Connect. Travel. Serve.

Our Spring gathering in Fredericksburg, Texas; Top row: Pam Power, Carmelita Gallo and Genie Mysorski; a tour of the Pacific Wartime Museum. Bottom row: Dinner and fellowship at a German Biergarten; Ellen Schaefer enjoying the wildflowers in bloom.

Founded 1972

Sam Schreiner Chapter

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

W. Louisiana

June 2023

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Hello Craig,

I hope everyone is enjoying 2023, the hot days of summer are almost here.

We had a great time at the Spring Gathering in Fredericksburg with members of our YMCA Alumni chapter. Everyone enjoyed the wildflowers, the tour of the Pacific War Museum and the wonderful dinners together. Great fun was had at the impromptu social get togethers around the firepit after dinner.

However; the most important part was seeing everyone and talking to friends and meeting new friends. Reconnecting with fellow YMCA Alumni members is what our gatherings are all about.

Our Fall Gathering will be in Bandera, Texas the week of Oct. 2. The final dates will be set once we get hotels and activities determined. Please put that week on your calendars and come enjoy the good times with fellow YMCA Alumni.

Please check out the newsletter for an update on the National Service Project from Carmelita Gallo, and our chapter finances from Jim Heiman. I am really proud of our chapter members for their donations to this project and you can still volunteer for one of the work waves this year.

Take care and God Bless

Terry Seth

Sam Schreiner YMCA Alumni Chapter President

National Service Project:

$741,000 raised; work begins in Dupree

By Carmelita Gallo

Hopefully you have all seen the progress we have made with our National Service Project in The CONNECTION newsletter from National YMCA Alumni. Volunteers are already in Dupree, S.D. on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation as you read this to begin working on homes 2,3, and 4 and will be attaching the siding and windows for Tiny Home #1.

George Painter, the project manager and chair of "Boots on the Ground” Committee, reports there are still spaces available for YMCA volunteers for this Spring and Fall weeks.

The Fund Raising Committee met on a regular basis during January-March 2023. We have raised $741,520 to date from our YMCA family and friends. That is the total for 2022 and 2023 combined. The 2023 Campaign raised $161,058 which is 64.4 percent of our goal. That is a wonderful job.

Kudos to everyone that worked on the campaign, as well as members who have contributed to this worthwhile project. As of now, no corporate or foundations have been asked to contribute. We are hoping the last $100,000 will be able to be received from those sources.

During our Spring Gathering in Fredericksburg, the Sam Schreiner Chapter raised $1,821 for the project with our ”Belt Buckle” and Silent Auctions.

(Photo: First "wave" of volunteers for 2023 unload Structured Insulated Panels --SIPs-- ahead of beginning work on the next three homes.)

Visit Service Project

Andy Teal

Feb. 12, 1939-April 17, 2023

Andy Teal was a very active member of the Sam Schreiner Chapter of YMCA Alumni. Andy and his wife Diane resided in Rowlett, Texas. He received his bachelor’s degree from Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana and his master’s degree in 1962 from George Williams College.

He had a 38-year career with the YMCA that enabled him to touch the lives of many in his community. He served YMCAs in Dallas and Beaumont, Texas and Huntsville, Alabama. He retired from the YMCA in 2000.

Our legendary Belt Buckle fundraising campaign can be attributed to Andy Teal. Andy had a knack for storytelling, and after Andy bought the belt buckle in an auction for $100, he returned the next year with a big yarn that he had learned the artifact was a gift to Wild Bill Hickok Family Museum and was a gift from Annie Oakley.

How the belt buckle fell into the hands of a Sam Schreiner Chapter member remains a mystery, but after some research and a trip to Deadwood, S.D., and Andy’s desire to embellish the story, some of the original facts of the story have been changed.Nevertheless, the “Belt Buckle" continues to be a source of raising funds within our chapter for World Service and now for our National Service Project. It has raised well over $8,000 over the past 19 or 20 years. Thank you, Andy, for this tradition.

We will miss Andy in our chapter meetings. His wit and humor made us all smile. He also said, “Never miss an opportunity to say a prayer,” and he rarely did. His prayers just flowed naturally from his heart.

Our heartfelt sympathies are extended to his loving wife Diane of 51 years, and his entire family, children Pam and Mike and grandchildren. Funeral services were held for Andy on April 25 in Rowlett, TX, and interment in Heiberger, AL.

Cowboy Up: We're headed to

Bandera, Texas in October

Plans are being made now to gather our chapter in Bandera, TX the week of Oct. 2, 2023. Mark your calendars now. Details are not yet complete, but Kathleen Owens and Pam Power are working on those plans. Guaranteed to be some fun in the “Texas Cowboy Capital.” There will be barbeque, country western music, perhaps horse back riding, and maybe even some museum visits or a hayride.

Spring? What's that? Patrick and Janet Murphy went looking for a bit of springtime at the YMCA of the Rockies in Colorado (left) and in Santa Fe, NM (right). Good trip; no spring.