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PAM POWER
PRESIDENT'S PONDERINGS
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Greetings, Sam Schreiner members.
I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season and was able to gather with family and friends to celebrate Christmas. God is indeed good.
This will be my final letter to members in the newsletter, as I have completed my two-year term as president of the Schreiner chapter.
It has been my pleasure to serve in this capacity, and I appreciate all the help I have received. I will now serve as vice president, and my primary responsibility will be to help organize our chapter gatherings. Any ideas in that regard are more than welcome (things to do while we are together, places to visit, and ideas for social events). Thank you for your continued support. Unfortunately, the coveted title of “past-president” will have to wait for me.
At our last gathering in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, 17 of us enjoyed our 3 days there, thanks to Terry and Bitsy Seth, and Patrick and Jan Murphy. They were excellent hosts.
New officers elected at Cloudcroft Gathering:
President: Jim Heiman
Vice President: Pam Power
Secretary: Kathleen Vincent
Treasurer: Tom Parker
We welcome these individuals to their leadership roles, and I am confident we will all give them the support they need to help the Schreiner Chapter grow and remain a relevant group to be part of in our retirement years, as we Connect, Travel and Serve.
The next Sam Schreiner meeting is April 14-16. Mark your calendars and call in your room reservation.
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First, I want to thank Pam for the terrific job she did over the last two years as our president, and to all the officers who supported her during her term.
As the incoming president of the Sam Schreiner Chapter, I am both honored and humbled to accept this office. I am excited about what the next two years will hold and am proud of those who have agreed to take leadership roles.
As we look forward to a new year, I hope that you will join us at our chapter’s gatherings and events. We are always looking for new ideas to engage our fellow YMCA Alumni. If you have any suggestions, please share them with me or any of the officers.
This new year brings new opportunities, adventures, and journeys for us all. I hope this year is a GREAT one for all of you.
I hope to see you at our next Chapter Gathering in College Station in April.
Take care, and God bless,
| | P.S. As we reflect on our varied YMCA careers, I was excited to see the new National YMCA PSA commercial celebrating 175 Years. I think it captured many of the Y’s old and new offerings, along with a view of the future. If you haven’t seen it, click HERE. | | |
A SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS HIGH
RE-CAP FROM CLOUDCROFT, NM IN FALL
| | Photos: Top L-R: Emilie and Jim Heiman, Kathleen and Jerry Vincent, Lilly and Jim Rowland, and Elizabeth Seth; Jan Murphy, Jim and Lilly Rowland at Seth's home; Jim Rowland. Bottom L-R: Jan Murphy, Carm Gallo, and Emilie Heiman; Kathleen and Jerry Vincent and Emilie Heiman; Carm Gallo, Florence Bice, Emilie Heiman, and Kathleen Vincent. | | |
We had another successful gathering at Cloudcroft, NM. Part of our group met at the El Paso, Texas, airport before traveling together to Cloudcroft, NM. After settling into the Grand Cloudcroft Hotel, we met with other attendees to review the itinerary and reconnect. Our first event was a backyard barbecue at the home of Elizabeth and Terry Seth. This gave us an opportunity to catch up and socialize.
The following day included a guided tour of the historic LaLuz Pottery Factory, an old factory where roof tiles and dishes were made, operated by the Alamogordo Historic Society. The guide knew all the stories about the place and was incredibly informative. Lunch was at the Loredo Bakery in Tularosa, after which participants pursued individual activities.
We met back at the hotel for a quick trip to Jan and Patrick Murphy’s house for conversation and snacks. Then onto the Distillery for pizza and salad. After dinner, we returned to the hotel for Rummy Q and Dominoes. It was another great day.
On Thursday, we met for our business meeting, elected new officers, and held our fundraising auction. The funds raised were divided among the National Service Project, International Service Corps (ISC), and World Service. We also agreed to get together from April 14 to 16 for our Spring Gathering in College Station.
| | Photos: Top L-R: Patrick Murphy leads fundraising; Lilly andJim Rowland and Jim Heiman playing RummyQ; Bottom L-R: Emilie and Jim Heiman, Jerry and Kathleen Vincent, Lilly and Jim Rowland at LaLuz Pottery; Group enjoying LaLuz Pottery garden. | | |
Robin Holland from North Richland Hills, TX
Whit and Dianne Hawkins from Kyle, TX
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TREASURER'S REPORT
We had a good year, as we welcomed new members and kept our chapter fiscally sound. We ended 2025 with a balance of $5,399.71.
Thanks to the generosity of our members at our chapter gatherings and their continued support for our fun and ‘everlasting’ Belt Buckle Auction, we donated $2,762.50 in 2025 to the three charities we support.They are: World Service, National Service Project, and International Service Corps (ISC).
Your membership dues, among other things, help the chapter offset the cost of our semi-annual gatherings at a near-break-even level. Be sure to take advantage of your ‘investment’ and join us soon!
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IN MEMORIUM
Elinore Christine Cumings
August 23, 1941 - December 8, 2025
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Ellie was an active member of the Sam Schreiner Chapter YMCA Alumni Group. She met her husband, Louis Cumings, while she was a student at TCU. She is survived by Lou and her four children, as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Ellie would say giving never empties your heart! She was generous, donating to 160 charities, establishing four college endowment funds, and providing scholarship funds for our chapter gatherings.
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OUR NEXT GATHERING:
APRIL 14-16 IN COLLEGE STATION
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Our next Sam Schreiner Gathering is April 14-16, 2026 in College Station. Mark your calendars and call in your room reservation.
We have made hotel arrangements at the new Drury Plaza Hotel and have reserved a block of rooms as well as meeting room space. Our group name is “YMCA Alumni 2026.” Deadline for room reservations is April 1.
More details will follow, but we plan to visit the H.W. Bush Presidential Library (photo above). We hope to see many of you in College Station in April.
Please complete the registration form by clicking on the red button below, downloading it, and including it in an envelope with a registration check. Send to: Tom Parker, Treasurer, 615 W. Gibson Street, Austin, TX 78704. Phone: 512-848-7977 or email: tnkparker@aol.com
Here’s how to reserve:
Phone reservations: 1-800-325-0720. Our Group Number is #10173735. Online reservations can be made HERE. Enter Group Number above.
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GO SEE, GO DO, GO TRAVEL
JOIN US ON A TRAVEL CLUB ADVENTURE
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Be sure to book official YMCA Alumni Travel Club adventures and your own individual, family, and referred friends' travel through Go Travel's expert agents. YMCA Alumni's national budget receives a percentage of all sales, and you get the best prices, advice, and a smooth booking experience.
2026 will bring an upscale train adventure on the Rocky Mountaineer; a C.I.E. luxury motor coach visit to Spain's amazing cities; cruise Classic Canada from Quebec City to Boston in the fall color season, and sail into Alaska before the crowds. We're starting to add trips for 2027, including a terrific Danube River Cruise. Two trips for 2026 are already sold out (Scenic Switzerland by Rail and America's 250th in NY Harbor and Beyond on Cunard's Queen Mary 2). The lesson: Don't delay.
Visit the Travel Club webpage for direct access to all trips, including details and booking. Click the button below.
Visit us on Facebook each Travel Tuesday.
Contact the Travel Club by email or phone.
(407) 774-2229
ymcaalumni@gotravel.com
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YMCA Alumni Mission:
"...to enable members to promote a nurturing worldwide Christian Fellowship that provides educational, social, service and charitable opportunities."
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