January 9, 2015
I made a huge error on the last blog. Forgive me Minnie Lee Jones for incorrectly calling you Minnie Lee Rogers. Of course, I know her well and I can't imagine where my brain was when I made her a Rogers. I do know that at one time I knew a Minnie Rogers so I guess the synapses snapped on that and the fingers followed.
A few months ago a college classmate who writes class notes for our alumni magazine asked for anecdotes about our college experiences. I sent one to her which she has sent on to the editors who are gathering the stories for an article. When she thanked me in the latest alumni class notes, she called me Helen Bell. Yeah, I was a little bit miffed thinking she would remember me as I remember her.
So, Minnie, I can understand if you are upset with me. Someone once said that he or she didn't care what the media wrote as long as they got his or her name right.
Regretfully,
Ellen
Friday, January 9, 2015
Thursday, January 8, 2015
January, 2015
Time does go much faster for me now that I have definitely hit the downhill side of the mountain. Climbing up through all those years of raising children, keeping a home running, and educating adolescents was a long slog. It took years and years and it felt like eons. Then came retirement, an expectation of a slow glide through the "golden years" of travel, reconnection with my family, and lots of great books.
Little did I know that as the work slowed down, everything else would speed up. For example, I spent at least two hours yesterday discovering how to use the U Go device that my granddaughter gave me for Christmas. Coordinating it all required the little gizmo with its impossible-to-insert battery, the cell phone with an Apple store app, and my computer. Finally, I attached the little tracker to my body ( you don't need to know how), and now I can track all my footsteps and my sleep hours. It occurred to me that now I can watch myself fail in real time. Do I really want to take 2000 steps each day and sleep 7 hours? And if I do, do I need a record of it?
With January comes FREA's drive to raise money for the state education scholarships. Since we have two local recipients right now, I think we should be very interested in helping them out. Also, the door prizes that they offer are usually terrific.
I am sure they will be announced at our meeting this month. We should not forget our local scholarships in the meantime. Although we will be concentrating now on the state promotion, MCREA Scholarships are still receiving funds if you haven't donated yet.
FELT book contributions were great in December. Unfortunately, they came in the day before school ended for winter break and that was too late to send them home with the kids. However, the books are residing under my desk waiting for the last day of school in June to be distributed. Please keep them coming in. I have about 100 books now, and there are about 400 kids in the FELT program. Remember, the students are from K to 5th grade, so there is quite a range of reading skills to serve. I grade them all quickly (no formulas or counting words, just eyeballing) and give them to Bill Evers who takes them to the backpack assembly point.
Joan Sackett, Judi Ussery, and their crew packed up the gifts you brought for the elders and took them to the retirement homes. I am sure they were much appreciated there. You brought a little cheer to some shut-in souls.
Our Christmas program was very enjoyable with Sam Lane's piano rendition of favorite seasonal music. I was lucky to sit at his table and hear about his extraordinary life. He was accompanied by his wife Anita who helps him navigate in his world without sight. Perhaps because of his disability, which he has had since birth, he is very sensitive to everyone around him and is a great conversationalist. I loved hearing his conversation with Minnie Lee Rogers about church matters. He called her "Sister Rogers" which was very sweet and respectful.
Here are some shots of the festive December group.
Our next meeting is on January 15, at 11:30 a.m., at Renaissance on 9th. If you want to avoid a line, come early. Apropos of our presenter Sam Lane in December, our speaker will be Debbie Grubb from the Florida Council of the Blind. We are still collecting for the Food Bank, so bring a can or a box or two.
See you soon,
Ellen
Little did I know that as the work slowed down, everything else would speed up. For example, I spent at least two hours yesterday discovering how to use the U Go device that my granddaughter gave me for Christmas. Coordinating it all required the little gizmo with its impossible-to-insert battery, the cell phone with an Apple store app, and my computer. Finally, I attached the little tracker to my body ( you don't need to know how), and now I can track all my footsteps and my sleep hours. It occurred to me that now I can watch myself fail in real time. Do I really want to take 2000 steps each day and sleep 7 hours? And if I do, do I need a record of it?
With January comes FREA's drive to raise money for the state education scholarships. Since we have two local recipients right now, I think we should be very interested in helping them out. Also, the door prizes that they offer are usually terrific.
I am sure they will be announced at our meeting this month. We should not forget our local scholarships in the meantime. Although we will be concentrating now on the state promotion, MCREA Scholarships are still receiving funds if you haven't donated yet.
FELT book contributions were great in December. Unfortunately, they came in the day before school ended for winter break and that was too late to send them home with the kids. However, the books are residing under my desk waiting for the last day of school in June to be distributed. Please keep them coming in. I have about 100 books now, and there are about 400 kids in the FELT program. Remember, the students are from K to 5th grade, so there is quite a range of reading skills to serve. I grade them all quickly (no formulas or counting words, just eyeballing) and give them to Bill Evers who takes them to the backpack assembly point.
Joan Sackett, Judi Ussery, and their crew packed up the gifts you brought for the elders and took them to the retirement homes. I am sure they were much appreciated there. You brought a little cheer to some shut-in souls.
Our Christmas program was very enjoyable with Sam Lane's piano rendition of favorite seasonal music. I was lucky to sit at his table and hear about his extraordinary life. He was accompanied by his wife Anita who helps him navigate in his world without sight. Perhaps because of his disability, which he has had since birth, he is very sensitive to everyone around him and is a great conversationalist. I loved hearing his conversation with Minnie Lee Rogers about church matters. He called her "Sister Rogers" which was very sweet and respectful.
Here are some shots of the festive December group.
Our next meeting is on January 15, at 11:30 a.m., at Renaissance on 9th. If you want to avoid a line, come early. Apropos of our presenter Sam Lane in December, our speaker will be Debbie Grubb from the Florida Council of the Blind. We are still collecting for the Food Bank, so bring a can or a box or two.
See you soon,
Ellen
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
December, 2014
Because of some sickness and difficulties in my family, I am late getting this out to you. I will try to hit the most important things and let the others go until next month.
Last week, Chet and I delivered 171 children's books to Bill Evers for distribution in the FELT program. FELT's founder, Jane Evers, thought it was important to give the children books along with their food at the last session before Christmas vacation. We were able to help with that dream for several years. This year was a little different though since the FELT program is now serving nearly 400 homeless children in the school system. We were quite short of that number even though Deborah Thomas and I made a last minute foray to the Good Will Book Store at Tara. When I called Bill, he said they would be happy to hand out as many books as they got. I divided them into grade levels with a little sadness thinking of those who would not get a book.
Please bring in any lightly used books you may have for K-5 children. Of course, an occasional child can read at the 6-7 grade level, so those are acceptable also. Just because a child is homeless does not mean he or she is not a good reader. If you want to buy some books, second hand stores, the Good Will Book Store at Tara, and sometimes at regular stores, there are new books for sale at great prices. If we could get 400 books together before the end of the school year, we could send the kids home with a book each for summer reading.
Sam Lane, a popular pianist in the Bradenton-Sarasota area, will entertain us at our Holiday meeting on December 18. We hope you will all be there to enjoy his program. There was an article about him in the Sarasota Herald Tribune several weeks ago. He plays jazz and pop, and most surprising, he is blind.
If you do not hear from your caller before this Sunday, please call Mary Ann Jensen, 756-7603, to make a reservation. If you arrive at Renaissance on 9th at 11 a.m. or shortly thereafter, the line will not be as long.
Ellen
Friday, November 7, 2014
MCREA November, 2014
Does it seem to you that life has speeded up so much that it is difficult to keep up? Or is it that time and events are keeping their usual pace and it is I who has slowed down? The cool weather, the election, the doctors' appointments, the meetings, the dinners with relatives, the bills to pay, the housework, the laundry, the meal prep all keep me running. While attempting to make dinner Wednesday evening, I had to field a call from a credit card company advising me that someone has been running up some hefty bills at Nordstroms, Toys Are Us, and Bed, Bath and Beyond. I did shop at B.B.&B. last Christmas, but T.A.T. is a thing of the past, and I have never crossed the threshold of N. Luckily, the credit card company knew me for a tight wad.
Then, my email program decided that I could no longer just type in "MCREA membership" and it would send to all the members. Have you ever tried to communicate with Microsoft problem solvers? They actually gave me websites that required at least 60 digits and letters to access. Then when I got there, I couldn't understand the information. So, I am left with the task of typing each one of your names into an email. I will shop around some more for a better service. I have tried Chrome, but they only accept Chrome users into their "Circles" which are called groups elsewhere. Would you all like to sign up for gmail? I didn't think so.
Our trip to the Ringling Museum which was arranged by Minnie Lee Jones was really entertaining. We had a docent-guided tour of the Ringling Mansion. Of course, most of us had been there before, but many of us had never been upstairs to see the bedrooms and closets of the famous couple. John's feet were very long and very thin. In his room, his clothes were laid out on his bed as if he would be coming in at any moment and getting ready for his day. But, horrors! His hat was on his bed. Those of you who have Celtic ancestors are aware that is asking for big trouble.
Then, my email program decided that I could no longer just type in "MCREA membership" and it would send to all the members. Have you ever tried to communicate with Microsoft problem solvers? They actually gave me websites that required at least 60 digits and letters to access. Then when I got there, I couldn't understand the information. So, I am left with the task of typing each one of your names into an email. I will shop around some more for a better service. I have tried Chrome, but they only accept Chrome users into their "Circles" which are called groups elsewhere. Would you all like to sign up for gmail? I didn't think so.
Our trip to the Ringling Museum which was arranged by Minnie Lee Jones was really entertaining. We had a docent-guided tour of the Ringling Mansion. Of course, most of us had been there before, but many of us had never been upstairs to see the bedrooms and closets of the famous couple. John's feet were very long and very thin. In his room, his clothes were laid out on his bed as if he would be coming in at any moment and getting ready for his day. But, horrors! His hat was on his bed. Those of you who have Celtic ancestors are aware that is asking for big trouble.
Lunch in the Ringling Restaurant
In addition to our Halloween party at our October meeting, we were addressed by Dr. Diana Greene, Deputy Superintendent of Instructional Services. She spoke about the new requirements in testing and technology which are affecting teachers and students in the Manatee Schools. Each course in K-12 must now have an exit exam which will be administered on a computer. Yes, even kindergarten. Even P.E. must have a written testn not a test of physical ability as one might logically expect. And, the results of these tests will determine 50% of a teacher's evaluation score, read salary.
The State of Florida is pushing for digital, on-line materials so that Manatee could buy the textbooks and get the digital tests to go with them. Grades 3-12 will all be assessed on line. 5th graders must type a five paragraph essay writing exam. So now keyboarding must be taught quickly. Cursive will also still be taught. Aren't you glad you are out of there?
Deborah Thomas has taken on the chairmanship of the FREA 5th grade essay contest. Packets which explain the contest, have been delivered to the elementary schools. The topic is a happy memory of time spent with grandparents or other elderly persons in a student's life. The FREA prizes are $150, $100, $50 for the best three essays. MCREA will award a $25 gift certificate to the winner here and a $25 gift certificate to the winner's class for the teacher to use as he or she sees fit. We hope teachers will be able to squeeze this in, perhaps as a topic for a practice essay.
Scholarship Chairs, Pat Griffin and Julia Forkgen have distributed the FREA Scholarship forms to the high schools. The Scholarship Committee is required to then choose one from all the entries to forward to FREF. We have had two winners in the last three years of this more lucrative state scholarship. When the winner has been chosen, then it will be time to send out applications for the MCREA Scholarship. Again, we need donations from you to make sure we have the funds to award to new recipients and to others who will be becoming college juniors. Julia and Pat will be happy to accept checks made out to MCREA Scholarship Fund or you can give or mail them to our Treasurer, Ron Schneider.
Our meeting on Nov. 20 will feature speaker, Nick Drizos of SMART (Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy). As usual, we will meet at Renaissance on 9th, at 11 a.m. Be sure to wear your nametag. If you don't have one yet, please see Sue Roe about picking yours up or having one made for you. Congratulations to Elaine Waldron for the excellent and timely Handbook. Again, if you haven't received one, come to the meeting and pick yours up. If you do not hear from your caller in the next week, please call Mary Ann Jensen at 756-7603 to make a reservation.
A reminder for you is to start handing out cards with your purchases from Sunday, Nov. 9th to Sunday, Nov. 16th. You received these cards at the October meeting. If you were not there, then you do not have them. These cards are meant to inform local merchants how much we retired educators support the economy.
On a sad note, you probably read that Jeanne Parrish, a former member of MCREA and a long-time English teacher at Manatee High School passed away last week. I remember her a classy and yet down-to-earth lady with practical ideas for teaching English to teenagers.
Halloween was fun!
Even witches have serious times
Lady, there's a turkey on your head
Ace pilot and winner of the costume contest
Boo to you too
Witches coven
Fair maidens
A reunion of friends
Diana, the Peacock
See you on Thursday, the 20th,
Ellen
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
MCREA October 7, 2014
Were you able to store up some of that cool and refreshing air which we experienced over the weekend? At my house, it was sort of like Hercules cleaning out the Aegean Stables. The open windows blew a lot of the dog and cat hair out from under the furniture and rearranged it into piles that could be swept up. My husband became obsessed with catching and smoking mullet as he always is in the fall. So we had smoked mullet on Sunday and we were able to air the fishy smell out afterwards. Heaven. Now I can't wait for the next "cold" front to arrive.
Our September meeting was very well attended -- 101 members and guests. Some of our new members were there, having joined at our annual New Retirees Reception in August. We must remember that there is strength in numbers when it comes to protecting our retirement accounts. The Legislature will be out again to do the FRS harm in their spring session. Our membership in MCREA and in FREA is crucial in keeping them at bay.
Our scheduled speaker was Supervisor of Elections, Michael Bennett. Due to a death in his family, he was unable to attend and sent us the Assistant Supervisor in his place. Some of the interesting facts that I wrote down from his speech were that there were on that day 211,000 registered voters in Manatee County which made us 16th in the state. The last election only drew 20% of the voters which is a particularly low turnout.
Here are some of the guests at our retirees reception. Perhaps you will see a familiar face or two.
An opportunity to volunteer has come to us from Karen Carpenter, School Board Member. "There is an urgent need for volunteers for the Reading Pals program. One hour a week with a guided curriculum helping kindergartner for 25 weeks. This is my third year volunteering and it is a great program and experience." Her instructions are to contact Sandra Holmes at the United Way, 748-1313. It is also on line at www.uwmc.net/, or you can email ReadingPals@uwmc.net/
Please remember to bring cans for the Food Bank and small toiletries for the nursing home Christmas gift bags. We are also still collecting gently used and new books for children who receive food to tide them over the weekends -- FELT (Feeding Empty Little Tummies). We hope to have a book for each child to take home at Christmas. If you are interested in volunteering at FELT, they have a web page. I will forward the next newsletter I receive from them so you will have it.
Most dear to my heart are our MCREA Scholarships which we present each spring to Manatee County seniors who are planning to become educators. Yes, there still are some, and they deserve recognition for going into a field so demeaned at this time. When you speak to one of them about that, he or she always credits a teacher who was an inspiration, and so they want to do the same for some other kids. In other words, they are motivated by the same desires that sent each of us into the profession. Our rewards were not monetary, but they were "on the side of the angels." Now we are asking again for your support. Please donate what you can.
Our Thursday, October 16 meeting is all about Halloween. Come in costume if you like. Many of us do go all out. You will be amazed. There will be prizes. Also, our entertainment director, Sandra Stephenson will lead us in Halloween Bingo. Yes, there are prizes for winners here too. Everyone should bring 20 quarters to play with. Those will be collected at the end of the meeting for the Scholarship Fund. We have a group from the School Board coming to update us on their projects for the year, so we will have an opportunity to learn something as well.
As usual, if you have not heard from your caller by Thursday or Friday of the previous week, please call Mary Ann Jensen at 756-7603. If you haven't paid your dues for 2014-15 yet, you must get them in this month if you wish to have your name in our Handbook. Our Treasurer, Ron Schneider, will take them at the door or you can mail him a check at 3802 Chinaberry Road, Bradenton, FL 34208.
See you on the 16th. Try to come early if you can to avoid the big line signing in.
11 is a good time or even earlier and you can visit.
Ellen
Our September meeting was very well attended -- 101 members and guests. Some of our new members were there, having joined at our annual New Retirees Reception in August. We must remember that there is strength in numbers when it comes to protecting our retirement accounts. The Legislature will be out again to do the FRS harm in their spring session. Our membership in MCREA and in FREA is crucial in keeping them at bay.
Our scheduled speaker was Supervisor of Elections, Michael Bennett. Due to a death in his family, he was unable to attend and sent us the Assistant Supervisor in his place. Some of the interesting facts that I wrote down from his speech were that there were on that day 211,000 registered voters in Manatee County which made us 16th in the state. The last election only drew 20% of the voters which is a particularly low turnout.
Here are some of the guests at our retirees reception. Perhaps you will see a familiar face or two.
 |
| Mac Aldrich and Jean Jacobson |
 |
| Dennis Rose and Dan Crumpler |
 |
| Gary and Lorraine Kerwin |
 |
| Sharon Hundley |
 |
| Dick Andrews and Bruce Dietch |
 |
| Lori Cooper and Alice Deslaurier |
 |
| Judy Shostrom welcomes our guests. |
Please remember to bring cans for the Food Bank and small toiletries for the nursing home Christmas gift bags. We are also still collecting gently used and new books for children who receive food to tide them over the weekends -- FELT (Feeding Empty Little Tummies). We hope to have a book for each child to take home at Christmas. If you are interested in volunteering at FELT, they have a web page. I will forward the next newsletter I receive from them so you will have it.
Most dear to my heart are our MCREA Scholarships which we present each spring to Manatee County seniors who are planning to become educators. Yes, there still are some, and they deserve recognition for going into a field so demeaned at this time. When you speak to one of them about that, he or she always credits a teacher who was an inspiration, and so they want to do the same for some other kids. In other words, they are motivated by the same desires that sent each of us into the profession. Our rewards were not monetary, but they were "on the side of the angels." Now we are asking again for your support. Please donate what you can.
Our Thursday, October 16 meeting is all about Halloween. Come in costume if you like. Many of us do go all out. You will be amazed. There will be prizes. Also, our entertainment director, Sandra Stephenson will lead us in Halloween Bingo. Yes, there are prizes for winners here too. Everyone should bring 20 quarters to play with. Those will be collected at the end of the meeting for the Scholarship Fund. We have a group from the School Board coming to update us on their projects for the year, so we will have an opportunity to learn something as well.
As usual, if you have not heard from your caller by Thursday or Friday of the previous week, please call Mary Ann Jensen at 756-7603. If you haven't paid your dues for 2014-15 yet, you must get them in this month if you wish to have your name in our Handbook. Our Treasurer, Ron Schneider, will take them at the door or you can mail him a check at 3802 Chinaberry Road, Bradenton, FL 34208.
See you on the 16th. Try to come early if you can to avoid the big line signing in.
11 is a good time or even earlier and you can visit.
Ellen
Thursday, August 28, 2014
MCREA August , 2014
Summer isn't over yet? It seems that it lasts longer each year. I am happy, however, that there is no hurricane threatening us at the moment. It seems that in most years, Labor Day is the real beginning of hurricane season. The holiday is early this year. Honestly, I feel a little shivery mentioning the "H" word. It's like saying "flat tire" when you are on a long trip. Why tempt fate?
These are three of our scholarship recipients with Julia Forkgen, Scholarship Chair, who were guests at our May meeting. From left to right, Lonnitra Jefferson, Bethune Cookman; Meghan Neu, USF; Kristy Palanco, SCF.
Janaye Brown, UF, and Desmond Jefferson, SCF, were unable to join us that day. Janaye and Desmond are both grandchildren of our own James and Elaine Brown. Elaine served as MCREA Scholarship Chair for many years. I can tell you as a member of committee who made the choices, we knew about Janaye's relationship, but we had no idea about Desmond's. Both were standouts in the group of applicants.
The Scholarship Committee also rewarded $500 to Milea Willett, a 2013 recipient, because she has already finished her first two years and entered her junior year as an education major. She took college classes when she was in high school. This is a plan which we hope to continue to follow. When a recipient becomes a junior or enters a chosen field of education, we will reward her or him again. It is a way for us to help students who may not be receiving any more scholarship money and at the same time to ensure that entering education is their goal.
So, you can see that this is a little pyramid scheme which could overwhelm us unless we have your help. Presumably, we will have students requesting help in the spring for next year. And we do want to keep on giving high school seniors money too. I hope you will all help us raise enough money to do that.
While I am writing about giving, something most of us are asked to do on a daily basis it seems, MCREA is still supporting FELT (Feeding Empty Little Tummies) which is carrying on in spite of the loss of its founder and major supporter, Jane Evers. So, please look around for children's books that you can contribute. I got a several at the library store last week for only three dollars. Again, all of us working together can assure each child receiving food for the weekend, a book for Christmas.
We are also continuing to bring in food for the Manatee Food Bank. Although employment is up a little, there is still a lot of hunger out there. Try to bring a can or two to each meeting.
The gifts that we put together for the nursing home depend on your generosity also. Those shampoos and soaps that you picked up in the hotel during your vacation are perfect for little remembrances. Items should be small, unopened, and appropriate for shut-in senior citizens -- no makeup, candy, jewelry. Socks, cardigan sweaters, and lap robes are nice too.
I signed up for the Renaissance trip to see Cinderella at the Straz in Tampa on Saturday, Oct. 25. Lunch will be served at the Renaissance, the bus trip, and the tickets are $115 per person. I hope that some of you will also attend. For information, call Renaissance on 9th, 749-0100.
FREA is sending out letters asking us to pay our dues. Please remember that if you have paid your dues to MCREA, your FREA dues were included, and you do not have to pay them again. If you have not paid your dues yet, please send a check for $55 to Ron Schneider, 3802 Chinaberry Road, Bradenton, FL 34208. Or you can bring your check to our first meeting, Sept. 18. FREA confuses us with this request because there are counties which do not have local associations.
Mary Ann Jensen is looking for callers for the telephone tree. If you have a little time that you could donate, please call her at 756-7603 or see her at our first meeting. We are growing!
Speaking of growing, our best chance to grow is coming up on Thursday, Sept. 4, at the Manatee County Central Library. Our annual reception for new retirees has been a great way to grow our membership. We invite you to attend also to meet the new lucky ones and to partake of some great refreshments. We will be there from 10:00-11:30 a.m. If you know someone who has not yet joined us, please invite him or her to come with you.
This is the almost complete schedule of meetings for 2014-15. All will be held on Thursday, at 11:00 a.m., at Renaissance on 9th. Lunch is still $15.
September 18 Michael Bennett, Manatee Supervisor of Elections
October 16 Halloween Fun
November 20 Nick Drizos, SMART (Sarasota Manatee Assn. of Riding
Therapy)
December 18 Christmas Program (TBA)
January 15 Debbie Grubb, Florida Council for the Blind
February 19 Joint meeting with the Sarasota County Retired Educators
Linda Edson, FREA Legislative Co-Chair, FREA
March 19 Lynn Girnis, Musical Entertainment and Comic Relief for
the Chronologically Gifted
April 16 Chris Nelson, Identity Theft
May 21 Show and Tell
Of course, you know that if your caller does not reach you before the meeting, please call Pat Battles who is taking over for Mary Ann Jensen this month,755-1182.
See you soon,
Ellen
Janaye Brown, UF, and Desmond Jefferson, SCF, were unable to join us that day. Janaye and Desmond are both grandchildren of our own James and Elaine Brown. Elaine served as MCREA Scholarship Chair for many years. I can tell you as a member of committee who made the choices, we knew about Janaye's relationship, but we had no idea about Desmond's. Both were standouts in the group of applicants.
The Scholarship Committee also rewarded $500 to Milea Willett, a 2013 recipient, because she has already finished her first two years and entered her junior year as an education major. She took college classes when she was in high school. This is a plan which we hope to continue to follow. When a recipient becomes a junior or enters a chosen field of education, we will reward her or him again. It is a way for us to help students who may not be receiving any more scholarship money and at the same time to ensure that entering education is their goal.
So, you can see that this is a little pyramid scheme which could overwhelm us unless we have your help. Presumably, we will have students requesting help in the spring for next year. And we do want to keep on giving high school seniors money too. I hope you will all help us raise enough money to do that.
While I am writing about giving, something most of us are asked to do on a daily basis it seems, MCREA is still supporting FELT (Feeding Empty Little Tummies) which is carrying on in spite of the loss of its founder and major supporter, Jane Evers. So, please look around for children's books that you can contribute. I got a several at the library store last week for only three dollars. Again, all of us working together can assure each child receiving food for the weekend, a book for Christmas.
We are also continuing to bring in food for the Manatee Food Bank. Although employment is up a little, there is still a lot of hunger out there. Try to bring a can or two to each meeting.
The gifts that we put together for the nursing home depend on your generosity also. Those shampoos and soaps that you picked up in the hotel during your vacation are perfect for little remembrances. Items should be small, unopened, and appropriate for shut-in senior citizens -- no makeup, candy, jewelry. Socks, cardigan sweaters, and lap robes are nice too.
I signed up for the Renaissance trip to see Cinderella at the Straz in Tampa on Saturday, Oct. 25. Lunch will be served at the Renaissance, the bus trip, and the tickets are $115 per person. I hope that some of you will also attend. For information, call Renaissance on 9th, 749-0100.
FREA is sending out letters asking us to pay our dues. Please remember that if you have paid your dues to MCREA, your FREA dues were included, and you do not have to pay them again. If you have not paid your dues yet, please send a check for $55 to Ron Schneider, 3802 Chinaberry Road, Bradenton, FL 34208. Or you can bring your check to our first meeting, Sept. 18. FREA confuses us with this request because there are counties which do not have local associations.
Mary Ann Jensen is looking for callers for the telephone tree. If you have a little time that you could donate, please call her at 756-7603 or see her at our first meeting. We are growing!
Speaking of growing, our best chance to grow is coming up on Thursday, Sept. 4, at the Manatee County Central Library. Our annual reception for new retirees has been a great way to grow our membership. We invite you to attend also to meet the new lucky ones and to partake of some great refreshments. We will be there from 10:00-11:30 a.m. If you know someone who has not yet joined us, please invite him or her to come with you.
This is the almost complete schedule of meetings for 2014-15. All will be held on Thursday, at 11:00 a.m., at Renaissance on 9th. Lunch is still $15.
September 18 Michael Bennett, Manatee Supervisor of Elections
October 16 Halloween Fun
November 20 Nick Drizos, SMART (Sarasota Manatee Assn. of Riding
Therapy)
December 18 Christmas Program (TBA)
January 15 Debbie Grubb, Florida Council for the Blind
February 19 Joint meeting with the Sarasota County Retired Educators
Linda Edson, FREA Legislative Co-Chair, FREA
March 19 Lynn Girnis, Musical Entertainment and Comic Relief for
the Chronologically Gifted
April 16 Chris Nelson, Identity Theft
May 21 Show and Tell
Of course, you know that if your caller does not reach you before the meeting, please call Pat Battles who is taking over for Mary Ann Jensen this month,755-1182.
See you soon,
Ellen
Friday, April 4, 2014
Manatee County Retired Educators Association
April 2014
I agree with Shakespeare that "April is the cruelest month". I think he was considering an affair of the heart when he wrote that, but for educators, the remark describes the actions of the Florida Legislature. You are probably, like me, constantly shocked at their complete disregard for kids and teachers as they scorch the earth to fulfill their own personal agendas. Meanwhile, we citizens of Florida have to become more and more cynical about our representation which seems to have nested firmly in the pockets of companies that set up private schools, moneyed interests who wish to kill labor unions like FEA and, as a consequence, FREA, and our pensions. Never mind that research shows that public schools do a better job of teaching all students. Forget that the concept of schooling for every child is the way to insure that all learn about our democracy.
Red herrings are thrown around with abandon in Tallahassee. The politicians use their own brand of religion (or that which will please some constituents), crazy gun laws, their disregard of and disdain for the poor and underemployed, and their desire to create a voucher system for schools which will eventually spell the end of public education.. They are cheered along by the Chamber of Commerce whose members do not wish to increase salaries for their workers, the NRA, and those pseudo-educational companies which are anxious to set up cheaply run private schools.
Well, I did go on, didn't I? I hope you are writing emails to those sell-outs. (I can not rightfully call them legislators.) Only at the ballot box can we straighten out this mess. And with the money pouring in to support them with vile television ads that distort and lie and wave those red herrings, it will be an uphill battle all the way.
On a lighter note, Dr. Mona Jain was honored by Gamma Zeta Chapter, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. on March 15th as Woman of the Year for her community service and commitment to youth and non-traditional students in Manatee and Sarasota Counties. Elaine Brown and Johncyna McRae are members of the Sorority. Dr. Jain, Elaine Brown, and Johncyna McRae are all members of MCREA.
Debra Thomas says there is a great need for tutors at the Adult Education Center of the Manatee Technical Institute. Many of the present tutors are winter visitors who will be returning home soon.
If you are interested in volunteering for an hour or so a week, call Olga Rodriquez, Volunteer Coordinator, Adult Ed. Center, MTI. Her number is 941-209-6800, Ext. 2244. You may want to talk to Deborah for more information.
Now for some housekeeping duties. Please do not forget to feed the tax bag on your table at our monthly meeting. If you recall, we do not want to charge more to take care of the sales taxes which Renaissance must collect on our lunches. Next, please pick up a membership renewal form at the next meeting. You can fill it out at the meeting, turn it in to Ron Schneider, and save a stamp. Doing it now will save the membership chair hours on the phone reminding you during the summer. We have made a new policy that anyone who has not renewed by the first of October will not be listed in the directory. We plan to get the directory out in November next fall. If you have any changes to make to your listing, be sure to give them to David Brown who is updating the information.
The Sheriff Dept. Officer who spoke at our February meeting was Alan Fifield. He was very entertaining and he left us with some thoughts on how to protect our safety at home and on the road. He certainly deserved to named correctly.
If you have not bought your ticket for a door prize at the FREA Conference in St. Augustine in May, time is ticking by. The prizes are great as usual: a Visa gift card of $500, an HDTV, an iPad Mini, $150 in cash, and $100 in cash. Remember, the proceeds support the FREF Scholarships. We have two students currently collecting yearly stipends from those funds.
Julia Forkgen, MCREA Scholarship Chair, is collecting applications from high school seniors for the MCREA Scholarship. Your contributions have been generous this year. Thank you. The Scholarship Committee will meet this month to read through the applications and select the winners.
We will meet at 11:30 at Renaissance on 9th, on Thursday, April 17th. Fay Murphy, FREA State Director and member of our group, will bring us information about FREA and its role in Tallahassee. Fay is well-versed in the actions of the legislative bodies and in FREA's work bringing reason to their follies. If you do not hear from your caller, please call Mary Ann Jensen to make a reservation, 941-756-7603.
See you soon,
Ellen
I agree with Shakespeare that "April is the cruelest month". I think he was considering an affair of the heart when he wrote that, but for educators, the remark describes the actions of the Florida Legislature. You are probably, like me, constantly shocked at their complete disregard for kids and teachers as they scorch the earth to fulfill their own personal agendas. Meanwhile, we citizens of Florida have to become more and more cynical about our representation which seems to have nested firmly in the pockets of companies that set up private schools, moneyed interests who wish to kill labor unions like FEA and, as a consequence, FREA, and our pensions. Never mind that research shows that public schools do a better job of teaching all students. Forget that the concept of schooling for every child is the way to insure that all learn about our democracy.
Red herrings are thrown around with abandon in Tallahassee. The politicians use their own brand of religion (or that which will please some constituents), crazy gun laws, their disregard of and disdain for the poor and underemployed, and their desire to create a voucher system for schools which will eventually spell the end of public education.. They are cheered along by the Chamber of Commerce whose members do not wish to increase salaries for their workers, the NRA, and those pseudo-educational companies which are anxious to set up cheaply run private schools.
Well, I did go on, didn't I? I hope you are writing emails to those sell-outs. (I can not rightfully call them legislators.) Only at the ballot box can we straighten out this mess. And with the money pouring in to support them with vile television ads that distort and lie and wave those red herrings, it will be an uphill battle all the way.
On a lighter note, Dr. Mona Jain was honored by Gamma Zeta Chapter, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. on March 15th as Woman of the Year for her community service and commitment to youth and non-traditional students in Manatee and Sarasota Counties. Elaine Brown and Johncyna McRae are members of the Sorority. Dr. Jain, Elaine Brown, and Johncyna McRae are all members of MCREA.
Debra Thomas says there is a great need for tutors at the Adult Education Center of the Manatee Technical Institute. Many of the present tutors are winter visitors who will be returning home soon.
If you are interested in volunteering for an hour or so a week, call Olga Rodriquez, Volunteer Coordinator, Adult Ed. Center, MTI. Her number is 941-209-6800, Ext. 2244. You may want to talk to Deborah for more information.
Now for some housekeeping duties. Please do not forget to feed the tax bag on your table at our monthly meeting. If you recall, we do not want to charge more to take care of the sales taxes which Renaissance must collect on our lunches. Next, please pick up a membership renewal form at the next meeting. You can fill it out at the meeting, turn it in to Ron Schneider, and save a stamp. Doing it now will save the membership chair hours on the phone reminding you during the summer. We have made a new policy that anyone who has not renewed by the first of October will not be listed in the directory. We plan to get the directory out in November next fall. If you have any changes to make to your listing, be sure to give them to David Brown who is updating the information.
The Sheriff Dept. Officer who spoke at our February meeting was Alan Fifield. He was very entertaining and he left us with some thoughts on how to protect our safety at home and on the road. He certainly deserved to named correctly.
If you have not bought your ticket for a door prize at the FREA Conference in St. Augustine in May, time is ticking by. The prizes are great as usual: a Visa gift card of $500, an HDTV, an iPad Mini, $150 in cash, and $100 in cash. Remember, the proceeds support the FREF Scholarships. We have two students currently collecting yearly stipends from those funds.
Julia Forkgen, MCREA Scholarship Chair, is collecting applications from high school seniors for the MCREA Scholarship. Your contributions have been generous this year. Thank you. The Scholarship Committee will meet this month to read through the applications and select the winners.
We will meet at 11:30 at Renaissance on 9th, on Thursday, April 17th. Fay Murphy, FREA State Director and member of our group, will bring us information about FREA and its role in Tallahassee. Fay is well-versed in the actions of the legislative bodies and in FREA's work bringing reason to their follies. If you do not hear from your caller, please call Mary Ann Jensen to make a reservation, 941-756-7603.
See you soon,
Ellen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)