President’s Message

President … Ken Schieck

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National AARP is sharing current COVID-19 information every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. PDT.  The phone # is 885-274-9507.

These past few weeks have been a difficult time for all of us. As various government and other agencies have given us timely information and suggestions as to how to handle the Coronavirus, we still need to know how to live in this ‘new normal’ time.

Many of you want to know how and if the events and meetings in which our chapter is normally involved will continue; all I can say right now is that we are basically in uncharted waters. The Board and I want to continue as many activities as possible, while planning them under these new circumstances.

I know that it is important for seniors not to feel undue isolation in this moment.  Loneliness is a human issue, especially for those of us over 55.  National AARP reckons that 20% of older Americans are at risk for social isolation, and even more if they are struggling financially. Therefore, I am asking Thelma Bridges, our phone committee chair, to make sure that members of her committee contact all members on a weekly basis to make sure you all have food, medicines, etc. that you need.  None of our members should feel unsure about having food and over-the-counter medications; surely, some of us can help the others who need assistance.

As new information comes in, I will continue to post it on our website and/or in the Dispatch. If you want to share information or, especially, to help a fellow member with shopping or other issues, please contact me or one of the Board members if you need contact information.

For some specific information about caregiving, a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging, Eldercare Locator, connects people to services for older adults and their families. They can be reached at https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx or at 1-800-677-1116.

I participated in the national AARP conference call on March 26; the moderator gave us the following websites for monitoring the virus:

aarp.org/coronavirus; AARP’s updates

cdc.gov/coronavirus; the Center for Disease Control

To all members of Campbell AARP Chapter 5151 – Ken Schieck, President

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These past few weeks have been a difficult time for all of us.  As various government and other agencies have given us timely information and suggestions as to how to handle the Coronavirus, we still need to know how to live in this ‘new normal’ time.

I participated in the national AARP conference call on March 26; the moderator gave us the following websites:

aarp.org/coronavirus

cdc.gov/coronavirus

The second one is the Center for Disease Control; both of these have current info about the virus and issues surrounding it.

Many of you want to know how, and if, the events and meetings in which our chapter is normally involved will continue; all I can say right now is that we are basically in uncharted waters.  The Board and I want to continue as many activities as possible, while planning them under these new circumstances.

I know that it is important for seniors not to feel undue isolation in this moment; loneliness is a human issue, especially for those of us over 55.  National AARP reckons that 20% of older Americans are at risk for social isolation and even more if they are struggling financially.  Therefore, I am asking Thelma Bridges, our phone committee chair, to make sure that members of her committee contact all members on a weekly basis to make sure you all have food, medicines, etc. that you need.  None of our members should feel unsure about having food and over-the-counter medications; surely, some of us can help the others who need assistance. As new information comes in, I will continue to post it on our website and/or in the Dispatch. If you want to share information or, especially, to help a fellow member with shopping or other issues, please contact me or one of the Board members if you need contact information.

Here are two links with more specific information about caregiving:

acl.gov

eldercare.acl.gov

President … Ken Schieck

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For the first time in a while, our general meeting will actually take place on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.  So a little “wearin’ of the green” is in order, even for those of us, like myself, who aren’t Irish.  Wear orange only if you dare!?

March is Women’s History and Deaf History Month.

Significant dates in March:

March 1,1781              Articles of Confederation established

March 2, 1904              Dr. Seuss’ birthday

March 3, 1781              Alexander Graham Bell birthday

March 4, 1888     Knute Rockne birthday

March 5,1868              U.S. Senate votes to impeach Pres. Andrew Johnson and fails by only one vote (what did Mark Twain say?  “History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes.”)

March 6,1475               Michelangelo’s birthday

March 14,1879    Albert Einstein birthday

March 14,1833            Lucy Hobbs birthday, first female American dentist

March 15, 44 BC         Julius Caesar assassinated in the Roman senate

March 22,1972            Equal Rights Amendment passed by the U.S. Senate, but falls 3

states short of ratification

March 24,1989            Valdez oil spill off Alaskan coast

March 28,1979            Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accident

A farewell to a former member of our chapter Jan Dilley, who died at the age of 87 and a farewell to current member Sybil Alford, who died at the age of 97.

President’s Message … Ken Schieck

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Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!  Even though our general meeting is on Tuesday, February 18, let’s wear red, pink, and lilac.

Scams against the elderly are common and nothing to laugh about; many seniors have been scammed out of money and even their life savings.  However, some scams are so poorly planned and thought out that they deserve ridicule.

One such is what I call the “IRS scam”; some of you are probably familiar with the female robot voice which says something to the effect that “the IRS has issued an outstanding warrant for your arrest.  If you do not report to the magistrate, you will be expired in four days.”  First of all, the scammer doesn’t seem to know that there are no magistrate courts in the U.S.; those exist in Great Britain.  Second of all, what does it mean to be expired?  Maybe the robot thinks we are all library cards or gift cards/coupons that are about to outlive their usefulness?  I wish I had a sports whistle to blow into the phone – but then there might be a real person behind the robot, and I don’t want to damage their eardrum.  Remember:  THE IRS WILL ONLY CONTACT YOU BY SNAIL MAIL.

Please consider attending Campbell Heritage Day on Monday, February 17 (day before our general meeting) at the Orchard City Banquet Hall (on the same grounds as our meeting room but right off Winchester); in years of continuous annual celebrations, this event is second only to the Rose Bowl.  Lunch catered by Mama Mia’s, and cost is $20.  For more info, go to Brown Paper Tickets at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4500884.

President … Ken Schieck

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A very happy and healthy New Year to all our members.  Among your New Year’s resolution, please provide Leona Fails a list of your volunteer hours for 2019 as soon as possible.

The month of January has some interesting celebrations:

January 1   — National Hangover Day

January 15 — National Bagel Day

January 29 — National Puzzle Day

On a serious note, additional historical dates:

January 1   — Betsy Ross birthday

January 2   — State of Georgia ratifies U.S. Constitution, 1788

January 6   — New Mexico admitted to the Union, 1912

January 9   — Richard Nixon born, Yorba Linda, CA, 1913

January 15 — Martin Luther King, Jr., born, 1929

January 18 — Ben Franklin born, 1706

January 22 — Lottie Williams of Tulsa, OK, first person to be hit by space debris, 1997

January 25 — First Winter Olympics games held, 1924

January 26 — Michigan admitted to the Union, 1837

January 29 — Kansas admitted to the Union, 1861

January 30 — Franklin Delano Roosevelt born, 1882

January 31 — Jackie Robinson born, 1919

Our chapter is still looking for someone to step up as head of a Public Relations committee, especially someone with a background in customer service and a deep knowledge of the local area.

Hope to see a lot of our members at the annual winter lunch on Tuesday, January 21, at Mama Mia’s.  Great conversation; great food.

President … Ken Schieck

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I wish all of you Happy Holidays: Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and Seasons Greetings (hopefully, I didn’t forget a greeting).  Let’s do what we can this holiday season to assist those who are less fortunate than ourselves with our prayers and material offerings which should also be given after the holiday season.

Look for more information from Angie on a late winter food drive at the next general meeting.  Don’t forget to purchase your tickets for the winter lunch next month on January 21 at Mama Mia’s.

In order to provide the public with information about our local chapter, I am planning to speak on local radio and TV; if you would like to share a spot with me on either venue, please let me know.

At our December 17 general meeting, we will be honored with Liz Gibbons, a chapter member, administering the oath of office to our Board and Committee members for 2020.  I want to again thank the chapter members who volunteered to take on assignments for the first time:

Paul Levine-Vice-President, Helen Soukolis-Treasurer, and Nancy Tepperman-Asst.Treasurer

I know some of you won a subscription to the CAMPBELL EXPRESS during recent opportunity drawings, and you have not received it.  Please know that I am trying to take care of this.  My phone call and email have not been answered, so I will make a personal visit.

President…Ken Schieck

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Everyone, PLEASE take care of yourselves during this time of fires and, eventually, colder weather.  Make sure you have masks when the air is relatively dirty, as it is now.  I don’t want anyone to miss the happy, hectic holiday season.  TIP: I have found that barbecuing the turkey on Thanksgiving frees up both top and bottom ovens in the kitchen for potatoes, stuffing, etc.

Our chapter has been given an opportunity to staff a booth at a Veterans’ Care Fair on Saturday, November 23, at the San Jose Giants Municipal Stadium from 10 am to 3 pm. One of the sponsors is Vietnam Veterans of America, Ch. 201, of which I am a member.  I need volunteers to staff a table to advertise AARP services.  If you wish to participate and/or know someone in our chapter who might be interested, please let me know by Monday, Nov. 11.  Volunteers are expected to staff the booth for the entire five-hour period of the event.  Please excuse the late notice.

This is definitely a community activity in which we should be involved.  I have some familiarity with these ‘care fairs’ as I helped plan and participated in them when I was with the Employment Development Dept.  This is not a job fair, but an event that features organizations to assist vets and lets them know about community organizations like ours.

Monday, November 11 is Veteran’s Day; be sure to thank a veteran for their service.

Our incoming officers and committee chairs for 2020 are listed below. You will have the opportunity to vote for these members at the General Meeting on Tuesday, November 19.  Remember that these positions are vital to our chapter.  Without volunteers like these members, the chapter will become inactive.

OFFICERS

            President – Ken Schieck

            VP/Programs – Paul Levine

            Secretary – Fannie Young

Treasurer — Helen Soukoulis

            Asst. Treasurer – Nancy Tepperman

            Past President – Marlene Hruby

President … Ken Schieck

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October is the month to wear orange and black-not for the San Francisco Giants (they will miss Bruce Bochy) – but it is the month of Halloween; let’s wear those colors to the general meeting on Oct.15. This is the first of three meetings relating to who will be on our Board in 2020; we will nominate members for the Board at the October meeting, elect them in November, and install them in December.  A sincere thanks to Helen Soukoulis, Nancy Tepperman, and Paul Levine for stepping up this past year to fill important Board positions.

The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) is sponsoring a year-end series of events beginning Oct.9 with the California Telephone Access Program (CTAP) at the San Jose Masonic Center, 2500 Masonic Drive, San Jose.  For more information, please call Lynne Kinsey 408/265-4038.

AARP California, Bay Area Black Nurses Assn. Inc., and the Bay Area Community Health Advisory Council are sponsoring 3 telephone seminars on Dementia Care during the month of October.  For more information, register online at tinyurl.com/AlzTelephoneSeminar or call Karla Fields at 925/444-0474.

Just an early heads-up:  Orchard City Community Chorus presents its winter holiday concert on Friday Dec. 6 at Campbell United Methodist Church.  More information forthcoming.

President … Ken Schieck

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It seems to me that we all went back to school the Tuesday after Labor Day and no earlier. I started back at San Jose State as late as September 19. Have you noticed that most schools now start back in August? I think it’s because school teachers want the students to maintain knowledge they would otherwise forget by being away from school for 3 months. That also means that the schools should let students out in June—only two months between grades that way. My thought is that if the schools continue to start earlier, they will run into the unfinished previous semester! Who’s on first?

On a more practical note, please remember to do volunteer work on AARP Service Day, September 11. You can volunteer with a group or on your own. Look for opportunities in the AARP bulletin/ newspaper and the Campbell Express or the Campbell Reporter. Find activities you can get other AARP members to get involved in with you.

Last month, two of you stepped up to take the positions of Vice-President and Treasurer. We now have two members who are interested in the position of Assistant Treasurer. It’s possible we may even have someone to plan the post-meeting lunches. We are still looking for someone to direct the Publicity committee. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Jan DeLucchi.

We had a wonderful meeting last month with the Boomerang Barber Shop quartet. Please share any ideas for speakers with our new Vice-President, Paul Levine.

President … Ken Schieck

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First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to thank two people who stepped up to take the positions of Vice-President and Treasurer.  I have stressed over the last few months the importance of people leaving their comfort zone and it is gratifying to know that there are folks out there in our membership who are willing to take on a new responsibility.  So, a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to Paul Levine, our new Vice-President, and Helen Soukoulis, our new Treasurer.

Best of luck to our last Treasurer, David More, as he and his family begin a new life in the state of Washington; we will miss his dedication and sense of humor.  Some of you may not know that David served as Treasurer back in 2011 or 2012 as well.

We have a treat (I think!) in store at the general meeting on Aug. 20; the Boomerang Barbershop Quartet, who entertained us last August, will perform once again.  There were many favorable remarks about their performance last year, and it makes sense to have them return.

As I mentioned at the July meeting, the yearly AARP Day of Service will take place on Wednesday Sept.11; volunteer activities for our chapter or members are available at the AARP-sponsored site: www.createthegood.org.  I was privy to this information from the quarterly state telephone call last week.  They also shared some information on Fraud Prevention.  For more information, go to aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.org.