Third Thursday Each Month

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Olivia’s in the Village

6597 Main Street

Gloucester, VA

(Meetings and locations are generally announced in the Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal)

CHAPTER 1757 OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
James Bradbury /
VICE PRESIDENT
Don Mitchell /
SECRETARY
Lucy Mirabella /
TREASURER
Hank Furniss /
SERVICE OFFICER
Paul Componation /
MEMBERSHIP
Bob Howe /
CHAPTER E-MAIL
ADDRESS /

Summer is over and we will begin to resume our monthly meetings. I hope all of you had a great summer.

Our September meeting will be held on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th at 5:00 PM with a picnic at Carter’s Cove Clubhouse. Please come out and join us. Directions are included in this newsletter.

I am optimistic that our meetings for the coming year will be beneficial to attendees and will provide a pleasant environment to renew our fellowship.

This is an election year and there are a lot of people out there trying to frighten workers and annuitants about their future benefits and their job security. Since it is an election year these tactics go with the territory. Seasoned workers and annuitants have seen it before and will see it again. Every NARFE initiative was devised to address a particular piece of proposed legislation. We are not the people responsible for the financial situation and should not be the first selected to bare the brunt of the cuts.

Congress will return in September to possibly pass some legislation; but it is unlikely that the real work will be undertaken until after Election Day. Everyone is trying to avoid voting that can be used by their opponents to defeat them in an election. Therefore, the hard decisions will probably have to wait until late November or December. While most of the decisions can wait until January, it will be awkward to make some things retroactive, but it is possible.

Retention of your current membership is a critical factor. Don’t let your membership expire! Help recruit new members for Gloucester Middle Peninsula Chapter 1757

In this election year, many proposals are floating around that could cut or reduce your earned health and retirement benefits. The cost of NARFE membership is nothing compared to what we can lose with some of the proposed cuts in our health and retirement benefits.

Your NARFE membership is about more than a magazine subscription. It’s about keeping your earned benefits that you were told you would receive as a federal employee. No matter how hard NARFE works for us, without the membership numbers to give us clout on Capitol Hill, our endeavors will be useless.

NARFE membership provides both active and retired federal employees a voice to speak out about our earned benefits. Our voice becomes louder when our numbers are larger.

Let’s continue to increase our numbers by telling active and retired federal employees about NARFE! Sign up a friend or coworker for NARFE membership either with the form in the NARFE magazine or on the internet at http://www/narfe.org/home/member. Membership applications are also available at the Gloucester Chapter 1757 monthly luncheon meetings.

Jim Bradbury,

President, Chapter 1757

As congressional campaign season revs up, NARFE magazine is getting ready to publish its biennial congressional "scorecard." This allows NARFE members to see, in one place, how their congressional delegation voted on issues relating to the Association's legislative mission. In its October issue, NARFE will report on four key votes in the Senate and five in the House. The October issue of NARFE magazine will arrive in members' mailboxes beginning in mid-September.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced this year’s Federal Benefits Open Season will run from Monday, Nov. 12, through Monday, Dec. 10. New for this year all Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) plans will provide on their websites a summary document detailing information about health plan benefits and coverage as required under the Affordable Care Act. The Summary will provide information on costs such as deductibles and co-payments/coinsurance, what is covered and what is not covered, enrollees’ rights to continued coverage and grievance and appeal rights. Plans will make a paper copy of the Summary available. OPM said the plan brochure will be the official statement of benefits.

The annual Federal Benefits Open Season covers the FEHBP, Fed. Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) and FSAFEDS.

NARFE magazine will provide comprehensive analysis of many FEHBP plans in its October, November and December issues.

WHEN? / Thursday, September 20, 2012
TIME? / 5 to 7 p.m.
WHERE? / Carter’s Cove Club House
WHAT TO BRING? / Casserole, Salad OR Dessert to Share With Fellow Attendees
DIRECTIONS: / §  From Wal-Mart, head South on 17
§  Turn Right on Hickory Fork Rd (Route 614)
§  Turn Left on Aberdeen Creek Rd (Route 632)
§  Turn Left on Carters Cove Drive—Club House is on the Left
Local Chapter 1757 will provide: *Fried Chicken* -- *Rolls* -- *Drinks*
We are open to any ideas for entertainment and games. NARFE will provide prizes.
Send suggestions to: or