The Association of Retired Houston Municipal Employees (ARHME)
Met on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at the E. B. Cape Center to hear presentations
by
George Bravenec and Lonnie Vara,
Along With Featured Speakers:
Ms. Elaine Hermsen, a Public Affairs Specialist with the Social Security Administration
and
Ms. Kay Joshua from the city’s Parks and Recreation Department
 ARHME Board members Marian Burton (formerly Domingue), Danny Faulkner, Bill Pugh and Moe Mata register Paulette Wagner for the January 19, 2010 general meeting.  Following the important and informative ARHME presentations attendees and board members joined in discussing the events over lunch.
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The Association of Retired Houston Municipal Employees (ARHME) held a general membership meeting on January 19, 2010 at the E. B. Cape Center. Approximately 80 people were in attendance. ARHME Chairperson George Bravenec opened the meeting with introductory comments and introduced Lonnie Vara, who along with Mr. Bravenec is an elected retiree trustee with the Houston Municipal Employees Pension System (HMEPS). Mr. Vara spoke briefly on the importance of retirees joining and participating in ARHME to present a unified front on issues affecting our pensions and benefits. Mr. Bravenec briefed everyone on the status of the pension system saying that it was continuing to recover from the recent downturn in the financial markets. Despite a negative earning rate in Fiscal Year 2009, performance has bounced back in the first six months of this fiscal year. When compared to other similar pension funds, HMEPS continues to do relatively well. Mr. Bravenec then introduced the featured speaker for the meeting, Ms. Elaine Hermsen, a Public Affairs Specialist with the Social Security Administration. Ms. Hermsen discussed the different types of social security benefits available and gave examples of situations where people may not be aware of the types of benefits they might be eligible to receive. She addressed how to maximize social security benefits and explained that you first become eligible to receive benefits at age 62, but may choose to delay to your full retirement age and receive a higher benefit. This is a personal decision that should be considered carefully based on each individual’s personal financial situation. Regardless of the age you choose to retire, it is a good idea to contact Social Security in advance to see which month is best to claim benefits. If you decide to delay your retirement, you must be sure to sign up for Medicare at age 65. In some circumstances, medical insurance costs more if you delay applying for it. She also discussed Social Security survivor and disability benefits. For more information, you can visit Social Security’s web site at www.socialsecurity.gov. Ms. Kay Joshua from the city’s Parks and Recreation Department was the next speaker. She discussed the various Senior Programs available at the city’s community centers. These programs include a variety of recreation and leisure activities for seniors, ages 55 years and older. Some of the activities include creative crafts, fitness, walking clubs, table games, water aerobics, line dancing, cultural events, senior forums and field trips. The line dancing classes have been particularly popular. Most activities are free to participants and you do not have to live in the city to be eligible to participate. Visit the Parks and Recreation Department’s web site at www.houstonparks.org for more information. Following Ms. Joshua presentation drawings were held for ten door prizes. ARHME thanks RMS Auto Care, Pappas BBQ, James Coney Island and some board members for their generous contributions. Those in attendance then enjoyed a pizza lunch. The meeting concluded at about one o’clock. Al Mays, Vice Chair Posted January 30, 2010
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 George Bravenec listens to Lonnie Vara encouraging retirees to become a member of ARHME.  Ms. Elaine Hermsen, a Public Affairs Specialist with the Social Security Administration discussed the different types of social security benefits available. |
| Links to Previous General Membership Meetings: June 8, 2009 January 30, 2009 June 2, 2008 |
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