President's Letter
“The Coming ‘Holiday Time”
November opens the annual joyous “Holiday Time”—Thanksgiving in November and Christmas in December.
AARP Chapter 5239 will finalize its participation in National AARP’s “Keep Social Security Strong” program during the second week of November. This is a drive to collect signatures decrying the idea by some Congressional members to cut Social Security in order to reduce the Federal deficit.
If this makes your blood boil—especially after the recent announcement that no Cost of Living increase will be given Social Security beneficiaries for the second year in a row—you should sign our Chapter’s signature list. We must return our signatures by November 10, so they will NOT be available at our Monday, November 15, monthly meeting.
You must contact Chapter Secretary Pam Nalls (972-5253 or email pnalls@Verizon.net ) to work out how best to quickly sign our list.
In other news, we want to give a sincere “Thank You!” tip of the hat to George Webb, who stepped forward at the October meeting to volunteer to take over from Joe Davidson as “Transport Custodian” of the Chapter’s large projection screen. Joe handled these duties for the past four years or more and also earns our hearty “Thank You!” for his past service.
Finally, two friends who hadn’t seen each other for some months, were chatting over coffee. One said, “this morning, I waded across a raging river, escaped from bears in the woods, marched up and down a mountain, stood in a patch of poison ivy, crawled out of quicksand, and climbed up an enormous tree!”
“Wow!” said the impressed friend, “you must be a great outdoorsman.”
“No, I’m just a lousy golfer.”
Dick Martin, President
Dr. Peter Rainey, to Speak About Early LOW History
by Carolyn Wray,
Dr. Peter G. “Pete” Rainey will be the guest speaker at the November 15 AARP, Chapter 5239 meeting in the Clubhouse. A Lake of the Woods resident, Mr. Rainey spent two sea tours on U.S Navy destroyers and a 20-year career as an Engineer Duty Officer. He has now written and published Germanna Road, it is a three-hundred year history of Eastern Orange County.
He became interested in his Virginia roots when the Navy assigned him to Arlington in 1974. He is a self-taught amateur historian of Virginia History. After he moved to Lake of the Woods, his neighbors, one a retired college professor of history, started researching why anyone would want to start a recreational community in the Wilderness. His program will review the first 20 years at LOW. Oral history has been collected from early members and staff. The memories of those no longer living here have been recorded in club newsletters and association files. This should be a most interesting presentation whether you are a newcomer to Lake of the Woods or a long time resident. Dr. Rainey will bring a copy of his book Germanna Road for the silent auction.
The meeting will begin with sweets and coffee at 9:30 AM with program at 10 AM. We encourage you to come and bring a friend.
Election of 2011 Officers and Directors
The elections of the 2011 Officers and Directors will be held during the November 22 meeting the following are the nominees:
President: Richard Martin—Incumbent
Vice President: Richard Bradie—Incumbent
Secretary: Pan Nalls—Incumbent
Treasurer: Richard Durphy—Incumbent
Directors:
Pierre Payett—Incumbent 3rd term
Roxanne Kessler—Incumbent 2nd term
Katherine Causby—1st term
Lucille Churchill—1st term
Bob Johnson—1st term
SUNSHINE REPORT
George Lenwell and Ruth Hood - Thinking of You. Ralph Scheuerman, Dick Bradie, Marion Jacobeen and Hank Lewis - Get Well. Ruth Lenwell - Sympathy
If you know of a member who needs cheering up, contact Carolyn Durphy at 972-3306.
NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS
(Scorpio and Sagittarius)
Ellie Baughman, Dante Binotto
Dick Bradie, Ellie Brown
Tony Brown, Laurel Buongiovanni
Marilyn Buttimer, Joe Davidson
Carol Dionne, Daniel Ferguson
Ruth Fraser, William Grogan
Mary Hudak, Don Larsen
Helen Markart, Richard Martin
Mary Nolan, Joe Sauro
Ed Scoon, Ken Tilliman
Ann Walker, Laurie Wares
Carla Wascalus, Karen Woods
NEW MEMBERS
Welcome to new members:
Daniel and Coralaine Ferguson
Hong Ha Nguyen
NOTES, BITS AND PIECES
If you shop at Office Depot and do not use a Worklife Rewards Card, please give your receipt or a copy to Ruth Hood, Jim Moore or Carla Wascalus and they will enter the appropriate information (no personal information) in our account. We earn cash back which we use towards the printing of this newsletter.
TRIAD News
RAD Class by Dick Bradie
R.A.D. Seniors is a unique safety program for senior men and women who want to take charge of their lives. There are many dangers out there that target seniors, and R.A.D. is designed to give seniors confidence and skills to face everyday challenges.
R.A.D. is not physical ed or self defense and it’s not boring lectures. However , after the classes, seniors feel better physically and mentally because it teaches seniors about real life situations, such as frauds, scams, home invasion, physical attacks, out and about safety and many other issues. Physical defense is taught based on seniors’ balance and lack of mobility.
Classes are free and the Instructor is certified and sponsored by the Sheriff’s Department and TRIAD.
Each “class” consists of seven (7) sessions on Thursdays from 7:00 PM to 8:45 PM. Only 5 seniors to a class, and couples are encouraged. We have already had 1 “class”, and there is one ongoing right now. A third “class” is already full for the new year. Sign up now for the spring sessions: all sessions are held in LOW. We don’t want to miss this opportunity to protect our seniors. Call Dick/Kathleen Bradie at 308-5507 for more info and to sign up.
Monthly Silent Auction
We are accepting any donations that you may have for the auction on November 15th, especially holiday items, or items that are suitable for holiday gift-giving.
Please remember to donate your new and gently-used, clean items in good shape,and no missing parts: Call Patti at 972-1370, Ann at 972-3326, or Joyce at 972-4176 for pickup, or bring your donations to the meeting.
Thanks to your generous donations, the October auction earned $177.00 toward our charity donations. We will not have a silent auction in December.
Legislative News
by Pat Berry
By the time you read this copy of “Perspectives” the voting will be over and candidates will be packing their signs and closing down their election operations. However, casting your vote for a particular candidate shouldn’t be the end of your civic participation. The first step to being involved is obviously to keep informed. The second step is to let your opinion be known. The State of Virginia has made it easier for you to share that opinion with our representatives in the General Assembly in Richmond by providing a link on their website: http://legis.virginia.gov/. Once you are there, you can choose the link to “Who’s My Legislator” for information on how to identify the proper representative. Who's My Legislator also gives you the ability to email your Delegate or Senator as well as contact information for your representatives in the US House of Representatives and US Senate. In addition, a biographical page on each delegate and senator is available from the General Assembly's homepage. With a few simple clicks of the mouse, you can contact your representative about a particular issue before the Legislature takes action on it. The 2011 Regular Session of the Virginia General Assemble will convene on Wednesday, January 12, 2011. Why not become an active participant in the legislative process?
Medical News
by Sandie Frame
Another set of exercises for men and women to strengthen and tone your upper arm triceps.
1. Overhead triceps extension: Sit in a chair with a pillow or rolled towel behind your lower back. Start with a light weight (a two pound dumbbell or a 28 oz. can of food) and hold with both hands. Raise your hands over your head and keeping your upper arms close to your head bend your elbows and lower your hands down behind your head. Slowly raise your arms back up over your head towards the ceiling. Hold for two seconds. Work up to 3 sets of ten done three times a week on non-consecutive days. Gradually increase the weights also. You can use change in a sock, closing off the end with a safety pin or rubber band, as a substitute for a weight. Use lots of change to make it heavier and heavier over time.
2. Triceps dumbbell kickback: This is done best with a real dumbbell but the sock with coins can work too. Kneel on a bed or bench (or two non armed dining room chairs placed side by side to form a bench. Place you left leg on the back of the bench, left arm towards the front so you are leaning over part way. Do not lock your standing leg, relax. Take a two to three pound weight in your right hand. Bend your elbow 90 degrees and hold close to your side. Now straighten that arm backwards. Hold for one or two seconds and return to the starting position. The goal is 3 sets of ten three times a week on non-consecutive days.
If this is too confusing I will have pictures at the Health Table for our next meeting.
Highlights of the October 18, 2010
Meeting by Pam Nalls
-Dick Martin urged all to sign petitions supporting the National AARP Chapter’s Challenge to KEEP SOCIAL SECURITY STRONG. The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, which was appointed by President Obama, will provide recommendations by December 1st for reducing the Federal deficit. Everything is on the table including Social Security. Petitions supporting no reduction in social security benefits have been provided at our past two meetings. Visit www.aarp.org/stregthensocialsecurity for more information.
-Carla Wascalus presented the Nominating Committee’s list of candidates to fill three openings on the Board of Directors for 2011. The nominees are: Katherine Causby, Bob Johnson and Lucy Churchill. Voting for the three Director positions will occur at the November meeting with installation to occur at our December meeting.
