AAFES Retired Employees Association Newsletter · Page 2 April 2013 AREA NEWSLETTER Welcome to the April, 2013 edition of AREA’s Newsletter, and the first month of Spring. -----

One last chance for updates to

AREA directory—COMING: July 2013 AREA is updating the membership database this year, and some additional

work to make that happen has necessitated a delay in publication of the

membership directory. That slight delay means that if

you haven’t sent any changes to your address and per-

sonal information to include in the direction, you still

have time. If you have moved, changed phone numbers

or email addresses, had a change in marital status, etc.

just fill out the Membership Update Form on page 16

and send it to Pat Weaver, membership director. Pat

said the new database will allow her to print email ad-

dresses as an additional line with the member’s home

address and phone number. So finding emails will be much easier in the new

directory. We encourage you to add your email address to your membership

info so members will have an easy way of writing to you.

Please send us your changes by May 1.

It’s time to vote for AREA board and revision to the constitution

Officers of AREA and North Texas Chapter (NTC) Board met with the new civilian Exchange

Director/Chief Executive Officer Tom Shull in January and February. Pictured above beneath

the banner “No Greater Honor Than Serving Those Who Serve” (partially pictured at right) are

Larry Phillips, Don Streeter, Mr. Shull and AREA President Chuck Poffenbarger who briefed

Mr. Shull on AREA from “A to Z”. This meeting followed the NTC Board’s gathering that in-

spired Linda Dean to write an insightful article printed on page 10. Thanks, Linda!

Every two years, AREA holds elec-

tions, and it’s that time again. This year

we will not only elect officers, but

there’s also a small constitutional revi-

sion for your consideration. The consti-

tutional issue proposes changing the

position of President-Elect to Vice

President.

This position was originally entitled

Vice President, but was changed at the

Annual Meeting in 1995 to President-

Elect, with the intent that the President-

Elect would become President in the

next election cycle. However, for sev-

eral years we have been unable to find

anyone willing to serve as President-

Elect. We’re hoping that the change in

title to Vice-President will attract more

participation at that level since there

will be no automatic linkage to the of-

fice of AREA President. The slate of

officers for 2013-15 includes:

President—Chuck Poffenbarger

President-Elect/Vice-President—vacant

Secretary—Don Smith

Treasurer—Terry Corley

Terry Corley has volunteered to serve

(if elected) as Treasurer, replacing

Gerry Peterson, who served 10 years

and brought many updates to account-

ing for handling of our money.

Election materials are shown on page

19 and 20. Please use the ballot on page

20 to vote on the officers and constitu-

tional revision by May 15.

Newsletter

AAFES Retired Employees Association

Supporting the Interests of AAFES, Its Retirees and the People it Serves

April 2013

“There is no greater

honor than serving

those who serve”

C h u c k P o f f e n b a r g e r , P r e s i d e n t

Page 2 April 2013 AREA NEW SLETTER

Welcome to the April, 2013 edition of AREA’s Newsletter, and the first month of Spring. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maxims

by

Fancois de La Rochefoucauld (1613 - 1680)

Before we set our hearts too much upon anything, let us examine how happy those are

who already possess it.

Good advice is something a man gives when he is too old to set a bad example.

It is often merely for an excuse that we say things are impossible.

One cannot answer for his courage when he has never been in danger

Perfect courage means doing unwitnessed what he would be capable of with

the world looking on.

The defects and faults in the mind are like wounds in the body. After all imaginable care has been taken to heal them up, still there

will be a scar left behind.

The glory of great men should always be measured by the means they have used

to acquire it.

To establish oneself in the world, one has to do all one can to appear established.

CONVERSATIONS

By Various

Bore: one who has the power of speech but not the capacity for conversation.

Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 1881)

Talking with you is sort of the conversational equivalent of an out of body experience.

Bill Watterson (1958 - ), Calvin & Hobbes

Saying what we think gives us a wider conversational range than saying what we know.

Cullen Hightower

Each person's life is lived as a series of conversations.

Deborah Tannen

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the

tempting moment.

Dorothy Nevill

Education begins a gentleman, conversation completes him.

Dr. Thomas Fuller (1654 - 1734), Gnomologia, 1732

I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation.

George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

AREA...JUST FOR YOU

Benefits Q&A

Q. How does Healthcare Reform (Obamacare) affect retiree?

A. We are not anticipating many negative impacts for the retirees due to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or

better known as Health Care Reform. In fact most of the impacts so far have been overwhelmingly popular with retirees, such as

coverage for young adults to age 26 or the additional coverage under women’s preventive care.

Q. I know we're entitled to a "free annual physical". However, my doctor's office can't seem to figure out how to accomplish

it. The billing office tells me (and I believe they are correct) that they MUST bill Medicare first (then Aetna) for any

charges incurred by a Medicare patient. But they CAN'T bill Medicare for a

"physical" (because Medicare doesn't cover one); thus they can't ever get a

Medicare EOB which would then permit them to bill Aetna. As a result, they

end up charging me (and billing Medicare/Aetna) for the individual tests and

consultations performed. While this doesn't put me out-of-pocket a great deal I

do end up paying the copay(s), which I should not have to.

A. While Aetna could not advise about the billing practice of a medical provider or

Medicare, they did inform us that even if the member pays out of pocket for the rou-

tine exam, he/she can still submit the claim to Aetna and be reimbursed.

Q. What are the specifics of the Health Incentive Credit?

A. With your enrollment in the DoD NAF Medical Plan with Aetna, you have the op-

portunity to earn a Health Incentive Credit.

1. Earn a $50 credit when you complete your online Health Assessment.

To take the Health Assessment, go to www.aetna.com and log on to Aetna Naviga-

tor®.

Look on your home page for the link to “Take a health assessment.”

In just about 20 minutes you’ll learn about your health risks and the “simple steps”

you can take to address them.

If you have already completed your Health Assessment in 2012, you must update it

in 2013 for the credit to apply.

Your covered family members can take the health assessment if they are age 18 and

over.

2. Earn a $50 credit when you receive an annual routine physical or well-woman

exam.

Remember, the plan pays 100% for your annual routine physical or well-woman

exam, so it costs you nothing to earn your Health Incentive Credit.

3. Covered family members can also earn these credits. Children under the age of 18

can earn a $100 credit for having a well-child exam.

4. Maximum credit is $100 for an individual, $200 for a family of two and up to $300

for a family of three or more.

As each credit is earned, Aetna will automatically apply it to the next claim’s de-

ductible or coinsurance* for any covered family member. If you are not able to use

the credit during 2013, it will roll over to the next plan year — for up to three years.

AREA NEW SLETTER April 2013 Page 3

YOUR EXCHANGE BENEFITS…

AAFES Retired

Employees Association

The AREA Newsletter is published in

January, April, July and October

Mailing Address:

AREA

P. O Box 380614

Duncanville, TX 75138-0614

President:

Chuck Poffenbarger

[email protected]

Tel: (972) 296-0388

FAX: (972) 692-5176

Membership & Address Changes: Send your NEWSLETTER ADDRESS

and MEMBERSHIP changes to the

Membership Director Pat Weaver.

[email protected]

Tel: (972) 780-9810

Newsletter input: Submit articles for the newsletter to the

editor by e-mail to Newsletter Editor:

Larry E. Phillips

[email protected]

[email protected]

AREA Web address:

www.shopmyexchange.com/community/area


You really can quit smoking!

You can repair the damage If you smoke, you don’t need to hear how bad it is for you. You already know. But maybe

you didn’t know just how fast your health could improve by quitting.

If you quit today …

Your heart would start to recover the very next day

Your risk of heart disease would drop sharply after two years

You’d be less at risk for cancer in your mouth, lung, throat, esophagus, bladder and pancreas

And that’s just some of the health benefits. Count on a brighter smile, bigger savings and more energy, too!

Why it’s hard to quit

It’s nicotine. When you smoke, it spreads powerful, pleasing feelings throughout your body. Plus, the act of smoking becomes a

part of almost everything you do. So when you eat, drive, celebrate, drink coffee or take a break, you feel that pull to smoke.

5 tips to quit

Join a support group: You’ll hear others’ struggles and strategies.

Stay busy: Read a book, tackle a home project or envision your new life.

Avoid triggers: Skip alcohol, social events or work breaks until you’re less tempted.

Pack a snack: Chew gum or eat carrots when you want to smoke.

Stay strong: If you slip up one day, stay positive. And avoid the temptation to keep smoking.

No smoking, not less smoking

You may be thinking: “What if I smoke less and less … until I don’t need to smoke at all?”

It sounds like a good idea. But here’s why it’s not: Studies show that even if you smoke

less, you’d likely inhale deeper. So you’d still get the same amount of nicotine. What about

low-nicotine products? Same story. By inhaling deeper, you can get just as much nicotine

as you would with a regular cigarette! The only way to quit smoking is to quit it completely.

How our health plan helps you with your efforts to quit

Full coverage (no copayments) for a 180-day supply of the following FDA medications that

can ease withdrawal symptoms and help you succeed in quitting:

1. Bupropion SR

2. Nicotine gum

3. Nicotine inhaler

4. Nicotine lozenge

5. Nicotine nasal spray

6. Nicotine patch

7. Varenicline

To take advantage of this benefit, you must get a prescription from your doctor.

Also, your preventive care benefits will continue to cover eight smoking cessation counseling sessions every 12 months. Discuss

the advantages of these counseling sessions with your doctor.

For more information about the smoking cessation program, call Aetna Member Services at 1-800-367-6276. For Aetna Interna-

tional, call 1-888-506-2278.

Get more tips to quit smoking.

Visit the Aetna InteliHealth® at www.intelihealth.com.


Both can help identify signs of diabetes, even before the first

symptoms appear. An eye exam can reveal high blood pressure,

too. So know the facts. You’ll see why visiting a dentist and an

eye doctor is so important.

Heart health and your dental health

There are many theories on how severe gum disease may impact

heart health. Some state:

Bacteria in the mouth may enter the blood stream and attach

to fatty deposits in the blood vessels.

The inflammation from severe gum disease may play a role.

The great news is that treating gum disease may help improve the

function of the blood vessels. This in turn may help heart health.

Diabetes and your dental health

Diabetics are more likely to develop mouth and gum conditions

than non-diabetics. Bad breath or bleeding gums may be the first

signs of a problem. Diabetics may also develop:

Dry mouth, which can increase tooth decay and more

Receding gums, especially if their diabetes is poorly man-

aged

If you have diabetes, get treatment for your gums. Brush and

floss daily. Taking charge of your dental health may help make

your diabetes easier to control.

Your DoD NAF PPO Dental Plan (Aetna) offers 2 free routine

oral exams and cleanings per year! A third cleaning will be cov-

ered for those who qualify due to certain medical conditions such

as diabetes or heart disease.

Heart health and your eyes

High blood pressure and diabetes damage blood vessels through-

out the body. That includes your eyes. Research shows that:

People with eye blood vessel changes caused by high blood

pressure may be two to four times more likely to have a

stroke.

Eye blood vessel changes may signal a higher risk for heart

attacks and heart failure, too.

So see an eye doctor. Eye exams can alert you to changes in

your health and help protect your vision, too.

Diabetes and your eyes

Diabetes is the leading cause of adult blindness. But there are

ways to help keep your eyes healthy:

Keep blood sugar levels and high blood pressure under con-

trol

Quit smoking

See an eye doctor if you notice vision changes, eye pain or

pressure

Get an eye exam at least once a year

Your DoD NAF Health Benefits Plan offers a free annual routine

eye exam (one per calendar year)!

Get into the swing

of spring by living

a healthier lifestyle!

Here are a few suggestions:

Make an appointment for your

routine physical.

Schedule your routine dental exam.

Set up your important health

screenings.

Take an online health assessment.

Set a healthy weight goal.

Eat healthy foods regularly.

Make physical activity a regular

part of your life.

For more ideas and information

visit www.aetna.com; log in;

then check out all the

options you’ll find under

“Health Programs”.


Dental, eye exams can reveal surprising facts about overall health!



Richard and Gisela Fregoe marked their Golden Anniversary on December

29, exactly 50 years after they were married in 1962, with a renewal of

their marriage vows and Pope Benedict XVI and “Elvis” being involved

in the evening’s celebration.

With a number of AAFES friends in attendance, the couple and their

family and friends celebrated their wedding vows renewal mass at Jesus

the Good Shepherd Chapel in Grand Prairie, TX, where the Sisters of

the Holy Family of Nazareth arranged a special surprise: a framed Pa-

pal Blessing. The Papal Blessing was especially meaningful to the

Fregoes since Gisela and Dick’s personal connection to Pope Benedict

XVI goes back to the 1970s. At that time Pope Benedict XVI, then

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was the Archbishop of Munich/Freising.

Dick was assigned to AAFES-Europe Headquarters in Munich. The

Fregoes were confirmation instructors for the Catholic Military

Community and helped to arrange for the Cardinal to come to the Perla-

cher Forest Chapel to confirm their class, which included both Gisela and their daughter, Mich-

ele. Dick recalls that after the confirmation ceremony “we had a private lunch with the Cardinal at the McGraw Caserne Offi-

cer’s Club; just ourselves, our Pastor, Father Marc Menard, and four couples who were also confirmation instructors. We re-

member the Pope as a friendly and saintly man, and it was a very moving experience to be in his presence. So Gisela and Mich-

ele were confirmed by the Pope (to be).”

That’s the connection to the Pope, but what about Elvis? After dinner, the Fregoes’ life story was reviewed by their daughters,

Michele Knapp and Melanie Edmundson, sons-in-law, David Knapp and Gilbert Edmundson and granddaughters, Lily and

Emma. Then came presentations and proclamations by city and state officials. Finally, everyone settled back for an evening of

dancing and entertainment by Elvis—or at least a great Elvis impersonator—Kraig Parker. Kraig is one of the best Elvis inter-

preters in the country (possibly the best) and traces his family roots to Grand Prairie, hometown of the Fregoes.

AREA adds its congratulations to Dick and Gisela as they begin their 51st year of their long and happy marriage.

Fregoe’s 50th Anniversary comes complete

with Papal Blessing and serenades by ‘Elvis’

Gisela and Richard Fregoe pose with the Papal Blessing presented to

them at their 50th wedding anniversary by Sister Beata and the Sis-

ters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in Grand Prairie, TX.

The apostolic blessing by

Pope Benedict XVI reads:

His Holiness Benedict

XVI

cordially imparts the requested

Apostolic Blessing to

Richard John and Gisela Renate Fregoe

on the occasion

of their 50th Wedding anniversary

1962-December 29 - 2012

invoking abundant divine graces through

the intercession of Our Lady.


Sometimes you take an ocean cruise and

have an unpleasant experience. Not the

one that Marcia Moody, AAFES retiree

and New Hampshire State Representa-

tive, took in December. She had an A+

cruise!

Marcia said she had taken the “The Na-

tion” magazine lecture cruise once be-

fore and treated herself to a second time

at sea in December, but she was sur-

prised by what happened one day aboard

ship when she was standing in a line and

struck up a conversation with John

Nichols, Washington correspondent for

The Nation Magazine. The reporter in-

formed Marcia he had nominated her for

his magazine’s “Legislator of the Year”

for her work in the New Hampshire

Legislature.

The next issue of the magazine came

out, and Marcia was one handful of of-

ficeholders (senator, congressman, gov-

ernor and state legislator) plus political

commentators, who were honored. “I

was really flattered and bowled over,”

Marcia recalled.

The magazine recounted Marcia’s intro-

duction to politics in 2004 when she

responded to Howard Dean’s call for

Americans to be involved in politics at

the grassroots level.

Marcia’s political career began as a last-

minute write-in candidate, and, the

magazine said, “She’s been re-elected

ever since as an uncompromising advo-

cate of healthcare reform, environmental

protection and renewable energy.”

The article enumerated her stands on

everything from workers rights to mar-

riage equality to “mounting a tireless

campaign to reveal the influence of the

American Legislative Exchange Council

(ALEC) in corporate-sponsored ’model

legislation’ in New Hampshire and to

challenge fellow legislators allied with

the group.”

The article summed up the award to

Marcia by relating a comment she made

about the beginning of her involvement

in politics: “Howard Dean said that poli-

tics isn’t a spectator sport. If you just

vote, you get a D. What you should do is

devote three hours of your week to work

for your favorite candidate. If you run

for office to get an A.”

The magazine concluded with this short

comment, “Marcia gets an A+.”


Help Us Save Money!

Get the Newsletter online rather than through the mail.

The difference in cost is significant*, and you’ll enjoy these

advantages:

Get the Newsletter first—E-mail is faster than snail-

mail.

The Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format is in color and you can

transfer/save the file as you desire.

*Per copy print cost at $1.42 + mailing at $0.57 = $1.99 cost per copy. Do

yourself and AREA a favor—try the Newsletter via e-mail attachment.

Here’s what one member said: “The e mail edition is superb. Easy to read,

brilliant colors, etc. I can't say enough about it, and would recommend

that anyone with a computer should give it a try. Especially since they can

always convert back to hard copy. I doubt if any would do that.”

Send an e-mail to Pat Weaver, Membership Director, at [email protected]

and state that you would like to get the Newsletter on line and we’ll do the

rest. Give it a try. If you don’t like it, we can always add you back to the snail-

mail list.

Rep. Marcia Moody honored as ’Legislator of the Year’

Last year was momentous for Marcia Moody, right, who was on the campaign trail in New

Hampshire when this photo was taken. She won re-election and was honored by The

Nation Magazine as “Legislator of the Year.”


CHAPTER HAPPENINGS

West Georgia Chapter—The West Georgia Chapter ended the 2012 year by giving love and hope to two

young boys, Phileon, age 5, and Jarvis, age 4, who lost their mother on Oct. 6, 2012 in an acci-

dent. Amber Cherie Salter, their mother, was struck by a car crossing, one of the busier roads in Columbus,

Ga. Amber had been employed at Church's Chicken on Fort Benning for two years. The grandmother,

Anne Salter Johnson, now has custody of the two boys. The Chapter decided to give them some Christmas

help by providing them with clothes, toys and extra cash for the Christmas Holiday. We would like every-

one to say a prayer for these two young boys. Picture is included..

Lastly, we held our annual Christmas lunch and party at the Benning Club on Ft.Benning on Dec. 8.This

was our largest year for members and guests. We had 56 people enjoy the luncheon provided by the club,

and the game of Crazy Christmas lasted almost two hours. All had a great time.

—Elizabeth Baum, President of West Georgia

Grandmother Anne Salter Johnson and

grandsons Phileon and Jarvis

Gary and Diane Roberts Helen Rogers with daughter and

granddaughter

Eva Foster Lynda James, Marilyn

Colson Arlene Moore

Barbara Moring, Mr. Moring and guest,

Lula Hersley

Karen and Al Moseley

Mr and Mrs. Schur

Daisy Lewis, Juanita Payne and guests

Betty Horiuch and Cynthia Pansa

West Georgia shares Christmas spirit

Earnest Page, Fannie Timite, Janie Johnson

and AAFES GM Secretary Pat Jones

Richard Mason, Maureen Dobert and Danielle,

Mrs. Renate Atkinsons granddaughter

Mary Spinella, Dianne Hobbs and Mar-

garet Belcher

Laureen (Lucille Hennigar Sister), Lucille

Hennigar and Fatma Thompson


Spring into action!!!

As our chapters get back into action

after a long winter, activities will pick

up...some of you will go out on the

golf course, at least one will go to the

theater, others will take day trips to

casinos or horse races and most will

go to lunch for your regular meetings.

Whatever your activity or program,

please take along a camera

(preferably digital) and shoot a lot of

photos; download your photos and

select what you want other AREA

members to see. Write the names of

people in the pictures in your email

with details of the meeting and send

everything to this NEW email address:

Northern California Chapter—The chapter’s

Christmas luncheon was held at the Marriott Hotel

in Rancho Cordova on December16. President Jerri

Thomas said “the management and staff at the Mar-

riott provided us with a beautiful room, service and

food—everything was top notch and we had a lovely

luncheon.” Everyone attending received a Christmas

gift. Then the chapter jumped into the new year with

a regular meeting at the Country Waffles restaurant

on January 9.

Thanks to Kenneth Keim for this article and accom-

panying photos. Northern California Chapter members enjoy their Christmas party

Alamo invites golfers to tournament

The chapter's annual golf tournament will be held again at the Canyon

Springs Golf Course beginning at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 8.

This golf tournament is in San Antonio sponsored by the Alamo Chapter

of AREA, but we welcome all golfers--working, retired, AAFES, non

AAFES--come and join us. It is a fun day.

The senior green fees for this great course for non-members is $45.00

plus tax. Green fees includes range balls and electric carts equipped with

GPS. The four men/women scramble format gives everyone the opportu-

nity to be competitive whether or not you're a good golfer. A $10 fee will

be collected to be used as prize money as follows. 1st. Place team gets

50%, 2nd. Place team gets 30%, 3rd. Place team gets 20% and $5.00 will

be awarded for each closest to the pin on each of the par three holes. Ad-

ditional information will be passed out at the course. This beautiful golf

course is located at 24405 Wilderness Oak. The club’s telephone number

is 497-1770.

Tony Trevino, chairman of the tournament said, “Let me hear from you

as soon as possible, but no later than April 15. You can call me at 210-

239-5116 or send me an email at [email protected] and give me

your name and handicaps for you and your guests.”

CHAPTER HAPPENINGS

By Linda Dean

North Texas Chapter

R etirees are an important part of the

AAFES family. We are loyal custom-

ers, and we support and promote the

AAFES community. Yes, it is the working

AAFES associates currently at the helm that

are leading the way, but while they are busy

doing their jobs we retirees are in deep dis-

cussions on how it used to be done and how

it should be done.

I know everyone will sleep well tonight

knowing that the retires are still resolving

all the AAFES issues over a cup of coffee

and at a luncheon. You can imagine how

concerned we were when we found out a

civilian was going to be the next AAFES

leader! How could someone from the out-

side possibly know anything about AAFES

and our business?

Well, the North Texas Chapter of the

AAFES Retired Employee Association was

going to get to the bottom of this. Chapter

President, Richard Sheff, made an appoint-

ment for the NTC-AREA board members to

meet with the new Exchange Director/CEO,

Tom Shull, and COO, Mike Howard. We

know that they are very busy people, but we

were hoping they could give us 5 minutes of

their time.

We were certainly in for a very pleasant

surprise!

First of all we can rest assured that the "new

guy” knows a lot about AAFES and our

business. In fact he had just returned from a

meeting with the military Chief of Staff and

he was promoting AAFES. Mr. Shull was

even able to tell the Chief of Staff about

some of the special services AAFES offers

to his military men and women that the

Chief of Staff didn't know about.

You're probably wondering if that "new

guy" is a quick study. He may very well be

that, but he also grew up as a "military brat"

with his father being in the military. Mr.

Shull graduated from West Point and served

6 years in the Army.

Okay, so the "new guy" can spell AAFES,

but what does he know about our business?

If it has to do with retail business he's been

there and done that! He was Executive Vice

President of the Macy Company responsible

for HR, IT, Business Development, Strate-

gic Planning and Merchandise Distribution.

He was President of a leading NY luxury

retailer. He was CEO and President of a

direct marketing company. He was Chair-

man of one of the nation's leading regional

snack food companies. He was Chief Re-

structuring Officer for a high-end jewelry

retailer, and he was the CEO of a company

that advised retail clients on improving

revenue and profit.

Check, check and double-check.. Mr. Shull

is the genuine article, and he has a lot to

bring to AAFES. We also found him to be a

really nice guy, very approachable, and ex-

cited about serving our military men and

women. We thought we might get 5 minutes

of their time, but they graciously spent more

than an hour with us.

It was so much fun to be in the room with

Mr. Shull and Mr. Howard. Their enthusi-

asm for the company's bright future, the new

ideas and plans was contagious. By the end

of the meeting I think we were all ready to

rush back to our desks and get to work. Oh

that's right, we're retired. Instead of work-

ing we get to enjoy the benefits of our hard

work!

It is such a comfort to know that our be-

loved AAFES is not only in good hands, but

under the leadership of Mr. Shull the com-

pany is going to thrive and improve.


NTC Board members and Exchange leadership met at Exchange headquarters early this year.

Shown from left to right are Kav Kavanaugh, Christine Gehringer, Barbara Caisse, Mike How-

ard, Ruth Watson, Jack Leavitt, Leon Levin, Brenda Morgan, Tom Shull, Dale Linebarger,

Linda Dean, Richard Sheff, Bill McQueen, Jerry Cloud, Bill Eddings. Photo by Victor Morgan.

CHAPTER HAPPENINGS

Roy Robinson & Guest

Jack Leavitt, Karen & Dalton

Murayama, Sue & Rich Sheff

Eleanor Otto and Beth Jones Theater night


CHAPTER HAPPENINGS

Corrine & Bill McQueen

NTC Chapter is popular

for Facebook viewing

Rich Sheff keeps everyone informed about the fre-

quent activities of the North Texas Chapter by posting

photos and every event on the chapter’s Facebook

page. Rich also keeps track of how many people are

looking at what he posts, and here are some of his

findings for Facebook “unique” viewings:

Valentine photos — the number of unique

viewings topped 497

Theater Outing—350 viewings

Irish Festival—200+ viewings

“Everyone like pictures of ol’ AAFES Alumni,” Rich

commented.

The pictures on this page are just a sampling of the

chapter’s outings for Valentine’s, the Fort Worth

Stock Show and the Dallas Irish Festival. If you’d like

to look in on the North Texas Chapter, just log onto

Facebook at North Texas Chapter of AREA. The next

adventure for the chapter is on April 13—a night at

the opera in Cowboys Stadium, which will have a si-

mulcast of the Dallas Opera performance of Turandot

on the massive stadium screens. You’re sure to see

some of Rich’s pictures from the evening on the Face-

book page the following week.

A fun day at the Fort

Worth Stock Show

Leon & Marilyn Levin

Helen & Carm Conti

Barbara & Al

Caisse

Dale Linebarger & Guests

Linda and Roy Dean Nancy and Tom Minton

Sue Sheff & Irish “Priest” Irish Band Rich with Irish Army “Officer”

Louis and Lilian Pack Sally and Jim Kotani

Don & Jeanne Streeter

Richard & Gisela

Fregoe

Jerry & Carlon Cloud Lina & Chuck Poffen-

Jerry & Sandy Johnson Don & Sheila Gibson

Claudie Hargrove

&

Arlington Theater


PO Box 75138 Duncanville, TX. 75138

AREA Community Service Awards – Spring, 2013

The Retired Employees Association recognizes Exchange Retirees and Associates who volunteer their time and devote

other resources, such as personal knowledge and expertise, to help improve the economic, civic and social health of the

communities where they live and work. The Community Service Review Committee, Richard Fregoe, Chairman, and

members Chuck Poffenbarger, Jerry Cloud and Don Streeter reviewed the nominations and, along with the entire AREA

membership, are pleased to recognize these Exchange Retirees and Associates for their commitment to their communi-

ties’ well-being.

All recipients were provided with a Certificate of Appreciation and a recognition letter signed by the program director

and president, AREA. We wish to thank Watt/Spohn Universal, a leading worldwide Exchange Broker, for supporting

the Retired Employees Association through their active involvement in the

Dallas/Fort Worth and Hampton Roads ALA chapters. Watt/Spohn Universal

specializes in representing brand name manufacturers in the Power Zone,

Automotive, Hardware, Housewares, Sporting Goods, Stationary and Consumables categories. They have a long history

of supporting retiree programs. We invite you to visit them at www.wattspohn.com

COMMUNITY AWARD RECIPIENTS, Spring, 2013

Jame Robert Howard, Exchange Retiree, Duncanville, Texas

Jim has volunteered an average of 16 hours a week at the Duncanville Outreach for at least seven years and 4 years at the

AARP Tax Office in the Duncanville Library.

Richard Sheff, Exchange Retiree, North Texas Chapter, Texas

Richard has contributed his time and effort to such projects as the Flower Mound Library Board, The Veteran's Canteen

Service (he worked for them approximately one year "Pro Bono") and the North Texas Chapter of AREA.

Katherine Getgasorn, Ft Richardson Burger King Manager, Alaska

Kathy has always shown community involvement at every base she has worked in Alaska. She began community in-

volvement/partnership with the neighboring schools on base when she arrived in 2005. When working at the Elmendorf

Burger King, she partnered with the elementary schools on that side of our Joint Military Base, and when transferring to

the Ft. Richardson Burger King in 2009, she began a partnership with the elementary schools on this side. The elemen-

tary school children are always so happy to come into the Ft. Richardson Burger King and see their artwork posted.

Steven Murankus, Exchange Associate, Grafenwoehr Exchange, Germany

Steven retired in 2006 from the Army after 21 years of service. He has been volunteering at the Grafenwoehr USO for

the past 6 years. While at the USO he cooks dinner for soldiers every Thursday night and participates as a volunteer in

such USO events such as Back to School, Halloween and Christmas and Super Bowl parties for the soldiers and their

families. During this time he has spent an estimated 315 hours serving his community.

In 2004 Steve joined the local VFW Post 10692, and has served as Adjutant for the organization for the past two years.

During this period he supported the Grafenwoehr community by assisting with care packages sent to deployed soldiers.

He also represented the VFW at memorial services for soldiers killed in action. He assisted in welcome home events for

soldiers returning from down range. Steve’s VFW post also supports a local orphanage by collecting and donating

clothing. He overseas funds that are donated annually to the orphanage while assisting in BBQ’s and parties at Christ-

mas. In the past 6 years Steve has demonstrated a great capacity in sharing his personal time, knowledge and expertise by

volunteering with two organizations that truly give back to the Grafenwoehr community, both military and civilian.


Janet Cerny, Exchange Associate, ICA, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma Janet has been a member of the Epsilon Theta Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority since 2000. It is a Social and Cul-tural non-academic sorority in every state of US, Canada and 30 foreign countries. Every month the Chapter volunteers at the YMCA Welcome Center at the Will Roger’s World Airport to welcome the military men and women and their families and thank them for their service to our country. Throughout the year they donate to the YWCA Women’s Shelter, Youth Services of OKC, Infant Crisis Center, Ally’s House, Senior Care and local schools. They also partici-pate in the annual Relay of Life to raise money for Cancer Research. Her husband, Joe Cerny, is a breast cancer survi-vor and many of her family members are affected by this terrible disease, so for several years they have walked in the local “Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.” She and her husband also volunteer at the Food Bank of Oklahoma and donate food for the homeless Karen Ringrose, Exchange Associate at Kleber MCSS, Germany Karen is an active member of the Rheinland Quilters Guild. The Guild spends many hours making and collecting quilts for the wounded warriors at Landstuhl Hospital. She is extremely active in the guild and spends much time and effort making sure our guys and gals are taken care of not just at the hospital, but also here at our store Chief Anthony (Tony) Pearson (USAF), HQ, Exchange, Dallas, Texas Chief Pearson is an avid volunteer for several functions. I have known him to volunteer for Snowball Express, Habitat for Humanity and North Texas Food Bank along with countless other projects in just this past year. Chief Pearson has motivated so many individuals to volunteer their personal time to commit to helping the community and has truly given me more incentive to get involved. I have even included my family. I asked him one day, don’t you ever get tired, and his response was, “No, I like to do good things for people”. He spends a lot of his personal time helping others and I just wanted to share this story with you. Chief Pearson deserves a huge pat on the back for his outstanding service. Sub-mitted by Karen Seigh (GC-G&C) Julia Carr, Sr Store Associate, Main Store, Vanbenberg AFB, California Julia volunteers in Santa Barbara and Lompoc, CA. where she helps gather information and distribute supplies to the homeless. Deborah Sanders, ICA Associate, Shaw AFB Main Store, South Carolina Debbie felt and saw the need in the community to stand and walk with others. She became a warrior in the battle so many unfortunately have to fight – the cancer battle. Through her organizational skills and ability to lead, Debbie en-couraged a small group at first to join Relay for Life in Sumter S.C. Her desire was that we all would have fun as we worked to fund the fight for a cure and to somehow aid those who are in the struggle of a lifetime. First year --the group won title “Most Team Spirit”—third year--- a group picture accompanied the reported news story in the local newspaper. Thanks to her hard work and efforts the group continues to grow with participation and funds donated in the fight against cancer. Lindsay Brown, Exchange Associate at Popeye’s Chicken, Ft. Campbell, Kentucky Lindsay is being nominated for her devotion to spend several hours volunteering at local Girl Scout Camps last sum-mer. She routinely donates blood to the Red Cross. Since the sixth grade, Lindsay has donated gifts to the Angel Tree program. She volunteers at several events for her local church’s youth program. She has also volunteered countless hours through her school’s National Honor Society. She serves as President of her Associated Student Government pro-gram through which she has given hours to the community and community business leaders. She is also the co-leader for her school’s Student Ambassador Program in which she helps new students get familiar with her school and sur-roundings. She has contributed over 126 hours to her community. Angelina Cobos, Exchange Associate Supervisor at Bliss Van Horne Express, Texas Angelina is actively involved in the community school system and participated in numerous activities over the past years and currently where she has been recognized for her good deeds, receiving a total of 33 awards. She is always willing to lend a helping hand and enjoys working with people.


Sandra Farmer, Exchange Associate, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Sandra has put her time and effort into cancer awareness for the past four years. She has given approximately $3,000.00

a year for the past four years for a total of over $12,000.00 to Susan G. Komen Cancer Awareness and the American

Cancer Society. She especially has a heart for breast cancer awareness because she herself is a two time breast cancer

survivor. She has been recognized and nominated for the Lamplighter Award but did not win. She also received a letter

signed by President Obama recognizing her efforts.

Betty Raye Willians, AREA - Augusta Chapter, Georgia

AREA- Augusta Chapter is proud to nominate Betty Raye Williams as our Bi-Annual Volunteer. Betty retired from

AAFES in 1999 with 25 working years. Upon retirement, she had accumulated so many sick leave hours she was actu-

ally credited with another year of service, and thus retired with 26 years of service.

Betty started working for AAFES in El Paso, Texas as a cashier and continued working as a cashier after moving to

Fort Gordon, Georgia. She was then transferred to the shoe department where she stayed until retirement. After 1 year

of retirement, she decided to come back to work part-time for AAFES as an Early Morning Stocker. Management rec-

ognizes what a gem they have in Betty and she is often used to substitute for people who are out sick or on vacation.

Betty's can-do attitude and versatility make her a continued asset to the AAFES family.

Betty volunteers at the Broadway Baptist Church as a switchboard operator and at the C. T. Walker Magnet school

where her great-grandchildren now attend. With her husband of 54 years, J.D., she also helps elderly church members

and friends in mowing the lawn, trimming up bushes and taking care of their yards.

Betty and J.D. have four children, five grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. They are currently taking care of two

of their great-grandchildren full time. Before health became an issue, J.D. volunteered extensively at the Veterans Ad-

ministration.

In her spare time, Betty takes trips with the Corner Stone Ministry. Last year, she went to Birmingham, Alabama and

visited the Martin Luther King Museum and other historical sites. She is really looking forward to her New York trip

this year, where she is planning on "doing-up-the-town".

Betty is an amazing bundle of joyous energy. She likes to remind the younger folks she works with that “AAFES is not

a bad place to work. You have to put yourself into your job, to get the most out of it. AAFES helped us put all our

children through college. The nice thing is that the store closes early (9 p.m.), so you can be at home at night with your

kids and have a life, which is different than working at other retail stores."

Arlene Moore, AREA – West Georgia Chapter

Arlene is a member of the Epworth United Methodist Church in Smiths, Alabama. She always volunteers to prepare

meals, especially her famous desserts for visiting soldiers from Fort Benning to college kids who come down for Spring

break to help with Homes for Habitat. She does the bible school classes in summer, and always when church has a spe-

cial meal day like Food Fest in June, Halloween and Christmas. Her menu for these events includes 5-gallons of home-

made chili, 400 Congo bars (cookies), pumpkin rolls, Oreo cookie cake and red velvet cake. To do this food service

twice a month for eleven years makes her a very special person. Arlene does this with love in her heart and truly enjoys

doing so.

AREA ...JUST FOR YOU


IN REMEMBRANCE Abraham F. Gruspe, 74, died Oct. 12 in Salinas, Calif. The Vandenberg AFB Food Court Manager retired in

1993.

Zoltan Steiner, 90, died Nov. 21 in Las Vegas, Nev. The Exchange associate retired in 1975.

Mary C. Zimmerman, 86, died Oct. 25 in Columbus, Ga. The Fort Benning Retail Manager retired in 1985.

SCHOLARSHIP DONATIONS

DONORS IN MEMORY OF

Sam Lankford Frederick Richards $50.00

Robert Pardue Patricia Cedeno $100.00

Robert Pardue Albert Ferguson $100.00

Tim Brogan Helen Ige $100.00

Richard Fregoe Dick Rabb $100.00

Larry Grewelle William Arndt $50.00

Southeastern Chapter Dom Prudente & Joyce Fleming And a new yearly donation for this

Chapter

$890.00

Lily McMahan Helen Ige $200.00

Scholarship program’s final total from

Townsend Estate exceeds $178,000 Six years ago, the AREA Scholarship program re-

ceived a true gift, the first check from the Estate of

AAFES retiree Andy Townsend and his wife Marga-

ret (Maggie) Townsend. That year AREA received

$106,700 from the Townsend Estate, and the executor

wrote that “there will be contributions forthcoming as

the estate is liquidated.”

Over the years, more checks arrived, until late 2012

when the final payment of $4,800 arrived.

The total amount bequeathed to AREA Scholarships

from the Townsends is: $178,711.90.

“What this means, is that the generosity of Andy and

Margaret Townsend has substantially grown our

Scholarship Program and will help sustain our ability

to provide scholarships to deserving students for

many years to come,” Chuck Poffenbarger, AREA

President, said. “We truly appreciate their contribu-

tion to the scholarship program.”


USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

The following telephone numbers are provided as a convenience to members wishing to contact certain HQ AAFES offices and the AAFES Federal Credit Union.

HQ SWITCHBOARD

(214) 312-2011

FOR RETIREMENT and GROUP INSURANCE BENEFITS: HQ. AAFES BENEFIT BRANCH REPRESENTATIVES (800) 519-3381

GENERAL COUNSEL:

COLONEL ERIC E. WEISS, USAF (214) 312-3126

EXCHANGE POST: BARBARA KIRSCH (214) 312 3831

SALES TABLOIDS: DEBBIE BYERLY (800) 733-5142

ID CARD, PRIVILEGES HR-L/H Servicing Personnel Office (214) 312-3330

ID Cards issued Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 7:30-10 a.m.

DOD VEHICLE STICKERS:

DOD stickers are issued in AD from 7:30-11 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

AAFES FEDERAL CREDIT UNION: TOLL FREE SERVICE NORTH AMERICA (800) 452-7333

UNITED KINGDOM 0800-89-7490 GERMANY 0130-81-1187

FOR OTHERS NOT LISTED: PAT WEAVER (972) 780-9810

For other information, check out the AAFES website at: http://www.shopmyexchange.com and the AREA website http://www.shopmyexchange.com/community/area


AREA SCHOLARSHIP FUND DONATION FORM

To: AREA P.O. Box 380614 Duncanville, TX 75318-0614

From: Telephone

This donation is (check one box below)

In Honor of (Name)

In Memory Of (Name)

An Annual Pledge*

Other

Send Card to:

NAME

ADDRESS

ADDRESS

CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE

TELEPHONE

Amount of donation (check enclosed)

$

* I wish to pledge $_________________ each year to the AREA Scholarship Fund. My donation for the current year is enclosed.

Your donation will be acknowledged to both the donor and to the recipient or the survivor. All donations are income tax deductible.

DONOR NAME (Printed) SIGNATURE

COMMENTS:

Enclosure # 6-1

75138-0614

In honor of: ____________________________________

In honor of: ____________________________________

In honor of: ____________________________________

In memory of: __________________________________

In memory of: __________________________________

In memory of: __________________________________

* *

*IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE PERSON TO LIST, USE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW

*

*

*

*


Email Changes


AREA Constitutional Amendment (June 1, 2009)

ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENTS: This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members voting. The Newsletter

will be used to provide ballots to each member. The AREA Executive Board on its motion, or upon written request by at least five

members in good standing, shall propose amendments.

Executive Board Meeting: Feb 21, 2013 following the Regular Meeting, same date.

Current Constitution paragraph: Section 1: The Officers of the Association shall consist of four persons: President; President-

Elect, Treasurer, and Secretary. These officers shall perform the duties herein specified; those specified by the bylaws, and

such other duties as are usually incident to their office. A term of office will be for two years beginning June 1st in odd-

numbered years. The President-Elect shall succeed to the office of the presidency at the end of the President’s term and

whenever the President vacates the office for whatever reason. Officers of the Association shall be elected to their positions

by the general membership in accordance with Section 4.

Current Section 4: A Nominating Committee of 3 members of AREA should be appointed by the President by 15 January in

odd-numbered years to develop and submit the names of all persons it nominates for Officers of the Association (with the

prior consent of each nominee) to the President. Nominations may be made for one or more persons to each elected office.

The April Newsletter will be used to provide ballots to the membership with the nominees’ names for each office and will be

voted on by returning the marked ballots to the Secretary of AREA by mid-May. The persons receiving the highest number

of votes will be declared by the President as elected for terms concurrent with the president’s term of office.

Current Section 7: Members elected to offices of President and President-Elect may not serve for more than two consecutive

full terms plus the unexpired term to which they may have been appointed by the Executive Board. In the absence of a Presi-

dent-Elect incumbent, the President may serve additional terms.

Constitution Revisions

Section 1: The Officers of the Association shall consist of four persons: President; President-Elect Vice-President, Treasurer,

and Secretary. These officers shall perform the duties herein specified; those specified by the bylaws, and such other duties

as are usually incident to their office. A term of office will be for two years beginning June 1st in odd-numbered years. The

President-Elects Vice-President shall succeed to the office of the presidency at the end of the President’s term and whenever

the President vacates the office for whatever reason. Officers of the Association shall be elected to their positions by the gen-

eral membership in accordance with Section 4.

Section 4 is unchanged.

Section 7: Members elected to offices of President and President-Elect Vice-President may not serve for more than two con-

secutive full terms plus the unexpired term to which they may have been appointed by the Executive Board. In the absence of

a President-Elect incumbent, the President may serve additional terms.

General: Wherever the position of AREA and/or Officers of the Association President-Elect appears, revise the title to Vice-

President.

Discussion: The current requirement that the President-Elect shall succeed to the office of the presidency at the end of the President’s

terms has proven to be unworkable and has resulted in the vacancy of the President-Elect’s for many years. We have been unable to

get anyone to serve in the position because of the requirement. The proposed revision is proposed with the goal of attracting mem-

bers to serve in this position on the Board. This revision also changes the President- Elect’s title to Vice-President.

www.shopmyexchange.com/Community/AREA/

“Quick and easy access to a wealth of information”

SEE PAGE 20 TO CAST YOUR BALLOT

AREA Constitutional Amendment change revising

title of President-Elect to Vice-President



P.O. Box 380614

Duncanville, TX 75138-0614

Vote for AREA Officers and

Constitutional Amendment

CONSTITUTION REVISION Yes No

Amend the constitution

to change the position

title from President-Elect

to Vice-President and

remove the requirement

to succeed the outgoing

President of AREA

AAFES Retired Employees Association P.O. Box 380614 Duncanville, TX 75138-0614

Return by Mail by May 15, 2013 to:

President

Chuck Poffenbarger

Write in ______________________

*President Elect /Vice President

Vacant (seeking a candidate)

Write in ______________________

Treasurer

Terry Corley

Write in ______________________

Secretary

Don Smith

Write in ______________________

*Pending passage of constitution revision

Documents

AAFES Retired Employees Association Newsletter · Page 2 April 2013 AREA NEWSLETTER Welcome to the April, 2013 edition of AREA’s Newsletter, and the first month of Spring. -----