Greetings Pacific Region!
I have just completed my first year as your Pacific Region Director and it has been terrific! My focus was planning our Regional Reunion in Anchorage, and I am delighted to report it was a tremendous success. We initially wondered if there would be enough people interested in the trip, given the costs of visiting Alaska during their tourist high season. But the lure of Alaska proved strong and thirty-six people joined: sixteen SAFN members from Pacific Region (plus eight guests) and nine members from other regions ( with three guests). Came down to location, location, location…and the cool temperatures were appealing to those from California, Las Vegas, Texas and Virginia.
Jane Serie, an Anchorage-area resident, was “our boots on the ground” for the event and wisely recommended we use Premier Alaska Tours to handle all our arrangements. All we needed to do was tell them what we wanted. Sounds easy? It actually was pretty easy. But even so, our planning committee (Cathy Pluta, Lynn Von Schlieder, Jane Serie and me) had a lot of work to do. We met via zoom for many months to make sure we chose activities that everyone would enjoy, and to fine-tune the details. From the attendees’ glowing evaluations, we exceeded expectations! And the expectations were high. We all had a wonderful time and enjoyed seeing a bit of beautiful Alaska with old and new friends.
About our Pacific Region: The Pacific Region includes members living in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and (Misawa) Japan. California has the largest number of members and three regional chapters: Travis - Coordinator Maggie Todano, Sacramento - Coordinator Kathy Reynolds and Los Angeles - Coordinator Ruth Thorpe. Washington has two chapters: SeaTac - Coordinator Linda Siegel and Spokane - Coordinator Louanne Hausmann. Oregon has one “Columbia” chapter with members from Southwest Washington and northern Oregon - Coordinator Barb Brannon. Nevada has a Las Vegas chapter and Lynn Von Schlieder is the coordinator. Alaska, Hawaii and Misawa each have three members. ( Misawa’s members are active duty).
Lynn Von Schlieder is our region’s Memorial Committee representative and, in that capacity, coordinates information regarding the deaths of former or retired Air Force nurses in our region with the SAFN Memorial Committee chair. Lynn contacts the next-of-kin after the death of one of our SAFN members to offer a Nightingale Tribute ceremony at the funeral or memorial and if possible, she attends the funeral or finds a designee who lives nearby. She also sends a condolence card to the next-of-kin. Lynn keeps a record of members who have died for the electronic Book of Remembrance available on the SAFN website. At our biennial regional reunion, Lynn conducts a memorial remembrance for all Pacific Region members who have died since the last regional.
Cathy Pluta is the Pacific Region’s Outreach Representative and she contacts our members who report they, or a significant other, is experiencing medical/physical challenges or difficult life events. Members may request that Cathy shares this information only with other regional members or that it be shared with all SAFN members. If they elect to have information shared with the Society, Cathy will contact the Outreach Coordinator who then communicates this update and any requests to Society members. Those on Outreach may request cards, calls and/or prayers. The list of members on Outreach is posted on the SAFN website and in a monthly email message.
We currently have about 141 SAFN members in the Pacific Region and we all need to capitalize on opportunities to recruit new members. If you find yourself in conversation with a nurse who is currently in the Air Force, or has served, tell them about the Society and invite them to join. Our organization provides great avenues for fun, friendship, sharing memories and building new ones. And as we all know, the more the merrier!
I am really looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones at the 2025 SAFN National Convention, which will be from 14-17 October in Warwick Rhode Island. There is no shortage of things to see and do in the Boston area and I’m sure it will be a great event. I will also be joining the Fall Foliage Cruise that follows the reunion. Hope to see you there!
Cheers!
Barb Brannon
Pacific Region Director
