April 9, 2016

 





    At last count, we are 157 members strong.  Those of us who have been around for a while are really pleased that so many really superior members of our profession have decided to join us.  Although we are still not as well known as we would like, more and more retirees are attending our annual meet and greet in September.  What we do know about most of those who became aware of MCREA were encouraged to join by a colleague member.  So, please get in touch with those who will be retiring this year and invite them to come to a meeting or to the meet and greet.  I understand that there will be a large group of retirees this year due to their having to sign up for DROP five years ago when it was being changed.  Some had not planned to go to pasture that soon, but it was in their own best interests to do so.  Where all the new teachers to take their places will come from must present a real dilemma for the school system. 

    The pleasure of membership in MCREA is immediately obvious when one attends a meeting.  But the other benefits of membership  such as joining the FREA in lobbying for our retirement plan, and the other slim perks we receive, underlines the need to join with other retired educators across the state.  And, as usual, we pay back with our volunteering in the schools and community, with our donations to the food bank, to FELT, to the Salvation Army, to the scholarship funds, and in all the other ways retired educators continue their desire to help others.  That's just who we are.

    Bill Evers, Director of Feeding Empty Little Tummies, was our speaker at the February meeting.  He reported that FELT is now delivering food for students to take home over the weekend to a few high schools in addition to the elementary and middle schools which they already serve.  In the past year, FELT served over 55,000 meals.  That number will have grown considerably this year.  The plight of the working poor in Manatee County is so easy to be ignored.  We all see the crowds of tourists and winter visitors living it up at the beaches and in the restaurants and we forget about that other population that struggles with feeding and housing their families on minimum wages and part time jobs.  The kids that are in the FELT program have been deemed homeless by the Manatee County Schools.  Homeless might mean living out of a car, in a shelter, crammed in with relatives, or in a tent in a homeless camp. 

    We have been compiling used books to be included in the food back packs at Christmas vacation and at the last day of school in June.  We will not have enough books for all of them because our collection number is usually around 200 books.  I urge you to bring in books.  Deborah Thomas has been finding them at the Main Public Library where they have a second hand book store.  Another source is the Good Will Book Store at Tara.  I pick them up at Big Lots and from bins in grocery stores.  This will be our final meeting to donate books this school year.  It takes me a while to get them organized, graded, and delivered.  Then the volunteers have to take them out to the schools.

    Another way to help FELT is to write them a check.  The volunteers there are able to  buy food at low prices from the same sources that the Manatee Food Bank relies on.
Checks can be sent to Felt Inc. of Manatee
                                    936 14th St. West
                                    Bradenton FL 34205

    Our membership drive begins this month.  The cut-off date to have your name in the MCREA Directory is Sept. 30.  I am sending you a copy of the membership form by email, so that you will only need to fill it out and bring it to the meeting or mail it to our Treasurer.  It is much easier for everyone if you take care of this promptly and save someone from having to call you or waste postage reminding you.

    Our speakers for April 21 are Susan and John Darovec.  As you know, Susan is a member of MCREA and serves as our Legislative Chair.  She and John serve on the Citizens Climate Lobby.  Their topic is titled, "Political Will for a Livable World."

    As usual, if you do not hear from your caller the week previous to our meeting, please call Sue Roe, 792-4786.

    See you soon,
    Ellen

   

   

February, 2016

    Asking members to produce centerpieces was a brilliant idea.  There are two examples here with remarkable African animal figures.  There were many other lovely ones.  Now we have something else to look forward to when we show up on Thursday, March 17, for lunch.  I really enjoy our meetings and I hope you do also.  The food is great and the camaraderie is outstanding.  MCREA is stimulating mentally and socially.  I have never belonged to a group from which emanated such warmth and conviviality.

    School Board members, Karen Carpenter and David Miner were guests at our Feb. meeting.  We were able to show them that we too are interested in the Legislative actions and their effect on our schools.  Thank you, Susan Darovec, Legislative Chair, for your report and for keeping us informed.  This is the witching time in Tallahassee.  The session is nearly at an end, so all the bills which have been moving through committees slowly are now being added to other bills which moved more quickly.  It is in this period, that most of the ill-considered bills can get passed because of the glut and the time required to read each bill carefully.  Some will be sneaked through on the tails of a more popular bill, and we can only hope they will not be detrimental to our pensions and to the Florida schools. 

    The Legislature and the Senate stood firm on their budget, striking out the governor's plan to cut taxes to corporations and to require counties to raise taxes to run the schools.  For the first time in a long time, the money to aid school building projects will come from the state, not local property owners.  Of course, it is not enough money, and it has to be shared with charter schools, some of which are business ventures, so that aid constitutes corporate welfare. 

    Minnie Lee Jones planned a trip to Big Cat Habitat for MCREA members and her AAUW Branch.  Combining the two groups was her idea and it has made it possible for attendees to get special rates and even a bus to dinner and Selby Gardens at Christmas.  She is now gathering a list of members who would like to attend the Sarasota Sailor Circus.  We really appreciate her efforts in organizing these events. 

    Deborah Thomas and her committee have gathered all the essay entrees from the fifth graders in the county.  Six schools sent essays, and they were read with a winner chosen.  I will leave the announcement of the winner's name to Deborah at our meeting.  The winning essay will be sent to FREA's contest.  The best essay locally will receive a $25 gift card for its author and a $25 gift card to his or her teacher and classroom.

    Local MCREA Scholarship Applications have been sent out to all the high schools.  They must be returned by April 8th.  Then, Committee Chair, Diana Buell, will convene the committee to choose a winner or winners.  Then too, will the amount of the award be discussed.  Last year, MCREA gave two $500 scholarships.  There has been some informal discussion with the board about boosting that amount.  Of course, as always, the money available depends on your donations.  If you have not donated to the scholarship fund this year, please consider doing so since, except for the 50/50 drawings at meetings, we do not do money raising.

    Spring is here, I think.  My eyes are watering and the car is covered in pollen.  The traffic in terrible and going out to eat is pretty iffy.  Still, it is a lovely time of year before the big heat sets in.  I hope you are getting out and enjoying the days.

    Our meeting this month is on Thursday, March 17, at Renaissance on 9th, at eleven or soon after, if you want a good seat and a chance to chat with your friends.  If you have not heard from your caller by Friday, March 12, please call Sue Roe, 792-4786, to make a reservation. 

See you soon,
Ellen

February 10, 2016

    I am so glad that the New Hampshire Primaries are over.  Seriously, slippery politicians and all that snow really left me cold.  It is hard enough to keep up with our own home grown politicians in the state government who are very busy this year with bills to allow guns on college campuses and open carry of guns anywhere.  Well, anywhere except the Florida House and Senate where everyone must pass through a metal detector before entering the building. 

    There has been no news about the House's desire to get rid of the Florida Retirement System.  They are very busy passing bills that would allow charter schools to get more state funds, and one bill that even takes away the oversight of the county school boards over charter schools, giving that control to the state.  Today, I was horrified to read that there is a bill proposed that would allow students school choice in not only their own county schools, but in those of other counties.  Another proposes that athletes who transfer to a new school would be able to jump right into the athletic program in the new school, leaving the door open to big time recruiting.  Another bill says that teachers would be required to include in their lesson plans, which must be shared with parents, any item that might be considered controversial or improper.  One wonders what local school boards will do when all of their responsibilities are usurped by the state. 

    Once again, here are the email addresses of our local representatives:

    Rep. Jim Boyd
    Phone: (850) 717-5071
    email:  jim.boyd@myfloridahouse.gov

    Rep. Gregory Steube
    Phone: (850) 717-5073
    email:  greg.steube@myfloridahouse.gov

    Sen. Bill Galvano
    Phone: (850) 487-5026
    email: galvano.bill.web@flsenate.gov

    Calling and emailing these men will give them your opinion.  Perhaps it will not be enough to let them know how we feel, but there is always the ballot box.

    Minnie Lee Jones must have your name by Feb. 18 if you plan to attend the trip to the Big Cat Habitat.  Call her at 739-2250 or email her at vat22@aol.com  You will be on your own to arrange a car pool.  Tickets are $15 at the gate.

   In January, our speaker, Marilyn Cox discussed the Manatee Reads program.  She described some of her teaching experiences working with adult students
on literacy.  She is especially interested in recruiting retired educators as tutors.

    Please remember to check your files for children's books to give to FELT (Feeding Empty Little Tummies).   I have recently discovered that they are now providing Friday back packs with food to two middle schools.  So, books for older students are now needed.

    We are still collecting food for the Manatee Food Bank.  We are also collecting toiletries and other useful items for the Salvation Army Shelter and the One Stop Center. It must be very tough for homeless now in winter.

    February 18 at 11 a.m. at the Renaissance on 9th is our next meeting.  Our speaker will be Bill Clark who will discuss "News from Tallahassee".  This sounds like one we all need to hear.

    If you do not hear from your caller by Saturday, Feb. 13, call Sue Roe, 792-4786, to make a reservation.

    See you soon,
    Ellen

   

January, 2016

    The new years come so often now for me, that I can hardly pay much attention to them.  While 2015 was interesting and eventful, it was also speedy.  I guess life really picks up speed when going downhill.  Seriously though, I have given this some thought.  I have come to the conclusion that the phenomenon is probably due to the fact that at my age, very little seems new.  I don't mean that in a jaded or discouraged way.  After all, how many times can I watch a presidential race and not feel that I have seen it all before.  Of course, I have to admit that this time around the whole thing seems a little more crass and rude.  It was one thing to make fun of a candidate wearing an ill-fitting helmet and sitting in a tank or appearing on an aircraft carrier in a flight jacket announcing the end of a war which went on for years afterward.  But now, it is in-your-face ugliness, with a shot of racism, religious intolerance, and misogynism  spelled out before cheering audiences.

    Speaking of repetition, the Florida Legislature comes back into session next week.  We have been forewarned that our FRS will once again be under attack.  I hope you have written, emailed, or called Representatives Boyd and Steube as well as Senator Galvano about the pension fund and its strengths.  Yes, this is a repeat of all the other years, but we must keep our interests known.  The staffs count the letters and messages about issues.  Remember, we are known as a group that because of our ages and our educations, people who vote. We can't afford to lose this one.  Perhaps with the redistricting there will be a more representative body next time.

    If you are interested in attending the Big Cat Habitat experience on Thursday, Feb. 25, you will need to let Minnie Lee Jones know.  Admission is $15 for adults, and it is open from 2 until 4.  Minnie Lee has been offering us some very interesting events lately.  I know those of us who visited the Selby Gardens Christmas Event really enjoyed it.  Dinner at Der Dutchman was fun too.  We were all seated at a long table and we were served family style with mounds of mashed potatoes, veggies, beef and gravy and fried chicken to die for.  And pie, glorious pie.

    Jan. 18 is the last day to sign up for the FREA cruise.  Several of our members are going.  Ask David and Carolyn Brown for more information.

    Our December meeting was very festive.  Many of us came in our holiday finery as you can see from the enclosed pictures.  Everyone was as a cheerful and noisy as only a group of Neverland educators can be.  You know that we all suffer secretly from Peter Pan syndrome due to our years of living with children.  No Scrooges here.  The Keytones Quartet were handsome in their red, shiny vests and they sang carols well too.  We had our own chance to sing when they were gone, and we sounded great.  I still think we need an MCREA chorus.  Just think of the publicity we could get for our organization. 

   

    I hope to see you on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 11:00 a.m.  Sherry Emigh, Literary Council of Manatee County will speak on "Manatee Reads".  If you have not heard from your caller in the week preceding the meeting, Jan. 11-17, please call Sue Roe at 792-4786 or Mary Ann Jensen at 756-7603.

Happy New Year,
Ellen

December 2015

    I have been trying to no avail to download some pictures that Deborah Thomas took of the MCREA Nov. meeting.  So, I am sorry folks, but I will be sure to have my camera on hand on Thursday, the 17th, to get enough to make up for this time.

   I understand that the Nov. meeting was well attended as usual and that the speaker, Melissa Porter of the Manatee County History Fair, was interesting.  Unfortunately, I could not attend since Chet, the dog, the three cats and I had all been put out of our house so that poisonous gas could be pumped in to kill the  termites.  What an ordeal that was. 

    Luckily, Chet's niece Karen in Cortez had an empty cottage that we were able to hide in until it was over. If you ever need to have your house done, enlist some aid.  It's amazing how much stuff you must either bag up in special doubled bags and seal with duct tape or carry off to another location.  Then there are all the medicines and other toiletries which also must be moved away from the danger area.  I made a resolution to go through cupboards and throw things away.  I am no longer going to buy all the bogo staff at the grocery store.  I seemed to have two boxes of everything.  And little bits of this and that will no longer be relegated to the freezer.  I'm just tossing them.  Never mind those starving children in China that my mother used to tell me about.  What they don't know won't hurt them.

    Thanks to your generosity, I have many books to grade and to take to FELT for the Christmas holiday distribution.  I think we do not have enough for every child on the list who receives a backpack of food, but there are so many needing help now.  We should be able to cover about half of them and then if you continue to bring books in, we can get the other half at the last distribution in June.  I pray that all those children will have their nutrition needs met during the break.  Hungry adults is bad, but hungry children is unbearable. 

    Please remember to donate to the MCREA Scholarship Fund.  We try to give at least two scholarships each year to high school seniors who are planning careers in education.  Unlike FREF Scholarships, we do not hold them to it, but often they do continue in education as they planned to in the beginning.  FREF, of course, gives a lot more and continues throughout the recipient's undergraduate years.  Remember, we decided a few years ago to ask for donations for MCREA Scholarship rather than try to sell each other things as we had been doing.  All those sweets weren't good for us anyway.  Diana Buell is our Scholarship Chair this year.  She will be happy to take your checks.

    We are still gathering items like small toiletries for nursing homes.  After our December meeting, Joan Sackett and Judi Ussery will collect them all and see that they are taken to the nursing homes.  Socks and cardigan sweaters are also much appreciated.  Food, medicines, perfumes, make-up, and large bulky items cannot be used.

    I just heard from Ron Schneider's wife that he is ill and in the hospital.  I know we will all be hoping for his quick recovery.

   I am looking forward to seeing you at Renaissance on 9th, 11:00 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 17.  If it's cool, we can don those holiday outfits that we used to wear for our kids -- ugly Christmas sweaters are encouraged.  I don't think they are ugly anyway.  But it is trendy to say that.
    If you haven't heard from your caller by the 13th, call Mary Ann Jensen at 756-7603 or Susan Roe, 792-4786.

     Ellen

November 3, 2015

Here is the large group that visited Port Manatee in October.  They found the tour, which Minnie Lee Jones booked for MCREA, to be informative and fun.  I know that many of us are planning to attend her next extravaganza at Selby Gardens.  If you haven't signed up yet, there were a few empty slots remaining -- not for long, I think.

    Here we are in November and there is no sign of fall yet.  Sweaty little children did their trick or treating in hot little costumes on Halloween night.  I planted my earth boxes while cussing at the mosquitoes and the sweat that ran down my nose as I worked.  The local weather predictors on t.v. are beside themselves with boredom.  Not only did we miss a hurricane this year, which although miserable for the rest of us, is their chance at center stage. Now we are not getting those cold fronts that they love to show marching through the South, into Florida, and often stopping at the Hillsborough County line. You can read the frustration on their sleek little faces as they launch into the "same ole, same ole". 

    Please remember the children's books which we are collecting for FELT.  In December, at the last distribution of food before the Christmas break, the volunteers like to include a book and extra food.  We are the only suppliers of books, so we need to come up with many of them.  Please search your boxes which you brought home from school when you couldn't bear to leave all of your great teaching stuff behind.  Also, the Central Library has books for sale very cheaply, and the best place of all,  the
Good Will Book Store at Tara is a treasure chest of books for kids and for you if you haven't check it out.  The books are in good shape, are cataloged, and are inexpensive.  I bought three at Publix the other day from a "3 for $10" bin.  This will be our last meeting before the break and I will have to get them all graded for distribution .  Make my work as difficult as you can by donating a lot of books.

    Other on-going collections are empty shoe boxes for Meals of Wheels.  Each Christmas, the volunteer drivers take a shoebox filled with goodies to each of the people on their routes.  Meals of Wheels is collecting the boxes which they will wrap, or you may wrap if you like, cover separate, combs, razors, toiletries, socks, and other small things that would cheer a shut-in.  Christmas wrapping paper would also be appreciated.

    Also, there is the Manatee County Food Bank which is especially active during the holidays.  Canned and dried food are needed.

     Of course, not everyone can do all of these.  Just do what you can (of peas, of corn, of beans?)

    Retired Educators Day has been proclaimed by Governor Rick Scott to be celebrated on Sunday, Nov. 15.  If you would like to inform your clergy person of the date and have it announced in church or temple that day, it would be a good thing for our image as a productive body.  I have sent the proclamation to the newspapers.

    Remember that the November meeting will be on Wednesday, Nov. 18.  Renaissance on 9th has another large event on Thursday.  Melissa Porter, the Education and Volunteer Coordinator of the Manatee County History Fair, will be our speaker.  We have donated to this group for many years.  It gives the students incentives to learn about the history of the county, state, and nation.  With so much emphasis on testing of the basics, the fair presents an opportunity for some creative learning.

    Our annual Halloween party was a blast as usual.  Thank you, extroverted ones, for dressing up and adding your creativity

 to the celebration, especially the big Richard Chicken who inspired the chef and staff so much that they prepared him a special dinner of corn which was served with a flourish by the chef himself.  Bingo by Sandy Stephenson was a hit as usual, and the prizes were great. 

  If you do not hear from your caller in the week before the meeting, please call Sue Roe, 792-4786 to make a reservation.

  See you soon,
  Ellen

10/05/2015

    I think the unreasonable and dictatorial behavior of the SCF Board of Trustees in doing away with faculty's continuing contracts and cutting the pay and adding hours to the staff's contracts is an object lesson for us all.  Most of us are retired from the Manatee County Schools, but I had experience in both MCC ( as it was then known) and the Manatee School System.  When I was hired at the college, I was surprised to discover that faculty and staff relied on the administration to set wages and benefits.  The only representation they had was an elected faculty senate who would troop over to the president's office in the springtime and listen while he told them what he would do for them the next year.  I think the staff did not even have that.  Hiring was individual in that the applicant was offered a salary which could be discussed, but most did not know that, so they accepted what they were offered.  Often, in the same department, teaching the same load, with the same credentials, salaries were all over the map.  Now faculty and staff is being told that they no longer will have the protections of continuing contracts, that salaries will be decided by the ability of the instructor, that applicants must name the salary which they will take, and staff will lose pay and work more hours.  And there is nothing they can do about it.  This is called "running the schools like a business". 

    I think the situation at SCF should give us impetus to support FREA, the organization which protects our retirement and our benefits.  It should also give us a deeper respect for MEA and the FEA which protected us when we were still working.  We must be mindful of those who are entering the profession and help them realize the same benefits we did.  Writing letters, emailing, and calling our legislators can help, not just us, but them as well.

    Okay, end of harangue and on to more pleasant things in MCREA.

     We had a wonderful turn-out for our first meeting.  Elaine Graham spoke about Take Stock in Children and told us about her experiences mentoring students at Southeast High School.  She has seen some from 9th grade through college.  She urged us to join her in mentoring a student one day a week. Call her if you are interested.  756-1470

    Diana Buell, Chair of the Volunteer Services Committee, visited the Salvation Army Men's Homeless Shelter and found a great need for our help.  The men come there to sleep, eat, and shower.  They need small individual sizes of shampoo, bar soap, razors, toothbrushes, shaving cream, deodorant.  Clean, used towels and washcloths are also needed.  The family homeless shelter there needs the same things in addition to diapers, baby wipes, kids and women's socks, pillow cases, and twin size sheets.  Please bring these items to the meeting and Diana will see that they get to the Army.

    We are also still collecting books for Feeding Empty Little Tummies.  This is the program which fills backpacks on Fridays with food for needy kids to take home for the weekends.  The books which we donate are distributed at Christmas and in June as an addition to the backpacks.  Books should be new or clean used ones for grades K-6.

    Another of our outreach projects is collecting food for the Manatee County Food Bank.  You can bring a can or two and deposit it with us.  Renaissance on 9th is a depository for that food. 

    Dr. Moira Hendricks, Director of YMCA Reads is asking for our help with tutoring.  Please call her at 941-798-9622, ext. 408, if you would like to find out more about volunteering there.

    Our meeting on October 15 should be an interesting one.  The speaker will be Rick Bowes, FREA State Field Director, who will speak about FREA Health and Retirement Benefits.  And then the event we all love, Sandra Stephenson will run her Halloween Bingo game.  Please bring 20 quarters to play with.  They will be a donation from you to the MCREA Scholarship Fund.  Then there is the costume parade and prizes for the best, the most beautiful, the scariest, the....  Please come in costume and get into the holiday.

    As always, if you do not hear from your caller by Friday, Oct. 9, please call Mary Ann Jensen to make a reservation,  756-7603.   

    See you soon,
    Ellen