Month: January 2018

Today’s Meeting:  – Joe Hurd – Blair County Chamber of Commerce

Future Speakers:

February 6^th – Jodi Cessna – Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation

February 13^th – Bruce Brower and his Starting Over Quartet

February 20^th – Sara Myers – Director of the Joseph & Shirley Keirn World War II Museum

February 27^th – Kate Shaffer – Executive Director of the Blair County Arts Foundation

 

Whacha’ May Have Missed Last Week:

…..Last week our speaker was Dr. Heather McKinney – Essential Oils for Natural Solutions. Heather’s presentation was entitled “Welcome to Natural Solutions with Essential Oils”. Heather, who is a Hollidaysburg resident, is the owner of Wellness Essentials, a business for Holistic Living & Performance Improvement. Heather explained that for thousands of years, essential oils have played crucial roles in the health and wellness of civilizations. Extracted from bark, roots, leaves and flowers of plants and external peals of citrus fruits; essential oils fight off bacteria and fungus in these plants and fruits. The oils have been found to boost and support all systems of the human body. Among their many benefits, essential oils can ease stress, support immune function, provide natural pain relief, and reduce inflammation. Additionally, they can increase healthy sleep and rest, can rejuvenate skin, can provide cellular repair and improve mental clarity. Heather passed around two samples of her oils….one an orange oil and the other a peppermint oil. Essential oils can be used aromatically, as a topical application, or internally. For more information on essential oils, contact Heather at grow.shine.thrive@gmail.com.

Guests of the Day:

There were none. Come on folks…..share AMBUCS with your friends and co-workers!

 

News of the Week:

…..Vice-President Kristen conducted the meeting and noted that the next “Blues & Brews” will be held on February 10^th. The event will benefit We Care. Tickets are available from Kristen.

…..The AMBUCS Spring Regional Conference will be held in the Poconos on April 13th – 15^th. The theme for the weekend will be Disney on Parade and the Friday night social will include a Disney based “float” from each chapter, using a wagon as the base. For more information, see the pdf that was attached to last week’s bulletin email. Additionally, an Amtryke build-it session is being considered for those who may be interested. Typically the club assists attendees with registration and a portion of the other costs. Registration forms will be available soon.

…..National AMBUCS has announced a change in the way that they award Living Endowment scholarships, with Undergraduates no longer being eligible. According to National, “investing in graduate students only, will raise our positive impact on people with disabilities by simply producing more therapists”. Applications will be accepted from March 5^th through April 27^th.

…..Last week the raffle ticket of Paul Dick was chosen. Treasurer Paul chose unwisely….picking the Two of Diamonds from the deck. So that means that next meeting, you can have the chance to take home a pot of nearly $400 by picking a Joker out of the remaining 33 cards. Hey….the cards are dwindling….someone’s soon gonna win!

…..The AMBUCS board met last Thursday and the following were the highlights of the meeting:

• The club regretfully accepted the resignations of Lisa Drzal, Ashley Gay-Vocco, and Trav Young.
• Due to the receipt of several grants, the 2017-18 Amtryke budget was increased by $5,000.
• Derek Martin and Alex Seltzer agreed to explore the possibility of the club sponsoring a political debate prior to the May elections.
• It was decided that a recent request that we received for a wheelchair ramp was beyond the abilities of the club members due to the very steep slope of the property. In lieu of building the ramp, the board authorized a $500 donation toward ramp materials to be offered to the homeowner if they can find a contractor to build the ramp.

…..This week’s meeting will be the last chance to sign-up for the annual AMBUCS Super Bowl party….because the Super Bowl is this Sunday! The party will be held at the Park Hills Golf Club starting at 5:30 PM and is free to all “33 Club” members and open to everyone else at a cost of $15. Quite the bargain for a dinner buffet, desert, snacks, soda, beer, and good fellowship. Also, a Super Bowl pool sheet was passed around. If there are any blocks left, they are 2 for $10. Cash prizes will be awarded at the end of each quarter and you need not be present to win. A special thanks goes out to Jack McDougal for again running this year’s “33” club and the Super Bowl party.

 

In Closing:

 

                                        

Today’s Meeting:  – Dr. Heather McKinney – Essential Oils for Natural Solutions

Future Speakers:

January 30^th – Joe Hurd – Blair County Chamber of Commerce

February 6^th – TBD

February 13^th – Bruce Brower and his Starting Over Quartet

February 20^th – TBD

February 27^th – Kate Shaffer – Executive Director of the Blair County Arts Foundation

 

Whacha’ May Have Missed Last Week:

…..Last week our speaker was Kay Tyberg, President and Co-Founder of the Blair County Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America. The HLAA is based in Bethesda Maryland and the Blair County chapter, which was formed last year, is one of 14 Pennsylvania chapters. Kay went on to say that her organization’s mission is to open the world of communication to people with hearing loss by providing information, education, support and advocacy. Locally, the chapter provides speakers and demonstrations on hearing assisted technology and provides support and peer monitoring for those with hearing impairments. They strive to have no bias against manufacturers, hearing aid dispensers, or audiologists. Kay stated that in Blair County 17 to 20% of the population has hearing loss and that across America that number totals 48 million! She also stated that around 80% of those individuals that would benefit from hearing aids….unfortunately do not have them. Kay wrapped up her talk stating that HLAA is always in need of volunteers and board members as well as monetary donations. She ended by commenting to all those individuals who have hearing loss issues….”You are not alone!” To get more information on HLAA, email them at Hlaabcc@gmail.com or visit them on their Facebook page. Their meetings are held at Kids First in Hollidaysburg, the 2^nd Tuesday each month.

Guests of the Day:

There were none.

 

News of the Week:

…..President Rachael informed the membership that she has accepted a new employment opportunity in State College, which at least for a while, will prevent her from attending our meetings. In her absence vice-president Kristen and board chairman Ed will share the presidential responsibilities. While congratulations are in order for Rachael, the club will certainly miss her.

…..To all AMBUCS board members, President Rachael, reminded them that future board meetings will be held at King’s restaurant on Plank Road. The next board meeting is scheduled for this Thursday, January 25^th, at noon.

…..A thank you note was read by President Rachael from the Central Pa Autism Society. 

…..Our newest Ambuc member is Theresa Albright who is a branch manager at M & T Bank. Theresa, who prefers to be called Terry, was sponsored by Paul Dick. Terry is a graduate of Bishop Guilfoyle and the American Institute of Banking. Terry and her husband William have four grown children…..Beckee, Matthew and his wife Susan, Rachel, and Michael. Her daughter Rachel is currently serving in the Peace Corps in Swaziland Africa. They also have a grandson Jake to Matthew and Susan. Jake suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, so Terry supports the Great Strides Walk for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. When she’s not assisting with her grandson, Terry enjoys sewing, gardening, and crafting. When asked what was rather unique about herself, she replied that she actually enjoys staying home and cleaning and being a homebody! Please welcome into our AMBUCS family….Terry Albright.

…..The AMBUCS Spring Regional Conference will be held in the Poconos on April 13th – 15^th. The theme for the weekend will be Disney on Parade and the Friday night social will include a Disney based “float” from each chapter, using a wagon as the base. For more information, see the pdf that was attached to this week’s bulletin email. Registration forms will be available soon.

…..National AMBUCS has announced a change in the way that they award Living Endowment scholarships, with Undergraduates no longer being eligible. According to National, “investing in graduate students only, will raise our positive impact on people with disabilities by simply producing more therapists”. Applications will be accepted from March 5^th through April 27^th.

…..Last week the raffle ticket of Bill Reintgen was NOT CHOSEN AGAIN. But instead, our illustrious secretary, Bob Reffner’s number was chosen. However, like Bill; Bob chose unwisely….picking the Five of Spades from the deck. So that means that next meeting, you can have the chance to take home a pot of around $385 by picking a Joker out of the remaining 34 cards. Hey….like the lottery….you gotta play to win!

…..A sign-up sheet for the annual AMBUCS Super Bowl party was again circulated last week. The party and game will be held, apparently without the Steelers, on Sunday, February 4^th at the Park Hills Golf Club. The party is free to all “33 Club” members and open to everyone else at a cost of $15. Quite the bargain for a dinner buffet, desert, snacks, soda, beer, and good fellowship. The sign-up sheet will be available at all of our January meetings. Also, a Super Bowl pool sheet was passed around. The blocks are 2 for $10. Cash prizes will be awarded at the end of each quarter and you need not be present to win. A special thanks goes out to Jack McDougal for again running this year’s “33” club and the Super Bowl party.

 

In Closing:      

 

Today’s Meeting:  – Kay Tyberg – Hearing Loss Association of America

Future Speakers:

January 23^rd – Dr. Heather McKinney

January 30^th – Joe Hurd – Blair County Chamber of Commerce

 

Whacha’ May Have Missed Last Week:

…..Last week our speaker was Scott Bender, General Manager of the Blue Knob Ski Resort. Scott explained that he has been involved with the skiing industry for quite some time. He worked at Seven Springs for around 25 years, was at Hidden Valley for a while, and has now been involved at Blue Knob since the new ownership purchased the resort. What’s unique about Scott is that he was instrumental in the sale and/or purchases of all three resorts. His talk though centered on Blue Knob where the new ownership, comprised of an attorney, a professional engineer, and a dentist; began extensive renovations and repairs to the resort in July of last year. Due to a deferral of maintenance by the previous owners, the property needed quite a bit of attention. They began by repairing numerous leaks in the snow making lines, making renovations to the lodge, and by purchasing a number of needed items. To improve the snow making process, 17 new snow cannons were purchased along with a groomer at a cost of $115,000. For the skiers, 300 new pairs of skis, boots and poles were ordered along with 200 snow boards. The new ownership has also increased their advertising of the resort. According to Scott, the reaction from the public has been positive as the crowds have been responding favorably. Future improvements include improving the internet connections, renovating the existing 168 condos, promoting the use of the resort for weddings and other special events, improving the lifts and tubing trails and at some point the consideration of constructing a 30 – 50 room hotel. Ambuc Tim Parnell, who has been a member of the ski patrol since 1980, commented that the trails this year were in the best shape that he’s seen in years.

Guests of the Day:

There were none.

 

News of the Week:

…..To all AMBUCS board members, President Rachael, reminded them that future board meetings will be held at King’s restaurant on Plank Road. The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 25^th, at noon.

…..Last week the raffle ticket of Bill Reintgen was chosen AGAIN (three meetings in a row). But, once again Bill chose unwisely….picking the Five of Clubs from the deck. Bill is the luckiest-unlucky person I know! Next meeting, you can have the chance to take home a pot of nearly $400 by picking a Joker out of the remaining 35 cards. Hey….you’ve gotta be luckier than Bill!

 

…..Have you signed up on Amazon Smile to support the Altoona AMBUCS? If you haven’t…WHY NOT? It only takes a few minutes to register the Altoona AMBUCS with Amazon Smile and then they will donate a portion of your purchases to us. It’s an easy and painless way to support the good work that we do. Also, please pass this along to your friends and family so that they too can support us!

 

…..A sign-up sheet for the annual AMBUCS Super Bowl party was again circulated last week. The party and game will be held, apparently without the Steelers, on Sunday, February 4^th at the Park Hills Golf Club. The party is free to all “33 Club” members and open to everyone else at a cost of $15. Quite the bargain for a dinner buffet, desert, snacks, soda, beer, and good fellowship. The sign-up sheet will be available at all of our January meetings. Also, a Super Bowl pool sheet was passed around. The blocks are 2 for $10. Cash prizes will be awarded at the end of each quarter and you need not be present to win. A special thanks goes out to Jack McDougal for again running this year’s “33” club and the Super Bowl party.

 

 

 

In Closing:       A woman and a lawyer are seated next to each other on a flight from LA to NY. The lawyer asks her if she wants to play a fun game. The woman, who is tired and just wants to take a nap, politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks. The lawyer persists and explains that the game is easy and a lot of fun. He explained, “I ask you a question, and if you don’t know the answer, you pay me $5.00, and vice versa.”

Again she declines and tries to go to sleep. The lawyer, now agitated, says “Okay, if you don’t know the answer you pay me $5.00, and if I don’t know the answer I’ll pay you $500.00.” This catches the woman’s attention and figuring that there will be no end to this torment unless she plays, agrees to the game.

The lawyer asks the first question….”What’s the distance from the earth to the moon?” The woman doesn’t say a word but reaches into her purse, pulls out a $5 bill and hands it to the lawyer. “OK”, says the lawyer, “Your turn.” She asks the lawyer, “What goes up a hill on three legs and comes down on four?” The lawyer, puzzled, takes out his laptop and searches all of his references with no luck. He taps into the air-phone with his modem and searches the net and even the Library of Congress….no answer. Frustrated, he sends emails to all of his friends and coworkers, to no avail. After an hour, he wakes the woman and hands her $500. The woman says “Thank you” and turns over to get some more sleep. The lawyer, who is a little more than miffed, wakes the woman and asks, “Well, what’s the answer?” Without a word, the woman reaches into her purse, hands the lawyer $5.00, and goes back to sleep.

Tuesday, January 9th, 2018

                                               

Today’s Meeting:  – Scott Bender, General Manager of the Blue Knob Ski Resort

Future Speakers:

January 16^th – TBA

January 23^rd – Dr. Heather McKinney

January 30^th – Joe Hurd – Blair County Chamber of Commerce

 

Whacha’ May Have Missed Last Week:

…..Last week the club presented an Amtryke to 4 year old Elliot Herncane of Schellsburg.           For some time now, Elliot has been riding an Amtryke during his therapy sessions through the IU-8. When he was presented with his very own Amtryke last Tuesday, he quickly grabbed the hand grips of the tryke as his therapist, Katie Decker, adjusted the tryke to fit him.  As he began to pedal the Amtryke, the Ambuc club members applauded his efforts, the noise of which unfortunately caused Elliot some discomfort. However, once the room turned quiet again, and with some gentle encouragement from his mother, Elliot began to ride. Katie Decker, Elliot’s therapist from the IU-8, talked about her work with Elliot and noted that he needs to build up his leg strength and that by using his arms on the hand grips, it will build up his leg muscles. His mother and father couldn’t thank the club enough for assisting Elliot. On Tuesday evening, Elliot’s mother sent Michele Lloyd an email again thanking us and sending us a photo of Elliot, with a big smile, riding his new Amtryke in their home.    

Guests of the Day:

President Rachael introduced her guest…..Jodi Cessna – Executive Director of the Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation. The Foundation has been very supportive over the years providing the Altoona AMBUCS with grant monies for our Amtryke fund. Jodi was rewarded with a front row seat of Elliot receiving and riding his new Amtryke.

 

Michele Lloyd introduced the family of Elliot Herncane, his mother Stacey, father David, brother Emory, and his therapist Katie Decker.

 

News of the Week:  

…..President Rachael again thanked everyone for their efforts on our annual Christmas Candy Sale. A special thanks goes out to candy chairman Kathy Storm who coordinated the sale. The totals to date include candy sales of $6,160 and fair share (500 club) pledges of $1,106 for a total profit of $3,362! Mike Strait was top seller with $1,461 in sales. There were a total of 12 Fair Share givers….but there’s still time to sign up. Anyone selling $500 of candy, making a $200 contribution or any combination of the two…can join the Fair Share givers in providing funds for our projects as well as participating in a special recognition lunch early in the year.

…..January Ambuc’s birthdays and club anniversaries include:         

January 9^th – Jack Rawlings – Birthday TODAY!

January 1985 – Vic Gioiosa – 33^rd year Club Anniversary

January 1995 – Tony Miller – 23^rd year Club Anniversary

January 2003 – Scott Schraff – 15^th year Club Anniversary

January 2006 – Ken Decker – 12^th year Club Anniversary

January 2016 – Ashley Gay Vocco – 2^nd year Club Anniversary

 

…..Last week the raffle ticket of Bill Reintgen was chosen AGAIN (two meetings in a row). But, again Bill chose unwisely….picking the Eight of Spades from the deck. Next meeting, you can have the chance to take home a pot of around $370 by picking a Joker out of the remaining 36 cards.

 

…..Do you shop on Amazon? If so, why not designate the Altoona AMBUCS as your charity of choice in their Amazon Smile giveback program? The Altoona AMBUCS are now registered with Amazon and consequently they will donate a portion of your purchases to us. Also, please pass this along to your friends and family so that they too can support us!

 

…..A sign-up sheet for the annual AMBUCS Super Bowl party was circulated last week. The party will be held, appropriately enough, on Super Bowl Sunday, February 4^th at the Park Hills Golf Club. The party is free to all “33 Club” members and open to everyone else at a cost of $15. Quite the bargain for a dinner buffet, desert, snacks, soda, beer, and good fellowship. The sign-up sheet will be available at all of our January meetings.

 

In Closing:      

 

 Today’s Meeting:  – Amtryke presentation to 4 year old Elliot Herncane

Future Speakers:

January 9th, 16th & 23rd – TBA

January 30^th – Joe Hurd – Blair County Chamber of Commerce

 

News of the Week:  

…..As we welcome in 2018, why not make our Tuesday AMBUCS meetings a habit? You have to eat lunch anyway, so why not attend and enjoy the comradery of your fellow members and hear a good program? And while you’re at it, bring a guest. Give your friends and business associates the opportunity to share in the good that we do for our community. This week we’re giving away an Amtryke….what better way to start off the new year than to help a child? Don’t miss it!

…..Want to start off the New Year on a positive note? Why not join the AMBUCS Wish List Club? Making a difference every day of the year is what the AMBUCS Wish List Club is all about. Your donation will help provide annual funding for the purchase of Amtrykes for those on the National Wait List. AMBUCS’ goal is to grant as many wishes as possible but wishes are only filled as funding becomes available and the wait can be up to 18 months. Your donation of just one dollar per day gets AMBUCS one step closer to meeting all of our deserving Wish List requests, so please…JOIN TODAY! To get more information and to sign up for the Wish List Club, go to: www.ambucs.org/donate-main/wish-list-club/

 

Here are just a few of the children who have received an Amtryke via the generosity of Wish List Club Members:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…..The AMBUCS weekly raffle pot continues to grow. At today’s meeting, you can have the chance to take home a pot of around $350 by picking a Joker out of the remaining 37 cards. A win would be a nice way to kick off the new year.

 

…..Do you shop on Amazon? If so, why not designate the Altoona AMBUCS as your charity of choice in their Amazon Smile giveback program? The Altoona AMBUCS are now registered with Amazon and consequently they will donate a portion of your purchases to us. Also, please pass this along to your friends and family so that they too can support us!

 

 

…..The last regular season NFL games were this weekend, which means that the “33” club has come to a close. There were no “33” scores so there’s a few dollars left in the pot for Jack McDougal to plan the Super Bowl party on Sunday February 4^th. “33” club members can attend at no cost but the party is open to everyone else at a reasonable cost (which I don’t know). Details and a sign-up sheet to follow soon. A big thanks to Jack for again running this year’s 33 club.

…..I’m not sure how many of you are Star Wars fans, but most people that have seen the latest episode, “The Last Jedi”, seem to feel it was pretty bad. In keeping with “bad”…..this pun is pretty bad as well!

Luke and Obi-Wan are in a Chinese restaurant having a meal. Skillfully using his chopsticks, Obi-Wan deftly dishes a large portion of noodles into his bowl and tops it off with some chicken and cashew nuts. All of this is done with the consummate ease you’d expect from a Jedi Master. Meanwhile Luke is using his chopsticks in both hands, dropping food all over the place. Obi-Wan looks at Luke disapprovingly and says, “Use the forks, Luke.”

 

 

…..Do you know where the tradition of having pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s came from? It comes from Germany, where the tradition is to eat sauerkraut on New Year’s Eve. It is believed that eating sauerkraut will bring blessings and wealth for the new year. Before the meal, those seated at the table wish each other as much goodness and money as the number of shreds of cabbage in the pot of sauerkraut.

In Closing: