2013

November & December

Membership – 31 Active Members

Southeast Texas Association of Paralegals Established 1980

Lex Amicus Newsletter

SETAP 2013-2014 Officers

PRESIDENT Jane Barron

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Sheila Milbrandt

1st VICE PRESIDENT Angie Laird

2nd VICE PRESIDENT

Rene’ Crum

SECRETARY Melissa LeJeune

TREASURER Myrna Haynie

NALA LIAISON Cheryl Bryan

PEXECUTIVE ADVISOR

Mary Beth Jones

PARLIAMENTARIAN Jackie Chavez

R

WEBSITE—www.setap.org IA

President’s Message

A Time of Thankfulness

As the holiday seasons approach and we reflect on

the past year, it is a time to be grateful — for health, for

family, and for friends. At this time of year, we also have

the opportunity to bless others through our donations.

Please remember to be charitable towards others not so

fortunate. There are so many that are struggling with insur-

mountable challenges, whether health, economic, or family.

Our Paralegal Day luncheon, held at The Beaumont

Club, was a tremendous success. Our guest speaker was

The Honorable Craig Lively who spoke on “The Busiest

Little Courthouses in Texas”. Thirty-eight attended the

luncheon to celebrate Texas Paralegal Day. Thanks to the

entire board for making the event such a success. Once

again our vendors were wonderful supporters, both in

attending the luncheon and in furnishing such wonderful

door prizes. Thank you for the honor of being elected

Paralegal of the Year.

Our spring seminar is quickly approaching and we

are still in the planning stages. The event will be held at the

Holiday Inn on Walden Road this year and hopes to be both

an educational and exciting event. More details to follow

shortly.

I hope each and every one has a safe and wonderful

holiday season. -Jane Barron

SPEAKER MEETING—NOVEMBER 14

San Jacinto Building, 595 Orleans Street

12th Floor Conference Room

November 11 Veterans Day

Also known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. Major hostilities of WWI were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.

THANKSGIVING DAY Thanksgiving was originally a religious observance for all the

members of the community to give thanks to God for a

common purpose. The tradition of giving thanks to God is

continued today in various forms. Various religious and spiritual organizations offer

services and events on Thanksgiving themes the weekend before, the day of, or the week-

end after Thanksgiving.

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast

that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.

For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies

and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham

Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

In the United States, certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals.

First, baked or roasted turkey is usually the featured items on any Thanksgiving feast

table. Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn,

various fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving

dinner. Most communities have annual food drives that collect non-perishable packaged

and canned foods and some sponsor charitable distributions of Thanksgiving dinners.

A HUGE “Thank You” to

AUTHORIZED PROCESS for sponsoring our September speaker meeting

Visit www.authorizedprocess.com for your legal services

NEW YEAR’S EVE

DECEMBER 31

Is celebrated at evening social

gatherings, where many people

dance, eat, drink alcoholic

beverages, and watch or light

fireworks to make the new year.

A common song— “ Auld Lang Syne”

by Robert Burns is the song most closely associated

with the holiday—especially the Guy Lombardo musical

rendition.

CHRISTMAS DAY DECEMBER 25

Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary as a fulfillment of the Old Testament’s Messianic prophecy. Some Christians celebrate Christmas by children re-enacting the events of the Nativity with animals to portray the event with more realism. Popular customs include gift-giving, music, an exchange of Christmas cards, a special meal, church celebrations, and the display of decorations, including Christmas trees, lights, garlands, nativity scenes, mistletoe, and holly.

“For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.” -Edwin Way Teale

“Autumn begins with a subtle change in the

light, with skies a deeper blue, and nights that

become suddenly clear and chilled.

The season comes full with the first frost, the

disappearance of migrant birds, and the

harvesting of the season’s last crops.” -Glenn Wolff and Jerry Dennis

“Got no checkbooks, got no

banks. Still I’d like to express

my thanks — I got the sun in

the morning’ and the moon at

night.” -Irving Berlin

“Reluctantly the summer goes in a cloud of

Thistledown.

When squirrels are harvesting and birds in

flight appear—by these autumn signs we know

September days are here.” -Beverly Ashour

“If the only prayer you said

in your whole life was “thank

you”, that would suffice.” -Meister Eckhart

“An optimist is a person who

starts a new diet on Thanks-

giving Day.” -Ira Kupcinet

“What we’re really talking about is

a wonderful day set aside on the

4th Thursday of November when

no one diets. I mean, why else

would they call it Thanksgiving?”

-Erma Bombeck

BIRTHSTONES

NOVEMBER

Citrine

DECEMBER

Blue Topaz

SETAP BIRTHDAYS

November None in November

December 9 Melissa LeJuene 21 Jackie Smith

30 Lita Wells

BLUE TOPAZ

Derived from the word “tapas,” meaning fire. Considered by ancient civilizations to have cool-ing properties and calm hot tempers. Also thought to have magical properties to make the wearer invisible.

CITRINE

Comes from the French word, “citrin,” meaning lemon. Believed to have magical powers and was worn as a talisman against evil thoughts and snake venom. Also considered to have medicinal properties and used for ailments.

The first flowers appeared on our

Planet over 130 million years ago cre-

ating beauty, color and wonderful

scents. Flowers have been given as

gifts since time immemorial. It is

believed that birthday celebrations

originated in the Roman Empire and

the origins of birth month flowers date

to these times.

November birth

flower is Chrysanthemum

December birth

flower is Holly

SPRING SEMINAR

APRIL 11, 2014

HOLIDAY INN

8:00 AM—4:00 PM

PARALEGAL DAY LUNCHEON THE BEAUMONT CLUB—OCTOBER 24, 2013

Judge Craig Lively Guest speaker

PARALEGAL DAY LUNCHEON THE BEAUMONT CLUB—OCTOBER 24, 2013

Judge Craig Lively Guest speaker

PAST PRESIDENTS and

PARALEGAL OF THE YEAR RECIPIENTS

YEAR SETAP/SETALA PRESIDENTS PARALEGAL OF THE YEAR

1980 - 1982 Brenda Taylor

1982 - 1983 Cathrue Benoit

1983 - 1984 Prue Nicholas

1984 - 1985 Linda Rodgers

1985 - 1986 Jeannie Grinnell

1986 - 1987 Martha Maze

1987 - 1988 Janet Whitton Cathrue Benoit

1988 - 1989 Diana Faust Janie Boswell

1989 - 1990 Janie Boswell Martha Maze

1990 - 1991 Janie Boswell Patricia Rios

1991 - 1992 Carla Weighmann Carla Weighmann

1992 - 1993 Martha Maze Helen Case

1993 - 1994 Brenda Jenkins Brenda Taylor

1994 - 1995 Janice Waddell Grace Guillot

1995 - 1996 Shannon Hyde Janice Waddell

1996 - 1997 Vicki Westbrook Shannon Hyde

1997 - 1998 Kim Frenzel Vicki Westbrook

1998 - 1999 Beth West Kim Frenzel

1999 - 2000 Linda Asteris Beth West

2000 - 2001 Sandy Eaves Linda Asteris

2001 - 2002 Katrina Waddell Sandy Eaves

2002 - 2003 Peggy Dean Katrina Waddell

2003 - 2004 Mary Beth Jones Mary Beth Jones

2004 - 2005 Mary Beth Jones Annette Pernell

2005 - 2006 Sheila Milbrandt Jackie Smith

2006 - 2007 Jackie Chavez Dana Hogg

2007 - 2008 Jill Peterson Michelle Stutes

2008 - 2009 Sheila Milbrandt Sheila Milbrandt

2009 - 2010 Angie Laird Jane Barron

2010 - 2011 Jane Barron Cheryl Bryan

2011 - 2012 Marissa Paltz Caryl McBroom

2012—2013 Rene’ Crum Melissa LeJuene

2013—2014 Jane Barron Jane Barron

SUSTAINING MEMBER

CCI, Inc.

Judith Smith 2525 N. Loop W., Suite 260

Houston, TX 77008 (713) 365-0777

judithsmith@recordsdiscovery.com

Specializing in Court Reporting, Records

Retrieval, and Process Serving

SUSTAINING MEMBER

Team Legal Houston, TX 77401

Phone Number: (713) 937-4242

Fax Number: (713) 937-9995

Contact: Tina Kendrick, Account Manager

Cell Phone: (832) 260-1854

Web Address: www.teamlegal.net

Email: tinakendrick@teamlegal.net

Services: We are a full service litigation support

service specializing in Record Retrieval,

Court Reporting and Video Depositions.

JOB BANK

One of the benefits of your membership is SETAP’s employment referral service. If you are seeking a

position or considering a change, we encourage you to use SETAP’s employment referral service. If your

firm is searching for qualified legal secretaries or paralegals, ask your attorney or firm administrator

to let us know by contacting:

Sandra Mott

Harris, Duesler & Hatfield 550 Fannin, Suite 650

Beaumont, TX 77701 409.832.8382

sandramott@hdhlawyers.com

The fee is $10.00 for non-SETAP members and FREE to SETAP members. Please make checks payable to

SETAP.

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT

WWW.SETAP.ORG FOR UPCOMING

SETAP EVENTS LISTED UNDER THE

CALENDAR TAB

HAVE YOU CHANGED JOBS OR EMAIL ADDRESSES? HAVE YOU MOVED?

If so, please contact Angie Laird, 1st Vice-President and Membership Chair at alaird@obt.com to update your info.

SETAP MEMBERSHIP Active Members 31 Associate Members 4 Student Members 2 Sustaining Member 2

EDITOR’S NOTE

Let me hear from you in the months ahead about what you would like to see in the upcoming issues this year.

Don’t be shy! We need your great ideas and comments. SPEAK UP. Email me at jbarron@c-l-law.com.

CLE EVENTS

Mark Your Calendar!

Speaker Meetings November 14, 2013 February 13, 2014

March 13, 2014

Annual Spring Seminar Holiday Inn, Walden Road

April 11, 2014

Lex Amicus

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SETAP wishes Sheila

Milbrandt get well

wishes following a

motor vehicle accident

and her recent surgery!

The following individuals are running for

District Clerk in Hardin County in the

March 4 election:

D’Wayne Crowell Dana Hogg

Pam Hartt Lora Keefer

Well wishes sent to

Misty Segrest as she

returns working full time

and is on the road to

recovery following her

recent surgery!