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RETIREMENT LIFE
SEPTEMBER 2008, Volume 84, Number 9
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
10
14
14
16
18
20
21
24
Congress Overrides Veto of Medicare Bill,
Prevents Cut in Medicare Physician Pay
Cover design by Jim Richards
House Passes Parental Leave Bill Affecting Feds
NARFE Conventioneers: Plan Ahead for
September Congressional Primaries
Taking Stock of ‘Premium Conversion’
8 Message From the
National President
OPM Report: Monthly Annuity Amounts
28 Managing Money
Mark Your Calendars! NARFE Legislative Training
Conference Set for March 2009
30 Live Well
Civics 101: Presidential Debates
44 From the Secretary’s
COVER STORY
47 Report From the
The Power of Pets: Although animals make great
companions for people of any age, they have
important benefits for older adults.
DEPARTMENTS
33
42
43
54
56
60
61
62
COLUMNS
Questions & Answers
Faces of NARFE
Out & About
NARFE News
Letters
For the Record: COLA Chart,TSP Investments, Milestones
At Last! Past Times & Present Pursuits
Brain Game & Bookend
32 Alzheimer’s Update
Desk
Regions
SPECIAL
SECTIONS
48 Federation Presidents
50 2008 Federation
Convention Reports
visit us online at
www.narfe.org
NATIONAL OFFICERS
MARGARET L. BAPTISTE, President
[email protected]
NATHANIEL L. BROWN, Secretary
[email protected]
Editor
Margaret M. Carter
RICHARD C. OSTERGREN, Treasurer
[email protected]
Assistant Editor
Donna J. St. John
Contributing Designers
Charlene Gridley
Jim Richards
Editorial Board:
Margaret L. Baptiste
Nathaniel L. Brown
Richard C. Ostergren
Editorial Office
NARFE, Attn: NARFE magazine
606 North Washington St.
Alexandria, VA 22314-1914
Phone: 703-838-7760
Fax: 703-838-7781
E-mail: [email protected]
Advertising Sales
Warren Berger
Media People Inc.
122 East 42nd Street, Suite 725
New York, NY 10168
212-779-7172, ext. 223
National Headquarters
NARFE Phones Open
8 a.m.—4:45 p.m. (ET) Monday—Friday
Telephone: 703-838-7760
Fax: 703-838-7785
The Association, since July 1970, has been
classified by the IRS as a tax exempt labor organization [not a union]; however, dues and
gifts or contributions to the Association are
not deductible as charitable contributions for
income tax purposes.
Web site: www.narfe.org
Change of Address: 800-456-8410
NARFE on Tape
Monthly issues of NARFE magazine are available on cassette in selected areas of the
country through the National Library Service
for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.
To find out about availability in your area,
call toll-free 800-424-8567 and ask for the
Reference Section.
4
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS
REGION I Augie Stratoti
(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and
Vermont)
16 Birch Hill Drive
Nashua, NH 03063-2537
Tel: 603-889-1073
Fax: 603-882-8144
REGION II Charles W. Saylor
(Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland,
New Jersey and Pennsylvania)
205 E. Joppa Road, Apt. 1509
Towson, MD 21286-3225
Tel: 410-938-8783
REGION III Robert S. Harrell
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi,
Puerto Rico, South Carolina and Virgin
Islands)
25112 Kingston Drive
Athens, AL 35613-7382
Tel, Fax: 256-232-2013
REGION IV Tom Johnson
(Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and
Wisconsin)
10429 Oak Branch Trail
Strongsville, OH 44149-1278
Tel: 440-878-1833
Fax: 440-268-9540
REGION V Richard G. Thissen
(Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota)
P. O. Box 485
Lake Ozark, MO 65049-0485
Tel: 573-365-5679
Fax: 573-964-5074
REGION VI Jerry D. Hatfield
(Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma,
Republic of Panama and Texas)
231 Inwood Road
Texarkana, TX 75501-9082
Tel, Fax: 903-832-1120
REGION VII Russ Boor
(Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and
Wyoming)
5843 Agave Lane
Las Cruces, NM 88012-7002
Tel: 575-382-7478
Fax: 575-382-2145
REGION VIII Forney A. Lundy
(California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada
and Republic of Philippines)
769 Ambrose Drive
Salinas, CA 93901-1061
Tel: 831-758-4888
Fax: 831-758-6308
REGION IX Lanny G. Ross
(Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and
Washington)
7450 Illahee Road NE
Bremerton, WA 98311-9431
Tel: 360-692-9741
Fax: 360-662-0384
REGION X Joseph A. Beaudoin
(Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee,
Virginia and West Virginia)
527 Old Fort Road
Winchester, VA 22601-2913
Tel: 540-665-9715
Fax: 540-722-2290
NARFE (ISSN 0034-6179) is published monthly by the National Active and Retired Federal Employees
Association (NARFE), 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria,VA 22314. Periodicals postage paid at
Alexandria, VA, and additional mailing offices. Members: Annual dues includes subscription.
Non-member subscription rate $33. Postmaster: Send address change to: NARFE Attn:
Member Records, NARFE, 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria,VA 22314.To ensure prompt
delivery, members should also forward changes of address without delay. Because of the
volume involved, NARFE cannot acknowledge nor be responsible for unsolicited pictures
and manuscripts, although every reasonable precaution is taken.All submissions become the property of NARFE.
Contents of this magazine are copyrighted © 2008. Advertisements in the magazine are not endorsements of
products and/or services by NARFE, unless officially stated in the ad. We shall accept advertising on the same basis
as other reputable publications: that is, we shall not knowingly permit a dishonest advertisement to appear in
NARFE, but at the same time we will not undertake to guarantee the reliability of our advertisers.
SEPTEMBER 2008 | NARFE
In all my years as a GIA graduate jeweler,
I have never seen a magnificently large
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The Oval Ruby Collection is
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— JAMES T. FENT, Gemologist
Huge Ruby Found on Bali—Is It Yours?
Paradise is reflected in this magnificent 221/2 carat ruby…but the price is the most heavenly.
O
n the tropical island of Bali, the air
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treasure of giant deep red rubies. This
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has become the spiritual inspiration for
many an artist. Bali has gardens tripping
down hillsides like giant steps, volcanoes
soaring up through the clouds, long
white sandy beaches, and friendly
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We stumbled upon a cache of
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these exotic Burmese Rubies to Bali and
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The ruby, raised above the handcrafted
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How To Contact Us
NARFE WelcomesYour Input and Questions
HUMAN RESOURCES:
HERE’S HOW TO CONTACT US:
CHANGE OF ADDRESS: If you change your
address, please notify Member Records toll-free at
1-800-456-8410, send an e-mail message to
[email protected], or mail the notification to
NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Member Records.
Q&A: To obtain an answer to a retirement benefits
question, call 703-838-7760 and ask for the
Retirement Benefits Service Department, send an email to [email protected], or mail your question
to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Retirement Benefits.
Out & About: Submit photo and caption information by mail to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Out
and About, or by e-mail to [email protected].
Personal Milestones: Submit names (both first
names), wedding anniversary (50th only) and chapter name/number/state by mail to NARFE
Headquarters, ATTN: Anniversaries, or by e-mail to
[email protected].
Letters to the Editor: Letters may be edited for
grammar, clarity and length. Because of the volume
received, they will not be acknowledged. All letters
must be signed. Mail to NARFE Headquarters,
ATTN: Letters to the Editor, or e-mail, [email protected].
For help with any Association issue,
CALL NARFE AT 703- 838-7760
When writing to NARFE Headquarters,
use the following address:
NARFE (specify officer, department or staff member)
606 North Washington St.,
If you have e-mail access, use the following list
to direct your inquiries or comments.
BUDGET AND FINANCE:
[email protected]
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:
[email protected]
LEGISLATION: Legislative efforts, state taxation of annuities and Social Security issues
[email protected]
MAILROOM: Fulfillment of F-18 orders for printed supplies
[email protected]
MEMBER RECORDS: Change of address, membership
status, dues, and death notification
[email protected]
NARFE PROGRAMS: Calendar & Greeting Card Program,
Disaster Fund, Scholarship Program, Pre-Retirement Seminar Program
[email protected]
NATIONAL PRESIDENT: NARFE-Alzheimer’s Program
[email protected]
NARFE PERKS: NARFE-sponsored services; see NARFE
Perks pages in this issue
[email protected]
OPERATIONS:
[email protected]
PUBLIC RELATIONS: Media inquiries, general public relations information and assistance
[email protected]
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION: Pre-retirement seminar
material and information, table top displays, and general
recruiting and retention assistance
[email protected]
RETIREMENT BENEFITS: Annuities, Medicare and federal health and life insurance benefits, federal taxes, thrift
savings and court ordered benefits; service officers
[email protected]
To obtain NARFE’s Legislative Hotline by phone, call:
(TOLL-FREE) 1-877-217-8234
[email protected]
COMMUNICATIONS: NARFE magazine’s editorial and
print production operations
[email protected]
FEDERATION AND CHAPTER SERVICES: Officer rosters (F-7 & F-7A), chapter openings/closings, bylaw revisions, anniversary & distinguished service certificates
[email protected]
6
To receive the Legislative Hotline and important federation information by e-mail, please ensure that your
e-mail address is accurate on your NARFE membership
record. To add, change or remove your e-mail address,
use the Join GEMS or Update Your Record link under
Membership Tools on the NARFE Web site,
www.narfe.org, or call or e-mail Member Records.
A Message From the National President
Welcome to Fall
A
s you read this column, summer is practically over. Of course, that does not
mean that there won’t be some hot
days ahead, but perhaps the worst is behind us.
September also brings us to the 2008
NARFE National Convention. I am really excited about this year’s convention for a number
of reasons, not the least of which is the opportunity to see many old friends and, I hope,
make lots of new ones. Seeing friends and
making new acquaintances are also some of
the positives of visiting federation conventions
every spring.
An equally important reason for my looking
forward to the convention is the interest I see
in our members. We had filled our hotel room
block by mid-June–almost unheard of for a
NARFE National Convention–and had to book
rooms at some nearby hotels. We’ll have to wait
until we visit with those at the convention to
find out why there is so much interest in this
event. But I think two of the reasons will be
Louisville’s central location and the importance
our members place on the business at hand.
While I know we have had some great conventions in both the eastern and western sections of the country, I sometimes wish we could
keep the host cities more centralized. I know it
makes it easier on our members to attend, especially as it appears that the cost of fuel and airfares is going
nowhere but up. But that’s a subject for a future discussion.
From what I heard during my federation convention
visits, there is a lot of interest in the key decisions that the
delegates will be making in Louisville–we’ve written about
them in past columns–and they want to be in on that
process. I’m pleased to hear that because it bodes well for
the future of NARFE.
Also coming in September will be the announcement of
the winners of the 2008 NARFE-FEEA Scholarships. Steve
Bauer at the Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund
(FEEA), which administers our program, tells me that the
number of applications is up this year–to 636, from 521 last
year.
Those of you who have read my columns for the four
years that I was your National Vice President and my years
as National President know that I cherish our relationship
with FEEA. It is because of NARFE’s strong ties
with FEEA that we can offer our own scholarship and disaster relief programs.
The NARFE-FEEA Scholarship Awards Program allows us to offer 60 $1,000 scholarships
(six in each of our 10 regions) to the children,
grandchildren and stepchildren of NARFE
members who will be starting college in the fall.
The severe spring flooding in the Midwest
and deadly tornadoes in several parts of the
country earlier this year remind us that there
are fellow NARFE members who might need
our help. The NARFE-FEEA Disaster Fund provides help to any NARFE member whose property (main residence) is damaged in a federally
declared natural disaster.
Both programs are funded totally through
the tax-deductible donations of our members.
Information can be found on page 43 of this
issue of NARFE magazine.
One other sign of September is the arrival of
the NARFE Photo Contest Calendar at your
home. The calendar is one of the most popular
items NARFE has ever sent to members, and
thousands of you have responded by sending
a voluntary donation each year. There are great photos in
this year’s calendar (I know, I say that every year), and I’m
sure you’ll display it proudly. Please remember that these
calendars are sent to our members at no obligation. If you
would like to respond with a donation, we thank you. If
not, please enjoy the calendar, with our compliments.
NARFE’S
strong ties with
FEEA allow us
to offer our
scholarship
and disaster
relief programs.
8
Margaret L. Baptiste
[email protected]
With GEHA,
staying healthy is
a walk in the park.
Whether you already
exercise regularly or want
to get started towards a
healthier lifestyle, GEHA
invites you to join our
Healthy Steps Walking
Program. GEHA will even send you a free
pedometer to help you get started. Log on
to geha.com/walking for your free gift and
take the first step towards better health.
Sign up for your free pedometer by
September 5 and we’ll send you early
notification of GEHA’s 2009 rates and benefits.
(877) 550-GEHA | www.geha.com
GEHA offers federal health plans through the FEHB program and federal
dental plans through the FEDVIP program. The FEHB and FEDVIP
programs are separate and require separate enrollments. For more
information, please contact GEHA Connection Dental Federal at
www.gehadental.com, (877) 590-GEHA. Contact GEHA health
plans at www.geha.com, (877) 550-GEHA.
© 2008 Government Employees Health Association, Inc. All rights reserved.
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Congress OverridesVeto of
Vote Prevents
Medicare Bill
Cut in Medicare
C
ongress overrode a presidential veto on July 15 to pre-
vent a 10.6-percent cut to physician reimbursement
rates in the Medicare program. The legislation passed
by substantial margins in both the House and Senate,
representing a congressional rebuke to the Bush administration.
After President Bush vetoed the
bill in the morning, the House voted
383-41 to override his veto in the afternoon. Ninety minutes later, the
Senate followed suit, on a 70-26 vote.
A two-thirds vote in both chambers is
necessary to override a presidential
veto; this is the fourth of the Bush
presidency.
In June, the House had overwhelmingly passed the Medicare bill (H.R.
6331) in the face of a threatened presidential veto. The 355-59 vote saw a
number of congressional Republicans
fleeing from the administration’s side,
which caught many by surprise. This
prompted the Senate to hold a dramatic procedural vote on July 9 to
allow the previously blocked measure
to come to the Senate floor for consideration. That procedural measure
passed on a vote of 69-30.
In prior attempts, the White House
had been able to rely on Senate Republican allies to keep the bill from advancing, to the frustration of congressional Democrats. This time, half way
through the routine roll-call vote,
ailing Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-MA,
10
who had been away from Capitol Hill
recovering from surgery for brain
cancer, entered the Senate chamber—
surprising fellow senators, aides and
gallery watchers—assuring that the
measure would receive the needed 60
votes to allow floor consideration of
the Medicare bill. The bill itself ultimately passed by voice vote.
Physician Pay
■ Baby boomers and members
of GenerationY have vastly
different ways of participating
in and getting information
from the federal government.
A recent survey found that 46
percent of GenerationY’ers
use the Internet to get a
significant portion of their
information regarding the
government and federal
policy.For baby boomers,the
number is 21 percent.
■ A separate survey suggests
EFFECT OF THE BILL
As a result of the veto override, the
bill immediately became law, blocking
a scheduled 10.6-percent payment cut
for physicians who treat Medicare beneficiaries. The cut would have been effective July 1, 2008. Instead, doctors
now will receive a payment freeze for
the rest of 2008 and a 1.1-percent increase in pay rates for 2009.
In late 2007, Congress approved a
limited six-month payment increase
for doctors after failing to craft a
longer-term compromise acceptable to
lawmakers, the White House and
physicians. However, that law expired
on June 30. The Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services (CMS) had delayed processing physicians’ claims as
that in the workplace,these
two generations might have
more in common than most
think. The Center for
Creative Leadership asked
public- and private-sector
employees what they value in
a job,an employer and life in
general.Many listed the same
top 10 values,regardless of
their generation.
LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE
Toll-free! (24 Hours):
1-877-217-8234
Legislative Action Center:
www.narfe.org
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Legislative Report
of July 1, as lawmakers grappled with the issue. The new law
will provide stable payments to physicians for 18 months,
through December 2009.
The new law pays for the physician payment increase in
part by reducing the government’s payments to Medicare
Advantage plans (Medicare Part C). Indirect medical education program payments will be reduced for these private
managed care plans and new requirements will be established for private fee-for-service
plans, resulting in $12.5 billion in
savings over five years, according to
the Congressional Budget Office. Bill
supporters believe the Medicare Advantage managed care plans have
been overpaid compared to the reimbursement levels currently
awarded to Medicare’s traditional
fee-for-service providers (Medicare
Part B).
The veto override marked an
ideological win for lawmakers skeptical of Medicare privatization, who
have long battled the president and his congressional allies for their creation, support and promotion of Medicare
Advantage plans. Proponents of the traditional, public feefor-service Medicare program believe the overly generous
Medicare Advantage reimbursement payments threaten
the fiscal future of the entire program. A June 2008 Government Accountability Office report confirmed that because Medicare Advantage plans “spent less revenue on
medical expenses than projected, they earned higher average profits than projected.”
percent cut to their rates in 2010. These cuts are required as
part of Medicare’s cost-control formula, established in 1997
as part of the Balanced Budget Act (P.L. 105-33). According
to the act, the pay formula requires cuts when spending on
physician services grows too much, which it began to do
in 2002.
NARFE supported the Medicare bill, H.R. 6331, and
sought its passage on Capitol Hill, along with the 52 other
groups that work together through
the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO). LCAO is a coalition of national nonprofit organizations concerned with the well-being
of America’s older population and is
committed to representing their interests in the policy-making arena.
In addition to NARFE, LCAO
member organizations include
AARP, the Military Officers Association of America, the Alliance for Retired Americans, the National
Council on Aging, the American Society on Aging and the American Geriatrics Society. LCAO
supports reduced reimbursement payments to Medicare
Advantage plans, and member organizations extensively
lobbied members of Congress on this issue throughout
2007 and 2008.
NARFE’s Legislative Program for the 110th Congress,
adopted by members at the Association’s 2006 National
Convention in Albuquerque, NM, states: “NARFE supports
protecting Medicare’s guarantee of basic health security
for older Americans at affordable and predictable prices;
and preserving the current Medicare fee-for-service program, including the ability to select the physician of your
choice.”
In NARFE’s view, H.R. 6331 accomplished two tenets of
NARFE-endorsed policy: preserving the traditional fee-forservice program by ending higher reimbursement rates
solely to Medicare Advantage and sustaining doctor participation in the Medicare program. In order for the Medicare
program to function as intended for beneficiaries, physicians must participate in the program and, therefore, must
be compensated adequately. In addition to urging lawmakers to support this legislation, NARFE joined its LCAO
coalition partners in sending joint letters to both chambers
advocating passage of the measure.
NARFE SUPPORTED the
Medicare bill and sought its
passage on Capitol Hill,along
with the 52 other groups that
work together through the
Leadership Council of
Aging Organizations.
POSITION STATEMENTS
In his veto message to the House, the president stated
that he supported the legislation’s goal of stopping the cut
to Medicare physicians’ payments, but that he objected to
the reduction in payments to the private Medicare Advantage plans. He said he believes the private sector provides
solutions for the future of the Medicare program.
In the aftermath of the override, Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid, D-NV, said: “We wasted no time in reversing the
president’s carelessness and protecting our nation’s doctors
and the patients they treat—and this responsible and
overdue Medicare fix is now law.”
A future Congress and president will have to take up the
issue of Medicare physician pay because doctors face a 20-
12
By Jill Crissman,Assistant Legislative Director
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Legislative Report
Parental Leave Bill Passes House
F
ederal employees would be eligible for paid maternal or paternal leave under a bill recently
passed by the House. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, DNY, introduced the measure, H.R. 5781, which the
House approved June 19 by a vote of 278-146. The bill
would allow federal employees to take up to four weeks of
paid parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child.
Current parental leave regulations, enacted by the Family
and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA),
allow employees to use annual leave, sick
leave and unpaid leave toward their 12week allowance for the birth or adoption of
a child. The FMLA applies to all employees
who work for companies with more than
50 employees and have logged at least
1,250 work hours in a year’s time. Employees can use up to 13 sick days toward
parental leave but must provide evidence of medical need.
The new bill, which applies only to federal employees,
would make four of those 12 weeks paid and would allow
Feds to use unused sick leave—without the requirement to
show need—for up to four additional weeks.
The bill’s supporters in the House say a veto override is
possible, citing a scant five additional votes needed for the
two-thirds required for an override.
In the Senate, Sen. Jim Webb, D-VA, introduced a similar
bill, S. 3140, which would give federal employees up to 21
days of paid parental leave. The bill was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs but
has not been scheduled for action. Supporters in the Senate
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES would be eligible to take
up to four weeks of paid parental leave for the
birth or adoption of a child and use unused
sick leave for up to four additional weeks.
PRESIDENTIAL VETO THREATENED
The White House has threatened to veto the House bill,
citing concerns over cost—an estimated $850 million over
five years. As an alternative, the administration has proposed allowing federal employees to purchase a short-term
disability insurance benefit for parental leave, accidents or
illness. The insurance benefit would provide 60 percent of
the employee’s salary for 12 weeks and 40 percent for an additional 12 weeks.
have suggested attaching the provision to another bill that
is already moving through the Senate.
NARFE supports paid parental leave legislation and has
worked with leaders on Capitol Hill to urge its approval.
NARFE National President Margaret L. Baptiste wrote to
congressional leaders in support of the bill, emphasizing
that “NARFE believes that extending paid parental leave to
federal employees will assist federal agencies in their ongoing recruitment and retention efforts.” Baptiste also urged
leaders to consider adding a provision that would extend
parental leave to federal employees caring for elderly parents. While this provision was not included in the Housepassed version, it could be added to the Senate measure or
in a final version sent to President Bush.
By Laura Scott,Legislative Assistant
September Congressional Primaries
N
ine states and the District of Columbia conduct congressional primaries during September: Arizona,Tuesday,September 2;Louisiana,Saturday,September 6;Delaware,the District of Columbia,Minnesota,New Hampshire,New
York,Rhode Island and Wisconsin,Tuesday,September 9;and Hawaii,Saturday,September 20.
Seven of these primaries occur during NARFE’s National Convention in Louisville,KY,September 7-12.If they take
immediate action,NARFE members who live in these states or the District of Columbia may still be able to cast a primary ballot via early voting or by obtaining an absentee ballot. For more information, visit the FederalVoting Assistance ProgramWeb site at www.fvap.gov. Under “Quick Links,” click on Get theVoter Registration/Absentee Ballot
Request Form.This site is designed for military personnel and citizens living overseas,but it provides information for
use by the general public.
14
Found! The Last Morgan
Silver Dollars
Amazing Discovery Hidden in Midwest Farm Cellar
Indiana. A farmer in America’s heartland recently cashed in his
long-forgotten savings, hidden away for decades in a dusty
crate in his cellar—a hoard of the last Morgan Silver
dollars minted by the U.S. Treasury before they
ceased production for good, in 1921.
Originally purchased from a local bank for face
value, the farmer had tucked them away for
his retirement. Now these glittering chunks
of nearly uncirculated silver history,
are being released to the public by
GovMint.com. While they last, you
can acquire these brilliant, lustrous
silver coins for as low as $29.50
apiece. Twenty-coin Bankers rolls
and 10-coin Half Rolls are available.
Survival Against All Odds
By all rights these silver dollars
should have been destroyed decades ago.
Government silver melt-downs, including
the 1918 Pittman Act, which alone destroyed
270 million Morgans, have decimated supplies.
Millions more were called in by the government
and melted for their silver content between 1921 and
1965. Today private hoards account for virtually all the
surviving coins. And of those, only a fraction survive in the
Virtually Uncirculated condition so coveted by collectors.
Prized Last Year Coins
These last year 90% pure silver beauties still dazzle with their Mint luster
and heft. Weighing in at 26.73 grams and a diameter of 38.1 mm, they are
the largest American silver coins ever to circulate. Struck from silver
mined from the western Mother Lode, they are the legendary coins that
built the West. Master engraver George T. Morgan fashioned a radiant
profile of Lady Liberty and a majestic eagle as symbols of our nation’s
strength and prosperity. Today, the long-gone Morgan silver dollars are
among the most sought-after coins in America.
Hot Silver Market, Hot Silver Value
Silver prices have jumped over 140% in the last two years fueling
the frenzy among avid collectors, investors, and the 130 million
new collectors created by the U.S. Mint’s highly successful state
quarters program.
Today, the market is hot for Silver coins in any condition. This same
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Legislative Report
Taking Stock of ‘Premium Conversion’
W
hile efforts to advance “premium conversion” legislation (H.R. 1110 and S. 773) continue in the waning days of the 110th Congress (2007-2008), it is time to take stock of
the progress made on, and challenges faced by, one of
NARFE’s priority bills.
Section 125 of the U.S. tax code allows employers, both
public and private, to permit their employees to pay their employer-provided health insurance premiums with pretax dollars (wages excluded from both income and Social Security
payroll taxes). This premium conversion benefit was extended to federal civilian workers in 2000, but it was not offered to annuitants. In fact, no retired employees—in either the
public or private sector—have this benefit. In recent years, federal annuitants have seen their incomes eroded by doubledigit increases in Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
(FEHBP) premiums and, therefore, could greatly benefit from
premium conversion, as could most other retirees.
A NEW APPROACH
The NARFE Legislative Department, in cooperation
with Davis and Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-MD, started
working in June 2007 to address such obstacles by
drafting an alternative version of premium conversion legislation, which would cost less than the existing bills and
would be based on the precedent set by the new retired
public safety officer health insurance premium tax exclusion, included in legislation approved late in the previous
Congress (2005-2006).
The Pension Protection Act of 2006 made retired “public
safety officers” of federal, state and local governments eligible to exclude from federal taxes up to $3,000 of monies
withheld from their retirement annuities for their share of
employer-sponsored health and/or long-term care insurance premiums. The retired public safety officer health tax
exclusion provides similar, but not identical, tax relief as is
offered to most public- and private-sector workers as premium conversion benefits.
FIRST STEPS
The House Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce,
chaired by Rep. Danny K. Davis, D-IL, moved first on H.R.
1110 by approving it on September 18, 2007. The full House
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, with the
support of Chairman Henry A. Waxman, D-CA, and
Ranking Minority Member Thomas M. Davis, R-VA, followed
up by passing the bill by voice vote two days later. Since the
measure amends the tax code, the legislation must also be
cleared by the House Committee on Ways and Means or included by the panel in a larger tax bill. Premium conversion
also could be added as an amendment to tax legislation
being considered by the House, but not without at least the
acquiescence of Ways and Means Committee Chairman
Charles B. Rangel, D-NY.
Historically, the challenge of getting the Ways and Means
Committee to act on premium conversion has been objections to the bill’s price tag—$12.7 billion over 10 years—and the
concern that the benefit is extended only to federal and military retirees, not their fellow retirees in state and local government or the private sector. The bill’s cost is viewed on
Capitol Hill through the prism of the growing $400 billion
federal budget deficit and the “pay as you go” rules adopted
by the 110th Congress, which require offsetting spending
cuts or revenue increases to pay for tax relief bills like premium conversion.
16
VAN HOLLEN PUSHES ALTERNATIVE
In November 2007, Van Hollen, a member of the House
Ways and Means Committee, asked Rangel to include the
alternative to premium conversion in legislation that would
have temporarily reformed the Alternative Minimum Tax
(AMT). Unfortunately, the Maryland lawmaker was turned
down on the grounds that the non-AMT portions of his bill
were limited to other tax bills that had already passed the
House.
In May 2008, Van Hollen asked Chairman Rangel to include the alternative proposal in this year’s AMT bill. But he
was told the legislation was limited to the extension of expiring tax policies, and the committee did not support premium conversion, or an alternative, for now.
Despite the fact that the cost of the alternative bill is
about half of the current premium conversion legislation
and that it builds on the precedent set by the retired public
safety officers tax relief, the committee had concerns about
the proposal’s cost and that private-sector and state and
local government retirees (other than state and local public
safety officers) were not included.
Besides Van Hollen, NARFE has sought the assistance of
other Ways and Means Committee members to persuade
Rangel to give NARFE’s proposal favorable consideration (33
of the 41 committee members have cosponsored H.R. 1110).
Although much of the premium conversion advocacy
has been focused on the House, NARFE has not neglected
colleagues in the Senate and specifically on the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over S. 773 (which
12 of the 21 Finance Committee members have cosponsored). Retiring Sen. John Warner, R-VA, sponsor of S. 773,
and NARFE have urged Finance Committee Chairman Max
Baucus, D-MT, and Ranking Minority Member Charles E.
Grassley, R-IA, to move his legislation or attach it to a larger
tax bill. In response, Baucus and his key staff voiced concerns similar to those of their House counterparts.
WHAT WILL IT TAKE?
With 333 House and 61 Senate cosponsors (at press
time), majorities of the tax-writing committees supporting
the legislation, and champions like Davis, Van Hollen and
Warner, what else will it take to move premium conversion?
Although cosponsorships are necessary to build support for
legislation, they alone do not ensure action, particularly
with the previously described challenges faced by premium
NARFE | SEPTEMBER 2008
conversion. And while District of Columbia metropolitan
area delegation members like Van Hollen, Davis and Warner
are dedicated champions, NARFE needs more champions
among friendly lawmakers, especially on the tax-writing
committees, who will “go to the mat” on behalf of the bill
with the key chairmen. That’s what it will take.
It won’t be easy finding legislators with federal constituencies as large as their colleagues in the Washington
area. Yet, there are sizeable pockets of federal retirees and
workers outside the Beltway represented by lawmakers
who should be more active on issues important to Feds.
While recruiting additional champions is an ongoing goal
of the NARFE Legislative Department, Association officers
and members throughout the country must support this
effort by proving that NARFE is a substantial and vocal
constituency in their home congressional districts and
states. Our collective efforts will help bring this initiative
forward and provide much needed relief to every federal
annuitant.
By Dan Adcock,Legislative Director
17
Legislative Report
OPM Report:Monthly Annuity Amounts
T
he chart below lists numbers and accruing percentages of Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and
Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) annu-
itants and survivors by monthly income levels and type of retirement. This information was compiled by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and reflects data as of October 1,
CSRS/FERS EmployeeAnnuitants byAmount of MonthlyAnnuity
NONDISABILITY
Number
6,810
23,435
29,943
32,989
29,299
Percent
of Total
0.4
1.5
1.9
2.1
1.8
963
2,551
5,164
7,901
9,159
Percent
of Total
0.4
1.1
2.3
3.5
4.0
8.1
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.2
2.5
122,476
28,739
28,313
27,884
30,439
32,667
7.6
1.8
1.8
1.7
1.9
2.0
25,738
9,772
9,214
8,683
10,401
12,259
11.4
4.3
4.1
3.8
4.6
5.4
346,585
101,395
121,595
116,650
119,471
123,287
19.0
5.5
6.6
6.4
6.5
6.7
270,518
72,920
87,436
93,151
104,396
111,371
16.9
4.6
5.5
5.8
6.5
7.0
76,067
28,475
34,159
23,499
15,075
11,916
33.6
12.6
15.1
10.4
6.7
5.3
Subtotal:
Under $2,000
$2,000 - $2,199
$2,200 - $2,399
$2,400 - $2,599
$2,600 - $2,799
$2,800 - $2,999
928,983
120,767
110,749
93,256
76,208
63,826
50.8
6.6
6.1
5.1
4.2
3.5
739,792
111,760
103,973
88,368
72,577
61,002
46.2
7.0
6.5
5.5
4.5
3.8
189,191
9,007
6,776
4,888
3,631
2,824
83.6
4.0
3.0
2.2
1.6
1.2
Subtotal:
Under $3,000
$3,000 - $3,499
$3,500 - $3,999
$4,000 - $4,499
$4,500 - $4,999
1,393,789
124,631
91,400
66,708
47,915
76.2
6.8
5.0
3.6
2.6
1,177,472
120,144
88,965
65,294
47,164
73.5
7.5
5.6
4.1
2.9
216,317
4,487
2,435
1,414
751
95.6
2.0
1.1
0.6
0.3
Subtotal:
Under $5,000
$5,000 -Above
TOTAL
1,724,443
104,073
1,828,516
94.3
5.7
100.0
1,499,039
103,150
1,602,189
93.6
6.4
100.0
225,404
923
226,327
99.6
0.4
100.0
Monthly
Annuity
Under $100
$100 - $199
$200 - $299
$300 - $399
$400 - $499
Subtotal:
Under $500
$500 - $599
$600 - $699
$700 - $799
$800 - $899
$900 - $999
Subtotal:
Under $1,000
$1,000 - $1,199
$1,200 - $1,399
$1,400 - $1,599
$1,600 - $1,799
$1,800 - $1,999
18
DISABILITY
Number
7,773
25,986
35,107
40,890
38,458
Percent
of Total
0.4
1.4
1.9
2.2
2.1
148,214
38,511
37,527
36,567
40,840
44,926
Number
2006. It was released by OPM in mid-2008.
The last two tables from OPM list the total number of
CSRS and FERS employee and survivor annuitants on the
retirement rolls by percentage, and both mean and median
annuities.
The mean or average annuity of all retiree annuitants as
of October 1, 2006, was $2,239 per month. The median
annuity amount of the retiree in the exact middle of the income scale was $1,977. The mean and median for survivor
annuitants are also shown. ■
CSRS/FERS SurvivorAnnuitants byAmount of MonthlyAnnuity
Adults
Monthly
Annuity
Under $100
$100 - $199
$200 - $299
$300 - $399
$400 - $499
Children
5,698
15,688
22,974
25,031
26,473
Percent
of Total
1.0
2.6
3.8
4.2
4.4
Number
134
174
234
421
21,555
Percent
of Total
0.6
0.7
1.0
1.8
90.9
Number
Subtotal:
Under $500
$500 - $599
$600 - $699
$700 - $799
$800 - $899
$900 - $999
Subtotal:
Under $1,000
$1,000 - $1,199
$1,200 - $1,399
$1,400 - $1,599
$1,600 - $1,799
$1,800 - $1,999
95,864
28,975
37,220
40,157
38,923
38,463
16.1
4.9
6.2
6.7
6.5
6.4
22,518
1,188
95.0
5.0
279,602
76,819
62,525
44,903
33,271
24,000
46.8
12.9
10.5
7.5
5.6
4.0
23,706
100.0
Subtotal:
Under $2,000
$2,000 - $2,199
$2,200 - $2,399
$2,400 - $2,599
$2,600 - $2,799
$2,800 - $2,999
521,120
18,086
13,942
10,458
7,971
6,467
87.3
3.0
2.3
1.8
1.3
1.1
Subtotal:
Under $3,000
$3,000 - $3,499
$3,500 - $3,999
$4,000 - $4,499
$4,500 - $4,999
578,044
10,310
5,161
2,291
787
96.8
1.7
0.9
0.4
0.1
Subtotal:
Under $5,000
$5,000 -Above
TOTAL
596,593
455
597,048
99.9
0.1
100.0
EmployeeAnnuitants on
the Retirement Rolls
On the rolls
Type
Number Percent
FERS
249,803 13.7
CSRS 1,578,713 86.3
TOTAL 1,828,516 100.0
Monthly annuity
Mean
$ 896
2,452
$2,239
Median
$ 617
2,152
$1,977
SurvivorAnnuitants on
the Retirement Rolls
On the rolls
Type
Number
FERS
23,867
CSRS 596,887
TOTAL 620,754
Monthly annuity
Mean
$ 375
1,189
1,157
Median
$ 284
1,053
$1,022
19
Legislative Report
Mark Your Calendars! Legislative
Training Conference Set for March
T
he 2009 NARFE Legislative Training Conference is just around the corner! It will be held
Saturday, March 7, through Tuesday, March 10,
2009, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, in Ar-
lington, VA.
The Legislative Training Conference is held biennially
and is open to all NARFE members. One of its goals is to educate members on NARFE’s legislative agenda and the
overall political process in Washington. Another is to enable
attendees themselves to become first-class advocates for
NARFE and to conduct advocacy training and grass-roots
organizing for other members.
The conference will begin on Saturday, March 7, with lateafternoon registration and an informal buffet dinner. Sunday
and Monday activities will include general informational sessions with multiple speakers and break-out training sessions.
Past topics for break-out training sessions have included
Health Care, the U.S. Budget, Social Security Offsets, NARFEPAC and Contacting Congress. On the final day of the conference, Tuesday, March 10, transportation will be provided
to and from the U.S. Capitol for “NARFE’s Day on the Hill.”
The 2009 NARFE Legislative Training Conference room
rate will be $159, plus 10.25 percent state and local occupancy
taxes, for a total of $175.30 (single- and double-room occupancy). The conference registration fee is $150. This fee in-
cludes three buffet breakfasts, two full lunches and one buffet
dinner (full dinner). NARFE members will not be able to register or make hotel reservations at this time. Notice will be
provided to members when registration is available.
HOTEL INFORMATION
Located in the Crystal City section of Arlington, VA, off Jefferson Davis Highway (Rt. 1), the Hyatt Regency Crystal City
has two restaurants on the hotel premises, a lobby bar, a
coffee/snack bar and in-room dining. Additionally, there are
restaurants located within walking distance. The hotel offers
complimentary shuttle service every half hour to and from
the Crystal City Metrorail station, which is a 10-minute walk
away. Complimentary shuttle service also is available to and
from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Please note: The hotel is adjacent to the Ronald Reagan
Washington National Airport. It is 30 miles from Washington Dulles International Airport and 36 miles from Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport.
Please mark your calendar now for March 7-10. More information, including the registration form, will appear in
NARFE magazine when it is time to register and make hotel
reservations. This information and the registration form also
will be made available in the October issue of Quarterly
News and on NARFE’s Web site, www.narfe.org. ■
I support NARFE•PAC, the Retiree’s Fund for the Future
Enclosed is my NARFE-PAC contribution: $
Federal law requires political committees to report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer for each individual
whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year.
Please circle:
Mr.
Mrs.
Miss
Ms.
Please send check, money order or credit
card information to:
Attn: Budget & Finance
NARFE
606 N. Washington St.
Card Type:
Name
❍ Mastercard
❍ Discover
Address
Card #
City, State, ZIP
Expiration Date
NARFE Membership #
❍ For my contribution of $20 or more, please send a NARFE-PAC pin.
❍ VISA
❍ AMEX
Name on Card (Print)
Signature
Date
Only members of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association may contribute to NARFE-PAC. NARFE will neither
favor nor disadvantage anyone based on the amount of a contribution, or the failure to make a voluntary contribution to this non-partisan political action fund. NARFE-PAC contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.
20
CIVICS 101:
THE INFORMED CITIZEN
Presidential Debates
B
oth major party candidates for president are
running biographical ads in battleground markets, like Ohio and Florida. In this election,
more paid advertising will run than in any previous election–some positive but much negative. Candidates control much of what targeted viewers see and hear,
but many ads will be paid for by single-issue organizations,
such as the 2004 “Swift Boat Veterans” and moveon.org.
CIVIC ALTERNATIVE
If you’d like a good reason to tune out that media noise
and employ another strategy, plan now to watch the presidential debates. Three debates will feature the candidates
for president and one will feature the yet-to-be-named vice
presidential candidates.
COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
Last November, the Commission on Presidential Debates
(CPD) announced the dates and sites of the four debates (see
chart). The CPD also announced formats for the debates. All
debates will be 90 minutes in length and start at
9 p.m. Eastern Time. Each debate will be administered by a
single moderator. The first presidential debate will focus on
domestic policy, and the third presidential debate will focus
on foreign policy. The second debate will be in a town-hall
meeting format, and will include issues raised by members of
that audience and via the Internet. The vice presidential debate will focus on domestic and foreign policy questions.
Except for the second debate, the candidates will be
seated at a table with the moderator and, for the first time,
the debate will be divided into eight 10-minute issue seg-
ments. The moderator will introduce each segment with
an issue on which each candidate will comment, after
which the moderator will facilitate further discussion of
the issue for the remainder of the segment, including direct exchange between the candidates. Time will be reserved for closing statements by each candidate in each
debate. The second departure from past CPD formats will
be the introduction of Internet access during the presidential town-hall meeting debate. Questions solicited by
Internet will be included with those from citizens on the
stage with the candidates.
15-PERCENT TEST
In addition to being constitutionally eligible, candidates
must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to have
a mathematical chance of winning a majority vote of the
Electoral College and have 15-percent support in national
polls before the debates.
TV AND RADIO COVERAGE
At present, coverage by both broadcast and cable television is expected. C-SPAN is committed to live and repeat
coverage, and radio coverage similar to what occurred
during the 2004 election is anticipated. Moderators for the
four debates are still to be chosen.
To find additional information about the presidential
debates, go to the CPD’s Web site, www.debates.org. To obtain more information on the likely major party nominees,
go to www.johnmccain.com/ or www.barackobama.com/
about/.
By Christopher Farrell,Legislative Representative
Candidate Debates
First presidential debate:
Friday,September 26
University of Mississippi,Oxford,MS
Second presidential debate:
Tuesday,October 7
Belmont University,Nashville,TN
Vice presidential debate:
Thursday,October 2
Washington University,St.Louis,MO
Third presidential debate:
Wednesday,October 15
Hofstra University,Hempstead,NY
21
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Pet
P
By
Rebecca Simmons
wer
IT’S A COMMON SCENARIO all across America. Divorce ends marriages, children move, family and friends pass away and, as we age, loneliness and depression become all too familiar. But many older Americans
have found a way to combat isolation—by adopting a pet through their
local shelter.
COMBATING LONELINESS, IMPROVING HEALTH
“Emotionally, pets can bring new meaning and purpose to the life of a senior who is living far
away from friends or family,” says Kelly Connolly, the Humane Society of the United States’ issues
specialist for companion animals. “The unconditional love and commitment to their owners is
almost like free therapy. They can act as friends, entertainers and warm, fuzzy bundles of joy.
“Having a pet in an older person’s life can offer them a sense of well-being, a sense of encouragement and even a reason for living. Being responsible for another life often gives new meaning
to the lives of those who are living alone or far from loved ones. Caring for and providing a loving
home to a companion animal also helps older adults to remain active and stay healthy.”
In addition to easing loneliness, pets may also make people healthier. Studies suggest that
contact with animals can lower blood pressure. Research also indicates a link between pet ownership and an increased survival rate for cardiac patients. Other potential health benefits can include decreased stress, reduced bone loss, lowered cholesterol levels and improved blood circulation.
“For years, it’s been medically documented that companion animals—such as dogs, cats and rabbits—help people live longer and healthier lives,” says Connolly.
TAKING THE NEXT STEP
Although animals make great companions for people of any age, pets can have important benefits for older adults. But before adopting a new companion, people need to understand the amount
of dedication that goes into caring for an animal. They need to be sure they have the time and the
means to care for a pet, both physically and financially.
It’s also important to consider the kind of pet to adopt. Animal care professionals often advise
24
older adults to consider adopting an adult dog or cat. An older animal may be a better fit for their
lifestyle than a puppy or kitten. (See sidebar, below.)
“Unlike a puppy or kitten, adult animals are more likely to be calm, already housetrained and
less susceptible to unpredictable behavior,” says Connolly.
“Older pets are often more easily physically managed by seniors than a stronger, more excitable younger animal.”
READY, SET, ADOPT
Once the decision to adopt a pet has been made, there are
many programs out there to help. As more people discover
the benefits of animal companionship for older Americans, resources and programs have emerged to make finding and
keeping a new pet much easier.
The first place to which people should turn is their local
shelter. Adopting from a shelter has its advantages. Not only
do shelters have a great selection of adult animals for adoption, but they also have purebred animals. In fact, on average,
purebreds account for about 25 percent of a shelter’s dog
population.
Mature Pets for
Older Adults
S
everal months before her husband died in 2003,
Gayle Thompson noticed footprints in the snow of
someone who had walked close to their house in
Heathsville,VA. Five weeks after her husband’s death, she
adopted Sam, a one-year-old black Lab mix, from the Gayle Thompson adopted both of her dogs, Sassy and Sam, as
local animal shelter.“I just decided that I wanted to have adult animals from her local animal shelter. Now, she’s a regular
volunteer at the shelter and recommends adoption of older anisome notice of anyone around my house,” Thompson mals.
says.“He has just been a wonderful dog.”
Three years later, she adopted Sassy, a five-year-old golden retriever mix. By that time,
Thompson, past president of Northern Neck Chapter 1823, had become very active in volunteering at the Northumberland County Animal Shelter, in addition to her work as a NARFE
chapter officer, and she wanted Sam to have a companion when she was away from the house.
Thompson is a big advocate of mature pets for older adults.“When people come into the
shelter, I always suggest adopting an older dog,” she says. In most cases, she explains, they are
housetrained, and they are not as rambunctious as puppies.“Older people, particularly, need to
be concerned about tripping and falling over a puppy,” she says.“Puppies always seem to be right
under your feet—they need that touch.The older dogs are more used to being at a distance.”
She emphasizes that shelter volunteers try to determine an animal’s personality and make
sure that it is appropriate for the person seeking a new pet.
There are any number of reasons a mature pet could end up in a shelter, she says. She recalls
a 94-year-old man who closed his antiques store and needed to find a new home for the store’s
12-year-old cat.“He had other cats at his home and didn’t think he could introduce this cat, so he
surrendered her,”Thompson says.“We adopted her out to an older woman, who fell in love with
her. I have talked to her several times since then; she is delighted with the cat.”
25
Therapy Dog at Your Service
S
chatzi is a busy dog. He regularly visits three nursing homes, a general hospital and a rehabilitation hospital. And, lately, he’s become a welcome patron of the local library. The eightyear-old German shepherd is a “therapy dog,” registered under the auspices of Therapy Dogs International (TDI), a volunteer organization dedicated to regulating, testing and registering
therapy dogs for the purpose of visiting nursing homes, hospitals and
other institutions (www.tdi-dog.org).
Schatzi’s owner, Harry D.White, president of NARFE Chapter 300
in Texarkana,TX, is a certified TDI evaluator. To be a TDI therapy dog,
dogs must be at least a year old, certified healthy annually by a veterinarian, and undergo a temperament evaluation—among other things,
evaluators gauge the dog’s behavior around people using service equipment, such as wheelchairs and crutches.They also must pass the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good CitizenTest (www.akc.org/events/cgc).
“There is a demand for them,” says White. Dogs earn certificates after
completing a certain number of visits. Schatzi has more than 300 visits
under his collar.
Nursing home residents are some of Schatzi’s biggest fans.“Some
of these people, those are the only visits they get,” White says.“They
get to know those dogs.” One time when he arrived at a nursing
home at his appointed time, White saw an ambulance in the
driveway—not an unusual sight. But what he saw in the foyer was remarkable: a woman on a stretcher waiting to say goodbye to Schatzi
before she would allow the ambulance to take her to the hospital.
This year, White and Schatzi have started participating in a new
children’s program at the local library.The children in the program
are reluctant to read aloud in front of other people but shed this inHarry White and Schatzi, a therapy dog, are busy visithibition when they read to a dog,White explains.The program reing nursing homes, hospitals and the local library.
quires that the dog be able to lie still for a long period of time.The children sit in a chair or on the floor next to Schatzi, White says. “They will get there and start
reading to that dog, and by the time they finish, you will see the self-confidence. I just could not
believe it.”
If you have a specific breed in mind that’s not available
at your local shelter, breed placement groups (often referred
to as “rescues”) are also a reliable option.
Adopting from a shelter is not only a great way to help a
homeless animal, but it’s also cost-effective. Adoption fees,
which are extremely low compared with the cost of purchasing an animal from a pet store or breeder, typically include vaccinations as well as spay or neuter procedures.
Check with your local shelter to see if it has a seniors program. If not, shelters can still offer a wealth of information
and support to new pet owners.
Rebecca Simmons writes for the Companion Animals section of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS),
www.hsus.org. Reprinted by permission of HSUS.
26
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Managing Money
Stretching Dollars for Your Heirs
By Mark A. Keen, CFP®
T
ax-deferred savings vehicles, such as the Thrift
Savings Plan and IRAs,
can be powerful tools for
accumulating retirement savings.
With proper beneficiary planning,
they also can be used as effective
tools for transferring wealth.
When an IRA or a retirement plan
owner passes away, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is there to make
sure that the beneficiaries follow strict
distribution rules. After all, with distributions being taxable, retirement plans
represent a potentially large source of
tax revenue. However, with a thorough understanding of the numerous
beneficiary distribution rules and nuances, you and your family can use
these rules to save thousands of dollars
in taxes and keep your hard-earned
wealth in the family.
One of the best ways to maximize
the power of an IRA is to take advantage of the tax benefits of the “stretch
IRA.” The stretch IRA can extend the
tax-deferred compounding of IRA assets potentially across multiple generations by allowing the beneficiary to
stretch the distributions over his or her
own life expectancy.
If you want your beneficiaries to be
able to take advantage of the stretch
IRA, you will need to make sure your
beneficiary is a “designated beneficiary.”
A designated beneficiary must be an
actual person–someone with a pulse
and a birthday. If the beneficiary does
not have both, the beneficiary falls into
the “nonhuman” category and is designated as simply “beneficiary.” Examples
of this type of beneficiary would include your estate, a charity or any other
28
nonperson, such as a pet.
You may think the difference is
simply a matter of semantics, but only
designated beneficiaries can stretch the
required distributions over their life expectancies. A beneficiary will be forced
to liquidate the account on a much
ONE OF THE BEST
ways to maximize the
power of an IRA is to
take advantage of the
tax benefits of the
“stretch IRA.”
shorter schedule, with the exact time
depending on whether or not the IRA
owner had died before or after his or
her required beginning date (RBD).
The RBD is the date the IRA owner
must begin taking minimum distributions. With an IRA and most other
plans, the RBD is April 1 of the year following the year you turn age 70-1/2.
For example, if the IRA owner dies
prior to his or her RBD, a nondesignated beneficiary must liquidate the
account by the end of the fifth year following the year of the IRA owner’s
death, effectively wiping out the tax
deferral forever.
If the IRA owner passes away after
the owner’s RBD, the beneficiary is allowed to take withdrawals based on
the IRA owner’s life expectancy. For example, if the IRA owner were age 85,
the longest the beneficiary could take
the distributions would be over the
IRA owner’s remaining 7.6-year life expectancy. While this is somewhat
better than the five-year rule, it can be
decades shorter than the life expectancy of a child or grandchild.
Perhaps the most common way
that IRA owners unknowingly ruin the
stretch opportunity is by naming their
estate as the beneficiary. Not only will
the assets have to pass through the
time-consuming and costly probate
process, but because the estate is not a
living person, the heirs also will lose
the ability to stretch the payments over
their respective life expectancies.
Stretch IRA planning is relatively
straightforward for sole-designated beneficiaries–simply name the individual,
and the stretch option is available to
him or her (assuming the custodian of
the IRA account allows it). However,
extra care and attention is required
when there are multiple beneficiaries
on one account. In this case, the beneficiaries must break out their shares into
“separate accounts” by December 31 of
the year after the IRA owner’s death.
If the beneficiaries fail to meet this
deadline, the distributions must be
based on the eldest’s life expectancy.
This may not be such a big deal if the
beneficiaries are all close in age. However, consider the lost potential if you
name your 35-year-old child and nineyear-old grandchild, and they fail to
create separate accounts. Based on remaining life expectancies, your grandchild would lose out on 25 years of taxdeferred growth.
To complicate the issue further, if
there is a nondesignated beneficiary
along with a designated beneficiary or
beneficiaries, the nondesignated beneficiary’s share will need to be separated
out by September 30 of the year after
the IRA owner’s death. Otherwise, all
beneficiaries–even the designated beneficiaries–will have to follow the less
than generous nondesignated beneficiary distribution rules.
To simplify matters for your beneficiaries, you may want to split your IRA
and name sole beneficiaries to each
IRA. For example, if you have
an IRA with multiple beneficiaries, say
two children, you could split the IRA
and name each child as a sole beneficiary to one of the IRAs. It may mean
more paperwork, additional statements and extra custodian fees, but
these inconveniences pale in comparison to the extra taxes and to the taxdeferred growth potential they will lose
if they fail to meet the deadlines.
It is important to note that not all
custodians are friendly to the splitting
strategy. Vanguard, for example, sent
letters last fall to its IRA customers notifying them that they will not be able
to have IRAs of the same type with different beneficiary designations. Fortunately, most IRA custodians are not
this restrictive.
Whether you are an IRA owner or a
beneficiary yourself, knowing the beneficiary distribution rules is perhaps
the best defense you have to protect
from excessive taxation the assets that
you and your family have spent a lifetime accumulating.
Start planning now and then review
your beneficiary designations annually
to ensure your intended heirs inherit
your money–not Uncle Sam.
Mark A. Keen, CFP®, is managing
director of Bennett Financial Advisors
in Fairfax,VA, and an investment
adviser representative and registered
representative of The Strategic
Financial Alliance, Inc. (SFA). Securities and advisory services are offered
through SFA. He is a member of the
National Capitol Area Chapter of the
Financial Planning Association. E-mail:
[email protected].
Ready to Retire?
C
urrent federal employees alert! If you are interested in learning more
about your Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) retirement benefits, ask your agency
human resources personnel if they will be providing any pre-retirement
seminars.Then suggest that they contact NARFE for information about
the NARFE Pre-Retirement Seminar Program.For more information,visit
the NARFE Web site,www.narfe.org,or call 703-838-7760.
Miss an Issue?
B
ack issues of NARFE magazine
are available at the NARFE
Web site,www.narfe.org.Sign in as a
member; under “Departments,”
click on“NARFE magazine.” Under
“Archives,” click on“Downloadable
version in PDF format.”
29
Live Well
The Nerve Damage of Diabetes
By Marilyn S. Radke, M.D.
D
iabetic neuropathies are
a group of nerve disorders caused by diabetes.
Diabetes, defined by persistently high blood glucose (sugar)
levels, damages the nerves that carry
messages from the
brain and spinal
cord to other parts
of the body. Nerve
damage from diabetes can occur
throughout the
body and lead to
problems in every
organ
system.
Some people with
nerve damage have no symptoms, but
others may have pain, tingling or
numbness (loss of feeling) in the
hands, arms, feet and legs. Others may
have nerve problems affecting the digestive tract, heart and sex organs.
Up to seven out of 10 Americans
with diabetes have some form of neuropathy. The risk of neuropathy rises
with age and duration of diabetes, and
the highest rates of neuropathy are
among people who have had diabetes
for at least 25 years. Diabetic neuropathies appear more often in people
who have problems controlling their
blood glucose levels, have high levels
of blood fat and blood pressure, and
are overweight.
Symptoms depend on which nerves
are affected and may include:
• Pain, tingling or numbness in the
toes, feet, legs, fingers, hands and arms;
• Muscle loss in the hands or feet;
• Indigestion, nausea or vomiting;
• Constipation or diarrhea;
• Dizziness or faintness from a drop
in blood pressure after sitting up or
standing;
• Problems with urination;
• Erectile dysfunction in men or
vaginal dryness in women; and
• Weakness.
The diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy is based on symptoms and a
physical examination. The exam may
include checking blood pressure, heart
rate, muscle strength and reflexes, and
sensitivity to position changes, vibration, temperature and light touch. Experts recommend that people with diabetes have a comprehensive foot
exam every year to check the skin,
muscles, bones, circulation and sensation of the feet for peripheral neuropathy. Other tests that may aid in diagnosis include:
• Nerve conduction velocity (NCV)
tests use a tiny probe to stimulate
nerve fibers electrically to determine
the type of nerve damage.
Taking Care of Your Feet
F
ollowing these nine steps will help to ensure your feet get proper care and prevent more serious problems from
developing.
• Clean your feet daily,using warm–not hot–water and a mild soap. Avoid soaking your feet.Dry them with a soft towel
and dry carefully between your toes.
• Inspect your feet and toes every day for cuts,blisters,redness,swelling,calluses or other problems.Use a mirror or get
help from someone else if you cannot see the bottoms of your feet.Tell your health care provider of any problems.
• Moisturize your feet with lotion,but avoid getting the lotion between your toes.
•After a bath or shower,file corns and calluses gently with a pumice stone.
• Each week or when needed,cut your toenails to the shape of your toes and file the edges with an emery board.
•Always wear shoes or slippers to protect your feet from injuries.Prevent skin irritation by wearing thick,soft,seamless socks.
•Wear shoes that fit well and allow your toes to move. Break in new shoes gradually by first wearing them for only
an hour at a time.
• Before putting your shoes on,look them over carefully and feel the insides with your hand to make sure they have
no tears,sharp edges or objects in them that might injure your feet.
• If you need help taking care of your feet,make an appointment to see a foot doctor (podiatrist).
Source:National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
30
• Electromyography (EMG) involves inserting a fine needle into a
muscle to measure muscle response to
electrical signals transmitted by nearby
nerves. EMG can help distinguish between muscle and nerve disorders.
• Heart rate variability testing
shows how the heart responds to deep
breathing and to changes in blood
pressure and posture.
• Ultrasound uses sound waves to
provide an image of internal organs to
determine if they are affected by nerve
damage.
The first step in treatment is to bring
blood glucose levels within the normal
range to help prevent or delay further
nerve damage. Quitting smoking is important because smoking decreases the
blood supply to the nerves, and increases the risk of foot problems and
even amputation. Additional treatment
includes pain relief and other medications, as needed, depending on the type
of nerve problem.
Oral medications used to help relieve
diabetic nerve pain include antidepressants, anticonvulsants (anti-seizure
medicines), opioids (morphine-like
drugs) and opioid-like medicines. The
antidepressant duloxetine (Cymbalta)
and the anticonvulsant pregabalin
(Lyrica) are approved specifically for
treating painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Some experts recommend
avoiding over-the-counter pain medicines, such as acetaminophen and
ibuprofen, because they may
not work well on nerve pain and
can have serious side effects.
Pain medications applied to
the skin (typically to the feet) include
capsaicin cream and lidocaine patches
(Lidoderm, Lidopain). Nitrate sprays or
patches for the feet may relieve pain.
Alpha-lipoic acid and evening primrose
oil (dietary supplements) may help to
relieve symptoms and improve nerve
function.
Other possible pain therapies include acupuncture, biofeedback, physical therapy, electrical nerve stimulation,
magnetic therapy, laser light therapy,
and a bed cradle to keep bed linens
from touching sensitive feet and legs.
The long nerves to the feet are commonly affected by neuropathy. When
sensation in the feet is lost, injuries or sores may not be noticed, and may become infected
and lead to amputation.
Inspect your feet and toes daily for
cuts, blisters, redness, swelling and calluses (see sidebar, p. 30). If necessary, lay
a mirror on the floor to see the bottoms
of your feet. Notify your doctor or podiatrist (foot doctor) of any problems.
The best way to prevent diabetic
neuropathy is to keep your blood glucose levels as close to the normal range
as possible. If you develop symptoms of
diabetic neuropathy, see your doctor for
evaluation and treatment.
Marilyn S. Radke, M.D., is board certified in preventive medicine and
practices in Atlanta, Ga.
To Learn More
F
or more information, write to
the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, 1 Information
Way, Bethesda, MD 20892-3560;
or call 800-860-8747;or visit theWeb
site at www.diabetes.niddk.nih.
gov.
31
Alzheimer’s Update
Continuing the Alzheimer’s Fight
By Barb L. Pretzer
O
ne subject that is certain
to come up at the National Convention is the
NARFE Alzheimer’s program. Some NARFE members think
that we should shift our support toward something
other
than
Alzheimer’s
research.
Others
have suggested
that we need to
work more on our
own issues.
The
NARFE
Alzheimer’s program is a cause that enables us to
help not only ourselves but also to
help others. Member support of the
NARFE Alzheimer’s program also
brings NARFE national name recognition and high-quality public relations.
Alzheimer’s disease affects, or will
soon affect in some way, nearly
everyone in this country, including
many NARFE members. It has now become the sixth leading cause of death
in the United States, surpassing even
diabetes. It affects one out of every
eight Americans over age 65. That’s
why it’s so important for NARFE to
continue to fund vital research into the
prevention and treatment of, and eventual cure for, this devastating disease.
NARFE has embraced Alzheimer’s
research as a program since 1986.
Every member should be proud that
we have contributed to progress in
Alzheimer’s research that two decades
ago was only a dream. We are recognized as one of the Alzheimer’s Association’s leading supporters. This is a
wonderful way to show that NARFE
32
members care about others and,
through our many volunteer hours, it
also shows that we care about our
communities.
The generosity of NARFE members
has helped raise awareness of our Association, in addition to all that we
have done to lead the fight against
Alzheimer’s. It would be a major loss to
drop this cause now, only to start over
on something else. I would hope we
Alzheimer’s chapters value NARFE volunteers, they also welcome the statistical information from our chapters.
On a final note, I’d like to remind
you about the Alzheimer’s raffle at the
National Convention. We hope each
federation will provide one item, with
a value of at least $50, for the raffle.
Something unique to your state is always appropriate. Wait until you see
what the “big ticket item” is this year!
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE affects,or will soon affect
in some way,nearly everyone in this country,
including many NARFE members.
could leave a legacy, just like the
Shriners have done with their hospitals
for children or the Lions Clubs with
their eye health program. Everyone
knows about those charitable efforts. I
hope that someday everyone will
know that NARFE had a role in ridding
this world of Alzheimer’s disease.
To aid us in our efforts, I’m pleased
to announce that we have new
NARFE-Alzheimer’s Association promotional material available to us. A
new, large vinyl banner has been
shipped to each federation Alzheimer’s
coordinator, who in turn can loan it to
any chapter that schedules a
fundraising event or public relations/recruiting event. We also have
posters available to any chapter requesting them. These items and more
will be on display at our booth at the
National Convention.
I mentioned volunteer hours above.
Let me remind you to turn in all of
your Alzheimer’s/NARFE volunteer
hours to your local Alzheimer’s Association chapter. Not only do
See you at the raffle table, and don’t
forget to bring your supply of personal
mailing labels for the backs of all of the
tickets you’ll be buying.
Let’s make the NARFE National Convention in Louisville the best one yet!
Barb L. Pretzer is chairman of the
NARFE-Alzheimer’s National Committee. E-mail: [email protected].
New Guide
N
ARFE has just published a new version of its brochure
NARFE’s Participation
in the National Alzheimer’s Research Program (FH-12).
To order copies,
chapters should use
the Requisition for
Printed Supplies (F-18). It also is
available at www.narfe.org.
Questions & Answers
NOTE: The following Questions &
Answers were compiled by Retirement Benefits Service Department
staff. These are real questions
received by the Department and
real answers, based on the
members’ personal circumstances.
The answers are not universal and
may include information that is
relevant to the correspondent’s
particular situation. NARFE does not
provide legal advice or assistance,
does not provide financial planning
advice or assistance, and does not
provide tax advice or assistance. For
legal, financial planning or tax
advice/assistance, NARFE recommends members contact an
attorney, financial planner or certified public accountant/tax adviser.
RETIREES
SS EARNINGS LIMITS
QUESTION:What are the earnings
income limits for my Social Security
benefits?
Response: The retirement earnings test
applies only to people below normal or
full retirement age (FRA), which ranges
from age 65 to 67, depending on year of
birth. The Social Security Administration (SSA) withholds benefits if your
earnings exceed a certain level, called
a retirement earnings test exempt
amount, and if you are under your FRA.
One of two different exempt amounts
applies, depending on the year you
reach your FRA.
When earnings exceed the lower exempt amount, the SSA withholds $1 in
benefits for every $2 of earnings in excess of the lower exempt amount.
When earnings exceed the higher
exempt amount, the SSA withholds $1
in benefits for every $3 of earnings in
excess of the higher exempt amount.
Earnings in or after the month you
reach your FRA do not count toward
the retirement earnings test.
The annual retirement earnings test
exempt amounts for 2008 are: $13,560
for the lower amount; $36,120 for the
higher amount. Note: The lower
amount applies during the years prior
to attaining your FRA. The higher
amount applies in those months
during the year you attain your FRA.
SS DISABILITY
QUESTION: My wife is age 57, disabled and receives Social Security disability benefits. I understand that at
some time (age 62),her disability payment will
stop, and she will
instead get retirement benefits. Her full retirement
age
would have been age
66 if she had continued to
work. Does the conversion
from disability to retirement
under Social Security happen at age
62? If not,when does it happen in her
case?
spouse’s
private-sector
earnings/contributions to calculate my Social Security benefits as a divorced
spouse because I am not covered
under Social Security.Is this correct?
Response: You are entitled to a divorced
spouse’s insurance benefits on the
worker’s Social Security record if:
1. The worker is entitled to retirement or disability insurance benefits;
2. You have filed an application for
divorced spouse’s benefits;
3. You are not entitled to a retirement or disability insurance benefit
based on a primary insurance amount
that equals or exceeds one-half the
worker’s primary insurance amount;
4. You are age 62 or older;
5. You are not married; and
6. You were married to the worker
for 10 years before the date the divorce
became final.
Note: You are not entitled
before age 62, even if you
have an entitled child
under your care.
The divorced spouse
of a worker who is not
entitled to retirement or disability
insurance benefits but who has
reached age 62 and is fully insured can
become independently entitled to benefits on the worker’s earnings record.
To do so, however, the divorced spouse
must meet the requirements in items
2-6 above and have been divorced
from the worker for not less than two
continuous years.
If you receive a government pension, certain circumstances cause an
offset against your Social Security benefit. Benefits payable as a spouse, divorced spouse, surviving spouse, surviving divorced spouse or a deemed
spouse may be reduced if the person
receives periodic payments based on
his or her own employment in the fed-
QA
&
Response: When an individual reaches
full retirement age, nothing will change
except his or her benefits will be called
retirement benefits instead of disability
benefits for Social Security purposes.
Your wife does not need to take any action. The full retirement age for an individual with a year of birth between
1943-1954 is age 66.
DIVORCED FED AND SS
QUESTION: I am divorced after 20
years of marriage. I have not remarried. I understand that the Social SecurityAdministration will use my ex-
33
Questions & Answers
eral government, state or political subdivision that was not covered under
Social Security.
FED DISABILITY
QUESTION: As a result of using
firearms without proper ear protection years ago, I left the federal government based on hearing loss.What
are the requirements for filing for a disability?
Response: Disability retirement is based
on an inability to perform the duties of
your position. The law requires that an
application for disability retirement be
filed within one year of the date of separation if you were mentally competent.
Even though you may have had problems prior to your retirement, the medical condition must have been so severe
as to cause a documented deficiency in
your service while you were working. If
you meet both the time limit and the
guidelines above, contact the Office of
Personnel Management (OPM) at 888767-6738 to obtain a disability retirement application.
TSP WITHDRAWALS
QUESTION:Last year,I started withdrawing from myThrift Savings Plan
(TSP) account on a monthly basis.My
calculation was such that it would last
10 years at a certain amount per
month, including federal tax withholding. Will the fluctuations in the
stock market affect the amount I receive?
Response: With regard to the fluctuation
in the stock market and its effect on the
amount you receive, the determining
factor is based on which funds you have
selected to allocate your money. If you
invested your funds in a no-risk fund
like the G fund, then the stock market
would not affect your TSP. However, if
you have your funds allocated to other
funds that would be affected by the fluc-
34
IMMEDIATELY upon the survivor annuitant’s 55th
birthday,he or she can remarry and retain the
survivor annuity.
tuation in the stock market, the amount
you receive will be affected. If you need
further clarification, contact the TSP at
202-942-1640 or 877-968-3778.
HMO AND MEDICARE
QUESTION:I was enrolled in a health
maintenance organization (HMO) for
almost 30 years. In 2007, I enrolled in
a preferred provider organization and
Medicare.I am considering going back
to my previous HMO during the next
Open Season. However, I am leery of
dropping Medicare Part B (in case
there are drastic changes in the future
of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program [FEHBP]),but I am not
clear on how the HMO plan (Kaiser,
High option) will be different if I keep
Medicare.Will I see a difference in getting care under Kaiser and the cost,as
compared with before I enrolled in
Medicare?
Response: Your FEHBP plan is your secondary insurance coverage after
Medicare Part B. While an HMO provides good coverage, HMOs have restrictions on which doctors and facilities you can use. The Part B coverage
could be used to help cover nonemergency medical services while traveling
outside of the HMO service area. Also,
Part B could be used to cover claims for
specialists you may want to use who
are outside of the plan’s network. Normally, the combination of Medicare Part
B and FEHBP coverage, whether it is a
fee-for-service plan or an HMO, will
cover much or all of your medical expenses. But you don’t want to overpay
for coverage and, with both coverages,
the high-option premiums would not
buy you any additional benefits. If you
decide to keep your Medicare Part B,
you should consider looking at lowercost premium options during the upcoming FEHBP Open Season.
REMARRIAGE AND SURVIVOR
ANNUITY
QUESTION: It is my understanding
that a survivor annuity will not terminate upon remarriage once the survivor annuitant reaches age 55, and
there is no requirement that remarriage be delayed until the end of the
year in which the survivor annuitant
reaches age 55. Is it correct that immediately upon the survivor annuitant’s birthday,the survivor annuitant
can remarry and retain his or her survivor annuity?
Response: Yes. There is no requirement
that remarriage be delayed until the end
of the year in which the survivor annuitant reaches age 55. In other words, immediately upon the survivor annuitant’s
55th birthday, he or she can remarry and
retain the survivor annuity.
SURVIVOR BENEFITS
QUESTION:Is the choice to provide a
survivor annuity irrevocable? My wife
and I both are Civil Service Retirement System annuitants.There is no
longer a financial need for a survivor
benefit for her.
Response: You had up to 30 days after
receipt of your first regular annuity payment to change your election regarding
survivor benefits. After that, your election is permanent, unless the marriage
ends in death or divorce.
ANNUAL LEAVE
QUESTION:I did not see any figures
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SURVIVORS AND FEHBP
QUESTION: My wife and I retired
under the Civil Service Retirement
System.We both chose not to elect
survivor annuities. I am the primary
for coverage under our Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
(FEHBP) plan. If I pass away, will she
still be covered under the plan?
Response: If you did not elect to provide
her with a survivor benefit, your enrollment in the FEHBP will end upon your
death, and she will not be eligible to
continue that coverage. But she might
be eligible to enroll for FEHBP coverage
as a retiree in her own right if at the
time she retired she met the requirement of five years of continued FEHBP
coverage, either as an enrollee or as a
dependent covered under another’s
FEHBP enrollment. If your wife is eligible in her own right, she can enroll
herself in the FEHBP whenever she
loses coverage as a dependent under
your family enrollment. This also would
be true if you both decide to change enrollments from family coverage to two
self-only coverages, which many federal
retired couples do to save on premium
costs.
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Response: The Office of Personnel Management is not the agency for issuing the
lump-sum payment for your annual
leave. Your final lump-sum payment is
issued by the agency where you were
working when you retired. If you have
your final leave and earnings statement,
you should contact your former agency
for an explanation to determine if you
were paid for your annual leave.
No
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nuity.I am fairly certain that I did not
take the annual leave in a lump sum,
but I am not positive.
It doesn’t play games, take pictures,
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35
Questions & Answers
NARFE SERVICE OFFICERS are available to answer questions and to
plan.Would you please provide information on the National Program for
Dental andVision?
Response: We think you must be referring to the Federal Employees
Dental and Vision Insurance Program
(FEDVIP)–first made available to federal employees and retirees in 2006.
Retirees can sign up for one of the
plans offered during the annual Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Open Season. You should know
that under this program, there is no
government contribution to the premium costs. Costs for the dental plans
vary by geographical location. To learn
more, go to the following link on the
Office of Personnel Management Web
site: www.benefeds.com/BenefedHelp/
more_info/dental.htm. You will find all
of the dental plans available to federal
employees/retirees, along with a
phone number for each plan. You can
call to ask questions about the individual plans, as well as the amount the
plan will cover for your specific dental
needs.
OPM PIN
QUESTION: A personal identification
number (PIN) is sometimes required
when contacting the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). How do
you obtain a PIN from OPM if you either have never received one or received a PIN and forgot what it is?
Response: In either case, to obtain a
new PIN you must contact OPM. By
phone, you may call OPM at 888-7676738. Because of the extremely heavy
volume of calls OPM receives every
day, your best chance to get through
to OPM is between 7-7:30 a.m. Eastern
Time or in late afternoon/early
evening. You also may write to the Office of Personnel Management, Retirement Operations Center, P.O. Box 45,
Boyers, PA 16017.
36
assist in helping with a variety of benefit matters. Check your chapter newsletter
for the name and phone number of your service officer. Call NARFE toll-free at
1-800-456-8410
for the nearest service officer. NARFE Service Centers are also available in some
areas. Use the Service Center listings on ourWeb site, www.narfe.org.
REPORTING DEATH
QUESTION: What organization
should I or members of my family contact to report the death of an annuitant?
Response: You should first contact your
local NARFE chapter service officer,
who can assist in obtaining benefits for
survivors of annuitants. If that is not
possible, you will need to contact the
Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
directly to report the death. You can
write to the Office of Personnel Management, Retirement Operations
Center, P.O. Box 45, Boyers, PA 16017.
The other options are to send an e-mail
to [email protected] or call 888-7676738.
ACTIVE
EMPLOYEES
SURVIVOR BENEFIT
QUESTION: If someone under the
Civil Service Retirement System
(CSRS) takes $1 out of his or her retirement annuity for the spouse’s annuity, would the spouse still receive the
same Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) coverage as
the spouse would receive if he or she
took out the 55-percent spouse’s annuity?
Response: Yes. The survivor would still
have the same FEHBP coverage as the
survivor would receive under a full survivor election. An election to use $1 as
the base for reduction will allow a surviving spouse to continue FEHBP cov-
erage if the annuitant had family coverage at the time of death. The survivor
would need to pay the FEHBP premiums directly to the Office of Personnel Management since premiums
could not be withheld from the survivor annuity. We advise that before
making such an election regarding survivor benefits, you consider the following:
• Your spouse’s future retirement
benefits based on his or her own employment;
• Other sources of income;
• Whether the other sources of income are protected against inflation
with cost-of-living adjustments; and
• Your spouse’s need for continued
coverage under the FEHBP.
CSRS annuitants who elect no reduction or a partial reduction to provide survivor benefits at retirement
have an opportunity to increase survivor benefits within 18 months after
final adjudication of their annuities.
However, this election may be more
expensive than if the same election
had been made at retirement.
LEAVE WITHOUT PAY
QUESTION: I work for the Federal
Bureau of Investigation and have a
question concerning leave without pay.
I am in 1811 status and can retire at
age 50 with 20 years of service.If I have
taken leave without pay, does that
change my retirement date? I have
taken two weeks during my career and
may soon need to take 12 weeks.Does
that change anything?
Response: No. If you have taken only
two weeks of leave without pay during
your career and plan to take only 12
weeks at the most in the future, your
retirement benefits will not be affected. Periods of leave without pay or
other nonpay status of up to six
months in any one calendar year are
considered creditable service for retirement purposes. Coverage under
the retirement system continues at no
cost (retirement contributions) to the
employee while in nonpay status.
When employees are in nonpay status
for only a portion of a period, their retirement contributions are adjusted in
proportion to their basic pay.
SPECIAL RETIREMENT
SUPPLEMENT
QUESTION:Is the special retirement
supplement (SRS) an added benefit to
the basic Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) benefits for
those who retire before age 62?At the
minimum retirement age (MRA),
what is the minimum number of years
of service required to be entitled to receive SRS? I am age 58 and will have 17
years of service. I would like to know
the amount of retirement benefits I
can expect if I retire with 17 years of
service.
Response: The SRS is provided in addition to the regular FERS benefit to make
up for the fact that Social Security–an
important part of the total FERS retirement package–is not payable until the
retiree reaches age 62. It is available to
those who retire under age 62 at their
MRA with 30 years of service; or at age
60 with 20 years of service; or on early
voluntary retirement (age 50 with 20
years of service or at any age with 25
years, but only if authorized by your
agency or the Office of Personnel Management); or on an involuntary retirement. If you were to retire with 17 years
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Questions & Answers
of service, you would be retiring under
the MRA + 10 provision. No one who retires under that provision is eligible to receive the SRS. Further, your annuity
would be reduced by 5 percent for every
year you are younger than age 62.
YOU CAN CHANGE the amount of state or federal
tax withheld from your annuity by calling OPM’s
Retirement Information Office.
sued by my agency.
Response: Unless you are in one of the
special groups (e.g., firefighter, law enforcement officer, etc.), your annuity is
computed using your high-three average salary–that is, your basic pay for
a regular 40-hour week. Overtime pay
and credit hours are not included in the
computation of your annuity, but locality pay is. For a list of what is excluded from basic pay, see p. 3, Chapter
30, of the Office of Personnel Management’s CSRS and FERS Handbook for
Personnel and Payroll Offices. The link is
www.opm.gov/asd/hod/pdf/c030.pdf.
Response: DOD Civilian Personnel
Management Service, Field Advisory
Service, is the DOD Headquarters Personnel Office. This office will work with
all DOD organizations to establish a
standard procedure for DOD civilian retirees to obtain an ID card. With the
added security procedures established
at each federal agency, the authority
was delegated to each command and
was eventually delegated to the lowest
possible level. Each retiree, therefore, is
required to contact independently the
particular installation the retiree wants
to enter after retirement to find out
about the installation’s policy.
You also might contact your agency
human resources office for a point of
contact at the installation you are planning to frequent after retirement.
RETIREMENT ID CARDS
TAXES
QUESTION:I will be retiring from the
Department of Defense (DOD) this
year and am trying to find out if there
is a retirement identification card is-
QUESTION:I am considering where
to live when I retire.Please provide information on which states have no
state tax or sales tax.
OVERTIME OR CREDIT HOURS
QUESTION: Are overtime pay and
credit hours included in the computation of an annuity estimate?
New SSA Retirement PlanningTool
T
he Social SecurityAdministration (SSA) recently launched its new online
retirement planning tool,“Retirement Estimator,” at www.socialsecurity.
gov/estimator.It uses actual earnings records to provide a personalized estimate
of future SSA retirement benefits.
It is no longer necessary to write or call SSA for a statement to find out
what your benefits will be.The Retirement Estimator provides an estimate
of benefits if you take an early retirement with reductions, if you wait until
your full retirement age and if you delay applying for benefits until age 70. It
is not for use by those already receiving benefits, those who do not have
enough credits for benefits or those subject to theWindfall Elimination Provision (WEP).It allows users to compare retirement options by entering different work-stop dates or expected earnings.
38
Response: Most states tax federal retirement benefits, often with some exemptions. But there are some states with no
income tax and some that exempt pensions. Visit the NARFE Web site and log
on to the NARFE Legislative Department’s home page, then click on “State
Taxation” at the end of the middle
column. States exempting the total
amount of civil service annuities include Alabama, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas,
Kentucky (for those retired before January 1, 1998), Louisiana, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North
Carolina (for those with five years of
service as of August 12, 1989), Oregon
(if retired before October 1, 1991) and
Pennsylvania.
You can change the amount of state
or federal tax withheld from your annuity by calling the Office of Personnel
Management (OPM), Retirement Information Office, at 888-767-6738. You
should be ready to provide your CSA
or CSF retirement claim number and
your OPM-provided PIN.
Federal income tax treatment of
your civil service retirement is explained in the IRS Tax Guide to U.S. Civil
Service Retirement Benefits, Publication
721. You can obtain this free booklet
from the IRS by calling 800-829-3676.
If you have tax questions, you also
can call the IRS at 800-829-1040 or
contact your local IRS office.
Visit the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov
and scroll down to “More Forms and
Publications” on the left of the home
page. OPM’s retirement Web page also
has some tax help at www.opm.gov/
retire. You can compute the tax-free
portion of your annuity under the simplified method or estimate income tax
withholding on this Web site.
Response: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Web site provides excellent information. CSRS Interim is a
version of CSRS established pending
creation of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) for employees
first hired after December 31, 1983,
and certain rehires. When FERS became effective, employees with CSRS
Interim coverage acquired either FERS
or CSRS Offset coverage. CSRS Offset
was created in 1987 and generally applies to employees who had a break in
federal service after 1983 that lasted
longer than one year and who had at
least five years of civilian service as of
January 1, 1987. It also applies to employees who were hired into a civilian
career before 1984 but did not acquire
retirement coverage until after 1984
and had at least five years of service as
of January 1, 1987. For more detailed
information, go to the OPM link at
www.opm.gov/benefits/correction/faq/
general.htm. ■
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QUESTION:I am trying to resolve an
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made permanent in the time frame
1984-1986.I was hired in a temporary
position in 1982. I was made permanent during the period Civil Service
Retirement System (CSRS) Interim
was in effect.Are there official guidelines on CSRS Interim?
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39
‘‘
’’
After losing weight
with NutriSystem, I feel
20 years younger!
Alette felt like all the fun had gone completely out of her life. For years, she had tried
diet after diet, only to have her weight climb to 244 pounds. She could no longer do the
things she loved, like water skiing. In fact, the boat couldn’t even pull her out of the
water. Almost 60, she was about to give up the idea of ever looking or feeling good
again, and she had resigned herself to just getting fatter and fatter. Then she saw an
ad for NutriSystem. Now, after losing 104 pounds*, this California grandmother is out
skiing again and rollerblading with her grandson.
Like so many women, my weight was get so angry with myself—eating things
okay until I got married and had a child. that were going to make me fat. But I
Then I just started gaining. Over the years, couldn’t stop. My weight just
going
up,
finally
to
I tried every diet imaginable—you name kept
244 pounds. It felt like I was
a diet, I probably tried it. I’d lose
the weight, but as soon as I’d “NutriSystem destroying myself. I even
considered weight loss surgery,
reach my goal, I’d run out and
has given
but I was just too scared.
buy pizza or cookies or ice
me my
cream. I always gained back the
I had to lose weight, because I
life back.”
weight I’d lost…and more.
was
too fat and too out of shape!
Most of the diets were so
restrictive and horrible, I couldn’t face
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I called NutriSystem and lost
By the time I was 59, I was preoccupied
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Then I’d see myself in the
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‘‘Lasagna’s my absolute favorite!’’
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I went online and placed an order, and
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*Results not typical. Individuals are remunerated. Weight lost on a prior NutriSystem® program.
On NutriSystem, you add-in fresh fruit, vegetables, salads and dairy items.
‘‘
’’
‘‘Losing weight with NutriSystem
made my life fun again.’’
Advantage™ I get to have carbs
whenever I want. The NutriSystem®
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from the “bad” in it’s foods, so I
didn’t have to deprive myself of
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too. The lasagna’s my absolute
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before
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A LE T T E
LOST
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*
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after
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Faces of NARFE
She’ll Be Your Host in Louisville
I
t’s no secret that NARFE’s Biennial National Convention convenes in Louisville, KY, this
month. It’s also no secret to any
member who has been part of a
NARFE state, regional or national
convention that a lot of hard work
has gone into preparing for this event.
Much of the planning has been done
by the Convention Host Committee,
chaired by Kentucky
Federation President
Marlene
Bunten.
And while she is the
first to admit that
she’s had some great
folks working with
her over the past
year and a half, we
salute all of those
who worked on this
convention by featuring Marlene as the September
“Faces of NARFE.”
She was born Marlene Hemsath
in Covington, KY, shortly after the
devastating Ohio River flood of 1937.
Marlene went to work for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 1967
as a GS-2 in the mailroom. She spent
30 years with the IRS, including
three years managing the Taxpayer
Service Office in Columbus, OH. She
retired as the problem-resolution officer, now called the taxpayer advocate. As such, she traveled to Washington every year to meet with
members of Congress, especially
those representing Kentucky and
Ohio.
Marlene joined NARFE not long
after her May 1, 1997, retirement, becoming a member of Campbell
County Chapter 1760. By January
42
1998, she was president of the
chapter, beginning an uninterrupted
stretch of serving as a NARFE officer,
which continues today. In fact, Marlene figures that the only time she
wasn’t an officer for the chapter
and/or federation was during her
first six months as a member.
Her path to becoming chair of the
Convention Host Committee was
the chairperson of the convention.
She was elected federation president
in May 2007 for a two-year term.
Then, the person who was to chair
the convention had to step down due
to health problems, and Marlene
found herself federation president
and 2008 convention chair.
While it has been a monumental
task, she thinks that NARFE members who come to
Louisville in September will like
what they see. And
she admits that she
has had an amazing
committee to work
with, giving special
mention to Marj
Fair, who took on
the job of putting together the convention book, with ads, booster lists, an
agenda–everything you want to
know about the convention.
Marlene also admits that there
has not been a dull moment. While
it has been a lot of work, it also has
been a lot of fun. So when you see
Marlene and her host committee at
the convention, thank them for all of
their hard work–even if it was fun!
MARLENE BUNTEN ...chair
of the National Convention
Host Committee and
president of the Kentucky
Federation
not an intentional one. In fact, she
was shocked that Louisville won the
vote of delegates at the 2004 National Convention in Reno to host
this year’s convention. She recalls
that it was only after it was announced that there would be a runoff election between Dallas and
Louisville that the Kentucky group
decided to print up fliers to try to
sway some votes. She says she was
surprised by the delegates who
asked, “Where is Louisville?” but set
them straight by telling them to
think “Kentucky Derby.” Louisville
won the vote over Dallas, and it was
up to the Kentucky Federation to
begin long-range plans
for the convention.
At that time, she had
no idea she would be federation president, let alone
By ChuckTimanus,
Public Relations Director
Out & AW
bout
ith the Chapters
LEFT: Region III Vice President Robert
Harrell, right, presents a plaque to Joe
Hofsash, recognizing his 25 years of
service to Chapter 1020, Warner
Robins, GA, 15 of them as sgt.-at-arms.
RIGHT: Chapter 2345, Stennis Space
Center, MS, participated in a Senior
Fair Day in Picayune. Left to right:
Rhett Hamiter, secretary; Jimmie
Glydewell, president; and Belinda
Clark, Alzheimer’s chair.
Juanita Brady holds the painting she
purchased at the Alzheimer’s benefit
auction sponsored by Chapter 164,
Harrisonburg,VA. Rev. Sonny Hinkle
was auctioneer.
New officers of Chapter 2229, Frankfort, KY,
pose at a recent meeting. Left to right, seated:
Oram Wright, president; and Richard Crane, vp;
standing:Terry Chism, secretary; Nancy
Edwards, publicity; and Ira Linville, treasurer.
Officers of Chapter 609, South Brevard, FL,
celebrate the chapter’s 50th anniversary.
Left to right:Alberta Terry, 2nd vp; Pat
O’Brien, 1st vp; Roy Rochon, president; and
Phyllis Walker, secretary.
NARFE-FEEA
PROGRAM FUND CONTRIBUTION FORM
YES! I would like to help with my contribution.
Please check appropriate box(es); to make credit-card contributions,call 1-800-323-4140.
Scholarships are available to children and grandchildren of federal civilian retirees and
current federal employees who are NARFE members.
❏
❏
NARFE-FEEA Disaster Fund
NARFE-FEEA Scholarship Fund
Amount $
Amount $
Name
Make check payable to:
NARFE-FEEA Disaster Fund or
NARFE-FEEA Scholarship Fund
Please mail coupon
and check to:
FEEA
Address
City
YOUR CHARITABLE
CONTRIBUTION IS TAX
DEDUCTIBLE TO THE FULLEST
EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW.
State
ZIP
8441 W. Bowles Ave., Suite 200
Littleton, CO 80123-3245
43
From the Secretary’s Desk
Feedback from
Federation
Conventions
By Nathaniel L. Brown
National Secretary
[email protected]
E
ach year as your National
Secretary, I have the opportunity to attend several federation conventions. As I did
last year, I want to express my thanks
to federation officers and delegates for
the hospitality and
courtesy shown to
me during my visits. I
also thank them for
the e-mails, notes and
pictures they sent
after my visit. Each of
these follow-up contacts brought back fond and pleasant
memories.
It is always gratifying to meet with
and talk to federation and chapter
leaders, as well as members, and to
learn how excited they are about
NARFE. I continue to be impressed
with the quality of leaders, and their
dedication to promoting the goals of
NARFE and providing service to our
members. It is also gratifying for me
to know that we have many
dedicated members.
While visiting federation
conventions, a number of delegates
discussed several issues with me.
Many of those with whom I talked
expressed concern about the future
of NARFE chapters. In addition, I
made several observations about
some of the activities that took place
during my convention visits. I would
like to share two of my observations
with you.
The first observation pertains to a
discussion by three federations on a
44
resolution that proposed going from
an annual to a biennial federation
convention. Some delegates
indicated that the cost of holding a
convention was a major
consideration, as well as a lack of a
sufficient number of members to
plan and carry out the activities for a
successful convention. Other
delegates indicated that annual
conventions provided opportunities
for chapter members to share and
exchange ideas and, therefore,
should be continued.
While both reasons should be
considered in making a decision,
each federation should decide what
is best for the chapter members of
their federations. To lower costs,
some federations have reduced the
number of days for their convention.
Others plan some kind of training
during the off year, so that chapter
members will have an opportunity to
meet and exchange ideas. Thirteen
federations now hold biennial
conventions. It may be helpful to
contact them to obtain information
on how biennial conventions are
working for their states.
The second observation relates to
a concern some members had
regarding the number of members
who attend meetings, and the small
number of members who are willing
to plan and become involved in
chapter activities. In essence, they
were concerned about the continued
viability of chapters. The average
attendance at chapter meetings is
approximately 10 percent. Members
do not attend chapter meetings for a
variety of reasons–competing
priorities, work schedules or medical
conditions, and some just don’t like
to attend meetings.
Whatever the reasons, chapter
officials need to ensure that their
meetings consist of activities that
are informative and enjoyable.
However, I do share the concerns
expressed about the small number
of members who are involved in
planning chapter activities. The lack
of a sufficient number of members
available to carry out chapter
functions could have a significant
impact on the viability of a chapter.
Perhaps chapter officials need to
find ways to get those members
who do not attend meetings on a
regular basis involved in planning
chapter activities. There usually is a
core group of members that keeps
the chapter going. I am sure that if
we could periodically find two or
three more members to become a
part of this core group, there would
always be a sufficient number of
members to ensure the viability of
chapters. May we set that as our
goal each year! ■
Advertiser Index
Aamcare-Electropedic.com . . . .39
Bose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Clark Enterprises 2000 . . . . .22-23
Dream Products . . . . . . . . . . .13,53
Eco-Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
First Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35,39
GEHA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
GeroVita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
GovMint.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Haband . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,64
Independence Village . . . . . . . . . .31
NARFE Premier FCU . . . . . . . . . .63
NutriSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40-41
Premier Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . . .17
RedstoneVillage . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Rosetta Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Stauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Your ManTours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Join
Who can join?
Today!
NARFE
Membership is open to civilians in any agency of the federal
or D.C.* governments including:
Retirees
Active federal employees
● Spouses and former spouses of active and retired
federal employees
● Former employees eligible for deferred annuity
● Survivors of those eligible to join NARFE
●
●
To apply:
Complete the application on the reverse side.
Enclose payment information, bill pay, check or money
order payable to NARFE, or request to be billed.
● Or go to our Web site at www.narfe.org and join today!
●
●
*Prior to October 1, 1987
Enrollment includes membership in a local chapter and the national
association, plus a subscription to NARFE’s monthly publication, NARFE magazine.
Dues Withholding Application (Retirees Only)
Be sure to fill out both sides of this form and mail to: Attn: Member Records, NARFE,
606 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314 (Do Not Send Money With This Form)
(Please Print)
—
—
C
—
S
—
—
Civil Service Annuity Number
Social Security Number (9-digits)
(Include prefix CSA or CSF)
(Include prefix applicable suffix)
(Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.)
Address
Telephone
City, State, ZIP
E-mail
Date of Birth
NARFE Membership Number
NARFE Chapter Number
45
NARFE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
www.narfe.org
For Active and Retired Federal Employees
1. ■ Please enroll me in NARFE chapter __________________
(leave blank if not known).
■ Also enroll my spouse.
name
Contact Information:
Full Name: Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms.
2. CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY:
■ Active employee
■ Former spouse
■ Former employee
■ Retiree
■ Spouse
■ Survivor
3.
$33
Membership fee
per person
x
no. of
people joining
Street Address
Apt./Unit
City/State/ZIP
=
Total payment
Home Telephone Number
E-mail Address
The first year membership fee is in lieu of national and chapter
dues. Upon renewal you will be billed for national and chapter
dues at the prevailing rate on your anniversary date.
■ Total payment (check, bill pay or money order payable
to NARFE)
■ Bill me
■ Charge to my credit card
Credit Card Information:
■ MasterCard
Card type:
■ Discover
Federal Agency
Retirement Date
Date(s) of Birth
Recruiter’s Membership and/or Chapter Number
■ VISA
■ AMEX
Card no. _________________________________________
Expiration Date ______________
(mm)
Mail to:
(yy)
NARFE Member Records
Name on Card (Print) _______________________________
Fax: 703-838-7783
Signature ____________________________ Date _______
1Q
Authorization
I authorize the United States Office of Personnel Management to make appropriate deductions from my annuity payments, not to exceed
the amount certified by the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association as the amount of dues for which I am annually obligated, in accordance with elections I make below and to pay the deducted sum to the National Active and Retired Federal
Employees Association (NARFE). This authorization shall also apply to any and all dues changes certified by NARFE membership in
accordance with elections I make below:
Do You Authorize Your Spouse’s Dues to Be Withheld from Your Annuity?
If YES, enter your spouse’s name and membership number below.
Name
Number
❑ Yes
❑ No
You authorize:
National dues of $24.60 plus
Chapter dues of record to be
withheld annually.
I understand that this authorization shall be valid until NARFE receives & processes my written notice of cancellation in accordance
with its agreement with the Office of Personnel Management & that any disputes regarding this authorization shall be a matter between
NARFE & myself. I hold the Office of Personnel Management harmless for any erroneous allotment deduction made pursuant to this
authorization. I also authorize the Office of Personnel Management to disclose any information necessary to execute this request.
Signature of Annuitant or Survivor-Annuitant
Do Not Send Money With This Form
46
Date
Dues payments & gifts or
contributions to NARFE are
not deductible as charitable
contributions for federal
income tax purposes.
Report From the Regions
The Importance of
Membership Growth
By Tom Johnson
Region IV Regional Vice President
[email protected]
T
he summer is slowly
coming to an end, and I
have been reflecting on
NARFE membership issues that I believe need attention in Region IV. These issues are mirrored in
problems nationwide.
While there have
been several recent
columns on recruitment and retention, I
don’t think it hurts to
continue to emphasize just how important membership growth is to NARFE.
Our national Recruitment and
Retention Section does an excellent
job in recruiting new members, and
we in the field have pockets of
success. But we all need to focus more
on membership recruitment and
retention throughout our chapters.
The biggest concern I hear from some
members is, “We don’t have any
retirees to draw from in our area.”
Well, that may be true in some places,
but we also have major
concentrations of retirees, as well as
active federal employees and spouses,
who are not members of NARFE.
Statistically, NARFE membership
includes about 15 percent of the
current federal retiree population.
That means, of course, that 85
percent of federal retirees are not on
board. (And this doesn’t even take
into account active federal
employees or spouses. Why we have
not increased our efforts to sign up
spouses is a mystery to me.) Of that
85 percent of retirees out there who
are not NARFE members, I’m certain
that each of us knows a few of them.
We need to contact them and bring
them into the NARFE family. What’s
the reaction you might get if you try
to recruit? Either “yes” or “no.” But if
we don’t ask, we won’t know, and it
certainly doesn’t hurt to ask.
The second part of the
membership issue is retention. It isn’t
hard to understand that if we don’t
keep members from dropping their
memberships, we will not be
SUPPORT ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH
NARFE members contributed
for Alzheimer’s research:
$8 Million Fund
$7,548,155*
*Total as of June 30, 2008
achieving our membership goals.
Each chapter’s goal should be to have
more members on board at the end of
the year than it had at the beginning.
Offering informative meetings on
issues of importance to NARFE as well
as on the organization’s
accomplishments will help members
to recognize the importance of
remaining with NARFE and
continuing to benefit from the
protection that membership provides.
As members, each of us has an
obligation to recruit and retain
members. Why? Because it is in our
best interests to increase membership
in our organization so we can increase
our political power. We all need to do
our part and help in any way that we
can. Each chapter and federation
should set membership targets and
work toward the goal of having more
members at the end of each year than
at the start.
So let’s all get enthused about
helping NARFE grow as an
organization and sustain our
strength so we can continue to
preserve the benefits of federal
retirees and their survivors. ■
Enclosed is my NARFE Alzheimer’s contribution: $
Every cent that is contributed is used for research.
Please circle:
Mr.
Mrs.
Miss
.
Ms.
Name
Address
100% of all contributed funds
go to Alzheimer’s research.
City
State
ZIP
Chapter number
If you have any questions, write to:
National Committee, Chairman
Barb L. Pretzer, 4817 Rockridge Court,
Manhattan, KS 66503
Your charitable contribution is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Write your chapter number on check; make it payable to: NARFE-Alzheimer’s Research
and mail to: Alzheimer’s Association
225 N. Michigan Ave., 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601-7633
47
FEDERATION
ALABAMA
FLORIDA
Margaret A. Billingsley
3524 Hualapai Circle
Guntersville, AL 35976-7573
256-505-0924
[email protected]
ALASKA
Donald E. Stewart
531 Sevilla Ave.
Coral Gables, FL 33134-5714
305-442-6388
[email protected]
GEORGIA
James L. Oliver Sr.
P.O. Box 872026
Wasilla, AK 99687-2026
907-373-3561
[email protected]
ARIZONA
Noel H. Green
309 Norwich St.
Brunswick, GA 31520-8659
912-264-2721
[email protected]
HAWAII
Mervyn Stuckey
2272 E. Buster Mountain Drive
Oro Valley, AZ 85755-4709
520-825-6978
[email protected]
ARKANSAS
Sherri Clark
6710 Hawaii Kai Drive, Apt. 110
Honolulu, HI 96825-1522
808-989-8808
[email protected]
IDAHO
Charles R. Schmieder
809 Meredith St.
White Hall, AR 71602-2970
870-247-4125
[email protected]
CALIFORNIA
Robert I. Conquergood
9401 Clarkview Place
Hayden Lake, ID 83835-7199
208-699-9121
[email protected]
ILLINOIS
H. Ray Harrington
6203 Posey Lane
Paradise, CA 95969-3206
530-877-8174
[email protected]
COLORADO
Arlen E. Lash
37 W. Crownview Drive
Mt.Vernon, IL 62864-2213
618-242-5701
[email protected]
INDIANA
Martha E. Leiker
945 W. 96th Ave.
Denver, CO 80260-5489
303-430-4794
[email protected]
CONNECTICUT
Catherine B. Nasin
P.O. Box 33
Willimantic, CT 06226-0033
860-742-3053
[email protected]
DELAWARE
Walter T. Berwick
37818 Cedar Road
Selbyville, DE 19975
302-436-4261
[email protected]
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Curtis P. Brisbon
4319 Burns St., S.E.
Washington, DC 20019-5617
202-575-4644
[email protected]
48
Darrel L.Thomas
917 Evensview Drive
Greencastle, IN 46135-1105
765-653-6670
[email protected]
IOWA
LOUISIANA
Bobbie E. Guillory
3448 Louise St.
Harvey, LA 70058-5458
504-367-8047
[email protected]
MAINE
Lorraine R. Noel
11 Cedar St.
Augusta, ME 04330-5711
207-622-6538
[email protected]
MARYLAND
Richard L. Strombotne
P.O. Box 83519
Gaithersburg, MD 20883-3519
240-632-9881
[email protected]
MASSACHUSETTS
Gilbert W. Blaisdell
3 Larnard’s Court
Amesbury, MA 01913-3309
978-388-1830
[email protected]
MICHIGAN
Ed Kessler
1952 Pinecrest Drive
E. Lansing, MI 48823-1350
517-332-5780
[email protected]
MINNESOTA
Frank J. Boys
1711 James Court
N. Mankato, MN 56003-2010
507-388-4466
MISSISSIPPI
Ronald L. Larsen
202 Benton
Council Bluffs, IA 51503-3134
712-322-1159
[email protected]
KANSAS
Mary E. Fritzson
11755 School Creek Road
St. George, KS 66535-9601
785-494-2389
[email protected]
KENTUCKY
Marlene A. Bunten
911 Outlook Road
Villa Hills, KY 41017
859-331-8642
[email protected]
Mary P. Pierson
4003 Glover St.
Gulfport, MS 39507-3918
228-863-1484
[email protected]
MISSOURI
Linda Kurz
7425 Highway FF
Lonedell, MO 63060
636-629-3987
[email protected]
MONTANA
Billy E. Butts
P.O. Box 2843
Columbia Falls, MT 59912-2843
406-892-2952
[email protected]
PRESIDENTS
NEBRASKA
Raymond H. Hogrefe
6335 Perry Circle
Lincoln, NE 68516-3958
402-488-3881
[email protected]
NEVADA
Thomas R. Prettyman
17 Windtree Circle
Carson City, NV 89701-6086
775-884-3538
[email protected]
NEW HAMPSHIRE
James P. Crawford
95 Ridgeview Drive
Bristol, NH 03222-5408
603-744-6428
[email protected]
NEW JERSEY
Michael Demski
148 Cedar Ave.
Hawthorne, NJ 07506-2640
973-423-2476
[email protected]
NEW MEXICO
Mary E. McKay
1380 Via Norte
Las Cruces, NM 88007-4943
575-527-4750
[email protected]
NEW YORK
Barry L. Rock
81-15 156th Ave.
Howard Beach, NY 11414-2321
718-835-3689
[email protected]
NORTH CAROLINA
Elaine C. Hughes
107 Willow Lake Drive
Asheville, NC 28805-2832
828-298-1053
[email protected]
NORTH DAKOTA
Leon T. Lauer
916 28th Ave., S.
Grand Forks, ND 58201-7007
701-746-6586
[email protected]
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
OREGON
Carey Frazier
6025 Murray Lane
Brentwood,TN 37027-6208
615-373-4817
[email protected]
TEXAS
Donald R. Strathdee
13405 S.W. Scotts Bridge Drive
Tigard, OR 97223-1609
503-524-5684
[email protected]
PANAMA
Lorenzo I. Quarless
Quintas De Monticello II
Santos Spirith, Panama
507-220-0640
[email protected]
PENNSYLVANIA
Anthony Filardi
2124 Parklyn St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15234-2961
412-881-5913
[email protected]
PHILIPPINES
Fidel T. Dayrit
#608 Rose St., Pineda Subd.
Dau, Mabalacat, 2010 Pampanga
Philippines
Phone: 011-63-45-331-2514
PUERTO RICO
Luis Arroyo-Medina
P.O. Box 360787
San Juan, PR 00936-0787
787-767-3218
[email protected]
RHODE ISLAND
Jessie E. Leonetti
19 Henry St.
Westerly, RI 02891-1674
401-596-7837
[email protected]
SOUTH CAROLINA
John W. Geiger
260 Willow Lake Drive
Aiken, SC 29803-2635
803-649-3154
[email protected]
SOUTH DAKOTA
Dennis Petrack
408 W. Gorgas St.
Louisville, OH 44641-1330
330-875-2469
[email protected]
TENNESSEE
Jefferson Vaughan
7440 N. 420 Road
Hulbert, OK 74441-5424
918-598-3891
[email protected]
Arlowine A. Weigel
825 15th Ave., S.E.
Aberdeen, SD 57401-7667
605-225-2370
[email protected]
Jerome S. Smith
5900 Raleigh Drive
Tyler,TX 75703-5636
903-534-5849
[email protected]
UTAH
Carol P. Elkins
189 S. Sunset Drive
Farmington, UT 84025-3427
801-451-2136
[email protected]
VERMONT
Robert E.Tucker
279 Sunnyside Lane
Williamstown,VT 05679-9253
802-433-5301
[email protected]
VIRGINIA
R. David Smith
13921 Krim Point Trail
Midlothian,VA 23114-5531
804-379-6712
[email protected]
WASHINGTON
Dale Brighton
3375 Alcoa Highway
Malaga, WA 98828-9767
509-662-7935
[email protected]
WEST VIRGINIA
John L. Sheely
427 S.Tennessee Ave.
Martinsburg, WV 25401-2260
304-263-6787
[email protected]
WISCONSIN
Charles C. Anderson
277 Schrader Ave.
Shawano, WI 54166-3382
715-524-8747
[email protected]
WYOMING
Donald F. Ryan
12562 Wyoming Highway 26
Riverton, WY 82501-9257
307-857-2427
[email protected]
49
2008 FEDERATION
CONVENTION
REPORTS
These compilations were taken
from F-7A and F-22 reports
forwarded to NARFE National
Headquarters.
ALASKA
Fairbanks Chapter 2076 hosted 42 delegates and guests representing all of the
federation’s five chapters April 26-27 in
Fairbanks. Guest speaker was Legislative
Representative Jill Crissman and Region
IX VP Lanny G. Ross.
Officers: President James L. Oliver,
Executive Vice President Albert
Buffington, Secretary Marlene Lewis,
Treasurer Edward Grey.
ARIZONA
Tempe Chapter 1505 hosted 124 delegates and guests representing 25 of the
federation’s 26 chapters May 4-6 in
Mesa. Guest speaker was Legislative
Director Judy Park.
Officers: President Mervyn Stuckey, First
Vice President Harold E. Roberts,
Secretary Karyle Stuckey, Treasurer
Mary E. Jensen.
ARKANSAS
Central Arkansas Chapter 966 hosted
170 delegates and guests representing
21 of the federation’s 30 chapters May
22-24 in Conway. Guest speakers were
Director of Membership Development
John Clements and Region VI VP Jerry
D. Hatfield.
Officers: President Charles Schmieder,
Executive Vice President Winston Wolfe,
Secretary Anna M. Crow, Treasurer
Ronald L. Lambert.
Vice President Raymond L.
Cunningham, Second Vice President
Richard F. Kraus, Secretary Margaret M.
Murphy, Treasurer Richard A. Castle.
COLORADO
INDIANA
Upper Arkansas Valley Chapter 2286
hosted 75 delegates and guests representing 20 of the federation’s 26 chapters May 5-7 in Buena Vista. Guest
speakers were Assistant Legislative Director Dan Adcock; Region VII VP Russ
Boor; and Bennie Millinier, community
liaison, office of U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar.
Officers: President Martha E. Leiker,
First Vice President Jack G. Powell,
Second Vice President Betty Lucero
Turner, Secretary Dorothy C. White,
Treasurer Eva C. Heller.
Chapters 381, 944, 1677 and 1777 hosted 130 delegates and guests representing 25 of the federation’s 29 chapters
April 9-11 in Clarksville. Guest speaker
was Region IV VP Tom Johnson.
Officers: President Darrel L. Thomas,
Executive Vice President Andy F. Whitt,
Second Vice President James G.
Hawkins, Secretary Grace Maxine Ross,
Treasurer James P. Fischer.
FLORIDA
The Florida Federation hosted 283 delegates and guests representing 62 of the
Altamonte Springs. Guest speakers were
National Secretary Nathaniel L. Brown,
Region III VP Robert S. Harrell and
Director of Retirement Benefits Service
David Snell.
Officers: President Donald E. Stewart,
Executive Vice President Wallace W.
Roepke, Vice President Kenneth A.
Carter, Secretary William H. Leatham,
Treasurer Ruth W. Blackwell.
ILLINOIS
Lake County Chapter 441 hosted 113
delegates and guests representing all of
the federation’s 31 chapters May 14-16
in Gurnee. Guest speakers were
National Secretary Nathaniel L. Brown
and Region IV VP Tom Johnson.
Officers: President Arlen E. Lash, First
IOWA
Davenport Chapter 279 hosted 130 delegates and guests representing all of the
Davenport. Guest speakers were National President Margaret L. Baptiste; Region
V VP Richard G. Thissen; Barb Pretzer,
NARFE-Alzheimer’s National Committee
chair; Davenport Mayor William Gluba;
Penny Vacek, U.S. Sen. Grassley’s office;
Tom Larkin, U. S. Sen. Harkin’s office;
Pete DeKock, U. S. Rep. Braley’s office;
and Iowa Rep. Jamie Van Fossen.
Officers: President Ronald L. Larsen,
First Vice President Larry Moore, Second
Vice President Lyle R. Mackey, Secretary
Jeaneen M. Kain, Treasurer Emmett J.
Stevermer.
KANSAS
Salt City Chapter 537 hosted 190 delegates and guests representing all of the
federation’s 45 chapters April 27-29 in
Hutchinson. Guest speakers were Public
Relations Director Chuck Timanus and
Region V VP Richard G. Thissen.
Officers: President Mary E. Fritzson,
First Vice President Robert Cranmer,
Second Vice President Elizabeth M.
Bornman, Secretary Carol R. Ek,
Treasurer Madelyn Brown.
LOUISIANA
National President Margaret L. Baptiste installed new officers of the Iowa Federation.
Pictured (left to right) are: front row,Treasurer Emmett Stevermer, 2nd VP Lyle Mackey,
President Ron Larsen, 1st VP Larry Moore, Secretary Jeaneen Kain and Baptiste; back row,
District Vice Presidents Karl Griffith, Marlys Pope, Joy Bridenstine, Alberta McMullin,
Madonna Nisson and Edgar Fairchild; and Immediate Past President Darlene Freeman.
50
Cenla Chapter 502 hosted 72 delegates
and guests representing 12 of the federation’s 16 chapters April 9-10 in
Alexandria. Guest speakers were
National Secretary Nathaniel L. Brown
and Region VI VP Jerry D. Hatfield.
Officers: President Bobbie E. Guillory,
First Vice President Helen J. Scott,
Second Vice President Joseph Landry,
Secretary Marilyn P. Daniel, Treasurer
Robert J. Rolfsen.
MAINE
Midcoast Chapter 2169 hosted 51 dele-
CONVENTION REPORTS
gates and guests representing 10 of the
Rockport. Guest speakers were National
President Margaret L. Baptiste and
Region I VP Augie Stratoti.
Officers: President Lorraine Noel, First
Vice President Frank Ashnault, Second
Vice President Susan Hyde, Secretary
Richard Neal, Treasurer Charles Kyes.
MASSACHUSETTS
Clipper City Chapter 1568 hosted 118
delegates and guests representing 19 of
the federation’s 21 chapters May 1-2 in
Devens. Guest speakers were Legislative
Representative Christopher Farrell,
Region I VP Augie Stratoti and U.S. Rep.
Niki Tsongas.
Officers: President Gilbert W. Blaisdell,
First Vice President William L. Wayne,
Second Vice President Kenneth D.
Nolan, Secretary W. Gene Holt,
Treasurer Marie E. McTighe.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Concord Chapter 302 hosted 73 delegates and guests representing nine of
in Concord. Guest speakers were
Legislative Representative Jill Crissman;
Region I VP Augie Stratoti; Gilbert
Blaisdell, Massachusetts Federation;
Lorraine Noel, Maine Federation;
Roland Sasseville, Rhode Island
Federation; U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter;
and Liz McConnell and Susan
Anthouiak, Alzheimer’s Association.
Officers: President James Crawford, First
Vice President Carol French, Second
Vice President Frank E. Roggenkamp,
Second Vice President Anthony F.
Montoro, Secretary Charles Newkirk,
Treasurer O. John Muench.
NORTH DAKOTA
Valley City Chapter 1839 hosted 82 delegates and guests representing seven of
the federation’s eight chapters May 7-9
in Valley City. Guest speakers were
Public Relations Director Chuck
Timanus; Region V VP Richard G.
Thissen; and Ellen Chaffee, president of
Valley City State University.
Officers: President Leon T. Lauer, First
MICHIGAN
Jackson Cascades Chapter 25 hosted 62
the federation’s 37 chapters June 5-7 in
Jackson. Guest speakers were National
Treasurer Richard C. Ostergren and
Region IV VP Tom Johnson.
Officers: President Ed Kessler, Executive
Vice President John Kibler, Secretary
Gwendolyn Walker, Treasurer Gladys
Hurd.
MINNESOTA
White Bear Lake Chapter 1232 and St.
Paul Chapter 140 hosted 102 delegates
and guests representing 22 of the federation’s 27 chapters May 20-22 in
Mankato. Guest speakers were National
Treasurer Richard C. Ostergren; Region
V VP Richard G. Thissen; and Barb
Pretzer, NARFE-Alzheimer’s National
Committee chair.
Officers: President Frank J. Boys, First
Vice President Mary Burkett, Second
Vice President Ed A. Keyser, Secretary
Mary Ann Kelly, Treasurer Audrey
Gilbertson.
MISSOURI
Jefferson City Chapter 313 hosted 172
the federation’s 45 chapters April 16-18
in Jefferson City. Guest speakers were
Legislative Director Judy Park and
Officers: President Linda Kurz, First Vice
President Grant Peters, Second Vice
President Elbert G. Williams, Secretary
Margaret E. Hudgens, Treasurer Henry
S. Garcia.
Members of Chapter 1082 in Summerville, SC, enjoy the South Carolina Federation
Convention. Clockwise from bottom left: Mable Coller, chaplain; Barbara Bryan,
president; Freda Connell, treasurer; David Unwin, legislative officer; Betty Unwin, greeter;
Charles Giavelli, service officer; Nancy Brown, guest; and Robert Brown, member.
Vice President Raymond Murphy, Third
Vice President Nell R. Shea, Secretary M.
Eileen Monroe, Treasurer Janette
Crawford.
Vice President Larry Leier, Second Vice
President Christian W. Wingire,
Secretary-Treasurer Richard A.
Cunningham.
NEW MEXICO
OHIO
Alamogordo Chapter 698 hosted 132
in Alamogordo. Guest speakers were
Legislative Representative Jill Crissman
and Region VII VP Russ Boor.
Officers: President Mary Ellen McKay,
Executive Vice President Sharon
Willoughby, First Vice President
Bealquin Gomez, Secretary Gloria M.
Delgado, Treasurer Gerald K. Fleenor.
NEW YORK
The New York Federation hosted 87 delegates and guests representing 27 of the
federation’s 30 chapters May 13 in
Albany. Guest speakers were Director of
Retirement Benefits Service David Snell
and Region I VP Augie Stratoti.
Officers: President Barry L. Rock, First
Chapters 226, 317, 630, 1136, 1856,
1862, 2170 and 2278 hosted 155 delegates and guests representing 44 of the
Lima. Guest speakers were Assistant
Legislative Director Dan Adcock; Region
IV VP Tom Johnson; Jane Rodgers,
Region IV Alzheimer’s coordinator; Lima
Mayor David Berger; Ohio Rep.
Zehringer; and Ohio Sen. Faber.
Officers: President Dennis Petrack, First
Vice President Marilyn Schaub, Second
Vice President Edward Konys, Third
Vice President Michael Webb, Secretary
Diana Diller, Treasurer Shirley Flagge.
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City Chapter 184 and
Eastern Oklahoma City Chapter 1621
hosted 161 delegates and guests repre-
51
senting 25 of the federation’s 39 chapters April 24-26 in Oklahoma City.
Guest speakers were National Secretary
Nathaniel L. Brown; Geneva Howe,
Region VI Pre-Retirement Seminar coordinator; Jerome Smith, Texas Federation;
and Bobbie Guillory, Louisiana
Federation.
Officers: President Jefferson W.
Vaughan, First Vice President Dale A.
Cassel, Second Vice President Charles
Stanphill, Secretary Nancy Stanphill,
Treasurer Robert G. Oltmanns.
Region III VP Robert S. Harrell; Michael
Oana, Team Oana Investment Advisors;
Richard Strombotne, Maryland
Federation; Curtis M. Loftis, director,
Office on Aging; Jane Goolsby, office of
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Officers: President John W. Geiger, First
Vice President Jeanette M. Keepers,
Second Vice President Sally M. Depreker,
Secretary Esther L. Crandall, Treasurer
Albert R. Mizelle.
SOUTH DAKOTA
PENNSYLVANIA
Lebanon Valley Chapter 458,
Mechanicsburg Chapter 1816 and
West Shore Chapter 1465 hosted 178
in Mechanicsburg. Guest speakers
were National President Margaret L.
Baptiste and Region II VP Charles W.
Saylor.
Officers: President Anthony Filardi, First
Vice President Maria I. Ritzman, Second
Vice President Theodore D. Mason,
Secretary Virginia L. Giordano, Treasurer
Stanley Ostwinch.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Aiken Chapter 934 hosted 115 delegates and guests representing 19 of the
McCormick. Guest speakers were
National President Margaret L. Baptiste;
Aberdeen Chapter 584 hosted 101 delegates and guests representing 13 of the
Aberdeen. Guest speakers were
Legislative Director Judy Park and
Officers: President Arlowine (Patsy)
Weigel, First Vice President Sharon L.
Reidinger, Second Vice President Arlene
D. Elliott, Secretary Bonnie M. Lund,
Treasurer Glen (Dave) Matson.
UTAH
Logan Chapter 735 hosted 26 delegates
and guests representing six of the federation’s 11 chapters May 14-16 in Logan.
Guest speakers were Assistant
Legislative Director Dan Adcock; Region
VII VP Russ Boor; Martha Leiker,
Colorado Federation; Lloyd R. Hunsaker,
professor emeritus, Utah State
University; and Shawna Peterson, nutritionist with Utah Aging Services.
Officers: President Carol Elkins, First
Vice President Blaine Busenbark, Second
Vice President Harold J. Webster,
Secretary Marla Ramey, Treasurer Lowell
W. Kenedy.
VERMONT
Brattleboro Chapter 659 hosted 40 delegates and guests representing all of the
federation’s five chapters May 20 in
Randolph Center. Guest speakers were
Legislative Representative Jill Crissman;
Region I VP Augie Stratoti;
and representatives from the offices of
U.S. Sens. Sanders and Leahy.
Officers: President Robert Tucker, First
Vice President Robert Morancy, Second
Vice President Nathan Wakefield,
Secretary-Treasurer Marie Brouillette.
WASHINGTON
Walla Walla Chapter 237 hosted 145
delegates and guests representing all of
in Walla Walla. Guest speakers were
Legislative Director Judy Park; Region IX
VP Lanny G. Ross; Genevieve
Boguslawski, Region IX Alzheimer’s
chair; and Washington Secretary of State
Sam Reed.
Officers: President Dale Brighton,
Executive Vice President Sandra S.
Cagle, Secretary Victor J. Rohret,
Treasurer Rex E. Tauscher.
Don’t peek! Solution to Macrostic,p.62.
K C heshire Cat
L A dvocacy
M T ortoise
N S paniel
A
B
C
D
E
V asco da Gama
I want you to love me
E nough gas
W allpaper
S aint Bernards
F
G
H
I
J
A lsatians
B eagle
O zzie
U kulele
T omcats
R
S
T
U
D achshund
O utstanding
G reyhounds
S iamese Cat
O A ngora Cat
P N orwegian Elkhounds
Q D almation – Polka Dot
VIEWS ABOUT CATS AND DOGS
Cats are smarter than dogs. You will not get eight cats to pull a sled. (Valdez) Dogs come when called. Cats take a
message and get back to you. (Dizick) Sadly, pets last so much less than grieving owners. (Anon.)
Solution
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NARFE News
Watch forYour 2009
Photo Contest Calendar
I
NARFE Resources
How to Contact Us . . . . . . . . . . . .6
NARFE-PAC Coupon . . . . . . . . .20
NARFE-FEEA Fund . . . . . . . . . . . .43
MembershipApplication . . . . . . . .46
Alzheimer’s Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Life MemberApplication . . . . . . .55
NARFE Perks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
f it’s September, a new NARFE
Photo Contest Calendar is bound
to show up in your mailbox soon.
NARFE Photo Contest Calendars have
always had some great images, and the
one for 2009 is no exception. And
every photo was taken by your NARFE
colleagues!
As in previous years, these calendars are being sent free of charge to
NARFE members. But we hope that
members will send a contribution
using the card and envelope that
come with the calendar. In years past,
members have been very generous
with their gifts to
help enhance
NARFE’s image
and support our
programs.
Here is a list
of the NARFE
members whose
photos appear in
the 2009 NARFE
Photo Contest
Calendar:
Front Cover: Oscar Krosnes, Hermitage, TN, Chapter 1576
January: William L. Witmer, Lakewood, CO, Chapter 1085
February: Duane P. Shaw, El Paso,
TX, Chapter 1495
March: Carolyn Jackson, Gaithersburg, MD, Chapter 1887
April: Stephanie Keilholtz, Rockville,
MD, Chapter 1127
May: Kathleen Fosselman, Boynton
Beach, FL, Chapter 1088
June: David Bender, Mesa, AZ,
Chapter 1469
July: Kirk Lucius, Cumming, GA,
Chapter 1750
August:
Richard
A.
Adams, Greentown,
PA,
Chapter 2259
September:
Jordan Tuller,
Stevensville,
MD, Chapter
1372
October: Gail
Remodeling
@ www.narfe.org
Wintering Elsewhere?
Drop in on a NARFE Meeting
G
et ready.Responding to member
suggestions,NARFE is nearly finished with a redesign of the Association’sWeb site,www.narfe.org.
The new design promises to be
much easier for members to navigate and find what they are looking
for.
Please watch NARFE magazine
for additional information on the
launch date and guidance on how to
use the new site.
54
M
embers whose plans for the
winter months include an
extended stay away from
home might want to check out NARFE
chapter meetings in their vacation location.
The NARFE Web site, www.
narfe.org, provides a “Local Chapter
Locator” at the bottom left side of the
home page. Chapters are listed by ZIP
code and by state. All listings provide
Philippi, Ocean Pines, MD, Chapter
2274
November: Carol Tyler, Loveland,
CO, Chapter 821
December: James L. Benoit,
Burlington, VT, Chapter 208
Back Cover: Judy Ellen Nelson, Portland, OR, Chapter 29.
Submissions are now being taken
(until February 13, 2009) for the 2010
NARFE Photo Contest Calendar.
Send photos to: NARFE Photo Contest, 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria,
VA 22314. Electronic submissions will
not be accepted.
For more information, contact the
NARFE Public Relations Department
by phone, 703-838-7760, ext. 268; or by
e-mail, [email protected]. ■
the name and address of
the chapter president;
some provide an e-mail
address. With this information, members can contact the chapter and inquire
about meeting dates and times.
What better way to make new
friends, find out about the area from
local residents, and keep up on
NARFE news and activities? ■
NARFE Membership Recruitment
First Half 2008
In the first half of 2008, NARFE recruited 10,437 new members. In the second quarter, 10 federations showed a gain in recruiting compared to
the second quarter of 2007. They are: Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.
—Jacqueline Johnson-Bryant, Membership Development
REGION I
REGION V
Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Kansas . . . . . . . . . .146
Minnesota . . . . . . .251
Missouri . . . . . . . . .213
Nebraska . . . . . . . . .61
North Dakota . . . . .85
South Dakota . . . . . .72
Total . . . . . . . . .992
REGION IX
Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Idaho . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Montana . . . . . . . . .100
Oregon . . . . . . . . . .139
Washington . . . . . .314
Total . . . . . . . . .677
REGION IV
Illinois . . . . . . . . . . .314
Indiana . . . . . . . . . .152
Michigan . . . . . . . . .179
Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . .290
Wisconsin . . . . . . .160
Total . . . . . . . .1,095
REGION II
Dist. of Columbia . . .99
Delaware . . . . . . . . .52
Maryland . . . . . . . .745
New Jersey . . . . . .265
Pennsylvania . . . . . .482
Total . . . . . . . .1,643
REGION VIII
California . . . . . . . .813
Guam . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Hawaii . . . . . . . . . . .74
Nevada . . . . . . . . . . .65
Philippines . . . . . . . . .0
Total . . . . . . . . .967
REGION X
Kentucky . . . . . . . . 118
North Carolina . . . 233
Tennessee . . . . . . . . 157
Virginia . . . . . . . . . . 929
West Virginia . . . . . . 77
Total . . . . . . . . 1,514
REGION VII
Arizona . . . . . . . . .194
Colorado . . . . . . . .227
New Mexico . . . . .102
Utah . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Wyoming . . . . . . . . .32
Total . . . . . . . . .626
Connecticut . . . . . . .54
Massachusetts . . . .182
Maine . . . . . . . . . . . .52
New Hampshire . . .53
New York . . . . . . ..390
Rhode Island . . . . . . .35
Vermont . . . . . . . . . .20
Total . . . . . . . . .786
REGION III
REGION VI
Arkansas . . . . . . . . . .86
Louisiana . . . . . . . . .92
Oklahoma . . . . . . .164
Panama . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Texas . . . . . . . . . . .485
Total . . . . . . . . .806
Alabama . . . . . . . . .222
Florida . . . . . . . . . .550
Georgia . . . . . . . . .293
Mississippi . . . . . . . .88
Puerto Rico . . . . . . .21
South Carolina . . . .127
Total . . . . . . . . . .1,301
FOREIGN
30
NARFE NATIONAL LIFE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Name:
Address:
City:
State:
ZIP:
Date of Birth:
Amount: National $
+ Chapter $
=Total $
Payment Type: ❑ Check/Money Order ❑ Credit Card
Credit Card: ❑ Mastercard ❑ VISA ❑ Discover ❑ AMEX
Card#:
Name on Card (Print):
Exp:
Signature:
Recruiter ID# (if applicable):
Date:
Please Mail Life Membership
Application and Payment to:
Attn: Member Records
NARFE
Alexandria, VA 22314
Thank you for becoming a
National Member for Life. You
will receive a membership card,
certificate and special lapel pin.
Please allow six weeks for processing.
See Reverse for More Information.
Dues payments & gifts or contributions to NARFE are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.
55
Letters
One MemberOne Vote Outdated
T
he notion of one member-one
vote, while noble and well
meaning in its intent and theoretically plausible, actually harks back
to an earlier and simpler time. A time
when voting issues were resolved when
all of the town’s folk would gather at the
town square and directly make decisions affecting any and all aspects of the
town’s affairs. That kind of direct participatory democracy, while suitable for village or hamlet affairs, is not suitable for
larger, more complex organizational
structures. That accounts for the evolution to the much more effective and
manageable concept of a representative
democracy.
Candidates for NARFE national office
normally make a presentation at the National Convention. In so doing, that individual will create and impart a presence
and persona, or lack of same. Gestures,
command of the language, projections
of sincerity and integrity, power to persuade and depth of knowledge are a few
REMINDER:
Check your mailbox
in September for
the NARFE 2009
56
Tip of the Hat
Photo Contest
Calendar. Our
photos are winners!
I
of the characteristics that delegates, to
some extent, can measure through direct observation and personal interaction. None of these qualities can even remotely be evaluated from the comfort of
one’s living room couch.
Neither idealism nor wishful
thinking for a return to a romanticized
past can serve as a substitute for sound
judgement as it pertains to the realities
1. For active NARFE members:
Membership # _________________
2. For new members:
Membership is open to civilians in any agency of the federal
or D.C. governments eligible for a federal annuity.
Please check one:
❑ Active employee
❑ Retiree
❑ Former employee
❑ Spouse
❑ Former spouse
❑ Survivor
3. I choose to join Chapter # ___________. I understand that if I
don’t choose a chapter, the nearest one will be assigned.
Please call 1-800-456-8410 for further information.
1S
of a modern society, along with its increasingly complex institutions. It is past
time for us to drop our preoccupation
with this outdated idea and direct our
energies into more pressing areas.
David Adams,
President, Chapter 89,
Detroit, MI
Please Note:
• Chapter membership dues are added to the initial
payment for both single or quarterly installments
paid by new members. For active members, chapter
dues will continue in the usual cycle.
•
have just received the July 2008 edition of NARFE magazine, and I consider the topics covered to be not
only timely but outstanding in their
depth of details. A tip of the hat to your
editor! This was by far the best magazine
put out by your organization since I
have been a member, some 14 years.
There is one request for you to consider, however, and that is the topic of
“reverse mortgages,” discussed in the
same depth and detail that was displayed in this edition on long-term care,
WEP, GPO and CPI articles.
Keep up the excellent reporting, and
keep us informed. Knowledge is power!
John R. James,
Anniston, AL
LIFE MEMBERSHIP FEE SCHEDULES
EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2004
Ages
30-39
40-50
51-55
56-60
61-65
66-70
71-75
76-80
81-90
91-100
Single or Quarterly
Payment
Installments
$1,320
1,015
783
664
557
452
373
292
197
107
$331.25
255.00
197.00
167.25
140.50
114.25
94.50
74.25
50.50
28.00
“A life member, who was or is a Chapter member at
the time that a National Life membership was or is
purchased, shall maintain membership in a Chapter.
Failure to do so shall result in suspension of Chapter
membership rights and privileges.”
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NARFE Perks
NARFE Perks are designed to provide NARFE members with a quality option in their search for
commonly used products and services. NARFE makes no guarantee on any products and services listed
below and encourages its members to shop and compare before making a decision on any financial matter.
MOVING SERVICES
NARFE MEMBER
HOMEBENEFITS
1-800-823-0646
http://narfe.myhomebenefits.com
Allied Van Lines and NARFE have
teamed up to offer NARFE members and
their families the finest in relocation services at the lowest possible cost. Call for a
free estimate or visit our Web site for more
details! Serving you is our goal, as you have
served our country.
BEKINS VAN LINES
1-800-456-6832
(M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. CT)
All NARFE members will receive discounted pricing for
all interstate shipments. Discount will apply to packing and
moving services and valuation protection.
All intrastate shipments, locals and international moves will be competitive in cost
based on your geographical location.
Mention you are a NARFE member and
transportation agreement #00930.
HEARING BENEFITS
NARFE HEARING BENEFITS
NARFE Hearing Benefits is a program
developed in partnership with American
Hearing Benefits. As a NARFE member,
you are entitled to:
• FREE annual hearing screenings for
members and their immediate family
• Referrals to local providers with reputations for high quality and honest
service
• The world’s most advanced digital
hearing instruments at prices up to 60%
off MSRP.
To activate your NARFE Hearing
Benefits call 866-925-1287.
58
INSURANCE
TRAVEL
NARFE INSURANCE SERVICES:
ALASKA
1-800-233-5764
Insurance plans designed and administered exclusively for NARFE members.
Call for information on Whole and Term
Life, Hospital Indemnity, Accidental Injury
and Death Plan, Dental Plan and Cancer
Care Plan. For information on Long Term
Care call the Long Term Care Unit at 1800-358-3795.
13-day Discovery Cruise &
Double Denali Adventure
GEICO: 1-800-368-2734
NARFE members with good driving
records may be eligible for quality automobile insurance from GEICO. Ask about
the NARFE discount now available to
members in many states. Call today for
your free, no-obligation rate quote. Be
sure to mention that you’re a NARFE
member!
• Discount amount varies in some states
• Discount not available in all states or in
all GEICO companies
• One group discount applicable per
policy.
EMERGENCY SERVICES
SINCE 1974
1-800-423-3226
Medical Air Services Association has
been the industry leader in prepaid emergency assistance services for more than
30 years. NARFE members have experienced MASA’s “peace of mind” services
since 2001. Now NARFE members are
entitled to even more: air ambulance
transportation, helicopter transportation,
ground ambulance, vehicle return, mortal
remains transport, and much more!
Call MASA Today. It Could Save Your Life!
• 7-night Glacier Discovery Cruise
• 1-night in Anchorage
• 2-nights in Denali National Park &
Tundra Wilderness Tour
• 2-nights in Fairbanks for Riverboat
Discovery & Gold Dredge No. 8
• NARFE Amenity: $50 Onboard Credit
May 22, 2009 ~ ms Ryndam
Inside Staterooms
from $1,999
Many other dates & itineraries available!
CALL NARFE TRAVEL TODAY!
1-800-607-4538
Web Site: www.NARFEtravel.com
OTHER SERVICES
IDENTITY CHECK PRINTERS
Identity Check
Printers now offers
officially-licensed
bank checks and
accessories featuring the NARFE
logo. Choose from
three check designs, each with coordinating address labels and Identity Cards. A printed leather
checkbook cover featuring the NARFE
logo is also available. Support NARFE
with every check you write. Order today!
Visit www.identitychecks.com or call tollfree 1-800-874-5910. Use OFFER CODE
9KG482 and receive FREE standard
shipping on your order.
HOTELS
CAR RENTALS
CREDIT UNION
CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL
Choice Hotels International® is proud
to offer NARFE members discounts at
over 4,000 hotels in 40 countries. Members may receive a 20% discount at participating hotels or rates at or below per
diem, whichever discount is the greater.
Choice brands include: Comfort Inn®,
Comfort Suites®, Quality®, Sleep Inn®,
Clarion®, MainStay Suites®, Econo
Lodge® and Rodeway Inn®. This offer is
subject to availability. Advance reservationsarerequired.Tomakereservationscall
800-258-2847 and mention ID #00801967.
ALAMO/NATIONAL
CAR RENTAL
1-800-354-2322 — www.alamo.com
Welcome to Alamo Country. Where
NARFE members get unlimited mileage
and year-round discounts off Alamo’s
already great rates. Book with your
travel agent or Alamo®. Be sure to request I.D. Number 262544 and Rate
Code BY (A-1 for weekend rentals) at
the time of reservation. (Same ID
number and code applies to National
Car Rental.)
NARFE’S OFFICIAL CREDIT UNION
As a member of NARFE, you have
the privilege of joining NARFE Premier
Federal Credit Union, which has been
serving members since 1935. We offer
extensive services at competitive rates
to members nationwide. Accounts are
insured by NCUA up to $100,000.
For more information, call 1-800-3281500 / 703-914-8700 (DC metropolitan
area), e-mail jparish@narfepremierfcu.
org, or visit our Web site at www.
narfepremierfcu.org.
CREDIT CARD
HERTZ
WYNDHAM HOTELS GROUP
Members can now save 10% off bestavailable rates at over 6,000 participating
hotels. Whether you are looking for a
luxury hotel, an all-inclusive resort, or
something more budget-conscious, we
have the right hotel, in the right place, for
the right price. To receive discounted
rates, NARFE members must use
Member Benefits ID #20672 and the
specified toll-free numbers. Advance
reservations required.
Days Inn
Wingate
Ramada
Howard Johnson
Travelodge
Knights Inn
Baymont
AmeriHost Inn
877-670-7088
Super 8
800-889-9706
Wyndham
866-854-1604
1-800-654-3131 — www.hertz.com
Hertz is proud to be a preferred car
rental partner of NARFE. As a member
of NARFE, you will receive discounted
rates, unlimited mileage for most
rentals, special offers, upgrades and fee
waived #1 Club Gold program enrollment. Remember to include your
NARFE Corporate Discount Number
252137 when making reservations.
AVIS: 1-800-331-1441
The employees/owners of Avis offer
guaranteed low rates and quality services to members of NARFE. Mention
ID# A991900.
Bank of America now offers the officially approved credit card program for
NARFE, featuring the Platinum Plus®
MasterCard® with WorldPoints. This is
the only credit card that helps support
NARFE every time you use it to make a
purchase–at no additional cost to you.
Request yours today!
Call toll-free 1-866-438-6262
Use source code FAB7WS.
CD AND MONEY
MARKET ACCOUNTS
Bank of America: 1-800-414-4229
Add strength and stability to your savings portfolio by opening a NARFE-sponsored Certificate of Deposit (CD) or
Money Market account offered by Bank
of America. Receive High Yields and the
security of FDIC insurance up to the maximum amount allowed by law. For every
NARFE-sponsored deposit with Bank of
America, the bank will make a contribution to NARFE for the advancement of
programs and services at no additional
cost to you. Use source code HA029.
59
For the Record
Personal Milestones
Inflation Advances Sharply
T
he Consumer Price
The chart below tracks the CPI-W, the monthly
inflation change, and the cumulative percentIndex for Urban Wage
age gain for the next CSRS and Social Security
Earners and Clerical
COLA.
Workers (CPI-W) increased 1.1
percent in June to 215.2, acCPI-W
MONTHLY
% CHANGE
% CHANGE FROM 203.6
cording to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. To calculate the next
October
204.3
+0.2
+0.3
cost-of-living adjustment (COLA),
November 205.8
+0.8
+1.1
December 205.7
-0.1
+1.0
the indices of July, August and
January
206.7
+0.5
+1.5
September 2008 will be averaged
February 207.3
+0.2
+1.8
for a third-quarter determinant,
March
209.1
+0.9
+2.7
which will be compared with the
April
210.7
+0.7
+3.5
2007 third-quarter base index of
May
212.8
+1.0
+4.5
203.6. June’s index is up 5.7 perJune
215.2
+1.1
+5.7
cent from the base.
Benefits awarded under the Federal to each calendar year’s percentage
Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) change in the CPI-W. The June index is
to individuals suffering work-related in- 4.6 percent higher than the December
juries or illnesses are adjusted according 2007 base index of 205.7. ■
Thrift Savings Plan Investments*
Month
G Fund
0.33%
2007 August
September 0.41%
October
0.41%
November 0.33%
December 0.41%
0.33%
2008 January
February
0.24%
March
0.32%
April
0.24%
May
0.32%
June
0.32%
July
0.40%
Last 12 Months
4.15%
F Fund
1.23%
0.78%
0.86%
1.88%
0.25%
1.76%
0.16%
0.33%
(0.16%)
(0.74%)
(0.08%)
(0.01%)
6.42%
C Fund
1.54%
3.76%
1.58%
(4.20%)
(0.66%)
(5.98%)
(3.28%)
(0.46%)
4.94%
1.27%
(8.41%)
(0.80%)
(10.99%)
S Fund
1.38%
2.97%
2.83%
(5.65%)
(0.40%)
(6.27%)
(2.05%)
(1.43%)
5.30%
4.88%
(7.63%)
(0.79%)
(7.61%)
I Fund
(0.71%)
5.36%
4.49%
(3.72%)
(2.25%)
(8.52%)
(0.66%)
0.18%
5.55%
1.09%
(8.15%)
(3.72%)
(11.64%)
Month
2007 August
September
October
November
December
2008 January
February
March
April
May
June
July
Last 12 Months
L 2010
0.73%
1.78%
1.29%
(1.21%)
(0.13%)
(2.07%)
(0.59%)
0.07%
1.93%
0.78%
(2.65%)
(0.23%)
(0.43%)
L 2020
0.80%
2.68%
1.84%
(2.33%)
(0.54%)
(3.90%)
(1.25%)
(0.06%)
3.23%
1.23%
(4.97%)
(0.82%)
(4.36%)
L 2030
0.88%
3.09%
2.09%
(2.94%)
(0.63%)
(4.71%)
(1.51%)
(0.18%
3.74%
1.48%
(5.88%)
(1.07%)
(5.95%)
L 2040
0.90%
3.45%
2.37%
(3.36%)
(0.82%)
(5.37%)
(1.80%)
(0.29%)
4.26%
1.65%
(6.70%)
(1.31%)
(7.41%)
L Income
0.61%
1.13%
0.82%
(0.44%)
0.07%
(0.97%)
(0.22%)
0.23%
1.20%
0.59%
(1.47%)
0.00%
1.52%
*This chart is provided as a service to NARFE members who enrolled in the Thrift Savings Plan while
employed by the federal government. Retirees are not eligible for enrollment. These returns are net of
the effect of accrued administrative expenses and investment expenses/costs. Percentages in ( ) are
negative. Source: tsp.gov.
60
Only member 50th wedding anniversaries are accepted. Submit names (both
first names), wedding anniversary and
chapter name/number/state by mail to
NARFE Headquarters,ATTN: Anniversaries, 606 N.Washington St.,Alexandria,
VA 22314, or by e-mail to [email protected].
Nello and Lorraine Allori, Licking County
Chapter 310 Ohio;
Leonard and Darlene Babb,Vallejo Chapter
16 California;
Jim and Gwen Brady, Columbine Chapter
2339 Colorado;
Sidney W. and Beatrice H. Darrah, Brunswick-Golden Isles Chapter 1075 Georgia;
Harry and Marilynn Doering, El Cajon Valley
Chapter 669 California;
Ben and Evelyn Epperson, Ilini Chapter 348
Illinois;
Arlen and Marcia Frank, Slidell Chapter
1396 Louisiana;
Frank and Mary Ann Heller, Michael P.
Palazzotto Chapter 1264 New York;
Thomas and Maggie Johnson,Wichita
Chapter 138 Kansas;
Gerald A. and Sylvia Kendzior, Eau Claire
Chapter 371 Wisconsin;
Lloyd and Barbara King, Klamath Falls
Chapter 1003 Oregon;
Charles and Margaret Marx,White Bear
Lake Chapter 1232 Minnesota;
David and Alma Nigh, Heart of America
Chapter 1794 Kansas;
Robert and Elizabeth Osborn, Springfield
Chapter 893 Virginia;
Paul and Joyce Prigge,Vancouver Chapter
131 Washington;
Gerald and Marilyn Root, Louisa Chapter
2065 Virginia;
James and Eretta Ryan, Jacksonville Chapter
172 Florida;
Sigmund and Consolata H. Salmento, Ocean
City Chapter 1468 New Jersey;
Earl and Joan Sengstock, Charlotte Chapter
754 Florida;
Walt and Ann Sikora, Port Orchard Chapter
888 Washington;
Bill and Nancy Spilde, Northeast Iowa
Chapter 875 Iowa;
Dave and Midge Stork,Ventura County
Chapter 190 California;
Jim and Betty Whitten, High Point Chapter
668 North Carolina.
At Last!
Past Times & Present Pursuits
THEWAY WE WORKED
‘Rascals’ at
The Ready
Photo courtesy of Loreen (Ahlborn) Nelson
Following the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941, the Army Air Defense Control
Center created the Women’s Air Raid Defense
Detachment in Hawaii. Made up of local volunteers
who were inducted into the civil service, the women
replaced men for forward area duty. “We wore uniforms, lived in quarters and worked in shifts around
the clock in the Fort Shafter tunnel for the Signal
Corps on Oahu, Honolulu,” recalls NARFE member
Loreen (Ahlborn) Nelson of Santa Rosa, CA. “We
tracked planes within a radius of 250 miles of the
Hawaiian Islands. If there was a ‘bogey’ flight, the air
raid sirens were activated.” The women, code-named
“Rascals,” talked with distant radar operators, codenamed “Oscars,” and moved small markers on a plotting board to show the location of the planes.
Read It and (Don’t) Weep
By Judy Lockhart DiGregorio
fter 27 years as a training
specialist, I retired from Oak
Ridge (TN) Operations, Department of Energy, in 2004. Just before
I retired, I began attending writing conferences and submitting articles to numerous publications, hoping free-lance
writing might become my new career.
After many rejection letters, I finally
received a note from an editor named
Betsy at Field & Stream magazine. Although she chided me for not paying
more attention to the submission guidelines, she actually wrote the word
“Retry” at the end of her scribbled note.
I thought this was my big break.
Someone from a nationally known magazine had recognized my talent, and my
name would soon be a household word.
I shared the good news with my husband. Then I kissed the letter and rever-
A
ently stuck it in my pocket so I could
read and reread that magical word—
“Retry.” That evening, I sat in my armchair and gazed lovingly at the editor’s
encouraging note. Suddenly, I noticed
the word “Retry” in another spot on the
letter—in the signature block. I glanced
at the editor’s first name—Betsy. I looked
again at the handwritten note at the
bottom of the page. To my horror, I realized that the word under the note
didn’t say “Retry” at all; it said “Betsy.” In
my desperation to be published, I had
misread the editor’s signature.
Thankfully, I did finally have some
success. First, the Army Times published one of my stories; then the local
paper gave me a monthly humor
column. In all, I have published more
than 200 columns since I retired, including several in the Chicken Soup for
the ... Soul series. As a result, I am fre-
quently invited to speak on local media,
at writing workshops and to many
clubs. My Web site, Just Judy, http://
home.comcast.net/~digregorio5/, helps
me publicize my writing.
I never dreamed that a woman with
small talents and big feet would end up
as a humor writer in retirement.
Humor writing is much more difficult
than making people cry, but it’s also
much more satisfying.
Tell us about your “Pursuit.” Write to
NARFE magazine, Attn: “Pursuits,”
NARFE, 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314; or e-mail, [email protected].
Did you know that ...
... Audio tapes of NARFE
magazine are available.See
page 4 for details.
61
MACROSTIC by JAMIEFEN
Brain Game & Bookend
HOW TO SOLVE:
Transfer the answers to the clues into the grid using the number
under each letter. Two answers may share the same number. The
receiving square shows which clue(s) provides its content. Words
emerge between the black squares, continuing from line to line.
If you guess emerging words, insert the extra letters found back
into the answers. When all the clues are solved,the grid reads as
a paragraph whose title is the first letters of the clue answers
reading downward. Stumped? E-mail Macrostic creator Jim
Cowie,[email protected],for suggestions to improve
your chances of success in solving these puzzles.(Solution,p.52.)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
A 56 127 65 80 20 111 158 38
Portuguese explorer (5, 2, 4)
B
75
9
27 153 85
K 2
FS 3
M 4
9
A 10
LU 11
EO 12
Q 13
D 14
M
19
QS 20
AB 21
G 22
K
P 27
BP 28
I 29
18
FS
26
73 124 108 20 25 140 160 136 63 148 54 132
36
K 40
M
D 50
N
51
EQ
52
T 53
Q 54
BH 55
56
A 57
G 58
I 59
62
P 63
BS 64
70
D 71
65
A
66
K 67
LQ 68
J 69
73
BS
74
L 75
AQ 76
Q 77
84
F 92
81 EO 82
K 83
U
89
Q 90
N 91
EP 98
105
I
112 EN 113
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
L
99
106
S 107
C 100
H
R 72
P
T
80
A
O 85
B 86
P 87
U
88
A
R 93
FN 94
P 95
U
96 KU
I 101
108
J
102 EG 103
B 109 MP 110
L 116
Q
K 124
B 125
130 M 131
O
132 BU 133 CS 134
JR 135
C
140
B 141 PR 142
D 143 NO
I 148 BL 149
H 150 PT 151
F
N 118 DQ 119
S
126
158
A 159
O
111 AR
122 DN 123
D 157
117
P 104
IT
H 114 KS 115
G 156
C
P 79
L
P 139
PR
R
P 78
H
T
47 DQ 48
Q 120
D
F 127 AO 128
U
S
K
152 JQ
Q 160 BP 161
E
By James Cowie, [email protected]
E
4 81 112 161 15 102 7 145 97 51 11 59 44
If rescued from avalanches, these may give you a shot. (5, 8)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
T 144 6 69 23 16 24 110 150 79 52
These are the fastest of pets.
91
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
U 83 146 96 132 87 128 95 41
An oriental pet with blue eyes. (7, 3)
G 102 36 57 21 29 155
Short-legged pet with droopy ears.
___ ___ ___ ___ ___
H 107 61 113 149 54
_ _ _ _ _ Smith. Hall of Fame shortstop.
10 32
On‘The Rock’
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
I 110 105 25 28 147 58 100
A small guitar from Hawaii.
I
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
J 101 152 68 134 42 129 8
Fighters, popular with female felines?
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
60
1
96 82
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
L 17 98 148 67 74 10 115 121
Speaking in favor of a cause or policy.
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
M 40 24 14 3 109 37 130 137
A slow-moving color for a pet.
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
N 117 122 93 143 112 90 50
Another pet with droopy ears.
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
O 81 143 33 131 11 17 104 127 84
A long-haired pet with the same fur as some goats and rabbits. (6, 3)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
97 160 145 26 72 94 27 103 154 78 77
___ ___ ___
86 141 109 48
150 62 138
Scandinavian hunting dogs. (9, 9)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
89 118 12 37 152 159 47 31
67 35
Spotted pet (9), plus a description of its color scheme. (5, 3)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
R 111 42 134 141 92 71 48 30
Badger hunter from Germany.
55
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
62
A 39
49
B 154 CP 155
S 63 133 43 125 106 2
Due to being exceptional.
U
C
T 145 EP 146 FU 147
53
BI
Q 32
F 46
153
___ ___
T 24 MT 25
R 31
45
144
Q 119 75
LO
E
E 60 BK 61
J
CT 17
S 44
D 70 142 49 120 47 118 122 13 156
Contributes to the decoration of a room.
P
G 37 MQ 38
8
E 16
Q
J
K 66 135 123 22 39 114 6
Pet—well known for its grin. (8, 3)
23
30
E
C 35
B 137 M 138
18
15
JR 43
129
F 93 126 157 2 45 146 5
Also known as “German Shepherds.”
G
KT 7
U 42
136
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
CF 6
O 34
C 34 154 46 133 64 16 99 5 139
You check that you have _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ to reach your destination by car. (6, 3)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
5
41
121
60
Amorous suitor may say this to the person he adores. (1, 4, 3, 2, 4, 2)
E
33
97
88
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
___
1
73 19 114 18 151
76 116 51
19
t was known as“The Rock,” the federal
maximum-securitypenitentiaryonAlcatraz IslandinSanFranciscoBay,andsomeof
the country’s most incorrigible criminals
were housed there. Jim Albright, a guard
with the Bureau of Prisons,and his family
alsolivedontheisland—voluntarily.
Albright went toAlcatraz in 1959 as a 24-year-old with
no prior law enforcement experience. He didn’t leave
until 1963, when the prison closed. He writes about his
four-year stint onThe Rock in Last Guard Out.Included in
his recollections is the 1962 breakout of three inmates,
which was the basis of the movie“Escape fromAlcatraz.”
A member of NARFE Chapter 327 inTerre Haute,IN,
Albright retired from the Bureau of Prisons in 1985.“Although my 26 years of prison service were filled with
many memories, Alcatraz will always remain the highlight of my law enforcement career,” he writes.
An autographed copy of the Last Guard Out is available
from the author for $24 ([email protected];812-2992726).It also may be purchased from www.authorhouse.
com,www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com.
1$5)(·V 2IÀFLDO &UHGLW 8QLRQ
Board of Directors
Margaret Baptiste
Advisor
NARFE National
President
Nathaniel Brown
Director
NARFE National
Secretary
Emmitt Carlton
Director
Vincent Donahue
Treasurer
Randolph Earnest
Vice Chair
Richard Ferris
Secretary
Tressie Muldrow, Ph.D.
Chair
Richard Ostergren
Director
NARFE National
Treasurer
Lynn Ross, Ph.D.
Director
Alan Rothenberg
Assistant Treasurer
:LWK VKDUHG OHDGHUVKLS ZH KDYH WKH VDPH YLVLRQ IRU KHOSLQJ \RX FUHDWH ÀQDQFLDO JRDOV
and partnering with you to make your goals a reality. Visit us at the National Convention,
September 7-12, 2008. Credit Union representatives will be available to assist you and your
IDPLO\ ZLWK DOO RI \RXU ÀQDQFLDO QHHGV
Not planning to attend the National Convention?
Call us anytime at 800.328.1500 to learn how the credit union can help you save money
today. Visit NARFEpremierFCU.org to learn more or to apply for membership.
™
N
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