Feb,2014 CONGRATULATIONS Joyce Harte President s Corner Dear Chapter members, With this first newsletter of the year, we wish each of you a very happy, healthy, and prosperous 2014! It will be a challenging year for our club: maintaining our membership; recruiting new members to take the place of those who move away; continuing our efforts to award $12,000 in scholarships to one outstanding graduating senior in each of the JROTC programs at the six high schools; and to increase our membership and our attendance at the monthly luncheons. To accomplish this, everyone must be actively involved and committed to meeting these challenges. How can I help you ask: ONE: If you have not renewed this year (some have not), sit down and write a check for $25 for a regular member and $25 if you are an auxiliary member and send to MOAA-BC, P.O. Box 381, Bradenton, Florida 34206. TWO: While your checkbook is still out, write another check for your 2014 donation to the JROTC Scholarship Fund. You could use the same check for combining the two, noting on the check for membership and scholarship. This will save you time, an envelope, and stamp! You'll be receiving a letter in the next couple of weeks announcing the beginning of the fund drive. We need approximately $4500 more to meet our goal of $12,000 for the April scholarships. We should be able to do this with 50 + members. Please give what you can. THREE: In your normal mingling with people at work, at your church, other organizations, social events, and neighborhood, keep your ears tuned for anyone who has served or is currently serving as an officer in any of our military branches.if you find such an individual, talk to them about our chapter and invite them to the next event. Contact one of the board members and give us the name and #, so that we can also chat with them and encourage them to attend. This may be the most difficult task of all. With only one % of our current population now serving in the military, (Continued on page 2)
CHAPTER OFFICERS President Mrs. Joyce Harte 761-2654 First Vice President COL Gill Ruderman 708-0166 2nd Vice President COL Larry Burnette, USA 794-2310 Secretary Treasurer Col Fred Graves, USAF 739-2365 Personal Affairs/Chaplain Mrs. Donna Courtney 745-9564 Social Secretary (Co-Chairs) Col Patricia Newhall, USAF 746-8744 Historian Membership Directory Program Committee Membership Committee COL Larry Burnette 794-2310 Community Affairs Mrs. Donna Courtney 745-9564 (Continued from page 1) Such folks are hard to find, but we must find then if our club is to Survive. Four: We need to locate some good speakers for our monthly luncheons as one way to increase attendance. Many of you are involved in other organizations and activities. As you attend these events and hear a talk you enjoyed, get the name and some contact information for the speaker and pass it on to me or another board member. One of us will follow up. People make an extra effort to attend if they know the speaker has been recommended by one of our members and will be speaking on a topic of interest to our chapter. Try putting up a small index card on your fridge with "MOAA-BC: Members, events, speakers, and suggestions" as a regular reminder of how you can assist. With everyone working together routinely, our chapter will be more energetic and meaningful to its members. Please do your part. You can reach me by telephone (#'s of your board members on next page) or by email: jharteva@aol.com. I hope to see you at the next luncheon on Wednesday, February 19, 11:30, at the Bradenton Country Club. Joyce Harte, President Legislative Committee CW4 Don Courtney, USA 745-9564 Immediate Past President Editor: CW4 Don Cour tney 745-9564 www.orgsites.com/fl/moaa-bc The MOAA-BC Newsletter is published nine times a year for the information of the members of The Military Officers Association of America Bradenton Chapter, an affiliate of The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). The MOAA-BC is a nonprofit organization, incorporated under the laws of the State of Florida. Tricare For Life The biggest change is the launch of a pilot program in February that requires TRICARE For Life (TFL) beneficiaries to fill maintenance medication (e.g., blood pressure medication) refills through the mail-order pharmacy for one year. Letters to the remaining 300,000 affected beneficiaries will be mailed on February 18. TFL beneficiaries may refill twice at a retail pharmacy before they become responsible for 100% of the cost of their medication at retail providers. A full beneficiary communication plan will be implemented once the Express Scripts call center is prepared to fully answer questions about the pilot. 2
LtCol. Hal West Happy Birthday 3rd Below is a program for veterans during Feb. and March. You may be interested in helping out. If so contact Don Courtney at 745-9564 LtCol Rolland Freman Mrs. Joyce Harte 13th 18th South Florida Museum February 21 Sergeant York (1941): *This will be the evening of our Opening Reception. We had previously talked about doing a COLOR GUARD PRESENTA- TION and having a general presence from your affiliates at the reception if there are any groups that do music of any sort, that could also work nicely. With the World War I focus, we have a collection of Lt. Kirby Pelot Stewart artifacts and materials from WWI, as well some materials from other local families. If you or someone else in a leadership position with the Veterans Council would like to say a few words before the film about what the Council does, that would be great. And obviously, any information that you would like to distribute would also be welcomed. February 28 M*A*S*H (1970) Korean War focus I know we have a lot of Korean War Vets out there but it s not as high profile as some of the other wars, so an information table on this conflict and the Veterans of this war would be great. SBP-DIC Offset About This Legislation: Under current law, the surviving spouse of an active or retired servicemember who dies from a servicecaused condition is entitled to $1215/mo in Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from the Veteran's Administration. If the military retiree was also enrolled in the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), DIC is deducted from the surviving spouse's SBP annuity. This bill would repeal the offset of DIC payments from SBP annuities, in the belief that when service caused the death, the VA indemnity payment should be added to the normal SBP annuity, not subtracted from it. March 7 From Here to Eternity (1953) World War II / Pearl Harbor focus this is obviously a very highprofile Veterans topic, and I know that there are not a great number of WWII Veterans left with us at this point. If you have anyone who we could welcome and introduce before the film, that would be great. I also think it would be a nice opportunity for general Veterans Affairs info to be distributed. March 14 Rescue Dawn (2006) This film is set at a prison camp in Laos during Vietnam. We could definitely focus on any POW-MIA groups or information pertaining to Vietnam Vets. March 21 So Proudly We Hail (1943) This film focuses on women in the military during World War II. I think this would be a great opportunity for information concerning Women in various military positions and as veterans of a wide range of military actions. March 28 Alive Day Memories (2007) This is a film about injured Veterans returning from Iraq certainly an opportunity to discuss issues pertaining to injured veterans and Veterans of more recent conflicts. 3
The New Board Mrs. Joyce Harte, President, COL Gill Ruderman, Frist Vice, Col Fred Graves, Treasurer, LtCol. Jerry Koontz, Secretary, Col Pat New Hall, Social Secretary, LtCol James Conner, President, Florida Council of Chapters. And the winners are: Seated, Col Pat Newhall, Mrs. Jeanne Gearey, Mrs. Dottie Conner, Mrs. Joyce Harte, Standing: LTC. & Mrs. Lee Kichen, Mrs. Edie Bustle, Capt. Don Browning, Ms. Doris Palmer, Mrs. Judy Neff, Mrs. Norma Graves., CW4 Don Courtney, And BG Rich Blunt. 4
Outgoing President LtCol. Jerry Koontz and New President Mrs. Joyce Harte exchanges old and new president pins. Kris Kringle, LtCol Jim Conner (Florida Council President), Mrs. Joyce Harte, (New Bradenton Chapter President) Tricare For Life The biggest change is the launch of a pilot program in February that requires TRICARE For Life (TFL) beneficiaries to fill maintenance medication (e.g., blood pressure medication) refills through the mail-order pharmacy for one year. Letters to the remaining 300,000 affected beneficiaries will be mailed on February 18. TFL beneficiaries may refill twice at a retail pharmacy before they become responsible for 100% of the cost of their medication at retail providers. A full beneficiary communication plan will be implemented once the Express Scripts call center is prepared to fully answer questions about the pilot. 5
Monthly Luncheon February 19th 11:30 a.m. Bradenton Country Club Menu: Roast Pork Tenderloin Duchess Potatoes Seasonal Medley Rolls & Beverages Fruit Cobbler Cost: $20.00/person. Make checks payable to MOAA-BC and mail to Col. Pat Newhall, 3300 Riverview Blvd. W., Bradenton, FL 34205. Reservations or cancellations must be received NLT noon on November 14, 2010. GUEST SPEAKER: Mr. John Barnott, Director, Building & Development Dept. Military Officers Association of America-Bradenton Chapter PO Box 381 Bradenton, Florida 34206-0381 6