may nl gswmain2cmay11finweb

8/6/2019 May Nl Gswmain2cmay11finweb

1/24

NEWSLETTER

UNITED WE STAND TO WIN, DIVIDED WE FALL - AND ARE FORGOTTEN

May 2011 Vol. 56 No. 2 P.O. Box 361986Birmingham, AL 35236 Editor Corinna Gibson-Ashmead

Gold Star Wives of America, Inc.

A nonprofit national military widows service organization chartered by the United States Congress

...continued on page 2

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

2011 Goldstar Wives National Ballot .........Page 13

Around The Country ........................... Page 17

Board Chairmans Report ..................... Page 2

Candidates for National Officers .............Page 10

Candidates for Board of Directors ............Page 11

From the Editor ................................ Page 2

From Your Supply Officer ......................Page 23

Government Relations Report ................ Page 3

Parliamentarians Chat Room .................Page 20

Meet Me in St. Louis ........................... Page 9

Region Updates ................................. Page 18

Service Officer ..................................Page 15

Special Events ...................................Page 21

Thank You ........................................Page 23

VAVS Notes ...................................... Page 22

Widow to Widow ................................Page 16

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

This is my last letter to you as National President. My term

PURPOSES

nation.


2/24

PAGE 2

www.goldstarwives.o

BOARD CHAIRMANS

REPORT

FROM THE EDITOR

ATTENTIONALL

TREASURERS


3/24

PAGE 3

www.goldstarwives.o

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

COMMITTEE REPORTVivianne Wersel, Au.D.

Gold Star Wives Day:

th

th


4/24

PAGE 4

www.goldstarwives.o

HEARINGS

Color the Hill Gold:

th

DIC:

SBP/DIC Offset


5/24

PAGE 5

www.goldstarwives.o

The purpose of DI

is an indemnity payable to survivors when a milita

member dies as a result of a service-connected cause

The purpose of SBP is to insure that a portion

the military members retirement will be provided to th

surviving widow after the military members death.

Two different plans, two very different purposes, on

paid by retiree premiums or an active duty milita

members life and the other paid by the Department

Veterans Affairs.

military member has died.



6/24

PAGE 6

www.goldstarwives.o


7/24

PAGE 7

www.goldstarwives.o

than death.

EDUCATION BENEFITS



8/24

PAGE 8

www.goldstarwives.o

REMARRIAGE AT AGE 55

CHAMPVA DENTAL AND VISION INSURANCE

PLANS

OTHER ISSUES

death.

* * * * * *


9/24

PAGE 9

www.goldstarwives.o

Meet Me in St Louis

Have you sent in your registration for National Convention in St Louis Augu

3 7 yet? If not, here is some more information for your choices.

Wednesday evening at the Welcome Hospitality, Gladys Coggswell, Missourimaster storyteller will perform at 7:00 p.m. Her stories are drawn from her life experience and those sh

has met throughout Missouri and her home state of New Jersey. The cost for the hospitality is $18.00 an

requires a ticket to attend. You wont want to miss one of the stars of our convention.

On Friday evening, August 5, we have an optional evening. You can chose to go on the Skyline Dinner Cruis

Experience the beauty of the St. Louis skyline as you can cruise and dine on the Mississippi River aboar

a replica of a 19th century paddle-wheeler, from 6pm-10pm. The fee includes bus transportation, cruis

and dinner at a cost of $62 per person adult, $41 for children age 3 12. To make plans for this event vis

http://discover-stlouis.com/GoldStarWives.html or call 1-800-628-3093.

Post Convention Tours: Interested in one, two or three days of post-convention tours? We have an afternoo

evening tour of St. Louis on Sunday, August 7; Hannibal and Clarksville on Monday, August 8; and Kimmswic

on Tuesday, August 9. Discover St Louis is hosting the tours. Their contact information is http://discove

stlouis.com/GoldStarWives.html or 1-800-628-3093. Be sure to extend your hotel reservations if you a

planning on going on the tours.

Child care is being offered by Seeking Sitters in the hotel. We are asking for registration by July 10 to he

in planning. We want to provide the best possible care for children attending the convention. Contact Jam

Tomek (below) if you have questions, etc.

Saturday evening will include entertainment by musician Steve Sanderson, our own Ruth Miller and th

installation of officers for the upcoming year.

The St. Louis Lambert Airport is operating at 100% after being hit by a tornado on Good Friday. There

plywood in the windows, but the runway and gates are operational. The hotel for our convention is ful

intact. There was a glitch with hotel reservations because more of us are staying over Sunday night than ha

been anticipated. If you have had trouble with reservations, please try again. http://www.starwoodmeetin

com/Book/goldstarwives or call 314-878-1500. Dont forget to mention Gold Star Wives for our special rat

$99 per night. Our hotel is located in the Westport Plaza area of St. Louis. Those attending convention ma

enjoy over 18 restaurants, entertainment venues and specialty retail businesses. westportstl.com The Sherato

Westport Chalet Hotel offers airport shuttles every half hour during normal airport hours. Go to the shuttstop exit for hotels in either airport terminal to meet them. Look for the Sheraton van. If you are driving t

St. Louis, the convention hotel is located just off Interstate-270 at Page. Follow the signs to Westport Plaz

The address is 191 Westport Plaza, St Louis, MO.

If you have questions or problems, please contact Jamie Tomek, convention chair at [email protected]

or 573-324-3668.


10/24

PAGE 10

www.goldstarwives.o

CANDIDATESFORNATIONALOFFICE

,VietnameraArmy

Widow,KIA-1969;JoinedGSW

1974;Remarried;LifeMember;

-

2007

-

ington

-

-

-

,Vietnamwidow

(1969).Remarried,widowedand

member.

-

-

&I

-

1969Vietnamwidow.Joined

-

2001.

-

thand27th

-


11/24

PAGE 11

www.goldstarwives.o

Lifemember11/2002.Remarried

-

andVP.

Memberof

Airborne,Viet-

-

CANDIDATESFORBOARD OF DIRECTORS

-

-

-

Orangein1996andjoinedGSWin

-


12/24

PAGE 12

www.goldstarwives.o

-

-

ary1969.Sheandanotherwidow

-

-

-

:Gardening


13/24

PAGE 13

www.goldstarwives.o

2011 GOLD STARWIVES

NATIONALBALLOT

National Officers

Board of Directors

Deadline: Postmark by July 22, 2011

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

Parliamentarian

Historian

Chaplain


14/24


15/24

PAGE 15

www.goldstarwives.o

SERVICEOFFICER

What Should I Shred and When?

ID Cards.

: http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/ or

1-800-538-9552.

1-800-260-3274

Protect Yourself.

to rise.

ID

in the mail.

sits unattended.

mail until you return.


16/24

PAGE 16

www.goldstarwives.o

WIDOWTOWIDOW


17/24

PAGE 17

www.goldstarwives.o

AROUNDTHECOUNTRY


18/24


19/24


20/24

PAGE 20

www.goldstarwives.o

PARLIAMENTARIANSCHAT ROOM


21/24

PAGE 21

www.goldstarwives.o

SPECIALEVENTS


22/24

PAGE 22

www.goldstarwives.o

VAVS NOTES


23/24

PAGE 23

www.goldstarwives.o

FROM YOUR

SUPPLY OFFICER


24/24

may nl gswmain2cmay11finweb

Documents