April 16-18

Schreiner Springtime

in Oklahoma City

Our chapter will gather in Oklahoma City, April 16-18. We will be staying at the Hilton Garden Inn, at 328 East Sheridan, OKC 73104 in Bricktown. Reservation phone: 405-270-0588

Make your reservations by March 22. This date is coming up fast.

We will start at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The hotel room is $115 per night plus tax, and $20 for parking. Breakfast is included in the hotel price.

Our plans include a baseball game on Tuesday evening at the OKC AAA Baseball Club, AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bricktown Stadium is within walking distance of the hotel. This should be exciting and fun.

We will meet with OKC YMCA program staff and leadership for a lunch and tour of their facility, a tour of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum in the afternoon, dinner at the Spaghetti Factory, and a business meeting on Thursday with a presentation from the YMCA Retirement Fund and, of course our fun-filled “Belt - Buckle Auction” supporting YMCA Alumni service projects. We will adjourn at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Registration fee is only $50. There will be no charge for members coming to our gathering for the first time. Please note this on your registration form. Other financial aid is available upon request.

Register by clicking the button below, printing the form and mailing to Treasurer Jim Heiman. Make plans now to come. Call the hotel to make your room reservations and tell them you are with the YMCA Alumni group. See you in OKC.

CLICK TO REGISTER

Founded 1972

Sam Schreiner Chapter

Serving Texas; Oklahoma; SE New Mexico; S. Arkansas;

W. Louisiana

March 2024

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Connect. Travel. Serve.

President Pam's Ponderings

Hello Craig,

Thank you to the Sam Schreiner Chapter for electing me their chapter president (I think). I do hope to serve the chapter well during my two-year term.

During my YMCA career as a Program Director, leading the YMCA Indian Guides program, the participants gave me the “Indian name” of “Guiding Star.” I hope to continue to guide the chapter with the help of the membership and past leadership. We can have a productive and rewarding experience with fun, fellowship, service and travel together.

Sharon Sawallisch, a newer member, has agreed to serve as our newsletter editor. She will need your help with publishing pictures of gatherings, and chapter news. Thank you, Sharon. Genie Mysorski has agreed to help with Hospitality and Karen Anderson has agreed to serve as our chapter’s chaplain. Chuck Dandridge has been serving as our chapter’s membership chair, but he would like to have some fresh ideas in this capacity. We also need a new representative to the International Service Corp. Tom Hansis would be willing to serve here, but his health does not always allow him to participate. Any volunteers?

I also want to thank our previous officers and recent past presidents for their leadership and guidance, including Terry Seth, Immediate Past-President, Patrick Murphy, Jean Carmichael, Lou Cumings, and Durwood Owens.

They all gave of themselves and provided leadership to this chapter. We all enjoyed the gatherings and fellowship. I have made new friends, reconnected with old friends, and visited fun places while being a member of YMCA Alumni.

I want to encourage members to reach out to others in their area with emails, phone calls, or visits. This will help our chapter grow when it comes to forming friendship bonds that attract us to our gatherings. I will send a current roster in a separate email so that you can make these contacts.

I know we will have a productive two years as we “Connect, Travel and Serve" together. I look forward to the "48 Hours in May" training in St Louis for all new chapter presidents.

My best wishes to all

Pam

Pam Power, Sam Schreiner Chapter President

CLICK TO REGISTER

Our Schreiner Chapter reports a healthy balance as of January 31, 2024, of $7,069.43. This includes scholarship donation from the Cumings’ to support new members attending our gatherings. Part of our expenses includes a $1,639 donation split between the YMCA Alumni National Service Project and World Service.

Our chapter has been asked by National YMCA Alumni President Phill Morgan to consider a gift to help with furnishing the four tiny homes with appliances or furniture in Dupree,S.D. as part of our National Service Project. This matter will be discussed at the upcoming General Meeting at our gathering in Oklahoma.

--Jim Heiman, Treasurer

Global service opportunites offered by International Service Corps

The International Service Corp (ISC) is a program of YMCA Alumni to involve volunteers from our membership in international opportunities to make a difference around the world.

Bob Martin of the Willis Chapter is the new chair of this group. Perhaps you saw in the February issue of The CONNECTION newsletter that one of our volunteers, Jonathan Vance, a member of the Weatherford Chapter from North Carolina, had an overseas experience in Albania at the Tirana YMCA for a nine day experience last fall. Jonathan traveled to Albania supported by ISC. This experience is developing into a partnership with the YMCA in Albania and our YMCA Alumni.

Soon, ISC will offer exciting opportunities in Mexico, working with migrant youth, helping with shelter, diet, clothing and medical assistance. This will be September and October. The partnership is being developed with the San Diego YMCA.

Coming up will be information on how our members of Sam Schreiner can be involved with ISC. Patrick Murphy served as a volunteer with ISC several years ago to Russia. Meanwhile, click the button below for details about ISC.

ISC INFORMATION

Congratulations Carmelita Gallo

Carm Gallo, a member of Sam Schreiner Chapter and Vice President/West of our national board, has been named YMCA Retirees liaison to the YMCA Retirement Fund Board of Trustees.

YMCA Alumni Reunion-at-Sea

January 26-February 2, 2025. Join us.

Our seven-night cruise will depart from the brand new Royal Caribbean port in Galveston, Texas and includes relaxing days at sea and delightful port stops in Roatan, Honduras; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.

Our West Region of YMCA Alumni is serving as hosts with our own Carmelita Gallo as the Chair of the Planning Committee. It would be great to have a good number of our chapter members on this cruise to share in the good times, parties and shipboard special events on one of the most famous ships at sea.

The Schreiner Chapter has been asked to serve as the Hospitality Committee on this cruise. Carmelita Gallo is the Reunion Chair in her role as Vice President/West of YMCA Alumni. We need to support her and it’s a great way to show some Texas hospitality in early 2025 to all the YMCA Alumni participants. Click the button below for details and to register.

Reunion Details

The Greater Ozark YMCA Alumni Chapter has invited us to attend their gathering in Bentonville, Arkansas, home of WalMart, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art on April 23-25, 2024. The gathering will be held at the Holiday Inn Express in Bentonville, AR. Anyone interested in going should call Pam Power at (210) 602-6376 for more details.