We are an independent Association of Raytheon Company retired employees who have joined together to improve the conditions of our fellow retirees.

We recently learned the following retirees have passed away (added 2/26/12)

Samuel Ameen

 Robert P Brown

John Caufield

Alvin Lloyd Hodder

Arthur La Haise

James Morash

Sid Stark

John Poulos

Dick Kiesinger

Paul J. Surette

Annual Meeting held Thursday May 10, 2012
 

Members and their guests convened for the annual member's meeting at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, MA on Thursday 10 May, 20012.  The meeting was well attended and the amendment to the by-laws passed and the terms of the Directors were modified to that shown in the notice. 

A copy of the director's presentation will be added shortly.

A special thanks to our guest speaker, Bill Marcley, Vice President of Total Ship Mission Systems for an interesting briefing of the Zumwalt-class destroyer program at Raytheon Company.

SPECIAL NOTICE

ASSOCIATION OF RAYTHEON RETIREES, INC. 

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS 

To:       The Members of the ASSOCIATION OF RAYTHEON RETIREES, INC. 

            Please take notice, that a special meeting of the Members of THE ASSOCIATION OF RAYTHEON RETIREES, INC. (the “Corporation”) will be held at the National Heritage Museum, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, State of Massachusetts, on the 10^th day of May, 2012 at 9:30 o’clock AM, the special meeting to be held in lieu of the annual meeting of the Members, normally scheduled for the second Tuesday in March.  The purpose of the special meeting is: 

1.      The Officers and Directors shall report on the activities and health of the Corporation 

2.      The Directors shall report on resolutions made by the Board of Directors at a meeting of the Board convened on December 13, 2011 to amend the By-Laws of the Corporation to change the maximum number of Directors and the term of the office of Directors and to present the amendments for approval of the Members. 

3.      To elect a slate of Directors to the Board of Directors of the Corporation, and 

4.      To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

If you are unable to be present at the meeting, please sign and return the enclosed proxy.

ASSOCIATION OF RAYTHEON RETIREES, INC. 

       NOTICE OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION AND THE AMENDMENT OF THE BY-LAWS 

To:       The Members of the ASSOCIATION OF RAYTHEON RETIREES, INC. 

At a meeting held on December 13, 2011, a majority of the Board of Directors of the Corporation voted to  adopt the following resolution: 

Whereas, according to the By-Laws of the Association, the number of Directors hall consist of no more than one and no more than seven elected at the Annual Meeting of Members, and 

Whereas, according to such By-Laws, the terms of office of Directors are to be staggered with four serving an initial term of two years and three serving an initial term of two years or, if longer, until their successors are elected and qualified, and 

Whereas, the current members of the Board have each been serving beyond their initial term of office as no election has taken place at successive Annual Meetings or Special Meetings of Members, and 

Whereas, the Board wishes to expand the number of Directors and make other amendments to the By-Laws. 

Now Therefore, it is proposed that an election of Directors be held at the next Annual Meeting of Members (or in-lieu-of Special Meeting) to be held at a time and place to be determined by the Directors but no later than May 31, 2012, that the Members be presented with a resolution to amend the By-Laws to expand the maximum number of Directors from seven to ten, and to provide that the term of office of Directors be staggered. 

       PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE BY-LAWS 

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAVE VOTED TO AMEND THE BY-LAWS AS FOLLOWS: 

In accordance with ARTICLE IX of the By-Laws of the Association, Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors has duly voted to amend the By-Laws of the Corporation by amending ARTICLE IV, section 2 of the By-Laws of the Association, with the additions italicized and deletions bracketed[ ] as follows— 

2.      Composition.  The Board of Directors shall consist of not less than one or more than [seven] ten Directors as shall be elected by the Voting Members at the annual meeting of the Members to serve for a term of [two] no more than four years or, if longer, until their successors are elected and qualified. [Four of the initial Directors shall serve an initial term of two (2) years and three for a term of three (3) years in order that the terms of the Directors are staggered].The term of office of Directors shall be set, to the extent feasible, so that the terms of no more than fifty percent (50%) of the number of Directors serving from time to time are congruent with the terms of the remaining Directors. A Director may resign by delivering his or her resignation in writing to the other Directors or to the Clerk of the Corporation.

EXPLANATION OF CHANGES

The purpose of the amendment is to expand the maximum number of Directors so that more employee/retiree locations may be represented on the Board and the terms of office of Directors can be managed more efficiently.

FORM OF PROXY

ASSOCIATION OF RAYTHEON RETIREES

The undersigned, being a member in good standing of the Association of Raytheon Retirees, Inc. (the “Corporation”) hereby appoints the Board of Directors, or any of them, as proxy holder of the undersigned with full power of substitution to attend, act, and vote for the undersigned with respect to any matters that may come before the special meeting of the Corporation to be held on May 10, 2012 and every adjournment thereof and the undersigned hereby revokes and proxy previously given to attend and vote at the Meeting. 

MEMBERS WHO ARE UNABLE TO BE PRESENT AT THE MEETING ARE REQUESTED TO DATE, SIGN AND RETURN THIS FOM OF PROXY**

** The signed and dated Proxy may be:

            1.  Mailed to:              Association of Raytheon Retirees

                                                336 Baker Avenue

                                                Concord, MA 01742

            2.  FAX’d to:              Association of Raytheon Retirees

                                                978-663-2889

            3.  Email Scan to:      Association of Raytheon Retirees

                                                raytheonretirees@verizon.net

Do not forget to call the office (978-369-8410) or e-mail (raytheonretirees@verizon.net) if you plan to attend so we can order sufficient refreshments.

MEMBERS STANDING FOR ELECTION

Joseph DeAmbrose                 3 Years

Jack O’Halloran                      3 Years

Bill Burditt                              3 Years

Al Swenson                             3 Years

Bob Hamilton                         4 Years

Mel Weinzimer                        4 Years

Dave MacLellan                      4 Years

John Rudy                               4 Years

Evans Cheeseman                   4 Years 

Enjoy 25% off at Minuteman's Fife & Drum Restaurant

For those unfamiliar with the Minuteman High School in Lexington, they have a Culinary Arts department and the kitchen is run by the students. Click here to display a coupon good on Tuesday-Thursday.  They also have a buffet on Friday.  Cost is about $10.00

Marketing Fraud By John Rudy (9/9/11)

Computer Viruses I have Known by John Rudy (9/9/11)

We recently learned the following retirees have passed away (8/13/2011)

      Stan Bernstein, Tucson, AZ.   

     Alfred Elkhill

      Domienic (Dom) Cerasuolo - Jan.2011

      Robert C. Shuppert - Mar.2011

ARR Recognizes NRLN's Role for Retirement Security

It is the good fortune of Raytheon retirees that their company-sponsored pension and benefits have thus far been reasonably secure.  However, the Association of Raytheon Retirees recognizes that retirees from many companies have not been as fortunate or are uncertain about the future of their retirement security. In today’s business world things can turn for the worse resulting in closing or the sale of company divisions and loss of benefits. 

The National Retiree Legislative Network (NRLN) serves as a voice in Washington, DC for more than 2 million retirees who have retired from 125 companies or public entities.  The NRLN is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that lobbies for federal legislation to protect retirees' employer-sponsored pensions and benefits plus works to preserve Social Security and Medicare, which are of vital importance to those who are or will become eligible for these benefits that were paid for through payroll taxes over the years.

Two ARR Board Members attended a couple of years ago the NRLN's Annual Leadership Conference in Washington, DC.  A number of Raytheon retirees have signed up to receive emails from the NRLN; respond to NRLN Action Alerts on Congressional issues, and have become Individual Members of the NRLN through an annual contribution. If you would like to receive NRLN emails and possibly become an NRLN Individual Member, go to http://www.nrln.org.  There are link tabs at the top of the NRLN home page for Email Sign-Up and Membership.

The Do Not Call List

Many are aware that there is a do not call list on which you can register your phone number.  Until a few years ago it had an expiration date but since 2009 any new registrations are permanent.  Use the below site to register, or to check whether your phone number is already registered.  Use for cell and land-line.

https://www.donotcall.gov/

There is nothing similar for emails though it has been discussed in congress and elsewhere.  Don't hold your breath for it to happen.

For direct mail use the following

http://www.directmail.com/directory/mail_preference/

Note that you will need to do this for each family member.  I do not know what happens if you have an account with a particular company; I assume that the mailings will continue.  This site allows you to specify by category, and there are lots of categories.

Reminder:Annual Meeting May 18, 2011

RSVA:Capturing The Past; Creating The Future (5/15/2011)

                RSVA (Retirees School Volunteers Association) presents a unique       opportunity for Raytheon retirees.

We were notified that Ernie Neilsen passed away (Added 5/15/2011)

We are also  sad to report that G D Sutcliffe died in October.

Our apologies to John P. Sasonoff. In spite of our erroneous  report, John is alive and well.

In another matter,Bruno Resteghini recently joined our Association

We were reminded that Richard E. "Dick" Gorton Sr. passed away last October.

Our Latest Newsletter Is Here (3/31/11)

Annual Meeting May 18, 2011

Please join us for our Annual Meeting at the Farr Conference Center in the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, Massachusetts to be held on Wednesday, May 18, 2011, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Your Directors will discuss our organizational status, health insurance and also provide a summary of our latest meeting with Raytheon Company Pension Fund managers.

In addition, our meeting will feature an excellent guest speaker

Of course there will be time to hear from you as well. In fact this year we booked the room for the entire day so there will be time for socializing until 4 PM if you choose.

Let us know if you will attend so we will be sure to have enough

refreshments for the morning and sandwiches for lunch. Just give us a call at 978-369-8410 or email us at raytheonretirees@verizon.net

The National Heritage Museum is located 1 mile south of Lexington Center at the intersection of Rt. 2A (Marrett Rd.) and Rt. 4 (Massachusetts Ave). Directions can be obtained from the museum's website at: http://www.monh.org/ or by calling 781-861-6559. You are welcome to stay and tour the museum after the meeting or socialize with your colleagues.

We look forward to seeing you. We hope you can join us!!

Any last minute changes will be on our website http://raytheonretirees.org

Thank you, The Board of Directors

We have recently learned that the following retirees have passed away. (Added 3/31/11)

 Daniel Brzezenski

Harold Coffin: Hingham , MA

Arthur LaHaise, Waltham, MA 

Robert A Lawson, Framingham MA

Gerald H. Maurice, Northborough, MA

Neil Moore Santa, Barbara CA

 Cynthia Warden (Thomas deceased)

We Need Your Help!  We seem to have lost track of the following retirees.  Please let us know if you know their whereabouts or have them get in touch with us.

Thank you

John Rudy Does Not Have Time On His Hands (3/31/11)

People seem to think that those of us who are retired have lots of time on our hands.  To some extent that is true, except that for the first time in our lives we can actually choose how to spend most of these hours.  We all know that there is lots to do on the internet and I have stumbled upon a rather incredible site called www.stumbleupon.com

After signing in you choose the areas you are interested in from a very long list,  I included Technology, Ancient History and a few other things.  When you then go to the site it will randomly draw other sites based upon your stated preferences.  As it learns more about you, by having you evaluate items it brings forward, it gets better at finding interesting things.  It is addictive.

Recently it found a site for prize-winning optical illusions from a Scientific American article.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1eIgNe/www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm%253Fid%253Dballs-rolling-uphill-or-so-it-would-2010-05-11

A couple of minutes later it found a presentation on picking up brain impulses to move objects (this is real!!).  It is an incredible video.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/9Bkmaz/www.ted.com/talks/tan_le_a_headset_that_reads_your_brainwaves.html

Just log on to www.stumbleupon.com to get started

Something really good!!

The Teaching Company has nearly 400 courses that are available on CD and/or DVD.  I’ve taken a dozen and they are excellent.  In the Boston area they are mostly available through the Library systems.

I’ve recently discovered a new service from TTC.  TTC now looks out across 20 American cities (Boston is the one I care about) and finds cultural events that could be coupled to one or more of their courses.  Of course you need not view the course to participate in the event.  Many of the events are free, such as those at a Library or museum, though others have a fee.

Click here to view the cultural events occurring in your area in March and April.

Click Here For Instant News Updates!  

Now get all the latest news articles as they change hourly.  Our headline topics include Raytheon, Health Care, Pension legislation, Social Security, Medicare, Estate Planning and Retiree News.  Links to these articles are streamed to this web site from sources throughout the world.

We have recently learned that the following retirees have passed away. (Added 12/22/2010)

Norman Cambell

Roland Hebert

Derek, 

I doubt that Raytheon is receiving any benefit from the premium situation you describe but it does seem to indicate a failure of attention to the retiree medical package. The disparity in premium amounts for the third party plans that Raytheon makes available compared to the premium for what seems to be an identical version of the plan offered on the open market are a mystery. As you note, the premium for the Raytheon version is higher than the open market version. That strange result has appeared in prior years and was raised with Raytheon. The informal response was something like “Yes, we probably should be looking closer at the bidding process.” That answer did not explain much and nothing seems to have changed. While it is somewhat counter intuitive, one explanation for the disparity would be that the Raytheon “group” rate is higher than the individual rate—that seems to be true in result. We will raise the issue again with Raytheon.

On the same subject, when you receive the enrollment information from Raytheon are you receiving information on all available options? Specifically, as you seem to have enrolled in the Tufts plan are you receiving information on the Raytheon Plus plan. Also, without getting into personal detail, why do you not take advantage of the lower premium ($51-$59) for the Plus plan and a separate drug plan which might cost only $100 in total? We are just trying to understand the considerations that go into the choice of plan.

Joe DeAmbrose

Health Plan Information Requested

The Association likes to track the various retiree health plans as they differ from locale to locale-Kaiser is not a plan offered here in the Northeast. Here, we receive summary sheets describing the benefits and premiums of about three plans offered in addition to the Raytheon Plus plan. If you received similar summaries in your locale could you forward them to the Association address or mail or fax (508-545-2725) them to me, Joe DeAmbrose.

Do you receive info on the Plus plan each year? While the benefits levels are less than most commercial HMO’s the premium is low—here it is from $51-$59 monthly so there is a cross over point in comparing Plus premium and benefits with other plans when the Plus plan premiums stay more or less level and the commercial plans have such large increases.

Joe DeAmbrose

Has Your pension been unilaterally reduced recently??

Let us know!! (Added 11/20/10)

                       We have  recently heard that the administrators of the Raytheon Salaried Pension Plan have notified a pensioner of a pension overpayment resulting from errors in the calculation of the pension. The administrator reduced the pension payment to the “correct” amount, and is withholding additional amounts to retrieve the overpayments. This correction is taking place well after the fact and is imposing a significant hardship on the pension beneficiary. The alleged error appears to involve the plan service crediting rules and the 1981 transition from the  former contributory plan to the current non-contributory plan. If any members are having the same or a similar experience, please let us know   so that we can put you in touch with the others.  

 Send us an email at raytheonretirees@verizon.net

Click Here For Instant News Updates!  

Now get all the latest news articles as they change hourly.  Our headline topics include Raytheon, Health Care, Pension legislation, Social Security, Medicare, Estate Planning and Retiree News.  Links to these articles are streamed to this web site from sources throughout the world.

 

Our October Newsletter is now available.(Added10/20/10)

 

As Joe DeAmbrose states in his article on page 2, “most retirees are still wondering whether they have been presented with a cup of a life-extending elixir or one with a sprig of hemlock.“ Take a look and see how Raytheon retirees may be impacted by the recent changes in health care legislation

 

Page 12 includes a checklist of items you may want to put in order. A more detailed template is included on the subject in the Articles page of our website, since

 

Open Enrollment Coming Soon (Added 10/2/10)

 

It is understood the open enrollment period for Raytheon retiree medical plans for 2011 will be from November 8th to the 19th.

 

If past practice is an indicator, the Notice should arrive about a week prior to the 8th. Keep in mind that notices are generally not sent out to retirees that did not join a Raytheon plan in the preceding period. So, if you did not join a Raytheon plan in 2010 but want to review Raytheon plans offered for 2011, and do not receive a notice in early November, you should contact the Raytheon Benefit Center at 800-358-1231 and request plan information. 

 

 

New Planning Document

 

John Rudy recently prepared a detailed plan for his family members titled "When I Die".  He converted it to an index and template, hoping it may serve as a guide for our retirees. (Added 10/2/10)

 

    When I Die Index

    When I Die Template

 

        When I Die Index pdf file

        When I Die Template pdf file

We recently learned that (Added 9/7/10)

Italo Renzo "Larry" Franceschi

 

Norman John Boucher

 

C. Arthur LaHaise Jr.
 

   and

        Edward A. Hjerpe Jr.  passed away.

The Over 50 Crowd Loves the OLLI at UMass Boston (Added 8/4/10)

Bob Wetmore continues to hold his monthly luncheons.  Here are some retirees who attended in June.  More details on our "Upcoming Events page.

Sal Amico, Don Anderson, Fran & Mike Bellia, Bob Crompton, Freddy Duke, Lee Dusombre, Bob Fiero, Tony Fragala, Ralph Gaudette, Ed Greenyer, Tom Heislien, Larry Hubka, Walter Kronk, James Latorre, Art Lavoie, Ray St.Onge, Bob Wetmore, Bert Wills.

We recently learned that (Added and updated 6/14/10)

Philip “Phil” W. Cheney

George Dolloff

Thomas J. Hill

Marlene S. McDermott

Francis J. McGee

all recently passed away.

Annual Meeting Held Wednesday, May 19, 2010

(added 5/19/10)

Click here for more information and a copy of the presentation.

 Welcome New Members! (Added-to on 6/9/10)

Our Latest Newsletter Is Here (added 4/8/10)

 

Here are several new articles by John Rudy, our prolific new director!  Take a look, he does not disappoint!

 

Going traveling, here are some great tips on travel insurance!! (Added 3/29/10)

Here is one John found concerning the recovery of a stolen laptop!

Time To Retire?; Trials and Pitfalls

 Welcome New Members! (Added 4/6/10)

Benjamin Bashan

Unfortunately, we also recently learned that :

George Assad

James Hanson

Thomas J Hill

Vernon Francis Haverstick

all passed away recently

(Added 2/25/10)

 Welcome New Members! (Added 2/18/10)

Richard Segui

Fred DePorter

(Added 2/1/10) 

              Robert Given

            William Goodall

    and welcome back; John Moter

Unfortunately, we also recently learned that :

Gerald Maurice passed away. (Added 2/18/10)

Thomas J. Hill passed away on October 3, 2009

White Sands Missle Range Retirees:  Where are you?

    How about a note or some information ; some retirees are wondering how you are doing.

You Are Not Too Old To Learn by John Rudy (Added 1/27/10)

Their is no end to the number of FREE courses available to you.  Come on, you always said you wanted to learn more!!

Making The Most Of My New Found Time by John Rudy (Added 1/9/10)

             You will be amazed at the various endeavors John has become involved in.  Take a look!

Beware of COBRA Fine Print by John Rudy (Added 12/22/09)

Our Latest Newsletter is Here (added 12/8/09)

Click on document for full screen layout.  Ignore "Menu" button

Click Here For 2010 Open Enrollment Article

 Welcome New Members! (Added 12/8/09)   

Fred Benham

Leigh Blevins

Richard Brooks

Richard Hazel

Linda Knox

Karl Pfeil

John Rudy

David Schubert

Dennis C. White

Jean Wright

 

Unfortunately, we also recently learned that

Gordon Wescott (Added 12/11/09)

    as well as

Anthony J. Pacheco,

Francis X. Jones (Bud)  and

Paul O. Ouellette

 

 recently passed away. (Added 11/15/09)

Now is your chance to volunteer!  The Re-Seed program at Northeastern University is looking for help. (added 8/16/09)

Mike Muchard was kind enough to send in a copy of the 1954 Raytheon Employee Handbook.  It must bring back memories to a lot of you.  Just click here to  take a trip back over 50 years.  Raytheon Employee Handbook (Added 8/8/09)

Our Help Wanted page has just been updated. (Added 8/7/09)

Paradox Scientific

 

Paradox Scientific of Acton

Research Division 2009 Reunion slide Show (Added 8/3/09)

The reunion this year was a resounding success.  Take a look at your co-workers!!

 Raytheon Standard Missile-3 Achieves 15th Hit-to-kill Intercept  (Added 8/3/09)

Another successful test of the SM-3 missile that we briefed to the retirees at the 2008 ARR Annual meeting.

Reunion reminder from Cos

Hello Everyone,

I hope all is well with you and your loved ones.
This is a reminder that the next MEL/MRL reunion at the Knickerbocker Club is on Thursday, September 17th from 5pm to 9pm.
It's a ways off but it will be here before you know it.
Please mark you calendars for the event and stay well.
Thanks

Cos Cavicchio

Answers to Health Reform Questions from New York Times (Added 7/30/09)

President Obama Hosts Raytheon's MATHCOUNTS (Added 7/30/09)

Help Wanted At Both Paradox Scientific And Paradox Scientific Of Acton (Added 7/30/09)

MEL/MRL Reunion Planned for September (Added 6/16/09)

Safeguard Missle Defense System Program Planning Big Reunion . (Added 6/6/09)

Bob Wetmore hosting his monthly luncheons again this year. (Added 5/10/09)

Welcome to new member Fred Benham (Added 6/6/09)

Try our new RSS Feed. (Added 5/14/09)

             RSS news feeds are articles that are added automatically to this web site as news of the Raytheon Company changes. Just click on the title above.  Please come back often to see the latest. The source of the news is provided by searches throughout the Internet by Google and Yahoo at this time.  Let us know how you like it.

Raytheon Retirees Annual Meeting-Thursday, May 14.

View Slide Show of Presentations at the Annual Meeting in PDF Format

View Slide Show of Presentations at the Annual Meeting (PowerPoint)

 The meeting was attended by over 90 members and a great success.  There were many interesting questions from the floor that hopefully were answered .  Many thanks to our keynote and guest speakers and all those members who were able to attend. 

Our annual meeting was held at the Farr Conference Center in the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, Massachusetts on Thursday, May 14th, 2009, and 9:30 am to 1pm. 

Your Directors had a number of items to present and discuss.  In particular, we discussed organizational status, health insurance and also provided a summary of our latest meeting with Raytheon Company Pension Fund managers.

   In addition, our meeting featured three guest speakers:

In these turbulent financial times we were fortunate to have for our keynote speaker Tom Mitri, VP Regional Planning for Fidelity Investments.  He discussed the state of the financial market and the challenges for retirees.   Brian Wilder, VP Senior Account Executive who is an investment adviser at Fidelity and John Moore, a Financial Planning Analyst joined Tom. Attendees had a great opportunity to have your questions answered.

Bob Filosa, long time Raytheon employee  described " The Sum of All Thrills” an interactive, math-based experience to be unveiled this fall at INNOVATIONS at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort.  The exhibit, sponsored by Raytheon, will engage children through a fun and educational experience that helps instill a lifelong passion for math, science and technology. "The Sum of All Thrills" will be a core component of Raytheon's MathMovesU program, an initiative designed to engage middle school students in math and science, and help create the next generation of innovators for the U.S.

Mike Adler . President of the Raytheon School Volunteer Association explained many of the projects and benefits resulting from their work.

The National Heritage Museum is located 1 mile south of Lexington Center at the intersection of Rt. 2A (Marrett Rd.) and Rt. 4 (Massachusetts Ave).   Directions can be obtained from the museum’s web site at: http://www.monh.org/ or by calling 781 861 6559.  

Thank you, The Board of Directors

We welcome the following new members (Added 5/12/09)

Unfortunately, we recently learned that: (Added 5/7/09)

David C. Crockett

Arthur Hubert

Robert O. Hofland and

John G. Moy recently passed away.

March Newsletter is available. Click on  Newsletter- March 2009

LETS HELP HONOR OUR FRIEND, TOM PHILLIPS (Added3/24/09)

We received this note from  Anna Martin who works at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. On Saturday, May 30, they are holding an event in honor of retired Raytheon Chairman and CEO, Mr. Tom Phillips. They would like to extend the invitation to the event to all current, former and retired Raytheon employees.
Bill Swanson will be speaking at this event and they hope to have a great celebration of all the contributions Mr. Phillips has made to business and technology. (Added3/24/09)

 We just learned that  two retirees have passed away. (Added 3/28/09)

Regina Cuomo

   Theodore Stamp

Dom Altobello, our Raytheon Lowell Teammate and later
of Andover, retired, passed away unexpectedly in Mid March in The
Villages Florida. (Added3/24/09)

Sadly, so did Mike Paris, a Business Manager at RTSC who recently passed away due to complications from diabetes.  (Added3/24/09)
 

We were recently informed that Mr. Sabatino Monaco recently passed away. (Added 3/7/09)

Take a look at "To Roth Or Not To Roth by Joe DeAmbrose (Added 2/20/09)

Raytheon Letter to President Obama (Added 1/27/09)

In an open letter to president-elect Obama appearing in Aviation Week & Space Technology, Raytheon Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson calls for government and business to work closely together to upgrade American education. Improving students' abilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is an imperative for national security and prosperity, Swanson notes, and is critical to ensuring innovation in industries such as aerospace and defense.

We welcome the following new members (Added 2/14/09)

Larry Jack

Ellen Kaminsky

William E. Coleman Jr.

Paul Barr

Sadly, we were recently informed that Kai H Jensen passed away in October

We received a truly heart warming article from and about Mike Briana, an Alzheimer's caregiver to his loving wife Betty

    "I know that I am on the journey of the long good bye and I also know that
Heaven has a reserved place for my Betty.
I hope my experience will be of help to others who are this long journey."

Welcome to the world of retirement and the ARR (1/10/09)

Ed Jacobs

Kenneth E. Aldrich

Helene Dunning

Nancy Maher

Gerald Richard

James Weckback

Unfortunately, we also recently learned of the passing of Richard M. Lynch and

Summary Annual Pension Report for Salaried Employees

Pension News Update (1/8/09)

There is no good news these days it seems. However, on the bright side, the deterioration in employee benefits is clearly linked to liquidity problems of the employer—particularly in the case of GM and the funding of retiree medical with employer stock. It does not appear that Raytheon has any liquidity problems and, remember, Raytheon gets funding for employee benefits, including retiree benefits, as an allowable cost in government contracts. As long as other government contractors continue benefit levels, there is no reason for Raytheon to reduce its benefits—the competitive positions will remain unchanged. Also, government contractors will probably be  beneficiaries of anticipated government spending in the next few years according to news reports so these companies are in a good position overall and benefit levels should be under less pressure. I think Raytheon is off its 52 week high by about 15%-20% while the market indices are off 40%-50%. So the news is not all bad for Raytheon employees and retirees.

One thing that is troubling as to benefits provided by government contractors is the apparent consistent action in reducing pension benefits, like Raytheon’s action in eliminating pension benefits for new hires. The other major government contractors have had similar reductions. Why did that happen if everyone was on the same playing field in competing for contracts with the benefits? Either one of them decided to change the competitive balance or one or more have different mix of commercial-government business, or the government itself had some input. It would be interesting to get the answer for a better understanding of the pressure (if any) on benefits in the industry. 

Joe D.

Just So You Know (1/3/09)

We just added a new column named "Just So You Know"  We will publish emails received from retirees that would like to share information or questions of interest to our membership.  Take a look!!

Minimum Distribution Requirement  Changing? (1/2/09) 

Newspaper reports are that the President has signed the legislation which waives the IRA/qualified plan minimum distribution requirements for the 2009 year. That is good news generally but there are bound to be “niche” issues that will require answers. For example, the Raysip 401K plan ties into the RMD rules so that a final distribution has to be made under that plan by April 1 of the year following the first distribution year (the year when age 70 ½ is reached).

For those retirees with Raysip accounts having reached age 70 ½ in 2008, the distribution by April 1, 2009 appears to be still required. However the distribution for 2009 required to be made before April 1, 2010 is not required per the legislation. It is possible that Raysip could still require distributions to be made under the old rules-the plan can apparently set a stricter distribution policy than the law requires. So, something to watch out for.  

The NRLN announcement about its efforts to get Treasury to change the 2008 requirements is good news for those affected but the characterization of the situation as “catastrophic” is an overstatement.

Under the RMD rules the required distribution is a percentage of the account balance at the end of the prior year. The percentage is between about 3% of the account balance at age 70 ½ increasing by small increments over the next 27 years or so. If a retiree has already taken a 2008 distribution from an IRA he or she may actually have avoided the market downturn to that extent.

The alleged “hurt” is having to take a percentage of an account balance when the balance has deteriorated at the date of distribution. People who do not need the 2008 distribution and would be allowed to give it back probably do not need the relief-time is on their side. 

Joe D.        

3rd Quarter Results Reported (11/20/08)

Even though you may have missed the Friday, November 21 deadline to change your Medicare Supplemental Health Insurance provider you may still want to compare the plans.  If you still need information you can go the the Benefit Center website at raytheon.benefitcenter.com  (do not forget the period after Raytheon)  

Once there you can  locate a “2009 comparisons” feature. When you get to the website, hit “My Resources” at the top of the page. At the next screen scroll down (beyond the drop down list) close to the bottom to the “Benefits Tools Section” and “”Comparison Tools” and “Compare My Medical Plan Choices”  (be patient, it may take a few moments) You can compare 3 plans at a time.   It turns out to be a pretty decent layout for the comparison.   Once you decide you can call the Benefit Center for pricing and enroll over the phone.   

A Special Message Concerning Raytheon's Pension Plan in Today's Financial Crisis (10/18/08)

We would like to welcome our newest  members to retirement: (updated 11/26/08)      
       

Jack Alley

Wayne Benda

Frank Cefaioli

Patty Coco

Milt Coleman

Ed Daly

John Dowd

John Ford

Virginia Hanson

Robert Leduc

Charles Nagle

Richard Sparks

Robert Tibbit

Raytheon Liaison:  Latest Raytheon News by Al Swenson (Added 10/18/2008)

The Friends of Cosmo Cavicchio Had a Party. Take a look (Added 10/19/08)

Research Division Luncheon June 8 Photo Album (Added 6/20/08) Come on, Take a look!

Bill Fisher passed away, Tuesday morning, October 28.  His wife Mildred called to let a member  know  and explained he had a serious stroke two weeks earlier.

Don Farinato passed away recently

We were recently informed that Vincent A. Doyle, Jr. passed away.  Vincent retired in 2000 and was a supervisor in Quality Control

We were recently informed that Bob E. Williams passed away  Click here for more information. (added 8/12/08)

    John W. Hanson (b. 1936), passed away , June 11, 2008.  Mrs. John W. Hanson (Marylyn Rands) would like to hear from those of you who knew John. Mrs. John W. Hanson (Marylyn Rands) would like to hear from those of you who knew John.  Her email address is marylynrands@verizon.net

John was Deputy program manager of the SPS 49, and many of these retirees know him well.He was also Production Manager of the ROTHR program, and he had friends in this program, also.In addition, there was a group who met monthly at a tavern on a lakeside off of Rt. 30.A memorial service was held Monday, June 16, 2008, at Oteri Funeral Home, Cottage street, Franklin, MA.

 We were recently informed that Dick Powers passed away - he lived in Scarborough, ME and also James Cooney passed away May 3rd 2008. Jim retired from the Missile Systems Division, Shalimar Florida Office.

We were recently informed Ken Hall  passed away. (Added 4/16/08)

 Member Meeting : Annual meeting held May 15, 2008

View Slide Show of May 15, 2008 Annual Special Meeting Presentation

Take a look at some photos from the meeting Added 5/28/08

Many members joined us at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, MA where we are held the Annual Meeting on May 15 at 9:30 am.  A number of items were presented and discussed. Copies of the presentations will be added shortly.

The items  included  the tally of votes for the amendment to clarify the type of organization we are in the eyes of the IRS.  The amendment was passed.

Our keynote speaker was Matthew J. Marcus, a partner with Colucci, Colucci, Marcus & Flavin, P.C.  Mr. Marcus concentrates his practice in estate planning, elder law, mental health law, and disability law. He is a former Director of the Massachusetts' Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.  It was a great opportunity to have questions answered. Here are the two articles he presented; "Avoiding Probate" and Understanding Estate Planning" (added 5/20/08)

A number of brief presentations were then provided by your Directors.  Some of them were: 

A financial overview of retiree medical;

A status of your  Pension fund based on our meetings with company officials;

Our relationship with various national organizations; 

And several amazing videos that are sure to hold your interest. 

Check These Out!

Bob Wetmore started his monthly luncheons in Lawrence, MA ( Added 4/23/08)

Obtain your Share of the Economic Stimulus Package (Added 2/24/08)

RAYSIP  Distribution At Age 70 ½ (Added 2/22/08)

Tax Topics (Added 2/22/08)

Letter to Our Legislators (Added 2/22/08)

Raytheon Company Recent News (Added 5/10/08)

Colonel Benjamin Whitehouse Retired Recently Passed Away

Forbes has named Raytheon the best managed company in the aerospace industry. (Added 1/3/08)

Want to go to MIT at no cost? (Added 1/3/08)

Florida Retirees; Where are you? Added 12/26/07)

A Retiring Employee Check-out Guide (Added 10/24/07)

Boston Globe Article on Expanding Choices for Retirees (Added 10/25/07)

Medicare Premiums Set to Rise 3.1% in '08 (Added 10/2/07)

Medicare Drug-Premium Increases May Force Switches by Beneficiaries (Added 10/2/07)

Raytheon Wins A Great Navy Contract (Added 9/26/07) 

Upcoming Gatherings

Review some of our past Newsletters:

Join Us:

Telephone

978 369 8410

FAX

978 369 8410

Postal address

336 Baker Avenue, Concord, MA 01742

Electronic mail

 raytheonretirees@verizon.net

 

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Last modified: 02/26/12