The AstorianA Bi-Monthly Newsletter about Members and

Activities

Activities Volume 01 – January - February 2017

 

The Astoria Beneficial Club Inc.,

“Celebrating a Rich Past:

Making a Difference In The Future

Message from the PresidentMy Fellow Astorians,

I would like to thank the Astoria Beneficial Club, Inc. members for electing me President. It is an honor to be elected as your 61st Club president. This is a responsibility that I do not take lightly, and I will represent you with boldness and integrity.

My vision for the future will embrace a theme that holds great promise as we move forward. My

theme is “Let Us Move Forward to Our Future.”

Today, we must put a new emphasis on the things that has carried us this far. As members, we will have a higher outlook on our civic and social standings…..higher religious, moral and intellectual endeavors.

I also encourage you to be willing to go the extra mile that will carry us to our future. Thank you Astoria, I hope you and your family had a great holiday.

May God bless you and keep you through the New Year

Sincerely

Jonathan G. Johnson

President

Announcements and Reminders2017 Dues are Due

*************************************************The Next Regular Monthly Meetings;

Monday January 9 and Monday February 13, 2017

At the Letters Carriers Union Hall on Chamberlayne Ave

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2017 Officers, Trustees and Board of Governors the Astoria Beneficial Club, Inc.

President – Jonathan Johnson 1st Vice President – Wayne Rachel 2nd Vice President – Dalton King Recording Secretary - Harry Reid Corresponding Secretary – Fennon HendersonFinancial Secretary – James LewisAsst. Financial Secretary – Herbert SouthallTreasurer – Marvin Tart

Asst. Treasurer – Willie Williams Chaplin – Ronald Ford Asst. Chaplin – Harvey Carey Sergeant-at-Arms – Theodore Jones Legal Advisor – Alan Foster

Benevolent Trustees; Keith Hicks

Harvey Carey Hamlet Hood

Board of Governors;

Kirk Jones Clifton Carter Archer Dabney Dr. Gerard McShepard

Club Website is "astoriabeneficialclub.org"

Astoria Beneficial Club, Inc. Officers 2016

Jonathan G. Johnson President

First Vice President Wayne Rachel

Dalton King Second Vice President

Harry D. Reid, Sr. Recording Secretary

Corresponding Secretary Fennon Henderson

Marvin R. Tart, Sr. Treasurer

Willie Williams III Assistance Treasurer

James H. Lewis, Jr. Financial Secretary

Herbert Southall, Jr. Assistance Financial Secretary

Ronald Ford Chaplain

Harvey Carey Assistance Chaplain

Theodore R. Jones, Sr. Sergeant At Arms

Alan J. Foster, Sr. Legal Advisor

Hamlet Hood, Jr. Historian

Astoria Calendar 2016

January July

February August

March September

April October

May November

June December

Executive Meeting Dues are paid Newsletter Sent

Election of Nominating Committee

Annual Picnic Newsletters Sent

Forum No Regular Club Meeting

Dues Past Due Historian Annual Report Board Meeting Newsletters Sent

Education Committee Report Nominating Committee Report

to Club Board Meeting Newsletters Sent

Non-financial members are declared suspended

File taxes

Annual Bylaws Report

Social Function Tax deadline Newsletters Sent

Memorial Service Ann. & Award Program Board Meeting Newsletters Sent

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson Program

Board Meeting Fellowship Meeting

Club Approve Budget Installation of Officers Audit Report Fellowship Meeting Written Annual Comm. Report

Happy BirthdayJanuary

Hicks, Keith

Houze, Jr., John

Nicholson, Corey

Taylor, Sr., Warrick D.

Ware, George

February

Butler, Corbren.

Garner, Charlie L.

Taylor, Jr., Robert E.

Winston, Dennis

“Faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen”

Committees and ChairmanTHE C. F. FOSTER SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION, INC.

Alan J. Foster, Sr.

******************************************************************************The Anniversary & Awards Committee;

James Lewis

Entertainment/Ways and Means Committee;

Norman McCowin*******************************************************************

PALS Committee

Bernard Christmas******************************************************************************

Education Committee

Gerard McShepard

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Membership Committee

Keith W. Hicks

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Newsletter Committee;

The next Astorian (newsletter) will be sent March 8, 2017 land mail, and email March 9, 2017. Harry D. Reid, Sr. – Newsletter Editor

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CELEBRATING A RICH PAST: MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE FUTURE

Organized August 8, 2001

The remarkable tradition of the Astoria Beneficial Club, Inc. began on August 8, 1901 by 22 men who believed in firm religious values, high moral standards, intellectual growth, civic and

social responsibility.  Astoria also became a club of vision and recognized that the barriers to full citizenship eventually could be eliminated with patience, planning and timely action. 

Astoria has earned a significant place in Richmond’s history because of the vision of its founders. They believed that the barriers to full citizenship could be eliminated with patience, planning and timely action. Their vision became the guiding light for a rich history of pioneer efforts to gain voting rights, equal opportunity employment and to end segregation of public eating facilities. The Astoria creed has inspired outstanding men from every walk of life to

"higher moral, intellectual, civic and social standing" for almost a century.

Editorial harrydreid@hotmail.com

Everybody DiesBut Not Everybody Lives

It not death most people are afraid of. It is getting to the end of life, only to realize that you never truly lived. There was a study done on 100 elderly people facing death, close to their last breath. They were asked to reflect about their life biggest regrets. Nearly all of them said “they regretted not the things they did, but the things they didn’t do”. The risk they never took, the dreams they never pursued.

I ask you, would your last words be “if only I had”. Life is not meant to simply work, wait for the weekend and pay rent. I don’t know much, but I know this, every person on this earth has a gift. I apologize to some of you in the black community, but I can no longer pretend Martin Luther King, Jr. that man never had a dream. That Dream had Him.

See people don’t choose dreams, dreams chose them. So the question I’m getting to is “do you have the courage to grab the dream that picked you?” The dream that benefits you and grip you, or will you let it get away and slip through, divide and turn you into a “Kinda”, see Kinda is lethal, you know what Kinda is right. There are a lot of kinda people out here, “you kinda want to change, you kinda want to lose weight, you kinda want to start walking every day, and you kinda want to be a better person.” Simple math, no numbers to crunch, “if you kinda want something then you will kinda get the results you want.

What is your dream? What ignites your spark? You kinda want that! No you got to want it with every part of your whole heart, will you struggle? Yes you will struggle no way around it, you will fall many times, but who’s counting? Just remember there is no such thing as a smooth mountain, if you want to make it to the top, remember there are sharp ridges you must step over, there will be times you get stressed and things you get depressed over, but let me tell you something, struggle and criticism are prerequisites for greatness. That’s the law of this universe and no one escapes it. Because pain is life, you can choose which type, either the pain on the road to success or the pain of being haunted with regrets. You want my advice? Don’t think twice, we have been given a gift, its call, “Life”. Don’t blow it. You were not defined by your past. Instead you were born anew in each moment, so own it now.

I learn a fact about airplanes on my last trip that was so surprising. The pilot said many of his passengers think planes are dangerous to fly, but he said, “Actually, it is a lot more dangerous for a plane to stay on the ground, he said because on the ground, the plane starts to rust and wear much faster than it ever would if it was in the air. As I walked away I thought, makes total since because planes are were built to live in the sky.

Every person was built to live out their dreams they have inside. So it is perhaps the saddest loss to live a life on the ground without ever taking off. Most of us are afraid of the thief that come in the night to steal all of our things. There is a thief in your mind who is after your dreams. His name is doubt, if you see him call the cops and keep him away from your kids. He is wanted for murder, for he has killed more dream than failure ever did. He wears many disguises and like a virus will leave you blinded.

Sometimes you got to leap and grow your wing on the way down. Get the shot off before the clock expire. There no overtime in life, no do over. If you don’t use your gift, then you sell not only yourself but the whole world short.

What do you have to bring out to this universe? Uni means one, verse meaning song. You have a part to play in this song. Grab the microphone and be brave, sing your heart out on life’s stage. You cannot go back and make a brand new beginning. But you can start now and make a brand new ending.

Author Unknown

JUST FOR LAUGHS; Sarah, a Sales Associate at Walmart, notices a man in the card section. When she walks by an hour later and sees him still there she walks over to see if she can help. “Can I help you?” she asks. “Well I don’t know” the man responds “I’m having a problem, I can’t find anything that my wife would believe!”

Health News;Foods to Boost Male Health

Lean Red Meat

If you're a steak-and-potatoes guy, you're in luck. Red meat can be good for you. Lean cuts of beef and pork are packed with protein and have only a little more fat than chicken breast. Red meat is also a good source of leucine, an amino acid that helps build muscle.

Chocolate Chocolate may improve blood flow if you eat the right kind. The flavanols in dark chocolate may curb levels of bad cholesterol, improve circulation, and keep blood pressure in check. Men with poor blood flow are more likely to have erection problems, so heart-wise foods may protect your sex life, too. But too much chocolate can lead to weight gain. Enjoy 1 ounce a day instead of other sweets.

Fatty Fish Fatty fish like salmon, herring, sardines, and halibut are another excellent source of healthy fat. They have a special type known as omega-3 fatty acids. These protect against heart disease, the top killer of men in the U. S. Two servings of fatty fish a week can lower your chances of dying from heart disease.

Milk and Yogurt Milk and yogurt is another source of leucine, a muscle-building amino acid. Greek yogurt, with a thick, creamy taste that men may like better. It's also packed with protein, potassium, and friendly bacteria that keep the gut healthy. "Plus, it requires no preparation whatsoever."

Bananas

The banana is celebrated for its bounty of potassium -- and with good reason. Potassium is critical for muscle contractions and bone health. It also helps blood pressure. Getting enough potassium may be as important as eating less sodium when it comes to lowering blood pressure.

Mixed Vegetables Vegetables are packed with phytochemicals, nutrients that boost cell health and protect against cancer. There are many different phytochemicals, and the best way to get a variety of them is to eat different colored veggies. "There should be color on your plate at every meal.

Eggs Eggs provide lutein, protein, and iron, but you have to eat the whole egg. One yolk, with 185 mg of cholesterol, fits into the 300 mg daily limit for healthy people. You might also cut back on high-cholesterol sweets to make room for whole eggs in your diet. If you have high cholesterol, ask your doctor if you should limit how many eggs you eat per week

Berries Berries can help you be on top of your game mentally as well as physically. They're loaded with antioxidants that may help lower the risk of cancer. Animal studies suggest blueberries can also enhance memory and thinking. Similar research in people is in its infancy, but looks promising. When fresh berries are expensive or tough to find, try buying them frozen and making a shake.

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Is there something about snowstorms that makes us want to eat French toast and sit on the toilet? With every predicted blizzard, there's a mad dash to load up on milk, bread, eggs and toilet paper. But why those particular items? Sure, there are some variations, including booze, snack foods and even ice cream. Yet these items are the first to disappear from store shelves when the dreaded s-word is mentioned. It doesn't appear to make much sense, given that one of the major problems in many storms is the loss of power. And that's a bad thing when it comes to keeping milk and eggs fresh, though Mother Nature could lend a hand if said items are simply placed in the snow.

Astoria Song(To the tune of Born Free)Once more we gather togetherRegardless of WeatherTo salute The AstoriansForward, onward and upward

Onward and upwardForever that is our goalOur weakness heedsAnd strengthen our faithWit hope and love, and faithInspire our heartsForward, onward and upwardsOnward and upwardsThe Astoria

THE FIRST EDITION OF THE ASTORIAN Online (newsletter) version was launched January 2009 by Newsletter Editor Harry D. Reid, Sr. this is an online version of the original newsletter land mailed to all active members of the Club. The online version is an in depth perspective of the Club activities, Presidents Message, History, Upcoming event, Astorians in business, Health issues, Just-For- Laughs, Editorial, Business, Retirement and an opportunity for members to present issues of concern. ******************************************************************************

Send all articles and comments to;

Harry D. Reid, Sr.-Editor

3611 Montclair Rd.

Richmond, VA 23223

Or

Email harrydreid@hotmail.com