Bruce's Moorestown Community Band

Our Bruce Smith is the Conductor of the Moorestown Community Band.

You can see a schedule of their upcoming events and other information on their website .

The big news is their next performance is going to be at the Burlington County Library on Woodlane Rd. at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8. (It's free).

That's the Autumn Concert.

The 200th Anniversary Concert is Nov. 11  at the First United Methodist Church of Moorestown and the Winter Concert is going to be held at the Moorestown Middle School in early December.

I'm looking forward to attending, how about you all?

September 2015 Lunch at Prospectors

We're back at Prospectors and had a good lunch.
Some more photos of our happy group are up on the shutterfly share site. 

We look forward to seeing you at next month's get together here at Prospectors on Wednesday, October 28th at 12:30.

NJREA Fall Meeting

I went up to Bordentown for the NJREA Fall Meeting and saw three of our group up there- Margie Gessmann (who is the new BCREA VP), John Kugler, and Toni Guerra.

The current goal is to increase membership and get everyone active in saving our pension and health benefits system.

New notification and response system being tested

Today I bumped into a website called Sign up Genius and thought I'd give it a try and see if it might work for our group.
So far there are a few kinks I noticed. For example, they have me (the creator) down for a guest and I don't plan on having a guest and don't remember clicking anything to indicate that. So far I have Charlotte Orfe and Ron Caracci no and Rosemary, her guest (Bruce?) and me as responders.
We can talk about it at lunch Thursday.
I look forward to seeing everyone there!

Remember Donna Rolfs?

This update on a longtime friend comes from Bruce Smith.
Here is his messsage:
    *****************************************
At one of our last DEAR luncheon gatherings (Maybe it was the June meeting), some of the people there had asked if anyone had heard from Donna Rolfs, and no one had heard from her in quite a while.  I spoke to her on the phone for a long time the other day.
She lives in Littleton, Colorado and is doing fine.  She would love to have phone calls or messages from any or all friends back here in Jersey.  Her email address is:   DLWR@comcast.net.  Her phone numbers are:  (C) 609-744-6934 & (H) 720-255-2338.
   *****************************************************
What do you remember about Donna?

Big News

Did you hear that Jeff Smith (Bruce and Rosemary's son) and his Philadelphia Boys Choir are going to be singing for the Pope?

The talented Jeff Smith

How proud are we of this Delran H.S. grad? (Very!)



(photo from CBS Philly)

Our next lunch get together

There seems to have been some confusion about the date for this September's DEAR lunch. I guess it's a little later in the than usual, but it is Thursday, September 24th and I look forward to seeing you all there!

It's back to Prospectors and the time is the usual 12:30.

So what has everyone been up to lately?

My current projects include an upcoming high school reunion (next May!) and my township's Fun Day tomorrow.

Roberta and Rosina outside Prospectors

Karen Bank's Obituary

My source for this September 13, 2015 Courier Post article was the Delran Education Association Facebook page.

Karen S. Banks, of Willingboro, passed Sept. 8, 2015, age 58. She was an educator of many retiring in June, 2014 after 30 years of teaching, and continued to educate as a Professor at Rowan University. 
She is preceded in death by her mother, Barbara Harris who passed March 15, 2015. 
She is survived by her father, David R. Harris, Sr.; husband, high school sweetheart and traveling partner John I. Banks, Sr.; children, John I. Banks, Jr. (Elizabeth), Kenda Banks (Keith), Jarrett Banks, Sr., and Jordan Banks, Sr. (Sarah); 17 grandchildren; sisters, Marsha and Sylvia Harris; brother, David Harris, Jr. (Tami); and a host of other relatives and friends. 
Baha'i services will be held Mon 6:30-8PM at Carl Miller Funeral Home, 831 Carl Miller Blvd., Camden. Christian services will be held 11am Tues. at Second Bapt. Church, 319 Mill St., Moorestown where the viewing begins at 9am. Repast immediately after the service. In lieu of flowers, donations towards transporting Karen to Arizona for burial may be made to a fund set up in her name - Karen S. Banks, c/o Bank of America, acct # 381036230136.

Rest in Peace, Karen

Working on logistics

I got an email notification that Sharon McVeigh commented on my "Getting Started" post. Since this is a new contact format for all of us, I am posting her comment here. You can see her original comment by clicking "4 comments" under my "Getting Started" post (the first (bottom-most) one.

"Hi, Is anyone else getting freaked out about so many members passing away?
Now you know why I chose failedretirement@gmail.com to be my gmail account. Too creepy to retire fully. Figure kids were and will be my life forever. Today I taught 5 classes in a row, had lunch duty, 20 minutes off, then taught 2 more classes. Correct--7 classes of Spanish and a duty. No wonder all Catholic School Teachers go right to heaven! Three days a week, nineteen classes and 2 duties. ps. 10 different levels. Prek tp 8. Gotta love it. ps I do love the kids. Keeps you young and busy. Please stay well everyone--this is getting freaky lately. Sharon McVeigh"

Sad news about Karen Banks

John Kugler just called to let me know the sad news that Karen Banks passed away. He said it isn't in the paper yet, but I found this message (posted last night) on her Facebook page (among many other condolences and expressions of sympathy):

"Hi All this is Kenda Banks . It is still very unbelievable and a shocker that my mom, Karen Banks has passed away this morning. We do not have all of the answers yet as to what happened, but she went away peacefully. We thank you for all the well wishes, prayers and love...she will be deeply missed by all especially by her traveling partner and best friend, John Banks! This is an extremely hard time, but GOD has a plan and she was called home. We will keep all posted once arrangements have been made."

Congratulations Margie!

Today's Executive Committee meeting was Marge Gessmans's first appearance as BCREA Vice President. She did a great job (of course!)
Afterward, she and John Kugler, BCREA treasurer Judy Gaber, and I grabbed a bite at the East Ridge Plaza pizza place. What memories we have of eating there over the years!
John and Marge (and Toni Guerra) will not be able to join us on the 24th because they will be at the NJREA meeting and lunch. 
Is anyone interested in going up for the meeting only with me? (I'll drive....)

Enjoying lunch at East Ridge Pizza

BCREA VP Marge Gessmann and President John Dioszeghy

Sept.8, 2015 BCREA meeting

Take note of this clock!

I think we have some friends who would love to have this musical clock for real!

Getting started

It's Labor Day and the living is easy....

As the new school year gets underway, and we didn't have to prepare for it or be there, I had time to think. I thought, "How can I best communicate with my fellow retirees and friends about what is going on with us all these days?"

Facebook? No, not everyone is on it or likes it or wants to be that public.

Shutterfly share site? Yes, that's been fun for posting photos of our lunch groups over these last few years. But, our photos are mixed in with other friends of mine.

A website? Hmm....

A blog? Yes!! Easy to set up and quick for posts. It can have photos, comments, announcements. I like it.

Here it is! :-)