What a beautiful beginning to our fall season. Cool, crisp air in the mornings and the brilliant colors of fall foliage remind us of the changing of the life cycles of Mother Nature.
This is a very busy time of the year for many of us, Fire Prevention Week is just ending, deer season is just beginning, Halloween is in just a few days, Thanksgiving quickly arriving, and then the Christmas holidays wrapping up the year. If that does not fill up your calendar, I don’t know what will.
FFAM annual dues were sent out this week. All membership renewals are due January 1, 2015. Secretary/Treasurer Jaime Miller has included in the notices a list of membership benefits. FFAM offers the largest amount of benefits than any other state fire organization, all for $7.50 a year and $2.50 of that goes to the Fire Fighters Memorial in Kingdom City. The FFAM Board of Directors continues to look for additional benefits for its members. If anyone has any suggestions, please contact your district director.
The FFAM directors are currently working on the 2015 budget and I want to remind all directors and committees that your request for funding is currently due to 1st Vice-President, Chief Tim Bean. We will be voting on the 2015 proposed budget at the December 7, 2014 board meeting in Sedalia at 9:00 a.m. at the fire station.
Other items that are due for submission soon are the nominations for awards and scholarships. You can find the applications on the FFAM website. Please take the time to nominate deserving individuals for these important awards. These are just a few of the excellent benefits I was talking about earlier.
I would like to remind all committee chairpersons to please meet and discuss your assignments and then forward me the results of those meetings. I encourage all FFAM members, if you have input, please contact the appropriate committees or director with your thoughts, and opinions. This will insure state-wide participation and fairness to all our members. If you experience any difficulties, please contact me. FFAM’s success depends on the efficiency of the committees.
On a different note, I want to talk about Thanksgiving. We all have so much to be thankful for. First and foremost our health, our families, jobs, friends, individuals willing to serve others, opportunities, freedoms, and my list could go on and on. I would encourage everyone to not take anything for granted. We have all seen this year many of our family members, friends and co-workers were taken from us way too early in their lives. We need to live every day like it is our last. I don’t mean to be negative, but just aware that I should concentrate on the important things in life. I would challenge you to do so also.
Being that this edition of the newsletter will be the holiday edition, I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas. All of us have so many things to be thankful for. May joy and happiness follow you all the days of your life!
If there is anything you need from FFAM, please do not hesitate to contact one of the officers or directors. We are here to serve.
God Speed,
Kenneth Hoover, President
Fire Fighters Association of Missouri
FFAM
