El Paso Retired Teachers Association News

Transcription

1 El Paso Retired Teachers Association News September 2014 Volume 1, Issue 1 A Word from Robert The board and I hope you had an enjoyable summer and are ready for some fellowship, good food and service to the community. The theme for this coming year is M & M: Membership and Momentum. We all need to work on not only bringing in new members, but new members who are willing to become involved with the activities of the organization. We currently have too many committees of one, where we need committees of three. We need members will to serve as officers and give the people who have been doing an excellent job for so long a break. We need active members. The momentum comes from being involved with just more that the Children s Book Project and the Foundation. We need to become more actively involved with the community at large. To that end, we will be sponsoring mini- projects at each of our luncheon meetings to collect items for groups in need. The first mini- project for the September meeting is school supplies. At the November meeting, we will be collecting children s toys for Christmas. We don t want to just be known as a luncheon group. We want to get the word out there that we are an active, caring organization. To that end, we hope to increase our visibility through publicity and social media. EPRTA now has an active Facebook page where we hope to keep members, and the general public, informed on what we are doing. We also will continue with our web page. To check out our Facebook page, go to Please join with us to make this a successful year. The board and I cannot do it alone. If you have suggestions, please let me, or a board member, know. It will take all of us working together to make it happen. I can be reached at wordre@yahoo.com Please make sure to include EPRTA in the subject line. Thank you for all you do to make EPRTA a success. Robert Word, President Mark Your Calendar Help Wanted Your board of directors believes that the EPRTA NEWS is an important communication tool. Every effort is made to provide interesting and important information. However, you may be reading the last edition of this long-standing publication. The Association is looking for a talented volunteer who would be willing to accept the role of newsletter editor. Please see President Word for details if you would be willing to accept this important position. The future of THE NEWS depends on you.

2 MARK YOUR CALENDARS EPRTA Luncheon September Date & Time - September 25, :00 Noon Program: - Deceptive Business Practices El Paso County Attorney s office Menu - Entrée: Beef Stroganoff Location - Wyndham Airport Hotel Cost - $17.00 TRTA, District XIX Fall Convention - October Date & Time - October :30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. Program: - Representative, Teacher Retirement System (TRS) Pat Macias, 2nd Vice President, TRTA Location - Wyndham Airport Hotel Luncheon Reservations **The Wyndham requires that reservations be turned in on the Thursday before the meeting.** For September 25, if you are not contacted for the meeting, please call Lila Murphy, , by Tuesday, September 16. Also, if you make a reservation for the luncheon, and you are unable to attend, you will be responsible for the payment to Nan Pollock, Treasurer, unless you cancel with Lila Murphy by Sunday, September 21. IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING MEAL CHOICES EPRTA realizes that many of our members have dietary restrictions. The number of different meals requested has become extremely cumbersome. In , two (2) meals will be available. Those will be: 1. The regular meal, which will be published in the monthly newsletter, and 2. A vegetarian plate that will also be gluten-free and dairy-free. There will be no guarantee that the salad or dessert will meet your dietary needs. Please tell your caller if you wish the vegetarian plate when you make your reservation. We are sorry for any inconvenience. Thank you for your understanding. Lila Murphy, Communications,

3 VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITY SERVICE Ann Richardson, Chairperson, A new endeavor is being started this year that the board of directors hopes will be rewarding to the membership. At each luncheon, attendees will be given the opportunity to address an area of need in our community through a small voluntary contribution. SEPTEMBER SCHOOL SUPPLIES As retired teachers, we all know the importance of children coming to school knowing that they have the requested school supplies. Therefore, a focus at our September meeting will be to provide some of those items. Each member attending the luncheon is encouraged to bring an item(s) from the following school supply list: Black or blue ball point pens #2 pencils Loose-leaf, wide-ruled paper colored pencils Glue sticks round-tip scissors Composition books (NOT SPIRAL) pencil pouch Combination locks 2 or 3 binder Spiral Notebooks USB/Flash Drive (2.0 or 4.0) The supplies collected will be donated to the Salvation Army shelter. As you are aware, families who enter that facility often do so during a time of great stress and with absolutely nothing. Our school supply donation will go a long way throughout the year toward helping children during a time of need. This is strictly a volunteer opportunity, but one in which each of you will probably want to be a participant. Thank you for your support of this worthwhile activity. Book Exchange Read a good book lately? Want to share? Need a new book to read? Bring your book to our luncheon. We have a book table where we share books. It is fun and good tips on good books are always plentiful. To visit our EPRTA Website: Go to trta.org. Click on LOCAL UNITS. Click on El Paso Retired Teachers Association. If you Bookmark it or save it to Favorites you can return to the site easily. Also be sure to like us on Facebook. Go to

4 MEMBER BENEFITS NEWS DENTAL & VISION INSURANCE TRTA continues to offer dental and vision coverage through AMBA, but this year the open enrollment period has been extended. Members who enroll by September 19 will have insurance effective October 1. Don t miss this great opportunity! To learn more or to enroll, call or go online to AUTO & HOME INSURANCE The MetLife Auto & Home Insurance Program is now available to TRTA members. If you need insurance or would just like to find out more, call MetLife at and mention discount code C1C. For every member who calls MetLife, TRTA will receive five dollars. Each One Bring One IN OUR THOUGHTS In Memorium Norma Abbott Isabel Czuba Violet Dickerson Betty Jean Oliver Kathleen Moore Nettie Reveles Myrth Rollins Wallace Scruggs Fannie Lee Witt Our Known Ill Marilyn Cromeans Ruth Frith Carmen LaFarelle Jane Ratcliff This year, we are continuing the TRTA membership initiative "Each One Bring One," which gives members of TRTA a chance to win $100! The member's name will be submitted for a drawing to be conducted during the district caucus at the 2015 TRTA Annual Convention in Austin for each member recruited to join the state association. When a new member joins, they should submit their dues and the "Each One Bring One" recruitment form to the local unit treasurer. The winners will be announced and presented with a crisp $100 bill during the caucus. Should a winner not be present, the district president may collect the award on the winner's behalf or request that a $100 check be mailed to the winner from the TRTA office following the convention. EACH ONE BRING ONE RECRUITMENT FORM LOCAL UNIT MEMBER Name: Member ID: Local Unit: District#: NEW RECRUIT (Has not been a state member for the past three years) Name: Join Date: CERTIFICATION I certify that the above new recruit qualifies for the Each One Bring One Campaign. Local Unit Membership Chairman: Local Unit Treasurer:

5 GREETINGS and a big THANK YOU! Welcome to each new member. You will be an important, active participant in our organization. Contact us for any additional information that you may need regarding your membership. You should be receiving monthly EPRTA newsletters and Texas Retired Teacher Association publications. Current members dues were received this spring and summer in a very timely fashion. The number of additional calls and mailings of forms was greatly reduced, thus saving chapter funds that can be better used for EPRTA projects. Thank you for responding early for the membership year, thus helping to insure the accuracy of the Yearbook which will be distributed at the September luncheon. Please attend and bring a friend! Remember, we are all the Membership Committee! Pat Lally, 1 st Vice President Remember it s never too late to invite your friends to join us. Always have a membership form with you to use when you have the opportunity to recruit a new member and allows you to qualify for the Each One Bring One drawing EL PASO RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION ********July 1, 2014-June 30, 2015******* Name Date Address City/State/Zip Telephone: (TRTA) State ($35) I want TRS Payroll deduction (Attach Form TRS 593) District ($1) Local ($10) Regular State, District and Local dues can be paid to the Local Unit. ( = $46) Make your check payable to EPRTA TOTAL ENCLOSED: Mail form to: Nan W Pollock 5404 Vancouver El Paso TX PLEASE CHECK: Renewal? New? Referred by **I am paid up: Local life State Life I am a Current Monthly(CM) member

6 El Paso Retired Teachers Association 5404 Vancouver El Paso, TX NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID EL PASO, TX PERMIT NO. 2182