OVATION!  Barbershop Quartet: THURM SLACK, LEAD SINGER:  RON LOWE, BASS:  
DAVID PETERSEN, TENOR: WILLIAM J. BUCHHOLTZ. BARITONE: 

Special Guest:    Stephen Montignani and his wife, Linda.  He is a singer and a long-time  Rotary Club member

Stanley Bullard

GREG DAVIS, offensive coordinator- quarterbacks coach of the University of Texas Longhorns football team, will be the guest speaker for the 16 February dinner meeting. A 32 year coaching veteran who has directed one of the nation's premier offensive attacks at Texas, he has just completed his seventh year at Texas.      The Longhorns ended 2004 ranked in the top five of both major national polls, finishing with a nail-biter win over 12th ranked Michigan on New Year's Day in the Rose Bowl.      Coach Davis came with head coach Mack Brown from the University of North Carolina in 1998. In each of their seven seasons here, they have won 9 or more games, and have won 10 or 11 games the last four years in a row. The recruiting philosophy, as stated by Mack Brown, is to recruit "nice kids who can play championship football and graduate".      Under Davis" tutelage, the team has set numerous records in passing and total offense. He coached two of the most prolific passers in school history. Major Applewhite and Chris Simms. His current quarterback, Vince Young, is a potential All-American. Individual members have received numerous awards and recognitions, and Davis was himself a finalist for the 1999 Frank Broyles award (nation's top assistant].      A 1973 graduate of McNeese State with a bachelor's degree in sports administration, he began coaching for high school while working on his Master's degree, which he completed in 1977.

His long coaching career has included signified association with Mack Brown. Besides North Carolina, Davis was Brown's assistant head coach Tulane and succeeded Brown as head coach there      He and his wife, Patsy, have two children, Greg (RBs coach at Tulane) and Stacey, and three grandchildren. , EVENTS FOR FEBRUARY  16 FEBRUARY-dinner meeting-1830 hours-     BAE systems (Tracor)  22 FEBRUARY- Board Meeting-1330 HRS-      CAMP MABRY NAVAL RESERVE BLDG.  5 FEBRUARY -      ROWC VALENTINE DINNER DANCE--          DETAILS LATER PAGE  25 FEBRUARY- ROWC-Luncheon-Austin      Woman's Club--See Page 4 for further details.          Program on Living Wills-Important.      BOARD ACTION-It was moved and seconded at the Board Meeting that an appropriation of up to $250.00 be designated for expenses for the pre-meeting reception for the Council of Chapters in Austin on 11 February, 2005- 14Dec..2004 pay your 2005 chapter dues.

REPEAT NOTICE    ----ESPECIALLY TO AIR FORCE MEMBER & -ROTC-JROTC- COL Del Vecchio reports that he has had fair response from members volunteering to be presenters of awards next spring, but there are still vacant spots that need filling. All who have taken part in this program in the past have reported a very rewarding experience. It takes only part of an afternoon (or morning). You would be impressed by the young people who earn these awards. Call 512_244-3248 or e-mail: colonelbdiSsbcglobal.net DUES It's that time again-Look at the label on your NL-if it says "paid through 12, 2004, you are already riding on EMPTY. Your Treasurer and your Membership Officer would both appreciate your submission of your 05 dues ASAP. "Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster, and what has happened once in 6000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world".        Daniel Webster              from a Heritage Foundation Letter pay your 2005 chapter dues.

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS- LtC John Beran USAF LtC Huie Lamb Jr. USAF Rose Beran USAF Nancy Lloyd USN Donna Broyles USN Col James McJunkin USAF Ednamae Christians USAF Phyllis Mishler USAF Francys Davis USAF  Anne Palczer USAF BGen William Didlake USAF LtC Bill Pierce USA LtC Edward Fries USAF LtC A.J. Polhill III USAF Marian Hermann USAF Capt Elizabeth Posey USA Sandy Herr USA LtC Marvin Reed USAF LtC Carios Higgins USAF Mary Helen Rodriguez USA Katherine Higgins USAF Maj Silvio Romero USA Frances Jones USA Doris Schug USAF Vanda Jean Keith USAF LtC Edward Schug USAF Ann Koval USN LtC Elwyn Spencer USAF LtC Paul Kronbergs USAF LtC Robert Stone USAF Maj Raymond Kruger USA Rachel Susskind USAF Col Melton Kunze USA Any February Birthday that was missed can be added by Drive License birth date on Wednesday evening. See Maj Stan Bullard. LtC Kelso will on the way home from Australia.

THE BULLETIN BOARD     DINNER MEETING -  Wednesday, 16 February 2005     BAE Systems Dining Hall         6500 Tracor Lane (Highway 183, South of Webberville Overpass, Just off Ed Bluestein Blvd)                       1830 hours          Attire: Men: Business Suit, Uniform always appropriate                     Ladies: Business dress or Pant Suit or Uniform                             Charge: $18.00 per person  [check payable to AMOAA ] Note: Reservations may be made with your assigned caller or with your service representative by calling before 2100 hours on the Sunday before the Wednesday dinner. Cancellations should also be made by the aforementioned time. Individuals who do not honor reservations will be billed.

-------COME AND JOIN YOUR FELLOW MEMBERS - SUPPORT MOAA!  If you don't participate in the activities, you have no standing to complain if you are unhappy. I know I was late arriving at the Jan meeting, but I wasn't impressed by the turnout. Let's resolve to attend the meetings. Try it-I guarantee you will like it. (Not a money back guarantee, though]

PROGRAM --- All you Sports Fans-this one is for you especially. UT fans will have a chance to get an early look at the prospects for the Fall and ask questions about their favorites. And A&M fans will be able to assess the opposition. But you don't have to be a Sports enthusiast to have a fun evening.  And February Birthdays, come on out and see if you win the PRESENT. AND A BIG PLUS-if you forget Valentines Day, you can make up for it by taking your Valentine to our drinks and dinner Special. -Please Note: If you are not being called each month concerning the dinner meeting on the third Wednesday, please call your service representative (listed elsewhere in the Bulletin] and ask that he/she add your name to the calling lists. Your Service Rep may have changed, and your caller may have, also.  If you have not been called by Sunday Evening and wish to attend the dinner, and cannot reach your own Service Rep, call one of the others. They will be glad to accommodate you and turn in your reservation. MOAA Name tags available-Members who wish permanent name tags should contact COL Ben A. Meharg at 280-2569. E-mail bmeharg@austin.rr.com . The cost is 3.00, but they will last a lifetime-unless you lose them.

ORDER OF THE EVENING SEATING CHARTS WILL BE PLACED ON TABLES AT 1830 HOURS 1830-1900: -Social Period - Bar Open--  Pay for Dinner, Check in with Service Representative, Select Seats (sign form at end of table)  1900-1910 : Invocation Pledge of Allegiance National Anthem  1910-2000: Dinner and Door Prizes 2000: Barbershop Quartet MENU Mixed Salad w/Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette   Sun dried Tomato Pesto rubbed Chicken Breast Wild Mush room and Wild Rice Pilaf  Steamed Broccoli Garlic Bread  Peach Cobbler Coffee-Tea-Iced Tea ATTENTION SINGLES     We try to sit together at MOAA dinners. Look for the sign-SINGLES- and sign your name if you want to sit with us.    We are not guaranteeing a singles spot-You do not have to sit there.

CHAPTER OFFICERS 2004-2005 President Col. Maurice Quigley USA 327-0285 email Duties First VP Major Stanley Bullard USAF 926-8438 email Duties Second VP Col. Ben A. Meharg USMC 280-2569 email Duties Third VP LtC. Hal Hampton USAF 327-2378 email Duties Secretary   Patricia O. Eagan FMS 894-4036 email Duties Treasurer LtC. Rogerio Rabago USAF 345-8193 email Duties USA Representative Col. Bill Del Vecchio USA 244-3248 email Duties USAF Representative LtC. J. R. Howard USAF 996-4142 email Duties USN/USMC/USCG/USPHS/USNOAA LCdr. Joyce Hoover USN 452-9786 email Duties

Appointed Board Members
Chaplain	LtC. Ernest S. Dean	USAF	477-5390	email	Duties
Assistant Chaplain	Col. Leon Holland	USA	335-1224	email	Duties
Personal Affairs Officer	Capt. William K. Brown	USN	345-5420	email	Duties
Austin Military Coalition Representative	Col. Bruce Conover	USAF	282-1844	email	Duties
Legislative Affairs Officer	LtC. Carlos W. Higgins	USAF	258-3564	email	Duties
ROTC Awards Coordinator	Col. Bill Del Vecchio	USA	244-3248	email	Duties
Newsletter Editor	LtC. Mary Kelso	USA	346-7140	email	Duties
Webmaster	LtC. J. R. Howard	USAF	255-2206	email	Duties

 

RETIRED OFFICERS WIVES CLUB LUNCHEON-Friday, 25 February-Austin Woman's Club Program- Guest Speaker-Ron Greening-"Are Things in Order?" Ron will talk about how important estate planning is to you and your family members. He will ensure that we all know how & where to get our estate plans in order Social time----10:45 a. m. Luncheon---11:30  Reservations: Martha Kirby 259-0423 or Jo Jean Gillespie 345-3069 No later than the Tuesday before the meeting.  Club Dues are Due-($13.00) to insure you are correctly listed in the 2005-06 Roster. Luncheon----   First Monday of each Month -1300 hours-that is 1:00 PM      Caring and sharing Widows Group-           LUBY'S CAFETERIA ON STECK AVE (OFF MESA OR MOPAC)               Contact Genevieve Bruce (453-0871) BRIDGE    Second Friday of each Month- 0915 hours       Bridge - Cafeteria in the Headquarters building of CAMP MABRY            Contact-Shirley Bone (1-246-9829) or Eva Costello (458-9064) TAPS Billie Lewis, Wife of COL George 0. Lewis, USAF Dorothy Jean Neale, USN 1928-2004 Eternal rest grant unto them, oh Lord, and may the perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace, Amen.

 

Your Opinion Counts                    by Carios Higgins This week, the Governor of Texas gave his "State of the State" address. Our state government, including the Senate, the House Members, the Supreme Court, and heads of various state agencies were all in attendance. And some members of the public were there. There was no charge for attending, and you didn't have to be invited. I looked around, and spotted a few empty seats in the gallery.      Did Governor Perry say anything worth listening to? Anything that might affect real people? Yes, but only if you're alive and live in Texas. He mapped out the direction he wants to take Texas, on a wide range of issues. He talked about education, taxes, money to recruit industry, abortion, charter schools v. public education, and several other issues. So what's that got to do with you?.      Dedicated members of MOAA, at the national level and at the state level in Texas, are working hard to keep you informed. I am a member of the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature (TSHL), and we work on behalf of senior citizens, and try to keep this large group informed. We all write emails and newsletters, to let our constituents know what changes our lawmakers are currently considering. Do these changes affect you? One way or another, the answer is almost always, YES. New laws, by Congress or by the State Legislature, will generally affect you directly or indirectly - or impact someone, somewhere, you care about.      For most of us, whether members of MOAA or of Texas senior citizens, we are in somewhat of a coasting mode in life. Sure, we are having to deal more and more with health problems - either of our own or someone near and dear. Still, we have more control now than we did during our working lives over how we spend our time. if we choose to, then, we can allot time to pay more attention to our government. Do we have anything to contribute, to try to make things better? I should hope so. After living for decades, anyone who paid any attention at all should have a little better grasp on what works and what doesn't. That's commonly referred to as "wisdom."

A big part of wisdom, though, is the realization that you cannot merely assert that this or that is the best way, and expect others to meekly nod in assent. You have to demonstrate that you've considered the alternatives, and explain why your way is better. Emotion is fine for stirring up things, but good laws and good government depend more on good and rational reasons. That's the way it works, whether you're worked up over the next local school bond or the war in Iraq.      So what difference can you make? Start, by paying more attention to what's going on around you. MOAA can talk all day about current issues, but it takes you to really make any difference. If you would invest a little more time here and there, and offer some well-thought out opinions, you'll find that elected officials really do pay attention. Sometimes they have to be hit with a two-by-four to get their attention, but they can be forced to listen. When enough of us express strong views about some issue, that becomes a proverbial two-by-four.      You have wisdom and experience. You also have an obligation. Our parents and grandparents managed somehow to deliver to us a government that works fairly well. They delivered to us a wealth of freedom, to pretty much do and say as we please, so long as we are reasonably fair about not pushing too far against our neighbors' freedoms. We really ought to fee! obligated to do the same for our children and grandchildren. We should, above all else, want them to have just as much freedom as we've had.      How do we do that? Start by paying more attention. And then, when you have a fairly well thought out opinion, speak up. Share some of your wisdom. If you have a computer, MOAA offers information at our web site  and MOAA. The Texas Silver-Haired Legislature offers information at http://www.txshl,com/index.html      And the Texas government offers more. Just type "Texas Government" in your computer search block, and you'll be led to a wealth of information that affects you. If you want to be a player, just jump in.

Editor's Note -- To all -- Did you tear out, sign and seal and send the four letters in the Military Officers Magazine that you have recently received ???  February Issue.  If not, Do it Now.  ----Thursday January 27,2005 America Online: MKELS1

DUES FORM Please fill in the form below, detach it, and mail it with your check (payable to AMOAA) to: Military Officers Association of America P.O. Box 1071 Austin TX 78767-1071 o New Member          o  Returning Member     o Current Active Member Dues for 1 Jan thru 31 Dec            are $ 15 for Officers and $ 10 for Widows and Widowers   Name, Rank, Service ___________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________ City ___________________________________________ State _______________Email________________________ Telephone no. _______________ Fax________________________