November Meeting Notes

BLUE STAR MOM MEETING NOTES November 13, 2007

•MEMBERS Present (at Mi Casa Too Restaurant, Carson City, NV): Mary A., Ana A., Jeanne BP., Yvonne C., Barbara C., Leslie E., Deborah E., Paula F., Marge G., Jennifer H., Joy H., Shelley I., Amy FJ., Gwen J., Lori M., Jo S., Suzzie W., Linda W., Debra Y., Guests: P.J., Uncle Mike and Susan

MINUTES: NOTES from previous meeting circulated and accepted as written.

•CALENDAR: Monthly Meetings (2nd Tues. 6pm, next meeting to be held at the home of Carol B. address, directions and number to come in separate e-mail. The next two meeting dates:
Jan. 8th and Feb. 12th.

•TREAS. REPORT: given by Amy. Current balance of $2239. (If you would like further information, please contact Amy.)

•UPDATES ON SONS/DAUGHTERS:
oMary tells us that Chris spent a couple of weeks at Ft. Eustis but is returning home to Ft. Bragg in plenty of time for the holidays. Word is that he will deploy back to Iraq in late winter.
oAna says that Gieorag is doing a lot of “in & out” runs from home port in Wa. Andrew finally got word….he’s off to Ft Bragg after the holidays and is to be “boots on the ground” in Iraq by late winter.
oJeanne’s son is very consistent of late….he’s still doing well at UNR! -- In other related family news….her cousin is home safe from his year in Iraq; her brother in law’s Guard unit is set to deploy after the first of the year; and her sister in law who is working at the VA just had her first baby! What a blessing baby Luke is I’m sure!
oYvonne related that Francesca is awaiting orders for her new duty station…looks like it will be Japan or Guam. Tony is at his Captain’s Career Course and will graduate next month! He’s looking forward to trying out for Special Forces after the first of the year….HOOAH! Yvonne is looking forward to having both of her wonderful children home for Thanksgiving! We’re all happy for you and John to have them home!
oBarbara says that Patrick is doing well following a tonsillectomy. Wedding plans are progressing towards a June wedding.
oLeslie tells us that Henry is thrilled to back in Iraq. He’s loving it….and Mom doesn’t get it! (We’re with ya Leslie!) Will is working at Bethesda as a corpman. It’s a great training opportunity.
oDeborah says that Eric is doing fine and trying to get into Airborne.
oPaula reported that Josh is attending college to further his Army career. Speaking of reported, Josh e-mailed Mom his college report card!!! Mom mailed back $$$ for the “A’s”. Awesome!
oMarge happily tells us than newlywed Stuart is loving life. He’s happy being married and happy that he’s not been called back up!
oJennifer let us know that son Justin is at DLI (Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA) until February. He was just picked up for special forces (HOOAH!) and is eventually headed to N. Africa. (By the way….Nice to finally meet you…come back soon!)
oJoy joyfully reported that Chris is back from Iraq and at Ft. Hauchuca. The plan is to train in communications with the eventual goal of joining the CIA.
oShelley is very happy to have Sean home! However, it is bittersweet as he will soon deploy to Iraq. Thank you so much for sharing some of your time with us tonight….and for introducing us to Sean. Our thoughts prayers and even some tears are going out to you all. Remember, we’re here if you need us.
oAmy tells us that Nick is still up at Whidby Island where she will be going for Thanksgiving. He’s looking at going to Qatar next year.
oGwen’s son is in the Army…but working for the Air Force and will soon be a major! Congrats! He recently deployed, unexpectedly, to Afghanistan. Fortunately he did get to meet his new baby son just before leaving. -- Let us know if we can do anything to help….collectively, we have strong shoulders!
oLori says that son Ryan is at Camp Lejeune, NC., with an amphibious attack unit.
oJo was on hand before heading off to Vegas for Thanksgiving to tell us that Mark is busy working for Senator Ensign in Las Vegas. All is good.
oSuzzie shared that all is well with Jacquie and Tawofik. Both are still busy as company commanders of their own commands. It still looks like a deployment is on the horizon for Tawofik late next spring. Jacquie has a few things “in the works” and I’ll let you know when there is news!
oLinda let us know that she went to babysit so that Eric’s wife could go over and visit him in Germany…..and now another grandchild is on the way!!! Congratulations Grandma….and all.
oDebra shared that Nathaniel is a Lance Cpl. currently in Fallujah.
oCarol sent word that she’s sorry to have missed the meeting but she’s had a busy time of late. She shared the sad news that Joe and his girl called off the wedding. We send you wishes of peace and comfort to get through this trying time.
oNorma also sent word that Jared is doing well “over there”. He got the chance to meet his idol….Chuck Norris! It was a really big deal for Jared when Chuck Norris visited his camp and spent the day with them. Autographs, pictures and great conversation rounded out a wonderful experience!
oGayle sent word that Jesse is testing for Harbor Master up in Everett, WA. Good luck! She sends a “hello to all the ladies”. Her husband is having surgery and she is busy with that. Best wishes for a safe and speedy recovery for your husband.

•OLD BUSINESS:
- Barbara announced that the Christmas Social will be held on Dec. 2nd at her home in Gardnerville. Although some will have conflict with the date, it was decided that this date was the best. We shall be sorting, boxing and preparing for shipping the postcards for Operation Postcard at the social in addition to the other festivities. Look for a separate e-mail invitation with information.

•NEW BUSINESS:
- The floor was opened up for nominations for officers for the upcoming year. The following is a list of the positions and nominations resulting from this meeting:

Recording Secretary:
Correspondence Secretary: Jeanne BP.
Treasurer: Amy FJ.
Vice President: Barbara C.
President: Suzzie W.

The nominations are not closed and, as you can see, we still have a need for a recording secretary. Please contact any of the current officers if you are interested in a position or in nominating someone.

Voting will take place at our January 8th meeting and the new/returning officers will assume their duties at that time.

PJ joined us again and was full of wonderful news! She was asked to organize a Welcome Home Dining Out and is turning it into a ball. She has once again managed to garner donations galore to help with the estimated $25000 cost. -- She also related that she was contacted by the “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” as a winner for all the volunteer work she has done. Though honored, in true PJ form, she asked for it to go to one the Northern NV soldiers. Now she gets to choose the lucky recipient. -- She also informed us that Wells Fargo is to host a military appreciation event that among other things will include a holiday card drive….and they will pay the shipping! -- Thanks for all the info and KUDOS to you PJ for your success and hard work for our troops.

We were also joined by Uncle Mike and his wife Susan. Mike is the uncle of one of our fallen heros, Joshua Rodgers. He has undertaken a wonderful “mission” to help safeguard our soldiers and shared that information with us. Please see the addendum following the body of the minutes.

Jeanne reported on USAtogether.org and extolled the virtues of the program. Please take a look at their website and see if it’s for you! -- She also let us know that there are some BSM’s who live in the Reno/Sparks area that just can’t make it to our evening meetings in Carson but still like to get together occasionally for lunch up in Reno. Please contact Jeanne if you are interested in joining the Reno “lunch bunch”!


•COMMITTEE REPORTS:
oDeployment Support: A major focus tonight is on packing deployment boxes for the holidays! A wonderful array of items were on hand from BSM members, Carson Tahoe HOG (Harely Owners Group), and a great number of donations. The decision was made to send boxes to our own children even if not deployed as we have an abundance of items and it is a nice sentiment to show our support to all of our heroes! Many of us took boxes to mail on our own to help distribute the post office time! A better accounting of how many boxes are going out will be available at our January meeting. A very nice 81/2 by 11 Christmas greeting signed by a majority of BSM’s present was included in the boxes! -- Thank you Ana for all the hard work and time you put into preparing this show of support!!

oBSM to BSM Support: No report givenoBlue to Gold: Paula let us know that on Dec. 8th there will be a Defending Freedom Memorial Dedication Ceremony in Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas.oWelcome Committee: New membership forms are available.

oOperation Postcard: Sally Wiley collected approx. $170 and 332 signed Christmas cards at the NV Federation of Republican Women Convention and Conservative Leadership Conference at the Nugget in Sparks. Thanks for your time and efforts Sally! -- PJ contributed about 270 names for post card distribution – thanks! -- A nice article appeared in the Record Courier regarding our efforts…it was passed around and submitted for the our scrap book.

•COMMENTS/SUBMISSIONS FOR JANUARY AGENDA:

- Find a more suitable location for monthly meetings
-Rotate Christmas parties between north and south locations
-We need someone to be in charge of the scrapbook.

Following the packing of the deployment boxes, the meeting was adjourned.THESE NOTES WERE FORMULATED BY Suzzie, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONTACT her at: TweetySuz@aol.com




Addendum:

Save A Soldier’s Life

On the 30th of May 2007, an Army CH47 Chinook helicopter from the 82nd Airborne division was shot down by an RPG in Sangin Valley, Afghanistan killing my nephew CW2 Joshua R. Rodgers, of Carson City, NV along with six other brave men during a night mission.

These huge helicopters take on errant ground fire from terrorists on the ground, shooting into the dark sky at the sound of the helicopter; not the sight of it. Yet the gunners armed with M240 machine guns and night vision goggles cannot return fire. WHY? Because their weapon’s muzzle flash would give their exact position to the enemy. On the ground it’s the same story, muzzle flash gives away the soldiers position to the enemy.

Ask any soldier, active or retired, they will tell you the same thing.

Josh Rodgers was my nephew and is our family’s hero and I have decided that it’s time or rather past time that I do something about supporting our troops. My mission is to supply deployed troops directly with a “Vortex flash suppressor”. Upon contacting Smith Enterprise Inc (smithenterprise.com) to order these flash suppressors, Mr. Ron Smith donated 27 units from stock to be sent to the 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan. These have been sent along with a letter of gratitude and support to each soldier who receives one of these donated units. Mr. Smith has offered to supply “Uncle Mike” with these flash suppressors at the Army’s quantity price of $32.00, for the M16 family of weapons and $55.00, for the M240 machine guns found on the helicopters and humvees. “Uncle Mike” currently has one hundred units on order and will be sending them to our troops in July.

WE COULD CERTAINLY USE YOUR HELP!!!!

So, I ask you Fellow Americans to do the following:

1) Please view the videos included in this email and forward this email and video clip to
anyone who would like to help our soldiers defend themselves.

2) If you know of a soldier who is deployed and are in need of a flash suppressor have
Them contact me directly at unlcemikeccnv@sbcglobal.net as I need to know the type of weapon they are using and their military address.

3) Please contribute some of your hard earned American dollars to replenish our supply
for further donations. Contributions of any amount can be made payable and sent to the following address:

Unlce Mike
PO Box 21122
Carson City, NV 89721-1122

You are invited to send a letter of gratitude and support to the troops whether or not you are able to make a contribution. We will forward your message to a deployed soldier.

All funds sent to “Uncle Mike” will go directly toward the purchase of Vortex flash suppressors and the postage to a deployed soldier. Absolutely no administrative costs will be deducted from any contribution. On that you have my word as a survivor of such a GREAT AMERICAN HERO, Chief Warrant Officer, Joshua Robert Rodgers.

Thank you,Uncle Mike

BLUE STAR MOM MEETING NOTESOctober 9, 2007•MEMBERS Present (at Mi Casa Too Restaurant Room): Erin A., Ana A., Jeanne BP., Barbara C., Leslie E., Debbie E., Paula F., Marge G., Amy FJ., Lori M., Sally W., Debi Y.. GUESTS: Jim & Trilja L. with FRA/Aux. and Sgt. 1st Class Michael G. with US Army Recruiting Station, PJ with Web of Support

•MINUTES: NOTES from meetings posted as Blogger Update for review. Notes accepted as posted with change to one son’s update.

•CALENDAR: Monthly Meetings (2nd Tues. 6pm, NEW LOCATION Mi Casa Too, 3809 N Carson St, Carson City, NV Tel: (775) 882-4080) Nov. 13th Nominations for Offices. December monthly will be replaced with more intimate Holiday/Op Postcard/Elections Party at President Barb’s Sunday, Dec. 2nd. •TREAS. REPORT: Balance of $1900+ available. Candy Dance brought in $366 donations. Membership up to 49(51 following meeting).

•UPDATES ON SONS/DAUGHTERS:
oErin was pleased to share that Rosendo is now a Sgt.. Having switched companies, he will be on ship driving zodiac inflatables.oAna reported that Gieorag’s sub’s reconfiguration was complete and one of his first maneuvers was one of those telling “measure of a man” moments for all on board, thankful to be a tight team. Andrew will be transferring to the reserves. While in Italy he got an invite to a formal ball event.oJeanne says Jason’s still booking it at UNR by day and doing security at night with flexibility to study. Her cousin just returned after his one year tour with multinationals training the Iraqi Navy.
Her sister-in-law who’s a physician with the local VA is on maternity leave with baby #1 Luke MP.
oAnna joyfully emailed that son Christopher returned to Reno yesterday from Iraq.
oLeslie B. shared at the library that Cody returns from Iraq next month. She’s taking Cody’s wife and child back to Ft. Bragg to buy a home and get set up for his homecoming. While on leave they’ll have to visit Feddie’s father in Italy who has been quite ill as of late.
oPatricia sent word that Nicholas will be home from Iraq soon.oBarbara told us that Patrick’s wedding plans have moved up to February in La Jolla. He just passed his ESWAS and will bring fiancé home for a visit/introduction on the 22nd.
oLeslie told us that Henry is deploying later this month for his second tour in Iraq. Mom’s going back to the base to spend time with him beforehand. Will is a Navy Corpsman at Bethesda Hospital and doing great.oDeborah related that Eric is still at Ft. Benning as a cook but is trying to get into Airbourne for some more action. He’s doing a-okay.
oPaula says that Josh is now in school to be a physician’s assistant and loving it.
oDeanna sent word that her son, Shawn, will be coming home soon…YEAH.
oCheryl’s friend shared that Matt will be concluding his tour where he conducted Intelligence training to Iraqis. He’ll exit next month to Germany where she’s shipping a very special homecoming gift to him.
oMarge let us know that Stuart and his new bride Andrea are sharing newlywed bliss. She’s a nurse with Renown and he’s now doing community rep work from his teller position with BofA.
oCarol H. sent word via Jo that Brady is now a medic at Camp Call.
oAmy’s son Nicklas will be sent to Qatar in May. Her brother-in-law David just left for Afghanistan
oLori (a guest that became a member that night) related that her son, Natthaniel, is a Marine in training with anticipated deployment in Feb.. He was a firefighter in the forest service for 5 years before joining, so he’s a mature leader at 26, though new to military service. He’s stationed at Camp LeJeune, NC and really enjoyed the amphibious training he did onboard the USS Nashville.
oDonna sent word that precious only child Deirdre returned from Iraq to Hawaii.
oSally ‘s son Sean is on field training in the Mojave Desert with the engineer corps.
oDebi (a guest that became a member than night) shared with us that her son Nathan joined the Marines while a missionary in Argentina. He is a Lance Corporal in a reserve unit now in Fallujah as a light armored vehicle driver.

•NEW BUSINESS:
- Jim Laird, retired Navy, gave a wonderful presentation on the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) comprised of Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard. They meet monthly on the 4th Friday at 6:30 pm off 4th Street and do a monthly breakfast as well at Sharkeys. They recently helped an injured marine with chemo adapt to re-entry. Their group helps facilitate Champus, Tri-Care and other benefits and even found a mechanic to fix his car. Their fund-raising consists of patches for each branch, Welcome Home pins, and All Gave Some/Some Gave All pins. He encouraged members to join their auxiliary if interested.

- New format for Member Applications was received from nationals and distributed.
- Business Cards are running low and so $19 was authorized to order 1,000 right away.
- Nominations / Elections coming up Nov./Dec.. Be thinking about how you can serve as a leader.
- At the Genoa Candy Dance a Marine lap quilt was donated to us by Melinda and Lynne at www.nonasnotions.com for fund-raising. Thank you patriotic crafters!

•OLD BUSINESS
-Barb reported on a successful presentation to Sertoma with them committing to do 100 postcards for our Holiday drive.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:
oDeployment Support:
-Ana asked Jeanne to send out an email to all members to check the current directory location of their son or daughter as we’re seeing a wave of returns from overseas and then a fresh wave of new deployments. Members will be instructed to bring 12 each of one care package item so that we can do up a special holiday box filled with Nevada love for each of our deployed heroes.

oBSM to BSM Support:
No report. Email received alerting members to prayer/support needs for two BSM’s – one whose mom had undergone open heart surgery twice in one day and another mom whose parent was diagnosed with lymphoma while grandson is undergoing surgery. oBlue to Gold:
There are still 3 or 4 “old” gold star banners to present. Contact will be maintained and the banners are available if/when the family is ready/receptive to receiving it. See PJ below for the Joshua Rodgers Gold Star Family Memory Walk details. oWelcome Committee: No report given

oOperation Postcard:
Once again members took bundles of recycled holiday cards, signed up their commitment to oversee schools, churches, and other organizations, and took how-to tools where new or needed. Deadline for return will be our Dec. 2nd Party where we’ll collate and prep for shipping. Members were asked to “screen” cards for appropriate language and separate out those that were extra encouraging for the bundles that go to recovering injured service persons.

oVeterans Affairs/Events Committee:
Sally Wiley was confirmed as chair to our newly formed committee to spearhead involvement and support for activities involving veterans.

Special Presentation: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Michael Gargano, Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Active Duty Recruiter out of Reno
Michael’s mom is one of our BSM’s and so his presentation was geared to the moms from firsthand experience. The important things he highlighted were that PTSD may come on silently. It is a very progressive illness that can become more severe if left untreated and can eventually consume those suffering beyond what their minds are able to deal with. He reviewed the physical, behavioral, and emotional signs and symptoms. The most beneficial way we as moms can help our sons and daughters is to know that they need to talk it out and process their combat times. We can’t change their experiences but can help ensure that they process it through to a healthy state of mind. He emphasized that most veterans don’t “talk it through” with mom or even family or friends on the home front. They open up most when they can get “real” with other military or veterans that know what they’re going through. This is where connecting them to VA or American Legion or Reserve Association groups can really make a difference. He passed out a Fact Sheet from the National Center for PTSD with identification and treatment information that BSM’s will make available to moms upon their loved one’s redeployment and transition.

PJ’s update on her Web of Support included information on one of our Gold Star families. They started RED SHIRT WALKS IN MEMORY OF CWO2 JOSHUA RODGERS and to SUPPORT OUR TROOPS. Some of our BSM’s have participated. The walks are staged every Friday evening at 5:30 in the parking lot at Carl’s Jr. on South Carson St. The red-shirted, flag-waving adults and children walk to Highway 50 and back in about an hour’s time. For info contact Mike McElfish 884-4430 or go to www.WebofSupport.com.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned following a closing prayer offered by Marge G.

Meeting Notes Submitted by Jeanne B.P. (Thanks!)

September Meeting Notes

BLUE STAR MOM MEETING NOTESSeptember 11, 2007

•MEMBERS Present (at Carson Tahoe Hospital’s Aspen Rm): Mary A., Ana A., Carol B., Jeanne BP., Patti C., Yvonne C., Barbara C., Leslie E., Debbie E., Paula F., Marge G., Shelley I., Norma S., Jo S., Suzzie W. GUESTS: Linda W., Jo’s Mom, Betty G. visiting from Meridian, Mississippi & Susan L. (from Senator Reid’s office)

•MINUTES: NOTES from meetings posted as Blogger Update for review. Notes accepted as posted.

•CALENDAR: Monthly Meetings (2nd Tues. 6pm, NEW LOCATION Mi Casa Too, 3809 N Carson St, Carson City, NV Tel: (775) 882-4080) The next two meeting dates: Oct. 9th & Nov. 13th.•TREAS. REPORT: given by President for Treasurer: Balance on Sept. 10th - $1499.22. (Detail to follow body of minutes.)

•UPDATES ON SONS/DAUGHTERS:
oMary says that Chris is not set to deploy at this point for another year and remains at Ft. Bragg with his family. All are well.oAna reported that Gieorag’s boat is finally out of the ship yard and he will be going out soon. She had a nice visit with Gieorag and his wife and the grandkids! Andrew is still awaiting info as to whether or not he will be getting active orders or sent to the reserves. He’s doing the waiting in Italy….not a bad place to wait!oCarol told us that Joe up and joined the Army National Guard a few weeks ago for a 6 year hitch. He’ll be in an MP unit based out of Fallon NAS. God bless you Joe and Carol & family!
oJeanne says Jason has been out almost a year now! He’s doing well at UNR. - Her cousin is still in Iraq helping to train the Iraqi Navy and it looks like her brother in law will be headed to Iraq sometime after the first of the year. Thanks to such a patriotic and serving family!
oPatti tells that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that Nick will be coming home late in the year. There will be very little notice so she’ll have to book a flight last minute. During the holiday season, that can be challenging…but having had to book last minute flights myself to see my military child, I know moms can be rather persuasive and lo to those who try to impede the way of a momma getting to her child!
oYvonne informed us that Tony is at Ft. “Lost in the Woods” – I mean Ft. Leonard Wood, MO attending his Captain Career Course till the end of the year. After that he hopes to go on to join Special Forces. Hooah! Daughter Francesca is her 3rd year residency in Jacksonville at the Naval Hospital. She’s specializing in Family Practice.oBarbara gave us the big news that Patrick is engaged! Wow….and congratulations! They are planning a June wedding in Southern California. An update on Lauren revealed that she is now the personal asst. for an international public speaker and is currently in Australia and will be traveling the globe! Way to go Lauren….you are really going places (no pun intended!)
oLeslie told us that Henry is still at Ft. Stewart, GA but has orders to deploy soon. He’s a sergeant now with four guys he’s in charge of. He’s enjoying the responsibility. Will is at Bethesda learning a lot and doing okay.oDeborah related that Eric is still at Ft. Benning as a cook but is trying to get into Airbourne for some more action. He’s doing a-okay.
oPaula says that Josh is attending Jackson University taking his prerequisites for becoming a physicians assistant. He’s still stationed out of Ft. Drum, NY. Congrats to Josh and his three fellow soldiers for the awards earned for their time spent at West Point this summer training cadets! - Congratulations to Paula on her new grandson born to her daughter in Elko.
oMarge shared happy news of Stuarts beautiful wedding in August. If you haven’t seen any of the pics yet, be sure to ask Marge to see at least a few! The mother of the groom was looking great too! Stuart is still in the inactive reserves until June. In the meantime, he’s at UNR as a Business Mgmt major.
oShelley told us that Sean is still stationed in Hawaii but is in his third week of training in the Mojave desert in preparation for deployment to Iraq later this year. He’s definitely missing the ocean breezes…or any breeze for that matter!
oNorma let us know that she finally heard from Jared! E-mail is up and running - so communication is back. That alone really helps. He’s near Fallujah and doing well.
oJo said it was a great party in September when Mark and EVERYONE came home!! Praise the Lord they all came home and with no serious injuries. We rejoice with you Jo. Mark continues in the Individual Ready Reserves until February ’08 and is currently working with Sen. Ensign’s office.oSuzzie shared that all is well with Jacquie and Tawofik. Both are busy as company commanders of their own commands at Ft. Campbell. Possible deployment for Tawofik late next spring or early summer??? No word on a deployment for Jacquie for the next 12 months. All is well.
oLinda (guest who joined tonight….welcome!) told us about her son Eric who is a Captain in the Army serving as a JAG officer in Iraq helping the Iraqi government write policies. Her nephew, Todd (whom she raised), is on his third tour in Iraq.
oCarol H. sent word via Jo that Brady is at Ft. Bragg teaching special forces.
oJoy sent word that Christopher is in Hawaii awaiting orders. He signed on for 3 more years! (Thanks for your service!) He’s awaiting clearances for a job at the White House.

•NEW BUSINESS:
- Barbara received an invitation from the Sertoma club to speak about our group and its’ mission. She will be giving a 20 minute (approximately) presentation on Oct. 5.
- Leslie is arranging for a special speaker at our next meeting – Mike Gargano – who will present information about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- Barbara announced the formation of a new committee: Veteran’s Affairs Committee to serve as a spearhead for involvement/support for activities involving veterans. Sally W. is being asked to head this committee as she is very involved with veteran matters.

•OLD BUSINESS
-Correction to the dates for the Candy Dance @ Genoa – actual dates are Sept. 29th & 30th. – We will have a table set up with an opportunity for folks to fill out postcards for Operation Postcard.
- Information was handed out at the August meeting regarding e-mail etiquette & safety and also requests to try and channel e-mails to the appropriate person/committee. This was mentioned again and was agreed that the info would be sent out again with the minutes for September. The information will follow the treasurers report.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:

oDeployment Support:
-Ana shared copies of several postcards and letters of thanks from soldiers who received the care packages from her office.oBSM to BSM Support: No report givenoBlue to Gold:
- Paula shared that she received a very nice letter from the mother of Raul Bravo (fallen soldier from Elko). - There are still 3 or 4 “old” gold star banners to present. Contact will be maintained and the banners are available if/when the family is ready/receptive to receiving it.oWelcome Committee: No report given

oOperation Postcard:
- We will need true addresses for Operation Postcard this year. Please ask your friends, at church and in your offices for addresses of Northern Nevada service persons.- Barbara made available several bundles of postcards for members to take to have filled out/signed.
- Barbara will send out information about Operation Postcard via e-mail. If you did not receive the e-mail or were unable to open access the attachments, please feel free to contact me and I will see that you get them.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned following a closing prayer offered by Leslie E.:

God bless you overseas dear lad
And gird you in your fight
Bring you safely to your home
When he has crowned the right
And give you where your campfire flames
Upon that darkened shore
A vision of that holy star
That glorifies your door

Daniel Henderson
1919

THESE NOTES WERE FORMULATED BY Suzzie, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONTACT her at: TweetySuz@aol.com

. Treasurer Report:

Beginning Balance: Membership:
$1204.22
+ 10.00 New Member Dues 40 Moms
+ 395.00 Donations 2 Dads
$1609.22 1 Goldstar Mom
- 75.00 Reimbursement(593rd Homecoming) 6 Associates
$1534.22 49 Total
- 35.00 National Dues
$1499.22


E-mail Etiquette & Safety

Have you ever thought or heard yourself say, “I have too many e-mails!” It is a sentiment that most of us can relate to.

We are desperately trying to reduce the influx of e-mail to Barbara’s inbox so that she isn’t so bogged down and to speed responses to the senders. Many e-mails that she receives she then has to forward on to other chapter officers or committee members as the questions, suggestions, comments etc. fall under their area(s) of responsibility/expertise. Please review your e-mail and try to send it on to the proper committee for review. We hope to have a person to serve as a clearinghouse for e-mails when you’re not sure where to direct them. You could then send them to her or, at least, shoot her an e-mail asking where to send your info/request.

The following is only a partial list of tips to help make your e-mails safe for you to send & receive:

-Do not forward chain letters.
-If you want to forward information/poems/jokes etc. it is safer
to copy and paste the content into a new e-mail and send
it on to those whom you wish to share it with.
-Never open e-mails from senders you don’t know.
-If you don’t recognize the sender from their e-mail address
but suspect it might be legitimate e-mail, send them an
e-mail to verify identity before opening the e-mail in
question.
-Never open e-mail attachments from senders you don’t know.
-Never access a website from a link in an e-mail, especially a
website that asks for personal information.
-If you have any doubts about the authenticity of an e-mail, do
not respond to it.
-Beware of e-mails with a sense of urgency, attempting to rush
you into action (messages like “Update now or we’ll close
your account)
-Do not reply to spam.
-Do not include personal or sensitive data in an e-mail or in a
response to an e-mail.
-For unsolicited e-mails, do not go through the unsubscribe
process indicated on the e-mail. By responding, you are
verifying your e-mail address.
-Don’t forward virus hoaxes.
-If you doubt the content of a received e-mail, www.snopes.com
is a valuable resource to help check the validity of info.
-Read the mail before you send it! Maybe even save it to re-
read later before sending it. It can save some regrets
later if we send out e-mails in haste.

As mentioned before these are only a few tips to help with e-mail safety. There are many good sites you can use a search engine, such as Google, to find more security info.

August Meeting Notes

BLUE STAR MOM MEETING NOTESAugust 17, 2007

•MEMBERS Present (at Carson Tahoe Hospital’s Aspen Rm): Amy F., Debbie E., Erin A., Ana A., Barbara C., Leslie E., Norma S., Suzzie W., Cheryl G.

•MINUTES: NOTES from meetings posted as Blogger Update for review.

•CALENDAR: Monthly Meetings (2nd Tues. 6pm, NEW LOCATION Mi Casa Too, 3809 N Carson St, Carson City, NV Tel: (775) 882-4080) The next two meeting dates: Sept. 11th & Oct. 9th.

•TREAS. REPORT: given by Amy FJ. Balance on Aug. 17 of $1600. (Detail unavailable due to computer problems of treasurer. If you would like further information, contact Amy.)

•UPDATES ON SONS/DAUGHTERS:
oErin reported that Tony is still at Camp Pendleton but will be going to a ship. He may ship out in mid summer and will be working on helicopters.
oAna told us that Gieorag is at Bremmerton, Wa where she will be going to visit him and his family over Labor Day weekend. His boat is still in the yards. Andrew is still in limbo. He’s in Italy awaiting news from the Army as to whether or not they are going to be giving him orders or sending him into reserves. Just like the military….hurry up and wait!
oBarbara says that Patrick is doing well ….and is in loooove. She’s met the lady in question and approves. Patrick has been in and out of port and has been to such places as Seattle, WA and Alaska. - Another happy report from Barbara…her daughter graduated from college and is living in working Palos Verdes! Congrats to all!! It’s an accomplishment for the whole family!
oLeslie reported that Henry is very happy at Ft. Stewart, GA!!! He is looking at deploying late this year. Will has finished “A” school and will go up to Bethesda for additional training as a corpman. He will likely deploy with a Marine unit as a combat medic.
oAmy let us know that Nick is settled into Whidby Island and is going to school receiving some electronics training. Deployment doesn’t seem to be on the horizon until summer of 2008.
oPatti said that Nick is still in Iraq…doing okay…and she’s looking forward to having him back stateside later in the fall!
oCheryl reported that Matthew is working with the security forces in Iraq and doing good. He will be going to Germany later in the fall for a few months before the end of his enlistment.
oSuzzie shared that all is well with Jacquie and Tawofik. Both are busy as company commanders of their own commands now…but are both back at Ft. Campbell so that they can be together again following his graduation from Captains Career Course. Possible deployment for Tawofik late next spring or early summer??? No word on a deployment for Jacquie for the next 12 months. All is well.
oDebbie said that her son, Eric, is currently a cook at Ft. Benning, GA. He will be attending a Warrior Leadership course. There is a possibility of deployment to Afghanistan in ’08.
oNorma shared that her Marine son, Jared, has been in Iraq since July. News is kind of sparse but she says he’s assisting with the training of the Iraqi Army.
oGayle sent word that Jesse has graduated from Master at Arms school in San Antonio, TX and has gone to his new duty station in Everett, WA.

•NEW BUSINESS:

-Barbara brought forth some information regarding a new meeting place since we will no longer be able to use the room here at Carson Tahoe Regional. St. Theresa’s may be a possibility and they will have a meeting later this week in which the possibility of us having space to use there will be discussed. Barbara spoke with the manager at Mi Casa Too and they will allow us to use a room there at no charge. We can order from the menu. Many in attendance voiced a desire to have a meal there as we are just coming from work. Several would probably order a beverage as well. The room would be available on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evenings and a discussion was held about possibly changing the meeting night. However, a consensus of those in attendance was that Tuesday is the best for all and a unanimous vote for Mi Casa Too was given.

-Leslie presented information about the upcoming Candy Dance in Genoa on September 22nd & 23rd. We will have a table there and will need 4 people each day. There will be two 4 hour shifts each day: one from 9am to 1pm and a second shift from 1pm to 5pm. Please contact Leslie if you can man the table for any of the available shifts. This was a terrific fundraiser last year and nice kickoff for Operation Postcard.

-E-mail etiquette and safety was addressed by Suzzie. Please see a copy of the handout that was given at the meeting following the Committee reports.

-Ana presented some information regarding financial aid at Nevada colleges for service members and their families (including widows, widowers). You can access the information at: http://system.nevada.edu/Board-of-R/Handbook/Title-4/T4-CH18.doc_cvt.htm or contact Suzzie for additional information.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

oDeployment Support: Deployment boxes to go out in October. We will ask for donations of items to be brought to the October meeting for the boxes.
oBSM to BSM Support: No report given
oBlue to Gold: No report given.oWelcome Committee: No report given
oOperation Postcard: We will need true addresses for Operation Postcard this year. Please ask your friends, at church and in your offices for addresses of Northern Nevada service persons.
oBBQ Committee: No report.

Handout given at August Meeting:

E-mail Etiquette & Safety

Have you ever thought or heard yourself say, “I have too many e-mails!” It is a sentiment that most of us can relate to.

We are desperately trying to reduce the influx of e-mail to Barbara’s inbox so that she isn’t so bogged down and to speed responses to the senders. Many e-mails that she receives she then has to forward on to other chapter officers or committee members as the questions, suggestions, comments etc. fall under their area(s) of responsibility/expertise. Please review your e-mail and try to send it on to the proper committee for review. We hope to have a person to serve as a clearinghouse for e-mails when you’re not sure where to direct them. You could then send them to her or, at least, shoot her an e-mail asking where to send your info/request.

The following is only a partial list of tips to help make your e-mails safe for you to send & receive:

-Do not forward chain letters.
-If you want to forward information/poems/jokes etc. it is safer
to copy and paste the content into a new e-mail and send
it on to those whom you wish to share it with.
-Never open e-mails from senders you don’t know.
-If you don’t recognize the sender from their e-mail address
but suspect it might be legitimate e-mail, send them an
e-mail to verify identity before opening the e-mail in
question.
-Never open e-mail attachments from senders you don’t know.
-Never access a website from a link in an e-mail, especially a
website that asks for personal information.
-If you have any doubts about the authenticity of an e-mail, do
not respond to it.
-Beware of e-mails with a sense of urgency, attempting to rush
you into action (messages like “Update now or we’ll close
your account)
-Do not reply to spam.
-Do not include personal or sensitive data in an e-mail or in a
response to an e-mail.
-For unsolicited e-mails, do not go through the unsubscribe
process indicated on the e-mail. By responding, you are
verifying your e-mail address.
-Don’t forward virus hoaxes.
-If you doubt the content of a received e-mail, www.snopes.com
is a valuable resource to help check the validity of info.
-Read the mail before you send it! Maybe even save it to re-
read later before sending it. It can save some regrets
later if we send out e-mails in haste.

As mentioned before these are only a few tips to help with e-mail safety. There are many good sites you can use a search engine, such as Google, to find more security info.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.THESE NOTES WERE FORMULATED BY Suzzie, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONTACT her at: TweetySuz@aol.com

New Meeting Place

We have a new meeting place! We will be meeting at the Mi Casa Too restaurant at 3809 N Carson St, Carson City, NV Tel: (775) 882-4080. Our next meeting will be on Sept. 11th at 6 p.m. Feel free to have dinner or a snack at the restaurant, but it is not required that you purchase anything!

May Meeting Notes

BLUE STAR MOM MEETING NOTESMay 8, 2007

•MEMBERS Present (at Carson Tahoe Hospital’s Aspen Rm.): Mary A., Erin A., Ana A., Carol B., Jeanne B.P., Sharron B., Barbara C., Leslie E., Paula F., Cheryl G., Marge G., Joy H., Shelley I., Amy F.J., Jo Lynn M., Jo S., Nadine S., Suzzie W., Sally W. Guest: Gayle S.

•MINUTES: NOTES from meetings posted as Blogger Update for review. April approved as posted.

•CALENDAR: Monthly Meetings (2nd Tues. 6pm Aspen Rm. Carson Tahoe Hospital) on June 12th & July 10; Carson Valley Days Parade June 8th / Booth: June 8th & 9th ; Bowers Military Family Picnic Sept. 8th, 2007; Nat’l. Convention: Aug. 2nd thru Aug 4th, in Albuquerque, NM - additional information available from Suzzie or Barbara.

•BLOGGER UPDATES: hard copy circulated.

•TREAS. REPORT: given by Amy FJ. Balance on 5/8/07: $458.00. (Detail unavailable due to computer problems of treasurer. If you would like further information, contact Amy.)

•UPDATES ON SONS/DAUGHTERS:
oMary says Christopher is happy training at battalion in Ft. Bragg, NC.
oErin reported that a wonderful time was had by all when she visited Tony & family at Camp Pendleton. Tony arrived home on his son’s 1st birthday….how wonderful!
oAna happily reported that Gieorag is home (in WA) with his family while his boat undergoes some repairs. She said their was great excitement watching the boat come in….only to find out he had been helo’d in and wasn’t even on the boat! She also had news about Andrew: “He’s in Looove!” The lady of his interest is in Milan so phone bills are even worse than filling up his gas tank! Andrew is still at Ft. Benning training and she asks that we offer up a little moral support for him.
oCarol’s son Joe is living in Reno and driving for Loomis since being discharged in February. He’s currently on the list to get into the Reno PD.
oJeanne says Jason is “doing great”. That’s what we love to hear!
oSharron let us know that James is back in Ramadi. Mom seems to be doing pretty good. oBarbara reports that Patrick is out to sea and testing equipment in some seriously cold weather. Patrick says the scenery is beautiful though…glad he sees some positive in it. Guess the seas are a bit rough….Patrick said he was painting a bulkhead (that’s a wall to you landlubbers) and then bumped his head in the paint he’d just applied!
oLeslie says Henry continues to do better…so good to hear! Please continue to hold him in prayer. Will is loving the Navy and all is good!
oPaula let us know that Josh is going to be at the United States Military Academy at West Point for the summer sharing his knowledge as an instructor for the cadets during their summer training. (Mom, send bug repellant! Trust me on this – Suzzie) Josh is looking forward to soon being a full time student as he enters a Physicians Assistant program. How awesome is that?!! Kudos to you!
oMarge is happy to let us know that all is well with Stuart. Wedding plans are firming up and life is good!
oJoy had a lovely loooong distance call from Christopher. Such a good son…he called and talked with Mom for an hour and a half. She said he’s sleeping and sunburning….and happy! He “re-upped” and has put in for duty at the Pentagon (we’ll think good thoughts that he gets it). She said he might be extended “over there” but that he’s okay and in good spirits.
oShelley shared that Sean is still in Hawaii and doing some training. He’s set to deploy in the fall.
oAmy said Nick’s “suffering” in San Diego will soon be coming to an end as he PCS’s to Whidbey Island in Washington (moves – Permanent Change of Station….though permanent has a different meaning in the military!). She also said that he’s found our blog spot….so this is for Nick….if you go to Mapquest.com you can get directions to Whidbey Island via Reno….it’s practically on the way and I have it on good authority that it will make a certain lovely lady extremely happy!
oJo Lynn says son Bart is in Iraq and due home next Spring. She also told us that her youngest son has joined the Marines and will be leaving for boot camp in June. God bless you Jo Lynn….remember we are here for you.
oJo said she had a wonderful visit with Mark during his leave in April in Las Vegas. She told us that he looks good but is too skinny (sounds like he needs some home cooking…meatloaf anyone {that’s a reference to last month!}). He should be back stateside later in the summer.
oNadine’s grandson Phillip is on his way home!!!! Wonderful news! Nadine is a trooper though….another grandson is “over there” as is a nephew on his third tour. What a wonderful and patriotic family you have. Thank you.
oSuzzie excitedly reports she’ll be heading to Tennessee in a couple of weeks to attend Jacquie’s change of command. Jacquie is enjoying a little down time as she doesn’t have much to do before taking her command. Tawofik continues to do well in S. Carolina at his Captain’s Career Course and we’re hoping he can make it in for his wife’s change of command ceremony.
oSally tells us that Sean is still at Ft. Lewis and that his deployment has been put off. She’s not sure when or if he’ll be deploying. Now that’s news we don’t mind hearing!
oLeslie sent an e-mail regarding the injury sustained by Cody. He is going to recover from his injury just fine. Please keep everyone affected in thought and prayer. (If you did not get the e-mail or are unable to receive e-mail and would like more info, please feel free to contact me.)oPatti sent word via Barbara that Nicholas is due back in early 2008. It’s during these times that we want time to fly for themoBarbara sent an e-mail asking for prayers for her son Steven as he is dealing with the situation with his Dad being held. (again, if you did not receive/don’t get e-mail, you can contact me for more info).
oDonna sent work via Jeanne that she had wonderful (times 3!!) visit with Deirdre! They both held up well getting to the airport when it was time for Deirdre to return…but as she drove away from the airport Deirdre called and had a “meltdown”. Most of us can relate to how hard it is to see our baby’s go off to war and we are here for you in any way we can be of help.

•NEW BUSINESS:
oUSO Care Package event on Saturday, May 12th from 10a.m. to 2p.m. We will have a table set up with information about our group. A sign up list was circulated for volunteers to man the booth.
oBarbara introduced the idea of putting together a sample box that would be representative of the deployment boxes we send to be used at various presentations. It’s a great idea that will be done before our next event.

OLD BUSINESS:
oXi Alpha Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi dinner at Mi Casa Too on Thursday, May 10th. Meet at 6:30p.m. and speakers to begin at 7. Barbara will present a history of the BSM’s and Marge will give an overview of Blue to Gold. All are invited to attend and a sign up sheet circulated.
oLeslie was presented with a Blue Star Mother’s Past President pin by Barbara. Leslie was the very first president of the Sierra Nevada Blue Star Mother’s and we are so thankful that she took the initiative and leadership to start with that fledgling group of ladies that has now grown into a group 44 strong. Leslie told us some anecdotal stories of some of those first meetings. We’ve come a long way baby! But we are still about supporting each other and we really thank Leslie for her instrumental role in making the Sierra Nevada Blue Star Mother’s a success!oCarson Valley Days was the major topic of the evening. We’ve much to do to prepare for this upcoming event.
-FLOAT: Sponsored by Carson Valley Medical Center Boosters. Many thanks to Joy for the sketches she presented of the float.
- flatbed will be available to us on June Decorating times will be sent out via e-mail.- Items still needed for float (as of meeting time):-
- 8x10 pictures of our service members-
- flag poles-
- Coast Guard & National Guard flags-
- possibly a truck to pull the flatbed (we may have one available, awaiting
confirmation)
-Booth: We will get the booth space on June 8 @ 10a.m.
The following lists items we need for the booth:
- Four 8 foot tables
- large ice chests for bottled water
We will be walking the parade route. Our sponsors will be providing candy for us to toss along the route to the children….or children at heart! Sign up sheets were circulated for walking the parade; for blocks of time working the booth on Saturday and on Sunday.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:
oDeployment Support: •Ana thanked everyone for the generous number of items that were brought by BSM’s to fill the deployment boxes. The Military Order of the Purple Heart and the VFW also donated phone cards for the deployment boxes.
•Leslie informed us of a group of young people from Pau Wau Lu Middle School that have 8 to 10 support boxes ready to go but are in need of servicemen/addresses to send them to and asked for those who would be willing to give out the address of their servicemember. A list was compiled and Leslie will see that the information is given to the right person so the boxes can be sent
.oBSM to BSM Support: We want to lift up Carol and her brother as he is experiencing kidney failure. Keep Jo Lynn in thought and prayer…she’s having a tough time with one son overseas and one about to leave for the Marine Corp.
oBlue to Gold •Paula reported that the family of Raul Bravo was very pleased with the BSM support they received. Paula presented the Gold Star flag at the service in Elko and said they are a wonderful family. •A $25 donation was made in memory of Raul Bravo to the POW – MIA from our chapter. •All SV/BSM’s are invited to attend a Gold Star presentation on May 16 at the S. Lake Tahoe Police Dept., 1-2p.m. to the father of Brandon Williams. Please contact Marge with any questions or for further information.
oWelcome Committee: •Jo presented a sample of the Welcome Packet (aka sign up kit) that was assembled by the committee.
oOperation Postcard: No report
.oBBQ Committee: No report.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned following a closing prayer:THESE NOTES WERE FORMULATED BY Suzzie, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONTACT her at: TweetySuz@aol.com

April Meeting Notes

BLUE STAR MOM MEETING NOTES
April 10, 2007

· MEMBERS PRESENT (at Carson Tahoe Hospital’s Aspen Rm.): Ana A., Jeanne B.P., Sharron B., Patti C., Barbara C., Leslie E., Paula F., Marge G., Amy F.J., Donna S., Suzzie W. Guest: P.J. D.
· MINUTES: NOTES from meetings posted as Blogger Update for review. March approved as posted.
· CALENDAR: Monthly Meetings (2nd Tues. 6pm Aspen Rm. Carson Tahoe Hospital) on May 8th & June 12th. Bowers Military Family Picnic Sept. 8th, 2007; Nat’l. Convention: Aug. 2nd thru Aug 4th, in Albuquerque, NM - additional information available from Suzzie or Barbara.
· BLOGGER UPDATES: hard copy circulated.
· TREAS. REPORT: given by Amy FJ. Balance on 4/10/07: $598.32. Income $40.00 from donation & new member. Reimbursements to Leslie, Sally & Marge. (Detail unavailable due to computer problems of treasurer. If you would like further information, contact Amy.)

· UPDATES ON SONS/DAUGHTERS:
o Ana’s son Gieorag made a surprise visit home when his boat was in need of a repair. The visit was short….but sweet! He should return from deployment “pretty soon”. Andrew has finished his first phase at Ft. Benning. He went to the Phillipines briefly but is returning for phase two of his training at Ft. Benning.
o Jeanne reported that Jason is enjoying living in his little studio while attending UNR. He recently was at Mom’s for a favored dinner of meatloaf and mashed potatoes, It’s always hard to tell who enjoys it more….the one doing the eating…or mom getting to cook for him!
o Sharron let us know she missed February’s meeting for something much more important….visiting James! He’s currently doing some combat training and will soon deploy. She also shared the happy news that her daughter is getting married.
o Patti shared that Nick is now getting to do the job he was trained for and is at FOB Warhorse. She’s happy not only because he is happier, but also because he is in a somewhat more secure area now.
o Barbara said that Patrick is finally off “cranking” duty (washing pots & pans) and is back serving in the wardroom. His ship will be going on some semi-local maneuvers soon. She also reported that his medical tests gave an “all clear” and no issues were found!
o Leslie let us know that Henry is doing better…but still has a ways to go. Please continue to hold him in prayer. She spoke highly of the medical care he’s receiving from the military J. Will graduates boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Station on April 13! Congratulations Will!! ….and the whole family!
o Paula was absent from our March meeting for a good cause too…..Josh is home from Afghanistan and she went to visit with him in New York. The five feet of snow they had there didn’t keep her away (I’d venture to say neither hail nor sleet nor dark of night….would’ve kept her away!). Josh is currently waiting to be a full time student. For the moment he’s driving an ambulance and being bored!
o Marge’s son Stuart continues to do well. Wedding plans continue for an August wedding at a church in Lemoyle Canyon in the Ruby Mtns.
o Amy told us that Nick is still “suffering” in San Diego! He’s having a rough time deciding between surfing and sailing….what a life! He will probably be switching stations in June.
o Donna is eagerly awaiting Deirdre’s arrival in a couple of weeks when she’s coming home for R&R from FOB Warrior. We heard that there will be some meatloaf cooking in her house too! Apparently Deirdre will be planning out the menus while flying home to keep mom busy in the kitchen. Deirdre is up for E-4…way to go! Donna says she thinks Deirdre’s deployment will come to an end later this coming summer.
o Suzzie’s daughter Jacquie is preparing for a big change. The general she was working for got new orders so Jacquie was supposed to be going off to Captains Career Course at Ft. Lee. However, just as she was about to leave Ft. Campbell for Virginia, she was offered a command! Later in May Suzzie will travel back to Tennessee to attend the change of command ceremony and see Jacquie take over her first command. (Be prepared for pictures at the June meeting!). Tawofik (Jacquie’s husband) is getting closer to the end of his Captains Career course in S. Carolina. He’s due home in June.
o Joy sent word letting us know that she misses us….and is in Hawaii. Son Christopher is due to get out in about 3 months and will probably move to Oregon.
o Jo was not in attendance because Mark is on his way to Las Vegas for his R&R from Iraq and she and her husband were on their way down to meet up with Mark and their other son to share a joyous visit.

· NEW BUSINESS:
o Barbara presented a proposed budget to be reviewed by the officers.
o Barbara proposed the formation of a new committee: Veteran’s Affairs. Responsibilities would include events such as the welcome home party for wounded soldier, Daniel Tingle, Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day and other veteran related events. Paula has volunteered to chair the committee and both Marge and Leslie expressed a desire to serve on the committee. We will revisit this topic next month when, hopefully, more members will be in attendance.
o Barbara also proposed the formation of a Memorial Committee whose funds would be separate from, but under the jurisdiction of the Blue to Gold Committee. Funds should remain flexible to reflect the BSM’s level of involvement.
o Carson Valley Days – June 8, 9 & 10 – This year’s theme is “Patriotism”. Discussion was held and motions were made and passed to secure a 12 x 12 area at a cost of $100 for June 8 & 9 to set up a table to promote the BSM’s. We are also going to participate in the parade by joining in with Carson Valley Medical center. Look for upcoming information via e-mail and at the May meeting for opportunities to join in on the fun….and the work!
o Operation: Thanks for Freedom! A flyer was circulated about this opportunity. This is not a BSM group project. It is a 4th of July card drive for the Troops. Information to be forwarded via e-mail by Barbara for those who may be interested in participating.
o Guest P.J. (from Web of Support) shared the following information with us:
1. She is currently working on “adopting out” the soldiers from A2.
2. 593rd is due home in late August! (In time for our Bar-b-Que!)
3. She is currently working diligently to get all area Vietnam Vets cognizedthroughFreedom Team Salute. (The program she introduced to us last month and that she is serving as an Ambassador for). She is working with, among others, the American Legion to help accomplish this.
Please visit www.webofsupport.com for more information.

***** Congratulations to P.J. for being honored as a Nevada Hero for her work on behalf of the military and their families. We thank you and applaud you for all you do for our brave men and women and their familes!!! HOOAAH!


OLD BUSINESS:

o As introduced last month, a local chapter of the national service organization, Beta Sigma Phi, has invited us to attend a dinner on May 10 and has invited us to share information about the BSM’s. Barbara will be attending and any and all are invited to attend. Any who would like to attend and/or speak about the BSM’s, please contact Barbara.
o 2007 BSM Yearbook submission:
Sierra Nevada Blue Star Mothers
In 2004, five women from Northern Nevada came together for the sole purpose of supporting each other and their children who had deployed overseas. In the beginning the group was small enough for the ladies to meet in their homes and local restaurants where they shared their stories, tears and laughter. Now, in 2007 the group has expanded to a membership of 33 active BSM’s, 1 Gold Star Mom, 1 Dad, and 7 associates. Operation Christmas Post Card has been the group’s main emphasis; nearly doubling their collection/disbursement from 2250 in ’05 to 4240 in ’06!
o St. Gall’s High Tea: A few members from the BSM’s showed interest and will participate. We hope next year to get more interest and host a full table. Tickets @ St. Gall Catholic Church, 1343 Centerville Ln., ph# 782-2852.
o Ntl. BSM President “Sew Much Comfort” ’07 Project has been passed on to Gayle Hastert. For information: www.sewmuchcomfort.org


COMMITTEE REPORTS:

o Deployment Support:
· Ana asks that we all bring 16 items to the next meeting for deployment support boxes.
o BSM to BSM Support: No report.
o Blue to Gold
· Paula reported that there are nine families to present with Gold Star Banners.
· Paula will be representing both Northern & Southern Nevada BSM’s in Elko for Raul Bravos’ memorial.
· All SV/BSM’s are invited to attend a Gold Star presentation on May 16 at the S. Lake Tahoe Police Dept., 1-2p.m. to the father of Brandon Williams. Please contact Marge with any questions or for further information.
o Welcome Committee:
· It has been decided that to curtail expenses, the welcome packets that have been assembled will only be given to new members.
o Operation Postcard: No report.
o BBQ Committee: No report.


There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned following a closing prayer:

Dear Lord, give me greatness of heart to see the difference between duty and their love for me. Give me understanding that I may know, when duty calls them, they must go. Give me a task to do each day to fill the time when they are away. And Lord, when they are in a foreign land, keep them safe in your loving hands. And Lord, when duty is in the field, please protect them and be their shield. And Lord, when deployment is long, please stay with me and keep me strong. AMEN

THESE NOTES WERE FORMULATED BY Suzzie, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONTACT her at: TweetySuz@aol.com