From the Desk of “LBB” – July 2025

It’s July 9th, and it’s already hot! And wet! Here in Central North
Carolina Tropical Storm Chantal passed through and dumped a
bunch of rain! I had over five inches in about 12 hours. Other
places around me had over 10 inches! I live on a small lake, and the
water was the highest I’ve ever seen it! Another lake near me has
houses and boathouses underwater! But all this pales in comparison
to the devastation in central Texas. We should keep the folks there in
our thoughts and prayers!

You know what else is happening? As you know, Congress just
passed HR1, the so-called “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” and it does all
kinds of things. But one thing it didn’t do was include federal
workforce benefit provisions. NARFE members made their voices
heard, and our hard work helped get the bill across the finish line with
no cuts to our benefits. We should count that as a huge victory
because the original bill contained draconian measures that would
have affected us for years to come!

Couple that with the big WEP/GPO win from late last year, and we are
on a roll. The problem is, we always have to be vigilant and not rest on
our laurels. Congress and the administration can bring up those
changes in other bills, so we have to keep our ears to the ground.
We need to stay in touch with our congressional offices, if for no other
reason than to let them know we’re still here. When was the
last time we paid a visit to our congressional friends?

Another thing I want to babble about is the upcoming Region X
Conference. It’s in Pigeon Forge, TN, October 21-23 at the Staybridge
Suites. You all should have seen an email from me a few weeks back
announcing the conference. That email included a registration form
and an advertisement form. The registration form also has a place
for you to sign up for an evening out at a local variety show that
should be lots of fun. Even if you’re not much of a conference goer,
maybe you could attend to take in the beautiful fall foliage there
in the mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains put on quite a show
in the fall! And let me give a shoutout to the Tennessee federation for
helping set up the conference; I couldn’t have done it without their
support.

One last babble. I’ve been attending various federation conferences
and chapter meetings across our region. It’s been a lot of fun, not to
mention informative, to meet with y’all. That’s the joy of being your
Regional Vice President–meeting and collaborating with the
members of the best region in NARFE.

You really are the best!
Robert “Little Bobby” Allen, NARFE Region X Vice President