The Senate’s biennium budget fails retirees
This budget fails retirees.
Public Service Week gets Governor Proclamation!
North Carolina’s Governor Roy Cooper issued a state proclamation announcing May 7-13, 2023 as #PublicServiceWeek.
NCRGEA Celebration of Public Service and Advocacy Day, scheduled for May 9, is now rescheduled for May 24.
NCRGEA was informed earlier today the legislators had made a calendar adjustment for next week. There will be no committee meetings until possibly the latter part of next week. For this reason, we are expecting a fair amount of the legislators to not be in the General Assembly Building next week as many will remain in their home districts.
What Do You Need to Do?
We want you to join us on May 24! Please register to attend on the 24th using this link: tinyurl.com/2p99fyy7. It is important to register so we get our lunch count correct.
What About Meeting with My Representatives?
Your advocacy work on this day will be so much more impactful if you take a moment to schedule your time with your representatives. You can find their contact information and the name of their legislative assistant here: https://rgea.info/advocacy/findmylegislator/. Please book (or re-book) appointments with your legislators for the new date of May 24. Please use the registration form at the link tinyurl.com/2p99fyy7 and fill in the name and time of your appointment with your Legislator so our NCRGEA Lobbyists can be aware and help us with follow up!
What if I Cannot Attend on May 24, but my legislator is still willing to meet me on May 9?
By all means, if you cannot make May 24 and your legislator is still available on May 9, you are welcome to keep your appointment. If you would like a member of the NCRGEA lobby team to join you on a May 9 visit, please email tim@rgea.info.
We thank you for your willingness to be an advocate for governmental retirees. We sincerely hope your schedule will allow you to participate in the Celebration of Public Service with us and your legislators on May 24! Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our office at 919.834.4652.
NCRGEA On the Road with Community Engagement Meetings
Good news! North Carolina Retired Governmental Employees’ Association’s Community Engagement Meetings are growing and Josephine Lanier, the Association’s Insurance Director and Human Resources Outreach Coordinator is on the road again and coming to a town near you!
Her latest meetings in Selma, New Bern, Franklin and Wilmington were well received with attendance at each meeting growing and lots of questions being asked and information on the needs of our members being passed to the leadership of the Association. Lanier believes that sharing information and programs thru social media, emails, and the Association’s website is important, the opportunity for face-to-face meetings is more important, especially to members who may not be using social media and computers.
“It’s so good to meet our members and public service retirees one-on-one and let them share their concerns,” said Lanier. “As one retiree in New Bern told me, she was so happy to attend the meeting and she now understands what NCRGEA is all about and how it champions for the Public Service Retirees.”
While the General Assembly is in session, and with several bills and issues being discussed and voted on, these meetings allow Lanier to update the retirees and field questions. Josephine believes that sharing information and programs thru social media, our website NCRGEA.com, Facebook and Twitter is very important, the opportunity for personal meetings are so very import to reach all our members — some who may not be using social media and computers.
In May and June, Lanier is ready to travel the highways and byways of North Carolina to meet more NCRGEA members and their guests. She has nine meetings scheduled.
May 16th – Tea and Cookies – 2:00pm-3:00pm
Currituck County Center
120 Community Way
Barco NC 27917
May 17th – Coffee and Donuts – 10:00am-11:00am
NC Cooperative Extension-Pasquotank County Center
1209 McPherson St
Elizabeth City NC 27909
May 18th – Coffee and Donuts – 11:00am-12pm
City of Rocky Mount Senior Center
427-S Church St
Rocky Mount NC 27804
May 23rd – Tea and Cookies – 2:00pm-3:00pm
Roy B Culler Senior Center
921 Eastchester Dr., Suite 1230
High Point NC 27262
May 24th – Coffee and Donuts – 10:00am-11:00am
Brown Recreation Center, Room 101
302 E. Vandalia Rd
Greensboro NC 27402
May 25th – Coffee and Donuts – 10:00am-11:00am
Kernodle Senior Center, Room A/B
1535 S Mebane St
Burlington NC 27215
June 6th – Tea and Cookies – 2:00pm-3:00pm
Cabarrus County Government, Milestone Facility
4855 Milestone Ave
Kannapolis NC 28081
June 7th – Tea and Cookies – 2:00pm-3:00 pm
The Enrichment Center of Lee County
1615 S. 3rd St
Sanford NC 27330
June 21st – Coffee and Donuts – 10:00am-11:00am
Passmore Center/Orange County Department on Aging
103 Meadowlands Dr.
Hillsborough NC 27278
If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Josephine@rgea.info or call the NCRGEA at 919-834-4652.
The Association would love for members to join us and encourages them to bring a friend who is a public service retiree. Refreshments are provided and a $25 gift card is given away at each meeting.
LGFCU extends the date of Independence
April 28, 2023
A message from CEO Dwayne Naylor
In recent months, we’ve heard from many of you about our plans to become an independent credit union, and our goal to build a better experience that meets your needs. We have carefully considered your thoughtful input, and your ideas about in-person service, cash management, and new products and services.
We’ve decided that we need more time to innovate, to ensure that you receive the exceptional service you deserve. So, instead of introducing our new Credit Union platform to members in March 2024, we have extended our timetable for independence from State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) to 2025. SECU is supporting us fully through this transition.
This will give us time to apply all that we’ve learned from those of you who attended our summits, Annual Meeting, and small group meetings we’ve hosted throughout the state, and the scores of you who reached out to us by phone and email.
Full story here: tinyurl.com/38xuz92x
NCRGEA attends Age-Friendly Ceremony!
Our NCRGEA Community Liaison, Deryl Fulmer, was proud to be part of the North Carolina Council on Aging (NCCOA) Proclamation program at the Governor’s Mansion this week! To learn how North Carolina will keep its status as an Age-Friendly State, read further at this link: tinyurl.com/55azbm3r
The North Carolina Retired Governmental Employees’ Association opposes Senate Bill 743
NCRGEA opposes Senate Bill 743.
Four Great Travel Tips for Older Americans
Travel can fill the soul and widen your horizons, but it also has many challenges. Particularly for older people and those with mobility or health issues, navigating multi-city and round-the-world (RTW) travel can be tricky. But it doesn’t have to be.
Here are four tips for staying comfortable – and healthy! – during multi-stop and long-haul flights, no matter what your age:
- Take the Complications Out of Connecting Flights
If you have connecting flights, the airports you choose to make connections in can make a big difference. The world’s biggest airports – like John F. Kennedy International in New York or Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are massive. That can mean dragging your carry-on across multiple terminals to make your next flight. Also, you need to be prepared to wait in long lines at security check-ins and passport control because the TSA tend to be stricter, and it may take longer. Plus, locations like Chicago O’Hare and Boston, where inclement weather are more prone to cause cancellations and delays, can affect when your plane arrives and if you’ll have enough time to make or even miss your connection. As much as you may be eager to minimize your wait time between flights, building in time to make your connection with a minimum of potential stress (particularly if you have mobility issues) is a smart decision. Four hours or so between flights should suffice.
- Stop Stressing & Add A Stopover
Travel may be exciting, but the same can’t be said for jet lag. The human body simply wasn’t designed to fly across multiple time zones in a short period. For children and travelers over 60, adjusting to a new time zone can be even more difficult. But there’s a simple – and fun! – solution to this problem. Add a stopover – especially if there is a big time zone difference to your ultimate destination. A day or two stopover can help your body deal with jetlag more effectively. Even better, you get to enjoy an additional location during your travels! If you have two long connecting flights back-to-back (for example, you’re visiting the Near East with a layover in Paris), book a stopover in the connecting city for at least a night. You’ll be so much more comfortable, and your travel photos will be that much more exciting!
- Move Around
No matter how comfortable any chair at the airport lounge or on the plane is, traveling is hard on the body. Be sure to get up, walk around, and stretch. To keep yourself from getting stiff or sore, before, during, and after your flights is important. Moving around and stretching throughout your flight and at airports between flights will also help you prevent any problems with deep vein thrombosis.
- Make an Investment in Safety and Security
Here’s a smart idea for travelers of all ages. Medical Air Services Association (MASA) has been providing life-saving emergency assistance for over thirty years. MASA can protect you from catastrophic financial loss when medical emergencies arise at home or while traveling. MASA will cover your ambulance or airlift, no matter your age or medical condition. Services are paid in full, with no deductibles, co-pays or dollar limits. MASA provides coverage 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your association and AMBA make getting a MASA plan easy. You can even sign up online. Learn more at www.ambamedtransport.com/NCRGEA or call 877-290-3170.
Who Was the First Woman Dentist?
Today, many prominent dental professionals are female. That wasn’t always the case. In fact, it wasn’t until 1866 that the first woman earned the title of Doctor of Dental Surgery. That honorific belongs to Lucy Beaman Hobbs, the very first licensed female dentist.
Becoming the First Woman Dentist
Hobbs was born in New York on March 14, 1833. When she was 12, she obtained a job as a seamstress to support her siblings. Four years later, she moved to Michigan and spent ten years as a teacher. During this time, she boarded with a physician and became interested in medicine.
In 1859, she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and applied to medical school at Eclectic Medical College. Hobbs was rejected because of her gender, but a teacher from Eclectic was impressed with her so let her study privately under his supervision. Eventually, they decided she should consider dentistry.
Hobbs applied to the Ohio College of Dentistry. Once again, she was rejected because she was a woman. She began a private program of study with a professor from the school, Jonathan Taft. Hobbs applied once more to the dentistry program and was refused admittance yet again. As a response, she opened her own office, allowing her to practice dentistry without having to obtain a diploma – a common practice at the time.
An Untraditional Path to a Degree
Hobbs opened her practice in 1861 in Iowa. Within three years, she had developed a strong reputation, and her dental office was profitable. In 1865, the Iowa State Dental Society let Hobbs become a member, stating, “The profession has nothing in its pursuits foreign to the instincts of women.”
In addition to admitting Hobbs to the organization, the Iowa State Dental Society convinced the Ohio College of Dental Surgery to open its doors to Hobbs and let her attend as a student. The College recognized her successful years of practice and only made her attend a single session. She graduated in 1866, becoming the first woman to become a licensed dentist.
Eventually, Hobbs began a dental practice in Chicago and married a Civil War veteran named James M. Taylor. Hobbs taught her husband dentistry and the two eventually created a practice together in Lawrence, Kansas.
Hobbs continued practicing dentistry throughout her life while also regularly participating in Women’s Right campaigns. She was still practicing dentistry at the time of her death at age 77.
The Legacy of Lucy Hobbs Taylor
In 1983, the American Association of Women Dentists honored her by establishing the Lucy Hobbs Taylor Award. The award is presented annually to AAWD members in recognition of professional excellence and achievements in advancing the role of women in dentistry.
Today, there are tens of thousands of excellent female dental professionals. Many are in-network with the Dental Plan available from NCRGEA and AMBA. This plan covers everything from routine checkups and cleanings to procedures like fillings, crowns, dentures, and more. Best of all, our Dental Plan coverage begins right away, with NO WAITING PERIOD. Sign up now at www.AMBAdentalvision.com/NCRGEA or call 866-979-0497.
Source: https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/this-week-in-women-s-history-first-american-woman-dentist/
NCRGEA Spring Conference 2023
In Flat Rock/ Hendersonville at Blue Ridge Community College and remarks from Board President Mike Taylor!
So glad our sponsors are able to be here in attendance and provide our members with great information and trinkets to take home! Lots of great education occurring here!