Az I AARP It....
- On Friday, October 8th, Mayor Mike Levault and the Youngtown, Arizona Town Council decreed AARP Youngtown Chapter #1 Day, as we celebrated our 50th anniversary as the first Chapter in AARP history, selected from more than 100 applicant cities, in October of 1960! The fete was presented, and catered, by the Arizona AARP State office, and attended by approximately sixty(60) members and AARP State officials, including Director David Mitchell, CJ Faygas, Donna Cox, Connie Fladeland, Steve Jennings, Dr. Virginia Creager, Kathy Stevens, and David Parra.
Levault, Mitchell, and Dr. Mary Murphy, President of the All Arizona School Retirees Assn.(AASRA), - presented historical citations of appreciation to Chapter #1 President Archangel(Arky) Muscato, in recognition of his, and the Chapter's, contributions to the development and volunteerism in Youngtown and its surrounding West Phoenix Valley communities. Also attending were the 2010 Arizona recipients of the Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus Award - Virginia Brant and Sigrid Whitman, and Youngtown Council Members Peg Chittendon and Shirley Oglesby.
Mitchell introduced a very special guest-speaker, Lily Liu - the National AARP Historian - who spoke passionately of the importance of Youngtown, Az., the nation's first retirement community, and Chapter #1, in the history of the development of the southwestern United States, and for seniors - specifically for energizing community and volunteer activism nationally. Lui also discussed the beginnings of AARP as important to all American culture and economics, as Dr. Andrus, its Founder, sought health/medical, financial and long-term care assurances for all seniors, which has since been protracted to all Americans, through a variety of government programs, beginning with Medicare enactment, in 1965, and extending to 'Obamacare' today!
Muscato also recognized the current Chapter #1 Officers, including VP Fred Torrisi, VP Linda Muscato, Secretary Eileen Greiss and Treasurer Herb Kennell, as well as Executive Board members Pat Druehl, Charlotte Johnson, Beverly Meers, June Miller, and retiring Board member Daphne Green, who re-read a still-current historical letter that she had written about Chapter #1 in 2005, when the Chapter was a mere 45-years old!
With more than 2,400 AARP Chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, Chapter #1 is proud to continue its heritage of assisting those less fortunate. When Muscato recently met Barry Rand, the current AARP CEO, at the Orlando@50+ National Convention, Rand remarked that Muscato exhibited 'such pride in your AARP involvement.' Muscato replied, "I am most proud of my Chapter members - for all that they do for others and for me!" Happy Anniversary, AARP Chapter #1 - 'To serve, not to be served!'
Levault, Mitchell, and Dr. Mary Murphy, President of the All Arizona School Retirees Assn.(AASRA), - presented historical citations of appreciation to Chapter #1 President Archangel(Arky) Muscato, in recognition of his, and the Chapter's, contributions to the development and volunteerism in Youngtown and its surrounding West Phoenix Valley communities. Also attending were the 2010 Arizona recipients of the Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus Award - Virginia Brant and Sigrid Whitman, and Youngtown Council Members Peg Chittendon and Shirley Oglesby.
Mitchell introduced a very special guest-speaker, Lily Liu - the National AARP Historian - who spoke passionately of the importance of Youngtown, Az., the nation's first retirement community, and Chapter #1, in the history of the development of the southwestern United States, and for seniors - specifically for energizing community and volunteer activism nationally. Lui also discussed the beginnings of AARP as important to all American culture and economics, as Dr. Andrus, its Founder, sought health/medical, financial and long-term care assurances for all seniors, which has since been protracted to all Americans, through a variety of government programs, beginning with Medicare enactment, in 1965, and extending to 'Obamacare' today!
Muscato also recognized the current Chapter #1 Officers, including VP Fred Torrisi, VP Linda Muscato, Secretary Eileen Greiss and Treasurer Herb Kennell, as well as Executive Board members Pat Druehl, Charlotte Johnson, Beverly Meers, June Miller, and retiring Board member Daphne Green, who re-read a still-current historical letter that she had written about Chapter #1 in 2005, when the Chapter was a mere 45-years old!
With more than 2,400 AARP Chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, Chapter #1 is proud to continue its heritage of assisting those less fortunate. When Muscato recently met Barry Rand, the current AARP CEO, at the Orlando@50+ National Convention, Rand remarked that Muscato exhibited 'such pride in your AARP involvement.' Muscato replied, "I am most proud of my Chapter members - for all that they do for others and for me!" Happy Anniversary, AARP Chapter #1 - 'To serve, not to be served!'
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