What is NARFE?

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees (Association) (NARFE) is an organization whose members are current or retired federal workers and their spouses.  Its main purpose is to protect earned benefits of its members.  On the chapter level, NARFE holds regular meetings, creates social contacts, provides help in dealing with the federal bureaucracy, advocates for the NARFE national organization’s issues, and provides information on NARFE activities and concerns.

Meetings

For details of our September and October meetings, see the two paragraphs below.  Our chapter usually meets at Bowie City Hall, 2614 Kenhill Drive, Bowie, on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 10:00 a.m. in Conference Room 204.  All meetings are open to the public, and there is never a charge to attend.  We hold meetings from September through June, except October.  At these meetings we have lined up interesting topics with speakers to give presentations.  If you’d like to suggest a topic of interest, please contact the Programs Committee Chair, Barbara Wheatley.

We hold an annual health fair in October.  It is held on the 3rd Saturday so that all retirees and current federal employees have an opportunity to attend.  It’s our most popular meeting.  This meeting features presentations from health insurance providers so that you can become knowledgeable about changes during Open Season.  And, of course, we have health care providers on site to give annual flu shots.

We also assist members with their questions and problems with retirement or related issues.  For details, see Service Officers.

September Program 

by Barbara Wheatley

Our September presentation will be How to Live a Brain-Healthy Lifestyle — you can prevent or fight Alzheimer's with the right diet, exercise, attitude and more — presented by Barbara DeAngelis of the Alzheimer's Association. 20 September 2007 at 10:00 a.m., Bowie City Hall, Room 204, 2614 Kenhill Drive, Bowie.

October Program

by Barbara Wheatley

The October meeting will feature the Lion’s Club Mobile Unit; Federal Health Plan Open Season presenters; and flu shots on Saturday, 20 October 2007, Bowie City Hall, Multi-purpose room, 2614 Kenhill Drive, Bowie.

  1. Lion’s Club Mobile Unit (front of the building) 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.  Screening includes a FREE eye exam and hearing test.
  2. Federal Health Plan Open Season presenters, 12 noon until 1:00 p.m.  Each presenter will give an update on the changes in their respective plans.  You then will be able to go to the table assigned and ask specific questions, etc.  (Presenters can stay as long as needed.)
  3. Flu Shots 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.  Flu shots are for members & spouses only.  Reserve your flu shot by calling Barbara Wheatley at 301 352 6241 or leave a message on the voicemail, leaving your name and phone number (or you can e-mail me).  This registration is required for your flu shot.  No walk-ins.  A return call will be made to all who leave messages.  When you call for a reservation, you will be given a number which indicates your turn to get your shot.  In other words, if your number is 5, you will be the 5th person to get your flu shot.  There will be a sheet at the sign-in table with your name and number on it.  If you have Medicare Part B, bring your card (no charge).  If you have Aetna and are 65+, bring both your Medicare card and your Aetna card.  If you are under 65 bring your Aetna card (no charge).  Maxim Health Systems will file your claim.  If you do not have either of these programs, you must pay cash or write a check payable to Maxim Health Systems the $25 cost for the shot.  If you have questions, please call me, Barbara Weatley, at 301-352-6241.  Or you can e-mail me.  My e-mail address is on page 4 of our newsletter.

November Program

Our November topic will be Maryland Budget Deficit — Causes and Solutions — Speakers from our local government and state legislature.

December Program

Holiday Luncheon — location to be announced.

January Program

Our speaker will be Diane Polangin, Total Tax Service.

February Program

Identity Theft — Protecting Your Private Information — Bruce Lohr, Maryland Community Crime Prevention Institute

March Program

Inside Gardening — Elaine Isman, Patuxent Nursery

More Than Paying Dues

Paying dues to NARFE and Chapter 1747 makes you a member in good standing, delivers the chapter’s newsletter to you by mail, and now will provide even more information via the Internet.

But to be a good member takes some effort on your part.  It entails attending membership meetings, participating in special events, working on committees, lobbying, holding office.  It means recognizing that it’s your organization, and its continued growth and success depend on the participation of a greater circle of members—not just a limited number of officers and activists.

Advantages of Belonging to NARFE

NARFE is a membership organization of current and retired federal employees, spouses and survivors.  NARFE is open to all persons who are receiving, or will be eligible to receive, an annuity or survivor annuity from any of the civilian retirement programs of an agency of the US Government.

NARFE is involved in protecting the earned retirement benefits of its members in over 2000 chapters in the United States.  There is no other organization that can accomplish this.

Through NARFE, members receive the latest information on retirement issues, taxes, financial planning, and health benefits.  In addition, members receive the monthly Retirement Life Magazine, written especially for current and retired federal employees.

When you join NARFE, you are assigned a local chapter that meets on a monthly basis, 10 times a year.  The chapter provides social contacts, information on chapter activities in the community as well as lobbying the state legislatures important to members of NARFE and the local community.

To join, click here and obtain a membership application.

How Chapter 1747 Bowie-Crofton Began

Fifty people assembled on April 15, 1980 at Bowie City Hall to form the Bowie-Crofton Chapter of NARFE.  That meeting was organized by Ben Zitomer, a member of the College Park-Greenbelt Chapter who, along with others who lived in Bowie and Crofton, wanted to form their own chapter.  Those 50 people signed on, and the quest for a charter for the new chapter proceeded.

On April 28, 1980 they adopted a constitution and by-laws, which national NARFE approved on May 6.  On October 31, they were granted their charter and “empowered to do all things pertaining to the good of the organization ...”.

Since the beginning, our chapter has been able to grow to about 1000 members, consisting of both current federal employees and retirees.

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This is the official Web site of
NARFE Chapter 1747 — Bowie-Crofton, Maryland.
Created and maintained by Bill Meenahan as a public service.
This page was updated 15 September 2007.
 
Opinions and positions that appear on this Web site are not necessarily those of NARFE’s national organization, despite the fact that this site bears the NARFE national organization’s name and seal.
 
URL: http://narfe1747.org/