The largest group to date helped to pick up litter along the beachfront at the National Seashore on June 4, 2005.  It was a cloudy Saturday morning as Lutherans from Buda, Rockport, Refugio, Corpus Christi, Bishop, Robstown and near by communities all gathered a Malaquite Beach for the annual Join Hands Day Beach cleanup. By 9:00 a.m. over 100 had registered and bags and gloves were handed out.  For over two hours the Gulf of Mexico sand and Sargasso weed from far off places was probed for refuse left behind by man and water currents.  After about two and a half hours over 200 bags had been gathered.  Park Rangers estimated that the total amount picked up was about 2,000 pounds.  Leroy Dehaven had the hotdogs ready for a hungry bunch of beach cleaners.  Over 200 hotdogs were served, along with chips, sodas and cookies.  Our very own Lutheran Community Services Team Specialist, Mary Jo Pfeiffer and husband Roland were among the group that enjoyed a day at the beach with young and old sprucing up the National Seashore.  We hope to see you all again next year.

To view the pictures visit our chapter website at www.lutheransonline.com/gulfcoastchapter.

The following Tuesday, June 7, 2005 Chapter leaders and members gathered at the Corpus Christi Food Bank to help in sorting kitchen and personal items.  During the month of May Congregations in the Gulf Coast Chapter Area were asked to collect food for the food bank.  Non-perishable foods were collected at Abiding Savior, Galilean Lutheran, Trinity Lutheran and other congregations.  Our thanks to all those who took part.
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If there is a person/family or nonprofit organization you'd like to help through a fund-raiser, or if there is some improvement that could be made to the community through a service activity, please contact a member of our chapter leadership board.  (President Leroy DeHaven (361)993-8719 or Vice President Elaine Brundrett (361) 991-7947).  The chapter system is designed for members to come together to meet a need via a fund-raiser or service activity, and then receive supplemental funding through the Care Abounds in Communities™ program. Before planning an activity, or to get more information about the chapter system or if forming a service team, please contact a Chapter Leader, or visit our chapter Web site at www.lutheransonline.com/gulfcoastchapter. For general information about chapters or resources available to members, we encourage to go to Thrivent Financial's Web site at www.thrivent.com, click Chapters/Members (a simple one-time registration is required for first-time users) and view the About My Chapter and Volunteer Resources sections.  Make a decision to become part of this important work by volunteering as a chapter leader.  Call Elaine Brundrett at  361 991-7947 to start the process for you to become elected to a chapter leader position at the annual meeting this November.  

What are the requirements?  All Thrivent Financial benefit and associate members (age 16 or older), including $10 family associate members, are eligible to hold any elected or appointed chapter leadership position.

All elected leaders on the leadership board must be from different households.

Person in a leadership role must be a member of the chapter the board serves.

All elected positions serve a one-year term beginning Jan. 1 (or whenever appointed) and ending Dec. 31. Elections are held once a year at the annual meeting in November.

Internet and e-mail access are required for the records director and financial director positions. Because a majority of the administrative tasks of the chapter system require online access, it is strongly recommended that you have access to and are comfortable with using e-mail and the Internet.

Important: Potential chapter leaders must be aware that their name, address, phone number and e-mail address will be available through the Internet to Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members who belong to that chapter.  Nominees should be aware that  their contact information will be shared on the Internet if they become volunteer leaders (i.e.,  potential chapter leader names cannot be placed  on the ballot until they are informed of this and have provided consent)  See Privacy - impacts on chapter-related issues in CHIP for a detailed table showing what contact information will be on the Internet and who can see this information.

A potential volunteer leader must give his or her consent to being a candidate for the volunteer leader position.

Some members (e.g., all Thrivent Financial representatives and family members; sales agents not with Thrivent Financial; family members and employees of sales agents not with Thrivent Financial; all LCS Team staff and family members; regional financial office staff, etc.) are not eligible to hold elected chapter leadership positions due to conflicts of interest. See Volunteer leader eligibility (conflicts of interest) in CHIP (Chapter Information Place) for details. Go online to thrivent.com. Click on Ask Chip. Click on Members/Chapters, Volunteer Resources. Here you will find articles on chapter leadership board roles and expectations.  Type "roles" in the "Search For:" box.

Questions?
If you have questions about who  can be recruited as chapter leaders or chapter leadership board guidelines, contact the Fraternal Service Center at 1-800-236-3736 or fraternal@thrivent.com.

It is expected that five of our current board members will have selected three year terms, and will have served 3 terms as of the end of 2005.  Three others have  announced that they will not seek re-election in November.  Board members that serve three year terms must lay out one year before being eligible to return to the board.  Should a board member serve four years, they must then lay out for two years before they are eligible to run again.  

Board members who will have served three years as of 2005 are: Leroy Dehaven, Elaine Brundrett, Alice Luedke, Euinice Lewis and Laura Atzenhoffer.  Those who will complete two years are: Pat Dachenhaus and Jim Bixler.  Those who will have completed one year are : Oscar Migl, Harlene Trevino,  and Amy Arreola.