Text Box: NARFE’s pledge to you is to always work on behalf of active and retired federal employees and their interests. In order to do this, your membership is vital to the organization, because members provide the strength needed to accomplish NARFE goals. So the greater our membership, the greater our influence in achieving our goals and keeping our pledge to you. Currently, NARFE is a network of approximately 400,000 members with Federations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Panama, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. Text Box: What does being a NARFE member really mean to me? Text Box: Where am I in the organization? Text Box: As a new member, you join approximately 7,400 other members who reside in North Carolina and make up the North Carolina Federation of Chapters. As is customary with new members, you have been assigned to a chapter based on your zip code. Your chapter is one of fifty-three active chapters across the state which are divided among six “Areas”. Chapters serve our organization on a number of levels, and are primarily the greatest source of first hand information for our members. Chapters vary in size and meeting schedules and are governed by both elected and appointed officers. (The name, phone number, and e-mail address of your chapter President is listed on the back of this brochure). Please do not hesitate to contact your chapter President should you have questions or need additional information. Chapters are your first line of contact and are there to welcome and acquaint you to NARFE and with other community activities and services, as well. Text Box: How are the NC Federation of Chapters and NARFE headquarters governed?

The Federation is governed by an executive board made up of both elected and appointed officers from across the state.  In addition, NARFE nationally is also governed by an executive board made up of elected officers from across the nation.  It is primarily the responsibility of these boards to communicate with chapters and keep our members informed of activities relating to national and state legislation, membership recruitment and retention, and various other federal retiree issues.  Chapters provide leadership at the local level and work with our state and national elected representatives to achieve our goals.   

Text Box: What Benefits are available?

As a new member, you will soon receive the monthly national magazine, NARFE, and the bi-monthly state newspaper, The NC Federal Retiree and Employee.  Both are primary sources of information and will keep you informed about NARFE activities, nationally and statewide.  Additionally, many of our chapters publish newsletters which highlight chapter activities.

The national web page, www.narfe.org, which you may access at any time provides information and resources related to NARFE’s activities, mission, and goals.  You will also find many helpful links to obtain NARFE reports and the many publications which are free of charge to members.

GEMS, the national e-mail information system, generated by the national office is essentially “news flashes” that update information regarding significant NARFE activities and events. 

The North Carolina website, www.ncnarfe.info, contains information pertaining specifically to the North Carolina Federation of Chapters.  Please contact Charlie Pratt, (678) 947-3373, or charles_pratt@bellsouth.net, if you need further information.

 

 

The Federation vigorously supports and works toward NARFE’s nationally mandated goals – repealing GPO and WEP, enacting Premium Conversion, and protecting your earned benefits.

 

As a federal retiree living in North Carolina, and if you have five or more years of creditable service on or before August 12, 1989, your annuity is exempt from North Carolina state income tax, the result of the very successful Bailey, Emory, Patton settlement in 1998.  The NC Federation is currently making progress in our continuing efforts to include all federal retirees under the “Bailey settlement”.

 

Another state legislative highlight, is the Homestead Act, which would “freeze” the property tax assessment for those seniors 70 years or older and have owned and lived in their home for five years or more without regard to income.  This bill was first introduced in 2002 and again in 2007, and has received ever increasing support as it proceeds through the legislature.  The NC Federation has been behind this bill every step of the way and will continue its efforts to get this bill passed.

 

In 2005, the Federation adopted a Strategic Plan.  The Plan was developed from information, recommendations, suggestions, and ideas generated from the membership.  The three areas of focus for the membership were (1) membership, both recruitment and retention; (2) legislation; and (3) communication.  Based on the adoption of this Plan, the Federation’s pledge to you is to continue to explore solutions that will benefit all our members and obtain our mutual goals.

Text Box: Specifically, what is the mission of the NC Federation of Chapters? Text Box: The Federation vigorously supports and works toward NARFE’s nationally mandated goals – repealing GPO and WEP, enacting Premium Conversion, and protecting your earned benefits. As a federal retiree living in North Carolina, and if you had five or more years of creditable service on or before August 12, 1989, your annuity is exempt from North Carolina state income tax, the result of the very successful Bailey/Patton Settlement of 1998. The NC Federation is supporting efforts to include all federal retirees under the “Bailey/Patton Settlement” through legislation. Another state legislative highlight, is the North Carolina Seniors Homestead Act, which would “freeze” the property tax assessment for those seniors 70 years or older and have owned and lived in their home for five years or more, without regard to income. This bill was first introduced in 2002 and again in 2007 and has received ever increasing support as it proceeds through the legislature. The NC Federation has been behind Text Box: How am I Represented by NC Federation of Chapter?

• Aggressively Recruit and Retain Members.

• Continue the fight to keep our earned benefits which includes annual COLAs and affordable health care insurance options.

• Continue to solidify the working relationship with both national and state legislative representatives.

• Monitor legislative activities which affect retirees and alert the membership to action when necessary.

• Maintain an efficient and effective communications network for the exchange of information and ideas among our members and chapters.