The Red Pencil 
The Newsletter of Watauga County Retired School Personnel
Vol.XV, No.4, March 2013
March Meeting
Noon, Thursday, March 21, 2013
Deerfield Methodist Church
Cost per meal is $10, check payable to
Watauga Unit, NCRSP
Program: Watauga County Sheriff Len Hagaman will be speaking with us about scams, flim-flams, and other nastiness we should learn to avoid. This program is one you will not want to miss – and you may want to bring a pad and pencil and take notes!
Bring as much non-perishable food as you can manage for the Hunger Coalition. Powdered milk, cans of soup, oatmeal and pasta products, canned fruit and vegetables, ANYTHING non-perishable, will be acceptable. And plastic bags. And Box Tops for Education. And individual servings of food such as crackers or fruit or mac and cheese for the backpacks our county’s hungry children take home over the weekends.
Do NOT bring medicine bottles, please. We’ve learned that the Hunger Coalition must spend more on cotton to stuff into the bottles than on the purchase of the bottles themselves; therefore, we’re costing them money they could put to good use. Recycle those bottles, please.
And bring yourself, of course.
Very important note: If your caller has not phoned you by the 16st of March, call your caller if you plan to attend. If you change your mind at the last minute about attending, call Margaret Sigmon at 264-2036 immediately and come ahead! As usual, Margaret thanks her team of callers who generously volunteer their time doing important work for our organization.
AND remember: After our lunch, you will be able to purchase a second meal to take home for $5. As good as George’s food is, imagine how much you’ll enjoy sharing with a friend or spouse or having your own dinner already prepared! Let one of your officers know as quickly as you can at the meeting so that your meal will be ready for you to take home.
Sometimes we are so busy doing things, we forget to stop and realize that we are doing them.
I recently attended a meeting of the District 3 NCRSP Board in Taylorsville. One of the standing agenda items is for local unit presidents to report on unit’s activities and programs. I had written up a brief summary, but as I started to read down the list, it amazed and delighted me to realize just how active we are.
According to the statistics from the state office, District 3 is at the top as to efforts to recruit and maintain membership. I can't help believing that part of that fact is a result of our retirees are doing so much more than just meeting and eating. (Not that there's anything wrong with that!)
We still have more slots available for delegates to the State NCRSP Convention on March 19 and 20. Please let Dot Barker or me know if you would be interested.
See you on the 21st!
From the Patting-Ourselves-on-the-Back Department AGAIN: In all of North Carolina, our District 3 was the very best this past year in retaining members. Considering the difficulties we faced, we can be really proud!
In Memoriam
The Watauga Unit of NCRSP extends its sympathy to the families and friends of Helen Trexler, who died on January 10, 2013. In her memory, we have made a contribution to the Watauga Unit Scholarship Fund.
The ways by which we communicate are changing. Don’t be left behind!
Our program topic this month is the ways no-goods can take advantage of us. Because of our age, we are particularly vulnerable to scams because we are of the generation taught to be polite no matter what. We may suspect that someone is trying to take advantage of us on the phone or in a public place, but we’ve been conditioned to listen politely until the other person stops speaking and to reply in a civil manner. For our friends and family, that’s an attitude that works; unfortunately, it works just as well for the crooks. We need to learn to say “No,” politely but firmly and to hang up the phone or walk away from a pleading conversation.
Another way we can protect ourselves is to follow the technical advice below. NEVER send an email with multiple visible addresses. NEVER. You’re significantly increasing the possibility that a scammer/phisher with a computer and a nosy program will snatch your address and those of all your friends and begin to bombard you with emails you don’t want. If someone sends you a message you wish to share, remember to erase all recipient addresses before you hit Forward.
Thanks for helping to make the internet safer for all of us!
Volunteering is Easy – We Do It All the Time!
Don’t forget to be keeping up with your volunteer hours!
Save the Earth/Engage Your Community
