Excalibur Chapter N.C.O.A.

IMPORTANT!! IMPORTANT!! IMPORTANT!!

The annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon will be held on Monday, September 5 th. There are some changes you need to make note of. First of all, IT WILL NOT BE AT KRBC STUDIOS. The new location for the Telethon will be MCM Elegante (formerly Embassy and Ambassador Suites) across from the Mall of Abilene. The local Telethon will begin at 7:00 AM and NCOA Excalibur Chapter will have the first session only. Volunteers need to be there by 6:30 AM . (Yes, I know that’s early, but that way, you can have an early start to catch all the Labor Day Sales!). Since there wasn’t a general membership meeting in August to sign up volunteers to man the phones, we need you to call Carl Johnson at (325) 698-0603 or myself (Vicky Hensley) at (325) 743-2195. If we’re not at home, leave a message on our machines along with your phone # so we can confirm your spot. We will only have 16 positions available for one hour. This is one of our annual community projects and it’s very rewarding to those who participate. If you are one of the phone volunteers, we ask that you wear something with NCOA on it (hat or shirt) or something patriotic. Hope to see you there or on TV!!!

PRESENTATION CONCERNING BIG SPRING VA HOSPITAL

Price Waterhouse will be making a presentation to the Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs at the Big Spring VA Hospital on Thursday, Sept. 1 from 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. They have been tasked with developing a plan for the future of the hospital. These plans will involve either changing their operations or closing the facility entirely. It is imperative that Abilene veterans make a good showing at this event. There will be numerous presentations all day. Although there are no plans as of the writing of this to have a bus available, if enough interest is generated, one can be arranged for. For more details or to check on the availability of transportation, contact the Taylor County Veterans Service Office at 674-1328.

CHANGE IN SEPTEMBER MEETING!!!

The September General Membership Meeting will be held on the 9 th instead of the 16 th. September 16 th is National POW/MIA Day and there will be a banquet at VFW Post 6873 that night. Since many of our members want to participate at the banquet, the decision was made to move the meeting. Mark your calendar! Also if you are interested in attending the POW/MIA Banquet, call the VFW to make reservations.

Now to what’s happened the past 3 months.

In May, some of you may have attended the Memorial Day Services in Abilene . Troy and I went to the morning service at Elmwood Cemetery and I have never seen a larger crowd at these services! The speaker was great and really got his message across.

The Lady Guinevere Auxiliary had a garage sale the second weekend of July and it was a huge success. They raised over $282 and all items not sold were donated to the DAV, Toys 4 Tots, and the local mission. Just a few members pulled this off and their hard work paid off! Way to go, ladies!

We just returned from San Antonio where the NCOA Annual Business Meeting was held on August 20 th. Excalibur Chapter and the Lady Guinevere Chapter should be proud of the fact that we had the largest delegation with 19 members. It was even more special for us to find out that, again, Excalibur Chapter is THE #1 CHAPTER IN NCOA!!!! Way to go everyone! It’s your volunteer hours that make the difference! Keep up the great work and give yourself a pat on the back! If you can’t make a meeting, don’t forget to send the volunteer hour form (included in this newsletter) to the Chapter address.

In addition to the Excalibur Chapter receiving our award, Pat Gursky received the Award of Excellence at the business meeting. This is the highest award a member can receive outside of being a Knight of the Square Table. Pat was recognized for her diligence and perseverance in making our Certified Merchant Program the best in the NCOA. Congratulations, Pat!

Also, Bob Rohr was dubbed a member of the Knights of the Square Table. This is what every member of NCOA should strive for. The KST is made up of less than 1% of the membership and is the leadership within the NCOA. At this year’s Business Meeting, 99% of those attending were Knights of the Square Table. You have to work hard and set the example for other members to achieve this. If you are interested in finding out more about the Knights of the Square Table, contact a member of our Executive Board. Also, Vicky Hensley was elevated within the KST to Order of the Sword. Congratulations!

We did find out at this meeting that the National Defense Foundation (who is the force behind the WWII Medallions and is a part of NCOA) has developed a CD about WWII. It is divided into segments that last anywhere from 9 minutes to just over 15 minutes and will soon be available to all schools as a training aid for American History. If you would like one for your school, contact me and we will get you one as soon as they are available.

UPCOMING EVENTS

There are a lot of activities coming up in the next few months. Make sure you check the page of this newsletter listing what events we have been made aware of.

WE’RE COLLECTING SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Excalibur Chapter is collecting school supplies for distribution to schools in Iraq . The Grand Knight Elect, Terry Haines, is currently serving there and is arranging for their distribution. Some of our members have already donated items that went in the mail last week. A total of 10 flat rate boxes were mailed containing items such as pens, pencils, sharpeners, rulers, glue, notebooks, paper, construction paper, and also candy. The later is given to the children at the checkpoints prior to being checked. It eases their fears and makes the situation less tense if the children along with their mothers are not afraid. If you would like to donate, just bring the above items to the next chapter meeting. Remember the items should not have any cartoon charac-ters on them and should have minimal writing in English. Businesses in Abilene will be approached in the near future for their donations to this worthwhile cause.

CONTACT US !

We are making every effort to include all the news about the Excalibur Chapter and about our activities in Abilene. To help you keep me informed of any special event or news, please contact me at TroyandVicky@aol.com (make sure you put NCOA or Excalibur Chapter in the subject line) or call me at (325) 743-2195 (not long distance from Abilene ).

BINGO ANYONE?

For those of you who like to play bingo, remember to play so that it benefits our Chapter. We sponsor bingo games at the Ambler Bingo on Monday evening at 7:00 P.M. (1 st session), Wednesday evening at 8:300 P.M. (2nd session), and Friday evening at 6:00 P.M. (1st session). This is the primary source of funds for our chapter and attendance is way down. As long as you’re going to play, why not help the NCOA? If you haven’t come out yet but would like to try your luck, there’s always experienced players who are willing to guide you. And you never know, it may be your lucky evening!!!

CERTIFIED MERCHANTS

Most of you are aware of the National Certified Merchants Program sponsored by the NCOA. Some of these merchants include Lens Crafters and FedEx. We also have some local merchants willing to give all NCOA members a discount for their services. They are listed in each newsletter along with the discount you will receive. We encourage all members to take advantage of this program. You must show your NCOA membership card to receive your discount. The Certified Merchant Coordinator is Pat Gursky and she is assisted by Bob Wessels. If you know of any business that would like to be included, please call her at 692-7223. And make sure you express your thanks to any certified merchants you utilize! Let them know we appreciate their support. LATELY, THERE HAVE BEEN NEW CERTIFIED MERCHANTS EVERY MONTH!

SAVE THOSE CANS!!!

Remember to save your aluminum cans. Proceeds from their sale will be donated to the NCOA Disaster Relief Fund at the next convention. Just bring them to a meeting in a plastic bag (already crushed please) and someone will take it from there. The Disaster Fund is used to help members in need due to a natural disaster (like our recent flooding). I’ve even set up a container at work to collect cans. Every little bit helps!

VOLUNTEER HOURS

  

Don’t forget to keep track of your volunteer hours. They don’t have to be at an NCOA sponsored event. Such things as delivering Meals on Wheels, helping at a nursing home or anything you do that helps others can count. We record these hours and submit them to headquarters on a regular basis. Because of our Federal Charter, they are also recorded in the Congressional Record. This is one case where we need everyone to blow his or her own horn. A sign up sheet is available at all general membership meetings. If you are unable to attend any meeting, use the form below and send it to the address on the newsletter envelope.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sept. 1 st (Thurs.): Price Waterhouse presentation concerning Big Spring VA Hospital, 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Contact Taylor County Veterans Service Office for details at 674-1328.

Sept. 5 th (Mon.): LABOR DAY. Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon at MCM Elegante (across from the Mall of Abilene – formerly Embassy Suites), 6:30 AM , call Carl at 698-0603 or Vicky at 743-2195 to volunteer.

Sept. 6 th (Tues.): Excalibur Chapter Executive Board Meeting, 6:30 PM , VFW Post 6873 (across from Dyess), all members welcome.

Sept. 9 th (Fri.): Auxiliary Meeting 6:00 PM and General Membership Meeting, 6:30 PM , VFW Post 2012 located at 2225 N. 3 rd Street , Abilene . Meal and refreshments provided. Bring a new or potential member!

Sept. 16 th (Fri.): POW/MIA Day, banquet to be held at VFW Post 6873 across from Dyess AFB; call to make reservations.

Sept. 17 th (Sat.): 80 th Anniversary of Abilene American Legion; call them for details.

Sept. 18 th (Sun.): HAPPY BIRTHDAY, U. S. AIR FORCE!

Oct. 10 th (Mon.): COLUMBUS DAY! Have a safe holiday weekend.

Oct. 13 th (Thurs.): HAPPY BIRTHDAY, U. S. NAVY!

Oct. 21st (Fri.): Auxiliary Meeting 6:00 PM and General Membership Meeting, 6:30 PM , VFW Post 2012 located at 2225 N. 3 rd Street , Abilene . Meal and refreshments provided. Bring a new or potential member!

Nov. 10 th (Thurs.): HAPPY BIRTHDAY, U. S. MARINE CORPS! SgtMaj. Troy Hensley will be the guest speaker at the Abilene Marine Corps Ball.

Nov. 11 th (Fri.): VETERAN’S DAY! Have a safe holiday weekend. Check local papers for details on the Abilene Veterans’ Day Parade and other activities.