The Prez Says: This is our first newsletter for 2015. May the year meet your hopes and in-spirations. Congratulations to all Canadians who have braved this co-o-o-old cli-mate. To all who escaped to the slightly warmer southern climes, “Isn’t retire-ment wonderful!”

Michael Roberts, our District Travel Chair, has once again organized two trips that have been popular in past years. More information is in another part of this newsletter. If past experience continues, these trips fill up quickly.

RTO/ERO budgets $100,000 a year to support District endorsed programs that meet specific objectives. Since the year 2000, we have received over $38,000 for projects we have sub-mitted. Support for Track & Field hurdles, Bridging the Gap, Operation World Teacher, Baby Think It Over, Victoria Schoolhouse Relocation, Friends of the Frink Centre, Big Brothers & Sisters, Children’s Guide Dog Book, Youth In Action Summer Program, Library Workstation, Hastings Manor Physio Equipment, School Zone Signage, Prince Edward County Archives and Children’s Poetry have received support. The objectives of the program are listed on the RTO/ERO provincial web site. (rto-ero.org, Projects and Services, Project Service to Others). Abbreviated objectives are:

• To provide financial assistance (to a maximum of $4,000.00) to education-related and/or other com-munity projects.

• To contribute to a variety of projects and thereby raise the profile of RTO/ERO and its members, (retired educators and non-educator employees of Canadian School Boards or education organizations who have joined RTO/ERO) by demonstrating that RTO/ERO and its members care about their com-munities and about public education, and are willing to help others who need assistance.

• To raise the profile of RTO/ERO and its members

• To demonstrate to the general public that RTO/ERO’s members continue to serve after retirement.

• To demonstrate to potential RTO/ERO members that RTO/ERO is a dynamic organization to which they should consider belonging when they retire from active teaching.

If you have an idea for support; contact our Project STO Chair, Janet Marissen (handjmarissen@hotmail.com). Deadline for the application to our executive is April 1, 2015.

The Shoppers Drug Mart/Shoppers Home Health Care offerings to RTO/ERO members are no longer available as the arrangement has ended. Should you have any questions about your Shoppers Optimum Card, please call Shoppers Drug Mart directly at 1-800-746-7737. Please note that Shoppers Drug Mart/Shoppers Home Health Care continue to offer a Senior’s Day discount of 20% each Thursday

Our District Annual Meeting is May 28. More details will be in the next issue of Quinte Chronicles. We continue to need volunteers to serve on our District Executive. Give me a call for more information if you would like to serve some of your retired colleagues. (613-392-1365)

I hope to see you on May 28.

Retired Teachers of Ontario - District 19 - Hastings and Prince Edward District February, 2015

Welcome to our new

Members!!:

Pat Benson Moore

Margaret Christie

Sarah Fanjoy

Robert McGregor

Ingrid Montieth

Linda Rupert

Brian Thorpe

William Cooke

Roderick W. Campbell

Shelley L. D’Ornellas

Michael Kirby

Francis Elizabeth Knight

In Memoriam

Muriel Fleming Catharine Gunn Lowell B. Sutton

W. Douglas Bannon Margery E. Harris Agnes E Waterton

Bruce Bedell Shirley A Braniff

Michael D’Ornellas Anne Marie Gipp

HELP!

Your District Executive for RTO is in urgent need of your help. Several of our current executive members have been serving you in a variety of positions since they first retired and joined RTO. They have provided newsletters, web site information, exciting local trips and administration services to you for many years. They now want to retire from RTO District 19 Executive and attend our wonderful luncheons with their peers without any additional responsibilities. That is where you come in to help. We need other members to step up and offer their skills and interests in the con-tinuation of our District. The District can not run itself. We must have new members in order to carry out the many small and larger tasks that are currently done by others. If you are willing to join our executive, please contact Janet Marissen by email or phone ( handjmarissen@hotmail.com or 613-961-0990 ). If you value your associa-tion at the local level, if you enjoy your local newsletter or you want some exciting trips organized, you need to volunteer to serve on your executive. Janet Marissen.