014, Partial Reprint from the December 18 th NewsWatch. Bath & Body Works has no time limit on returns and will issue a full refund to customers with a receipt. Customers with a gift receipt can exchange items or receive store credit for the purchase price on the gift receipt. Customers without a receipt can exchange merchandise or receive store credit based on the lowest selling price of an item. Costco does not have a time limit on returns or exchanges of items other than some electronics and tech gadgets. Televisions, projectors, computers, cameras, camcorders, tablets, MP3 players and cell phones must be returned within 90 days of purchase for a full refund. Receipts are preferred but not required for returns or exchanges because this members-only warehouse club can track purchases through customers' accounts. JC Penney lets customers with a receipt exchange most items at any time or receive a refund of the purchase price on the original method of payment. Exceptions include furniture, which must be returned within 30 days, and jewelry and electronics, which must be returned within 60 days. And specialoccasion dresses must be returned in their original condition with the green return tag in place. Customers with a gift receipt can exchange items or receive a gift card for the amount listed on the receipt. Customers without a receipt must show a photo ID to exchange items or get a refund in the form or a gift card for the item's lowest selling price within the last 45 days. Kohl's has a No Questions Asked - Hassle Free return policy for all purchases. The retailer's sales associates can locate Kohl s charge card purchases up to 12 months after the purchase date and apply a credit to a customer's account. Non-Kohl s charge card purchases and purchases made outside the 12-month time frame qualify for a store credit or a corporate-issued refund check. Customers with a gift receipt can exchange items or receive store credit or a corporate-issued refund check. And customers without a receipt can exchange items or receive a corporate-issued refund or a store credit based on the lowest 13-week sale price if they didn't pay with a Kohl's charge or other major credit card. Lands End guarantees that customers can return any item at any time for an exchange or refund of its purchase price. It offers free shipping on exchanges, and customers can avoid the $6.95 shipping fee on returns by taking items back to a Sears store. Gift returns with no record of purchase will be made in the form of a gift card at an item's lowest sale price. L.L. Bean lets customers exchange or return purchases for a refund at any time. Customers without a receipt will receive a gift card for the current selling price of an item if the retailer can t locate the purchase record. You might need to show a valid ID for in-store returns if you don t have a receipt. Items received as a gift can be exchanged or returned for a gift card. Macy s does not have a time limit on returns and exchanges. A full refund in the original form of payment will be made to purchasers with receipts. Anyone with a gift receipt can receive a gift card for the full purchase price of an item. Those without a gift receipt will get a gift card for the item s lowest price within the last 180 days. Nordstrom does not have a return policy. So there are no time limits for returns or exchanges. Salespeople evaluate return and exchange requests on a case-by-case basis, says company spokesman Dan Evans. Receipts are helpful but not necessary for returns or exchanges, he says. Usually Nordstrom Rack merchandise must be returned unaltered and unworn within 90 days of purchase with its original price tag and receipt or packing slip -- and a photo ID is required for all in-store cash refunds. March 2015 NARFE Sharpener 3

4 NARFE Annapolis Chapter 251 PO Box 4242 Annapolis MD NARFE, one of America s oldest and largest associations, was founded in 1921 with the mission of protecting the earned rights and benefits of America s active and retired federal workers. The largest federal employee/retiree organization, NARFE represents the interests of nearly 5 million current federal employees, retirees, spouses and survivors. NARFE IS NOT A LABOR UNION but is registered as a 501(c)5 Tax-Exempt organization under current IRS guidelines. Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Annapolis MD Permit #142 Chapter 251 Board Members President Carla Duls kid3dle@aol.com PAST President Meg Clarke marston.clarke@yahoo.com 1 st Vice President Carolyn Violett jcviolett@gmail.com Secretary Vacant Treasurer Bruce Brown ebbrownsr@verizon.net ASST. Treasurer Barbara Muller Luncheon Coordinators Marilyn Tross sumerluk1@aol.com Doris Bussey Newsletter Mailing Frank Jarema NARFE Sharpener March 2015 Congressional Representatives Senator Barbara Mikulski Senator Ben Cardin Cong. Andrew Harris Cong. Donna Edwards Cong. Steny Hoyer Cong. John Sarbanes GET WELL/SYMPATHY Committee Florence Miller crinoline@verizon.net Greeters Polly Spates and Ellie Tarter Service Officer The following Service Officer is available to answer benefit questions or to provide additional information. Please leave a detailed message if you get voice mail. Carolyn Violett Meeting Dates January 28 July/August- February 25 no meeting March 25 September 30 April 29 October 28 May 27 November 18 June 24 Picnic December 16 The Board meets at noon at the Elks Lodge on the Wednesday of the week before each meeting. Every member is welcome to attend.

5 NARFE CHAPTER #251 PROPOSED BYLAWS REVISIONS The rewrite of the Chapter Bylaws has been completed and thoroughly reviewed by the Executive Committee. What follows is a summary of the action taken during this review. The 1988 versions of both the Chapter Constitution and the Bylaws are grossly out-of-date. Since most of what is contained in the Constitution is duplicated in the Bylaws, the decision was made early on to allow the new Bylaws to supersede both the 1988 Constitution and Bylaws. There is no NARFE policy that requires a Chapter to have both documents. NARFE provides a model for preparing Chapter Bylaws and the proposed 2015 version brings Chapter #251 s Bylaws in line with that standard. The 2015 rewrite also brings Chapter Bylaws into synch with how the Chapter has conducted business for some time. The Executive Committee highly recommends approval of the 2015 Bylaws and will move, at the April 29 meeting, that the current Constitution and Bylaws be rescinded and the combined Bylaws be adopted as the Chapter s governance document. Below is a summary of the changes/additions made to the current Bylaws during the rewrite. Any members who would like to participate in this Bylaws revision process are invited to attend the luncheon/meeting on April 29. Article I. NAME This chapter shall be known as the Annapolis, Maryland Chapter, Number 251, of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. The chapter shall be affiliated with the Maryland State Federation of Chapters, subject to the constitution and bylaws of that body. (Not included in the present bylaws. Replaces current Article 1, Office and Fiscal Year. ) Article II. OBJECTIVES Section 1. The objectives of this chapter shall be to support and work toward the objectives of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, as set forth in Rule IV, Section 2C of the National Bylaws. In furtherance of these objectives, this chapter shall operate in unity with policies established by the Association s national conventions and National Executive Board, together with such other activities looking toward the preservation of American institutions and ideals as shall be espoused by the Association. Section 2. The chapter shall not enter into activities, arrangements, or agreements that conflict with programs or activities of the Association or its bylaws. (This Article was added per NARFE model.) Article III. MEMBERS Section 1. Any person who is a dues-paying member of NARFE National shall be eligible to join the chapter as a voting member. A member who pays chapter dues is in good standing. - Bruce Brown and Carla Duls (Previous requirement of living in the geographical boundaries of Chapter #251 is removed as it is not a NARFE requirement.) Section 2. The chapter may provide for nonvoting members as allowed in Article I, Section 2B of the National Bylaws. The chapter shall also provide for associate members as allowed in Article IV, Section 5F. (Added per NARFE model. Combines Sections 2 & 3 of current Article III.) Article IV. DUES Section 1. The chapter dues are $8.00 and shall be used to meet expenses of carrying out chapter business and functions. (Dues amount updated to reflect current practice.) Section 2. Any chapter document relating to dues or contributions must contain this statement: Dues payments and gifts or contributions to NARFE are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. (Added as per NARFE model.) Article V. OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Section 1. Officers may serve for a term of two years or until their successors are elected. Officers shall be installed during the June meeting and assume their duties on July 1st, fulfilling their standard duties, which are detailed in the Chapter & Federation Officers Manual, F-10. (Replaces current one year term and also the detailed list of duties in current bylaws. Provision for the election of Continued on back page.

6 Continued from front page. a Representative to the Maryland Federation Executive Board is removed from Section 1 as per NARFE model. Preparation of the Chapter budget by the Executive Committee is removed as this is listed as a duty of the Treasurer in the Chapter & Federation Officers Manual.) Section 4. Quorum for an executive committee meeting shall consist of a 2/3 majority. (Added as per NARFE model.) Article VI. COMMITTEES Section 1. The membership committee may be appointed by the president. It shall be the duty of the members of this committee to develop a membership plan that describes organized efforts to gain and keep members, encourage dues withholding, and contact lapsed members. Section 2. A legislative committee may be appointed by the president to: a) keep abreast of state and national legislative matters concerning federal civil annuitants and prospective annuitants; and b) make recommendations for action to the chapter, the federation and the Association. Section 3. The president may appoint a service officer, a public relations officer, a sunshine committee and such other committees as deemed desirable. Section 4. An audit committee may be appointed by the president to perform an audit of the financial records of the chapter at any time. Section 5. The president shall be an exofficio member of all committees except the nominating committee. Section 6. No other standing committee may be appointed without amending the bylaws unless a provision is included. (Added as a separate Article as per NARFE model. Replaces current language on committees which is covered under the proposed Sections 1-3.) Article VII. CHAPTER MEETINGS Section 1. Regular meetings of Chapter Number 251, National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, shall be held on the last Wednesday of each month (except July and August when no meetings are held), at The Annapolis Elks Lodge (subject to weather and seasonal events), unless a meeting is cancelled by previous chapter vote or by action of the Chapter Executive Committee, with due and reasonable notice to members. The regular meeting in May shall be the annual meeting. (Specifies meeting location as per NARFE model and updates month of Annual Meeting. Current Section 4, Order of Business, is removed as per NARFE model, and included in Chapter Standing Rules. ) Section 2. A quorum for conducting chapter business shall consist of 15 of the chapter's voting members, but less than a quorum may adjourn to meet on a future date, of which due notice shall be given to each voting member. If less than a quorum is present, members may run the program but may not make decisions. (Replaces current number of 10 for a quorum.) Article VIII. CONVENTION DELEGATES Section 1. Delegates to the Association s National Convention or the Maryland Federation Convention shall be elected by the chapter s voting members, in accordance with the National Bylaws and federation guidelines, as soon as possible after the official count of membership and delegate strength is issued by National Headquarters or the State Federation. (Amended as per NARFE model. Combines Article VI, Section 3 and Article VII, Section 1 from the current bylaws.) ARTICLE IX. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY (Included in Article II, Section 8 in current bylaws.) Article X. AMENDMENTS Section 1. An amendment to these bylaws shall be made by concurrence of two-thirds of the voting members present and voting at any regular business meeting, provided written notice of the proposed amendment has been transmitted to all chapter voting members not less than 30 days before the meeting at which the vote is taken. (Current language calls for 14 days notice.) Section 2. Amendments shall then be approved at National Headquarters before becoming effective. (Added as per NARFE model.) Defined responsibilities of the Maryland Federation or NARFE National to the chapter have been removed as per the NARFE model. All other provisions not addressed here remain the same.