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MEMBERSHIP By
Betty Lucero-Turner, Vice President, Chapter 2339 Chapter 2339 is unique because we do not operate as a regular chapter holding monthly or bi-monthly meetings. That works well for many of you, but
it does not relieve any of us of the responsibility we have contributing in some way to protect our earned benefits. Unfortunately,
it seems many of us across the nation have begun to take our benefits for granted. We
seem to have forgotten that what Congress giveth, Congress can taketh away. Despite
recruiting and retention initiatives, we have not reversed the downward trend in membership.
We are still losing members nationwide, statewide, and within chapters. And, as you know, some of our Chapter 2339
members come to us as a direct result of chapter closings. The protection of our earned retirement benefits depends on the survival of chapters. Chapters are the lifeblood of NARFE. Any group benefits that
accrue to NARFE members are obtained principally through the concentrated support of several hundred thousand members operating
through more than 1,600 chapters. Chapters provide the voices and votes constituting
the collective positions on issues which federations and National Headquarters follow in working to protect the earned retirement
benefits of all civil service annuitants. You
might ask – how can I contribute? It is important that members do all they
can to recruit new members in order to sustain NARFE and its mission. We need
you to recruit new members on your own initiative. One of the most effective
ways to recruit is by word of mouth. This requires you to be aware of recruitment
opportunities that may cross your path. Remember that NARFE is an organization
of volunteers -- you are a potential volunteer and you can play an important and active role with Chapter 2339. I ask that you be on the lookout for those opportunities
to recruit new members and then act to recruit! The future of chapters and the benefits to NARFE members depend on
each of us. Working together to achieve our goal must be our motto if we are
to effectively deal with the challenges ahead of us. There is an absolute strength
in numbers; we will not be listened to and we certainly won’t be a voting block if our membership continues to diminish. I encourage you to reach out to fellow co-workers and to other retired federal employees you know. Provide them with the NARFE web page and strongly encourage them to find out more
about what NARFE is doing for them by visiting the NARFE web page, www.narfe.org. They can also contact Bob Warren or me and we will mail them a NARFE package.
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