WebMaster's Corner February 2017
February 2017
Webmaster
On the Second we have Groundhog Day.
This day is important because we will know with certainty when winter will end. The folks at the Chamber of Commerce in Punxsutawney say that Phil never makes a mistake.
You can find out more about this sage little animal at the official website of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.
Super Bowl 51 Sunday 5 FEB 2016. The big game between the Patriots and the Falcons is finally here. Let's all use this day to enjoy some football and watch the great commercials.
February is Black History month. Click HERE to find out more about the History of Black History.
14 February is Valentine’s Day. A day set apart for showing those we love how much we really do love them. Of course we include our significant other in the circle that we draw on this day, but I believe that others should properly be included. On this day we should tell and show our children, no matter how young or old they are, that they hold a special place in our hearts. I think we need to take ever chance to thank our parents for the countless sacrifices they made to raise us and give us values and a work ethic to get us started on the right path in life. I would even go so far as to advance the theory that good friends deserve recognition on this day for showing how much we care.
The gemstone for February is
the Amethyst
The flower for February is
the Violet .
Now, About February in History:
15 Feb 1898 -- Sinking of the USS Maine -- The Spanish-American War (21 April to 13 August 1898) was a turning point in the history of the United States, signaling the country's emergence as a world power. The blowing up of the battleship USS Maine in Havana harbor on the evening of 15 February was a critical event on the road to that war. In order to understand the role the ship's destruction played in the start of the war, one must know the context in which the event took place. Click here for more.
19 Feb 1945 – U.S. Marines Landed on Iwo Jima, a small island that lies 660 miles south of Tokyo, and on 23 Feb they raised the flag on Mt. Suribachi.
The Memorial in Washington is a very fitting and impressive site. Here is a URLs for more information. Wikipedia Entry for Iwo Jima Memorial
Presidents' Day
We have important birthdays in February. President Abraham Lincoln was born on 12 February and President George Washington was born on the 22nd. In Honor of these two great men and all the rest of our great Presidents we celebrate on Monday, the 15th with a Federal Holiday called Presidents' Day. In more recent years we should add President Ronald Reagan who was born on 6 February.
23 Feb 1991 -- Operation Desert Storm Ground Campaign began to drive Iraq from Kuwait. The war lasted until midnight 27 Feb. See this URL for details.
(Columbia's debris field)
1 Feb 2003 – The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated just before 8:00 AM over East Texas about 16 minutes prior to landing in Florida. The shuttle was almost 40 miles in the sky traveling at 12,500 MPH but the explosion was clearly and forcefully heard by residents from Dallas to the Louisiana border, or over 200 miles. The seven brave astronauts will long be remembered, as they were in all reality kinsmen of ours. See more on the Columbia website .
Statehood Dates
The following states achieved statehood in February:
- Massachusetts (6), February 6, 1788
- Oregon (33), February 14 1859
- Arizona (48), February 14 1912
February TAPS
Let us take this opportunity to remember any members of our Finance Family whose passing was a year-ago February passing.
| Name | Rank | Deceased |
|---|---|---|
| BARBER, JOYCE | (Wife of MAJ George) | 2/4/2016 |
| GALLANT, ROGERT L. | SGM | 2/24/2016 |
| WRATISLAW, EDNA MAE | (Widow of COL ROY E.,) | 2/21/2016 |
January Bulletins
(click on the Headline for details of the bulletin board entry)
February Birthdays
Check out the birthdays for this month in our birthday page.
And, Finally, ...
I send my warm and caring message to each of you as you view this web site. Our aim is to provide you with the latest information about the happenings in RAFINO. Have a wonderful February.
New Dues Year. Don't forget, we are now in a new dues year. Dues are on a calendar year basis, $10 per year. There is a 3 month "grace period" at the beginning of each year to give folks time to get their dues in before coming up delinquent. (Of course, as always, dues can be paid up for multiple years in advance, any time.)
Life Memberships.
Of course, the preferred approach is the "one and done" of a Lifetime membership. One payment and you are through messing with dues for life!
Since introducing our lifetime membership option, 351 of our members have applied for and been granted Life memberships.All payments should be made to RAFINO Treasurer, c/o Imre Volgyi, 3112 Waterfront Dr, Chattanooga, TN 37419-1535
Reunion Committee Report - Elaine McNeill, Chair
RAFINO Reunion Committee Update: I spent much of December and some of January traveling so may have missed some of the e-mails sent regarding the committee. If anyone offered to serve on the committee or volunteered for the committee and was not contacted, please let me know. So far, the committee is in the planning stage. We have a committee member who is our “idea” man for a reunion SOP and another “idea” man looking at the dinner we normally have t the conclusion of the reunion. We are also looking at after-action reports from past reunions as well as talking to people who have worked on past reunions.
Right now, the committee is considering what activities should be offered at the next reunion. One of the questions that I’ve been asked in the past couple of days is whether or not we should have a golf tournament. Since I am not a golfer, I’d like input on that. We are also evaluating reunion sites.
Please feel free to share any of your ideas with me. My email address is emcneill1943@yahoo.com. My goal as committee chair to make sure our reunions remain an environment where old friends and new acquaintances can enjoy their time together.
Lost and Found
Periodically, we send out mailings and there are always some addressess that "bounce" back at us. When we have lost contact with a member, we add them to our "Lost and Found" gallery. You can review that list by clicking here, in fact, we strongly encourage it. If after reviewing it you can shed any light on any of our "lost" members, we would very much appreciate your letting us know at webmaster@rafino.org.
And, remember, this Web Site belongs to you the members of RAFINO. Your Webmaster(s) just have the pleasure of making it do what you want it to do. Have a great month, review and correct your data on the web roster, and let us know what you would like to see on your web site.
Robby Robson, The Webmaster