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Club NewsNewslettersIt's here -- the February 2010 Newsletter!! The January 2010 and December 2009 issues are also available! Picture PageA new addition to the BARW Web site, this is a page of pictures of BARW members attending various functions and activities. If you have pictures of BARW members in action that you would like to add to the page, please send them to this email. Please include a detailed description of who is pictured and the event or occasion taking place. February Campaign ActivitiesWith so many important races to consider, you may be hard pressed to take in all the players. I urge you to make informed decisions before you go to the polls, by reviewing the full ballot ahead of voting. It will also help to expedite your time there. A full ballot can be found at www.Harris County GOP/Primary/10.asp. It is so easy with as many races as we have to give up half way through the voting, but I also urge you to go completely through the ballot as no race is more important this year than the Harris County Chairman race with four individuals running and it is at the end of the ballot. Lilian Norman Keeney BARW Welcomes New MembersBARW is pleased to welcome Erica Brinkley, Connie Alexander, Sherry Radack, Christine Anne Donovan, Kevin Mauzy, Maxine Youngberg, Kim Sullivan, Marc Brown, Joseph Spence and J. Thomas (Tom) Murphy to the Club membership. February Membership UpdateThe meeting on January 27th was great! We had wonderful attendance and signed up several new members. It is nice to know our Republican candidates can depend on the support of a vital and intelligent strong group of active women. That is exactly what we are as members of BARW! That said, to meet the challenges this year, we need a growth spurt! Many of you brought guests to the meeting and we all appreciate that. Let’s continue to make every effort to increase our membership. Bring your friends and neighbors to BARW meetings and we know they will see what a great organization we are. If you have not renewed your membership, please do so right away. We want to include you in the 2010 directory. Let me know if you need help. Thank you so much for all you do for BARW. Carole Murphy 1st Vice President, BARW Membership By-LawsReminder that the January 27th, 2010 meeting is the final date to turn in your dues to be listed in the 2010 yearbook which will be printed in February. Subsequent membership received will have to be written in by the current yearbook owner. Janis Bailey Eggnog Party RecapOur annual Eggnog Party and Officer Installation was very successful and enjoyed by members and guests. Our gracious host, Mary McMullen, has a stunningly beautiful home that was decorated for Christmas and made you feel like you were in a wonderland. We did our best to eat all the food that had been prepared. Joyce Taylor made her famous eggnog that was enjoyed by all (especially me). Ruby brought Christmas cards to be signed for the troops, and Debbie Roan collected donations for Fisher House. Carole Murphy, our new membership chair jumped right in and took over the task of getting everyone signed in. Constable Bill Bailey performed the installation and made a few special comments about Rae Sinor, our new President, since she is his daughter. We really enjoyed the day. Thank you to all the Ladies for the food and help in making it such a fabulous party. Happy Birthday!!BARW members celebrating birthdays in March are Betty Geehan, Chris Daniel, Sheree Frede, Celessa Schnautz, Sandy Vail, Jean Raffetto, Debbie Lindemann, Maxine Youngberg and Dennis Paul. Holiday Mail for Heros ProjectFor the second year, Bay Area RW sent Christmas cards to our heroes in the Military through the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes "Holiday Mail for Heroes" program. They deliver our cards to the wounded, active military and veterans around the world. Ruby Cubley, Literacy Chair, organized it again this year for our Caring for America program. Some members brought their cards already signed to our annual Christmas Egg Nog party and membership drive, and Ruby brought others for the guests and other members. BARW sent over 50 cards this year and plan on making this part of our annual meeting and party, striving to increase participation each year. We want to let our men and women who are away from their families during the holidays to know that we support them and thank them for their sacrifice that allows us to be home with OUR families. We also want our wounded and veterans to know we love and support them, and thank them for their gift of service to our country. If you have a family member who is serving overseas, please let Ruby know so we can specifically remember them. Ruby Cubley Literacy Chair Bay Area Meals on WheelsCongratulations! Bay Area Republican Women reached its goal of $10,000 in contributions to Bay Area Meals on Wheels in November, 2009 ($10,167). Thank all of you who have contributed over the years. It is such a worthwhile organization that fills a need in our community. Bay Area Meals on Wheels is an all volunteer corporation, chartered in 1982, with the primary purpose of planning, coordinating, evaluating and administering a meal delivery program by providing nutritious hot meals and sack lunches to homebound persons, regardless of age or income, who lack the capability of obtaining meals on a daily basis. There are approximately 150 volunteers made up of 70 regularly scheduled drivers, 10 meal coordinators, and 70 substitutes. Meals are delivered from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday - Friday, year round, including all holidays not falling on Saturday or Sunday. The region served by Bay Area Meals on Wheels corresponds roughly to the Clear Creek Independent School District, which encompasses areas in South Harris County and North Galveston County. Currently there are seven routes, 68 clients, and 16 volunteers per day. Other volunteers pack the meals which are prepared at the St. John Hospital kitchen. Bay Area Meals on Wheels has NO PAID STAFF which allows all donations to go toward serving their clients. A Board of Directors oversees Bay Area Meals on Wheels. Ann Lambert serves as President and Ruth Tully is Client Coordinator, both of whom attended our recent Eggnog Party and are very appreciative of our support. Bay Area Meals on Wheels operates on approximately $4,500 - $5,000 per month. They do not accept federal money but following Hurricane Ike, they were forced to request grants from Galveston County, Harris County and the State of Texas in order to continue the program. Corporate funding dried up after the hurricane and some of the churches had to cut back on their funding. Therefore, Bay Area Republican Women need to continue and try to increase our donations to Bay Area Meals on Wheels in the future. If you are interested in volunteering, please call Dorothy Foust, volunteer coordinator, at 281-486-1491. Jean Raffetto Parliamentarian Volunteer HoursPlease send your volunteer hours to Lilian Norman-Keeney (e-mail). Please remember all the hours you have worked on behalf of Bay Area Republican Women and Texas Federation of Republican Women for the months from January, 2009, to date and let us bring our records to date next meeting. So far I have only recorded 160 hours for January and February and I know we have collectively worked more than that. If you have doubts on what can be charged, the following list will help: Include any work done for campaigns; include work at home, or mailing. Telephone work etc. Count volunteer hours to and from events but exclude any personal time or stops. Count hours for TFRW Board Meetings and conventions but do not include travel time. You may not count any paid time for campaigns or staff positions. Should you have any questions I will certainly help. Lilian Norman Keeney Campaign Activities Chair 2010 Membership DuesAnnual dues of $25 for full members, $15 for associate memberships (men and women who are full members of other Federated Republican Women's Clubs) are due now to the BARW Treasurer. Please mail your checks made payable to BARW PAC, including your occupation (satisfying the PAC requirements) to the following address: Diane Kerkhove, BARW Treasurer |