About Us
Chapter 1137 was organized in 1969 with about 18 Charter members. Our charter was approved in 1970. Since that small beginning the membership has grown to 350 members. Chapter 1137 is named Apollo after the space program by the same name. We serve a large area in cenral Florida, primarily Brevard County and have members from Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral, Merritt Island, Cocoa, Sattelite Beach, and Melbourne.
Chapter meetings are currently being held at the Piccadilly Cafeteria on Merritt Island.. We meet at 11:45 AM the 2nd Monday except in July and August.
What We Are All About
NARFE, originally, the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, has broadened its scope to include actively employed federal workers. We are now the "National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association".
NARFE is the only national organization specifically dedicated to protecting the interests of federal employees, dependents and survivors. Originally founded in 1921 as a small group, NARFE now has over half a million members nationwide. Over 20,000 live in Florida.
Federal workers need to educate politicians, press, and the public on the true nature of our retirement annuities and benefits. We have earned those benefits as a reward for a lifetime of public service. Our benefits are part of our compensation, and not a gift.
Over its three-quarters of a century existence, NARFE has had a remarkable record of success in its continuing mission. As we know, sometimes it seems as if federal employees are a "captive audience" and can be targeted for cuts, which may not be required of others.
Thanks to NARFE, we have retained our deferred compensation.
We have more work to do. We are still being discriminated against via the Government Pension Offset provision which affects the amount of spousal or survivor Social Security benefits we may collect as well as the Windfall Elimination Provision which affects the computation of Social Security benefits for retired and disabled workers.
Under WEP, a modified benefit formula is used to figure the amount of a retired or disabled worker's own Social Security benefit and the benefits of the worker's family if the worker also receives a civil service pension.
The GPO provides that a person's Social Security benefits as a spouse or surviving spouse is reduced by two-thirds the amount of any government pension the person receives based on his or her own work in Federal, State or local government employment not covered by Social Security. Under the GPO, it is possible for the spouse's or surviving spouse's benefit to be totally eliminated.
Suzanne Kerr