PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Happy Spring to all.  I think I say this every year, but these old bones will be happy to see warm temps.  As I write this, we are going through a cold snap and baby it’s cold outside!  We hope that all of you are doing well. We know it’s not possible that all are doing well, but we can still hope and say a prayer for better health.  

Several things to talk about in this message.  

- At our March 16, 2022 General Meeting, a motion was made and passed to send $1,000.00 to Ukraine to help in the fight against evil.  God bless them.  

- For our new members: In the Spring of 2021, we started a $50.00 Finder’s Fee for any current member who signs up a retired Baltimore City Officer as a new member.  If they are unsure, bring them to a General Meeting and let them meet and greet with other retirees.  

- The Pension lawsuit is over, and Baltimore City Government lost.  The City is paying the people they tried to beat (not everyone), and those who were in the Class and retired on 66 2/3 should have, by now, received new 1099’s and 1099 INT for tax purposes. Thank you to Kathy Conrad for working so hard to get this done.  

- Just to let you know, our radar is on high alert with the effort to keep our healthcare.  The City Unions have banded together with Active and Retirees to protect the benefits for our spouses and dependent children.  Dan Fickus has put a lot of time and effort into this ongoing project, and we thank him.  

- ALL MEMBERS should double check their beneficiary forms with us (and it wouldn’t hurt to check your benefit information with the FOP and the City at the same time).  Out of date information leads to headaches for the family left behind. We cannot stress this enough. We have been working diligently since late 2021 on trying to reach everyone without a form on file.  There were 571 people with no beneficiary form!!!  NOTE!  It appears that some members, despite notices in the newsletter, emails, and new By-Law books, are still under the impression that the BRPBA is still operating under the old rule that you had to join within a year of retirement from the Police Department in order to be eligible for the death benefit.

Well, that's not the case. In 2017 the Board and Membership voted to make sure everyone was entitled to a death benefit and the By-Law was changed to read:

SECTION 1: DEATH BENEFIT - In order for the beneficiary of a member to be eligible to receive the  Full death benefit of Twelve Hundred and Fifty Dollars as set by the Executive Board and the General membership of the Association, the following will apply.  

· New Retirees must join the association within one year after their retirement date.   

· Dues Payments must be up to date.  

· Must be a member for one full year.  

SECTION 1 A: Partial Death Benefit - A beneficiary of a member retiree that joins the association after one year of the member’s retirement date is eligible for a death benefit of One Hundred $100.00 per year of membership until reaching the maximum full death benefit.  

To check your beneficiary status, please go to page ten of this newsletter.  While you’re at it, please check with us to make sure your address and phone number are also current (if you have changed either one recently).  

- In June, we will be holding our annual Bull and Shrimp roast. This is always a great time for everyone and we usually have a packed house.  This year we will be doing something a bit different.  Typically, the BRPBA (under the direction of Kathy Conrad) holds a clothing drive at the end of each year and gathers the clothing at the December Holiday Party.  We have had such success with this drive that we are going to hold this drive twice a year – at the June Bull and Shrimp Roast and the December Holiday party.  Please keep us in mind if you find yourself going through clothing to donate.  Your donations of nearly new or gently worn clothing (folded in boxes) is collected and delivered to McVet in Baltimore City.  For those of you who don’t know, McVet provides veterans with case managers, benefits, counselors, intake and outreach specialists, housing, training in computer literacy and resume writing, job placement, medication and a recaptured sense of purpose and self-worth they had lost.  They have been extremely grateful each time we have brought them clothing. It’s a very worthwhile cause that Kathy began. 

-  The 2022 Raffle will be mailed the first week of September, and this year we are adding five more cash prizes!!!  That’s right, 35 chances to win!  The price of tickets will remain the same, $1.00 per ticket.  We are hoping to have a good year, despite the crippling economy.  This year’s cost of living is already resulting in an increase of requests for help and we know our members will pitch in and help those less fortunate.  

Daryl