F.F.A.M.

President’s Remarks – November 2013

First and foremost, please check out our brand new FFAM.org website. It looks great and is very user friendly. Thanks to everyone that worked so hard to get it designed and up and running.

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall weather. This has been the nicest fall that I can remember for many years and we are finally receiving some much needed rain. But the nice fall weather has also brought the normal fall activities we all can expect.

The fall season also brings the traditional turkey and deer hunting season. I wish all of you the best of luck with your search for those trophies and again, practice safe habits, and please be careful.

By the time you receive this newsletter, Halloween will have passed and Thanksgiving and Christmas will be quickly approaching. The holidays are always a special time for many of us to get together and give thanks for the year and to share our blessings with one another. There are many friends I have had the pleasure of meeting during my 39 years in the fire service, and each one holds a special place in my life. Life passes so quickly it seems, so please take the time to fellowship and to cherish each others friendship.

Speaking of Christmas, all of our spouses are always asking what we would like for Christmas, well, I have a suggestion. Don Wilmeshire, from the Fire Fighters Memorial/Museum Foundation still has “Foot in the Door” raffle tickets for sale that will help build the museum in Kingdom City. They are $100 each and have a cash prize for three winners and you will also receive a lifetime pass to the museum. Please contact Don, or any of the memorial foundation board members for tickets. Remember, it will be up to each one of us to do our share to insure that the museum gets built. If you would like tickets to sell, Don can also help you in that area too. Don can be contacted at 314-974-5497.

I would like to report that all of the FFAM Committees have been meeting and working hard to serve the membership of FFAM. Please check the committee deadlines for applying for awards and scholarships. I would like to thank each chairperson and their committee for all of their hard work and efforts. Please remember, if you need anything at all from the committees, do not hesitate contacting them.

I would like to remind all committee chairpersons that your budget request for 2014 are due to 1st Vice President Tim Bean before the December 1, 2013 meeting. Again, I do not want to just see a number, but your detailed request showing your plans for 2014. We will be voting on the budget request in December at Sedalia. Remember, we will be meeting in the National Guard building downstairs on the west side.

The FFAM Board of Directors is currently looking at a life insurance benefit that might be added to your annual membership. I will keep you informed as we progress on this issue. I appreciate all of the FFAM officers and directors/assistant directors that attend meetings and participate in discussion and offer their expertise to better equip and educate the fire service in the State of Missouri.

As always, I am available if you need anything, do not hesitate to contact me at 573-581-6235 or at chiefhoover@ sbcglobal.net.

Stay safe my friends, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. God bless each and every one of you.

Kenneth Hoover, President
Fire Fighters Association of Missouri