December 2024 Ears Newsletter
Members celebrating Birthday’s in December
Maria Adams Dec 8th
Sharon McNown Dec 13th
Wishing you both a wonderful year filled with the love of family and friends!
Season’s Greetings to our amazing members and your families!
INAUGURATION BRUNCH MEETING - JANUARY 20th
Our January Member meeting will be held on Monday, January 20th from 8:30-10:30am in lieu of of our normal 4th Tuesday of the month, so that we may gather to watch the historic Inauguration of President Donald J. Trump.
Please join us to watch the 60th Presidential Inauguration where President-elect Donald J. Trump will take the oath of the President for the second time and become our 47th President. This meeting will be held at a member’s home and will feature a delectable assortment of sweet and savory brunch items, sparkling wine mimosa’s, and fresh brewed coffee and tea.
Brunch price is $20. Please click here for more information and to purchase brunch online.
2024 WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA RECAP
Thank you to the SRVRWF members, veteran families and local residents who came out on a cold, blustery and rainy day to Remember the fallen, Honor those that serve and their families, and Teach the younger generation the value of Freedom. San Ramon Mayor, Mark Armstrong, gave a speech befitting the service of the men and women we honored by laying a Veteran Remembrance Wreath on their final resting place.
I would like to thank the following local service groups that volunteer their time assisting with wreath unloading, ceremony program disbursement, baking of treats, and wreath placement: Scout Troops from Danville & San Ramon, American Heritage Girls Troop CA1556, NCL Chapters - Livermore and Rolling Hills, and Boy’s Team Charity.
Our Club, along with DAR-Mt. Diablo Chapter and American Legion Mt. Diablo Post 246 have organized this humbling, patriotic event since 2014. Claudia Nemir, a member of the SRVRWF and DAR-Mt. Diablo Chapter, applied for the Alamo Cemetery to become an official Wreaths Across America Ceremony location in September 2014 with 17 identified veteran graves. In the last 10 years, with the help of Patricia Howard, District Manager for the Alamo-Lafayette Cemetery District, and local resident, Anne Lum, an additional 243 veterans have been identified as being buried in the Alamo Cemetery. We continue to research the names of those buried in the Alamo Cemetery to ensure all veterans interred in the cemetery are remembered.
In 2023, Sidharth Anand, of Scout Troop 888-San Ramon, received his Eagle Scout Award for GPS mapping each known veteran interred at the Alamo Cemetery and marking their final resting place with a US Veteran Grave Marker with flag holder (https://www.alamolafayettecemetery.com/alamo-interactive-veteran-map).
My goal in 2025 is to ensure that the final resting place for veterans buried at the Alamo and Lafayette Cemeteries are marked. Currently there are about a dozen veterans at the Alamo Cemetery and two dozen at the Lafayette Cemetery without a grave stone. Alan Scharlach, American Legion Mt. Diablo Post 246, will be working with a Scout to earn their Eagle Award by placing a concrete pad and stainless steel marker at each of these veterans grave location. If you would like to donate to this project, please email me.
Fundraising for next year’s Wreaths Across America ceremony has already started! Beginning on National Wreaths Across America Day, December 14, 2024, and running through Friday, January 17, 2025 - all wreaths sponsored through a registered WAA Sponsorship Group (SRVRWF-CA0722 or DAR Mt. Diablo-CA0644) will be matched by HQ for placement on next year’s National Wreaths Across America Day - Saturday, December 13, 2025.
~Erika Coday
WAA Location Coordinator-CAAACA
Sponsorship Coordinator for SRVRWF-CA0722
November and December Member Meeting Recap
At our November Member Meeting held on the 19th, your 2025 Board of Directors was sworn in by Jeanne Solnordal, CFRW Legislative Analysts and SRVRWF Member. We thank Erika Coday, Julie Mobley, Paula Knapp and Kirstin Wallace for filing the roles of President, VP, Secretary, and Treasurer. After their oath of office was finished, the Board invited the lively group of men and women to stand up and do the “Trump Dance”!
Our heartfelt gratitude to our 2024 Board of Directors - Erika Coday, Roxanne Lindsay, Becky Kolberg, Elaine Kowalik, Peggie Pazzi-Peterson, Liz Summer, Dee Thompson, and Mary Zellhart
Our December Member Meeting was supposed to feature the Monte Vista Beauty Shop Choir, but an unfortunate scheduling miscommunication derailed their performance. Even without their song set an enjoyable time was had by all, as members were able to discuss their holiday plans and catch up with dear friends. We even had a sing along to kick off the holiday season with a festive jingle!
IT’S TIME FOR YOUR 2025 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
Our Club is offering a $5 savings on your annual Regular or Associate membership level dues if you renew by December 31st, 2024. Due to the rising costs of goods your Board has reluctantly voted to increase our annual membership dues from $45 to $50 per year for a Regular Member and from $25 to $35 per year for an Associate Member. This was a hard decision to make since we know that all of our members are effected by the rising cost of goods wherever we shop. We hope that you will take advantage of our $5 off offer and renew by the end of the year. We also offer a $15 discount to all our military members.
We offer two ways to renew:
1. Online via our website, you may pay via Zelle.
2. Print our membership application and mail your check to SRVRWF, PO Box 1, Danville, CA 94526. If you are taking advantage of our early renewal discount, please mail your check by December 31st, 2024
We are excited for our 75th year and the promise of President Donald J. Trump’s return to the Oval Office.
CALENDAR
DECEMBER 2024
Dec 1st National Pie Day
Dec 2nd Board of Directors meeting - CANCELLED
Dec 3rd General Member meeting - Let’s celebrate President-Elect Donald J. Trump’s win
Dec 7th Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day - look up towards Mt. Diablo to see the beacon lit this evening
Dec 13th National Guard Birthday
Dec 14th Wreaths Across America Ceremony at the Alamo Cemetery
Dec 15th National Wear Your Pearls Day
Dec 25th Christmas
Dec 26th Hanukkah (first day)
Dec 31st New Year’s Eve - We are thankful for your support in 2024 and look forward to seeing you in 2025!
JANUARY 2025
Jan 1st New Year’s Day - Happy New Year to our members and their families!
Jan 6th Board of Directors meeting
Jan 8-11th NFRW Western Conference - Westlake Village, CA
Jan 8th National Bubble Bath Day
Jan 9th National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
Jan 20th General Member Meeting (Different day this month) - Inauguration Watch Party Brunch
Jan 20th Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan 27th National Chocolate Cake Day
Jan 29th Lunar New Year - Year of the Snake