MOAA Clearwater Chapter Volume XVI, Issue 5 Military Off icers Associat ion of Amer ica, Inc.

May 2018

• President’s Message 1

• Luncheon Speaker and

Luncheon News 2

• Board Meeting Minutes 3

• Chapter News and

Surviving Spouses 4

• MOAA News 5

• Chapter Photos 6

• Chapter Photos (Continued) 7

• Our Patriotic Advertisers 8

DRUMBEAT

Board Meeting May 9, 2018

Lunch Meeting May 23, 2018

Board Meeting June 13, 2018

Lunch Meeting None

Board Meeting July 11, 2018

Luncheon Meeting Jun 13

Lunch Meeting None

Board Meeting None

Lunch Meeting None

Clearwater Chapter

MOAA Membership

Total Members

Regular 73

Spouses 21

Surviving Spouses 30

Total 124

.

Thanks to the nearly 50 members and guests who attended our Spring Season

Ending BBQ

lunch event on May 24th. Your continued loyal participation makes it possible to

lineup engaging and enlightening speakers. A big thanks to Navy Captain (Ret)

Jim Facinelli, Senior Naval Science Instructor, Dunedin HS JROTC and Cadet Law-

rence Judd for their in-depth presentation of their award-winning program. Also,

thanks to one of our own, Monty Stokes, who provided a mission overview of the

Veterans Affairs Inspector General’s Office located at Bay Pines Medical Center

and answered questions from the membership.

Reminder: Our luncheon program will restart on September 28th. Be on the look-

out in our August Drumbeat for speaker and event information.

The chapter held its annual Charity Golf Event on May 19th at Eastlake Woodlands

Country Club. We had 39 players from all over the local area including the chap-

ter, the Clearwater Coast Guard Air Station, Vietnam Veterans of America, and

Eastlake Woodlands Country Club. A great day was had by ALL and approximately

$2400 was raised for our charitable fund that supports both Clearwater and Dun-

edin HS JROTC programs, Honor Flight, and the Clearwater Veterans Mall. Thanks

to Jim Patrick for leading this effort, and Norm Belson, Bob Behm, Shirley Apt and

new member, Howard McLymont for volunteering to support this important event.

Also, a BIG THANKS to those who contributed funds, though they could not play.

For those members departing the area over the summer, we wish you safe travels

and look forward to your return this fall. The board will continue to meet monthly

over the summer and we will continue to produce the Drumbeat as well as update

our website with important information for all.

Again, thanks to ALL of you who continue to SERVE our VETERANS and the COM-

MUNITIES where we live, and in MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE for May 2018 Drumbeat

Our April Luncheon had 38 members and guests in attendance.

Many of our “snowbirds” have headed north for the summer to

escape our Florida summers and hurricanes! Needless to say, we

wish them safe travels and look forward to their return in the fall.

Those in attendance were treated to Tony Williams presentation on

his efforts in training with the nonprofit VCV (Veterans Counseling

Veterans) program and provide emotional support and Professional

and Career Development for Veterans in the Behavioral Health Pro-

fession. His presentation was followed by a question and answer

session.

Dave Mason, our Chapter Photographer, was busy as always taking photographs of

the members enjoying the camaraderie.

REMINDER: Our upcoming May 23rd Luncheon will be the last event before we

break for the summer! There will be no functions held during the months of June,

July or August. We will resume our regular Luncheon schedule again beginning on

September 26th. The Drumbeat will continue to be published so please continue to

consult your newsletter to stay informed on what’s happening at Clearwater MOAA!

Our Scholarship Committee is in the process of interviewing a potential recipient for

this year’s scholarship, which will be presented to a Clearwater High School stand-

out. The recipient will be invited to attend our May Luncheon to be introduced to

the Chapter.

NORM

Members in our Prayers: Major USA (Ret) Ray Smyth, LTC

USA (Ret) Bill Slavins and Charlie Mason. Please keep our

MOAA Clearwater Chapter members, in our thoughts

prayers during their Recovery.

2

April Luncheon Speaker

Mr. David Seabrooks was born in Philadelphia Pa, Home of the Eagles, Flyers, Phillies, &

Sixers.

After faithfully serving his country with the US Army, David built a life for himself starting in

Colorado working with Toys R Us.

He transferred to the Florida market in 1998 and shortly after, in the year 2000, went into the banking industry.

David has been with Synovus Bank in banking since 2006 and today is a Licensed Relationship Banker w/ specialty in Fi-

nance, Lending and Insurance.

David has also served as Vice President and formerly President of the Civitan International Club Clearwater Chapter.

Today, in addition to his 5 kids, David will be welcoming his 1st Grandson in June and is looking forward to taking it easy when

Toys R Us closes!!

Mr. Seabrooks will be speaking on Banking and Finance in the 21st Century.

LUNCHEON NEWS

Wednesday April 25, 2018 MOAA Monthly Luncheon

Join us for Lunch at the Clearwater Country Club; 525 N Betty Lane, Clearwater. Directions: from

Drew Street turn North it’ll be the last right turn before the railroad tracks, from Palmetto Street

turn South it’ll be the first left after the tracks. COST: $20 per person. Please make check payable

to Clearwater Chapter MOAA . Meal selections (if reservation is NOT made 0n-line) are to be made

by calling Jane Belson: (727) 535-9151 NLT 12:00 May 18, 2018. Cancellations must be in NLT

12:00 Apr 21, 2018

You are encouraged to use the Chapter Web Site to make reservations and meal selections. NOTE: Use the “RSVP Event”

link to make reservations.

http://moaafl.org/Chapters/MOAAFLCWC/Default.aspx

MENU

Buffet:

Sandwich Rolls, Pulled Pork, BBQ Chicken, Coleslaw, Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Chef's Choice of Dessert

3

CLEARWATER CHAPTER MOAA/Board Meeting April 11 , 2018 Secretaries Minutes

CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order at 1000 Hrs. at the Clearwater Country Club by President Norm Belson.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:

Those present faced the flag and recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

IN ATTENDANCE:

Violet Smith; Stuart Brooks; Tom Cuba; Dave Apt; Pat Hughes; Norm Belson; Jane Belson; Steve Hodges; Jim Souders;

Howard McLymont. Robert Behm.

SECRETARY’s MINUTES OF 03/14/2018 BOARD MEETING: - Stuart Brooks

The minutes were reviewed, accepted & approved by those present.

TREASURER’S REPORT: - Norm Belson

Checking Account: $18,211.13

Charitable Account: $10,522.89

Total: $28,764.92

Reviewed and accepted by attendees.

March luncheon gained $1,032.00 while pay-out was $917.57; there was $114.43 profit.

50/50 contributions gained $5081.00 since beginning of the year.

MEMBERSHIP REPORT: – Rob Risberg (Not in attendance)

Total Voting Members = 124à4 less from last month (David Johnson, Sandra Lilo, Ray and Gretchen Smyth)

Regular Members = 73à 3 less from last month, 59% of total

Surviving Spouse Members = 21à no change, 17% of total

Spouse Members = 30 à1 less from last month, 24% of total

There will be a move of some number of current members to the Inactive rolls because of their failure to pay 2018 dues. This

action will be official after Norm's arrival to move.

The recent National MOAA database reflects our current leadership lineup but not members who are not National members

The FCoC web page is not yet updated with our new leadership lineup. Rob sent the Secretary and President of FCoC our lineup in

January and requested access to the web site so that he could make the updates directly. As of now, both actions show no

change.

SURVIVING SPOUSE/SPOUSE REPORT - Violet

There was a discussion about enhancing the women’s coffee experience and women recruitment.

MEMBERS IN DISTRESS REPORT:

Ray Smyth

Bill Slavins

Charlie Mason

SCHOLARSHIP REPORT – Steve Hodges

Committee to meet soon to Interview Candidates For Awards

Finalists for high school scholarships on 04/25/2018

Expansion of ROTC support and offering a medal?

DRUMBEAT REPORT: – Jim Souders

Discussed need for correct mailing list

Input for Drumbeat required by 04/25/2018

Picture in the Drumbeat are now the same sizes.

WEB REPORT – Tom Cuba

There were failures among recipients not opening sent email

Can now register on line

Mission Statement to be presented to Board?

OLD BUSINESS

Continue involving both Board & membership in recruiting new members and advertisers

Mention of contacting local free newspapers for monthly Luncheon announcement

Determining who are no longer members

NEW BUSINESS

Discuss attendance by any interested MOAA members to the FCOC Convention to be held at Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort, Fort

Meyers, FL 1-3 June 2018.

All future checks are to be cashed in a timely manner. Lost checks will not be recut. $35 charge for stop payment fee!

Howard McLymont discussed a plan for increasing advertising sponsorships. Further discussions were tabled for a future meeting.

? Statement re: MOAA (Clearwater)-what is offered by joining-tool for recruiting new members.

UPCOMING LUNCHEON SPEAKERS

April – Ellsworth “Tony” Williams Vets Helping Vets – suicide prevention

May – David Seabrooks - Synovus Bank, Licensed Banker, Combat Vet

With all business concluded, meeting was adjourned at 1200 hrs.

4

CHAPTER NEWS

TAMPA BAY 243RD US ARMY BRITHDAY CELEBRATION BALL

JUNE 9TH 6:00 p.m. HILTON TAMPA BAY DOWNTOWN

Registration open until June 1, 2018 $50 per person ($15 for currently serving E1- E6)

www.ausasuncoast.org

5th ANNUAL FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

WOMEN VETERANS CONFERENCE

JUNE 11 – 12, 2018

Open to all women who have served or are currently serving in the military

Palm Beach State College

4200 Congress Avenue, Lake Worth, FL 33451

Register Online at:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/state-of-florida-5th-annual-women-veterans-conference-tickets-31832410597

Quarterly Veterans Town Hall Scheduled for May 16 at VA Regional Office

The Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, in collaboration with the St. Petersburg VA Regional Office and Bay Pines National

Cemetery, will host a quarterly Veterans town hall meeting on Wednesday, May 16 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. The event

will take place at the St. Petersburg VA Regional Office in the atrium located on the second floor. Click here for driving direc-

tions and a campus map.

VA outreach services and special program representatives will also be available to assist Veterans beginning at 12:00 p.m.

and will remain available throughout the duration of the town hall. Services available will include VA health care enrollment

and eligibility; VA benefits and claims assistance; and patient advocate services. Veterans and their families, congressional

stakeholders, Veteran Service Organizations and other community partners are invited to attend. During the town hall, Bay Pines National Cemetery Director Eugenia Simmons will present on prearrangement opportuni-

ties. In addition, local VA leaders will provide updates on VA operations and improvement initiatives. Veterans and their fam-

ilies will have an opportunity to comment publicly about VA programs and services. This event is open to media. Media representatives interested in attending are encouraged to contact Jason Dangel, Public

Affairs Officer, Bay Pines VAHCS, at 727-398-9531 or email jason.dangel@va.gov prior to the event.

For updated information about the Veterans town hall meeting or to learn more about the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System,

please visit www.baypines.va.gov. To learn more about the St. Petersburg VA Regional Office, please vis-

it www.benefits.va.gov/stpetersburg.

Bay Pines Memorial Day Ceremony

The Bay Pines VA https://www.baypines.va.gov/BAYPINES/pressreleases/20180427.asp

will commemorate Memorial Day with a ceremony on Monday, May 28 at 10:00 a.m. at the

http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/baypines.asp

This is the only National Cemetery in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties and the largest observance of Memorial Day with

more than 4,000 expected attendees. Veterans, their families and friends, and the general public are invited to attend. Pri-

or to the ceremony, on Saturday, May 26, volunteers from the community will mark more than 35,000 graves at the ceme-

tery with U.S. flags to honor the men and women who served the Nation. https://www.baypines.va.gov/BAYPINES/

documents/PV_Guide.pdf

5

MOAA NEWS

Will Enrollment Fees for TRICARE for Life Be Next?

April 12, 2018

MOAA strongly objects to the introduction of any new fee for TFL beneficiaries.

Let your legislators hear your voice and send the suggested call to action to them today!

Many military beneficiaries are getting frustrated over unexpected and disproportional increases in their TRICARE service

fees. The fee changes have been implemented across just about every fee category. However, TRICARE for Life (TFL) benefi-

ciaries, a perennial target, are currently unscathed by the budget knife.

But just because DoD did not include any specific fees for TFL in its budget submission this year does not mean Congress will

not try to slip some new fees into the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) during the markup process.

As recently as last fall, Congress raised pharmacy fees for everyone. Those increases reduced the amount of the Survivor

Benefit Plan/Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (SBP/DIC) offset for military widows. Essentially, the dramatic in-

crease in pharmacy copayments is funding the reduction of SBP/DIC, also known as the widows tax. Compound these in-

creases with DoD's end run of all the other TRICARE fee increases, and well, you get the picture: Beneficiaries are funding

and offsetting their own earned benefits. And you can bet Congress will again look for money anywhere they can get it.

This is why MOAA is on guard to prevent any attempt to establish a new enrollment fee for TFL. TFL beneficiaries already pay

more for their health care coverage than any other uniformed service beneficiaries. And now they are paying much more for

their medications, too, and will continue to do so with the planned increases in the out-years.

Congress was thoughtful in its establishment of TFL, enacted in 2001, deeming it a commitment of a grateful nation. Before

TFL, TRICARE beneficiaries immediately lost their TRICARE coverage when they became Medicare eligible at age 65 (including

those who were Medicare-eligible due to disability). This positioned them at the same level of coverage as U.S. citizens who

had never served the full 20-plus year careers in the uniformed services. However, Congress recognized health care coverage

was an important benefit earned through decades of service and sacrifice - and one that should be sustained over the life-

time of the servicemember and their family.

TFL, which has no enrollment fee, was set up to be the second payer after Medicare pays first. To be eligible, individuals must

be TRICARE- and Medicare- eligible and have purchased Medicare Part B coverage. Out of all of the TRICARE benefit plans,

this one has been the most successful and is tremendously popular with the age-65-and-over beneficiary population.

The reality continues to be that personnel costs are not rising to be more than a third of DoD's budget. This has been con-

sistent for the past several decades. And more specifically, TFL's costs have actually decreased or flattened.

Arlington National Cemetery Eligibility Survey

As a military retiree, your input is requested to help determine the future of Arlington National Cemetery. Military and civilian leaders are

facing difficult decisions as they work to preserve Arlington National Cemetery as the shrine to the nation's heroes and history. With limited

space for expansion, eligibility rules are being considered to extend the site's role as an active military cemetery for decades to come.

https://survey.foreseeresults.com/survey/display?cid=EshUt0ZwxRE9xtVJtglx9g4C&sid=link-en

New Medicare cards protect your personal information

https://blog.medicare.gov/2018/01/25/new-medicare-cards-protect-personal-information/ Starting in April 2018, Medicare will mail new Medicare cards to all people with Medicare, to help protect you from identity fraud. Fraud-

sters are always looking for ways to get your Social Security Number so we’re removing Social Security Numbers from all Medicare cards to

make them safer.

6

CHAPTER PHOTOS MARCH LUNCHEON

Drumbeat Honorable Mention 2003

Drumbeat 2nd Runner Up 2007

Drumbeat 2nd Runner Up 2009

Outstanding Chapter

1992

Five Star Chapter

Thanks Dave Mason

for taking our event

You are encouraged to patronize our patriotic advertisers and to be sure to

mention you are an MOAA member. Please bring a copy of the advertise-

ment and show it to the manager. Also encourage your friends and family to

patronize them and to let them know you suggested it. Please send a testi-

monial about the establishment to the Drumbeat Editor at

jim_souders@hotmail.com to be included in the Drumbeat and show appre-

ciation for their support.

7

SALUTING OUR FINE PATRIOTIC ADVERTISERS

Phone No. Changed

to:: 727-470-5710

FRANKIE’S PATRIOT BBQ In Honor of CPL Frank R. Gross

Ad sponsored by Toni and Craig

Gross in memory of their son,

CPL Frank R. “Frankie” Gross,

who lost his life in Afghanistan,

7/16/2011.

http://frankiespatriotbbq.com/

Free Parking

Show your military ID

card and receive a 20%

discount on a facial.

https://www.paljoeyspizza.com/

http://www.seasearidersdunedin.com/

https://stores.perkinsrestaurants.com/us/fl/clearwater/2626-gulf-to-bay-blvd.html

Clearwater Perkins Restaurant welcomes you to come and enjoy a meal, open 24-7. Perkins Res-taurant is located at 2626 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd, Clear-water, FL-PH-727-799-2019. Stop by for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Wine and beer available upon request

8

www.clearwatermoaa.org

Military Officers of America (MOAA)

Clearwater Chapter

P. O. Box 15521

Clearwater, FL 33766-5521