Spring Forward, Fall Back

Fall is upon us!  It won’t be long and most of us will be setting our clocks back for daylight savings time; or is it standard time?  You know the help phrase - Spring forward, Fall back.  But when are we in daylight time and when are we in standard time? 

Here’s the scoop.  Daylight time begins (at least in most states) on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.  So, on the second Sunday in March, clocks are set ahead one hour (spring ahead) at 2:00 a.m. local standard time, which becomes 3:00 a.m. local daylight time. On the first Sunday in November, clocks are set back one hour (fall back) at 2:00 a.m. local daylight time, which becomes 1:00 a.m. local standard time. These dates were established by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.  Ok, too much information. 

In any case, come November 6, we move back to standard time by setting our clocks back 1 hour.

National Member Food Drive

We don’t want our National Food Drive to suffer the same fate as our clocks come November 6th.  Instead of “falling back,” let’s “spring ahead.” Spring into action and help the hungry by participating in our national food drive.

We have not seen a lot of activity for the food drive over the summer months.  Hopefully with the fall season being here with some cooler weather, we will see an increase in participation. 

Here’s an idea.  Halloween is coming up.  How about a Trick or Treat Drive.  Put a note out to residents to let them know you are having a Trick or Treat Drive with the food collection taking place the week before Halloween (you don’t want to compete with the kids’ Halloween).  Then have fun and get everyone to dress up in costume to go around and collect the food.  End your Trick or Treat Drive with a costume party and count up the total pounds of food you collected.

As always, please remember to report your involvement by completing a reporting form.  The form and other ideas for a food drive can be found on the Food Drive page on our website.  Click Here.

Nominating Committee Accepting Nominations for Board of Directors – 2012

Deadline for Board Member Applications - January 31, 2012

Woodmen of the World and/or Assured Life Association’s Board of Directors is composed of seven voting members, whom are Benefit Members of the Society, and the President who serves as an ex officio non-voting member of the Board.   In accordance with the Society’s Bylaws, the Nominating Committee is currently accepting nominations for the four board positions up for election in 2012; board position numbers four, five, six and seven. 

Society Directors receive compensation as determined by the Committee on Legislation and are reimbursed for expenses incurred in connection with official business of the Society. 

The Nominating Committee has established criteria and qualifications for board nominees.  You can find that information under the News and Resources section on our homepage at  DenverWoodmen.com .

On Campus with our Scholarship Recipients

This is a repeat of an article in our Fall 2011 issue of The Pacific Woodman.  We are trying a new feature article where we share the amazing things our college scholarship recipients are doing on their individual college campuses.  Here’s Ashton Lambie’s story.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beyond his love and passion for family, friends and music there is one thing that Ashton Lambie of Lincoln, Nebraska lives for; cycling.  Just this past July Ashton competed in the Colorado High Country 1200 K Brevet; yes, I said 1200 K; and yes, in the Colorado high country!  I get out of breath just thinking about it.  Although this is pretty impressive in and of itself, it is not the subject of this article.

So, how does one that has a passion for cycling share that passion with other students and faculty on the campus of Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska?  By the way, the slogan at Hastings College is “Pursue Your Passion.”  Cycling is not like music that can be shared in a performance or “jamming” among friends.  It is cycling.  Enter Sustainability at Hastings College.

Hastings College junior Ashton Lambie demonstrates how to use a U-shaped bike lock on a new Bronco Bike at the campus bike shed Wednesday. Shay Burk 08-31-11

It may be that living “green” and being environmentally responsible is another passion for Ashton, I don’t know.  If so, he found a way to combine this cause with that of cycling.  The Sustainability Committee is the firstHastings College organization of its kind.  Its mission is to “advance and coordinate efforts to promote environmentally responsible and sustainable practices at Hastings College”, and Ashton, as current President of Student Environmental Action Coalition, serves on the committee.

In 2009 Ashton pitched an idea to the Sustainability Committee; a program to rent bicycles to students for commuting around campus rather than driving their cars or walking; sometimes great distances.  The initiative would promote fitness and the college’s new “green mission.”  Since the sustainability committee’s job is to implement green initiatives on campus that are larger in scale than what a student group can do on its own, Ashton’s presentation was accepted by the committee as an inter-departmental effort and backed it with funding through its annual budget.

The Bronco Bike Program was started in 2010 as a student-run program. Bicycles are available to students on a semester-rental basis and Bronco Bikes assists students with maintenance and upkeep of the bicycles through a free monthly tune-up program. In 2011 the Bronco Bike program expanded from roughly ten to forty bicycles available for use by students.  Way to go, Ashton!

On the Lighter Side – With Ole & Lena

I get Ole and Lena jokes via email all the time!  I also have an Ole and Lena joke book at home.  I thought this one (unknown source) was a good one to share with all of you…..

Lena was arrested for shoplifting in a supermarket. When she went before the judge he asked her, “What did you steal?”  Lena replied, “A can of peaches.” 

The judge asked her how many peaches were in the can. She replied that there were six. The judge said, “Then I will give you six days in jail.” 

Before the judge could actually pronounce the punishment, Ole stood up, and asked the judge if he could say something. The judge said, “What is it?” Ole said, “She also stole a can of peas.”

Advertisement