May 2013 Red Pencil

 

Before we get to the newsletter, let me reiterate the plea for proctors for EOCs and end-of-year tests in all our schools.  Guidance counselors in our schools are truly desperate for proctors and we’re an excellent source of person-power for them.  We know what schools sound and smell and feel like, we know instinctively when something isn’t quite right or when it is, we have an innate knowledge of the testing process – let’s face it, we’re PERFECT for the job!  Please, please, please call the high school or the elementary school for which you have a geographical or professional preference and volunteer to help.

 

 

The Red Pencil          

Newsletter of Watauga County Retired School Personnel

 

Vol.XV, No.5 May 2013____________________________________________ntn1066@hotmail.com___

 

 

May Meeting

 

           When:         Thursday, 16 May 2013   

           Where:       Deerfield Methodist Church

           How much:   $10, check payable to Watauga County NCRSP

                  What:        Annual presentation of scholarship

                              Memorial service

                             

                             

                             

Please bring any food staples you wish, especially powdered milk, canned soups, and cereals.  Bring the aluminum tabs from soda cans, pet food cans, and soup cans; they go to help the Ronald McDonald Houses.  If you can manage it, include a bag of cat or dog food for our four-legged friends at the Humane Society.

 

If your caller has not contacted you by the 11th of May, call Margaret Sigmon at 264-2036 or email her at margaretsigmon@bellsouth.net.  Please understand that an accurate accounting of our attendees is extremely important, since that is the number of people for whom George will cook.  Callers make every effort to reach all the names on their lists, but you can help by responding to your caller or by notifying Margaret.

 

In a practice we began several years ago, we will have meals for sale for $5 after our meeting if we have enough food to do so.  If you are having guests or eating alone for dinner or just love George’s wonderful food, place your order as you arrive or stay for a few moments after the meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President’s Message

 

Our May meeting is almost upon us and I can't believe another year has passed!  Is it possible that I may have missed a month or two?

 

I've resisted the urge to plant so far.  We all know what happens in these mountains when we give in to the false hope of an "early" spring, but now I'm really ready to get my hands dirty.

 

When we think about NCRSP, our membership is our garden.   We will not have the official list of the newly retired teachers by our next meeting, but if you know of colleagues who may be retiring soon or are already retired but not  yet part of our unit, please consider reaching out to them yourself.  We can send the letters and invitations, but it is often that personal contact from a friend that can make the difference.  

 

As retirees, our experience and dedication afford us the ability and opportunity to give back to the community and to help each other along the way.  That same experience can also tempt us into disappointment and disillusionment as we see the very foundation of the educational system we worked so hard to improve being undermined.   At such times, I try to remember and adopt the attitude of Voltaire's Candide, who, after witnessing and experiencing almost insurmountable hardship, simply responded with "we must cultivate our garden.”  Let’s all get our hands wonderfully dirty!

 

See you on the 16th!

                                                                                                                                       Bill Winkler

 

 

RETIREMENT ALERT:

 

Every year some of our active colleagues become our retired colleagues and that’s when we’re pleased to encourage them to join us in NCRSP.  If you know of folks who are retiring this year, please give their names to Barbara or Roland Moy, 264-8811, or Dot Barker, 264-3621, for a formal invitation and then issue a personal invitation for them to come to our August breakfast with you.  Remember that their first meal with us is free.

 

The simple and best truth is that everyone in our organization is on the Membership Committee and we are the first line of recruitment.

 

Important Bits and Pieces:

 

Our memorial service in May will honor two members of our chapter who have died this year, Mary Graham and  Helen Trexler.

 

Please remember to keep up with your volunteer hours.  At a time when our membership and our mission are being challenged by the state legislature, explaining the value of our contributions to the community is more important than ever.

                                                                                                                              3

A special birthday notice:  Lee Stroupe’s mother, Helen Holubek, is celebrating her 90^th birthday on May 24.  Perhaps you’d like to send a card to Helen Holubek, 326 Woodland Dr., Boone NC 28607.

 

For your calendar:  As of right now, the 2013-2014 school year begins in Watauga County on Monday, August 19.  Mark your calendar now and plan to attend our annual breakfast meeting at 9A on that date.  Note that the school calendar is a matter of statewide debate at this time and the beginning of school may change.  We will all be notified in plenty of time to make appropriate arrangements.

 

All the schools in Watauga County will need more proctors than ever this spring for end-of-course tests.  If you can give three hours or so to a school near you in early June, please phone the school to see how you can help. 

 

Don’t forget to make regular visits to our blogspot at http://wcrsp.blogspot.com/  for the latest local news about your NCRSP chapter, and go to www.ncae.org to sign up for daily political briefings about legislation that affects retired school personnel.  Other helpful sites include www.ncrsp.org for our NC Retired School Personnel and www.ncga.state.nc.us/ for the NC General Assembly.  To share news of our own unit activities and members, please get in touch with Nanci Tolbert Nance, ntn@skybest.com or 828.963-8892.

 

 

 

A small chuckle:

           

A silver-haired lady called her neighbor and said, “Please come over here and help me.  I have a killer jigsaw puzzle and I can’t figure out how to get started.”

 

The neighbor asked, “What is it supposed to be when it’s finished?”

 

“Well, according to the picture on the box, it’s a rooster.”

 

The neighbor arrived shortly and the little lady showed him where she had the puzzle spread all over the table.  He studied it carefully for a few moments, looked at the box, and said, “First, no matter what we do, we’re not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything that looks like a rooster.  Second, I want you to relax.  Let’s have a nice cup of tea.

 

“And then,” he said with a deep sigh ……

 

“We’ll put all the corn flakes back in the box

The March Red Pencil-- Noon Meeting March 21st

The Red Pencil    

The Newsletter of Watauga County Retired School Personnel

Vol.XV, No.4, March 2013

Nanci Tolbert Nance, editor______________________            ___ntn1066@hotmail.com__          963-8892

 

 

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 16^st 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.

 

President’s Message

 

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 21^st!

                                                                                    Bill Winkler

 

 

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.

Please be a good internet friend and don't forward, leave, or include unnecessary addresses anywhere in messages to people who don't need it or don't know each other.  *Respect individual privacy.  *ALWAYS use Bcc when sending to multiple addresses.  *Judiciously choose forwards, deleting sender and all prior email addresses from them.  *Remember to copy and paste into an entirely new email to send Bcc.  *Do not forward emails as attachments.  *Do not forward a story or dire warning until you check www.snopes.com.

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

 

On March 23, Saturday, hundreds of millions of people will turn off their lights for one hour in a huge, symbolic show of support for our planet.  From Las Vegas to New Delhi, cities around the world will come together to stand up for the one thing that unites us all – our planet.  As we face increasingly extreme weather and as climate change worsens, we need to do our part to bring attention to this issue.  Turn off your lights for an hour, 8:30-9:30P, on Saturday, March 23.

December Red Pencil

The Red Pencil

Newsletter of Watauga County Retired School Personnel

Vol.X, No.3 December 2012___________________________________________ntn1066@hotmail.com

December Meeting

Noon, Thursday, December 20, 2012

Deerfield Methodist Church

Cost per meal is $10, payable to Watauga Unit, NCRSP

Program: Entertainment from the Native Sons Band: Jimmy Higgins, Barney Hodgson, Jack Lawrence, Gary Waters, and Larry Richardson

To make your reservation: Just let your caller know that you will attend. IF YOUR CALLER HASN’T CALLED BY SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, PLEASE PHONE MARGARET AT 264-2036.” SHE MUST REPORT BY THE 18^TH SO THAT GEORGE CAN ORDER THE FOOD FOR US.

To bring: as much non-perishable food as you can for the Health and Hunger Coalition. Powdered milk, soup, oatmeal, pasta products, canned fruit and vegetables, ANYthing non-perishable will be acceptable. Did you know that more than 400 children receive food on Fridays to feed themselves during the weekend? PLEASE help.

Note, please, that the Health and Hunger Coalition is the central agency which responds to requests from the Department of Social Services, OASIS, Hospitality House, Ram’s Rack, and the Watauga County Schools (when referred by a social worker). Clients are allowed to pick up supplies every l4 days, produce once a week and take-out meals daily.

Also to bring: a new or gently read children’s book for distribution to the children in this county through the Santa’s Toy Box Program. DO NOT bring books that have been marked in. We’re honoring the legacy of Dr. Seuss and the Read Across America program he loved. On that subject, if you would like to volunteer to read to kids, select an appropriate volume, put the first week of March on your calendar, and call your favorite elementary school – AND, AND, AND –

all your loose change, of course.

DON’T FORGET: 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!

President’s Message

I have a confession. I am one of the people who did not turn in my volunteer time to Eula Mae last year. I didn't intend to neglect it, but I was sure it was going to take a long time to do, so I just kept putting it off. Determined to do better this year, I realized that once I started, it didn't take long at all. It seemed that everything I wrote down reminded me of something else and before I knew it, I had a respectable list. Sure, I probably forgot something, but what really matters is that I will have something to bring to the meeting. If I remember something else, I can always send that in too. I hope all of you will join me in remembering and reporting volunteer hours. I'm sure that once you start, you'll be surprised at just how many things you do that can be considered volunteer activities. Let's let the rest of the state know how active our members really are!

On a more personal note, please accept my sincere gratitude for your support and prayers following the death of my father. I have much for which to be thankful, and your friendship ranks high on that list.

I hope your holiday season is happy and safe, and I look forward to our fellowship on December 20.

William R. (Billy Ralph) Winkler

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our People in the News

For a group of retired folks, we’re really, really, REALLY active. We deliver Meals on Wheels, volunteer in the nursing homes, mentor students in the schools, work in political campaigns, lead civic organizations, “kitty-sit” and “puppy-sit” at the Humane Society, make blankets and quilts for young children, visit folks in the hospital, and take on another hundred labors of love in Watauga County. This month we’re congratulating R.G. Shipley, who spoke at the Veterans’ Day observance in the Boone Mall and Arvil Sale, who has been given the “Big Kid Award” in honor of his unparalleled service to the Boy Scouts of America in our area.

If you hear of something wonderful one of our members has done or is doing, please call up ntn1066@hotmail.com and tell me.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Holiday Recipe: Snowman Soup (Instant Hot Chocolate Mix)

1 box instant powdered milk (The size that makes 8 quarts)

1 6-ounce jar powdered coffee creamer

1 2-pound box Nestle’s Quik

1 pound powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together in large container. Store in sealed container until ready to use. To make hot cocoa, fill mug 1/3 full with mix and add hot water, stir. Makes at least 45 servings!

AS GIFTS, package 1/3 cp mix in a small Ziploc with miniature candy cane, ten miniature marshmallows, and two chocolate kisses and tag with instructions. EASY!

(Thank you, Christy at Southern Plate!)

M embership Matters!

Membership is a topic that just won’t go away, and it shouldn’t. We need every single member we can attract and we need new and present members to be aware of the benefits of their membership and participation. If you know of retired educators who could benefit from membership in NCRSP, please call Roland or Barbara Moy.

Community Participation

Eula Mae Fox

We are participants in the Gold Star Local Program and really need your help to reach our goal. We will do that by continuing our involvement in anti-bullying activities in this county, by having at least 50% of our members reporting their volunteer hours, and by seeing that a certain percentage of those volunteer hours are spent in education. The goal is eminently reachable, especially since we all know of NCRSP members who are reading mentors and tutors and “volunteer grandparents” in the schools and at the library.

Now is no time to be modest, because modesty gets us nowhere, and reporting your volunteer hours isn’t bragging since you’re just stating facts.

You’ll find a Volunteer Hours form with this newsletter and we’ll bring several extras to the meeting. Bring your completed form to the December meeting or mail it to Eula Mae Fox, 199 Watauga Dr., Boone NC 28607, by December 31, please; this little task is IMPORTANT!

If you have questions about your current health and prescription services, call 1-877-680-4882, the Express Script Medicare Customer Service Department.

Important Scheduling Notice

If our December meeting is snowed out, as it has been in years past, we will meet on the third Thursday in February. That’s the 21^st of February. YOU WILL RECEIVE LOTS OF REMINDERS.

Dues Information

From our State Office: “Any member still on payroll deduction will need to make a decision on switching to either EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer) or Cash Pay by December 15 to ensure his/her continuing membership with NCRSP.” If you have switched to credit card or bankdraft since October 1, please notify Dot at 264-3621 so that our records will be correct.

NCRSP Community Participation - Volunteer Hours 2011

Name _____________________________

Category

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Total

Education

Other

Total Hours in All Categories ________

Blatantly snitched because I heartily agree:

*Please be a good internet friend and don't forward, leave, or include my email address anywhere in messages to people who don't need it or don't know me. *Respect individual privacy. *ALWAYS use Bcc when sending to multiple addresses. * Judiciously choose forwards, deleting sender and all prior email addresses from them. *Remember to copy and paste into an entirely new email to send Bcc. *Do not forward emails as attachments. *Do not forward a story or dire warning until you check www.snopes.com.

Thanks for helping to make the internet safer for all of us

Pics from our October Meeting

Dr Kafitz will be our featured speaker

On July, 1, 2012, Dr. David Kafitz became the Superintendent of Watauga County Schools. A career educator of sixteen years, Dr. Kafitz has worked in many capacities prior to this appointment. He began his career in education teaching 5th grade at West Buncombe Elementary School in Buncombe County Schools, served as a Teacher on Loan to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and worked as an Assistant Principal at A.C. Reynolds Middle School in Buncombe County Schools and at McKee Road Elementary School in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Dr. Kafitz opened New Town Elementary School as Principal and also served as the Directory of Technology Services for Union County Public Schools. Prior to accepting the appointment as Superintendent, Dr. Kafitz returned to the principalship at East Elementary School in Union County Public Schools. Dr. Kafitz is a graduate of the University of South Carolina where he earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration with a double major in finance and management. He earned his credential to teach by attending the University of North Carolina - Asheville. Dr. Kafitz went on to earn a Master of Arts in Education degree specializing in Elementary Education from Western Carolina University. In preparation for working in education administration, Dr. Kafitz went on to complete his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership degree from Western Carolina University. Throughout his career, Dr. Kafitz has worked to integrate digital tools into the teaching and learning process for students. He has had projects featured in the local media, presented at technology conferences and symposiums, and participated in state technology initiatives. His work in other school systems included planning and launching the largest 1:1 computing initiative in the state of North Carolina. Dr. Kafitz has served on the K-12 Education Advisory Council for Dell, In., and annually attends the Digital Education Leadership Conference sponsored by the Center for Digital Education (an invitation only event of educators from across the United States) to provide input into and discuss future trends in education technology.

October Red Pencil

The Red Pencil Newsletter of Watauga County Retired School Personnel Vol.XV, No.2 October 2012 ntn1066@hotmail.com October Meeting When: Thursday, October 18, NOON, $10, check made payable to Watauga County NCRSP Where: Deerfield Methodist Church Why: To share time with each other AND to hear from new Watauga County Superintendent of Education, Dr. David Kafitz. Please come! With:non-perishable food for the Hunger Coalition, plastic bags of all sizes, aluminum can-tabs (NOT the cans) for Ronald McDonald House and Box Tops for Education, all the lovely, noisy, loose change you’ve been collecting for the Scholarship Fund, and an extra $5 for raffle tickets for one of Janice Burns’ extraordinary coconut pound cakes NO medicine bottles!!!!! Not this time. Nope, nada. Next time, maybe. If your caller has not reached you by October 13, phone Margaret Sigmon, 264-2036, to make your reservation. Remember that we’ll be selling take-home meals for $5. If your medicine cabinet is in much need of cleaning out and you missed the day we were supposed to turn in old medicine here in Boone, bring your outdated or unused medicine to our meeting so that it can be disposed of properly. Polluting our water and landfills is not what we want to do. In Memoriam The members of the Watauga Unit of North Carolina Retired School Personnel send their deepest sympathy to Martha Graham and Minnie Snead on the death in August of their sister and our fellow NCRSP member Mary Graham. In her memory, we have made a gift to the Scholarship Fund. If you would like to remember or honor a friend or colleague in this way, please give your check to Dot Barker along with the name of the person for whom you are contributing. LISTEN UP!!! OK, that was shouting and I know shouting isn’t polite. On the other hand, I really need your attention. The Red Pencil is only as useful to you as you allow it to be. In a world filled with “stuff” bombarding all of us all the time, information overload is not just possible; it’s well nigh unavoidable. Our little newsletter, however, can’t become just another piece of flotsam and jetsam in your life. You can’t let it. News about our programs and our schedules and activities is in here. A message from our unit president is in here. Business matters like the budget on which we’ll all have to vote are in here. What to bring to meetings, whether or not Janice has made another of her legendary cakes for auction, Eula Mae’s latest news about volunteer opportunities, even brief book recommendations are in here, and it’s all important. Please take the time to read this newsletter, and if you have comments to make about it or news you want to share through it, get in touch with Nanci Tolbert Nance, ntn@skybest.com or 828.963-8892. The Book Nook, a corner in which our members recommend a good book for you. After more than twenty years, Harold Fry receives a letter from an old colleague. It says simply that she has cancer and just wants him to know. Harold attempts to write a warm reply that ultimately amounts only to “I’m thinking of you and wish you well,” and leaves his simple English cottage and his simple English wife behind when he walks to the nearest mailbox. At the mailbox, he finds the letter won’t leave his hand – and it stays with him as he walks from mailbox to mailbox, until he realizes that he is really meant to be walking the 300 miles to his dying correspondent. In fact, he realizes – or comes to believe – that she will live so long as she knows that he is making a pilgrimage to her bedside. This novel is magical. A first work, it has been shortlisted for the Man-Booker Prize, England’s most prestigious literary award. I promise that it will transport you to a new and different and truly inspiring world. ntn President’s Message Dear Friends, Autumn is here at last with slashes of blazing colors beginning to adorn the hillsides. Simultaneously, other less appealing embellishments decorate the roadsides as thousands of political campaign posters have sprouted like weeds. (None of mine this time!) As annoying as they are, the signs can serve as a reminder not to sit this one out. There is just too much on the line, both for us as retirees and for those who are still in the trenches. An election can be decided as much by those who stay at home as by those who vote. Please remember to be keeping a record of your volunteer hours. I was one of the guilty ones last year and did not turn mine in. I promise to do better and encourage you to do the same. I will miss the upcoming meeting as I will be attending the wedding of my nephew. Many thanks to Lee for stepping in. I'll look forward to seeing you all BR Winkler NCRSP District Meeting Our district meeting is scheduled for West Jefferson on October 19 at the First Methodist Church. We’d like to be VERY well represented. If you can attend (and imagine how glorious the ride up 221 will be!), please call Dot Barker immediately at 264-3621. The Importance of Membership Rep. Tillis’ plan to make joining NCRSP difficult and thereby cut into our membership numbers is working, unfortunately, and we have lost several of our number to the increasingly complicated process of paying dues. You know how important this organization is and how much good NCAE, NEA, NEA-R, and NCRSP have done for you throughout your career and how valuable your membership and participation are to all of us. If you have not renewed your membership in the Watauga Unit of NCRSP for this year, you will find the amount of your dues in the upper right corner of the mailing label on this newsletter. Your Horace Mann Accidental Death Insurance policy will end on October 31 if you do not renew your membership by that time. If you are newly retired and have not joined yet, please make your decision now to join this vital organization. You need us, and we need you, too! In fact, we need every retired educator to be on our membership roster in order to strengthen our position as advocates for retaining and improving benefits for all retired school personnel in this state. Together, we have strength. You can pay your dues at our October meeting or mail them to Dot Barker, 451 Poplar Hill Dr., Boone, NC 28607. If you are a new retiree, your dues are $111 and can be paid by check or you can join by bank draft or credit card. If you plan to join by bank draft, bring a voided check with you. Both forms will be available at the meeting. If you have questions, please call Dot at 264-3621 or Barbara or Roland Moy at 264-8811. Heros in the making--Our Newest members The Watauga Unit of NC Retired School Personnel is delighted to welcome these new and nearly-new retirees. We’re happy to have you! Sharon Farthing Barbara Kinsey Kathy Moorman Ala Sue Moretz Jo Sorrell If you know of retired school persons who would benefit from membership in our organization, and wouldn’t they all, please invite them to attend the next meeting with you. From our Community Participation Chair: Now let me remind you again of our goals that 50% of our members report their volunteer hours and that 25% of those hours be in some kind of educational effort. I know you are out there doing many acts of kindness and selflessness; please be diligent in recording them. Eula Mae Fox stuff you don’t know but should This month: all about cucumbers 1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day. Just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. 2. Feeling tired in the afternoon? Put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins and carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours. 3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance. 4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area. 5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes. The phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles, too. 6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins, and electrolytes to replenish lost essential nutrients, keeping everything in equilibrium and avoiding both a hangover and headache. 7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries by European trappers, traders, and explorers for quick meals to thwart starvation. 8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe. Its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water. 9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Rub a slice of cucumber along the problematic hinge, and, voila, the squeak is gone! 10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water. The chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams. 11. Just finish a lunch with friends and realize you don't have gum or mints? Press a slice of cucumber to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds. The photochemicals will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath. 12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean. It will remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine and it won't leave streaks or harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean. 13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing. This method also works great on crayons and markers that the grandchildren have used to decorate the walls!! We will be voting to approve this budget at our October meeting. Watauga Unit of NCRSP Proposed Budget for 2012 - 2013 Income Local dues based on 80 members @ $8.00 640.00 Local dues based on 45 members @ $10.00 450.00 Total dues income 1090.00 Other estimated income 400.00 1490.00 Expenses Newsletter printing (5 @ $100.00) 500.00 Other printing 25.00 Postage for newsletter (5 @ $70.00)325.00 Other postage supplies 25.00 Total printing,post and supplies 875.00 Officers’ expenses State Convention 300.00 Workshops,etc. 100.00 Total Officers’expenses 400.00 Miscellaneous (Memorials, gifts, TLC) 150.00 Committee Expenses 65.00 Total Miscellaneous 215.00 Total Expenses 1490.00 You will notice that Scholarship Fund is never in our budget, because dues cannot be used for scholarships and our scholarship is funded entirely by donations. Please be generous with your donations for scholarship, with your major donation, and with your change in the little watering cans on the tables at our lunches. This past May we awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Seth Moody and he is now a student at ASU. We want to be able to do this every year. IN OUR MAILBOX: Our unit has received a most kind letter from the public information director of the Watauga County Schools thanking us for our August contribution of school supplies. You’ll find a copy of Mr. Ashcraft’s letter in your email box and someone will read the letter at our October meeting. Keeping Up with the Computer Age 1.Remember to check our local blogspot, http://wcrsp.blogspot.com/, for the latest issue of The Red Pencil, photos of the most recent meeting, news of the members, and links to important information. 2. Go to www.ncrsp.org for legislative updates, information about NC retirement, supplemental insurance, and lots of retirement links. 3. Send a quick note to your humble editor, Nanci Tolbert Nance, at ntn@skybest.com to insure that you receive The Red Pencil by email and save our unit more than $5 per year for your subscription. 4. And just for fun (and to keep up with what’s going on around here), try www.resortcams.com and scroll down to see all the places that have live video cameras operating all the time. You’ll be able to see the fog roll through Main Street in Blowing Rock or watch folks shopping on King Street in Boone and even catch a glimpse of a child or grandchild on the sand in Myrtle Beach!