From the President’s Desk_______

We are happy to welcome back the last returning “snow birds” from their chilly northern homes Let’s work together to keep NARFE strong. Stay a member and be active!

I am pleased to report that at the Chapter meeting on January 15, 2004, Linda Braswell was nominated, elected and installed as Secretary for 2004.

Join the NARFE Chapter 717 “Armchair Activists.” After you finish reading the monthly NARFE magazine, remove the part of the front page which has your name and address and take the magazine with you to the doctor’s office and leave it there for others to read. We hope it will generate new members for NARFE.

At the January Chapter meeting, the Legislative Officer Ben Martorella distributed petitions for us to sign during the meeting. He thereafter sent them to our Florida Senators. Well done, Ben!

District 8 Meeting. NARFE Florida Federation President Dave Whalen will be the keynote speaker at the NARFE District 8 meeting on February 10, 2004, at the Olde World Restaurant in North Port. Registration fee (which includes a full lunch) is $10 per person. If you are interested in attending this event, call or send me an e-mail ASAP.

Annual Audit of the Chapter Financial Records. The following members were appointed to conduct the annual audit of the books: John Burton, Terry Greenwood, and Roy Reichelt. The results if the audit will be reported here next month.

Florida Federation Convention Delegates. If you are planning to attend to the NARFE Florida Federation Convention May 17-21, you can be designated a voting delegate and represent the Chapter. Call me if you are interested.

NARFE Alzheimer’s Fund. The official NARFE charity is Alzheimer’s funding for research, and to that end we push now for donations to the NARFE Alzheimer’s Fund. Since donations to the NARFE Alzheimer’s Fund are tax deductible, please think about donating and get the tax benefit. Make your check out to “NARFE Chapter 717.” In the MEMO section write “Alzheimer’s Fund.” Send your check to NARFE Chapter 717, PO Box 2203, Venice, FL 34284-2203. Thank you.

Mark your calendar for these special events:

1. District 8 Seminar conducted by District 8 Vice President Art Garafolo, will be on February 10, 2004 at the Olde World Restaurant in North Port. NARFE Florida Federation President and Dave Whalen will speak. Cost is $10.00, includes lunch.

2. Fourth Annual Fund Raising Auction – April 15, 2004 at the Holiday Inn in Venice. Bring those unwanted holiday gifts. They will find a new home!

3. The Chapter 717 Annual Picnic will be on Thursday, April 22, 2004 at the Lemon Bay Park Pavilion in Englewood.

4. The NARFE Florida Federation Convention will be May 17–21, 2004, at the Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs outside of Orlando. Those interested should contact the Secretary or me. Hotel rate is $72 plus tax per night.

HELP WANTED We have the following critical appointed officer and committee position vacancies. Urgent – we need you to volunteer!
- Recruitment and Retention contact caller. Assist the Recruitment and Retention Director by contacting current and potential Chapter members. Be a part of the team!
- Ways and Means - Duties related to raising money for the chapter.
Anyone interested in more information or volunteering should call me. Isn’t it your turn to help out for a year? It’s only a few hours a month. You can do it. Contact me now.

Our Chapter web site is improved and running strong. The web site is for you. Please view it at: www.narfe717.org. Webmaster Bill Leatham runs the best NARFE web site in Florida and maybe in all of NARFE! It is very informative and has links to other sites. You can join our e-mail list by clicking on the subscribe button in the web site.

Reminder: When you are called about meeting meal reservations, please make a reservation only if you are relatively sure you will be attending the meeting. This is especially necessary if you reserve a special meal. No reservation? You can attend the meeting anyway. We usually have a few extra meals on hand for late deciders and guests.

We are looking for your input. Do you have a recommendation for a luncheon speaker? Tell Bill Leatham or me who you would like us to have as a guest speaker. Do you have a suggestion for an all Chapter 717 event? Tell me what it is, and we’ll discuss the idea before the Executive Committee.

All members are responsible for membership growth. Bring a retired or current federal employee to a meeting or give them an application for membership. Remember, only you can keep NARFE and Chapter 717 strong. Need an application for membership? Contact the Membership Committee or any officer.

Think about paying your dues through dues withholding or obtaining a NARFE Life Membership. NARFE National dues are increasing to $29.00. If you pay your dues by automatic dues deduction by OPM, you will receive the lower rate of $24.85 per year – a saving of over $4.00 per year. If you reached your 85th birthday and are a 20-year NARFE member, you are eligible for Honorary Life Membership (no more dues). Call the Membership Chair or me for more info.

The NARFE Florida Federation web site is at www.flfed-narfe.org. Check it out.

Federal Times has joined with NARFE to extend a Special Discount Offer to NARFE members. Support NARFE by subscribing to Federal Times for 52 weekly issues for only $36. In addition to a great rate, Federal Times will remit $5 of every subscription to NARFE! Call 1-800-368-5718.
Kudos to the volunteers and Officers of the Chapter who are working so professionally to keep the Chapter strong and provide the services you expect! A special thank you to the Newsletter Editor, Terry Greenwood who works hard to get the newsletter together every month. Special thanks to all who donated door prizes!

The January 15, 2004, Chapter Meeting at Holiday Inn of Venice Restaurant opened at 11:30 p.m. with 48 members and guests present. Chaplain Bill Kennedy led the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. Gayle Childs, Postmaster, Venice Post Office, spoke about Preventing Identity Theft. The 50/50 and door prize games were played. Anniversary and Birthday wishes were extended. The meeting adjourned after 2:00 p.m.

Address correct? Snow Birds need to remind us that you have returned to Paradise. ASAP! THOSE IN VENICE WHO ARE BEING CONVERTED TO ZIP CODE 34285 MUST NOTIFY US OF THE CHANGE AND INCLUDE YOUR FULL NEW ZIP+4 DIGIT NUMBERS! WE WILL NOTIFY NARFE HQ OF THE CHANGES. You can get your new ZIP Plus 4 from your address on your electric bill. It’s there! Send me an e-mail or call me.

We hope to see you at the next Chapter meeting on February 19, 2004.

The next Executive Committee meeting will be on February 5, 2004.

Regards to all,
Steve Shoub, Pres.
 

Top of Page

Service Report
(John Burton)

Notice of COLA

Retired Federal employees and entitled surviving family members of deceased Federal employees and retirees will receive a cost-of-living increase effective December 1, 2003, which will first be reflected in the benefit payable January 2, 2004.

Under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Organization Retirement and Disability System (ORDS), the cost-of-living increase will be 2.1 percent for those who have received benefits for at least one year. The 2.1 percent increase was determined by computing the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for urban wage earners and clerical workers from the third quarter average of 2002 to the third quarter average of 2003, as provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and FERS Special, the cost-of-living increase will be 2.0 percent for those who have received benefits for at least one year. This amount was derived from the same CPI comparison as CSRS. Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and FERS Special Cost-of-Living Adjustments are not provided until age 62, except for disability, survivor benefits, and other special provision retirements. FERS disability retirees get the adjustment, except when they are receiving a disability annuity based on 60 percent of their "high-three" average salary. Also, under FERS, if you have a CSRS component, the component is subject to the CSRS COLA calculation. FERS survivors receive the FERS increase on their entire annuity, even where component service is involved.

The notice reflecting this benefit increase does not reflect any changes in health insurance premiums—any changes for 2004 because of increased premiums or open season changes will be reflected in your February annuity check.

Before you file your notice, there are two important things that you should write down your claim number, shown in a box on the bottom right, and file it with your important papers. If you have to contact the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for any reason, your claim number will lead them to your retirement file.

Statement of Annuity Paid

Another form that you should have received in January is the 1099R (Statement of Annuity Paid) for 2003. If you did not receive this form or if you want to make any changes in federal tax withholding, call 1-800-409-6528. It is important to keep your address up to date; many important notices are sent throughout the year to the address that OPM has on file. Let OPM know of any change of address immediately by calling 1-888-767-6738.

Tax Information

If you retired after July 2, 1986, remember that a portion of your annuity is tax-free. Before that date, annuitants recovered their total contributions to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF) within three years. Federal employees retiring after that date have had to use either the General Rule or the Simplified Method to recover their contributions.

According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Simplified Method is easier to use and results in paying less tax. Instructions for using the General Rule are found in IRS Publication 939. The Simplified Method is explained in IRS Publication 721.

To figure the tax-free portion of the annuity using the Simplified Method, the retiree needs to know the annuity start date, age at annuity start date, and total contributions made to the CSRDF. The amount of contributions can be found on the original statement of annuity form or on the 1099R sent to annuitants each January.

Medicare Enrollment Period

If you are eligible for Medicare Part B but have not enrolled, you can sign up now during the Medicare annual enrollment period. The enrollment period runs from January 1 through March 31, 2004. If you sign up by March 31, your coverage will begin in July 2004.

Medicare Part B helps pay for doctor visits, outpatient hospital treatment, and other medical services and supplies not covered by Medicare Part A. The cost of Part B for 2004 is $66.60.

Those covered by Medicare Part A who decided not to enroll in Part B when they first became eligible for Medicare can now take advantage of this enrollment opportunity, but they will be charged a penalty for signing up late. The penalty is 10 percent of the Part B premium for each 12-month period a person could have been enrolled for Medicare Part B, but was not.

Anyone interested in enrolling in Medicare should call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or contact the local Social Security Office.

Top of Page

SUNSHINE REPORT
(Gladys Green)

On the sick list since our previous newsletter: Henry Ezell; both Norman Helle and his wife, Betty; and Annmarie King. The chapter sends best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Although our chapter sends a get well card to every member who is under the weather, I’m sure each would appreciate a card or note from individual members. So, send a bit of Florida sunshine to someone who is stuck indoors because of illness—send a card!

Top of Page

LEGISLATIVE REPORT
(Ben Martorella)

During our Jan 15 meeting, a petition to Senators Graham and Nelson , requesting their support for s.1369, the prescription drug guarantee, was circulated. More than forty signatures were gathered. The petition was sent via FAX and regular mail. The bill is still in committee and has not been voted on. NARFE members are still encouraged to contact their Senators personally by phone, FAX, email or regular mail.

Health Savings Accounts, HSA'S , is another piece of legislation NARFE opposes. The provision could circumvent the fundamental principles of group health insurance by dividing healthy and sick persons into different coverage options. This could double the premiums for traditional insurance coverage. The OPM may attempt to impose HSAs to FEHBP. If a large number of NARFE members tell their Senators and congressional representatives that adding HSAs to the FEHBP is a very bad idea, perhaps the OPM would not impose it.

If you have any questions, you may contact me at (941) 473-7946 or email, benmax@ewol.com.

Top of Page

TREASURER’S REPORT

The annual audit of the Chapter 717’s financial records was completed was completed on January 17, 2004 at the home of Treasurer Saundra Barrington. No discrepancies were noted. The audit committee consisted of Terry Greenwood and Roy Reichelt.

Chapter checking account balance as of 12/31/03 was $2831.87 of which $525.00 is earmarked for the Alzheimer’s Research Fund.

Top of Page

MEMBERSHIP
(Nancy Marik)

Problem getting your newsletter year round?

You may not know this, I know I didn't. That's when you forward your mail, the Post Office does not forward your NARFE newsletter. Why? Postage for over 300 newsletters is expensive so we mail them as "bulk mail" which the P.O. does not forward. So when you go north or move, you need to tell us so we can update our files. In the past once a year we have paid extra to have the P. O. give us address correction info. When the chapter does this your newsletter is forwarded and we learn of your address change at a price of 70 cents per change. Multiply that times everybody that goes north or moves and the cost starts to amount up. In fact, it amounted to $15.40 in December 2003. Therefore we don't do it very often. Telling national is no guarantee that your chapter will find out right away. However if you tell us, your local chapter, then we will notify national for you.

Thank you for your help to serve you better. Your newly appointed membership chairman, Nancy Marik.

CHAPTER MEETING

The next meeting of Englewood Venice Chapter 717 will be held on February 19, 2004 at the Venice Holiday Inn, 455 US 41 Bypass, Venice, FL. The speaker for this meeting will be the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit. The working dogs that work marvels in law enforcement finding and catching criminals, detecting drugs and other contraband, finding lost children, etc.. The luncheon meeting will start at 11:30 and the cost is $13.00. All current and retired Federal employees are welcome to attend.

MENU

Petite Garden Salad with Dressings
Broiled Fish (Catch of the Day)
Steamed Red Potatoes
Broccoli
Chef's Choice Dessert
Iced Tea, Coffee and Decaf
 

Top of Page