Southea Regional Newsletter #3 March or whenever 2017 LA FRA Regional Officers 2016-2017 Vera Thomas - President 904-291-1575(h) 904-955-3822(c) aquaspacev@aol.com Gail Bolz - Vice President Patricia Marsh - Secretary Mary Lopez - Treasurer Regional Chaplain C. Tyler Malmgren 821 Volunteer Blvd POB 8760 Knoxville, TN 37996 tylerma98@hotmail.com LA FRA National Officers President Helen Courneya Vice President Jean Smith Executive Secretary Lauren Wynn, PRPWC Financial Secretary Chriina Murray PRPEC Treasurer Bea" Parco Parliamentarian Cindy Rodham-Tuck PNP Jr Pa National President Doris Fri PNP National Chaplain Gale Nathan 9345 Blue House Apt 9108 Ladson, SC 29456-4095 gale.nathan19@yahoo.com Fir order of business Congratulations to the following SER members. They have been members for at lea 50 years. Unit 22-50 years - Norma Walsh Sept 1967 Unit 91-50 years - Pat Garwood, PNP April 1967 55 years - Lorene Puhl July 1962 55 years - Violet Herzer Aug 1962 Unit 126-50 years - Maira Wilson Nov 1967 55 years - Myrl Washaliski July 1962 If I missed anyone, I am sorry. Please let me know and I will note this mileone mark in your LA FRA life. PRPSE (1996-1997) Kathy Mucheck has passed away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you to all the members of the Southea Region s Units for all the work that you do to support your unit and therefore making easier the work the Unit does for the communities. I hope everyone is able to find a couple of days to sit down and relax before arting work on their next project(s). Remember we may think my contributions are small, that may be true for us, but to the receiver of our efforts it may be be thing that has happened in a long time no effort is too small if the receiver sees it as a positive thing in their life. Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. Helen Keller ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember the Unit s members that do not (are not able to) attend meetings. It may surprise them to receive a thinking of you card or that someone called ju to see how they are and what they are doing, and it may give them a short break from taking care of their family and a chance to ju talk with someone else. It doesn t matter WHERE you go in life. It s WHO you have beside you. Page 1
From the President - My January travels included visits to Unit 346 St Andrews Bay, FL, Unit 290 Atlantic Beach, FL, Unit 22 Pensacola, FL and to Unit 291 - New Port Richey, FL for a memorial observance ceremony for the CGC Blackthorn. My February travels were visits to Unit 210 Milton, Unit 44 Tennessee Valley, and Branch & Unit 290 for the FRA/LA FRA Southea Region Midyear meeting. Thank you to all the members that welcomed me to their units. Next traveling will be to the Alabama - Tennessee Caucus, hoed by Branch 86 Millington, TN. Looks like March will be a light month for traveling. Vera Thomas Unit Activities - information I would appreciate it if the Units would share their activities - things that your Unit or members are doing, please send a copy of your pictures, annual or monthly projects, award presentations or members making donations to your city or county. Thank you to Branch and Unit 290 for hoing the SER Midyear and for providing great food. Units attending were 91 Fir Coa, 126 We Jacksonville, 183 Interlachen, 194 Knoxville, 269 Low Country and, of course, 290 Atlantic Beach. The 2-day event arted with a Friday afternoon Open Forum led by FRA RPSE Robbins, the main topic soon became communication between Branch and Unit. Saturday was the day for the LA FRA workshop and the FRA regional judging of the essays judged by the individual branches as their 1 place winners. The Regional 1 place winners, announced at the Midyear, will advance to FRA s national judging. The LA FRA s workshop was a power point presentation titled The Not So Good and the Better - LA FRA Forms. This was a presentation of how many of the LA FRA forms are being submitted to the Membership Service Adminirator, National Financial Secretary, and the Regional President have been prepared improperly and/or illegible and how they should be prepared. Starting with the Membership Application and ending with report forms submitted at convention. Handouts were passed out based on the slides of the presentation, they will be sent to the Units that were not able to attend. An extra special thank you to the Shipmates that figured out how to connect my laptop computer to their televisions/monitors. Since on the initial try those machines were not recognizing each others, after several trial & error attempts, the machines were finally talking with each other providing the opportunity to have the power point presentation. Page 2
This month for the Units: Depending on the Unit s Bylaws this is either the month that nominations shall be opened for Unit Offices, or the month(s) before. It is time for the members to think about volunteering to run for an office. The President should make available to the membership the job requirements of the offices, these are in the LA FRA Unit Procedure Manual or they may be lied in one of your units manuals. After the elections remember to fill out the Unit Officer Information form. Forms are on the LA FRA website: http://la-fra.org - click on forms. Address for RPSE is: Vera Thomas, 2929 Bobcat Ct, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043. Queions: 904-291-1575(LL) or 904-955-3822(c) if I do not answer, please leave a text message. This is also the month the National Financial Secretary arts to prepare the Annual Membership Report, this is the report that advises you of the Unit s total number of votes at convention, which is also the number of delegates the unit is authorized. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Regional & National Scholarship available! Our Regional Scholarship form may be obtained from: PNP Patricia Garwood, Unit 91 3750 Silver Bluff Blvd-Apt 2206 Orange Park, FL 32065 (904) 583-0016 PAST REGIONAL PRESIDENTS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM The following is general information the application can de download off the Southea Regions website - www.southearegionfra.yolasite.com under the heading of LA FRA forms. Applicant mu be currently a: high school udent, college udent, or graduate udent All entries mu be complete, accurate, legible, and printed in black ink. Read all inructions carefully before answering. Ensure that your answers are accurate. We define sponsor as a LAFRA or FRA member (living or deceased) who is the applicant s parent, grandparent, or legal guardian and is a member of a Branch or Unit in the Southea Region. If deceased, the information mu describe the sponsor s affiliation at the time of death. Gross income is to reflect total income from all sources. Net income is to reflect taxable income reportable to the IRS. Applicant mu sign the application and ensure that it is also signed by the head of the family. Applicants will be notified by telephone and in writing by July 1 of application year. Recipient mu be a U. S. citizen and attend a college or university in the United States. Applicants who have not been selected for a scholarship award will not be notified. We mu receive the high school and college transcripts completed by the appropriate school in order to consider the application. The official transcript need not be submitted at the same time as the application, but mu be received by th the 15 April deadline. Current college udents mu provide both high school and college transcripts. Receipt of application is not acknowledged, unless a self-addressed amped pocard is included and ates Scholarship application has been received, we will date it and return it to you. FRA & LAFRA National Scholarship forms may be obtained from www.la-fra.org, click on Scholarship Information. No matter how much you push the envelope, it will always be ationery. Page 3
Future events: Annual Pilgrimage The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier & USS Maine Ma and Memorial, April 22, 2017 Hotel: The Wein Tysons Corner, 7801 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22043. Room rates will be honored from Tuesday, 18 April thru Saturday, 22 April 2017. The deadline for reservations in the room block is 5 PM EDST on 28 March 2017. Room rates: Suite - $181; Traditional doubles - $131; Traditional King - $131. For reservations call 703-893-1340 use code: Pilgrimage Group 2017. Be a part of this tribute to our fallen, whether for the fir time or for another visit. For the Tennessee Units (there are no units in Alabama) th March 17-18, 2017: 38 Annual Alabama & Tennessee Caucus. Ho: Branch 86 Millington, TN. For the Florida Units May 19 & 20: Florida Council of FRA Branches and Units. Ho: FRA Branch 263 Merritt Island ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Information of the President s Fund Raiser - To support the general funds of the Southea Region. After all, we ill need to cover expenses. We need to cover the expenditures of the offices of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Chaplain, and Jr. Pa President. At convention there is a need for providing delegate folders as well as creating and printing the forms included in the delegate folders. Even with Forever amps there is ill increasing co of poage and paper supplies for the Vice President, Chaplain, and Jr. Pa President. With that in mind, a quilted cover-up (4' 9" x 6') will be raffled off at the Southea Region Convention Buffet. Price of the tickets is $1 for one or $5 for 6. Included in the value of a purchased raffle ticket is another drawing for one of three 14" pillows - one pillow is USN, one pillow is USMC and one pillow is USCG theme print. The fir drawing (a free drawing) will be a group of very special people LA FRA units members that are also Veterans. If the Units would check with their members to located these very special people and send me their name, branch (USN/WAVES, USMC/MCWR, USCG/SPARs, USA/WAAC/WAC, USAAC/WAFS/WASPs or USAAC or USAF) and dates of service. I will write up a ticket for them, for this drawing they need not be present to win. Page 4
I have been advised that the SER can make available to the SER Units pins that have been turned over to the RPSE by Units that have surrendered their Charter. They can not be sold, but they can be made available for a donation to the SER general fund. will have a li available in a couple of days and will send it via e-mail. Ju in case you need one more reminder that you need to make reservations for the regional convention. I 71 FRA & 69th LAFRA, SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CONVENTION AUGUST 24 27, 2017 Hoed by FRA, Low Country Branch 269 and LA FRA Unit 269 Goose Creek, SC Hotel accommodations: Double Tree by Hilton. 7401 Northwoods Blvd. North Charleon, SC. Room Rate: $99.00 plus 13.5% room tax plus $1.00 occupancy tax per room per night (2 double beds/two room suite for $109.00). Reservations mu be made by July 24, 2017 to receive preferred group rate. Group rates are available for those arriving three days early or aying three days pa the group dates. Reservations: Can be made by calling 1-843-518-6200. Specify that you are making a Group Reservation under the name of Fleet Reserve Association Group Code FR1 Rates include: FREE hot buffet breakfa, FREE parking. All rooms have a refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot, iron & ironing board, and hair dryer. Meals available: Dinner is offered at the Double Tree each day. There are a number of eateries within walking diance or a short drive. Check-in is at 3:00PM and check-out time is at 11:00AM. The Double Tree by Hilton is conveniently located ju off I-26 (exit 209) in North Charleon. The hotel is less than eight miles from Charleon International Airport with complimentary transportation to and from. The FRA, Low Country Home is located at 99 Wieria Rd in Goose Creek, approximately five miles from the Double Tree Hotel. The phone number is (843) 569-2692. Note from National: Units are being asked to throw away all old forms, as some forms dating back to 2006 had been used this pa year. All forms are on the website and have been updated. This includes all delegate forms, death notification forms, and membership forms. When it comes to judging reports, older forms being used are not acceptable and there is uncertainty whether the committee should throw out the reports when judging because they did not use the right form. Page 5