HEMC Newsletter
December 2012
In This Issue
 Letter from the Editor
 Featured Member: Debra
Cooley
 Committee Report
 Upcoming Events
 Special Announcements
 Discounts & Tickets
Egyptian god Ra
Letter from the Editor, [email protected]
Christmas Trees – Origins
and Trivia
From: www.thehistoryofchristmas.com/trivia/trees.htm
Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all
year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate
their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient
peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it
was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and
illness.
In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year falls
on December 21 or December 22 and is called the winter solstice. Many ancient
people believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the
sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant
that at last the sun god would begin to get well. Evergreen boughs reminded them
of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and
summer would return.
The ancient Egyptians worshipped a god called Ra, who had the head of a
hawk and wore the sun as a blazing disk in his crown. At the solstice, when Ra
began to recover from the illness, the Egyptians filled their homes with green palm
rushes which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death.
Early Romans marked the solstice with a feast called the Saturnalia in honor of
Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon
farms and orchards would be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they
decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs.
In Northern Europe the mysterious Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, also
decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life. The
fierce Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the
sun god, Balder.
Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know
it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their
homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with
evergreens and candles, if wood was scarce. It is a widely held belief that Martin
Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree.
Walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed
by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for
his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted
candles.
Most 19th-century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. The first record
of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania,
although trees had been a tradition in many German homes much earlier. The
Pennsylvania German settlements had community trees as early as 1747. But, as
late as the 1840s Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by
most Americans.
It is not surprising that, like many other festive Christmas customs, the tree was
adopted so late in America. To the New England Puritans, Christmas was sacred.
The pilgrims’ second governor, William Bradford, wrote that he tried hard to
stamp out “pagan mockery” of the observance, penalizing any frivolity. The
influential Oliver Cromwell preached against “the heathen traditions” of Christmas
carols, decorated trees, and any joyful expression that desecrated “that sacred
event.” In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts enacted a law making any
Martin Luther
observance of December 25 (other than a church service) a penal offense; people
were fined for hanging decorations. That stern solemnity continued until the 19th
century, when the influx of German and Irish immigrants undermined the Puritan
legacy.
In 1846, the popular royals, Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert,
were sketched in the Illustrated London News standing with their children around a
Christmas tree. Unlike the previous royal family, Victoria was very popular with
her subjects, and what was done at court immediately became fashionable—not
only in Britain, but with fashion-conscious East Coast American Society. The
Christmas tree had arrived.
By the 1890s Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and Christmas
tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S. It was noted that Europeans used
small trees about four feet in height, while Americans liked their Christmas trees to
reach from floor to ceiling.
The early 20th century saw Americans decorating their trees mainly with
Queen Victoria introduced the
Christmas tree to England
homemade ornaments, while the German-American sect continued to use apples,
nuts, and marzipan cookies. Popcorn joined in after being dyed bright colors and
interlaced with berries and nuts. Electricity brought about Christmas lights, making
it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end. With this, Christmas trees
began to appear in town squares across the country and having a Christmas tree in
the home became an American tradition.
Christmas tree trivia
Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the United States since about 1850.
In 1979, the National Christmas Tree was not lighted except for the top ornament. This
was done in honor of the American hostages in Iran.
Between 1887-1933 a fishing schooner called the Christmas Ship would tie up at the
Clark Street bridge and sell spruce trees from Michigan to Chicagoans.
The tallest living Christmas tree is believed to be the 122-foot, 91-year-old Douglas fir
in the town of Woodinville, Washington.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition began in 1933.
Franklin Pierce, the 14th president, brought the Christmas tree tradition to the White
House.
In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge started the National Christmas Tree Lighting
Ceremony now held every year on the White House lawn.
Since 1966, the National Christmas Tree Association has given a Christmas tree to the
President and first family.
Most Christmas trees are cut weeks before they get to a retail outlet.
In 1912, the first community Christmas tree in the United States was erected in New
York City.
The Christmas tree tradition in
Rockefeller Center was
started in 1931
Christmas trees generally take 6-8 years to mature.
Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states including Hawaii and Alaska.
100,000 people are employed in the Christmas tree industry.
98 percent of all Christmas trees are grown on farms.
More than 1,000,000 acres of land have been planted with Christmas trees.
77 million Christmas trees are planted each year.
On average, over 2,000 Christmas trees are planted per acre.
You should never burn your Christmas tree in the fireplace. It can contribute to creosote
buildup.
Other types of trees such as cherry and hawthorns were used as Christmas trees in the
past.
Thomas Edison’s assistants came up with the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees.
In 1963, the National Christmas Tree was not lit until December 22nd because of a
national 30-day period of mourning following the assassination of President Kennedy.
Teddy Roosevelt banned the Christmas tree from the White House for environmental
reasons.
In the first week, a tree in your home will consume as much as a quart of water per day.
Tinsel was once banned by the government. Tinsel contained lead at one time, now it’s
made of plastic.
In 1984, the National Christmas Tree was lit on December 13th with temperatures in the
70s, making it one of the warmest tree lightings in history.
34 to 36 million Christmas trees are produced each year and 95 percent are shipped or
sold directly from Christmas tree farms.
California, Oregon, Michigan, Washington, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and North
Carolina are the top Christmas tree producing states.
The best-selling trees are Scotch Pine, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, and White
Pine.
Featured Member
HEMC ROLE:
VENDOR DISCOUNT CONTACT
EXXONMOBIL ROLE:
LEGAL ASSISTANT AT URC
SPECIAL INTEREST:
WATCHING REALITY TV SHOWS
Debra
Block
Cooley
I enjoy offering a
I recommend that
new members get
involved in
Membership and
Communications so
they can see what
each committee is
responsible for and
what is involved in
each position.
Block
Block
Block
service/product that our
members use on a daily
basis at a lower price.
I get the most satisfaction in learning something new almost daily regarding the patent process and filing
the patents in a timely manner.
If I won the lottery, I
would give the money
to each of my siblings,
pay off the loans on
my home and car, buy
my children cars, and
take my family on a
tropical vacation
I deal with new and existing vendors
that offer promotions or specials for
HEMC members.
If I won the lottery, I would retire, invest, and travel the world.
Committee Report
HEMC conducted its Fourth Quarter Board meeting on Wednesday 12/12/2012.
Following are the reports from the reporting committees.
I. COMMITTEE REPORTS
 Audit – Jeanie Dase - No report
 Nominations – Patty Inzana - No report
 Dances – Linda Araiza
 Really good time at Holiday Dance
 Next dance – Rodeo dance – is a week before Rodeo BBQ Cook-off
 Picnic – Lena Rhodes - No report
II. Group Sports
 Basketball – Leon Thomas - No report
 Bowling – Penny Lennon
 New short leagues are successful. Will start a new one in Jan
 Thursday leagues are going fine.
 Cycling – Joshua Lowry - No report
 Flag Football – Scott Nelson
 Had one team – went to playoffs. Season is over
 Next season will kick off in Jan
 Golf – Ryan Lane
 Next year will kick off in March. Hopefully won’t have any rainouts
 Kickball – Kevin Block
 Currently in winter season. Have 1 team that is undefeated!!
 Will be sending out info for new season in the next few weeks
 Running – Alan Mut - No report
 Coed Indoor Soccer – Mike Borgmeyer - No report
 Men’s Indoor Soccer – Paul Hutchinson - No report
 Outdoor Soccer – Tony Urbanik - No report
 Paintball – Ted Kernan - No report
 Men’s Softball – Jans Valdkamp - No report
 Coed Softball – Randy Teel
 In playoffs for 2nd season – will be wrapping up next week
 Next season will be in spring
 Tennis – Jeff Thomas - No report
 Ultimate Frisbee – Catherine Belgarde - No report
 Indoor Volleyball – Becky Lentz
 Currently mid-season and have 2 teams
 This season will end in January and then will kick off new season
 Sand Volleyball – Chris White
 Running 5 teams. Successful year!
III. Membership and Communications
 Advertising and Publications – Lynn Ellis - No report
 Annuitant Relations – Sandra Scott - No report
 Electronic Infrastructure – Tim Howard
 Website upgrade going on right now (better integration with PayPal,
different look and feel)
 Looking for help to do some cleanup. If interested, contact Tim
 Historian – TBD - No report
 Membership – Jackie Hathaway - No report
 Building Communications – Ashley Nguyen - No report
 Volunteer Central – Samia Garcia - No report
 Newsletter – Victoria Gonzalez - No report
IV. Discounts and Tickets
 Dining Dollars – Linda Araiza - No report
 Group Event Tickets – La-Frances Starks-Moses - No report
 Movie Tickets – Cathy Lindley
 AMC tickets are going up $.50 in Jan but we have a bunch in stock
that should last us to mid next year
 Rec Park Tickets – Jacquelyn Joseph - No report
 Rodeo Tickets – Teresa Hull
 BBQ is Feb 23-25
 Rodeo starts Feb 25
 Ordering for tickets will start Dec 17 but must be 2013 member
 Jan will have a drawing for the preannounced shows
 More details are on hemc.org or you can contact Teresa Hull
 Sporting Event Tickets – John Augusto - No report
 Vendor Discounts – Debra Cooley - No report
 Carpool – Theo Ruigrok - No report
V. Recreation and Enrichment
 Arts and Crafts – Linda Araiza - No report
 Boaters and Campers – Debbie Huebel
 Wrapped up 2012 events
 First event is Jan 13
 Deep Sea Fishing – Thomas Williams
 All indications that 2013 snapper season will be short. Hopefully will
be able to get in more than one trip
 EMCC Fitness – Linda Taylor
 Classes are going well. Bootcamp is full and low impact is half full
 Flying – Scott Ethington
 Dec fly-in is this Sat at Cleveland Airport
 Will start up again in Jan 2013
 Motorcycle – Tim Priebe - No report
 Sailing – Ben Molnar
 Getting things kicked off – purchased some sailing vouchers for 2013
 Planning on having some more activities in 2013
 EMCC Salsa – Maritza Prieto
 Inactive this year. Will try to combine this with Zumba
 Scuba – Arnold Choi - No report
 Spouses –Hannah Nulty - No report
 Toastmasters DT – Gamada Agung - No report
 Toastmasters BH – Becky Lentz
 Have 20 members and are running strong
 Toastmasters GW – Scott Nelson - No report
 Toastmasters GP – Laterry Howard
 Finishing up activities for 2012
 Gearing up for membership drive and doing speech contest 1Q2013
 Yoga BH – Nancy Hicks - No report
 Yoga DT – Kathy Stoltz
 Suffered from lack of attendance in last 6-9 months b/c we don’t have
a good location for the classes
 Fannin has a dedicated room at the moment but we will lose the floor
early next year
 Yoga RR – Natalia Zoubtsova - No report
 Yoga URC – Hong Yu - No report
 Yoga EMCC –Irene Binash
 Do have dedicated activities room
 Got a new instructor and attendance has picked up. 25% more people
than in past and expecting more
 Happy to share studio with other Yoga groups
 Young Professionals – Josh Brown
 Had HH in Aug 60-70 people show
 HH Dec 13.
 Promoted through club communications and on website
 Zumba – Joam Viani - No report
 Weight Watchers – Lena Rhodes - No report
Upcoming Events
Men’s Slow Pitch Softball League
Fall 2013
Event Date:
February 27 – March 27
Event Location:
Memorial / Tim Hearn Park
League Fees:
Member: $30.00 – $40.00 depending on team size
Team sign up Deadline:
February 15, 2013
Individual signup Deadline: February 20, 2013
Contact Person:
J Randy Garcia
Contact E-mail:
[email protected]
Event Description:
Double-header games are played on Wednesday
nights at Memorial Park and Tim Hearn Park. Game start times are between 6:30
p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The season is 5 weeks long with a single elimination one night
playoff (if weather permits). Individual sign-ups are always welcome and will be
placed on a team if at all possible. Two team slots are available. If interested in
playing or fielding a team please contact [email protected].
January 20, 2013
ExxonMobil Campers Kickoff Outing
Event Date:
Event Location:
Cost:
Deadline:
January 20, 2013
Tia Maria’s Mexican Restaurant
See flyer for details
Reservations must be received by January 17, 2013 or
until all seats are reserved!
Contact Persons: Linda Wheeler, Deborah Huebel
Contact Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Description:
Join us for an afternoon of fun, fellowship and food and learn
about the HEMC Campers as well. Our club is for everyone. Tia Maria’s is a
Mexican Restaurant located at 4618 Dacoma Street just on the other side of Hwy
290 from the ExxonMobil Brookhollow Campus.
February 16, 2013
Annual BBQ Dinner and Rodeo Dance
SAVE THE DATE!
2013 Annual BBQ Dinner and Rodeo Dance –
BRING YOUR VALENTINE SWEETHEART!
Event Date:
February 16, 2013
Event Location: TBD
SAVE THE DATE – More details to follow!
January 8 February 28, 2013
Downtown Yoga
Downtown yoga practice sessions will begin on January 8 for 2013.
January and February Yoga Sessions:
January 8 through February 28, 2013
The first two 8-week yoga sessions will be held:
January 8 – February 26
January 10 – February 28
TIME: 11:15 a.m. -12:10 p.m.
PLACE: 1301 Fannin, Room 1801
The costs for an 8-week class will be:
For either the Tuesday or Thursday session for 8 weeks:
$56.00 for
$64.00 for non-members
Special price for 2 practices a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 8 weeks:
$104.00 for
$120.00 for non-members
Needed: Yoga Waiver Form on file and yoga mat.
Call or email Kathy Stoltz at 713-656-4169, [email protected]
to inform me of your expectations.
January 16, 2013
Winter 2013 Coed Flag Football
Event Title:
Winter 2013 Coed Flag Football
Season Start:
January 16th, 2013
Event Location:
Houston Sportsplex, Lawrence Park, & Quillian Center
Price per Team:
$450.00 (team must be at least half HEMC members)
Deadline:
January 11th, 2013 (first come, first served)
Contact Person:
Scott Nelson
Contact Email:
[email protected]
Event Description: Are you ready for some football?! We’re joining forces with
Sportsmonkey to offer members a great way to stay in shape while having fun
with friends and coworkers. Double header games are played every Wednesday
night* between 6:30 and 9:30 for 5 weeks followed by a guaranteed 2 week
playoffs. Three levels of play are offered: Intermediate, Upper Rec, and
Recreational. All equipment is included and the winner of the championship
receives a Sportsmonkey shirt and bragging rights for life! For additional details,
including rules and park locations, see the link below.
http://sportsmonkey.com/pages/flagfootball
*Monday night leagues may also be available
February 27, 2013
Spring 2013 Men’s Flag Football
Event Title:
Spring 2013 Men’s Flag Football
Season Start:
February 27th, 2013
Event Location: Mason Park
Price per Team: $250.00 (team must be at least half HEMC members)
Deadline:
February 15th, 2013 (first come, first served)
Contact Person: Scott Nelson
Contact Email:
[email protected]
Event Description: Are you ready for some football?! There are open spots on
our Men’s flag football team as well as openings to start a new team of your
own! Double header games are played every Wednesday night* between 6:30
and 9:30 for 5 weeks followed by a guaranteed 2 week playoffs. Two levels of
play are offered: Competitive and Recreational. All equipment is included and
the winner of the championship receives a t-shirt and bragging rights for life! For
additional details please contact Scott Nelson.
*Tuesday leagues may also be available
Special Announcements
HEMC NEEDS VOLUNTEERS
HEMC needs to fill three positions. So we are looking for volunteers. Please
contact Jesse Seals if you are interested.
Nominations Chair
Duties
1. Runs HEMC annual election of officers.
2. Secure candidates for each office in the Club.
3. Present a slate of candidates to the President not later than October 15 of
each year.
a. Each candidate shall have agreed and secured permission to be a
candidate prior to the time of the elections.
4. Setup the electronic ballot
5. Send out the election notification
6. Post Notice of the results prior to Dec 1.
7. Time commitment 4 hours over 2 months
Bookkeeper
Duties
1. Balance the checkbook. Requires EXCEL.
2. Store Vouchers receipts, and deposit paperwork till end of year.
3. Deliver paperwork to President for storing after closing the year.
4. Attend bimonthly officer meetings, quarterly board of representative
meetings, and other meetings/activities as necessary..
5. Time Commitment ~ 2 hours per month
Treasurer
Duties
1. Issues checks to committee chairs and vendors for payment of club debts.
Requires some basic accounting and/or bookkeeping experience or
education
2. Responsible for bank accounts (currently with Energy Capital Credit
Union), and with getting officers to sign bank signature cards annually.
3. Responsible for preparation of Federal Income Tax Return (sign and mail)
annually.
4. Responsible for assigning codes for each committee and activity. Requires
EXCEL.
5. Issue checks for approved "Request for Voucher" forms.
6. Attend bimonthly officer meetings, quarterly board of representative
meetings, and other meetings/activities, as necessary.
7. Time commitment ~ 4 hour per month
EMcarpoolClub
Interested in carpooling to work, saving $$ while expanding your real social
network at work?
Join the EMcarpoolClub and find XOM colleagues with similar commutes as your
own. EMcarpoolClub is an employee volunteer organization and aims to facilitate
carpooling dedicated exclusively to ExxonMobil employees & contractors.
Membership does not require you to carpool to work every day; it only indicates
that you are considering carpooling once or more times a week or even just once
in a while.
Before starting to carpool, make good arrangements and ensure your personal
safety!
For more information: search carpool on the intranet or go to
http://www.carpoolworld.com/emcarpoolclub.html.
If you have questions/suggestions/comments or want to get involved as a
volunteer, please contact Theo Ruigrok.
Discounts and Tickets
Year round
Wasserfest
WASSERFEST, Schlitterbahn Galveston’s year-round indoor
waterpark is now open!
Open September 29, 2012 – January 6, 2013
Wasserfest Winter Attractions: Boogie Bahn, Loopy Luge Tube
Chutes, Guada-Loopy Tube Chutes, Rohr!, Faust & Furious, Torrent
River, Torrent Beach Kids' Area, Torrent Beach
HEMC Price: $22.00/18 (Gen. $30.30/24.89)
October 26, 2012
– March 31, 2013
Maya 2012 & Gems of the Medici
Maya 2012 & Gems of the Medici
Two Exhibits for the Price of One!
Maya 2012 presents the story of the real Maya which spans over three
millennia. Topics include the evolution of kingship, the development of writing
and math, astronomy and timekeeping. Come visit and find an answer to the
question: “What will happen on December 21, 2012?”
These two exhibits run from October 26, 2012 through March 31, 2013
HEMC Price: $15.00 (2 for 1) (Gen. $25.00)
Gems of the Medici - In the mid-1400s, many celebrated artists, goldsmiths,
silversmiths and engravers were attracted by the abundance of wealth in the city
of Florence, but the most important factor in this gathering of talent was the
presence of the Medici family. For almost three hundred years, generation after
generation of Medici dominated city affairs and steered the course of art history.
From founding father to the last Grand Duke, the immense power and wealth of
this great dynasty was invested in its legendary collections, of which the
collection renowned as the Gems of the Medici is perhaps the finest in the world.
Gems of the Medici, a world-premiere exhibition, highlights some of the oldest
and most unique pieces of the Medici collections including antiquities dating from
the 1st Century BCE as well as a cornelian which was part of the Seal of Nero.