NARFE Pheasant Chapter 0899

HURON — NARFE (National Active and Retired Federal Employees) Pheasant Chapter 0899 met Wednesday at the Huron Area Senior Center with 20 members in attendance. The 2018 budget was approved following a successful financial audit and filing of IRS tax document 990-N. Current officers were authorized to conduct business at M-O Federal Credit Union. Monthly internal raffle funds were designated for Alzheimer’s Research.  To encourage members to attend conventions and educational meetings, expenses for registration, travel, food and lodging will be paid by the chapter.  A free meal will be offered to meeting guests, prospective and new members. A new Alzheimer’s postage stamp was released by the United States Postal Service.
The South Dakota Federation Convention will be held May 15-17 at the Royal River Casino and Hotel in Flandreau with special guest speaker National President Richard Thissen. Those renewing their membership were encouraged to pay chapter dues in addition to national dues. Other agenda items discussed include AARP Lobby Day in Pierre on January 30; the M-O Federal Credit Union annual meeting on Saturday, Feb. 3. Meals on Wheels delivery the weeks of April 9 to 13, July 9 to 13 and October 8 to 12, plus the new face of NARFE’s website page.  

Guest speaker was Kurt Johns of Welter Funeral Home speaking on behalf of the funeral profession.  He stressed the importance of preplanning funeral arrangements and notifying family members of those plans.  Costs of traditional funerals with embalming and burial, caskets, burial vaults, markers and services rendered were detailed.  Also included were deaths out of state, transportation arrangements, delayed burial, funeral trusts, state requirements and veterans’ benefits.  Cremation services are provided by Miller Funeral Home in Sioux Falls and are growing in popularity in the Huron area.
Membership in NARFE is important to active and retired federal and postal employees during the threatened budget cuts.  NARFE advocates are constantly working to safeguard earned benefits.  Alzheimer’s research is getting closer to finding answers to eliminate the dreaded disease.  For more information, contact Pheasant Chapter President Bob Eickhoff at  HYPERLINK "mailto:bobeickhoff@hur.midco.net" bobeickhoff@hur.midco.net or 352-7242.  The next meeting will be held Sunday, Feb. 28, with guest speaker Doug Fosheim discussing matters pertaining to elder law.

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NARFE Pheasant Chapter 0899 met Wednesday at the Huron Area Senior Center.