THE
LOOKOUT
Weatherford Chapter
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Save the Date
Weatherford Christmas Zoom Gathering 2021
December 10th from 7:30pmET to 8:30pm ET.
Contact Phill Morgan to sign up.
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Once again our Fall Festival was a wonderful time of "connecting."
October 25th - 27th, 2021 at YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly
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Monday during check-in time we challenged our alumni to participate in a CONNECT ACTIVITY. First to put a photo on the window of themselves. Second connect yarn from person to person if they...
RED ever worked together, GREEN met at a YMCA training event or conference,
YELLOW met at Alumni event or BLUE met outside the Y.
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We discovered most of us met at our YMCA Alumni Events!!! |
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Welcome time in the Chapel with Melissa Logan, YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, President & CEO.
Then we played The UnGame to help learn more about our Y Alumni Colleagues! Lead by Nancy Reece and Jean Bock. Followed by dinner at the Red Rocker Inn. (Pictures in the membership portion of this newsletter.)
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Tuesday morning after our annual Memorial Service we heard from Gary Graham about the National Service Project.
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Harriett Hoskyns-Abrahall is our chapter's NSP Representative.
For our acts of SERVICE after the NSP report we participated in Y Staff Inspiration Project and enjoyed conversation groups.
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Some of the men played golf on Tuesday afternoon at Asheville Golf Course led by Ed Ryszkiewicz.
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Others took an afternoon Nature Hike led by Betty King. |
3:00-5:00 a Wine Tasting class was lead by Kristine VanVonderen and Nancy Reece. |
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1:30-3:00 Nancy Ryszkiewicz taught an art class on how to make a "Zentangle". |
Jim Havlick shared his Zentangle!!!! |
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Tuesday Night after BBQ Dinner we relaxed with
Musical Entertainment by Mike Cook.
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Wednesday morning after breakfast Charlie Glass lead Morning Watch
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Weatherford Chapter YMCA Alumni Fall Festival ended with a business meeting.
The agenda included:
East Region Report, Officer Reports, World Service , EAF, Spring Fling 2022, Nominating Committee / Election of Officers
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Membership Message from Chair Molly McGregor |
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It's time to RENEW your YMCA Alumni Membership. The Membership Campaign Started October 1st and ends December 31st. You should have received a mailed information packet and form. However, an easier way is to go on line to the YMCA Alumni Website: YMCAAlumni.org.
Find the RENEW button, read the instructions and fill out the form below the instructions. Don't forget to hit the SUBMIT button. Remember, the deadline is December 31st. Let's make the Weatherford Chapter the top RENEWAL chapter. Don't forget to give any change of address information: phone, email, address, etc.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. Call me: 205-919-5239 or email: [email protected]
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Join the Weatherford Chapter and come to our Annual Spring Fling and Fall Festival to Connect with old friends and colleagues or simply make new friends. This past October over 50 Alumni attended. The first night we all enjoyed a great meal with wonderful dessert together at the Red Rocker Inn in Black Mountain, NC. Then back at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly some stayed up and enjoyed the warm fire. |
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SAVE THE DATE
SPRING FLING 2022
MAY 1ST, 2ND, 3RD
WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA
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Chapter President Phill & Marti Morgan's Message |
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This is the last Morgan’s Message for our term as Weatherford Chapter Presidents. What an appropriate time to reflect upon the past two years and give thanks during this season of Thanksgiving.
So, what are we thankful for? As it pertains to YMCA Alumni, we are thankful for the relationships and friendships we have made both within our chapter and throughout the YMCA movement. We are thankful to those chapter members who have stepped up to accept responsibility which enhanced the YMCA Alumni experience for others.
We are thankful for our relationship with God and the love he pours upon us each and every day. There are some days we think we can do it alone. And then the footprints in the sand show his presence while he is carrying us when we need it most. Thank you, Lord.
We are thankful for our family whom we dearly love. If only we could spend more time with those family members living afar. Life and different situations seem to get in the way of seeing one another. We are thankful to help family members when life throws them a curve ball and a change-up of daily life has everyone living a life they never imagined.
We are thankful for our health and the freedom it provides us to both enjoy life but to also use our time to the benefit of others (volunteering and helping family).
We are thankful for the spiritual gifts which have been bestowed upon us throughout our lives even when we did not realize we had them.
We are thankful for discovering where we should spend our life’s vocation. Marti (Education/Library) and Phill (the YMCA). Both destinations seem to fit our personal life’s values and interests.
We are thankful for our church. Ever since we met in college, we have both been guided by the teachings of the church and by caring ministers who have shared the good news of Jesus.
We are thankful for our home. Not only our physical house, but for being in a place called home where we can live in a neighborhood and community and feel a sense of belonging.
And finally, we are thankful for you; our friends whom we cherish our relationship with throughout these many years and for many years to come.
Marti and I both wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Phill and Marti Morgan
Weatherford Chapter Co-Presidents
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YMCA Alumni Travel Club
Message from Chapter Representatives Jean & Bert Bock
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YMCA CONNECTION IS COMING OUT JUNE 1ST AND IS ALL ABOUT TRAVEL |
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Now is the time to make plans to join us at
YMCA Alumni Reunion ’22
in New Orleans, Louisiana Jan. 12-15, 2022
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Reunion registration and hotel booking is now open. Register separately for each. Make the decision to be with us in January in America's most unique and exciting city.
Connect again…
Register on line at ymcaalumni.org! Click on “Reunion ‘22” for all the info.
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Travel Tips from Bob Cook Director of Sales Go Travel
Having been travelling recently, I did come across a few newer ideas that make sense.
- Covid and restrictions are with us for some time to come. The most important thing you need to have when travelling is your original Covid certificate. Photo copies are not acceptable when proof is required. You can get an original of your certificate from the pharmacy where you received the vaccine or your county health department. This way you have two originals.
- Make sure that you have travel insurance that covers Covid and any quarantine requirements and to cover the costs associated in the event you are forced to quarantine.
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Passports are taking up to 16 weeks to process, and most destinations require passports to be valid 6 months AFTER the date of return. Start the process now US passport and renewal site .
- All cruise lines have extended their restrictions on non vaccinated travel through March 2022. That means all guests 12 and over must be vaccinated. NCL has a no vaccine, no sale policy no matter what age.
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Travel in 2022 is going to break records. Plan now, and plan for off season if you can. Here at Go Travel we are seeing what I call “revenge” travel, getting revenge against the Covid restrictions of the past 21 months. Extended trips, combing two trips into one longer vacation.
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EAF Message from Chairs Nancy & Bill Reece |
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You can also mail your donation to:
Emergency Assistance Fund
YMCA of the USA
Financial Development 16th Floor
101 N. Wacker Dr.
Chicago, IL 60606
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We had a great World Service/EAF auction which raised $1700, a record for our chapter. Thank you to each one of you who generously donated and purchased items at the auction. The amount of items donated was a delight. Also of the end of October, Weatherford Alumni members have given $7445. Together, our 18 Alumni Chapter members have given a total of $23,337 to date to EAF. Combined giving from Y Actives, Corporate Y’s and a surprise gift from Y USA comes to $53,331, which together totals $82,638.
So far this year there have been 14 EAF grant requests approved by the EAF Caring Committee totaling $60,616. With the tremendous wildfire damage recently in the West and Northwest plus the flooding damage in both the South and Northeast we anticipate some additional emergency assistance requests as a result. Additionally, we can’t predict when an emergency will impact one of “our own”, and so we encourage those who’ve not yet made a gift to EAF to prayerfully consider doing so
You’ll also find a link to the grant application should you need to apply.
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World Service Message from Chairs Glenn & Sharon Mease |
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Weatherford Chapter World Service – A big thank you to all our members who are already 2021 World Service supporters. Our Weatherford Chapter is again leading the way in retiree support both in dollars and number of participants. As of November 11 we are on our way to another good year with 33 chapter members already having committed $22,013. We had a great auction at the Fall Festival that raised a record $1700. The Chapter made an additional $300 contribution so World Service and EAF each received $1000 as a result.
YMCA World Service is making a much-needed difference as Y’s around the world continue doing great things as they deal with the effects of the Covid epidemic, their own financial struggles, and in some cases a challenging political environment. I shared some of their stories in our last newsletter. You can see more on the World Service web site. At the same time they are developing local leadership. I want to reemphasize that World Service does much more than provide needed resources for these Y’s. We are showing our caring and support for the people and volunteers who are working in these Y’s. We are letting them know they are not out there alone. They realize fellow Y directors and retirees know what they are accomplishing and have our ongoing support. Here is a note from an executive director in the Philippines, “I’ve got so much inspiration and a lot more energy from all of you there! I am so glad amidst this Pandemic, still there are meaningful works and opportunities for all of us in the Y. Servant Leadership in the Y is true love……sharing and caring is genuine leadership. Thank you all so very much.”
You can be assured of two things. World Service is continuing to make a real difference and your continued support is not taken for granted. Nearly all our supporters from last year are on board again for 2021. If you are not a supporter yet or have not supported World Service in the past, we would like you to join the members who represent our chapter. Your support in whatever amount, $5 or $500, will make a big difference. I can think of no dollars that go further than those given to YMCA World Service.
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Fundraising Goal For 2022, Scope of Project
Set By National Service Project Committee
A budget and fundraising goal for the first phase of the YMCA Alumni Service Project has been set after many hours of volunteer work by committee members, Sioux YMCA leaders, architects and others.
Weatherford Chapter Representative Harriet Hoskyns-Abrahall has announced that a goal of $100,000 has been set for Phase One of our project with the Sioux YMCA to build a village of tiny homes in Dupree, S.D., home base for the Y.
The first phase includes necessary site preparation work, such as foundation, surveys, borings, utility hook-ups, architectural drawings, and all materials needed to build the prototype 485-square-foot tiny home with a loft and outdoor deck. That includes lumber, roofing, insulation, sheet rock and the windows and doors, windows, lighting, appliances, and HVAC.
The home itself is projected to cost $56,000. The plan includes purchasing two containers for storage on the site, eventually moving to rural locales on the reservation and becoming “twigs” (small branches).
A local tribal member will be retained by the Sioux YMCA and funded through the project who will work with the first volunteer teams next spring and then finish the remainder of the home during the rest of the year.
The entire scope of the initial project, including seven tiny homes and two “twigs” will be completed over as many years as needed. The total multi-year project is expected to cost $600,000, but we will learn much more about final costs after the first phase is completed.
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International Service Corps Message
from Chapter Representative Laura Kamperman
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Alumni members I invite you to plan ahead to become an International Service Corps Volunteer.
The International Service Corp (ISC) is an exciting program initiative of YMCA Alumni. It is a service opportunity that provides short and mid-term volunteer placement for YMCA Alumni members in YMCAs in other countries. The scope and the length of each assignment varies based on the needs and the specific request of the overseas host YMCA. There is no minimum length of placement, but the maximum should not exceed one year.
Costs are shared by ISC, the host YMCA, and the volunteer. ISC will typically cover the cost of round-trip travel, visa, and immunizations. The host YMCA will provide housing, local transportation, some meals, and in some cases, a weekly stipend. The volunteer will typically pay for food, personal expenses, health insurance and entertainment.
While the pandemic has restricted international travel, ISC has continued to serve by providing after school activities for children in Peru through live on-line interaction in 2020. This past spring a team of volunteers traveled to South Dakota to help make improvements to the Sioux YMCA’s Camp Marrowbone. Plans are now being made to send a volunteer team to the camp to assist in 2022. The next international opportunity might just be the perfect fit for you!
ISC is currently seeking volunteers to begin making plans for future service opportunities. If you are, or think you might be interested, submit an application of interest now. Learn more and apply at YMCAAlumni.org/serve, then scroll down and click on ISC.
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Weatherford Chapter Committee Members Information |
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Co-Presidents:
Gastonia, NC
Program Vice Presidents:
Greer, SC
Secretaries:
Franklin, VA
Treasurers:
Marietta, GA
Membership Chair:
Hoover, AL
Editors:
Birmingham, AL
Past Presidents:
Covington, GA
EAF Chairs:
Franklin, TN
World Service Chairs:
Charlotte, NC
Caring Committee Chairs:
Covington, GA
Chapter Travel Club Reps:
Athens, GA
Chapter Historians
Morganton, NC
ISC Representative
Somerset. KY
NSP Representative
Atlanta, GA
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