Death of Bob Whisenand: Bob Whisenand, a recent recipient of the Social Security Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award, passed away on August 25, 2010. He was 94 years old and had lost his wife of 72 years last April. I attended the funeral this morning at the Loch Raven United Methodist Church. I was priviledged to be able to say a few words about Bob's noteworthy career at Social Security and all the work he did for the Social Security Alumni Association.
Bob spent 34 years working for SSA Headquarters and as soon as he retired, he showed up at the Alumni office, looking for work. Bob served on the Alumni board of directors for over 25 years, many of those years serving as both National Treasurer and Baltimore Chapter Treasurer, simultaneously.
Bob and his wife Thelma attended all of our Alumni functions, and made a beautiful couple. At Bob and Thelma's gravesite, I saw a shiny bronze plaque showing the usual birth and death dates, but also next to Bob's name, a male golfer, and next to Thelma's name, a female golfer. (They loved the game and I've been told that they were very good at it.) On the bottom of the bronze plaque is carved "Together Forever".
Note from Herb Doggette:: I received a nice note from former Acting Commissioner, Herb Doggette. He says that he and his wife, Betty are doing very well and play tennis 2-3 times per week and golf 1-2 times per week. They are very active in their church and local community affairs and travel a lot.
Herb and Betty were honored for their recent 50th wedding anniversary with a formal banquet put on by their Retirement Community. They joined 35 other couples at the affair! Herb says: ...(this) gave us new faith in the longevity of marriage!"
Herb had comments for some former co-workers and I will pass them on to these persons.
Updated Website: Students from an Ellicott City, Maryland High School have finished updating our website. Check it out:
http://www.ssaanational.org/
Brochure: A brochure entitled A Well-Kept Secret has been prepared in draft. One of our very talented alumni members, Valerie Wood, will be taking the draft and making it into a nice-looking handout for potential members. Meanwhile, we will copy the draft brochure and send it hither and yon in an attempt to gain more members. Some of us will be taking brochures to SSA-related groups and talking to them about the benefits of joining us. We do need a lot of new members to avoid a dues increase.
Chapter Names in the News: Members in the areas around Birmingham, Alabama, will be seeing these familiar names in the September 2010 issue of the Social Times. If you recognize any of these names, but are not a member, you might want to join us to find out what has happened to them lately.
Ken Murray, Hart Felder, Barbara Wiggins, Diana Quinones, George Post, Rosalie Sacco,Ray Floyd. Ron Elder, Flo McKeehan, Deloris Massey, Eleanor Williamson, Gloria Miles, Olean East, Delores Creel, Gail Pugh, Judy Walker, Violet Townsend, Ruby Barr, Cheryl Adams, Martha Massey, Ken Murray, Charles Culp, Margaret Scoggins, Lucille Philpot, Charles Yerby, Roscoe Fleming, Virginia Cowgill, Ruth Bibb, Mary Knight, Billy Poole, Clyde Allen, James Ray,Jackie Rohling, Mae Tittle, Rosa Dykes, Ed Graham, Ann Post
Calendar! SSAA functions in the Baltimore/DC area.
October 11, 2010 Carroll County MD Chapter Monthly Luncheon
October 12, 2010 Baltimore MD Chapter Monthly Luncheon
November 8, 2010 Carroll County MD Chapter Monthly Luncheon
November 9, 2010 Baltimore MD Chapter Monthly Luncheon
November 18, 2010 Baltimore MD Chapter Holiday Party/Luncheon
December 8, 2010 DC Chapter Holiday Party/Luncheon
December 13, 2010 Carroll County MD Chapter Monthly Luncheon
December 14, 2010 Maryland Members Luncheon and Yankee Swap
January 10, 2011 Carroll County MD Chapter Monthly Luncheon
January 11, 2011 Baltimore County MD Chapter Monthly Luncheon
For more information, contact us at 410-848-1838, 410-965-7434 or 410-965-7433
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Showing posts with label Baltimore Chapter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baltimore Chapter. Show all posts
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Social Security Alumni: Baltimore Mtg Report for Jan 12, 2010
The January meeting of the Baltimore Chapter of the Social Security Alumni Association took place today (January 12, 2010) at the Windsor Inn, in Baltimore County. Some of the people who planned to attend could not make it, so we had a very small attendance.
Present were Joe V., Edith K., Bob G., Ruth M., Bonnie C., and Bob C. Although a small group, we were quite vocal. We all had soup and salad and iced tea and paid by using a formula developed by John D. The formula makes it easy to figure how much one needs to pay.. it avoids fist fights and bad feelings. All agree to abide by the formula and everybody is happy.
Today we jumped from subject to subject in our discussions. We didn't get to SSA stuff right away.
We wondered how bathing worked in the old days. Did the father get to use the bath water first or last? We discussed the origin of the phrase: "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water." In that case, the baby was the last to use the bath water, when it was quite cloudy and dark from all the other bathers.
Bob G. grew up on a farm that had a stream running through it, so his folks were able to bathe in it.. at least in the Spring and Summer.
Joe V. had the Atlantic Ocean in which to bathe.. even sometimes in the Winter.
Speaking of cold water, we all remembered the old-time washing machines with rollers through which you squeezed out the cold washing water before you hung the wash out on the line. In the Winter, the clothes froze on the line and some of us kids would pretend these clothes were enemy soldiers and would bat at them with big sticks.
We finally got to SSA stuff. Some of us talked about the historic SSA Candler Building and what it looks like today.
We also discussed the number of cases that a Disability Examiner or a Claims Authorizer had to do when Bob G. and Joe V. did those jobs. (Some of us never made the production figure because we were hung up on doing a 100% accurate job, and that took time. Those that didn't make production, were transfered to other jobs.. but usually the other job allowed them to attain a higher grade than they could have on the old job. Somehow, that didn't make sense.)
We talked about the direct deposit of Social Security checks and how that was a big issue for many years. We wondered if every beneficiary has their check direct deposited now.
Another big issue years ago, was the idea of staggering payment dates.. this was the time when everybody got their check on the third of the month. Now, payments are staggered.
In the salad line, we were surprised to bump into some co-workers from prior days who are still working at SSA.
One of our attendees is in his nineties and retired in 1980 (30 years ago!)
The Alumni Association is a social group, and we really socialised today. The hour and a quarter flew by.
Even if you don't live in the Baltimore area, come and join us for next month's meeting on February 9th, 2010, at noontime. When you enter the restaurant, you can ask to be seated with the Social Security group.. but be warned, almost everybody eating lunch there on a Tuesday is from Social Security. Don't worry, you'll find us and we will have a lot of fun.
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Present were Joe V., Edith K., Bob G., Ruth M., Bonnie C., and Bob C. Although a small group, we were quite vocal. We all had soup and salad and iced tea and paid by using a formula developed by John D. The formula makes it easy to figure how much one needs to pay.. it avoids fist fights and bad feelings. All agree to abide by the formula and everybody is happy.
Today we jumped from subject to subject in our discussions. We didn't get to SSA stuff right away.
We wondered how bathing worked in the old days. Did the father get to use the bath water first or last? We discussed the origin of the phrase: "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water." In that case, the baby was the last to use the bath water, when it was quite cloudy and dark from all the other bathers.
Bob G. grew up on a farm that had a stream running through it, so his folks were able to bathe in it.. at least in the Spring and Summer.
Joe V. had the Atlantic Ocean in which to bathe.. even sometimes in the Winter.
Speaking of cold water, we all remembered the old-time washing machines with rollers through which you squeezed out the cold washing water before you hung the wash out on the line. In the Winter, the clothes froze on the line and some of us kids would pretend these clothes were enemy soldiers and would bat at them with big sticks.
We finally got to SSA stuff. Some of us talked about the historic SSA Candler Building and what it looks like today.
We also discussed the number of cases that a Disability Examiner or a Claims Authorizer had to do when Bob G. and Joe V. did those jobs. (Some of us never made the production figure because we were hung up on doing a 100% accurate job, and that took time. Those that didn't make production, were transfered to other jobs.. but usually the other job allowed them to attain a higher grade than they could have on the old job. Somehow, that didn't make sense.)
We talked about the direct deposit of Social Security checks and how that was a big issue for many years. We wondered if every beneficiary has their check direct deposited now.
Another big issue years ago, was the idea of staggering payment dates.. this was the time when everybody got their check on the third of the month. Now, payments are staggered.
In the salad line, we were surprised to bump into some co-workers from prior days who are still working at SSA.
One of our attendees is in his nineties and retired in 1980 (30 years ago!)
The Alumni Association is a social group, and we really socialised today. The hour and a quarter flew by.
Even if you don't live in the Baltimore area, come and join us for next month's meeting on February 9th, 2010, at noontime. When you enter the restaurant, you can ask to be seated with the Social Security group.. but be warned, almost everybody eating lunch there on a Tuesday is from Social Security. Don't worry, you'll find us and we will have a lot of fun.
............................................
Monday, January 4, 2010
Social Security Alumni.. Holiday Luncheon
The Baltimore Chapter of the Social Security Alumni Association has sponsored a Holiday luncheon for years. It has been held at an American Legion Post close to the Baltimore Beltway.
At first, the service and ambiance was marvelous and everyone enjoyed themselves. However, over the years, little by little, conditions have deteriorated until this year when almost every attendee complained to me. Here are some of their complaints:
The servers seemed surly and rude.
The food was not very well prepared.
Coffee was not readily available. Attendees had to ask the servers for access to the coffee location.
The bar service was extremely slow and the drinks were not well made.
Tableware was cheap.
The dessert was small and unappetizing.
In the past, we always had a few complaints, but on the whole, people were happy. However, this year, people called me over to their tables to complain and say that they would not return to this location in the future. One person even canceled his membership.
So... now you all have a great opportunity! You can help us find a new location for the next Holiday luncheon in November 2010.
What we need is a location that can provide us with:
Hors d'euvres (did I spell that right?)
A nice meal, with two or three choices and appetizing desserts.
Good bar service with a knowledgable bartender.
Ample parking.
Microphones for emcee facility.
Electric outlets for music players.
Close proximity to the Baltimore Beltway, which can be reached easily by persons anywhere in the Baltimore area.
And.. most important.. a reasonable price!
Please help us out on this. You can respond to this blog or call our office at
410-965-7434 or 410-965-7433.
Thank you. JoeVaughan
At first, the service and ambiance was marvelous and everyone enjoyed themselves. However, over the years, little by little, conditions have deteriorated until this year when almost every attendee complained to me. Here are some of their complaints:
The servers seemed surly and rude.
The food was not very well prepared.
Coffee was not readily available. Attendees had to ask the servers for access to the coffee location.
The bar service was extremely slow and the drinks were not well made.
Tableware was cheap.
The dessert was small and unappetizing.
In the past, we always had a few complaints, but on the whole, people were happy. However, this year, people called me over to their tables to complain and say that they would not return to this location in the future. One person even canceled his membership.
So... now you all have a great opportunity! You can help us find a new location for the next Holiday luncheon in November 2010.
What we need is a location that can provide us with:
Hors d'euvres (did I spell that right?)
A nice meal, with two or three choices and appetizing desserts.
Good bar service with a knowledgable bartender.
Ample parking.
Microphones for emcee facility.
Electric outlets for music players.
Close proximity to the Baltimore Beltway, which can be reached easily by persons anywhere in the Baltimore area.
And.. most important.. a reasonable price!
Please help us out on this. You can respond to this blog or call our office at
410-965-7434 or 410-965-7433.
Thank you. JoeVaughan
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